Onscreen all the time and we liked it

[Dion]

Heck, in such a scenario they all probably just talked about Jo for 15 minutes.

[BetterForgotten]

Some of those 15 min episodes could fit a lot in, if the GL radio episodes are anything to go by. 

[titan1978]

Thanks to @JAS0N47’s stats for DAYS, we can clearly see how often Macdonald Carey was onscreen, especially back in the show’s first decade.  He’s still very highly ranked all things considered and he has been dead since the early 1990’s.

When the casts were smaller, the shows played a lot of the same characters all the time.  I wonder if people felt like the balance was off back then?

[amybrickwallace]

I've been watching clips of GH from 1977 on, and Genie Francis was just so good as the complex and perpetually confused teenager Laura. She never phoned anything in and rose to every challenge. She was a very gutsy actress, especially being that young. Of course, Genie is still a wonderful actress though she's very rarely given good material to work with anymore.

[DemetriKane]

I haven’t read the thread yet! I don’t believe anyone likes air hogs, eventually it will become irritating to watch, and mess up the flow of the storytelling. Too much of anything is badd!!! 

If the characters are actually popular, it works best to come up with a rotating schedule. And to tease their eventful appearance. I would teasing my fan fave on the Friday cliffhanger and they won’t show up until Wednesday.
 

 

[amybrickwallace]

Well, I think there's a difference between someone who is genuinely popular being on 4-5 times a week and an air hog. GH's Courtney was an air hog. She was OK at first, but then I couldn't stand her.

[Maxim]

The guiltiest of the guilty pleasures - Brooke Logan gets pregnant from her daughter's husband - Bold And Beautiful 2002. This was the year of the best cheap trash ever on screen till this day. It should be in the Louvre. The complete end of 2001 and 2002 in repeat.

[amybrickwallace]

I still remember all the buzz in SOD about it.

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[titan1978]

It’s more nuanced for me.  While I do think if you have a large cast, everybody should be used.  But at the same time, some characters/actors just drive story and are compelling over decades.

I loved the ensemble nature of Curlee’s GL. But I also grew up under the star driven GH and never got sick of Robert, Anna, etc.  until Guza’s second run and the affair with Felicia, I could watch Luke 4 days a week and not get tired of him.

[amybrickwallace]

I watched most of Luke's first run (1978-84, IIRC) on YouTube and I could see why Tony Geary became such z star. Even after Luke's rape of Laura, I could understand why he was popular.

In the 1990s and beyond, I just don’t think Luke was as multifaceted or interesting by himself as Laura was. Also, I don't know if it was delayed burnout or complacency or what, but Tony Geary started doing what Maurice Benard now does - phoning it in on a regular basis. The Felicia affair also soured me on Luke, except he was mostly bearable in Genie's 2006-07 return.

[titan1978]

I still loved him from the return until just after lucky died.  The truth for me is that he does his best work when he is with someone very grounded.  That’s part of what I loved about Labine, even if he hated it.  I prefer Laura, but I can’t stand her marriage to Kevin.  It’s just not working.

When you watch their earlier run, it’s pretty clear why both of them became stars.  It is comical to me when we get to Luke as mayor though.  Ridiculous.

Edited October 10, 2021 by titan1978

[amybrickwallace]

Agreed. Under Guza, he wasn't grounded. Is Tony Geary now officially retired from acting? I wouldn't be surprised if he came back one more time before all is said and done.

[Planet Soap]

Agreed.

B&B: Not sure if Susan Flannery was on all the the time but any Stephanie appearence elevated an episode.

AMC & OLTL: I love seeing Erica & Viki on frequently!

@titan1978 I second that Luke's best years were the 90s as a father and running from the mob.

Edited October 10, 2021 by ironlion

[amybrickwallace]

I did love Luke calling Lucky "cowboy". Correct me if I'm wrong, but he only did that with Jonathan Jackson (and only in his first run).

[Paul Raven]

Early 80's Nikki on Y&R.

She provided the bridge b/w old and new Y&R. The cult, the stripping, psychos -it was the Perils of Nikki.