GH: Classic Thread

[depboy]

The fall of 1966:

Monday, September 26, 1966: Phil tells Audrey he didn't take Mrs. Carter's condition seriously enough the last time she was in the hospital.

Tuesday, September 27: Peter explains to Meg why he is insisting that Carol go ahead with the divorce.

Wednesday, September 28: Steve and Phil discuss the Carter case.

Thursday, September 29: Meg tells Lee she wishes Peter and Carol Lindsay would reconcile.  Carol shows up at Peter's hotel room and tells him she knows Meg is preventing their reconciliation.

Friday, September 30: Carol confronts Meg with the conviction that Meg is the "other woman".

Monday, October 3: Phil attempts to reassure Pamela Carter, but fails.

Tuesday, October 4: Audrey insists that Pamela may make trouble for Phil.

Wednesday, October 5: Mr. Longworth tells Steve that Mrs. Carter has filed a complaint against Phil for negligence in making a mistake in her diagnoses.

Thursday, October 6: Peter tells Carol in anger that he loves Meg and is eager to divorce her.

Friday, October 7: Steve tells Phil about Mrs. Carter's complaint and that there will be an investigation.

Monday, October 10: Peter tells Meg he is suing Carol for divorce on the grounds of infidelity.

Tuesday, October 11: Phil appears before the hospital's Medical Committee and takes full responsibility for the misdiagnosis of Mrs. Carter.

Wednesday, October 12: Carol is shocked by Peter's suing her for divorce on grounds of infidelity.  Phil is exonerated of the negligence charge.

Thursday, October 13: Before leaving for London for a medical conference, Phil seeks out Pamela and makes peace with her.

Friday, October 14: Carol appeals to Meg to influence Peter away from his claims of adultery.  Meg agrees to try.

Monday, October 17: Audrey discovers what she thinks is further medical evidence of her inability to conceive.

Tuesday, October 18: Lucille hears from Jessie that she will be back to work on Wednesday.  Steve suggests to Audrey that they adopt a baby, but she is against the idea.

Wednesday, October 19: Jessie returns just as a pregnant woman fearing miscarriage comes to the Seventh Floor.

Thursday, October 20: Audrey tells Dr. Prentice that Steve has given up hope for a baby, while Jessie cares for Dr. Prentice's pregnant patient.

Friday, October 21: Steve asks Dr. Prentice to watch for a baby that he and Audrey might adopt.  Jessie levels with Lee.

Monday, October 24: Meg copes with Scotty's need to understand what happened to his father.

Tuesday, October 25: Audrey tells Lucille that Steve talked to Dr. Prentice about adopting a baby. Sharon encourages a new intern, Dr. John Hamilton.

Wednesday, October 26: Peter signs the divorce complaint charging Carol with adultery.

Thursday, October 27: Lee tells Meg that it is over between him and Jessie.

Friday, October 28: Carol meets with lawyer B.E. Norgaard, who tells her she has no case if she confesses her guilt.  Jessie tells Audrey that remarrying Phil wouldn't solve their problems.

Monday, October 31: Phil returns from London, and asks Audrey how Jessie feels about him.

[Dion]

As of these summaries I think Steve and Audrey have been trying for a baby for over a year; you can really sense the slow destruction of their marriage that would eventually lead to their divorce and eight years apart.

You also have Audrey involved in Phil and Jessie's problems which from one of the 1967 episodes that I've seen is going to lead to something very shortly...

[Vee]

I didn't know Steve and Audrey were apart for eight years. Jeez.

[Dion]

She went off to help the orphans in Vietnam following her miscarriage in 1968, divorced Steve shortly after her return, suffered through two disastrous marriages to Tom Baldwin and Jim Hobart and didn't re-marry Steve until 1976 (of course that marriage turned out to be invalid since Tom Baldwin was still alive so Audrey and Steve had to marry for the third time in 1977).

 

Oh just remembered that apparently Steve and Audrey did basically get back together in 1971 but her lies over "Baby Steve" (Tom Hardy) doomed that reunion.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Dion

[depboy]

Finishing out the drama-filled year, lots more to come! 

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Tuesday, November 1, 1966: Carol begs Lee to try and persuade Peter not to go ahead with the divorce and Lee worries about what she may do to stop it.

Wednesday, November 2: Dr. Prentice tells Steve he has found a baby that may be available for adoption.

Thursday, November 3: Jessie agrees to go with Steve to see the baby he and Audrey could adopt.  Lee asks Meg to dissuade Peter from pursuing the divorce on the basis of adultery.

Friday, November 4: Meg tries to persuade Peter.  Jessie and Steve visit the nursery.

Monday, November 7: Carol tells Lee her lawyer's strategy - accusing Peter of cruel and inhuman treatment.  Audrey refuses to look at the baby.

Tuesday, November 8: Audrey bitterly tells Lucille and Phil that Steve, Jessie and Prentice conspired to select a baby she would want to adopt.

Wednesday, November 9: To cheer her up, Phil invited Audrey for a ride in his new sports car.  Lee tells Peter of Carol's counter-suit, and Peter says she's bluffing.

Thursday, November 10: Audrey and Phil return enthusiastically from their ride.

Friday, November 11: Carol tells Meg her plan to fight the divorce - even if it involves Meg.

Monday, November 14: Steve suggests to Phil that he write a book on how to prevent heart trouble.  Reporter Harold Bender interviews Lee about Peter's complaint and insists he'll print the adultery story.

Tuesday, November 15: The Lindsay story hits the morning paper. Audrey tells Steve that Phil isn't interested in the book idea, but she suggests she could work on it with him.

Wednesday, November 16: Carol is interviewed by Bender and gets trapped by his question on whether she will deny Peter's adultery charge.  Phil and Audrey tell Steve they will work on the book idea - together.

Thursday, November 17: After her interview appears in the paper, Carol suggests they drop all legal action and re-establish their marriage.  Peter turns her down.

Friday, November 18: Carol signs the countersuit papers, but doesn't name Meg as the "other woman".  Audrey and Phil become more excited about the book and look at Phil's new office, Lucille is uneasy about this partnership.

Monday, November 21: Peter offers Steve his resignation because of the bad publicity the case has brought to the hospital.  Steve thinks it's too late to protect General Hospital.

Tuesday, November 22: Audrey and Phil start work on the book.  Lee and Peter argue when Lee tries to protect Meg from further embarrassment.

Wednesday, November 23: Audrey asks Dr. Prentice about artificial insemination.  Lee tells Jessie he plans to ask Meg to marry him.

Thursday, November 24: Pre-empted.

Friday, November 25: Pre-empted.

Monday, November 28: Dr. Prentice suffers a heart attack.  Lee proposes to Meg, who suspects it is benevolence.

Tuesday, November 29: Steve keeps vigil with Prentice.  Audrey refuses to discuss her chemistry with Phil.  Meg tells Peter there is no hope for them.

Wednesday, November 30: Meg tells Lee why she can't marry him, while Jessie keeps vigil at Prentice's bedside.

Thursday, December 1: Polly Prentice arrives at GH to check on her father.  When Dr. Prentice's heart stops, Jessie uses the emergency equipment without authority.

Friday, December 2: Prentice tells Jessie that Polly is in love with a married man.  Carol withdraws her lawsuit and attempts suicide.

Monday, December 5: Peter finds Carol unconscious. 

Tuesday, December 6: Meg talks to a despondent Carol and later urges Peter to comfort her.

Wednesday, December 7: Polly visits her father, while Audrey intends to find a girl for Phil.

Thursday, December 8: Lee asks for Steve's advice and help on behalf of his brother who is getting out of the Air Force.  Meg does her best to encourage Carol.

Friday, December 9: When Peter asks to be released from the hospital staff, Steve agrees.  Lee tells Jessie that Meg turned down his marriage proposal.  Peter suggests to Carol they try their marriage again.

Monday, December 12: Dr. Tom Baldwin comes to GH for an interview with Steve.  Lee proposes to Meg again, and she accepts.  Audrey sets Phil up with nurse Gail Williams.

Tuesday, December 13: Steve tells Jessie he has recommended Tom to replace Peter.  In art class, Bob Chandler propositions Polly. 

Wednesday, December 14: Jessie talks to Polly about Bob.  Meg tells Scotty he is going to have a new daddy.

Thursday, December 15: Audrey's matchmaking party flops.  Lee gives Meg a ring.

Friday, December 16: Prentice feels a closeness with Jessie after she recounts her lunch with Polly.

Monday, December 19: New intern Henry Pinkham makes a preliminary exam on patient Mildred Hauser, with Sharon McGillis assisting.  After Henry can't make a diagnoses, Sharon gets a surprising clue and gives the information to Henry.

Tuesday, December 20: After Steve compliments Henry's unusual diagnosis, Henry tells Sharon they'd make a great team.

Wednesday, December 21: Audrey, feeling guilty over Phil, wants to vacation with Steve.

Thursday, December 22: Meg asks Jessie to be her attendant in her wedding.  Prentice asks Jessie to marry him.

Friday, December 23: Steve, with help from Scotty, tells the children the nativity story.

Monday, December 26: Henry and Sharon plan a New Years date.

Tuesday, December 27: Tom asks Lee why he didn't fight harder for Jessie.  Polly agrees to go skiing with Bob.  

Wednesday, December 28: Polly and Bob arrive at the lodge.  Jessie breaks a lunch date with Tom.

Thursday, December 29: Although he is convalescing himself, Prentice and Jessie take care of a patient in labor.  Prentice saves the baby and wins Jessie's admiration.

Friday, December 30: Steve tells Prentice he can go home on New Year's Day, while Sharon dreams of her future.

Edited January 21, 2023 by depboy

[Paul Raven]

These are fantastic! Please keep them coming. They give a real sense of how stories played out in those years that broad summaries do not.

[Dion]

Now that were at the end of 1966 there are quite a few clips to go along with the summaries. I found them by doing a search of General Hospital 1966 on Youtube. They're not full episodes and are focused on specific characters; as a result these clips often share common scenes between them.

This one focuses on Peter and Carol:

This one focuses on Lee and Meg and contains the Lee and Peter scene and Peter and Meg scenes featured in the first clip:

Quality in the next one is very choppy. Basically Steve and Lee talk about Lee's brother Tom:

Again choppy quality, more Carol/Peter/Meg drama:

 

[Dion]

December 16, 1966 seems to have been a very busy episode with Tom Baldwin's introduction, Jessie and John Prentice discussing his daughter Polly and Jessie also meeting with Polly as well as some awkwardness between Phil and Audrey.

Again some of the scenes are repeated between the clips:

Starting with Lee and Meg since it contains what I assume is the pre-credits scene (Lee proposing to Meg). However, this clip also seems to contain the last scene of the episode:

John Prentice and Jessie (and Polly and Phil)

Steve and Audrey and Phil

 

[Darn]

Watching old clips and man, Emily was such a jerk to this whole family. They weren't perfect but I don't know if I as a regular viewer could handle this little urchin joining my show solely to talk shît about all of the characters I did like. The Quartermaines are loud and can be obnoxious and self-involved but the contrast the show tried to set up between them and literally mobsters never made a lick of sense.

"Michael is being raised in a caring and loving home!" where he could be shot at at any moment? Also Monica and Alan raised Jason in that horrible Quartermaine household and he turned out to be kind and considerate. Emily was raised there from the age of 12 and turned out alright. Shît, outside of his drinking problem AJ was hardly a bad person. He only, from what I could see, went after people who hurt him. He wasn't like Carly, who intentionally ruined people's lives in service to her own self-interest.

And man, Carly would not have survived as a character in the internet age we have now. Steve Hardy died shortly after she joined and show, she's in that episode and in it she laments to Jason that Steve dying is taking the focus off of some stupid accomplishment she had. She says something like "Could he have waited a day?". A day to DIE? To DIE, Carly? How about you die. How about that.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Darn

[Vee]

It was always over the top and never made sense, and I enjoyed the show a lot in those years but even then I knew it was nonsense. They went on and on about the evils of the Quartermaines, but all I ever saw were fussy, goofy rich people arguing over pizza and stocks. You were not exactly dealing with Victor Newman in his prime at that point in that household.

The only saving grace for that mess was how devoted Emily was to them early on (and later still, when she wasn't bitching about Jason and Michael) and how good Amber was.

[depboy]

I posted a nugget in Character original names thread, in case any one missed it.

 

[FrenchFan]

Thanks ! Didn’t know that. I can’t picture Denise Alexander as « Margery »

[dc11786]

It doesn't surprise me. I haven't had the time to devote much to "General Hospital" 1993, but I've made it to the climax of the art theft/Victoria Parker gaslighting story. I get what they are trying to do now. It's a bit of a film noir type plot about the mind games Bill and Holly are playing on Richard, with Richard turning the screw by sending Bill on a wild goose chase for Victoria and revealing to Holly that Bill loves someone else. I don't think it works, but I get it. I thought Richard's long confession about being the one behind the kidnapping and how he had loved Victoria even though she loved was very gothic. It was also interesting that despite not being an overtly gothic aesthetic, there was such an added touch by having the show down in the large, empty gallery. I still don't care what happens to anyone involved. 

Jagger and Karen are great. They are very angsty. Karen's desire to be a doctor was an interesting element towards keeping her in the Quartermaine orbit even as she was slowly breaking free from Jason, who was a jerk even during this period.

Jason comes off as very desperate to keep Karen, even though she has no real use for him. I guess this was a first love for Jason, but it's very odd. I can't tell, but it seemed that in 1992 Robin may have had a crush on Jason. I don't see much of that playing out. It is a bit weird to me that there is so much emphasis on the teenage storyline and the one teen actress with longevity (Kimberly McCullough) is on the sidelines. 

Brenda also comes off as clingy, desperate, and frenetic. Some of Brenda's schemes are terrible. I think taking a picture of Karen naked and spreading it around the school is pretty messed up. Nowadays, Brenda would be in jail on distribution of underage pornography. It's probably terrible to say, but I actually smiled when Brenda read Jagger's letter to Karen and she started to get upset. The writing doesn't help Brenda as there are only a few rare moments where she comes across as vulnerable. There was a conversation at the cabin with Jagger about growing up and how Harlan loved Julia's mother more than hers and that her own mother was an alcoholic, or something like that, that was one of the only times I liked Julia. I also snickered when she tried to go after Jenny Eckert and Jenny just told her she was such a messed up litle girl. 

I like Rhonda. Her social climbing is intriguing and still pressing for Jason and Karen even after their relationship is over is a nice way to keep that connection together. Alan and Rhonda have just had their first conversation together, just the two of them, and theirs is a pleasant chemistry. I've seen more of that story later on and I really like it. I can also see how Alan and Monica end up there given Alan's plotting to run Nikki Langdon out of Port Charles and Nikki's abrupt wedding day departure being a looming cloud over the Quartermaine crew. A.J. has returned from rehab and is trying to make everything work while also learning the truth about Nikki. He's gotten as far as learning Alan cancelled the search for Nikki the day he hired her. Tracey has put two and two together and is hinting at the truth. It's fun. 

The battle for ELQ is slowly building. I like that they have tied the Kensington scandal up into the impact on ELQ as it gives the story more weight. I don't know who released the tape, and I don't want to know until it comes out, but it's a nice little mini mystery. Jenny and Paul can be very dull at times. The show has overly relied on catfights to engage in some interest for Jenny first at the opening of the Deception spa with Julia and then later with Tracey in the spa with the mud fight. Cheryl Richardson can be charming, but Jenny is mostly a push over. I appreciated when they finally gave Jenny agency during the whole Kensington revelation and had her book a room at the Port Charles Hotel so that her paparazzi problem was now Julia and Ned's problem as well. Tracey has managed to get some power at ELQ because everyone is convinced Ned is the one who released the tape which means they will no longer have political power in the form of their connection to Jack Kensington. 

They seem to be setting up Tom Hardy's exit. At a dinner party, Tom says he is planning to do medical work overseas. I imagine he doesn't have much time left. I think Simone will linger around. 

The Lucy/Scott/Dominque stuff continues to be incredibly strong. Dom pressing Scotty to be the one who will take her off life support if she needs to be taken off. Scotty desperately trying to find a miracle that will save his wife. Lucy trying her best to make Dom and Scotty's final days together as happy as they can be while maintaining her composure as she is chronically accused of hanging around to snag Scott once Dominique is dead. I don't like how they have pulled Lucy back into the art stuff, but I get why they did it. 

The antics of Felicia and Mac are fun. I can now see why people wanted them together. They just have such a light, playful chemistry that I don't think you could force. In a way, it's what they are trying for wiht Bill and Holly. Michelle has made her way to Port Charles while Felicia and Mac are in St. Louis talking to  Michelle's mother about Gloria, who may have been a nutcase herself. I like that the love on the run piece has brought Sean and Jessica into each other's orbit. Tiffany has been pretty miserable since she lost custody, but I don't feel sympathy for her.

I'm approaching the 30th anniversary week which should be fun. 

[DRW50]

It was unwatchable. I grew to despise any scene with Emily, and by the time they did try to write her more in other material, I just didn't care. She was just verbally abusing people who kept her off the streets, day in and day out. Similar to Lucky verbally abusing Laura and Ned's endless smugging about AJ, Guza was never able to hide his contempt for the characters we were meant to dislike.

[Darn]

I thought her disgust with them started with Natalia Livingston's Emily but no, it was all right there in Amber Tamblyn's. It's upsetting to see the seeds of the family reduced to in-fighting and ordering pizza on Thanksgiving. And I swear if I hear one more variation of "Alan bought me this house!" I'll scream.