GH: Classic Thread

[FrenchBug82]

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.

[Planet Soap]

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, 2022 by ironlion

[Contessa Donatella]

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.

What about compared to Riche/Labine?

[Vee]

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.

[Contessa Donatella]

 

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.

[carolineg]

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.

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.

[Contessa Donatella]

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.

[Vee]

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

Edited July 14, 2022 by Vee

[carolineg]

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.

[FrenchBug82]

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.

[Contessa Donatella]

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!

[FrenchBug82]

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, 2022 by FrenchBug82

[Contessa Donatella]

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.

[Planet Soap]

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

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, 2022 by ironlion

[Contessa Donatella]

Does this software do polls?