General Hospital: July 2023 Discussion Thread

[David_Vickers]

She should've NEVER been hired.  GH has Emmy Winning Casting, this is NOT that.

[John]

 

Read what she wrote in the caption on IG there. It is new. She had to dye her hair for GH

This is her IG

https://www.instagram.com/brookeannesmith/

Edited July 22, 2023 by John

[David_Vickers]

Either way, she's horrible, and GH is absolutely guilty of one of the worst recasts in SOAP HISTORY!

[j swift]

I just caught up to see what all the rigmarole was about and the only thing that I can add to the discussion is that we should applaud actors like Tajh Bellow who can maintain a storyline against an ever evolving cast.  Imagine having to play an intense dialogue, that was built up over time, to an actor that you've just met.  As a casual (sweeps mostly) watcher, I found myself taking to my phone to figure out who half of the people in the scene were supposed to be.

Edited July 22, 2023 by j swift

[Contessa Donatella]

I read this as "talking to my phone" at first, did a double take & read what it really says. Talk about laugh.  

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[John]

For me Brooke has done well with Kelly & Kate. I will be interested how she does with NLG and Tahj esp since I thought Tahj and Haley were dating IRL

[Contessa Donatella]

I've thought about it. I think she was very nervous. They'd colored her hair. They'd straightened her hair. She was probably wondering wth about her was right & didn't have to be changed, ... If it was nerves we'll see her get better probably pretty quick. I'm gonna be watching hoping ... 

[Contessa Donatella]

53 yrs ago, in 1970, there were 19 soaps on the air.

1976 there were 15.

1989 there were 12.

2005 there were 9.

2007 there were 8.

2009 there were 7.

2010 there were 6.

2011 there were 5.

2012 there were 4.

That's what happened. That's where we are. I think many soap fans would agree that there's something seriously wrong with soaps today. I think it's that the stakes are so incredibly high. Enough wrong decisions & another one could be canceled.

I think our soap leadership is terrified. I can hardly imagine that they would not be. So, who is the most courageous? Josh Griffith? Bradley Bell? Frank Valentini? Ken Corday?

Edited July 22, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges

[Liberty City]

It's network/sponsorship that's killing soaps. Can't do "X" storyline because network doesn't want it and/or sponsors won't continue to sponsor, due to the storyline. As well as so-called "fans" who want the "good old days" back, which will not/should not happen.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Liberty City

[Contessa Donatella]

Both excellent ideas, theories, etc. The first more of the micro-managing that's gone on for so danged long but today possibly even more chicken sh*t! 

And the latter, when I think that fans could so ourselves in, it makes me grind my teeth, which I ain't supposed to do! You're right, though, the path is not to go back. The past offers only nostalgia. 

[Liberty City]

The last time an American daytime soap opera was truly, genuinely somewhat original and cutting edge was TOLN's All My Children. Despite their hiccups, Prospect Park/TOLN handled the changing landscape quite well, both in terms of production (shooting, post-production) and writing styles. The Cassandra storyline would not fly on American daytime. In fact, The Young and the Restless told the same story on some level, but it absolutely missed every single mark that All My Children was able to take. TOLN took what made American daytime special, adapted it to a [still relatively new] streaming era, and they did incredible work, especially under budget and time constraints. Brilliant work.

General Hospital told not one, but two serial killer storylines, and barely anyone substantial was killed in both storylines. And I have not a single doubt Disney-ABC nixed the idea of killing people during the 2pm/3pm hour, especially in a post-COVID, very P/C world. There were missed opportunities to kill off multiple other characters than the very little players they did.

Days of Our Lives is on a streaming platform and its streaming-era material is airing... and nothing is cutting edge about it. NOTHING. Wow. They aired a threesome... that, honestly, was not even sexy in the slightest. Its production quality⏤while better than what NBC had for its final six years of airing⏤is still not up to what a serial drama on a major streaming platform should be looking like. Again, compare what TOLN did with All My Children (Hell, even One Life to Live) and you cannot tell me what's happening is cutting edge, original and/or worthwhile.

There's also zero time management happening at any of the four remaining American daytime soaps. This is why the one-month storyline surrounding Emma Samms' return as Holly Sutton worked. They had one-month to tell the story they needed/wanted, and they did it. Sure, some beats were a bit... sped up and/or missed, but it also did not drag out one-to-two Sweeps periods beyond its expiration.

[carolineg]

That's a real savage take.  I was calling her too old for the part, but I don't think the poor girl needs botox or plastic surgery.  She just needs to be fired.  I for sure joked about her appearance, but to suggest she alter her physical appearance to pretend to be 25 on a soap that has few viewers is pretty aggressive.  She's not going to look 25 even with the best fillers, so call it a loss.  

It's a real spicy Friday night on this thread lol

They were dating Irl?  

Edited July 22, 2023 by carolineg

[GLATWT88]

In 1969, there were 19 soaps that accounted for 9.5 hours of daytime programming. In 1976, those 15 soaps still accounted for 9.5 hours of programming because several soaps increased their runtime. In fact, the 12 soaps in 1989 were probably the most soap opera programming in daytime ever (based on time) as all 3 networks had 3.5 hours of soap programming each day, a total of 10.5 hours of soap opera programming in daytime. From 1991-1999, soaps made up 10 hours of programming each day (as NBC never returned to 3.5 hrs after Generations was cancelled and ABC continued it's half hour with Loving, The City, and PC). In 2005, there were 8.5 hours of soaps each day and just 2 years earlier in 2003 there was 9 hours. We all know what ends up happening between 2007 - 2011. I think the shift in soap programming began in the 1999 with AW's cancelation and NBC opting for only two hours of programming. Then ABC getting rid of its half hour block in 2003. With Passions gone in 2007 and NBC holding on to a single hour, the other networks soon followed the trend. But it wasn't all necessarily the networks fault, viewership has continued to free fall. 

I honestly think storytelling sucks in daytime right now. Since COVID i have tried to get back into soaps and not a single one has enticed me to continue watching beyond a day or two. Even in the 2000s soaps had more excitement and allure. I honestly watch GH, DAYS, YR, and BB and I can't get into any of it. It's like nothing is happening and nothing about any of it reads soap. The odd thing is that many of these soaps have tried to evolve to feel less like soap operas (imo) but are telling stories that are formulaic and played out. So you lose the soap feel, and get tired storylines on top of that. 

[BrendaB]

The nunuMolly actress is actually like 4-5 years OLDER than the actress playing nuKristina, so it's not just looks.  The whole dynamic between Alexis and her 3 daughters is a mess right now because of the miscasting (which really started with Sam being Alexis' daughter to begin with LOL but now that's the most normal one by comparison).  They need to send Molly & TJ off into the sunset for a while and bring back Serena with a next generation Ward beau in tow.  The TJ character's acting has been terrible lately and today was especially bad with the shouting and pounding the furniture.  Curtis not walking could have some interesting implications for Curtis specifically, if they wanted to go there, but his entire family's perpetual hand-wringing and bad acting for years is just too much.  Curtis should be with Anna, anyways, or with Jordan.  That's a triangle that could have been interesting!

It's terrible that they're turning Taggert into an alcoholic.  Who is he going to end up driving drunk and killing?  Please let it be Carly so I don't have to hear her whine about her $5 million fine again.

It's a shame Sasha's going to Ferncliff alone.  They should send Heather over to keep her company.

I'm so ready for new characters doing new things-- like who Tracy's working with, who's calling the shots against Sonny (and using Ava & Austin to do it) and why do they also have Nikolas?

Joss & Dex really are Barbie & Ken of GH right now.  I wonder who called Joss...

[carolineg]

Kate Mansi doesn't look super young, but the way she acts and her style feels young to me if that makes sense.  I thought she played much younger than Marci Miller on Days too even though she's older IRL. 

The Taggert story is super interesting to me, but Curtis gets so much more focus.  I feel a connection to RA and Taggert because I watched him as a kid, but nothing to Curtis.  I wish they just shift the entire story to Taggert/Portia/Trina and give Curtis/Jordan a happy ending off screen or something.

I am actually kind of proud of Maxie for pulling it together for Sasha and getting things done.  That's the Maxie I want to see.

I thought Joss's bathing suit was adorable today and that's all I have to say about that lol.