Although I feel bad for having almost nothing to offer, I realized that GH was the only "current" soap (until now) that does not have a thread that can be used for discussing classic storylines, posting articles, etc. While never a personal favorite of mine, I do consider GH to be the second-most important soap in the genre's history (with ATWT ranking as the most important soap), given the fact that it was largely responsible for shifting the genre's direction away from the "traditional"/P&G method of storytelling to campy plots that were written in an attempt to capture the popularity of young America. (To be fair, Y&R was the first soap designed to blatantly appeal to youth. However, nobody was better at doing this--or was more copied than--GH was back in its 80's heyday.)

To get things started, here is a 1963 (partial) promo for the "new" soap:

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QrCHlvQrnrs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's a 1963 opening (in poor video quality), with a very beautiful theme:

<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xGoM9CP1p2w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The iconic opening sequence that ran from the 1975 until 1993 had two themes (the first of which lasted just a year), as shown below:

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qe8ZYMK1SiA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jSPVL8HkPfk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Edited May 2, 201213 yr by Max

18 hours ago, Vee said:

Riche and Guza were embroiled in a battle royale over creative control in their last year or two at GH - stuff like the 'billboard couples' of Sonny/Hannah and Jax/Chloe, A Martinez, the outcome of the mixed marrieds storyline were all among the disputes, IIRC. Ultimately Guza got ousted, but Riche quickly followed. That led to the ascent of JFP (after a brief interim where Guza and Labine's staff writers, Michele ValJean and IIRC Karen Harris, took over).

 

Listed as Writers at the time of the 1st Nurses' Ball (1994) was Labine, ValJean, Harris and also Elizabeth Korte & Patrick Mulcahey, just as a point of reference. And, Labine left voluntarily in 1996. Riche was fired in 2001. Shapiro tortured Linda Dano & all of the rest of us with her ALL SHOWS experiment from June 28, 1999 - Mar. 13, 2004. (She started just 3 days after the last AW broadcast.) And, then Shapiro herself was outta there & on to FOX in 2004. My mind boggles at all the moving & shaking that was going on. One tiny tidbit that seems surreal to me is that Shapiro & her husband founded Soap Opera Digest! Many years before all of this.

Did any show other than AMC benefit from the One Big Show nonsense? And even that I can't truly attribute to the crossovers because viewers were desperate for Bianca to get her baby back regardless.

2 hours ago, Darn said:

Did any show other than AMC benefit from the One Big Show nonsense? And even that I can't truly attribute to the crossovers because viewers were desperate for Bianca to get her baby back regardless.

No, I think you've nailed it.

 

   

On 5/15/2022 at 8:22 AM, Vee said:

Riche and Guza were embroiled in a battle royale over creative control in their last year or two at GH - stuff like the 'billboard couples' of Sonny/Hannah and Jax/Chloe, A Martinez, the outcome of the mixed marrieds storyline were all among the disputes, IIRC. Ultimately Guza got ousted, but Riche quickly followed. That led to the ascent of JFP (after a brief interim where Guza and Labine's staff writers, Michele ValJean and IIRC Karen Harris, took over).

When Jill and Megan McTavish tanked the show, the newly-arrived Brian Frons begged Guza to return and save it. Guza did so, but took a co-producer credit for his troubles and retained the lion's share of creative control within the show itself (not above Brian Frons) - as in, no EP could tell him what to do ever again. From what we know, it seems Phelps was reduced to his line producer.

Some of that producer credit thing was also so that Pratt and Guza were on equal terms too, as Frons had lured him back as well.

And people forget that Guza had a consulting producer credit at PC when he came back from Sunset Beach.  Once upon a time he and Riche did get along.

I wonder who wanted Alan Q gone.  According to other writers from the show (Michele Val Jean), that was not a Guza decision.  And I have also heard that there was friction between Guza and JFP at times too.

14 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

I wonder who wanted Alan Q gone.  According to other writers from the show (Michele Val Jean), that was not a Guza decision.  And I have also heard that there was friction between Guza and JFP at times too.

My guess is Frons. JFP did not have power over Guza AFAIK.

I will never understand many of the decisions made by Frons.

 

This item from July 77 talks about Robert Pollock having to leave as headwriter due to health issues. Don't think I've ever seen mention of this before. Perhaps that explains the quick turnover of writers.

Perhaps the Pollocks quit suddenly so Irving Elman was quickly brought in while they searched for a more permanent writer (who turned out to be Marland)

It also memntions plans to go to an hour 6 months before it happened.

Although the illness excuse could be just a way of covering that the Pollocks were fired. Ratings were bad at this time.

Big changes for "General Hospital." Head writer Robert Mason Pollock, who gave "General Hospital" a clean bill of health when it was on the terminal list last year, will be leaving the show. Pollock has been " warned by physicians to give up his job or face up to serious eye problems. Pollock underwent surgery last year. In addition to new head writers, "General Hospital" is getting  ready to expand to an hour.

 

  

Iconic 

dont know if this was posted already but here is a playlist of clips from SOAPnet's GH 50th anniversary marathon. Its the closest subsitute I could find for every actual full episode that aired.

 

21 hours ago, victoria foxton said:

 

  

Shame on him for not mentioning Doug Marland!

On 5/16/2022 at 3:57 PM, Vee said:

My guess is Frons. JFP did not have power over Guza AFAIK.

But, Jill didn't have power over hiring & firing? Didn't she fire Anna Lee? Everyone that I've talked to about JFP's tenure at GH blames her for Anna Lee & Stuart Damon.

I just saw a new movie touted with a GH alum in it. This should produce a guffaw, at least.

Alicia Leigh Willis in a movie

Edited May 24, 20223 yr by Tonksadora
Link missing.

23 hours ago, Tonksadora said:

But, Jill didn't have power over hiring & firing? Didn't she fire Anna Lee? Everyone that I've talked to about JFP's tenure at GH blames her for Anna Lee & Stuart Damon.

I just saw a new movie touted with a GH alum in it. This should produce a guffaw, at least.

Alicia Leigh Willis in a movie

I am sure she received little pushback if any at all for Anna Lee from Guza or Frons.  Part of her appeal was cutting the top line expenditures of her shows (talent and sets) even if she often went over budget due to other factors and had to scramble (sweeps and production).  That looked like a clear budget decision.  Same with Shell Kepler, Brad Maule, and to some extent, Jacklyn Zeman.  For her that was budget, and they were not really being used by Guza anymore or at all.

I can see where the contention was for Alan.  The Quartermaines, especially Alan, were really set up for antagonism with Sonny, and dramatic tension and pathos with Jason not remembering his past, and Michael.  While not really in a story of his own, Alan was still part of the fabric of the show Guza was writing.  From all the conjecture I have been able to find, someone with decision making power wanted Alan gone, and if JFP used her focus group magic to free up money or Frons wanted a big cut or all of the above, who knows.  I do know the Alan as ghost thing was just to slowly get the audience used to him being gone after the outrage.

I've never heard anyone specifically blame JFP for Stuart Damon.

Guza had creative power well above JFP, and his writers have always insisted Damon's firing was not his choice.