3 minutes ago, Dion said:

It was a rewrite pretty much designed to give Alan and Monica stronger motives for killing Rick.

For some reason I do remember them interacting or having a moment.  I honestly thought it happened and I missed or it was mentioned and occurred basically off screen.   Of all the Rick re-writes this one doesn't bother me at all.  At least it vaguely makes sense for both characters.

On 7/5/2021 at 6:44 PM, DRW50 said:

I think the idea is that the show was in good form until the early '70s, where it slowly began to decline (peaking with Audrey's passing Tom Hardy off as someone else's baby, or being on trial, or something), then really began going into freefall around 1974 or so when they began dumping actors en masse. 

yeah that seems about right. After Audrey's trial, the show managed to generate a bit of interest with Phil, Diana and Peter; once Phil was murdered and the whodunit wrapped up, the already squeaky wheels just fell right off.

Regarding Audrey: the video posted by @Vee (where Audrey tells Liz about her rape) briefly mentions the story with Tom Hardy. Basically Tom Baldwin (Audrey's second husband, Lee Baldwin's brother) had raped Audrey. Audrey fell pregnant and fled town (Rachel Ames was pregnant and needed bed rest at the time so this was a maternity leave). Audrey later came back claiming that the child, Tom, had died (very similar to the current situation with Maxie). However Tom was with a nanny, Peggy Nelson. Peggy began blackmailing Audrey and was later murdered. Audrey was put on trial for the crime, but it turned out Peggy's ex husband was the culprit.

9 minutes ago, Dion said:

yeah that seems about right. After Audrey's trial, the show managed to generate a bit of interest with Phil, Diana and Peter; once Phil was murdered and the whodunit wrapped up, the already squeaky wheels just fell right off.

Thanks for the extra details. I wish some of that period was available. I remember reading about mentions of Audrey having a gun in her toilet lid, or something. 

16 minutes ago, carolineg said:

For some reason I do remember them interacting or having a moment.  I honestly thought it happened and I missed or it was mentioned and occurred basically off screen.   Of all the Rick re-writes this one doesn't bother me at all.  At least it vaguely makes sense for both characters.

When Rick returned there was a brief Monica/Rick/Lesley/Alan revisit, I think, but not much happened (I remember Rick giving Lesley flowers, or something, although who knows, it's been too long).

3 minutes ago, carolineg said:

For some reason I do remember them interacting or having a moment.  I honestly thought it happened and I missed or it was mentioned and occurred basically off screen.   Of all the Rick re-writes this one doesn't bother me at all.  At least it vaguely makes sense for both characters.

Yeah it was the kinda rewrite that I suppose could have happened off-screen and I think you are right that Monica and Rick did have a moment or two; Alan's jealousy certainly did flare up when Rick returned.

But the actual affair part itself was never mentioned til the storyline where Lulu and Dillon started looking for Rick's killer.

I know soap  characters are often forgotten, but it's a bit odd at how forgotten Diana Taylor is  when you consider she was a main star of the show for much of the '70s. I suppose the irritating turn from Brooke Bundy (sorry to any fans) and her winding her run down as a plot device for Heathermania is a big reason why. I like all I've seen from Valerie Starrett. 

9 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I remember reading about mentions of Audrey having a gun in her toilet lid, or something.

yeah on the night of Peggy's murder, Audrey came home with Tommy in an agitated state and hid a gun in her toilet tank. I'm not sure if it may have been the actual murder weapon or if it may have been Audrey's own gun and the writers were just setting up a red herring, as they do.

3 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I know soap  characters are often forgotten, but it's a bit odd at how forgotten Diana Taylor is  when you consider she was a main star of the show for much of the '70s. I suppose the irritating turn from Brooke Bundy (sorry to any fans) and her winding her run down as a plot device for Heathermania is a big reason why. I like all I've seen from Valerie Starrett. 

yes, she seems to have been the favorite of the Dobsons but once they left Diana was relegated to secondary status and Lesley took over as the female lead.

10 hours ago, Dion said:

Yeah it was the kinda rewrite that I suppose could have happened off-screen and I think you are right that Monica and Rick did have a moment or two; Alan's jealousy certainly did flare up when Rick returned.

I still remember the moment Alan saw Rick in the halls of GH in 2002. The look on his face just screamed, "You've got to be kidding me!" 😂

I know Chris Robinson was brought back to facilitate Genie Francis' exit, but what a horrible story. Everyone involved deserved better.

Peggy Nelson's bio. https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Peggy_Nelson_(Ann_Morrison)  

6 minutes ago, victoria foxton said:

Peggy Nelson's bio. https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Peggy_Nelson_(Ann_Morrison)  

That sounds like a great character - and story. I wish more was available of Audrey's time away from Steve. It sounds like she had some very interesting stories, and I bet Rachel Ames played the heck out of them all.

Just now, amybrickwallace said:

That sounds like a great character - and story. I wish more was available of Audrey's time away from Steve. It sounds like she had some very interesting stories, and I bet Rachel Ames played the heck out of them all.

Here's Audrey's bio. She had quite a colorful life. As kid watching in the late 80's. I had no idea how important she once was. https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Audrey_Hardy_(Rachel_Ames)

21 minutes ago, victoria foxton said:

Here's Audrey's bio. She had quite a colorful life. As kid watching in the late 80's. I had no idea how important she once was. https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Audrey_Hardy_(Rachel_Ames)

Like so many other vets on GH, she was allowed to rust on the bench. Shameful. 😡😡😡😡😡

Here's a better Audrey bio
https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/whoswho/audrey.php

27 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Here's a better Audrey bio
https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/whoswho/audrey.php

Thanks!!

16 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I know soap  characters are often forgotten, but it's a bit odd at how forgotten Diana Taylor is  when you consider she was a main star of the show for much of the '70s. I suppose the irritating turn from Brooke Bundy (sorry to any fans) and her winding her run down as a plot device for Heathermania is a big reason why. I like all I've seen from Valerie Starrett. 

I've never been able to get over seeing Brooke Bundy as the bitchy starlet mom of Patricia Arquette's character from Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and 4 (in one of them she is a decapitated head, still yapping away at her daughter). That's all I see when I see her on GH, I can't get past it lol. The story with Heather and the Taylors seems great in '78/'79, but I am amazed at how mercenary Monty was in wiping them out. Still, it worked. I do wonder how it'd have gone if Starrett had stayed. I do like what I've seen of her.

Edited July 9, 20214 yr by Vee

Just now, Vee said:

I've never been able to get over seeing Brooke Bundy as the bitchy starlet mom of Patricia Arquette's character from Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and 4 (in one of them she is a decapitated head, still yapping away at her daughter). That's all I remember when I see her on GH. The story with Heather and the Taylors seems great in '78/'79, but I am amazed at how mercenary Monty was in wiping them out. Still, it worked. I do wonder how it'd have gone if Starrett had stayed. I do like what I've seen of her.

I tend to wonder if she would have been seen as too much a part of the past, and slowly whittled down, like Jessie and the Hardys and Gail and Lee were. I can't see her in stories like dating Jeff. It's interesting to speculate about though. I could see her tangling with someone like Tracy and being strung along by Mitch Williams.