General Hospital: May 2022 Discussion Thread

[carolineg]

I always thought Robyn Richards as Maxie could have went the long haul.  She couldn't play Maxie as Maxie is today, but I think she could have played Maxie into adulthood just fine.   

[Vee]

She wasn't Kimberly McCullough and she had limits, but Richards was capable of growth. It's hard to remember now, but when Kirsten Storms was first hired in '05 her recast was absolutely reviled. People loved RR in the role, but Maxie was brought back with KS as a full-on ho with a very forced insta-pairing with Jesse, the world's youngest plainclothes detective. It dominated the show in the summer months and Kirsten's new Maxie was detested, especially once she began fùcking Lucky behind Liz's back. It was the Spinelli pairing and moving Maxie into a more screwball comedienne role that saved her ass.

2005 was a very bad year for GH, and led to a complete realignment of the show with a quick rewrite of A.J.'s murder, the firing of Kari Wuhrer, Laura Wright being brought in after the Jennifer Bransford mess, and finally Kimberly and Jason Thompson being hired to re-focus more on the hospital, starring Robin and Patrick.

[Nixor]

Ooh yes I had forgotten, but she was great as well. There was a scene between her and Alan when he was in prison and she tells him he will always be the perfect man to her that still makes me cry. 

[carolineg]

I definitely get they wanted to make Maxie a contrast to Georgie and wanted her 'slutty/sexier', but KS wasn't exactly the choice I would have made lol.  She still didn't look less creepy with GV's Lucky.  We just didn't watch her grow up as Maxie on screen (just as Belle on Days lol).  I do remember KS's Maxie being hated though.  I agree RR had limitations, but I think the show could have tailored her stories more to her personality. 

2006 was a bad year too IMO.  All that Lucky/Liz/Jason/Sam crap.  Ugh

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  But it was better than 2005.

[Contessa Donatella]

Loved Amber Tamlyn. Should've known JFP was involved in her departure. I would love to see her in something, besides being happily married to David Cross & a mama to little ones. I mean I'm happy she has that & he's a freakin' genius but it doesn't put Amber on my screen.

[Contessa Donatella]

Just looking at a role or roles in daytime & success as criteria I think of Kimberly McCullough & Hayden Panetierre & Brittany Snow & Jonathan Jackson. Hayden was core family on OLTL, then GL, then onto Primetime & maybe with recent news, still going. Brittany was GL & then has pipes to die for & is a lead in the Pitch Perfect movies. JJ was Lucky, does music & was in Nashville, as was Hayden. They say good things, very, about Y&R's Camyrn Grimes who was a child star there & is now back as a popular YA character. I can't say.

[carolineg]

If we are talking all soaps, I would add Christie Clark.  She was the main young heroine in the 90's and one (only?) characters to go from child to adult on Days.  If she still acted full time I have no doubt she would still be leading story now.

[Contessa Donatella]

Oh, she would be. Kinda wish she were. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting some fans talking about her - but with Mike as played by Roark. Although Andrea Barber was in the child role first. Doesn't really take away.

[titan1978]

Was that the period of time Guza was still in the credits but was on leave due to his child passing away?  I seem to recall it was while Pratt was still there.

The miracle that was pulled together with the changes in your post was quite amazing in hindsight.  The show was absolutely awful post Laura going crazy until Laura Wright arrived and the train accident sweeps event kind of reset things.  It got actually good again for a couple of years there.  Twice early in JFP’s run the show was worse than anything Riche had produced, and she certainly had lows herself.

[Contessa Donatella]

What were Wendy Riche lows? And, were they Claire or Guza?

 

[AbcNbc247]

Chase singing 

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[Dion]

I think mostly post Twist of Fate in December 96 up until Guza returned in late 97.

Much of that was Culliton's writing and then he got replaced by some others before Guza returned. And I think Riche stretched herself too thinly with setting up Port Charles.

During that period Miranda fizzled out as a character and was quickly jettisoned; The Spencer/Cassadine feud lost all momentum as GF went on maternity leave; Stefan and Bobbie were split up in favour of Stefan and Katherine; KMC was at college which affected Jason's storyline; Sonny and Brenda went on the run from the Tin Man; Kevin and Lucy were spun off to Port Charles; Ned had nothing to do post Lois except chat to Alexis and deal with Q squabbles; Felicia and Tom fizzled out, as did Mac and Katherine so they were both left adrift for a while before it was decided to pair them up again; and Maxie had a mysterious doll.

There were a few highlights too like AJ and Carly's ONS but the resulting Michael storyline didn't fully take off until Carly named Jason as the father.

[Contessa Donatella]

Thank you. I think of Wendy Riche & think in bullet points: Claire Labine, 5 yrs of Emmys, Robin & Stone, NB, Monica's cancer, Mary Mae Ward family, and so on. I don't think of the ones you've listed. Well even a well-wound clock can lose time. You say all this & my brain says, you know, nudge nudge, Miranda, Katherine Bell, Stefan shoots Katherine Bell as a prelude to romance, and so on.

[titan1978]

She had a couple.

When she first got there it took a bit for her new vision with Levinson to make the show work again, but I actually enjoyed that period once things settled down.
 

 Like @Dion mentioned- when Guza left and after his 6 month projections ran out the show was really a mess until Guza came back.  Culliton didn’t fare well without those projections, even with Karen Harris still there.

I also think the last year of Guza’s second run, filled with things like Felicia and Luke’s affair, terrible recast decisions for Lucky and Nikolas, Roy back from the dead, etc and the rumored battle for control of the show backstage did not help things.  She should never have been the EP of Port Charles either- I think forming the show and then being a consulting producer might have been better for both shows.

She still had more highs imo than lows, and overall I enjoyed her run far more than JFP.

[slick jones]

This is still May 2022?  Not very Sweeps-ish.

Chase and Brooklyn were adorable today.

It's about time Spencer reached out to an adult, even if it was Saminex.

You know stupid Nikolas will hit that.

Ava giving up the purse strings to get Enema out of her castle... (She knows that fall from the parapet from personal experience., hint hint- would have been cheaper)

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Talking S*it about Portia won't be helping your case, Endive.

Again, TA has done a fantastic job stepping into some big shoes. She shines with whoever she's in a scene with.

Curtis, stop yelling at Stella. Leave the blame where it belongs, on the Hat!

Felicia putting Valentin on notice.....

Easton Rocket Sweda has been great. I hope he sticks around for a while.  I agree with @Vee, though, Hudson West should be their next contract sign.   He is by far the most talented of the younger actors, and deserves to have a storyline..