Tony Geary, Jane Elliot, Kin Shriner TV Guide Interview

[DRW50]

I doubt it was the advanced press - no matter how uplifting the story may have been, telling a story about a guy who is dying of AIDS and passes HIV onto a beloved character is going to take a toll on ratings, especially when your other stories involve endless mob violence, misery, cancer, and, if someone hadn't stopped it, Alzheimer's.

[DRW50]

Other than giving Tracy more story and bringing Lucy back, I'm not sure if we're seeing any more of "old characters in new situations" than we were with other regimes, unless she means five minute nostalgia trip returns with people who haven't had chemistry in 20-30 years. They have seemed more concerned over the fate of their OLTL favorites.

[DRW50]

The article is interesting once they move past the fluffing (Shriner barely seemed to know what to say...). Geary seems so much happier to work with Elliot than he ever does with Genie Francis. I enjoyed the anecdotes. Gloria Monty sounds about like I'd expected. The Mary O'Brien story was one of those people would probably make into a TV scene.

What was that about Gloria killing people off and making sure Laura and Scott were spared? I don't remember that many characters being killed off in a storm.

[Ann_SS]

ITA. Stone dying from AIDS was a pretty tragic story, made worse by having Robin test positive. Also, the stigma of the disease which still exists today was even worse back in the early 90s so it is not surprising that along with natural audience attrition that a portion of the audience fled. I still think that GH did a great job with the story and it was one of the best PSA for the disease ever. GH might have regained its audience slowly over time, but soon after the show lost its moral compass with Carly, Sonny, and Jason's immorality ruling supreme.

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah, with Riche I always understood it was more the combo of all these pretty heavy, realistic stories piled on top of each other--and my memory of the era does somewhat support that view, even though I guess I like depressing stories.

Vee--I agree--from the little I've seen and read that it was the execution that suffered under Monty's second run. It prob didn't help her killing off a dozen characters in such short time--as mentioned, etc (has that ever worked except Agnes Nixon doing so on AW which she came on board to when the show was still fairly new?)

Didn't Monty fire Hughes very shortly thereafter, before she left a few months later anyway? Which seems... odd (did Rogers already plan to go or something?)

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Looking back, it was such a terrible idea for the GH to do all those illness stories back to back during Labine's tenure - Dominique, Monica, Stone, Robin. Am I forgetting anyone?

[DRW50]

Maxie.

[quartermainefan]

Back then what turned me off of GH was when Tiffany became a suicidal drug addict. That had to be 92 or so. I stopped watching for a while but was back for Monica's cancer and the tail end of the HIV story. I think this weekend's marathon serves as ample evidence that while well written the 90s just wasn't that enjoyable or fun. The best episode from the 90s this weekend was maybe when Alan killed Ray. The others were just too mopey to want to see again.

Give me Monty era GH any time.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It seemed strange that Labine's GH can be summed up as one huge PSA. Her Ryan's Hope, while similar in a lot of ways, offered a little more variety and balance.

[~bl~]

When Alan killed Ray was a story about child sexual abuse and Karen becoming an addict and a stripper. This wasn't a fun story either. Lois and Ned were the fun material, but if you weren't interested in them it was hard going.

[Antoyne]

That was a highly entertaining interview. It's amazing to hear about how hard they partied back in the day but still managed to deliver at work every day.

[Vee]

I have to say I actually really, really enjoyed that 1991 episode - a lot of action and romantic adventure held up with a foundation of a social issues umbrella storyline. It seemed like the best of both Monty's heyday - action and romance, with stuff like the Quartermaine ship sinking, hunky Mac washing up, Robert and Anna getting together - combined with a '90s sensibility, with the environmentalists, etc. The opening with Frisco and Anna was also perfect. "Here are the keys to the elevator. I don't ever want to discuss this again." They both played that brilliantly, it was hilarious. It also reminded me of why I always was more of a Robert/Anna person - I've just always been more familiar with them from archival material and modern appearances. Though I do really like Duke and Anna a lot today, I swear.

I think I can see what they were going for here, and I think Wendy Riche later perfected a lot of it during her regime, melding classic GH adventure, frothy, bubbly romance and humor with with more modern social issue storytelling. It's just a pity that Monty's tactics lost them Finola Hughes and Tristan Rogers. But I found a lot to like. I also admired the attempt to create a blue-collar family, but I think the way she did it was the obvious problem - frontloading them constantly and shoving out other characters. I can even admire the ballsy move to bring back Tony Geary, then a superstar, as a new character - that's something Gloria Monty would do. But the show collapsed under the weight of her big ideas. It's a pity because I just liked a lot of that hour.

[EricMontreal22]

Dumb question, but which episode are you refering to? Was this one that aired during the marathon?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I assume it was the 1991 Valentine's Day episode.

[Vee]

Yes, February '91. Basically one of Monty's first shows back - the Quartermaine ship sinks, the environmentalists are everywhere, Robert and Anna and their seduction games post-Valentine's Day, and Mac washes up. Very worth a watch.