GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[TeeVee329]

Very well-said as always, jsbt.  I'm on one hand bummed because Ron did write story and characters and couples - more on OLTL, but on GH too - that I enjoyed, rooted for, had fun with, etc.  And I still maintain that no other writer would have touched vets like Felicia, Lucy, and Kevin again after Guza.

 

But he's been digging this hole in the sand for a while and it finally collapsed on him and he has no one to blame but himself.

Edited July 24, 2015 by TeeVee329

[BestestAuntEver]

Like Rebecca Budig? Jean just tweeted the other day about loving writing for her again.

Damn, I forgot about this. Ugh, looks like Greenlee will be sticking around. It also explains why RB felt comfortable supporting a negative comment/tweet about MoRon's writing.

Hopefully, they can find some writers with more history writing for GH to assist them.

Edited July 24, 2015 by BestestAuntEver

[ulkis]

I think they'll dump a lot of the recurrings.  So yeah, goodbye Rosalie, Donna Mills, Obrecht.  But probably also goodbye Lucy, Bobbie, maybe Lucas and Brad.

 

I can live without Brad and Lucy, but I do hope they keep Bobbie around. Hope they keep Laura around, and also Anna, but I'm a little nervous where Anna is concerned as well.

 

I really, really, REALLY hope they free Robin already.

[backhometome]

Please let this mean the end of Spencer and co kiddie fest.

Edited July 24, 2015 by backhometome

[TeeVee329]

I was actually thinking yesterday - as part of THE PLAN TO SAVE DAYS, they went nuts bringing back one vet after another.  But I feel like GH can't really do that because a lot of them are here (Bobbie, Scotty, Anna, Laura, etc.) or unavailable (Tristan Rogers, Steve Burton).

 

I mean, who could they bring back on that similar scale?  Brenda?  Jax? 

[HeatLifer]

I was just coming on here to say that we better be careful what we wish for, if Ron is out. I am going to stay positive until I see the new stuff. As a rule though, I think a fresh perspective always draws people in, so I expect ratings to temporarily go up, and maybe stay up, if what they write is better than what we are getting. I also think new writers are always better when they first come in, it's the new toys to play with, etc.

I can't celebrate a man losing his job, no matter how badly I wanted change. It sucks to be unemployed, even when you maybe need to be fired.

I'm not throwing a party that he's gone, but all jobs are based on performance and his was not up to par. And he's had my favorite character chained to a wall for years, so yeah. I'm certainly not sad he's gone. :/

[jsbt]

I want Lucy to stay forever. I never thought I'd see her again and I need her around. Bobbie, well, Jackie's performances are such that she can keep making occasional appearances.

 

I am very concerned for Laura and Anna. If they are smart, they'll know they need two strong female vets to shore up this big change.

[ulkis]

Please let this mean the end of Spencer and co kiddie fest.

 

That, I definitely think is doneskis. Thank the lord.

[TeeVee329]

I think they might keep Laura, just to fill that slot Luke has now vacated.  Bobbie and especially Lucy are more at risk.

 

Wait, so does the new writers' stuff start airing August 10th?  Or is that when they take control of the writers' room?

[IWantCandy71]

I'm not throwing a party that he's gone, but all jobs are based on performance and his was not up to par. And he's had my favorite character chained to a wall for years, so yeah. I'm certainly not sad he's gone. :/

 

True, but I also think RC got a lot of flack for things either not his fault at all, or beyond his control. The show being bad isn't just on the writer(s). Frank V is the EP. He should be getting more flack than RC, as he was technically RC's boss.

[AheadofStraight]

I'm feeling very "be careful what you wish for"-ish...

[backhometome]

I would feel more bad for RC if he didn't act like a 5 year old on twitter. 

[HeatLifer]

True, but I also think RC got a lot of flack for things either not his fault at all, or beyond his control. The show being bad isn't just on the writer(s). Frank V is the EP. He should be getting more flack than RC, as he was technically RC's boss.

Oh, it's def. not solely Ron. But 1) My issues were mostly with story and plot selections and that's him, and 2) Someone is always the scapegoat. And it's usually not the MAIN boss.

[TeeVee329]

Someone on Twitter actually pointed out that, outside of Guza's reign and actually Ron's stint on OLTL, the ABC soaps usually changed headwriters at a regular clip, every 3-4 years.  So it's about that time for Ron.

[jsbt]

That, I definitely think is doneskis. Thank the lord.

 

I wonder. He is Uncle Frank's favorite.

[ch1]

I can't help but think soap writers would have better fates if they had I believe it was Doug Marland's rules for soaps next to their laptops.

[BestestAuntEver]

I was actually thinking yesterday - as part of THE PLAN TO SAVE DAYS, they went nuts bringing back one vet after another. But I feel like GH can't really do that because a lot of them are here (Bobbie, Scotty, Anna, Laura, etc.) or unavailable (Tristan Rogers, Steve Burton).

I mean, who could they bring back on that similar scale? Brenda? Jax?

The vets may be here but they don't have any actual stories, POV or housing. They have existed to prop and be sounding boards for a while.

I hope Brad and the Brad/Lucas relationships isn't gone but won't hold my breathe. Minority representation of all kinds is bad on this show anyway, losing Brad just adds to it.

ITA, free Robin. Bring KMc in between her directing gigs and wrap her story and the Jake reveal up.

Edited July 24, 2015 by BestestAuntEver

[jsbt]

True, but I also think RC got a lot of flack for things either not his fault at all, or beyond his control. The show being bad isn't just on the writer(s). Frank V is the EP. He should be getting more flack than RC, as he was technically RC's boss.

 

FV is not Brian Frons, though. The focus on their former beloved OLTL stars, the crazy women and cartoon characters - it's all of a piece of Ron's work, not Frank. Frank was EP at OLTL under three very different writing regimes, each of them unique, each with personal obsessions. He modulated to each HW until he synchronized with Ron.

[ulkis]

Someone on Twitter actually pointed out that, outside of Guza's reign and actually Ron's stint on OLTL, the ABC soaps usually changed headwriters at a regular clip, every 3-4 years.  So it's about that time for Ron.

 

I think it's obvious Ron was getting burnt out. I think he was headwriter here longer than he was at OLTL, no?

 

Anyone with a sense of true self-preservation though would have known he had to get rid of Franco though. 

I wonder. He is Uncle Frank's favorite.

 

I just meant, we won't be seeing Phantom of the Opera type crap for him. Maybe he'll pop up once in a while to be "funny", but that's it.

[TeeVee329]

The vets may be here but they don't have any actual stories, POV or housing. They have existed to prop and be soundin boards for a while.

 

I get that, but I'm saying there's no one they can bring back to the canvas the way Days is going, "Patch and Bo Are Back!!!", you know?

I think it's obvious Ron was getting burnt out. I think he was headwriter here longer than he was at OLTL, no?

 

I think midway through 2007 to January 2012 on OLTL, with the writers' strike mixed in.

Edited July 24, 2015 by TeeVee329

[OnceSane]

I think they might keep Laura, just to fill that slot Luke has now vacated.  Bobbie and especially Lucy are more at risk.

 

Wait, so does the new writers' stuff start airing August 10th?  Or is that when they take control of the writers' room?

No clue, but I'd guess the latter or Ron would have STFU on Twitter way earlier.

[MSquared]

I think it's obvious Ron was getting burnt out. I think he was headwriter here longer than he was at OLTL, no?

 

Anyone with a sense of true self-preservation though would have known he had to get rid of Franco though. 

 

I just meant, we won't be seeing Phantom of the Opera type crap for him. Maybe he'll pop up once in a while to be "funny", but that's it.

 

I want to say Ron began in 2007.  Asa's death, the 10,000th episode, was his first story as head writer, so he was with OLTL four years plus and GH only 3 and a half.

[jsbt]

Ron's work at OLTL really began in August '07, yes. The strike was from February to, I think, May or June of '08.

[Oracle42]

I'm thrilled he's gone but if they'd hired Harris and Altman as co-HWs with Passante as a breakdown writer? I'd be crying tears of actual joy.

I hope Sickles and Co. Follow RC out the door

[ulkis]

I'm thrilled he's gone but if they'd hired Harris and Altman as co-HWs with Passante as a breakdown writer? I'd be crying tears of actual joy.

I hope Sickles and Co. Follow RC out the door

 

I doubt it, Frank is the one who brought them over. I think. Even if it were only Sickles who went I'd be happy though. I know he was good on OLTL and sometimes he's turned in a good episode on GH, but mostly he lapses to pop-culture references.

[jsbt]

I think it's obvious Ron was getting burnt out. I think he was headwriter here longer than he was at OLTL, no?

 

Anyone with a sense of true self-preservation though would have known he had to get rid of Franco though. 

 

I think he (and Frank) honestly believed they were The Last Writing Team in Soaps. That ABC would never invest in replacing them because they didn't care, and so they could keep pushing it with stuff like Franco, because some of the press would always default to supporting them by virtue of lacking anyone else.

 

And I think Ron was burnt out at least a year ago. I think the OLTL war broke him, too. I think he and FV also never believed the show would come back without them, that it could be taken from them, that their plans could be dashed. Everything since then has been about defiance and ego.

[BestestAuntEver]

I get that, but I'm saying there's no one they can bring back to the canvas the way Days is going, "Patch and Bo Are Back!!!", you know?

Ahh, I see your point. GH PR has been so crazy they wouldn't even announce /advertise a return. They have chose to "shock" or surpise us instead of attempting to draw in lapsed viewers.

Edited July 24, 2015 by BestestAuntEver

[HeatLifer]

ITA, free Robin. Bring KMc in between her directing gigs and wrap her story and the Jake reveal up.

LAWD, please give the girl a selfie stick and END IT.

[kristabell]

Well, they've really got to focus on who their audience IS as opposed to who they want it to be. You can't cater to an audience you don't have and then be surprised when they don't show up. You work with what you have, you build to that. At this point, I feel that soaps are a habit with most people anymore. "This is something that's been a part of my life for so long..." That's all it is. The days of desperately wanting to see a storyline play out are gone. Television habits have changed. People save them up to binge watch on the weekend or at night. They've got to figure out HOW the audience they have is watching, too. Work with that.

 

There are arguments to be made either way, I suppose. My life gets so busy at times that day to day watching is kind of impossible. I'm working on my yard out back and don't have the time or the inclination to stay inside for an hour to watch a soap I've DVRed. When I do have the time to sit down I will binge watch. I did it with Daredevil... three times. I do it with anime all the time... or old shows that I love (rewatching Frasier, Friends, X-Files) and I do it with the PP OLTL from time to time.

 

Who is the audience GH is writing for? It can't possibly be women, can't it? I just don't buy it. And if it is... well... maybe some of those writers need to get out and talk to actual women for a change. Maybe find out what they're watching and why. My Mom told me that soaps, back when she watched through the 70s and 80s raising kids at home, were an outlet. When you were stuck in the house with your kids, napping, feeding, laundry, house cleaning... you took a break for the stories and they gave you an outlet for the emotions. You could laugh, cry, get excited... whatever. Those beats were hit and that mattered.

 

What is the purpose of the shows now? Who are they writing for?!

Yes! Yes Yes! Yes!

This is supposed to be a women's genre; and I remember a time when at least some of the storylines were somewhat topical. I am a woman in my mid-30s, right in the middle of the demo they supposedly want so badly, and there is nothing even remotely attractive to me on GH (or daytime in general to be honest.) I agree that people watch out of habit. I watched OLTL and GH (until I got fed up) because of characters that I'd loved years ago and who I sometimes, sort of, got a glimpse of; not because of anything they are doing now. I watched in spite of the storylines and characterizations, not because of them. There's not much (or anything) that's objectively good about these shows; they are there and people are used to them. It's something you've always done, and that's about it. And showrunners have relied on the audience being there out of nostalgia for far too long.

And, to be honest, who is still enamored with Luke and Laura, or Erica Kane? You can't build a multi-generational show on their backs. I think the new AMC was good too (as was PP OLTL imo), but it was almost an entirely new show. Soaps and serial drama, more generally, are popular and can be very good; but there also has to be some give from the daytime genre. You can't keep saying "this isn't the show for you" or "we're bringing back characters from 30 years ago" and expect people to flock to their screens.

Frankly, I'd like to watch a show with strong female characters, with diversity that I see everyday in real life; and that's not something daytime soaps provide anymore. I don't think it's an anomaly that most of the new "it" shows - Empire, OITNB, etc -  are led by female characters, and are incredibly diverse, in terms of race, as well as sexual orientation and gender. 

The new model for watching TV is binge-watching, as you said; and the new model for production is Netflix, with short seasons and story arcs. Daytime and popular characters from 30+ years ago are not the foundation for that media.

[ulkis]

I think there's room for other kinds of viewing between binge-watching and one hour a day every week yearly tv watching though. I'm good with 10, 20 seasons formats weekly once a year. I like binge watching once in a while but overall I'm not a fan. Not everyone is going to watch their tv in 10 hour blocks.

Edited July 25, 2015 by ulkis

[Veronica]

The network will give them guidelines. They have the data showing what fans like and what they don't.

From talking to sources, Ron was given several chances. There were lots of conference calls it Ron wanted to write what he wanted to see. He knew what fans wanted to see but just didn't care.

I feel bad for anyone losing his or her job, including actors/actresses whose characters are written out.

I'm happiest that this means no more kiddie quad, which the network made him end.

I think people would be floored if they knew how bad GH would have been without network mandated rewrites.

[ulkis]

I think people would be floored if they knew how bad GH would have been without network mandated rewrites.

 

No, I would believe it.

 

thanks for bringing this stuff over. If you don't mind, can you tell us what else the network put a stop to?

 

someone mentioned that JP wrote a lot of Finola on AMC, so that makes me feel better about that

Edited July 24, 2015 by ulkis

[jsbt]

I think people would be floored if they knew how bad GH would have been without network mandated rewrites.

 

I don't think I would be. I know they canned the Undercover Jake crap and gave me Jakeson with the Q's, for which I am very grateful.

 

If that's true about the kids, thank God.

Edited July 24, 2015 by jsbt

[HeatLifer]

Ron wanted to write what he wanted to see. He knew what fans wanted to see but just didn't care.

That was crystal clear!

[jsbt]

someone mentioned that JP wrote a lot of Finola on AMC, so that makes me feel better about that

 

Sure, but she wrote the Alex story, IIRC.

[kristabell]

The network will give them guidelines. They have the data showing what fans like and what they don't.

From talking to sources, Ron was given several chances. There were lots of conference calls it Ron wanted to write what he wanted to see. He knew what fans wanted to see but just didn't care.

I feel bad for anyone losing his or her job, including actors/actresses whose characters are written out.

I'm happiest that this means no more kiddie quad, which the network made him end.

I think people would be floored if they knew how bad GH would have been without network mandated rewrites.

This is why I feel zero sympathy for RC or FV. Ron may love the genre, though I think he likes his nostalgia for a version of the genre that no longer exists the most. And he likes what he wants to do. A lot of people have compared Ron to a fanfic writer, and I agree (except a lot of fanfic is better than what he does); he has always been petulant about HIS VISION and which characters he wants awarded and which he wants thrown in the gutter. It has rarely corresponded to what the fans wanted. He's never had any respect for the fans; and so I have none for him.

[TeeVee329]

I see JP got herself some GLADD awards, I guess for Noah and Luke on ATWT?  Didn't they have some random green card married to a chick story?  So maybe Brad and Lucas will survive, heh.

I know they canned the Undercover Jake crap and gave me Jakeson with the Q's, for which I am very grateful.

 

Interesting, I would think it'd be the other way around - the network wanting Jake(son) closer to Sonny and Carly, Ron wanting him with the Q's.

Edited July 24, 2015 by TeeVee329

[Sake614]

http://tvline.com/2015/07/24/general-hospital-ron-carlivati-fired-jean-passanante/

 

“

We are pleased to welcome back two esteemed writers to our General Hospital family,” Vicki Dummer, Executive Vice President Current Series Programming, said in a statement.

 

 

"Esteemed"??? Someone's been smoking wacky weed!

[jsbt]

Interesting, I would think it'd be the other way around - the network wanting Jake(son) closer to Sonny and Carly, Ron wanting him with the Q's.

 

It surprised me, to be honest. I wouldn't mind being told off about that. Presumably they just hated the undercover thing, and he came up with the alternative story.

Edited July 24, 2015 by jsbt

[tessaray]

It's kind of amusing watching Twitter #GH. There are basically 2 types of tweets - either praising/thanking RC for saving GH or dancing in the streets that he's gone.   It's a brutal world out there...

[Dandesun]

The network will give them guidelines. They have the data showing what fans like and what they don't.

From talking to sources, Ron was given several chances. There were lots of conference calls it Ron wanted to write what he wanted to see. He knew what fans wanted to see but just didn't care.

I feel bad for anyone losing his or her job, including actors/actresses whose characters are written out.

I'm happiest that this means no more kiddie quad, which the network made him end.

I think people would be floored if they knew how bad GH would have been without network mandated rewrites.

 

That kiddie quad was ALL RON no question. As was his 'Britch please' and Spencer's constant use of 'townie.'

 

I admit to being curious as to what else Ron wanted that the network finally said no on. Also... does this mean GH will finally be free of the vanity project that is Franco?

[ulkis]

Okay, I'm curious about this - I wonder if Olivia/LLC will survive this regime change. I think maybe she will go recurring.

[jsbt]

I don't see how they couldn't be. Free of Franco, that is.

Edited July 24, 2015 by jsbt

[TeeVee329]

The Francs and Neens Variety Hour has been rolling all summer as the ratings have trended down, that has to be the first thing hopefully getting axed.

 

My big worry is still a swing back towards the mob.

[jsbt]

I will take the fuckin' mob right now.

[ulkis]

The Francs and Neens Variety Hour has been rolling all summer as the ratings have trended down, that has to be the first thing hopefully getting axed.

 

My big worry is still a swing back towards the mob.

 

I don't see it. I do think they will double down on Sonny woobification though. I could picture him leaving the mob and everyone talking about how amazing he is for finally managing to do that. blerg. Still, it would be worth never to have to suffer through another scene of police/other mobsters trying to bring Sonny DOWN!!!!111

[Harmony233]

I'm not so sure with FV still around and JP loving to write for Roger.I mean I could see it going either way.

[TeeVee329]

I will take the fuckin' mob right now.

 

But there's no room for characters like Lucy if the show becomes All Mob, All The Time again.

[jsbt]

I'm not so sure with FV still around and JP loving to write for Roger.I mean I could see it going either way.

 

I can't think of a stronger statement against the Franco shit short of firing FV himself. Frank has almost certainly gotten the message, and Jean always defers to the network. I will be shocked if RH, ME, etc. don't go.

But there's no room for characters like Lucy if the show becomes All Mob, All The Time again.

 

These are my choices? Lucy + Francs/Neens OR The Mob minus Lucy? I don't think so.

[tessaray]

The Francs and Neens Variety Hour has been rolling all summer as the ratings have trended down, that has to be the first thing hopefully getting axed.

 

My big worry is still a swing back towards the mob.

 

I'd take the mob too, at least if it's balanced with some other stories.  I don't ever anticipate seeing a GH again that can be watched without the FF button.  #realistic #lowexpectations