Jump to content

GH: Classic Thread


Max

Recommended Posts

  • Members
Posted (edited)

I think action/adventure is a part of GH's DNA at this point, and can be done well in certain situations and with a skillful use of budget. (As they did with the Metro Court hostage situation in the 2000s, and as Frank did in 2012 with the water crisis which probably saved the show from the axe.) But I don't think they should keep attempting it in the chintzy ways they have for much of the last 5-6 years. Either commit to something more impressive or with scale/scope and cut a few expensive people to help pad the budget, or don't do it. The Michael fire stunt in January was very impressive, but that's a smaller example.

Of course, the way I'd do an Endgame kind of situation would be ludicrously ambitious, but would only be done that big in order to transition the show from the network to something revamped and more streamlined on Hulu/streaming, with grand promotion and fanfare - and it would only do so by blowing the show's annual network budget lol. Go big on your way out, I say! But it sure wouldn't be a bunch of confused boomers wandering some cheap tunnels. That's where Frank and Ron used the canvas much more effectively during the water crisis - appropriate action, for the most part, happened with appropriate people at appropriate places spread all over Port Charles (not unlike folks hunkering down at Kelly's or wherever in '81 re: the weather machine). When the town was saved, everyone was shown celebrating at various places and that's how it should be.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 7.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  • Members

Didn't the Endgame stuff also involve Helena poisoning one of the kids so that she could control Tony and a brainwashed Lucky? Or was that sometime before? Cause Tony was involved in that mess too and I think was who originally brought Stavros back. Helena was big into poisoning people for a while. This was also around the time she pushed Stefan overboard and ran over Chloe thinking she was Alexis. I'd blocked out that Melissa and Roy were still around during all that too, oof.

Even then, I remember thinking all that was kind of lame lol, and I was still really into GH at that time. It just felt like a retread of that storyline from the 90s with Faison where he was poisoning people (Paul's daughter and somebody else, maybe Felicia or Anna?) so that he could keep Sean, Robert, and the Quartermaines from finding out about whatever he was up to. Tony and Bobbie had been involved in that story too so it all felt very retreaded territory and so stupid.

I don't remember him deciding he hated that story until around then too. Before that, he'd always been fine with it. It was around whenever the Skye and Tracy romances were full on and teenage Lulu moved into the Quartermaines. That's when all of a sudden the "Luke hated everything about Laura and the family" version of events became a thing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yes and yes. He was in on that, but he was portrayed pretty sympathetically. Helena poisoned little Lucas.

Roy and Melissa were the heroes of the show that year, but even JFP had to make them take a backseat to Luke and Laura in Endgame. IIRC Melissa stayed topside worrying over Edward. I think by then (fall/November) Angel had been written out, Jill and Megan knew they were in serious trouble and so Roy and Melissa had begun to be pulled back on. By February or so of the following year, Melissa was out and carted off to jail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I don't think it helped that Nik, Gia and Lucky were the only younger ones involved.  This could have been a passing of the torch adventure moment, but it was more like 80's stars reliving their glory years with a side of Jax because the show had no idea what to do with him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

This is a rather abrupt change of subject but I saw it on the Daytime Confidential Comments board by a poster who goes by "ShivRoy" & it frankly fascinated me & I wanted to run it up the flagpole here. It began with the question aren't Charlotte & fill-in-the-blank cousins. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

What ended up happening to Roy?  I know they gave him Hannah as a daughter, and he was dating Felicia and then he was gone.   Did he just leave town?  The last time I remember seeing him was during the very beginning of the Brenda returns story and he was working for Alcazar and still with Felicia.  I am sure he most have gotten some exit or ending to the character.  I guess it shows how little minor the character became if I haven't even questioned where he went until today lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Posted (edited)

IIRC Sonny sent him off to work for him in Miami after Roy flipped on Alcazar to help Sonny and Brenda. Felicia turned down his marriage proposal and off he went.

I actually really liked A Martinez in the role until JFP got her hooks into trying to make him the unbearable star of the show. I thought AM was very good with both Tony and Genie, and okay with Jackie despite the bad story. I even liked him with Kristina Wagner. Oh well.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thanks.  That checks out with the last time I recall seeing him.  I remember him flipping on Alcazar.  

I can't say I particularly cared for Roy.  I do remember liking him with Laura and their friendship.   He definitely worked better in a supporting role.  Even if I ignore JFP's annoying propping of AM, the character of Roy just wasn't strong enough to lead. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Posted (edited)

He absolutely was not strong enough to be an A-lead, and everyone but JFP learned that when she tried. The year of Roy and Melissa in 2001 was painful. GH was the flagship of the network, and Jill couldn't play the same favorite games she had at other soaps including OLTL.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Correct.  I really do think JFP is intelligent in some aspects of running a show, but the favoritism and misogyny is real with her.  GH also had an embarrassment of popular leads to choose from at the time.  It was unnecessary to shift to newbies like Roy/Melissa.  In 2001 people weren't even that sick of Sonny, Jason, or Luke yet and there were a lot of vets (in JB's age range) just waiting for story while Melissa took over the show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

This is a clip with RC/Skye & LW/Carly & they throw down but that part is not my point. What I don't know that I'd like to is what in the devil is Alcazar pretending to be somebody named Delgado who is marrying Blair?

Please register in order to view this content

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Posted (edited)

I knew it would tank trying to run her game at a show with as many big stars as GH and installing frankly middlingly popular people like Jensen Buchanan from another show, but even I wasn't sure it would tank JFP's creative career as hard as it did. Once Guza came back she was done in terms of having any real power at GH. Richly deserved.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Most of 2001 is extremely painful.  Not only the Roy/Melissa show.  The aforementioned Endgame, Angel, the Lucky story just to name a few things that year.  JFP was lucky to keep her job at all.

I still always question the reasoning in hiring leads from failed shows to lead another show. It works in some cases, but their star powering wasn't enough to keep their show on the air.  You can't just plop them on a new show with a long history and hope it translates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   1 member




  • Recent Posts

    • I also wonder if it was considered controversial at the time to show a morally corrupt doctor?(another character troupe for Agnes Nixon, the upstanding male citizen who is hiding secrets back at home) Up until the early 1970s, prime-time would very rarely tell stories about the private lives of doctors, because advertisers tended to shy away from such content. @robbwolff -- so is this wrong that Ruth dated David before marrying Joe?  Dr. David Thornton is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children, portrayed by Paul Gleason from 1976 to 1978.  He was introduced as a respected physician in Pine Valley, presenting himself as a widower to his colleagues at the hospital. This facade, however, concealed a darker truth: his wife, Edna Thornton, was alive, and he was leading a double life. David’s character is defined by manipulation and secrecy, as he maintained a carefully curated public image while engaging in deceitful and criminal behavior in his personal life. His relationships were marked by control and betrayal, particularly in his marriage to Edna and his romantic entanglements with other women. David’s charm and professional status allowed him to navigate Pine Valley’s social circles, but his actions revealed a calculating and ruthless nature. Career David was a doctor at Pine Valley Hospital, where he was well-regarded by his peers for his medical expertise. His professional life provided him with a veneer of respectability, which he exploited to mask his personal misdeeds. However, his career was not a central focus of his storyline; instead, it served as a backdrop to his personal schemes. His position at the hospital gave him access to resources, such as the drug digitalis, which he later used in his attempt to murder his wife. David’s professional life unraveled as his criminal actions came to light, tarnishing his reputation in the medical community. Personal Relationships and Family David’s family and romantic relationships were fraught with tension and deception, shaping much of his narrative arc: Edna Thornton (Wife): David was married to Edna Thornton, with whom he had a daughter, Dottie. To his colleagues, he claimed Edna was deceased, allowing him to pursue other relationships without suspicion. In reality, David was plotting to kill Edna, motivated by his desire to be free of her and possibly to gain financial or personal freedom. He began poisoning her with digitalis, a heart medication, which caused her to experience heart pains. Edna was unaware of David’s true intentions until after his death, when the truth about his poisoning scheme was revealed. Dottie Thornton (Daughter): David and Edna’s daughter, Dottie Thornton, was a significant character in All My Children. Portrayed by Dawn Marie Boyle (1977–1980) and later Tasia Valenza (1982–1986), Dottie was raised primarily by Edna. David’s neglectful and manipulative behavior extended to his daughter, as he showed little genuine care for her well-being. Dottie’s life was impacted by her father’s actions, particularly after his death, when Edna became a wealthy widow. Dottie later married Thaddeus “Tad” Martin in 1985, though their marriage ended in divorce in 1986, and she suffered the loss of an unborn child with Tad. Ruth Parker (Fiancée, 1976): David was engaged to Ruth Parker in 1976, furthering his pattern of deceit since he was still married to Edna. His engagement to Ruth, who was also involved with Jeff Martin, highlighted David’s willingness to manipulate romantic partners for his own gain. The engagement did not lead to marriage, as David’s true intentions and double life began to surface. Christina “Chris” Karras (Lover, 1978): In 1978, David began a romantic relationship with Dr. Christina “Chris” Karras, a fellow physician. This affair added another layer of complexity to his web of lies, as Chris was unaware of his marriage to Edna and his poisoning scheme. After David’s death, Chris was initially accused of his murder due to their relationship and her access to medical resources. However, Jeff Martin’s investigation cleared her name by proving David’s death was caused by his own actions. Parents: David’s parents are unnamed in the source material, and both are noted as deceased. No further details are provided about their influence on his life or their role in his backstory. Death David Thornton’s death in 1978 was a dramatic and fitting conclusion to his villainous arc, brought about by his own treachery. Intent on killing Edna to escape their marriage, David had been secretly administering digitalis to her, causing her heart issues. In a twist of fate, their daughter, Dottie, innocently switched Edna’s drink with David’s during one of his poisoning attempts. Unaware that the drink was laced with a lethal dose of digitalis, David consumed it and suffered a fatal heart attack. His death was initially investigated as a possible murder, with Chris Karras as the prime suspect due to her relationship with David and her medical knowledge. However, Dr. Jeff Martin conducted a toxicology screen on David’s body, which revealed that the digitalis poisoning was the cause of both Edna’s heart pains and David’s death. This evidence exonerated Chris and exposed David’s plan to kill his wife, cementing his legacy as a tragic and self-destructive figure. Impact and Legacy David Thornton’s storyline, though relatively short-lived (1976–1978), was impactful due to its intensity and the ripple effects on other characters. His death left Edna a wealthy widow, altering her and Dottie’s circumstances and setting the stage for further drama, including Edna’s manipulation by conman Ray Gardner. David’s actions also strained relationships among other Pine Valley residents, particularly through his engagement to Ruth Parker and affair with Chris Karras, which intersected with Jeff Martin’s storyline. His character exemplified the classic soap opera archetype of a charming yet duplicitous villain whose downfall is precipitated by his own hubris. Additional Notes Portrayal: Paul Gleason’s performance as David Thornton brought a compelling intensity to the role, making the character memorable despite his brief tenure. Gleason’s ability to portray both charm and menace suited David’s dual nature as a respected doctor and a scheming husband. Storyline Context: David’s arc occurred during the early years of All My Children, a period when the show focused on intricate personal dramas and moral dilemmas. His poisoning plot and double life were emblematic of the show’s penchant for high-stakes interpersonal conflict. Lack of Additional Family Details: Beyond Edna and Dottie, no other family members (such as siblings or extended relatives) are mentioned in the source material, limiting the scope of his familial connections. Conclusion Dr. David Thornton was a multifaceted antagonist in All My Children, whose life was marked by professional success, personal deception, and a fatal miscalculation. As a doctor, he wielded authority and respect, but his secret plan to murder his wife, Edna, revealed a cold and calculating core. His relationships with Edna, Dottie, Ruth Parker, and Chris Karras were defined by manipulation, and his death by accidental self-poisoning was a poetic end to his schemes. David’s legacy in Pine Valley lived on through Edna’s newfound wealth and Dottie’s subsequent storylines, making him a pivotal figure in the show’s early narrative. His story remains a classic example of soap opera drama, blending betrayal, tragedy, and retribution.
    • The only blonde I see is one of the actual women staring at first & then screaming & running later.  DAYS: Vivian's manservant Ivan is in a long curly red wig. 

      Please register in order to view this content

      Y&R: long straight black wig is the actor Peter Barton whose character name I am blanking on.   
    • I very much liked office Cleary and the actress who portrayed her (as you say, Mary Peterson).  A shame her turn didn't evolve into a contract role.   BTW, does anyone know the timeframe/years that Betty Rae served as casting director?  If i understand correctly, she not only led the effort for contract roles, but also for shorter 13- and 26-week roles.  IMO, GL had LOTS of very well-casted, limited roles, too. I'm surprised the actors throughout the soap industry, and especially P&G actors, have not assembled a book or something similar, praising Rae.  Each actor could write a few paragraphs or a page of text describing his or her experience.
    • No. Ruth had an extramarital affair with David while married to Joe.
    • I'm not sure I agree with Bernstein's children on that. Bernstein's life and activism here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Bernstein#Social_activism_and_humanitarian_efforts
    • Thursday & Friday's episodes were excellent. The build-up was most definitely worth the wait (2 months). TMG, I can't give her enough accolades. AM, was also absolutely incredible. I think the fallout is going to have a ripple effect. The little clues that have been dropped,  hopefully, will weave seamlessly to reveal even bigger bombshells for the Dupree's and Martin.
    • Thanks, msn drives me nuts on the one hand but on the other hand their headlines appeal to me. And, I just don't do FoxNews.   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy