GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[UYI]

Plenty of women have written bad soap, i.e. Megan McTavish and her undoing daytime's first abortion.

 

Not to mention the fact that--putting aside the whole "we can't ignore GF/TG's chemistry!" stuff--Pat Falken Smith, another woman, was responsible for Laura falling in love with her rapist. She was also the one who married Bill & Laura on DAYS, despite them having similar beginnings to L&L, a few years before that, and I don't think that involved any last minute rewrites. And in Bill & Laura's case, that rape produced a kid. (I think Bill Bell was the one who wrote the rape itself, though.)

 

And of course, female EPs can be just as guilty of this behavior. (JFP, anyone? And for all the good she brought to GH, Gloria Monty could be pretty cruel to certain actresses herself.)

[DollEyes]

HALLELUJAH!! Ron's getting fired made my day, my week and my whole year. He had a few moments, but the bad way exceeded the good and the ratings proved it.  To quote My Name Is Earl's Earl Hickey, "Karma-gotta love it."

Edited July 25, 2015 by DollEyes

[Apprentice79]

Not to mention the fact that--putting aside the whole "we can't ignore GF/TG's chemistry!" stuff--Pat Falken Smith, another woman, was responsible for Laura falling in love with her rapist. She was also the one who married Bill & Laura on DAYS, despite them having similar beginnings to L&L, a few years before that, and I don't think that involved any last minute rewrites. And in Bill & Laura's case, that rape produced a kid. (I think Bill Bell was the one who wrote the rape itself, though.)

 

And of course, female EPs can be just as guilty of this behavior. (JFP, anyone? And for all the good she brought to GH, Gloria Monty could be pretty cruel to certain actresses herself.)

Douglas Marland was against the coupling of Luke and Laura and left the show because of that..How ironic that a man was against a woman falling in love with her rapist...He is so different from Ron who had Marty sleeping with her rapist Todd....

[Ambrosefolly]

I really do think that the people that ran soaps were a different breed back then. Monty wasn't wrong to want to put the money couple together, but one has to respect Marland's morals because being romanced and then marrying your rapist is pretty fucked up. 

 

I read in one of the going  a way that Tony has been doing that when he was asked by Monty to come on as Luke, he told her he hated soaps, and she replied she did as well, that is why she was going to change them.

[UYI]

Actually, what I have heard is that he and Monty disagreed about Luke complicating Scott & Laura's relationship so quickly. He wanted to spend more time developing that angle, while still leaving Scott & Laura as the endgame (but yes, he did say the rape wouldn't have happened, and a relationship certainly wouldn't have happened after that, either). 

 

Of course, Marland was known to follow the chemistry himself (it's why Holden and Lily's biological ties on ATWT were severed--because he saw Jon Hensley and Martha Byrne's chemistry and knew they had to be paired up), so it's entirely possible he could have seen GF & TG together and eventually changed course anyway, minus the rape. 

 

Actually, I've heard that's how Robert & Holly ended up together--because fans saw TR & ES' chemistry and wanted them together, and then they were paired up when Luke was presumed dead. Is that true?

Edited July 25, 2015 by UYI

[LegalParrot81]

 

And of course, female EPs can be just as guilty of this behavior. (JFP, anyone? And for all the good she brought to GH, Gloria Monty could be pretty cruel to certain actresses herself.)

 

Especially the one who played a huge role in helping bring the show back from the brink. In Genie's Emmy archives interview, it broke my heart how incredibly cruel Gloria was to Genie after Genie had been hospitalized after a night of too much drinking and drugging and Gloria told her no one cared if she lived or died, that Tony was the show.   (BTW, Tony had come to the hospital to stay with Genie)

 

It was after that incident that Genie made the decision to work to the end of her contract and then exit.  Thankfully, Genie then went and got the help she needed.

Edited July 25, 2015 by LegalParrot81

[UYI]

Yep, I've seen that interview, plus her Lifetime Intimate Portrait interview. I know it wasn't GM, but the way she was brought back to GH in 1993 still makes me...uncomfortable (having to give up being in a role she loved--Ceara on AMC and Loving--even if the audience wasn't as crazy about the character) . She said she cried all night after she agreed to return. 

Edited July 25, 2015 by UYI

[ParadoxLost]

Clare Labine's stories were too dark at times and it would not let up....We went from BJ's death to Stone AIDS storyline with no respite. Her stories were good and character-driven, but she needed to balance her stories with romance, adventure and just plain happiness...

 

I don't remember there being no balance.  Lucy and Kevin developed during all of this.  There were ducks.  Slapstick accidents preventing their first time as a running joke.  Worm crawls.  Lois and Ned were not unrelentingly dark.  She created Jax and his entry onto the show was pure charming billionaire.  She put all the Quartermaines into the living room together quite frequently which was generally very entertaining.  Labine is the one that put Mac and Kevin in drag, right?  That revealed that John J York was a comic genius.

Edited July 25, 2015 by ParadoxLost

[Oracle42]

 

Actually, I've heard that's how Robert & Holly ended up together--because fans saw TR & ES' chemistry and wanted them together, and then they were paired up when Luke was presumed dead. Is that true?

I hope it is. They were wonderful together and I fully believe that at least one of the reasons TG grossly insisted on Ethan being his son was because he still resented the fact that the Robert and Holly pairing was more popular than both Luke/Holly and Bill/Holly

[Apprentice79]

I loved Robert and Holly together, my favorite couple on the show. They were always so clean, since they were always bathing together. Ethan should have been their son. It makes the most sense. Holly was pregnant when she was presumed dead in the plane crash and her family gave him up for adoption. It would have been very easy to do without destroying Luke/Laura and Robert/Holly's history on the show.

Holly and Robert were not meant to be endgame. The fans noticed their chemistry and rallied for them to be together. Back then they actually respected the fans and acquiesced. In fact Robert married her to keep her in the country and to give her baby that was Luke's, his name that she later miscarried. Once she fell for Robert, no other men existed for her, not even Luke.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Apprentice79

[HeatLifer]

It's really interesting to me which actors have thanked Ron specifically on social media and those who are silent. It really isolates clearly who his favorite pets were.

[RealityCowgirl]

I hope it is. They were wonderful together and I fully believe that at least one of the reasons TG grossly insisted on Ethan being his son was because he still resented the fact that the Robert and Holly pairing was more popular than both Luke/Holly and Bill/Holly

I started watching shortly after Laura disappeared so didn't get to watch the original "magic" unfold. I watched steadily for I'm not sure how long before my first stint on the barge -long enough to see these pairings and others of Luke's. I have one word for any love match involving Luke Spencer/Tony Geary: Ewwwwwwwwww.

Edited July 26, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[ulkis]

It's really interesting to me which actors have thanked Ron specifically on social media and those who are silent. It really isolates clearly who his favorite pets were.

Mostly, but Perry Shen thanked him and I wouldn't call him a pet.

Did LW thank him? I checked her twitter but didn't see anything.

[LegalParrot81]

 

Did LW thank him? I checked her twitter but didn't see anything.

 

Yes, she did.  It's down the page a way dated yesterday.

[HeatLifer]

Mostly, but Perry Shen thanked him and I wouldn't call him a pet.

Did LW thank him? I checked her twitter but didn't see anything.

She also said they're "kicking ass" at GH, knowing he was fired. That was kinda cray.

[ulkis]

She also said they're "kicking ass" at GH, knowing he was fired. That was kinda cray.

 

Yeah. That could definitely be shade, heh.

[HeatLifer]

Yeah. That could definitely be shade, heh.

And JT's "It's a tough job!" was generic as fuck. I'm 99% sure he was over Ron for making Patrick into a purse holder.

[yowsah1]

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/head-writer-switch-gh

 

Oh God... 

 

Passanante and Shelly Altman co-writers. 

 

THANK GOD it's not Guza!

 

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.

 

One of Marland's big rules was:  Don't fire anybody for at least 6 months.  Does anybody think this show can withstand another six months of Nina/Franco?

 

 

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.

 

While everyone has been focused on the disastrous 14 weeks, it should be noted that ratings started severely declining when RC rolled out the big Sonny/Julian mob war.  If TPTB are smart, they'll either axe the mob shit altogether or make it a side note to other, more popular stories.

Edited July 27, 2015 by yowsah1

[Veronica]

I have been told the network has mandated that Julian is out of the mob. RC is the one that kept Julian in after the Fluke reveal when it made no sense for him to stay in after trying for over a year to get out without Fluke killing his family.

The suits ordered rewrites getting Julian out for good. Could things change? Of course but right now my expectation is Julian is the publisher he was when he came to town as Derek Wells.

The mob problem is they don't know what else to do with Maurice. There is a faction that doesn't think he's capable of doing anything but mobster but they know most of the audience is sick of mobster as hero so they feel stuck with Sonny.

Edited July 26, 2015 by Veronica

[sunflower]

TPTB should go all in in getting Sonny out of the mob.  They can write anything they want, it may be unrealistic him getting out, but just fucking write it and have him a club owner again with always questions about his ties to the mob.   Julian out is good, as him still in the mob made Alexis look ridiculous.  I wonder, is network happy with where Nikolas is at?  I'm personally sick of it, as I've never bought Nik as some evil force, Cassadine or not.  And, can Alexis please be involved, I'm sick of her on the periphery of Cassadine stories.  

 

Alexis should be the one Nik sees who makes him feel ashamed of this behavior.  They're supposed to be the relatively normal Cassadines, so his actions are a betrayal of Alexis, also considering she's Sam's mom.  I also see Alexis as a mother figure to Nik as Laura was never really a part of his life.  

 

Why didn't Alexis get a goodbye with Luke?  That was a mistake as he never apologized for blowing up her house.  Unless I missed something, I've been sort of out of this show lately as the writing super sucks.  

Edited July 26, 2015 by sunflower

[Tiger]

I wonder if the set for "The Cellar", Carly & Ric's club in Kelly's basement is still in storage?  I thought it was a .ally cool set and think Sonny could work as a club owner.  And geez, the citizens of Port Chuckles need more places to hang out than on the docks 

 

Itd be easy to write Sonny & Julian out too.  Have Anna sweep fiercly back into town with a couple of extras dressed in swat gear and announce that the mob is out of Port Charles.  She can tell Jordan, Nathan, and Dante that the Justice Dept has seized shipments and arrested hundreds, and offered Sonny & Julian deals in exchange for their testimony and turning over evidence.  And then they're just "on probation" and th mob is never referenced again.  

 

Oh and a couple days later Anna can tell Patrick that Robin is safe with Robert.  The details can be given off-screen and told to us if Kim and/or Tristan ever appear again.

 

ETA: and Anna also reveals that Sloane killed both Dewq and Carrrlos, he is swept up in the mass arrest and never seen, heard from, or referenced again.  Heck, lets go one step further and have Anna say on screen that she thought she had slept with him but it had been nothing but a bad nightmare caused by a gassy meal.

 

ETA: as far as villains, I think Nik needs to stay evil, you can use Dr. O, Faison, and Jerry as recurring, and Id bring on Lomax as a regular.  I think the actress is fantastic and there is a lot of story to mine from a corrupt politician.

Edited July 26, 2015 by Tiger

[OnceSane]

One of Marland's big rules was:  Don't fire anybody for at least 6 months.  Does anybody think this show can withstand another six months of Nina/Franco?

Rules were made to be broken.

[UYI]

Rules were made to be broken.

 

To be fair, I think this was before that article came out, but when Linda Gottlieb took over as OLTL's EP and Michael Malone as its HW in 1991, they took NO time getting rid of a bunch of characters and introducing a few new ones (and that's not even going into the set/production changes she implemented, either). It took some time, but ultimately those quick changes paid off.  I have a feeling this will be the case here, too.

Edited July 26, 2015 by UYI

[dubbel zout]

Sonny is a coffee importer; get rid of his mob ties and make that his main occupation. They have the café set as well as that tiny restaurant, so it's not as if there's a need to build anything new. He also owns the boxing gym, right? So have people work out there.

 

It's not that hard to figure out Sonny without the mob. It can't worse than endless anonymous shipments, fights over piers and docks and shipping lanes, and territory wars.

[Badsamaritan]

They should make his story something similar to The Blacklist, where Sonny quietly comes in from the cold and in exchange he helps them bring down other threats. He becomes informant to save his family. Easy peasy.

But guys, we haven't talked about our thread Godfather, the main reason for our existence here...how does Brydog feel about this? Anyone?

[jsbt]

There are ways to get Sonny out of the mob, but they have to be dramatic and dynamic IMO. I still feel the best way to do it is for Jason to recover his memories, be a wholly-different man who regrets his former life of crime, and who agrees to a deal with Anna, Robert (offscreen) or the WSB: Flip, give them Sonny and his organization, then become a WSB agent as part of repaying his endless debt to society. It's either that or a life sentence in prison.

 

It's a story that could play out relatively quickly - Jason bugs Sonny's offices, gathers up all the data and evidence he's compiled for years, maybe surreptitiously gets more of it after urging an unsuspecting Sam to bring his old boxes out of storage. You have the big moment where Sonny learns Jason is his Judas, maybe on his wedding day to Carly. If I wrote it, though, after the confrontation Sonny would simply surrender. He knows what he did to Jason after the accident, he's talked about it often. He would see it as his final punishment.

 

From there Jason would stay with the WSB, but I have almost no idea where I'd take Sonny. I don't think him as just a coffee importer is the way to go. He'd have to have his hands in different enterprises, clubs, etc., but it would be clear his life is forever diminished, that he is past it, like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas or Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. Before that, I'd like to see him destitute and wandering around the edges of town for awhile, and I think MB is at least willing to play something new. How he'd then get back some of his legitimate holdings is an open question.

 

As for Julian, I think that character is most interesting when he is what he wants to be - a sneering kingpin of white-collar crime, while Alexis struggles with the fact that she doesn't care. I can't imagine what he'll do if he stays around and becomes fully legit, beyond fuck Alexis. They're a decent couple for what they are but there has to be more than that, and he is so eccentric. I think it would be kind of fitting if the mob territory is ceded to the deeply strange, more modern Julian.

Edited July 26, 2015 by jsbt

[ulkis]

They should make his story something similar to The Blacklist, where Sonny quietly comes in from the cold and in exchange he helps them bring down other threats. He becomes informant to save his family. Easy peasy.

But guys, we haven't talked about our thread Godfather, the main reason for our existence here...how does Brydog feel about this? Anyone?

 

Brydog is partying:

 

https://instagram.com/p/5kjM6fmZu7/

 

https://instagram.com/p/5kY7X8GZpf/

 

https://instagram.com/p/5ki9bOGZua/?taken-by=bryan_craig

Edited July 26, 2015 by ulkis

[Tiger]

But guys, we haven't talked about our thread Godfather, the main reason for our existence here...how does Brydog feel about this? Anyone?

 

Picture it: The GH set, Friday afternoon.

 

Vicki Dummer has just finished announcing Shelly Altman & Jean Passanante as the new headwaters.  Bryan Craig walks slowly over to Shelly as if he has to take a dump . . .

 

Bryan: wah, like totally major bummer about Ron-dawg.  I'm Bryan, TWO TIME EMMY NOMINEE and star of the show.

 

Shelly: Hello Bryan, it's so nice to meet you.  If you'd like to talk about story, Jean and I will be . . .

 

Bryan: [cuts her off] I only got ones question for you Shell-ster?  Does youse like dogs?

 

Shelly: Absolutely, I've had a . . .

 

Bryan: [cuts her off again] Righteous!  That makes you a gnarly dudette, mmm'kay?  

 

Bryan walks away as Shelly stands there bewildered, before turning to her left and seeing William deVry.

 

Shelly: who was fhat strange young man?

 

Will: I don't know, but he looks like he eats carbs.  

Edited July 26, 2015 by Tiger

[ulkis]

And that made me go over to Kelly T's instagram to see what she's posted lately, and am I being overly sensitive when this made me cringe a little?

 

https://instagram.com/p/5lClbOBEiz/

Edited July 26, 2015 by ulkis

[dubbel zout]

Why do I get the feeling they're going to sell their wedding photos to Life & Style?

[jsbt]

Uuugh

[WendyCR72]

Why do I get the feeling they're going to sell their wedding photos to Life & Style?

 

Honestly? Why would any of these mags care? This isn't pop-culture darling '80s GH.

[mybabyaidan]

Yeah, as long as the new writers aren't Muslim dog eaters, he is cool with them.

[Oracle42]

Have Ava fake Avery's death on her way out of town, stage it as mob related violence and let that be the thing that motivates Sonny to leave the mob. That can be before or after the engagement is blown up by the news that Morgan is Avery's father - although, I can see Sonny agreeing with Carly that Morgan can't take care of Avery so he perpetuates the lie so that he and Carly both feel guilty when the baby "dies"

It would make more sense than Olivia's DBL - which I realize is not a high bar

Edited July 27, 2015 by Oracle42

[ulkis]

Yeah, as long as the new writers aren't Muslim dog eaters, he is cool with them.

 

I was going to say I wonder if he even realizes there are new writers, but then I remembered his party and I'm sure he, Maurice and Chad talked about it yesterday while trying out their fake mustaches. 

[LegalParrot81]

 

Honestly? Why would any of these mags care? This isn't pop-culture darling '80s GH.

 

Has anyone told them that?  LOL

[TeeVee329]

And that made me go over to Kelly T's instagram to see what she's posted lately, and am I being overly sensitive when this made me cringe a little?

 

https://instagram.com/p/5lClbOBEiz/

 

*small voice* I find this kinda cute. *small voice*

 

*normal voice* But I would have found it cuter if she and BC hadn't been such turds on social media lately. *normal voice*

 

Hey, jsbt, I wonder if they're trying to pitch the new writers on KT coming back and the possibilities of the BritMor. ;)

Edited July 26, 2015 by TeeVee329

[dubbel zout]

Somebody had better do a wellness check on jsbt after he reads that!

Edited July 26, 2015 by dubbel zout

[Tiger]

Whoever did the cover for the latest ABC Soaps-in-depth must really hate Tony.  And they dont seem too fond of Bry-dog & Kelly judging my how small a picture whoever gave them.  

[ulkis]

*small voice* I find this kinda cute. *small voice*

 

*normal voice* But I would have found it cuter if she and BC hadn't been such turds on social media lately. *normal voice*

 

Hey, jsbt, I wonder if they're trying to pitch the new writers on KT coming back and the possibilities of the BritMor. ;)

 

if it was just by itself it would be fine but after all the "I'm engageeeeed!!!!" stuff it just seems a little cringe-worthy. She comes off like she thinks she's sooo lucky to be engaged to this dude, as in like she's so grateful he chose her, and it makes me feel a little bad for her because it's like, come on woman, you're as good looking as he is and probably smarter. But maybe I'm totally getting the wrong impression. I can't read minds.

Edited July 26, 2015 by ulkis

[TeeVee329]

Despair in the Afternoon shares their thoughts on the big news:

 

https://despairintheafternoon.wordpress.com/2015/07/26/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fondue/#more-19847

 

Not gonna lie, the picture of Kiki with the "Why Do I Still Exist?" caption make me cackle.

[yowsah1]

Despair in the Afternoon shares their thoughts on the big news:

 

https://despairintheafternoon.wordpress.com/2015/07/26/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fondue/#more-19847

 

Not gonna lie, the picture of Kiki with the "Why Do I Still Exist?" caption make me cackle.

 

I feel sorry for the young lady playing Kiki now. She's not a bad actress, she just got stuck with absolutely horrendous story straight out of the gate and never recovered.  She's not doing a bad job, it's the shitty character she's forced to play and the horrible writing that is dragging her down.

[tvgoddess]

I don't think HE has brought anything acting-wise to the thankless role of Kiki, and I'm tired of looking at her stringy hair and bad roots. Ugh, and I'll never get over that flag bikini. She's actually done the impossible, made me wish for KA to come back if we had to have Kiki at all. I'm not sure why I like her better, but I do.

 

Brydog seems slightly toned down recently. Not sure if I see that as a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe both. His friends actually look kind of normal.

[TeeVee329]

I've always found Hayley Erin to be extremely generic, which really just underlines the void of nothingness that is Kiki.

[jsbt]

Hayley Erin ranges from passable to terrible. I do think she's worse than KA.

[sunnyface]

The mob problem is they don't know what else to do with Maurice. There is a faction that doesn't think he's capable of doing anything but mobster but they know most of the audience is sick of mobster as hero so they feel stuck with Sonny.

 

Stick Sonny in the hospital (waiting for a transplant, coma, heart attack) and direct this soap back to its roots.  Fill the hospital with experienced actors (not Felix and Sabrina) instead of sticking new actors as part of Port Charles mob/cop population.  [Do not accomplish this by having two serial killers - Dr. O as chief of staff and Franco as an art therapist was a huge middle finger to the history of the show by Ron.] 

[Artsda]

Teresa Castillo is having a baby.

https://instagram.com/p/5pP39OO1Ml/

[Jenniferbug]

At first I thought "ugh another show pregnancy to potentially be written in" but then I realized this baby would be a Quartermaine...So go ahead, new writers, that family needs built up again.

[BestestAuntEver]

At first I thought "ugh another show pregnancy to potentially be written in" but then I realized this baby would be a Quartermaine...So go ahead, new writers, that family needs built up again.

Damn, this is one of those bear scenarios isn't it?

I don't want any more freaking babies but this would allow for the Q's to have an actual blood relation infant they can react with.

[TeeVee329]

I don't think this show needs anymore babies and Sabrina's last baby got written in and tocked.  Stick her behind some big purses, I say.