GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[Tiger]

Whoever edits the cover of ABC SID needs to stop fucking with people's faces. On the latest cover, TG both as Luke and Fluke looks like he's had some weird eye work done, while it took me several minutes to figure out who the two people below KMo and BM were. I finally figured out it was BH and JT, both they're both almost unrecognizable.

Edited November 21, 2014 by Tiger

[ulkis]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11/21/michelle-stafford-y-and-r-interview_n_6198848.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-tv

 

Stafford interview.

 

I did an eyebrow raise at "I've known some people who didn't want to let me shine in a scene". It makes me wonder, did they want the spotlight all to themselves or just didn't want her eating the scenery?

[TeeVee329]

I gotta say, I'm surprised Michael Fairman didn't write a big, fawning post about the Franco/Nina scenes yesterday.

Stafford interview.

 

I was scrolling through and I was like, "What author at HuffPo would be this butt-licky with Michelle Stafford?".  Scroll to the top...of course, Nelson Branco.

[Sake614]

kick-ass new role and loads of award-worthy work as Nina Clay

 

 

Like WHAT???

[OnceSane]

A Razzie?

[WendyCR72]

Like WHAT???

 

"Looks like I picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue." Thank you, Airplane.

[dubbel zout]

I gotta say, I'm surprised Michael Fairman didn't write a big, fawning post about the Franco/Nina scenes yesterday.

I'm sure he just hasn't had time to post it.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I forgot to mention this, but I follow Ingo on FB, and he posted, earlier this week or last week, a picture of himself and Sebastian at Sebastian's wedding.  I can't recall if he was his Best Man or not. But they both looked so scrumptious and cute with huge smiles.

 

Just thought I'd share.

[bannana]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11/21/michelle-stafford-y-and-r-interview_n_6198848.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-tv

 

Stafford interview.

 

I did an eyebrow raise at "I've known some people who didn't want to let me shine in a scene". It makes me wonder, did they want the spotlight all to themselves or just didn't want her eating the scenery?

Her comments in this interview are quite unflattering to Y and R.  1) there is so much drama behind the scenes there, and ego 2) the writers didn't give her anything challenging to do 3) Howarth is the best male actor she has ever worked with 4) Maura West wants her to do well in their scenes unlike another female actress she worked with who didn't want her to shine in a scene 5) she doesn't watch  Y and R and doesn't care about the show or Phyllis. 

 

Looks like she is burning herself some bridges there.

[dubbel zout]

Here's an article with pictures. They're adorable.

[jsbt]

I think Stafford should watch it about opening up that Y&R can of worms. While I don't believe everything I read from her, some of Victoria Rowell's old stories touched a nerve.

[Fylaki]

The whole Fluke things proves two points; 1) Ron trolls these and other boards: He wanted Fluke to be Bill but too many people on the board figured that out and than pointed out that it made no sense, this hurt his feelings and this is now the hissy fit result. and 2) Ron makes up stiff as he goes along, even if he backed away from the Bill idea  Ron could have tied it all together, instead he has thrown in this mishmash 

 

Bonus 3) Tony Geary has said he was planning to retire but Ron came up with this amazing story: THIS IS NOT that story, it got changed because of Geary;s illness and Geary is not going to be happy with the outcome, which may lead to his actual retirement at the end of his contract

[Tiger]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11/21/michelle-stafford-y-and-r-interview_n_6198848.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-tv

Stafford interview.

I did an eyebrow raise at "I've known some people who didn't want to let me shine in a scene". It makes me wonder, did they want the spotlight all to themselves or just didn't want her eating the scenery?

Just when I thought my opinion of Michelle Stafford couldn't possibly sink any lower. She is apparently as toxic off-air as she is on-air.

I sincerely hope her online venture is a success and she leaves GH. She is also free to get a job on CBS or TheCW since I don't watch those nets.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Tiger

[ulkis]

The whole Fluke things proves two points; 1) Ron trolls these and other boards: He wanted Fluke to be Bill but too many people on the board figured that out and than pointed out that it made no sense, this hurt his feelings and this is now the hissy fit result. and 2) Ron makes up stiff as he goes along, even if he backed away from the Bill idea  Ron could have tied it all together, instead he has thrown in this mishmash 

 

Bonus 3) Tony Geary has said he was planning to retire but Ron came up with this amazing story: THIS IS NOT that story, it got changed because of Geary;s illness and Geary is not going to be happy with the outcome, which may lead to his actual retirement at the end of his contract

 

I feel like Geary has that for the past fifteen years though; "I was going to leave but Genie came back/they put Luke and Tracy back together/Jonathan Jackson came back/They wrote this Jake story so I came  back." If he feels strong enough to work a bit more he'll still probably stay no matter how shitty Ron wraps this up.

[rur]

 

If he feels strong enough to work a bit more he'll still probably stay no matter how shitty Ron wraps this up.

 

I agree. Geary has not yet had the big exit story that he wants, done the way he wants, because of his back problems affecting both his performance and his availability, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick around for another contract cycle so he can leave with a story that can be better controlled .

[ulkis]

I hope she tries to start shit and Frank cuts her loose. I'll give one thing for Frank Valentini, I don't think he would suffer any potential antics on her part, especially when character is pretty much overall hated.

[ulkis]

I feel like Geary has that for the past fifteen years though; "I was going to leave but Genie came back/they put Luke and Tracy back together/Jonathan Jackson came back/They wrote this Jake story so I came  back." If he feels strong enough to work a bit more he'll still probably stay no matter how shitty Ron wraps this up.

 

I agree. Geary has not yet had the big exit story that he wants, done the way he wants, because of his back problems affecting both his performance and his availability, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick around for another contract cycle so he can leave with a story that can be better controlled .

 

I don't think that's why he'd stick around though - just that he'd stay and work for a little extra cash (not saying he needs it, I have no idea, but I'm sure he earns quite a bit for 4 months work out of the year or however much shows up now) if he felt he could handle it. I really don't think Geary cares at this point how well his exit story is going to be. If he wanted to leave and have more control over his own exit story he could have done that when Guza and JFP were here ten times over.

 

 

Oh, I feel certain that geriatric Hulkamania!, Brother escape from that straightjacket is as "big" as he's going to get.....and you guys freak about The Nina, when ya'll have been hiding THIS all these years. I truely thought Luke was going to use his teeth to pull that buckle off. And that would have literally been scenery chewing.LOL

 

Hee. But we haven't been hiding him; no one's made a secret of Tony Geary's hamminess. :) And also complaining about it. But Tony Geary is also much older and so probably much more tired than Michelle Stafford, so I give him a bit of a pass because of that. Also, because TG has earned the right, if anyone has, to be a ham on this show. That said, his pass has expired for a years now and he SHOULD retire/be severely reduced in storylines. And Tony Geary can definitely be the most glazed over ham in scenes, but that's only in the big moments; otherwise he comes in and speaks things in a normal every day tone. Until maybe the past day or two, with Nina/Stafford it's either been REPENT REPENT REPENT or this annoying cloying slow stammering baby voice

[dubbel zout]

I think it would be a huge embarrassment for Ron and Frank if they cut Stafford loose, however they frame it.

 

I haven't heard "The actor is being let go for story-dictated reasons" in a long time; they need to resurrect it for a bunch of GH folks.

[ulkis]

I think it would be a huge embarrassment for Ron and Frank if they cut Stafford loose, however they frame it.

 

I haven't heard "The actor is being let go for story-dictated reasons" in a long time; they need to resurrect it for a bunch of GH folks.

 

I think it would be a bit of an embarrassment - not a huge one. But she's hardly the first big get who's fizzled on another show.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I think it would be a huge embarrassment for Ron and Frank if they cut Stafford loose, however they frame it.

 

I haven't heard "The actor is being let go for story-dictated reasons" in a long time; they need to resurrect it for a bunch of GH folks.

 

Considering the way they cut Sean Kanan loose, I doubt embarrassment is something that affects either Frank or Ron.

[dubbel zout]

They didn't create a character specifically for Sean Kanan. And they seemed to have contempt for him really early on. It's been nothing but gushing for La Stafford.

[ulkis]

Oh, for the halcyon days when I thought Sean Kanan's panic-attack acting was a bit over-the-top.

[TheGourmez]

The whole Fluke things proves two points; 1) Ron trolls these and other boards: He wanted Fluke to be Bill but too many people on the board figured that out and than pointed out that it made no sense, this hurt his feelings and this is now the hissy fit result. and 2) Ron makes up stiff as he goes along, even if he backed away from the Bill idea  Ron could have tied it all together, instead he has thrown in this mishmash

 

Bonus 3) Tony Geary has said he was planning to retire but Ron came up with this amazing story: THIS IS NOT that story, it got changed because of Geary;s illness and Geary is not going to be happy with the outcome, which may lead to his actual retirement at the end of his contract.

 

 

IMHO all of the above is pure speculation and doesn't prove any points I can see. I don't think Fake Luke was ever intended to be Bill Eckert and we have no indication that Geary hoped to retire after this storyline, do we? Did I miss something? (always possible). I'm still interested to see where the storyline leads, especially with Lord Ashton in the mix because he brings Ned more strongly into it. With a Jacks, a Quartermaine, a Spencer, an Ashton, and Patrick and Sam involved, I'm greatly interested and glad Geary's recovered well enough that it doesn't have to stay a dropped plotline any longer.

Edited November 22, 2014 by TheGourmez

[ulkis]

IMHO all of the above is pure speculation and doesn't prove any points I can see. I don't think Fake Luke was ever intended to be Bill Eckert and we have no indication that Geary hoped to retire after this storyline, do we? Did I miss something? (always possible). I'm still interested to see where the storyline leads, especially with Lord Ashton in the mix because he brings Ned more strongly into it. With a Jacks, a Quartermaine, a Spencer, an Ashton, and Patrick and Sam involved, I'm greatly interested and glad Geary's recovered well enough that it doesn't have to stay a dropped plotline any longer.

 

Pretty sure Tony Geary said in an interview he intended to leave and then when Ron outlined the storyline he agreed to stay, but no 100% certain. I'll try to find it.

Here it is:

 

http://www.tvguide.com/news/anthony-geary-luke-1083604.aspx

 

TV Guide Magazine: I was starting to get the feeling that the current GH regime had either lost interest in you or had no idea what to do with you.

Geary: I think you're right. A year or more ago I went to them and said, "I'd like to exercise the out in my contract. I'm really not pleased with what's going on with Luke. I feel like I've done it and done it and done it." As you know, I have a wonderful life in Amsterdam and felt it was time for me to pack it in and go there permanently. And [executive produce] Frank Valentini and [hear writer] Ron Carlivati were wonderful. Frank said, "We don't want you to go, but we understand." Then, when I had about four months left to go, I realized it was going to be hard to walk away — a lot harder than I expected. This show has been my life for so long and I felt I still had something more in me. They said, "Great! What do you want to do?" I told them, "I'd like a story when Luke is proactive rather than reactive. I want him to cause problems for people, rather than helping them solve problems. I want to see a side of Luke we've never seen." When Ron came up with this Fluke idea he said, "Now, this is pretty far out. I don't know if you'll want to do it." And he got about three sentences into it and I said, "I'm in! Sign me up!" This storyline has revived my whole interest in the game.

 

 

Ugh, reading this again has made me all ragey again. When? When has Luke helped people solve shit instead of causing problems? I seem to recall him RUNNING OVER HIS GRANDSON and causing a whole freaking slew of problems! Be quiet, Geary.

Edited November 22, 2014 by ulkis

[OnceSane]

I remember that interview too, ulkis.

[SlovakPrincess]

When has Luke helped people solve shit instead of causing problems?

 

 

Not for decades, really, but who's counting? 

 

It's weird that neither TG nor the show seem to get that Luke was more interesting when he was more of a gray character, struggling with his baser impulses while wanting to be a good person, at least toward the people he actually liked and cared about, or at least respected.  If anything, they took the character too dark with the toddler Jake story and Luke's running off to the bordello (well, that story was complete shit for other reasons, too).  It didn't make Luke more interesting of a character, in my view, it made him more flat as a character.  It just took him to such a dark place that all the complexity of his relationship with Lucky was ruined. 

 

And the cartoon Fluke story is not an upgrade from that. 

[jsbt]

I have almost zero doubt that Fluke is still Bill Eckert. These are all red herrings.

 

There are any number of past stories where Ron will make up shit on the fly or hastily rewrite based on a sudden whim or disinterest. He can still do that. But with many others he never lets go of an idea. He will have the endgame always in his mind and will let nothing, including logic, common sense or valid drama interfere. He does not make it all up as he goes along. If he did, we might still be watching A.J. and Carly together.

Edited November 22, 2014 by jsbt

[ulkis]

Yeah, I don't think Geary would be excited over this, even if he gets to play all out evil, if it were anyone else but Bill Eckert.

Edited November 22, 2014 by ulkis

[ulkis]

Not for decades, really, but who's counting? 

 

It's weird that neither TG nor the show seem to get that Luke was more interesting when he was more of a gray character, struggling with his baser impulses while wanting to be a good person, at least toward the people he actually liked and cared about, or at least respected.  If anything, they took the character too dark with the toddler Jake story and Luke's running off to the bordello (well, that story was complete shit for other reasons, too).  It didn't make Luke more interesting of a character, in my view, it made him more flat as a character.  It just took him to such a dark place that all the complexity of his relationship with Lucky was ruined. 

 

And the cartoon Fluke story is not an upgrade from that. 

 

Actually, my post ended up more backstage than history so I'm back to putting my response here, sorry about that.

 

I thought  - and was very surprised at having thought so, since I had known the spoilers and was dreading it and wondering how they would ever re-pair Luke and Lucky's relationship - that the fallout from Jake's death was very good the first month or so, and thought this could be very good. I remember there were a couple of people protesting that Luke wasn't an alcoholic but I think most people in the audience thought he was. And so did the other characters - Lulu said a year before that storyline ever started that Luke was an alcoholic. But Luke refused to acknowledge it or admit it and I put that blame squarely on Geary's shoulders - yes, Guza and even now Ron could have forced him, but I can understand why they didn't. (I remember once Guza was asked in an interview, a year or so before the story started, is Luke an alcoholic? his reply was, "are you asking me, Luke, or Tony Geary?") And I give credit to Ron for this, he had Luke stop drinking in his scenes when he (Ron) came on board. And then about a year later Geary drank despite the scripts and I don't know if Ron or Frank were too afraid or didn't care enough to say no, but that was pretty much that.

 

I could be wrong, but I just get the feeling Guza had written it that Luke would have the intervention, and maybe not go to rehab but eventually admit he's an alcoholic, and Tony just put his foot down and said no I don't think Luke is an alcoholic.

 

Like I said, I could be wrong, but given the way Guza wrote all the characters as viewing Luke as having a problem, for years, and the interview answer Guza gave, I think he viewed Luke as an alcoholic, himself.

[TheGourmez]

I stand corrected that he said he was ready to leave before. It'll be interesting to see what he thinks and whether he plans to stay when the storyline is wrapped, but that's probably half a year from now.

 

Have I also missed interviews where Geary has said he wanted to play Eckert again?

[jsbt]

Tony has been whining about the lost genius of Bill for years. We had a clip of a TV interview he did with Michael Logan in '93 regarding the character's death somewhere around here.

[ulkis]

Yup, here it is:

 

 

And ever since then he has peppered in a word here or there about how he liked Bill and how he thought that more should have been done with him.

[jsbt]

He had a lot of (often very interesting) interviews talking about Bill Eckert and the tortured process of inventing and constantly re-inventing him and his backstory. I thought it was a bunch of great reads, and he makes many great points. My issue was when, IMO, after Guza took full control in the 2000s, Tony began working to retrofit Luke Spencer into his vision of Bill Eckert. The way he describes his vision of Bill in old interviews is very similar to the drunk, bitter, misanthropic Luke he molded over the last decade.

Edited November 23, 2014 by jsbt

[yowsah1]

has any one seen the ratings for "The Fall of Sonny" not that ratings seem to mean a thing to Ron but It would be awesome if they were way up

 

Replying to this in the Ratings and Scheduling thread.

[yowsah1]

has any one seen the ratings for "The Fall of Sonny" not that ratings seem to mean a thing to Ron but It would be awesome if they were way up

 

Jason Morgan gets killed... and the ratings go up.

Sonny Quartermaine goes down... and the ratings go up.

 

There's a lesson here for the showrunners of GH, if they are bright enough to figure it out.

 

News :: Ratings

Ratings: Good Week For GH

 

Total Viewers

GH 3,074,000 (+154,000/+95,000)

 

Households

GH 2.32/7 (+.1/+.06)

 

Day to Day

GH

Monday: 2.38/3,260,000

Tuesday: 2.35/3,101,000

Wednesday: 2.39/3,176,000

Thursday: 2.27/2,841,000

Friday: 2.19/2,990,000

Edited November 23, 2014 by yowsah1

[ulkis]

The lesson Ron will probably take from it is people love Franco. :/

[OnceSane]

And Nina. And Nina.

[jsbt]

I hope she tries to start shit and Frank cuts her loose. I'll give one thing for Frank Valentini, I don't think he would suffer any potential antics on her part, especially when character is pretty much overall hated.

 

I think there's a few people Frank might put up with shit from (looking at you, Tony Geary and the Quartermaine booze). But very, very few.

 

I do think their ego is really invested in the Stafford coup, but I don't think it's a deep part of them like this OLTL shit which has been killing the show for over a year. I can see them cutting her if she makes trouble, but I don't think that's going to happen. I think it's going to follow the usual pattern - 18 months of hard airtime, then they start getting bored and eventually she'll fizzle out or get the FV silent treatment and walk.

Edited November 23, 2014 by jsbt

[tvgoddess]

Irony of ironies, KA giving acting tips -

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnX3zS_FlxQ

[Tiger]

Irony of ironies, KA giving acting tips -

 

Now THAT is the penultimate cosmic guffaw!

[UYI]

GH at the Daytime Emmys, 1990:

 

[peachmangosteen]

I found CD and KA really adorable there. Ew.

[tvgoddess]

I found CD and KA really adorable there. Ew.

 

Don't feel too bad. I've met them in person, and while I really have no interest in either character or them as actors, as people they are kind of cute. Except it's still kind of sketchy how they got together.

[Dandesun]

 

Don't feel too bad. I've met them in person, and while I really have no interest in either character or them as actors, as people they are kind of cute. Except it's still kind of sketchy how they got together.

 

People have gotten together in far worse ways. They are actually really cute and funny together. I get what happened. It wasn't perfect but that's life.

[peachmangosteen]

I mean, I understand it, but it's still sketchy as hell IMO. But they are super cute together. It weirdly translates horribly on screen though.

[yowsah1]

It reminds me of how she [Carly] likes to insist to Michael, or anyone really, that AJ pushed her down the stairs of the mansion and made her miscarry Sonny's spawn (from the hate sex, I believe). The reality is she was on the stairs, bragging about being engaged to Sonny, stuck her hand with the diamond on it in AJ's face, he snapped (accurately) that money/diamonds/power was all she cared while at the same time grabbing the wrist that she shoved in his face, she got pissed about that and yanked her wrist away, which made her lose her balance. She fell. I remember it clearly because SJB was all about the snarl/smug face and nostril flaring.

 

According to interview with Billy Warlock I read some years back, Guza had originally written it as A.J. throwing Carly down the stairs.  But Warlock, who usually was the good soldier who played what he was given to the best of his ability, for once dug in his heels and flalty refused to do the scenes, and got someone high up at ABC to put the kibosh on that version.  So instead the scenes were filmed as Carly tripping over her own feet and falling.  Later, however, Guza, ever the asshole, just had everyone on the show refer to "that time A.J. threw Carly down the stairs" as if that was what really happened.

Edited December 2, 2014 by yowsah1

[Bringonthedrama]

According to interview with Billy Warlock I read some years back, Guza had originally written it as A.J. throwing Carly down the stairs.  But Warlock, who usually was the good soldier who played what he was given to the best of his ability, for once dug in his heels and flalty refused to do the scenes, and got someone high up at ABC to put the kibosh on that version.  So instead the scenes were filmed as Carly tripping over own feet and falling.  Later, however, Guza, ever the asshole, just had everyone on the show refer to "that time A.J. threw Carly down the stairs" as if that was what really happened.

That makes sense. AJ was written to seem like an irredeemable monster/loser/stalker, esp. from the perspective of the most vile characters on the show because at the time a lot was invested in those two characters. Yet SJB's Carly was written as having a teensy bit of self-awareness; we saw her feeling insecure esp. because of her background, in stark contrast to AJ's well-to-do family. LW's Carly is just an entitled bitch 24/7 who has enhanced the victim mentality SJB played.  Carly convinced herself that Sonny's life/world, even with all the violence, was 1,000 % better for Michael than the OMG evil Quartermaine Family.  All because of her sick attachment to Sonny. 

[TeeVee329]

Jon Lindstrom (Kevin) has been cast in season two of "True Detective".  Good for him, but sad that that probably means no Kevin anytime soon. :(

 

http://deadline.com/2014/11/jon-lindstrom-cast-true-detective-dan-buran-tnt-drug-trade-pilot-1201298194/

[tvgoddess]

When was the last time he was even on? He's not a part of the cast anymore to me.

[dubbel zout]

I'm sure Ron will get something started for Kevin right before JL has to leave.