GH: Classic Thread

[OzFrog]

It’s still hard to imagine sometimes that Genie was only 16-17 in those photos (I imagine this was pre-rape).

[Planet Soap]

In that same breath, from what I understand Wendy Riche was removed as GH EP? Why was this after she brought General Hospital significant acclaim and awards in the 90s? 

[Lust4Life76]

Because for ABC it came down to money. Wendy Riche probably was expensive, and I think people were telling me networks were looking at downsizing (even in the late 90's), and who should take the first cut in spite of it all? Management...and with Riche gone, all the usual suspects took her place, and "General Hospital" began to go downhill...same with "One Life" and "Children"...

When a friend told me in 2001 that in 5 years only a few soaps would be left I couldn't believe it - but slowly but surely, of ten shows..."Port Charles", "Passions", "Guiding Light", "As The World Turns", "All My Children", and "One Life to Live" were cancelled, leaving...as predicted...a few soaps

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Edited April 8, 2021 by Lust4Life76
Forgot to correct my thought before posting.

[Planet Soap]

@Lust4Life76 it seems those who have been destructive to the show have been allowed to stay in power for a long time. JFP lasted about 11 years, and now Frank is approaching 10 years at the helm.

 

Current GH needs a new EP ASAP! Maybe Frank (and Ron) she try to reshape Y&R or even B&B. I'm curious to see how that would play out.

Edited April 8, 2021 by ironlion

[Lust4Life76]

@ironlion I know, despite their criticisms Frank and Ron, I feel, do better when together...and a lot of actors admire their ethic. But I've never worked with them, so I don't know what it would be like...

Sometimes, I fantasize about being a soap writer, professionally, outside what I have done personally and performed locally. But honestly, I fuss with my work A LOT, just because I want it to be perfect. In Daytime, you have such a short time to get your episode written and ready for review and record. I am sure they are doing the best they can in today's era...where back in the day if you wanted soaps you had to watch the big 3 networks...Now, you have choices x infinity, plus reruns of golden eras if you want.

[Planet Soap]

I bet! The quality and rush to production required to write a scripted series airing 5 days a week is why I've grown to be critical of the 5 day new episode model.

[titan1978]

I loved Wendy, but something needed to change.  Guza had been fired, and the show was not in great shape by that point due to his stories and treatment of the characters, some poor casting decisions, and star power having left the show.  I think had she been able to lure a great HW to the show she might have been able to recharge and get the show back on track.  Running PC and GH at the same time was a mistake, and both shows suffered for it.

 

The same thing had happened with Labine, after Stone became the only story and then died, it took the wind out of the show’s sails.  But I do feel she had recovered quite a bit when she left, introducing Carly, Jax, and Jason’s accident.  The show had a focus again and a clear sense that story was moving forward again.  She really set Guza up well, and he reinvigorated Luke and Laura pretty quickly upon arrival.

[Lust4Life76]

I wish they would just go back to 30 minutes. People would make time for multiple shows. Even an hour is overly generous and nowadays you have to burn a lot of story where typically you build towards most things (my friend Daniel helped me figure that one out

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)

Edited April 8, 2021 by Lust4Life76
Correct misspelling.

[Vee]

It won't matter if it's 30 or 60 minutes; in writing for hire in certain media it doesn't matter if it's perfect or precious. What matters is that it's on time and first. If you get there first and reasonably well, you get paid and get the next job, period. Putting your ego out of it is essential and any dreams of perfection are the first thing to go. Deadline is what matters. Soaps can still have art to them under those conditions or grind, but it's far harder than it used to be.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Vee

[Forever8]

Looks like Christopher Cross has a grievance or two with General Hospital when it used his hit song "Think Of Laura" 

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Edited April 18, 2021 by Forever8

[allmc2008]

Question, can you or someone else find me actual documents (e.g., news paper clippings, articles, press releases)?

I don't doubt you AT ALL, but, for my research I'd like to have some hard evidence. And again, I don't doubt you I just need something to cite.

[titan1978]

I don’t have ratings, and articles discussing that stuff as it was happening are hard to come by due to the nature of the soap press at the time.  I had never heard that it was at the height of the Lesley/Rick/Monica/Alan story that the show went to number 1 for the first time until I read it in Denise Alexander’s We Love Soaps Interview.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Then you worked with Chris Robinson as Rick, and he would later come onto ANOTHER WORLD after you had joined that show.
Denise Alexander: When it was Chris and me, Rick and Lesley were the Luke and Laura of their day. GENERAL HOSPITAL went to number one for the first time during the Rick and Lesley and Monica triangle storyline. Of course, Luke and Laura took it heights of ratings no one had ever hit before or since. Gloria [Monty] and I used to laugh about that. I remember Gloria coming down to the stage and saying, "We just made number one."

https://www.welovesoaps.net/2010/11/denisealexander2.html?m=1

 

I wish we could see those weekly numbers like we can from the 1980’s on, to see just how fast Marland and Monty turned things around.  That story with Laura killing David Hamilton, and Lesley going to jail for it must have been compelling!

[j swift]

From the 1976 portion of the 1975 thread

 

 

Jeff and Rick Webber had a sister?!? What happened to her?

 

Also, in hindsight, wasn't silly that Rick was the hotter brother to Monica?  I guess the heart wants what it wants, but Jeff was so much cuter.

Edited April 19, 2021 by j swift

[DRW50]

 

She was sent packing sometime in 1977, I think. I don't remember if she even made it to Monty. 

 

I think she is in some of the 1977 clips on Youtube.

Edited April 19, 2021 by DRW50

[Dion]

Terri was the eldest Webber sibling. She was a widow who was paired off with Dr Mark Dante (played by Gerald Gordon from The Doctors), but he had a mentally ill wife Mary Ellen (Mellie) who was in an institution. Long story short, Mellie was released from the institution and tried to kill Terri by getting her chauffeur to tamper with the brakes of Terri's car. Terri survived the resulting car crash and left town in the aftermath and Mellie was re-institutionalized.

 

Terri's other main contribution to the show was after Jeff shot himself in the head due to his failing marriage to Monica etc. Terri told Steve Hardy about the existence of a letter from Helene Webber (Terri, Rick and Jeff's mother) and this letter revealed Jeff's true paternity (that Steve, not Lars Webber was Jeff's father).