Richard Simms of ABC Soaps In Depth tweeted that Jill Farren Phelps was let go and Frank Valentini is the new EP of GH

http://twitter.com/#...117320825896960

How long before Ron arrives?

I am looking forward to seeing the show under him mainly because a change is really needed, even if GH won't be on for much longer. I think it will go out with more class & some dignity under him. I wonder if RC really will be brought in and replace Garin & Shelly (dang, we haven't even seen what their material is like together yet). I was defending GH not to long ago under Garin but lately its been pretty bad.

Summer GH will be interesting ;-)

Edited December 1, 201113 yr by AllmyDaysatGH

The funny thing is if GH had done this more often in recent years the ratings might not have crashed. GH was always known for its hunks.

They were? There was Jimmy Lee Holt, the hunkiest hunk who ever hunked, I guess Noah Drake although he wasn't hunky. Then you have to go all the way to 1990 and Jagger and younger non-fat Jason. And then it was a hunk free-zone. Greg Vaughan, Jacob Young if you want to push it..we are talking about a handful of names over 25 years. OLTL beats that every year.

They were? There was Jimmy Lee Holt, the hunkiest hunk who ever hunked, I guess Noah Drake although he wasn't hunky. Then you have to go all the way to 1990 and Jagger and younger non-fat Jason. And then it was a hunk free-zone. Greg Vaughan, Jacob Young if you want to push it..we are talking about a handful of names over 25 years. OLTL beats that every year.

They weren't traditional leading men, but at GH's peak of popularity, Luke, Scotty, Robert Scorpio had a lot of female admirers. So did Alan Quartermaine, Noah, Joe Kelly, continuing on with Blackie, Frisco, etc.

I guess they didn't have the more typical flesh parade until the early 90's, but they weren't so ashamed of male sexuality the way Guza/JFP/Frons seemed to be.

Other news is that

Maurice Benard is leaving or was fired

This would be the Best.News.Ever!!

They were? There was Jimmy Lee Holt, the hunkiest hunk who ever hunked, I guess Noah Drake although he wasn't hunky. Then you have to go all the way to 1990 and Jagger and younger non-fat Jason. And then it was a hunk free-zone. Greg Vaughan, Jacob Young if you want to push it..we are talking about a handful of names over 25 years. OLTL beats that every year.

The idea of "Hunk" has changed over the years too. Today it means beefcake, but in the 80's it was something different. I remember long discussions about GH's sexy men back then, men whom I wouldn't consider terribly "sexy" today if they stood still, but who had a charm and humour about them that could make your heart melt.

If this is true... wow, I am not a conspiracy theorist by nature, but my mind can't help but go to this idea that Prospect Park and ABC were working closer together than assumed and FV had a contractual insurance policy if TOLN sank. Okay, maybe not. But the writing seems to be on the wall. FV almost certainly comes at a cheaper price than JFP, GH's days are numbered with Katie strolling down the pike, FV is lauded for always having his show under budget, RC was already set to write over at GH, the FV/RC dream team could sail GH into its sunset coming under budget and fracking up the show just awful enough that cancellation seems like a no brainer mercy killing come that time... I don't mean to sound all jaded, but again, if this is true, there is something icky about it.

Speaking along the lines of theory - conspiracy or other - we also have to hold up the fact that OLTL is a very family centred/female centred show and those influences are greatly needed at GH. Perhaps that message has finally gotten through. Guza/Philps loved their violent men and excluded any woman from story who was over the age of 45. It's not totally out of the realm of possibility that GW wanting to do something different makes it almost imperative that the EP have a different attitude too, and they were just waiting until OLTL wrapped to make the move.

Wow. I can't see FV at a soap like GH, I wonder if the tone of the show will change.

Wow. I can't see FV at a soap like GH, I wonder if the tone of the show will change.

OLTL was very different throughout his run - Malone II, Higley, RC. I think he's just a figurehead, as JFP was. He costs less and probably keeps closer to the budget.

At least someone from OLTL has a job since it ended. Is Frank Valentini the first one to get a full time gig, though this is GH so it may not even last the rest of the year.

Too little too late.

IMO, GH and JFP was a pairing made in hell as this is a show (or "nest of vipers" as Sean Kanen once called it) which fed on JFP's worst qualities as an EP. Is she technically proficient? Yes. Can she nurture certain actors? Yes, absolutely.

Does she push shows to explore a darker side to their story-telleing (SB, AW and GH being cases in point)? Yes. Does she rely on "shocking" deaths in order to clear out a few vets and get a few headlines? Yes. Does she sideline female characters, especially of a certain age? Yes. Does she wish she was EP-ing a show in Primetime rather than being stuck in Daytime? YES. All mega flaws.

I think JFP would want to make her mark on Y&R, if she went there, by turning it into some weird SB/GH/last days of AW hybrid. That is not Y&R.

The rumor I heard was that

Steve Burton was the one let go for bitching about the show at his last fan event.

Edited December 1, 201113 yr by Cat

I'm surprised, must be a cost-cutting move. If nothing else, GH's music will improve. Valentini has excellent musical taste.

The rumors about either

Maurice Benard or Steve Burton being fired

are fascinating because things at GH must be bad for those kinds of rumors to even exist. The rumor I read was that

Braford Anderson had been fired, but he denied it on Twitter, stating that "the word from upstairs" was that he was safe.

Edited December 1, 201113 yr by Ann_SS

All three of those spoiler tag actors/actresses could go and I would be fine with it.

At the risk of sounding flippant: "whatevs."

I am thrilled she's gone but I dont expect much to change. Maybe some talking beavers and some hot shirtless men

Edited December 1, 201113 yr by JaneAusten