General Hospital: July 2023 Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

Thank you for your analysis. I began thinking about gross numbers of soaps & specifically remembering when we had 19 soaps & later when we had 14 soaps. Of course the network expansion made a huge difference, although I'm not sure it was a good difference. 

 

That's when I think the first grievous error in canceling was made. I think 5 NY soaps should still be on the air - AW, ATWT, GL, AMC & OLTL. Of course, they'd be very different. 

 

And it was predictable that viewership would fall & it fell in primetime, too. The only hope was that the soaps would do something to make a difference in the predictability, like reinventing themselves, again. 

My criticisms of the 2 soaps I watch are all in the Writing, although one is their use of personnel but you could call it all about story-telling. 

[GLATWT88]

I assume networks thought it was a safer bet to expand soaps that were working instead of filling a slot with a new soap that might potentially fail. I wonder what the cost difference is for running an hour long soap vs 2 half hour soaps. I always hoped that GL would have reverted to half an hour before it got to the Peapack era. ATWT could have done the same and both could have filled an hour time slot. Same could have been done for OLTL and AMC. 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

When they pushed the network expansion on the shows they knew a few things. (1) It would cost more than twice as much to do it. (2) Have to hire & keep in employ more actors. (3) Need more space for sets & stuff. (4) It would increase revenue for the networks only. 

So there is the lousy deal they made. Lin Bolen sold AW on it & everything Lemay dreamed of getting out of it creatively did not happen & he became disenchanted. Nixon was completely against it but ABC gave her more studio space, etc. so they used the carrot. Bell was just as against it & he refused to bend any amount so they used the stick. CBS said they were going to one hour with him or without him, he could choose. Labine was just as against it & she & Paul Avila Mayer just did not do it. 

But the other point is that starting up a new soap is the most terrifying business decision because of the record of all the failures. 

[Paul Raven]

It was quickly established that running an hour soap was cheaper than 2 30 min soaps. 

In most areas ,although it was more costly expanding, it still came in cheaper and pretty much assured the same ratings throughout the hour.

No of actors, sets, costumes and BTS crew all less on one soap than 2.

1. It didn't cost twice as much. Yes they had to employ more actors and BTS crew but not as much as mounting 2 separate shows.

2/3  Yes but shows did not double the casts or have twice as many sets. 

4. True and that is why they wanted it. When AW expanded the second half hour scored a 30 share whereas How To Survive A Marriage had around a 20 or less.

[Contessa Donatella]

Nothing I read on the subject considered the cost of 2 half hour soaps since that would not be a perspective that a soap in question would be considering. Like other factors it was a perspective from the network view. 

 And here again the benefit accrued not to the show itself, but to the network. 

However, once the concept had been introduced & attempted successfully, of course, the show would gain an indirect benefit because they would be more attractive to a network or sponsor, etc. to get them &/or to keep them. 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
typo

[Liberty City]

What I would do is swap Ella Lentini (Betty) and Brooke Anne Smith (Molly); it is clear they were both auditioned for Molly, and they chose Smith over Lentini; clearly, the former had something the latter didn't for further down the line, but I just... do not see it.

Is it, though? I mean, The Bold and the Beautiful, from what I've read, tapes four-to-five episodes per day (or scenes for that many episodes), while the others do around half of that?

[Contessa Donatella]

Per Scott McKinsey, Dir., DAYS does 8 episodes per week. He posted that last week in answer to a question. Also indicated that there's no way they could get more than that. So, what you're saying, Yeah, right. 

More about content: I've discovered some posters who do a permanent status or topic "STFU". Clever & fitting. Currently GH STFUs apply to Portia, Gladys, Dr. Montague, Mason stays in it. Finn & Gregory are frequently in. All as you would expect.

Lately, I've taken to posting "Liz, run!" and there's a pic out from the show where she looks like Finn's prisoner. Ick. 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
combining

[carolineg]

Yeah, the obvious answer is to replace Smith or rest Molly.  I have said more than enough about the whole Molly thing.   It is what it is.   I just thought suggesting BAS needs surgery to look younger....is not the right solution.   She never should have been set up to be in this position in the first place.  Idk, I know I am part of the problem, but I am truly starting to feel bad for her now.  The internet is (sometimes hilariously) roasting her and BAS probably did not know Molly was previously played by a 25 year when she took the job.  I am being THAT person and a hypocrite, but I highly doubt we'd be making jokes about TJ if he was recast with a 39 year old actor.

So anyway, want to talk about GT as Skye again?  Lol..

[Liberty City]

Wait... someone said Smith should... get work done to appear younger? How f**ked is that?! My God... how gross. And gosh... I can't even begin to imagine the chemistry with TJ.... poor thing.

YES!

Also... fi-core material begins airing Tuesday for General Hospital so.... brace yourselves!

[carolineg]

Yeah, that's the initial post I was replying to.  It's funny to a point and I love a good meme, but I do have a modicum of taste and don't want BAS to become a Kardashian because a bunch of people on the internet think she's too old for a part on a soap. 

From past experience I don't think the fi-core stuff will be bad on GH just nothing will happen.  That's seem to be the case in recent years.  Stories just stall a lot.

Who would you cast as Lila rae?  I would love for her to blow into town a spoiled princess ala Brenda and mix it up with Cam.

[Liberty City]

EXACTLY! She is a beautiful woman, who despite looking young for her age, does look her age, and there is nothing with that. At all.

I remember the last time we had fi-core material, and I really enjoyed it. Garin Wolf took over as head writer, and he really did shake things up. Monica was brought back into play, and I adored it. Some scenes during that time:

I can only hope this round of fi-core writing isn't micro-managed by Disney-ABC as the past few writing regimes have been, and they're allowed to [hopefully] condense and shake things up a bit. But... it's doubtful.

It depends on where she is placed, age-range wise. Obviously, a SORAS would happen, but would it be to the age ground of Danny & Jake, or a bit older into the Josslyn, Trina & co. camp. But, if she was around the age group of Josslyn & Trina, then here's how I would do it:

A mischevious Lila Rae (Lauren Boles, ex-Ciara, Days of Our Lives; Emily Alyn Lind) would arrive in Port Charles making some major waves, and causing some major headaches for the Quartermaine family. And she's followed her boyfriend to town, who happens to be a college-dropout Cameron (if William Lipton is unavailable, return Cade McWatt to the role), much to the chargin of his own mother, Elizabeth Webber. Soon, Lila Rae's mother, Skye (Gina Tognoni) returns to town, alongside Jackson Montgomery; she is not only revealed to be one of Martin's ex-wives, but also the person working alongside Tracy (much to everyone's surprise) to uncovering the Deceptor/Deception as a company. Of course, things would have to be flushed out... but I think it'd be a fun story to tell.

If we want to keep Lila Rae a bit younger, perhaps Mckenna Grace (ex-Faith, The Young and the Restless) would be another suitable recast.

[Vee]

Mckenna Grace is not coming back to daytime. She's hitting it pretty big in film and TV.

[carolineg]

Listen, I hope after BAS runs her course at GH she lives her best life on Hallmark TV.  She looks perfect for those romcoms.  Pretty, busy single mom of 2 fits her a lot better lol.

I like your idea of tying Skye to the deceptor.  As I have stated before, I am not the biggest fan of bringing AMC/OLTL peeps to GH.  I feel like GH has a lot of their own characters to bring back (side eye at Lucky).  I would make Lila Rae around Joss/Trina's age, but keep her a lovable vixen and not a psycho like Esme.  I would also bring back Brenda's son and make him gay.  I think @Vee suggested that and I like that idea.

 

[Liberty City]

I could even see her in one of those "my babysitter is a killer" films on Lifetime. I really do.

I only suggested Jackson, because I really enjoyed his episodes, and feel like his connection to Anna would be a nice tie to the canvas. We need a powerhouse lawyer and he could be that.

And Alec Barrett being gay would be awesome! I always suspected Aiden & Danny would be the "young" gay couple, in their high school years, with a sudden discovery of "star-crossed lovers". Or even mirror Hollyoaks would Alec being the third-wheel in their web, falling for one of them, making the other crazy with a lover's jealous.

I'd also welcome a recast Lucas back to the canvas around the time of Bobbie's death/funeral, etc. and re-integrate him into the General Hospital staff, explaining he's been out of town at medical conferences, etc. There are honestly plenty of former characters I'd bring back and replace with some current players.

[AbcNbc247]

Is it gonna be Gary Tomlin?