GH: Classic Thread

[OzFrog]

Michael Sutton still looks gorgeous 25 years later!

 

Also, I love the General Hospi-tales Twitter account. Maurice Benard was *smokin* back then (26 years ago)! And Genie was as gorgeous as ever!

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[DRW50]

https://archive.org/details/general-hospital-november-29-1983-most-convert-video-online.com

 

https://archive.org/details/general-hospital-december-7-1983-convert-video-online.com

[titan1978]

After the heartbreak of Stone, the show was just starting to move the characters forward into new story directions when Claire Labine left and Guza took over.  And one of his big first stories was the murder of Damian Smith.

 

I forgot how much fun the show could be, especially when you have a room full of these characters.

 

The reading of the will starts around 8:15, and continues in the next video.  It’s soapy and I remember how refreshing this was after so much sorrow with Stone.  I loved Labine but this was also a great time on the show.

 

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[amybrickwallace]

Was it Claire Labine's choice to leave?

[titan1978]

Yes.  She left to work in her own show, which never landed.

 

We Love Soaps: So working on GENERAL HOSPITAL was such a positive experience for you and the viewers. Why did you leave in early 1996?
Claire Labine: We had a show in development and NBC was interested in it. We left in order to pursue the development with NBC. And then we discovered that it was not exactly their plan, and they were going with, what was that weird show? SUNSET BEACH. So that was it. We took it back to ABC and they were really, really interested. I had done a first version of it for Michael Brockman when he came back after I had left RYAN'S HOPE. He was about to greenlight it when he got replaced, rather summarily, to my great regret. And then new management was not really ready to think about a new show at that point. Pat [Fili-Krushel] was really interested in it but it was difficult to get her to take the leap. The show was set in Brooklyn, and Matthew [Labine] had this absolutely marvelous insight to tie Lois and Ned into the show because they weren’t using Ned [Wally Kurth] and [Rena Sofer] was gone at that point. But they decided to go instead with PORT CHARLES from Wendy Riche. 

[titan1978]

I’m burning through the Luke/Laura/Lucky playlists, I watched all of Laura’s trial and I’m now at Lulu’s illness and the introduction of Nikolas.

 

I really miss how meticulous these shows used to be plotted out.  They didn’t rush through the beats of this at all to get to the reveal they are heading towards.  The little details are what I miss from soap storytelling.

 

Its also Illuminating to see so much of the rest of the cast.  Even Simone is onscreen often, both in her relationships with Tom, Justus, and as a doctor at the hospital.

[DRW50]

A SOM issue from March 1994 has a quick goodbye from Alexia Robinson (Meg). She says she had been negotiating with the show, and it didn't work out, and now she was hoping for primetime success. The blurb concludes by saying that the next Meg would have a big story. 

 

Was this just generic talk, or were there ever any real plans to give Meg more of a story?

 

I see that Lisa Canning appeared for a few months, but she didn't seem to do much.

Edited December 29, 2020 by DRW50

[victoria foxton]

In all the years Alexia was on. She only had one story. When needing a wife for his custody battle . Dr Harrison Davis married Meg. And turned Meg against Simone. That story only lasted a couple of months. After that she was Dawn BFF. Until GH foolishly killed Dawn off. Poor Meg was just used as a nurse. Mostly in the 7th floor Nurses station.  I don't remember Lisa Canning at all. I'm surprised she lasted so long. It's a shame Alexia wasn't used. She was great in her one story.

Edited December 29, 2020 by victoria foxton

[DRW50]

Thanks.

[Planet Soap]

In watching old clips, I realized yesterday was 25 years since Jason's accident. It was a great storyline, though it was rough seeing how obnoxious Jason was in the immediate aftermath due to the brain damage. That one moment (in part) established the next quarter century of show focus. I wonder how different GH would be had Jason Morgan remained Jason Quartermaine. 

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Edited December 31, 2020 by ironlion

[titan1978]

That’s easy.  Burton would have left, and if they recast or lured him back, Bob Guza would have killed him off.  Or turned him into a monster of some kind.

[Khan]

 

You mean, they haven't? 

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In retrospect, I think GH should've just killed off Jason in that accident.  Changing his personality like they did only created another show-eating monster in the end.

[titan1978]

It did.  However, up to Faison as Duke shooting him, I would have taken Jason any day over Sonny.  Now I’m just indifferent to him for the most part.

 

The only time Sonny is even memorable to me after he left Brenda at the altar and quit the show the first time are always tied to the women he is paired with.  Brenda, OG Kate, SJB Carly (I prefer TB with Alcazar and Jason).

[carolineg]

 

I think the idea of Jason's accident was really good.  I really liked nuJason for a few years, but I thought the point of it all was that he'd get his memories back eventually.  Not just become a new person basically.   I can't believe the show never really went there and now it's clearly too late.

 

I personally would take Sonny over Jason I think.  Well, me in the 90's would 100%.  But fair point.  He really hasn't done much since 1998 but re-populate the town.  If there ever was a perfect ending to a character it was Sonny leaving Brenda at the altar.  Realizing the life he choose was costing him his great love, but, alas, here we are.

[titan1978]

I can’t think of another character as offscreen agenda dictated as Jason.  Almost every natural turn hasn’t happened because of SB and or TPTB.  Guza and Phelps (and Frons) ran the show together for a decade, and their agendas and style would never have supported Jason Q.  Not even a logical version of Jason getting some of his memories and emotional connections back, but still choosing Sonny.  They didn’t even do that!

 

We have Steve fighting against being paired with Carly (any version), and whatever happened with the viable Liz triangle (which could have been going for years)...

 

The final nail in Jason Q’s coffin was killing 
Alan.  Without Alan, there is no point.