GH: Classic Thread

[Vee]

Thanks, this is helpful. I always get Tex Elman, the Hollands, etc. mixed up. I know there was some sort of weird psycho identical twin romance story with Jeff before Monty arrived, and of course the disaster (tornado?) that killed Diana's biological child. IIRC that was the first attempt at a revamp?

[Dion]

It was a hurricane but there had already been a couple of attempts to revamp the show before then (the cull of '75, the arrival of the Webbers etc).

But yes the hurricane was significant - in addition to killing off Diana's daughter Martha (which eventually led Diana to adopt Steven-Lars), it also introduced Lisa/Lana (the split personality pretending to be twins storyline you were thinking of) and David Hamilton as victims of the hurricane, and kicked off Scotty and Laura's romance.

And - while not directly related to the hurricane - shortly afterward Monica started working with Alan on the new cardiac wing...

[Vee]

Yes, I did know the Webber influx was another attempted revamp. So Marland and Monty inherited David Hamilton, that's interesting. I believe Kin had come on in that summer just a month or two before, and then the later team leaned hard into both. Thanks!

[Khan]

IIRC, when Marland first went to work at GH, the plan was for David and Lesley to have an affair.  Marland told the network Lesley wouldn't cheat on Rick with his old buddy.  ABCD challenged him to come up with something better, so he wrote the David/Laura affair instead.

Also, IIRC, David lost his wife and child in the hurricane, but I always wondered whether new story could be spun from that plot point.  Like, what if they hadn't died in the hurricane?  What if his wife and kid had lived, and his son (I think it was a son) showed up years later in PC?

Edited May 12, 2023 by Khan

[Vee]

It's not a bad idea. Nor is revisiting the commune/cult she was in (though you'd have to differentiate it a lot from the Dawn of Day mess). I don't think they did enough interesting stuff with Laura's past when it came to the whole Gordon Grey angle with Laura's brothers - Jeff Kober is a great heavy from the heyday of '80s/'90s thrillers, but as Cyrus he just came off as an ineffectual blowhard to me. Who cares that this mobster is whining about not meaning to run over their dad with the family car in the driveway (a scene that actually happened)? MEK is great as Martin but they need to play him and Laura together more. I think there is more to mine with Laura's early history.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Vee

[Khan]

It's a shame they chose to waste bringing up Gordon Grey on a PITA like Cyrus Renault.

[j swift]

Somebody just invoked the name DL Brock in the Jackie Zeaman thread, and it reminded me - has anyone ever successfully developed the waterfront property in Port Charles?

DL, Damian, and countless others have promised to develop the area, but it still seems to be mainly warehouses and manufacturing plants. How many people have tried to gentrify the docks?

[AMCHistory]

Episodes like these are truly once in a lifetime. Every character felt the ripple of this death. No just the sadness of BJ’s passing, but the relief in Maxine’s survival. 

To put Felicia and Bobbie on the two sides of the same coin — wow. For a decade, we saw this friendship blossom into a sisterhood. The mix of emotions, they felt it, we felt it, I still feel it. 
 

I think Bobbie’s tear soaked face when Felicia realises Maxie is being saved by BJ’s heart will forever be an image associated with GH and the American soap opera. 

[AdelaideCate007]

That GH cast from about 1991 to around 1996 was pretty immaculate. The stories before Labine got there weren't always great but that was as good a cast of character as I think GH ever had. All of the original Quartermaines. The Wards. Anna, Holly, and Robert for a while. Luke and Laura. Steve and Audrey. Felicia, Mac, Robin, Stone, Lucy, Kevin, Lois, Brenda, Sonny, Sean, Tiffany, Bobbie, Tony, Karen, Jagger, Ryan, Scott, Dominique, Lucky, the original kid Maxie. That's just a really solid group in that era. Even the losers and flops like Katherine, Jenny, and Paul or b-level characters like Julia Barrett and Damian Smith were better for the most part than a lot of the people we get now.

Edited May 13, 2023 by AdelaideCate007

[Vee]

Imagine: Personalities beyond "Caucasian"!

[Vee]

Does anyone know the deal with John Colicos returning as Mikkos' identical cousin(?) Petros in '85? It seems like he was only for a week or two which is bizarre.

[depboy]

Hi everyone!  Sorry for the delay in continuing the 1970 summaries.  Looks like Phil meets a lovely young woman...

Monday, April 6, 1970: Peter suggests that Audrey’s illness might be a physical manifestation of subconscious reservations about marrying Tom.

Tuesday, April 7: Meg admits to Steve that she is scared about the cancer recurring.

Wednesday, April 8: A young woman, Diana Maynard approaches Phil in a restaurant and sits down with him.

Thursday, April 9: Carol, who is going to New York for NOW magazine with Howie, learns that he hasn't told Jane or his mother that she is going with him. 

Friday, April 10: Phil and Diana have a pleasant day sight-seeing.

Monday, April 13: Peter receives a letter from his mother.

Tuesday, April 14: Peter shows Jessie the letter from his mother, who is ill with an enlarged heart; Jessie suggests she come to General Hospital.

Wednesday, April 15: Lee calls Peter about Meg's fears.

Thursday, April 16: Meg receives a letter from Brooke, asking if she can stay with the Baldwins.

Friday, April 17: Lee convinces Meg to tell Brooke she can come stay with them.

Monday, April 20: Lee receives a letter from Brooke asking if she is really welcome to come and stay with them.

Tuesday, April 21: Mrs. Taylor arrives and meets Jessie.  Howie comes back from New York, but doesn't mention Carol was with him.  Diana takes a job as a waitress and asks Phil if he'd like to work at the same place as a dishwasher.

Wednesday, April 22: Jane confronts Howie with the fact that Carol was in NYC with him; Howie tells her he didn't mention it because he didn't want to upset her.

Thursday, April 23: Brooke arrives at the Baldwins.  Mrs. Taylor urges Jessie not to wait too long to marry Peter; Diana suggests to Phil that they go to a show.

Friday, April 24: Audrey and Tom’s wedding day.

Monday, April 27: Brooke tells Meg how lucky Meg is that she did not marry Noel Clinton.

Tuesday, April 28: Diana tries to find out more about Phil’s background; she admits she had a baby and gave it up for adoption.

Wednesday, April 29: Carol and Howie reminisce about New York and how life here doesn’t measure up.

Thursday, April 30: Meg tells Steve that she is so depressed that she wonders if she is losing her mind.

Friday, May 1: Mrs. Taylor says that the one thing she would like before her death is to see Jessie and Peter married; Phil bandages a cut on Diana’s hand and they kiss.

[FrenchFan]

So Diana first appeared on April 8th 1970. A long-time mystery is resolved !

Glad that Brooke is back to stir up trouble. I know she will have an affair with Howie in 1972 but don't know much about her before.

Wonder if Iris is already out as she is no longer mentioned or if she will be written out later.

Edited May 16, 2023 by FrenchFan

[Dion]

Diana had another baby! Why do I get the feeling that was forgotten about as time went on...sorta like Lesley's first husband and their child.

Thanks for the summaries as always

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[AMCHistory]

Katherine got a bad rap, but hit was the character we needed at that point. We needed someone polarising. We needed someone who was not related to everyone. We needed a utility player that could go between groups and stories. 
 

Just look how much ground she covered in the short time she was there. She went head-to-head with the Q’s, and brought out the fun side of Edward. She then mixed it up Lucy, and made a memorable “Lucy and Ethel” pairing. Even her final chapter as the Cassadine punching bag was memorable. I’ll always remember the prime time episode ending with her shot in the graveyard. 
 

Desperate, naggy, and needy, the audience was supposed to have a visceral reaction to her. 
 

Jenny and Paul on the other hand just sucked. Moreso Jenny. Paul at least had the cheekbones going for him.