GH: Bryan and Claudia

[DRW50]

Thanks.

If GH had any time for blacks I would say they could bring the characters, or their kids anyway, back, just to help honor the past and also future story.

[Dion]

There was an interview with H.Wesley Kenney posted somewhere online from when he took over GH and he talked about how the canvas was too full (although on the positive side this meant that there was the fantastic community feel) and there were a lot of characters that were brought in for a specific storyline that were still hanging around (while this doesn't really apply to Bryan and Claudia I think it does apply to Yank and Jade who were brought in for the Asian Quarter story but I believe were still around in 1987 being basically the Asian Bryan and Claudia) so he was planning on dropping a few characters (I guess Bryan and Claudia were two of these, along with Yank, Jade and I think Buzz and Sandy), have a moratorium on spy stories (which I think took effect once the Whole Mt Rushmore storyline with Elena took place but didn't last long as the real Grant Putnam was brought back in early 1988) and put a little more focus on the Hardy's (which I guess led to Tom and Simone) and the hospital. I'll have a hunt round for it to get the link as it's quite an interesting interview.

As for Bryan and Claudia, I can see why they were ultimately dropped to recurring and off canvas but it is still somewhat of a shame. I think had they survived til Claire Labine's era she would have found them quite useful and perhaps involved them with the Wards like she did with Simone.

[DRW50]

Thanks for finding that - Kenney's reign resulted in a ratings drop didn't it? I remember a Digest fan letter criticizing him and talking about how he had ruined the show's female characters.

[Dion]

Here's that article I mentioned. Each page is on a different...well page...so you have to clink the links to get to the next part. Special Report - Soap Opera Digest 1987

[ER Tosh]

I am always interested in learning about the 86-91 era of GH since nobody ever talks about it for the most part. It does not seem that characters who started in that era lasted long. (save for like Mac)

[quartermainefan]

Reading that article, I think we see one of the fundamental problems Daytime I guess always had: the need for every show to be alike. He goes on to say that under Monty the show was a entertaining (and obviously popular and #1) and then in his next breath he says he wants to make it more like Y&R and find a happy medium. Well why? He had a winning show with the cops, spies,and whatnot, and he spouts out the same daytime line about characters and relationships and that is what the show should be about. Well if that were the only way to go then GH would not have been the phenom that it was.

[~bl~]

I actually started watching GH regularly in the late 80s, so I find it kind of weird how little is known or discussed about it. Monty overwrote most of what happened in the time frame that she was gone. Mac may have came in 91 which is when Monty came back, so how much influence she had on the character is unknown to me. When she came in so many of the characters that had been in huge story were written out, and I recall reading at the time that this was intentional. She wanted to go back to her characters and create new ones.

[ER Tosh]

The only things I know about the late 80's era is Anna was with Duke, Edward died for a while and Tracy came back, Bobbie and Tony got together and Robin hanged out with a alien.

[Mr. Vixen]

Bobbie and Tony. 1989 baby!

[LoyaltoAMC]

Pretty sure Claudia, at least, lasted a bit into the Wes Kenney period. I think Kenney tried to bring some depth to the show that had suffered from all of Monty's endless adventure stories. I think her last big adventure story was the whole Asian Quarter mystery with a whole bunch of Asian stereotypes that made me tune out. I remember some of the actors appreciating the new-found depth, but it was all just so boring. They did that PSA suicide story with Corey Blyth and then tried to position Corey and budding nurse Rosa Hernandez into some star-crossed romance that was dreadfully dull. Then there was the equally dull Dusty-Terry romance. I also remember some hospital hostage story with a guy named Roger Barrett. When Kenney started, he revisited the Laurelton mystery that had been popular a little while earlier, and it had ratings soaring. After that, they dropped like a lead balloon. The one good thing about Kenney is that he gave John Beradino and Rachel Ames more airtime and more to do, but besides that, kind of meh!

[Wendy]

As much as I think GH vets get a raw deal, seeing that Jacklyn Zeman banner, I am reminded why I am not sad to not see Bobbie more than once yearly: What she did to her face is absolutely criminal. Ditto Leslie Charleson.

[quartermainefan]

Coincidentally, while watching another story, the person included some Bryan and Claudia material. Bryan was trying to help the poor families on the waterfront get affordable housing but the project ran out of money.

FF to 05:10

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and then after failing to find money, Bryan returns home

FF to about 06:05

[quartermainefan]

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