GH: June 2024 Discussion Thread

[titan1978]

In my dreams, they would have a third HW that is an actual story generator. Someone that can add movement, while Korte kept up appearances for continuity and her pets, and Mulcahey concentrated on making the day to day and characters stronger, and mentoring new script writers. I do not have a specific person in mind, but it would have to be someone that has not had a HW position on a soap in the last 20 years.

And couple that with an executive that sat Frank down, and said what we have been saying. The show looks good, we are not trying to replace you. But your creative instincts are out of touch and have been hampering any attempt at growth again on the show. You have every advantage, and the show isn’t working. So the decision is do you (Frank) stay and help the show by producing the hell out of new material by stronger writers than you prefer, or are you ready to retire? Because the change needs to happen or we are absolutely entering into the last one to two years of the show.

[Vee]

It's an interesting idea but I couldn't judge PM's ability to generate stories without seeing them, and frankly we never got that far. All we saw was internal improvement before he quit, and he was apparently meddled with and micromanaged the whole way. It's part of why I'm staying a bit to see if anything else coalesces. The most we've gotten - Nina/Drew/Willow, etc. - is the most intriguing stuff on the show for me, along with the town turning on Sonny, Gregory's death and Finn's tailspin.

Edited June 7, 2024 by Vee

[ranger1rg]

I complain a lot about GH. I mean, A LOT. But I agree with you about DAYS vs GH.

I expect so much more from GH, and I can see that happening. DAYS? It's just embarrassing in so many ways, and If I had to drop either DAYS or GH, I'd drop DAYS in a minute.

I had hopes that DAYS would look better and get better after Alarr was fired, but that never happened. Janet Spellman-Drucker has not made even a single mark on the show. Not one.

[Contessa Donatella]

As we know Frank cannot keep his hands out of the writing. GH has had EPs like that before. JFP comes to mind. Interesting idea about having a story generator. I wish someone would sit Frank down & have that hart to heart. However, I think GH could stagger on this way for many years. I disagree that the show approaches a danger zone. That is one of the reasons I fear the status quo will continue to be. 

Sigh. Hard agree. 

[titan1978]

I am looking for something like he experienced at GL. Curlee and Reilly generated more story ideas than Demorest based on everything I have seen. But he was still very involved as a HW, fine tuning etc. and doing the business stories, because Curlee didn’t enjoy them. Anything that needed meticulous plotting his hands were all over.

They would all three be HW, the current GH set up just needed something extra to push through. We needed some action surrounded all that lovely character work that has been happening.

He made me like Nina, and almost enjoy Drew. That’s a miracle truthfully.

[carolineg]

I don't want either show to go to be honest.

Weirdly, despite awful writing and no production Days still feels like Days at it's core if that makes sense.  I don't have a lot of good to say, but the show does feature Marlena, John, Julie, Maggie, Steve, Kayla etc and their children quite often.  Ron at the very, very least likes history.

GH seems to hate history that happened before 1993 when Sonny came to town.  And if they do use history it's awful and misguided.

 

Edited June 7, 2024 by carolineg

[Contessa Donatella]

It was Janet who decided not to give Steve Burton another contract. It was his expectation that he would be offered a second year.  Alarr hired him; Janet fired him. That may be the only thing any of us knows that she has done, but, it is ONE thing. 

[AbcNbc247]

Gotta tell ya, this is the most interesting I’ve ever found Finn. Hopefully, this leads to the end of him and Liz for good. 

Trina’s scenes today were weird though. They started off strong and I am kinda liking whatever’s going on with Gio already, but they felt apart after she just became Joss’ mouthpiece. Was she always anti-Sonny too? 

And honestly, in what world does Gio look anything like Spencer lol 

Edited June 7, 2024 by AbcNbc247

[ranger1rg]

Is that supposed to be some impressive move by Drucker? I'm no Steve Burton fan, but he's hardly a problem on DAYS. That means all she did was cut the budget even more.

 

[titan1978]

And in name only. Let’s throw the name Jackie Templeton or Jagger or Paul Hornsby at a character that doesn’t evoke the original and call that history! Let’s mention Eckerts Bakery!

We finally got Jeff Webber back, and I didn’t hate the casting for either parent, and the story was all about Finn and way too brief.

Lois has worked out for me, but that’s mostly because Rena is engaged and clearly game to do anything. Same with Felicia. But both of them are played by their original actors, the history is there without a gimmick.

[carolineg]

I know right?  It's not like Steve wasn't literally waiting for the moment GH called back.  It was never more than a gimmick and helping Steve pay his mortgage in the mean time.  I don't see this as a boss move or anything.

The entire mess of Jagger is ridiculous to me. 

Lois only works because of Rena and she barely works IMO.  It's like let's just let this awesome, dynamic fan favorite make her own self shine instead of actually writing for her.

Kristina Wagner is just more low key and "fits" everywhere.  She doesn't even need special writing to work.

[Contessa Donatella]

It is whatever it is to whomever. Me, I didn't like a contract role being given to Steve Burton. There were other people I'd have preferred to see in the DAYS cast. So, I certainly didn't want him to have a second year. So, me, I was pleased with her decision. You, anyone else, they may have a totally different opinion, which is fine. 

[Vee]

So GH won last night (oof) and I do wonder if this means FV will get to move Van Etten right back to HW. I won't be watching.

In other news for those of us who don't check those threads, Dan O'Connor has just moved to DOOL. I believe he and CVE both got their start under RC and FV at OLTL (and were both briefly mooted to take over Prospect Park's OLTL 2.0 as part of the revolving door of HWs there just before it collapsed).

I do agree bringing Jagger back as Wagger was another memberberries/nostalgia choice with no real core behind it - just something for Frank and co. to do and expect brownie points, like the very weak return of Jeff and his wife after decades (I would recast both tbh) or Jackie, both to service Finn, or the waste of Paul Hornsby or many other instances. Yes, Harrington has done a decent job, has a bit of chemistry with various women including LW and Mulcahey made decent use of him upon taking over. But all Wagger ultimately is is another hectoring, 'mean' authority figure Jason must push back against like the characters we saw in much of the Guza years. Most of those characters were more overtly hypocritical or outright corrupt than Wagger, but that could still happen. There's no point in having him here long-term, as I've always said.

Rena is different. She still pops off the screen and is electric as Lois, but she has no actual story. That's unacceptable but drearily common at FV's house style GH. Like so many other names he brings on (Eva LaRue), it often seems like he just wants to say he has her on the show. She should be given a real new story and a real (non-recurring) love interest.

Edited June 8, 2024 by Vee

[carolineg]

I agree that Harrington isn't bad.  There is just no reason for him to be Jagger.  He could be any blonde FBI guy handling Jason and flirting with Carly and it would have the same affect. Being Jagger doesn't add anything to the character.  He now is just someone who knew Sonny thirty years ago. 

Rena/Lois just really need a story like you said.  It makes me so frustrated the show got her back after all these years and she's just in the background of her boring daughter's drama.

GH winning multiple Emmys is sad and why I feel like there will be no change anytime soon.

Sidenote-did the daytime Emmys cut the Eden McCoy Award for Younger Actor?  I must have missed that news lol.

[Contessa Donatella]

Eden won last year & this year there weren't any.