GH: Classic Thread

[DRW50]

 

I agree with you 100%. 

 

Hell, Tony Geary probably does too.

[KMan101]

 

I'm with you both as well and I think he does agree.

 

I will say it was done well but having the lead heroine fall in love with her rapist is not good optics. I have mixed feelings on Luke and Laura. There are times I enjoyed them but their marriage was always destined to implode. 

 

I just wish it was all (the "end" of them) handled better by good writers. It kinda became all about shaming Laura, first with Nikolas and then because she fell in love with her rapist. Yikes.

 

I always loathed Geary's lack of defense of Genie/Laura and his ego during the Phelps years, and likely with Monty as Bill Eckert was stroking his ego. I don't really miss him. I think Geary did have the right idea about Luke becoming a loser and pathetic mess (which is why his relationship with Tracy never worked for me). He was. It just wasn't fun or interesting to watch. 

 

Labine had the right idea with L&L but it was never going to work.

Edited March 26, 2021 by KMan101

[vetsoapfan]

 

Unfortunately, I think playing a degenerate appealed to Tony Geary, and TPTB always seemed to cave in to his demands. I would have killed Luke off decades ago.

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Now we're stuck with a huge number of putrid degenerates on the canvas. 

 

Steve and Jessie must be rolling over in their graves.

[slick jones]

@vetsoapfan  You obviously didn't hear that Roger Howarth was seen in a blue sweater.  Jessie Brewer never died, just held in cryogenic stasis....

 

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"The role of Jessie Brewer is now being played by Roger Howarth.

 

 

#firefrank even went all the way to a swap meet for the sweater--his cheap ass wouldn't spring for a new one.....

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by slick jones

[titan1978]

At this point, I don’t want Laura with Scotty or Luke.  I would love for her to have an invested relationship with a new man.  I just don’t see anything lasting with Kevin.  But the current writing team does not seem to be able to accomplish that.

 

They have three leading ladies in the same age range with no good prospects- Laura, Alexis, and Anna.

 

For me, there is no denying that at one point Luke and Laura really did have a connection that was fun to watch.  I rewatched their return storyline and then skipped to the Damien Smith murder and watched through the return of the Cassadines this summer.  They really do have great chemistry, she makes Luke tolerable.

 

I also understand part of how Tony feels- she kept leaving the show and that does impact him.  I’m not saying she didn’t have her reasons!  On the other hand, I think the stories that revolved around her or both of them equally are better than the ones where she is supporting to Luke.  I love Jane and Tracy, but I also never got Luke and Tracy either.  It was fun at first when it was a scam, but those two as actually in love was questionable.

Edited March 26, 2021 by titan1978

[cassadine1991]

I’m surprised the show never brought on any more Quartermaine cousins; same with other Cassadine distant relatives 

[vetsoapfan]

 

Clearly, you are intent on giving me a stroke!!!

 

At least it was so nice to see a picture of our beloved Jessie at the nurses' station.

 

I miss her, Steve, Audrey, Lee, Lucille, etc.

 

 

[Paul Raven]

Denise Alexander's first airdate as Lesley Williams was Tuesday March 13th 1973.

 

Nov 1982

With all the rumors flurrying over Chris Robinson's head about his departure and then decision to stay on "General Hospital" as Rick Webber, Chris gave us a call. Without naming his salary, Chris assured us, "The money, which is very high, was never an issue. The network had met my requirements ages ago. What I wanted was additional time off along with a solid storyline. In the past two and a half years I've had no storyline except for that silly sponge plot." How can an actor have all the time-outs he wants and a storyline? Chris admits that that is hard and now is more interested in the time-off clause, although he hopes a stronger story is in the works. "Yes, it's true that I moved out of my dressing room as another columnist suggested. But I did the cleaning-out when I believed ABC would not give me the time off I requested. I did the moving out, not the network. "I did agree to work as a non-contract player when they could not devise a way to get rid of Rick as soon as possible. However, on the very first day they wanted me after my contract was up, I had a show to do in New York. The network was stunned at my unavailability, but I told them that since I was not under contract I would be unavailable for the shooting. "Shortly thereafter I received a call from ABC. They agreed to my needs for a more lenient schedule and I re-signed." What about the rumor that Robinson agreed to stay because he was given a "Fantasy Island"? His response, with overtones of incredulity: "I am shooting a 'Fantasy Island' this week, but that was already pacted before the new contract was signed with 'General Hospital'." . What will Chris do with his new time off? "I'm already doing a number of commercials for Datsun, as well as serving as the Bacardi spokesman in Mexico. I have a book I'm writing and a few film projects and personal appearances." Robinson seems happy to return to General Hospital," although Chris admits that Denise Alexander, who plays Leslie Webber, his wife might have enjoyed playing the Merry Widow of "General Hospital." Remember, fans, Chris is only pacted for a year. Next year, Leslie just might get to wear those widow's weeds. ...

Edited March 27, 2021 by Paul Raven

[titan1978]

And when Denise wanted the same things, in her case an extended vacation before signing her new deal and to hold onto her contract clause that they could not work her over her guarantee more than a handful of times a year, they decided to kill Lesley off.  And although I liked Rick, I would much rather have had Lesley remain in the show.

 

She probably would have still been there for longer than he was anyway, as she was a stronger character!

[Planet Soap]

Luke is a mixed bag. I think his best character years were the 93 return up until Nicolas came on to the canvas in 96. He was energetic, up beat, a family man. 

 

The other post 80s heydey period I say Luke was strong in was the Pt Charles hotel fire through the Metro Court Crisis. I found him to be witty and funny during some of those storylines. He also did seemed like a dedicated dad trying to find Lulu at the end of the hostage crisis, and trying to make sure she got the vaccine during contagion. Otherwise I didn't enjoy the shaggy degenerate that he became. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by ironlion

[titan1978]

As a viewer, my favorite Luke is the one you described.  From their return up to Nikolas. I loved him owning the club, devoted to Laura and while unconventional, still a caring father to Lucky.  He had interactions with the entire cast through his relationships and the club.  I know Geary didn’t like what Labine was writing for him.

 

I think Laura suffered more under Labine than Luke did.  She becomes very one dimensional as their run goes on, and the first year of Guza’s run does wonders for her character with Damien Smith’s murder, Lulu’s illness, and the return of the Cassadines.

[Planet Soap]

@titan1978 I grew up on Guza/Phelps GH so shaggy Luke was all I knew. It wasn't until the 50th anniversary marathon that I realized what Luke used to be.

 

Similarly I hadn't realized how close Sonny and Robin were, and how critical Monica used to be to the canvas.

Edited March 30, 2021 by ironlion

[allmc2008]

When did Monty/Marland first air? And what were the ratings before Luke raped Laura?

[titan1978]

The ratings had already been climbing before Luke even arrived on the show, and according to Denise Alexander, the show went to number one on the back of the Monica/Rick/Lesley storyline.  AJ was born in December of 1979, and the rape was a couple of months before that.  Alexander said they got them to number one, and then the Luke & Laura thing just kept it going higher.

 

Monty’s first year the show shot to 3rd place from the bottom of the pack.

[victoria foxton]