Carolyn Hinsey ‏@CarolynHinsey

SOAPnet airing #GH Quartermaine T-giving marathon from 7 pm-midnight on 11/22. Skye, Jason, Lucy - and Sigmund the Duck! #Pizza4DinnerAgain

I thought Labine was let go, because they felt the show was getting too dark/serious (all these great, but heavy stories, like the AIDS one after the other).

I didn't know that Labine was let go (I thought that she decided to move on).

Not only did I not feel that the show was getting too dark/serious (I've often waxed poetic about the AIDS storyline and Monica's breast cancer story), but I thought that the show balanced that out with the lighthearted stories (Lucy/Kevin, Annabelle/Foster, Ned as Eddie Maine/Lois/Katherine, etc.) very well.

I'm of the opinion that the Labine/Riche era was the best GH era in the 20 years that I've been watching because of the pure quality that they put into making the show just as great as any acclaimed primetime show that was airing at the time.

I don't recall Maya being thrown under any bus. The actress left to do Charlie's Angels and that was that for Maya. You could bring on another actress to play Maya but what would be the point, and Nathan Parsons left soon after anyway.

Oh, she was thrown under the bus by having her cheat on greasy Ethan as a means of getting rid of the character while justifying the non-factor that was Ethina (which, from what I've heard, hadn't even happened, which chaps my ass even more).

Furthermore, I don't buy for a second that AI's leaving the show spelled the end of Maya, as they could've easily recast if they'd wanted to. Not only was Ethan not the be-all/end-all for her character (I personally never understood why she was saddled with him in the first place), they could've easily moved her in the direction of the characters that she did have chemistry with (mainly, Johnny, though JJ Lucky would've done just fine as well). All that talk about bringing her wayward sister, Zoe, in for Michael could've materialized as they stated in the first place instead of forcing that stripper/hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold mess on the viewers.

They didn't, which pretty much proves my point about that regime not wanting to invest in a (non-stereotypical) Black female heroine (while casting and recasting plenty of non-Black [white, in the case of GH] ones that have been fail after fail) for fear of:

a. their overshadowing the (often) bland non-Black leads

b. offending the delicate sensibilities of certain soap viewers

I didn't know that Labine was let go (I thought that she decided to move on).

Not only did I not feel that the show was getting too dark/serious (I've often waxed poetic about the AIDS storyline and Monica's breast cancer story), but I thought that the show balanced that out with the lighthearted stories (Lucy/Kevin, Annabelle/Foster, Ned as Eddie Maine/Lois/Katherine, etc.) very well.

I'm of the opinion that the Labine/Riche era was the best GH era in the 20 years that I've been watching because of the pure quality that they put into making the show just as great as any acclaimed primetime show that was airing at the time.

I agree with you. But really ABC Daytime was very strong at that time in general--but in terms of pure writing quality GH probably topped it. Still, until '95 we had that run, AMC with McTavish's great (yes, I used McTavish and great in the same sentence) term with Behr at AMC and Malone/Griffith and Gottlieb at OLTL. Even the much troubled Loving seemed to be finding its footing under Addie W (and I liked Guza's co-HW term on the show). Then the bottom seemed to drop.

Here's the first episode of the marathon that aired:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3BYpyeNdII&feature=g-high-u

Edited November 23, 201212 yr by dragonflies

Watching the first episode nwo and Lucy is incredibly annoying. She was much better until they turned her into a comedic joke

When I saw Mac with the short haired blonde, I thought it was Felicia post-haircut and then I saw it was that terrible Katherine Bell.

MA as Tom I wish he'd return

Here's the 2nd eppy from the marathon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsFDioOeZas&feature=youtu.be

Elizabeth was such a bitch....loved her back then

Carly, the skankarella. She was such a person you loved to hate. She was my reason for waching. Carly AND Tony both had alot of nerve showing up together at Bobbies. He should have left the tramp in the car

Brenda's ass cant cook....lol. She was one of my favorite, if not favorite character in this era.

All in all Im noticing that so many characters were so much more likeable back then. Most became unbearable at some point over the last decade

Edited November 23, 201212 yr by Cheap21

To add to the wonderful two hours down memory lane, I find it funny (not really) that the roided goiter talked about how Jason Quartermaine 'had zero personality' - considering that that character had more personality in that lovely 1995 episode than he's had since his head hit that tree a month later.

I see folks complaining about the roided goiter not being around for Thanksgiving, but judging how he fvcked up last year's Q Thanksgiving (I hadn't been watching around this time last year, but I'd read all about his bitchfit at what was Edward's last Thanksgiving), I'm thrilled that his ass is taking a (hopefully) permanent dirtnap.

His being absent while a not-dead AJ is alive in time for this year's Q Turkey Day feels oh-so-right, which is why I thank Frank for ridding me of him in time for me to enjoy the best Thanksgiving episode that I've seen since the late 90s.

2001 episode opens with Rae showing up at the Qs and for the bulk of the episode Skye is arguing with Jax over Carly. They dont get back to Rae and the Q drama till towards the end. Man that episode felt disjointed

Gia....I could never stand her and didnt like her till she was recasted. I never liked her brother Taggert either who was super annoying

Carly and Jax. I really thought Ingo had chemistry with Tamara and its too bad the characters didnt get paired up till she was played by LW

Kristina 1.0! Loved her and hated that she was killed off

2009: Maxie is going on about how she "cheated" on Spinelli with Franco. This was in 2009. My goodness, we've been dealing with these two for at least that long?

I loved this Morgan. I want him back

When Matt's blonde date showed up, I thought who the heck was that till they announced her as Lisa. Boy, bet they had no idea how she'd end up. Weird irony that she showed up with the man that would later kill her.

Sam....she is back with Jason by this point? It seems so random and odd at her to be at Scorpio Thanksgiving

Oh the opening to this show was the worst one in the history of GH. Awful colors, lighting, timing, just everything was wrong about it. I always felt like I was on the verge of an epileptic seizure

I hated original Kristina, and I loved original Gia, especially with CS's Nik

I'm going to watch these episodes later today, can't wait!

His being absent while a not-dead AJ is alive in time for this year's Q Turkey Day feels oh-so-right, which is why I thank Frank for ridding me of him in time for me to enjoy the best Thanksgiving episode that I've seen since the late 90s.

I can't really complain about Wed.'s episode--so wonderful! I'm just disappointed the budget didn't at least permit the returns of Lois (even Lesli Kay would've been finefinefine), Brooke, and a recast Dillon to round out the contemporary Qs (Maya was such a random blip; she shouldn't have been, but was). And not including Jason, Emily, and Justus in the flashbacks was wrong.

But AJ's my fav. daytime character and I HATE Jason, but I actually think they're perfect foil characters. Even more so than a Viki-Dorian pair, these two brothers are meant to be on the canvas at the same time, IMO. And for the sake of continuity, I wish SB could've stayed long enough for Edward's death. (I can't believe I'm in any way, shape, or form advocating SB/Jason's continued presence on the serial?!? )

Sam: "Lovely flowers you have there"

Tracy with a big grin on her face: "Im not surprised you like them. They were retrieved from the trash"

OMG Wendy Richie's GH looked SOOO good!!!!! Those sets were amaze.

Oh the opening to this show was the worst one in the history of GH. Awful colors, lighting, timing, just everything was wrong about it. I always felt like I was on the verge of an epileptic seizure

LOL

Are you kidding!? They wrote maya out by saying she cheated on Ethan. The last time we saw her was her husband walking in on her in bed with another man when she was supposed to be taking care of her sick family.

If that's not being thrown under the bus, I don't know what is.

Oh yes! She went under the bus for some little girl they were trying to make look appealing.