The way LW told the story on Locher:
- GH has "earlier" offered her the role and she had turned them down. That would presumably be when TB left and she was still under contract anyway.
- According to her, one clincher was that none of her contract renewal asks were even entertained, even as they knew another show was calling. Note that she says that she didn't ask for a pay raise and the only specific ask she mentions is that she wanted a contract with PGE rather than GL and that she be given a guarantee the rest of her contract would play out at ATWT if GL was cancelled. So clearly the low prospects for GL were at least an indirect factor
- Then Guza insisted JFP try again despite her earlier no - presumably as JB wasn’t working and they knew she’d be negotiating, JFP called right after GL shut down her asks, she was tempted anyway so she said yes.

I didn't rewatch the whole thing but I vaguely remember her saying something hinting she also didn't seem bothered by Josh/Cassie while she was talking about Nicole F but I could be wrong. Doesn’t seem to have been a major factor.

Laura Wright was a solid recast and her early material had some shades of SJB and TB. Now the role has fallen a little flat. She's become an integrated member of the community rather than the gritty outcast she used to be. That's GH's problem, it integrates villains into the town too much, that its hard to hold them accountable for bad behavior. 

It was a good move as she went from a dying soap the the first female lead on what would ABC's last remaining soap.

Broken record but...Phels/Guza GH looks like crap next to Riche/Levinson/Guza's era. YET Phelps/Guza stills holds up better than Frank's current show since about 2015.

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by ironlion

1 hour ago, FrenchBug82 said:

the only specific ask she mentions is that she wanted a contract with PGE

You mean P&G or PGP Procter & Gamble? That was smart & LW is smart. She wanted to still be employed if GL was canceled. That way she wouldn't be left in the lurch till she could snag a new gig.

1 hour ago, ironlion said:

Broken record but...Phels/Guza GH looks like crap next to Riche/Levinson/Guza's era. YET Phelps/Guza stills holds up better than Frank's current show since about 2015.

What about compared to Riche/Labine?

I've discussed a lot of this before so I won't repeat myself too much more, no offense to any of you, but yes, I do agree they transitioned the role into a different zone when LW took over. Carly became more of a foundational character who was used as a town [!@#$%^&*]-stirrer and schemer vs. a romantic antiheroine, and was settled with Jax, but I think it worked because LW still had the throughline of the character and so did the day to day writing in the 2000s from the longtime writing staff, despite the show being full of bad storylines and mob obsession. She was still central, but she was not bouncing between men - her agency was about what she did with her new power and how she managed her new life with Jax and her sons vs. her ties to the mob. It mostly worked until it didn't, and it tanked when Frank and Ron came in and dumped most of the existing writing staff that largely dated back to the early '90s if not earlier in some cases (possibly). She's a much more rote character now because she doesn't even really have the separate life Carly had when LW first came on; her Drew thing or whatever is an afterthought. She is there as an extension of Sonny and is there to tell the fans Carly is still on the show. No one invested in her from the beginning in the writers room is still at the show, as far as I can tell, except maybe Liz Korte and look how well she's turned out.

I do believe Laura had issues with the Josh/Cassie thing at GL and that was part of the reason she split. I believe she's discussed it; I know Kim Zimmer has. Ironically, I think Laura could've actually made it work.

1 hour ago, Vee said:

elieve Laura had issues with the Josh/Cassie thing at GL and that was part of the reason she split. I believe she's discussed it; I know Kim Zimmer has. Ironically, I think Laura could've actually made it work.

 

I would say that it did work. There were people who were never going to like it but it had a strong fanbase. Frankly, GL fans were used to seeing Josh with other people when Reva was written with someone else. They couldn't just ignore Josh during those times. It was critical that they have Reva keep her cancer a secret. That would have busted the play on the field.

1 hour ago, Vee said:

I don't think Carly is tailored to anyone's strengths anymore, lol. They gave up on writing for Carly as Carly around at the latest 2012. She is a utility character with a few key traits who is there to move plot, shore up Sonny or get plugged into the lead of the moment (or just sidelined with Drew, who they don't know how to write for - that is a holding position for her).

I can imagine the latter-day, more mature Sarah from DAYS, etc. doing the Metro Court and Jax as her ex stuff but still keeping the OG throughline threaded into the new iteration. She could pick it back up like that because again, Laura has fire. But you could also easily reposition her and revert the character to her type.

I do think LW knew GL was going down and acted accordingly, but I don't know how long it was in the works.

You always make good points.  I think it's also how you perceive the character of Carly and how she would or could evolve.  I think we do view her quite differently as I did enjoy TB very much.  Anyhow, LW is the least of the show's problems and I will agree Carly has become a Sonny prop so a lot of her most unique characteristics have disappeared to make her and Sonny work over the years.

1 hour ago, Tonksadora said:

Yes, I think that is the way the situation with LW & GL & GH came about. Yes, Josh with Reva's sister, Cassie. As to how much LW sensed the decline of GL, I can't remember when it was or I'd be able to give a good estimate.

 

 

Even if LW thought GL would last forever I don't see any daytime actress turning down Carly on GH.  It's a guaranteed lead on a much better soap that had a budget at the time.  Sure, LW was a lead on GL, but there is a lot more buzz, publicity, and emmy clout with GH.  LW strikes me as a very smart woman.  It would have been silly to turn Carly down.

1 hour ago, carolineg said:

n if LW thought GL would last forever I don't see any daytime actress turning down Carly on GH.  It's a guaranteed lead on a much better soap that had a budget at the time.  Sure, LW was a lead on GL, but there is a lot more buzz, publicity, and emmy clout with GH.  LW strikes me as a very smart woman.  It would have been silly to turn Carly down

Oh, I agree. And, that is with the knowledge of one other huge factor & that is that Laura loved GL, really had a deep & abiding love for the show & its people. I also think she is one smart cookie & she had her head make a decision that her heart had trouble with at first. Of course now GH is that kind of love.

21 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I think we do view her quite differently as I did enjoy TB very much.

I liked Tamara a lot. I enjoyed her in the role. I just think Laura's Carly is tougher.

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Vee

25 minutes ago, Vee said:

I liked Tamara a lot. I enjoyed her in the role. I just think Laura's Carly is tougher.

Yes, Tamara had a much more fragile quality to her Carly, but still could be tough.  LW's Carly is definitely tougher and more aggressive and intimidating and I don't mean that in a bad way.

LOL I did mean PG. 

 

And I may have misinterpreted her praise for Nicole and RN because I too would be very surprised if she genuinely was OK with Josh/Cassie.

But I do believe she would have stayed regardless if they had indulged some of her demands. Fact they didn't even engage even thought GH interest was public knowledge cannot but have felt they didn't care.

1 hour ago, FrenchBug82 said:

LOL I did mean PG. 

 

And I may have misinterpreted her praise for Nicole and RN because I too would be very surprised if she genuinely was OK with Josh/Cassie.

But I do believe she would have stayed regardless if they had indulged some of her demands. Fact they didn't even engage even thought GH interest was public knowledge cannot but have felt they didn't care.

Do you happen to know who she was negotiating with? Or, who was EP at the time? Sounds so bizarre that they would not engage!

12 minutes ago, Tonksadora said:

Do you happen to know who she was negotiating with? Or, who was EP at the time? Sounds so bizarre that they would not engage!

To be clear by not engage, I mean their opening response was to say no to everything she asked for, not that they didnt talk to her about staying.

She says she didnt want to play a back and forth game. She had another tempting offer, which GL knew, and she wasnt into them playing hard to get.

 

And it was already Ellen W

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by FrenchBug82

1 hour ago, FrenchBug82 said:

To be clear by not engage, I mean their opening response was to say no to everything she asked for, not that they didnt talk to her about staying.

She says she didnt want to play a back and forth game. She had another tempting offer, which GL knew, and she wasnt into them playing hard to get.

 

And it was already Ellen W

Okay, I understand now. Not really odd, just typical stupidity in negotiations! Of course, they could already have been at a point with money where they knew they couldn't compete.

4 hours ago, Tonksadora said:

What about compared to Riche/Labine?

Ahh yes...forgot to mention Labine in there! The gold standard!

3 hours ago, Vee said:

I liked Tamara a lot. I enjoyed her in the role. I just think Laura's Carly is tougher.

3 hours ago, carolineg said:

Yes, Tamara had a much more fragile quality to her Carly, but still could be tough.  LW's Carly is definitely tougher and more aggressive and intimidating and I don't mean that in a bad way.

I loved the petualnt diva mob wife she brought to the role. I woukd rank her performance above Laura Wright with SJB being the best in the role.

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by ironlion

1 hour ago, ironlion said:

petualnt diva mob wife she brought to the role. I woukd rank her performance above Laura Wright with SJB being the best in the role.

Does this software do polls?