GH: May 2024 Discussion Thread

[Vee]

That's a Frank thing and will likely never change as long as he is there.

As for dropping viewers, I frankly just expect all the soaps to keep doing so good or bad on network at this point, whoever the writers are. I barely pay attention at this point without some massive crash.

Edited May 3, 2024 by Vee

[AbcNbc247]

Today was an improvement over yesterday.

Everything involving Sonny still seems a little bit much. The Kristina surrogacy storyline is the perfect example of that. I know that's his daughter, but there's still no reason why it needs to be so focused on him. But part of me does really like the way that it's all being built up. I just hope the payoff is worth it. It would be so good if just one little event, situation, etc. prompted all these storylines to reach their turning points at the same time. 

Joss is too heartless to be a doctor, so I guess it's good that she's changing majors. Besides, doesn't the fact that she left Britt to die kinda disqualify her from being a doctor anyway? 

And, I guess we can add Dante to the list of characters that suddenly changing careers, etc. lol

As for Dex... I do love a man in uniform 

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He just needs some an actual human female to fall in love with #Trex

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, since you asked. Nielsen doesn't do Sweeps periods anymore. Haven't done so for, I think, 4 years, maybe 5. However, the shows continue to program for the same 4 Sweeps periods, including Peacock which wouldn't be under Nielsen scrutiny even if they did do the old 4 weeks 4 times a year. 

 

A few things. Sonny's not doing rage this time. He's doing paranoia. He has a real reason to be paranoid. Someone IS trying to kill him. Hmm, I guess that's just one thing. 

[AbcNbc247]

Well, you read my mind 

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[DRW50]

Thanks. So May doesn't matter that much specifically, but if ratings are suddenly, sharply down, it will. I don't think that is because of Mulcahey and Korte, I think the show has been treading water and heading for an inevitable fall that was likely pushed by some recent departures and decisions, but if ABC does blame them I won't be shocked.

[Contessa Donatella]

To me it feels organic, authentic, character-driven, etc. They seem almost all of the time to be having characters say things that if they'd been thoughtful or intentional before, would have been saying these things. Now they are. It also almost always seems to me that they are either building something or positioning things. I imagine Patrick, with too many characters, trying to connect everyone to each other & to everything in some sort of soap opera everything all at once at the same time! I enjoy the ride every single day. The characters I used to hate I now only dislike a bit. On Saturday I wish there was a new episode. I feel like I used to feel about soaps. And, tomorrow Happy Birthday to Another World!

I'm hoping they will go by the rule of thumb, either 6 months or 2 Sweeps periods. But, who knows?!! ABCD/Disney own it & that makes a difference. The show is doing well on Hulu & that counts. Errol tells me that The View is #1 in HHs/Total Viewers, GH is #1 in Demos, GMA3 is #3 period, nothing else is worth mentioning & that those positions are regular & continuing. I believe Disney is interested in how it does against the rest of the day rather than against CBS or Peacock. 

[BetterForgotten]

Which is interesting, a lot of those people were Tweeting about how they’d miss Jill when she was fired, too. JFP is the type of producer that stuck her hands in everything, for better or worse. Or at least that was how she was before Frons came to ABC. 

Wendy Riche wasn’t “on the floor” a lot either. Technically, the EP is supposed to manage the entire production and deal with executive level matters, and subordinate producers are supposed to oversee the day to day “on the floor.” Riche had Shelley Curtis (who Riche called her “right hand”), and later Francesca James, Julie Hanan Carruthers, and Carol Scott largely doing that type of work.

Makes me wonder what the other producers on staff are doing if Frank is micromanaging the day to day on the floor. Frank also worked his way up in every production role at OLTL, so this may be part of his “style.”

Edited May 4, 2024 by BetterForgotten

[Vee]

FV is well-loved by so many actors, and there's no denying he kept GH on the air ten years ago. I think those folks who love him should always be bore in mind for all my deep criticisms of him. I also think other producers like some of the people you've mentioned could possibly run it at cost and on or under budget, but I have my doubts ABC is at all interested in looking. I'm not sure there's that many left frankly who know how to put the puzzle pieces together in the same way BTS money-wise, even as his methodology of taping has become so messy.

And at the same time as he's got such a beloved rep, there are also many stories of Frank freezing people out for random slights or for pushing him on creative issues. He'll talk a good game out of one side of his mouth, promise them the world and then cut them loose. It's happened many times. He'll assume exiting actors can't or won't go anywhere else and then get sullen when they do. And we know he wanted Genie to go recurring. When he doesn't get his way he can turn cold on a performer (VM, many others) or become very stubborn (ME, RH). And I think, as I've said before, after he and Ron became the toast of the town it went to his head. I think he began to believe he was one of the saviors of soaps (because he was) but more than that, that he was The Savior, that he had a 'vision' for salvaging the genre on ABC under his own aegis. And everything since he let Ron get cut loose has too often felt utterly micromanaged to within an inch of his life for his private fiefdom, his tastes, his budgetary restrictions and considerations and his often very banal casting choices and preferred characters vs. anything truly risky or exciting. Because risky might risk getting the show cancelled. And in the end keeping it on is what FV cares about above all.

I would be happy to see him go, if someone is capable of keeping the show financially solvent. But right now my interest is in seeing him reduced to his former, best role: Facilitator for other creatives. We have a ways to go to see if that gets there.

Edited May 4, 2024 by Vee

[allmc2008]

Well, I ran out of money so I can't subscribe to Hulu again until next week. I'm still trying to find someone who can share theirs with me. So I have know idea.

[Contessa Donatella]

Nothing new has happened to or with Tracy or Gregory. 

[John]

Sipposedly Frank learned how to budget from Gary Tomlin so maybe him as GH EP?  I doubt we will see a brand new EP to daytime take over  GH, DAYS, B& B or Y &R again.

[Vee]

Nnnnope!

And Frank precedes Gary at OLTL. He had been there since Rauch.

[TEdgeofNight]

To be clear, Vee has never met Frank Valentini. 

[Khan]

I don't believe @Vee has ever made on like he has.

Yep.  IIRC, he was Rauch's assistant before being promoted to stage manager.

All I can say is, I'll be very curious to see how well THE GATES does with viewers and how TPTB at the other shows respond.

Edited May 4, 2024 by Khan

[Vee]

I have never claimed to do anything but put easy marks on Ignore.