GH: ABC nixes character return (c/o Daytime Confidential)

[Vee]

 

These were my #1 suspicions, yes. Executive turnover and growing unease over the modern climate.

[John]

Does it mean that since #GH doesnt want characters with Rape backgroundson the show (Todd Manning) we will never see Luke Spencer again?

Edited April 3, 2021 by John

[Vee]

Maybe, maybe not. But Luke of Luke and Laura is not Todd the serial rapist from a different TV show.

[John]

Right they made a deal to say we dont want Rapists tied to stories now so..... I think they would take Luke back and look hypocritical imho doing it

[Vee]

 

They didn't make any 'deal,' John. They said they don't want Todd the serial rapist from a completely different soap opera coming back to star on General Hospital. That is not the same thing as ever hypothetically seeing Luke, the hero of the supercouple who saved GH, again someday, a character whose past with rape was dealt with onscreen almost 25 years ago and which did not largely dominate the character's narrative.

[John]

My Point is  I dont buy this BS about them caring about Rape now

Todd was a rapist prior to GH and they new it

Franco was involved in rapes with James Franco in the role

They retconned those in 2013 but it took them 8 years to kill Franco & say it was because he was a rapist once

 

But they would bend over backwards to get Luke Spencer back The most famous rapist in Daytime 

 

But they care about the image of former rapist characters on their show. Bull Sh--

Edited April 3, 2021 by John

[Vee]

 

They cared because executives have changed and times have changed since Todd was around (and since Luke was around). #MeToo is a thing now. And would they bend over backwards to get aging Geary back on contract? I'm not so sure.

If you want Todd back just say it. That's your prerogative. But it shouldn't happen and It's not going to.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Vee

[John]

If ABC/GH insists that Roger needs to stay, him being a new character is stupid. As Todd he is toed to Canvas and had a romance on the show, that they could revisit. Do I want Todd back, No. I feel Roger needs a rest but if we must, Id perfer Todd over character 3, which is rumored to be a Drew recast

[Vee]

They're not putting a serial rapist back on the frontburner. And I honestly doubt if ABC cares if Howarth stays these days. Frank yes, the network no.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Vee

[titan1978]

After all the years of misogynist writing during Guza and JFP, the show moving away from men behaving badly towards women and being the leads is long overdue.  Plus Ron has written some questionable stories about violating women.

 

And Luke has had at least two storylines where his past as a rapist was addressed, and the late 90’s storyline is what really broke Luke and Laura as a couple for me.  After that year, there really wasn’t any going back.  I don’t remember anything like that or with that depth happening to Todd after he was “redeemed”.

Edited April 3, 2021 by titan1978

[KMan101]

 

This.

 

I don't believe ABC is clinging to Roger Howarth at all. It's Frank.

 

And I appreciate it if they blocked the attempt to bring him back as Todd. That would be stupid. It would bring up all sorts of questions about Llanview. I know Frank loved OLTL but he needs to let go. (And of course Sonny and Nina are in Pennsylvania)

 

I'm still waiting for him to be Drew. But I guess he'll be a new character at this point. Just LET HIM GO Frank.

 

Times have changed, John. I see where you're coming from, but they HAVE to care now. You don't bring back a notorious rapist and have them as a romantic lead in 2021. I can't imagine even Howarth would want that, even if he would want to play Todd. He struggled with it back in 2002/2003, a big reason he left (the Todd doll, remember?). 

 

And Geary's aging ass is happy as a clam. Luke will never be a lead again, IMO. He may pop in for a visit but that's it. 

Edited April 3, 2021 by KMan101

[AlexElizabeth]

 

I agree that Howarth doesn't need to play yet another character on GH, but at this point I've lost count of how many characters Michael Easton has played, so I don't rule out the possibility that he's just going to be someone new/a Drew recast.

Edited April 3, 2021 by AlexElizabeth

[BreakingDownTheWalls]

All this crying about Roger Howarth doesn’t need to be on the show.  Were you all saying the same thing about Michael Easton?  I don’t think so.

 

And this whole article is unbelievable because you still have Sonny and Jason as the heroes of the show.

Edited April 3, 2021 by BreakingDownTheWalls

[Vee]

 

Yes. Are you new? We've been roasting Easton for over a decade.

[Chris B]

This is confusing. I didn’t think ABC was involved enough to know this or care. In a way I am happy because although I love Todd, I don’t really have interest in him without his proper Llanview family. 
 

My biggest issue with them going a different direction is that they’ve been known to put people in stupid roles instead of what makes sense. Hell, making him Franco was incredibly stupid. Someone like Tom Hardy would make sense and they could potentially bring back Simone and TJ, but you know that would never happen.