GH: Classic Thread

[titan1978]

She has said before that she started working on a book but realized it was nothing but a collection of jobs and trauma until she got married and started a family. She had no life beyond her career before that, and her career had been traumatic in her younger days when she became famous. She loved the actual work, but the fame part mixed with the isolation of being so young really did a number on her.

As far as a spark- when they first came back she had it. They didn’t really stop writing anything but Luke loves danger until after her second maternity leave. That last year or so of Labine Laura was more neglected than Luke because Luke had stronger ties to the only story they were telling-Stone dying and how the community responded to that.

Back then I had only seen a handful of Luke and Laura scenes before the return. Now that I have seen more of their original run, I think Guza leaned into more of the younger, very troubled Laura. And Labine didn’t. 

[Paul Raven]

When Genie left GH she signed with CBS and got Bare Essence min series. I don't think anything else came of that.

Perhaps CBS just signed her for the publicity and weren't all that interested.

Then when the Bare Essence series bombed it was probably a rude awakening to the realities of the primetime biz.

I can't remember who it was but an actress commented that it was limos to the studio, fashion shoots,(keep any clothes you like,darling) catered lunches etc as their series was launched, but once it tanked she had to pay for a cab home.

'

[Planet Soap]

 

I think its the modern ---sometimes down for anything ---GH fans that liked their loved story. Longtime fans and the more discerning (I hate how superior and pretentious that sounded) weren't  going for it. 

Franco did too much. He got Michael raped in prison, implied that he raped Sam I front of Jason, was a serial killer and committed other acts mentioned in this chat. He was too far gone to be redeemed. 

The biggest insult was Franco getting Michael raped in prison then rewriting history to say he meant for the rapist to protect Michael.

I think the latter was done clear the way for him to have a relationship with Carly. 

But I think Franco and Carly were only a couple so Roger Howard and Laura wright could be together, to and rekindle Carly's romance with Todd who had to be written off when ABC lost the rights to OLTL.

Edited August 14, 2024 by Planet Soap

[Sapounopera]

Watching 2005 episodes and I must admit that I like Jennifer Bransford a lot. Dare I say that has the Carly vibe/energy more than Laura Wright? #unpopularopinions

[carolineg]

She wasn't really the right fit, but I think she did the best she could?  The writing for Carly was nuts back then.  I don't think she did a bad job.  The deck was really stacked against her. I think it was clear she was a placeholder.

[Liberty City]

Very much so; she gave me Alexis vibes if Nancy Lee Grahn had exited, honestly. Not a bad actor but miscast in a role.

[carolineg]

She had horrible material with that Reese nonsense and Carly's breakdown.  Carly was very weak during this period and not very likeable.  We can argue if Carly's ever been likeable, but I think you get my point.

I also think Kari Wuhrer and JB look a lot alike (at least with their styling back then) and I personally would get them confused sometimes because I was watching very casually during that period.  That's probably a me problem though.

[Liberty City]

In scenes I get that, too. Very eerily similar... which part of me feels like was intentional?

[carolineg]

I don't know.  Reese's story is so weird that I think she had plastic surgery at some point.  She basically had a million backstories even before she was Carly's high school bff.   I read Reese's GH wiki a few months ago and had no idea what I was reading lol.  It was crazy ride.

I would suspect if the show didn't secure LW from GL Carly would have been written off.  Not forever, but until GH could find the right person.  JB was never meant to be permanent IMO.  I do think Mo actually defended her and seemed to like her though. 

[Liberty City]

Completely; Wright leaving Guiding Light when she did was the stars aligning for the role. And then Bransford was gone. LOL.

[carolineg]

Yeah.

I still can see people seeing JB lining up more with Carly than LW.  At least TB's Carly.  LW is Carly to me now, but it took me a long time to get used to her in the role.  I wouldn't be sad if GH reached out to SJB and had her take over again.  Obviously, they would never.

[Liberty City]

Oh that would never happen; at this point, the role is Wright's unless she chooses to leave. Carlypalooza is the closest people will get to seeing Brown & Braun as Carly again.

[titan1978]

I don’t know. Jill Farren Phelps has a history of miscast recasts. I actually do think this was supposed to be more than a placeholder. If she was a placeholder, then that was twice in a row that Phelps temp cast Carly, which shows me she would have been fine to eliminate the character. Both SJB and IIRC Tamara were speaking up about the story more than women are allowed to on a JFP show, and both exited without much love for her as producer.

Laura Wright feels like an example of someone better being free at the exact right moment, and ABC wanted her.

[detroitpiston]

I’m with @titan1978 I think JFP was dead serious about making JB work in the role but it was just never gonna happen. I remember the last ditch effort too when they lightened her hair and started having her do more press interviews to try and sway the audience but they were still brutal to her.

I know when Laura Wright originally met with Frons it was about getting her on one of the NY soaps and then pivoted to Carly afterward. If Kari Wuher hadn’t got pregnant they probably would have left Carly in the mental hospital for a few years and kept Reese as the new female lead instead of recasting again.

[BetterForgotten]

I remember the internet nickname for JB’s Carly being ‘Carl Lee’ at the time, lol