27 minutes ago, detroitpiston said:

I’m with @titan1978 I think JFP was dead serious about making JB work in the role but it was just never gonna happen. I remember the last ditch effort too when they lightened her hair and started having her do more press interviews to try and sway the audience but they were still brutal to her.

I know when Laura Wright originally met with Frons it was about getting her on one of the NY soaps and then pivoted to Carly afterward. If Kari Wuher hadn’t got pregnant they probably would have left Carly in the mental hospital for a few years and kept Reese as the new female lead instead of recasting again.

Horrible thought lol.  I couldn't stand KW/Reese.  I thought JB was at least tolerable.

I always thought or heard through the years that LW was the first choice and it wasn't doable in the moment because of GL.  

I can see JFP really thinking she could make JB's Carly work though.  I always thought the rest of TPTB had other ideas 😂

Who knows?  I still think JB got a rough deal.  Has she even worked since?

I agree with titan and dc - I've said before I think Jill thought she finally had her way back into some creative control when the show was in a tight spot (when Tamara abruptly dipped) by getting Bransford a job lol. It just collapsed immediately because JB was not an A-level player and the rest of the power behind the show was not remotely into it.

I was embarrassed for JFP tbh. It felt like a desperate attempt to rewind the clock on her own EP career. Bransford's not a bad actress but as an OLTL fan who remembered her I was shocked they hired her for that part. Nobody was out there cutting for Georgie Phillips and watching it everyday was surreal. I do think Mo only got behind her because she was clearly not popular and was not going to wield audience power against him in the way Tamara had with Ted King, or in the way Sarah was a singular presence lol. With JB as Carly he would not be threatened onscreen the way he had recently been.

Edited August 17, 20241 yr by Vee

Doug Marland anecdote

I remember meeting Agnes Nixon downstairs at the elevator because Agnes was a consultant
for all the shows on ABC and it was the week that General Hospital hit number one solid--
we wiped everything else out. The fact that this poor pathetic show was the solid number
one show was like victory--this was the first story meeting I haven't dreaded. Agnes said,
“Don't be too sure.” I said, “What can they say, we're number one?” Jackie Smith came in
and said, her opening remarks, she was a half-hour late, and said, "We're in terrible
trouble.” I couldn't believe it. Her maid that morning had said that the Laura, Bobbie, Scotty thing was boring, she didn't like it --all our eggs are in that basket.

I said, "It was the basket that brought us here.” She said, “Yes, now we have to find ways to stay there.” "We can't go on telling the same story." I said, "The story isn't even over
yet."

I couldn't believe it. Agnes was totally right. She winked at me from across the room. There is an incredible instinct to panic.

12 hours ago, Vee said:

I do think Mo only got behind her because she was clearly not popular and was not going to wield audience power against him in the way Tamara had with Ted King, or in the way Sarah was a singular presence lol. With JB as Carly he would not be threatened onscreen the way he had recently been.

Very interesting take on the reasons MB got behind her.  That makes a ton of sense.  If he somehow saved her job she would be grateful to him, praise him in the press, and not cause any trouble.   

I also think he may have preferred her to Wuhrer.  Didn't they notoriously not get along?

51 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I also think he may have preferred her to Wuhrer.  Didn't they notoriously not get along?

Does Kari Wuhrer get along with anyone?

27 minutes ago, Khan said:

Does Kari Wuhrer get along with anyone?

She's the Crystal Chappell of GH lol.  Mo disliking her isn't a red flag for me, but it doesn't appear anyone did.  I think Rick Hearst tried to say nice things about her.  I just chalk that up to being a nice guy though.

Much like the issues we face in 2024 with FV on GH, they thought just casting people that were known for primetime was somehow a get. Kari Wuhrer was never going to draw in an audience without a good character that we wanted to watch. Same with Jamie Luner on AMC. And I loved JL on Savannah. But again, GH if you add the week up at that point had better/similar ratings compared to those niche shows in primetime.

 

3 hours ago, carolineg said:

She's the Crystal Chappell of GH lol.  Mo disliking her isn't a red flag for me, but it doesn't appear anyone did.  I think Rick Hearst tried to say nice things about her.  I just chalk that up to being a nice guy though.

I mean, I've heard horror stories about KW going back to "Remote Control" on MTV, lol.

1 hour ago, titan1978 said:

Much like the issues we face in 2024 with FV on GH, they thought just casting people that were known for primetime was somehow a get. Kari Wuhrer was never going to draw in an audience without a good character that we wanted to watch. Same with Jamie Luner on AMC. And I loved JL on Savannah. 

Both Wuhrer and (sadly) Luner were long since cooked by the time they did daytime. I just rolled my eyes when Kari showed up on GH; I wasn't really shocked, since she'd been virtually everywhere else. And she was dreadful on the show. I knew it wouldn't last long.

Edited August 16, 20241 yr by Vee

21 minutes ago, Khan said:

I mean, I've heard horror stories about KW going back to "Remote Control" on MTV, lol.

What were they?

I remember some of the guys on the show telling AV Club that she was the only female they had who seemed to make her role work, but of course they didn't say anything about who she was as a person.

1 hour ago, titan1978 said:

Much like the issues we face in 2024 with FV on GH, they thought just casting people that were known for primetime was somehow a get. Kari Wuhrer was never going to draw in an audience without a good character that we wanted to watch. Same with Jamie Luner on AMC. And I loved JL on Savannah. But again, GH if you add the week up at that point had better/similar ratings compared to those niche shows in primetime.

Jamie was ridiculous casting as Liza but I could at least understand the choice as she had a history with Chuck Pratt. I am not sure who was checking for Kari Wuhrer in 2005, unless they, like me, enjoyed the last few seasons of Sliders more than most people did.

Just now, DRW50 said:

unless they, like me, enjoyed the last few seasons of Sliders more than most people did.

Let's not say things we can't take back.

25 minutes ago, Khan said:

I mean, I've heard horror stories about KW going back to "Remote Control" on MTV, lol.

Sounds like a nightmare.  The only thing I remember her as is the slutty girl that broke up David/Donna on 90210.  I didn't realize she was a possible "get" lol

5 minutes ago, Vee said:

Both Wuhrer and (sadly) Luner were long since cooked by the time they did daytime. I just rolled my eyes when Kari showed up on GH; I wasn't really shocked, since she'd been virtually everywhere else. And she was dreadful on the show.

It's sad because I really like Luner and I could see her being a great in the right role..  Barely know who Kari Wuhrer is.  I just am not sure how either would bring in soap viewers?

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

What were they?

Pretty much what you'd expect: that she was arrogant and thought she was worth more to the show (and to MTV) than she actually was.

5 minutes ago, Khan said:

Pretty much what you'd expect: that she was arrogant and thought she was worth more to the show (and to MTV) than she actually was.

Thanks. That sounds about right. You get arrogant vibes from a number of people who were on Remote Control but never a great idea for someone in her easily replaceable position to have the same persona.

Reeses Pieces to me felt like heavy Pratt influence, KW’s casting included with Guza tying her to Carly to try and make things interesting but none of it working on screen. I did enjoy her catfights with Carly though and Alan smacking the hell out of her 😂

The Pratt/Guza/JFP tug of war era was so messy by the end. The show was all over the place and felt like three different voices throwing [!@#$%^&*] at the wall and the lead actors just doing whatever the hell they wanted with the material instead. I remember when Pratt finally dipped for primetime and Guza’s first official solo episode was Bobbie and the hospital gang working in the ER. I don’t think he gets enough credit for shifting some of the focus of the show back to hospital drama even if they were clearly cashing in on the Grey’s Anatomy hype.

On 8/15/2024 at 5:36 PM, BetterForgotten said:

I remember the internet nickname for JB’s Carly being ‘Carl Lee’ at the time, lol

On 8/15/2024 at 5:59 PM, carolineg said:

I still think JB got a rough deal.  Has she even worked since?

I was on SOC and ABC boards at the time and I couldn’t believe how nasty the comments were about her daily, she really never stood a chance.

I don’t believe she’s worked since and I felt awful when the firing was announced because she had just been in SOD talking about buying a new house with her husband and being pregnant. Later on it was revealed she’d had a miscarriage and that was the last update I remember hearing about other than rumors she was joining in on Kari Wuhrer’s lawsuit alongside Leslie Kaye.