GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[ulkis]

I think most of the soap press know Franco is still a disaster. They're just too chickenshit to talk openly about it very often with Ron Carlivati either talking to them or watching them on social media. Jamey Giddens in particular always wants to gild the lily. He was not watching OLTL in RH's first run, for the record.

 

Oh really? Super weird on his part then. There was that brief shining moment where Michael Logan couldn't take it and he was like "okay, Franco has GOT to go" - I think it was the episode where Franco was drawing caricature in the park - and Laura Wright just wrote "not cool" and he quickly said some stuff about only Franco having to go and not Roger.

[jsbt]

I unfortunately don't think Roger Howarth is tanking much of any of Franco. I think this is what they give him thinking they are playing to his strengths - humor! Improvisation! It's just like Todd! I think he has played it pretty much as the writing intended. And it's awful and he is awful in it. It's everyone's fault.

[jsbt]

Oh really? Super weird on his part then.

 

Nope. He started watching in '04 but I don't think he began paying attention until RC.

 

I always love how these guys tiptoe around daring to criticize the show or RC's work. It always comes off to me like the Billy Mumy (ETA: not Ron Howard) episode of The Twilight Zone, where the little boy has godlike powers and can wish them into the cornfield unless they smile like lunatics and insist that he is doing nothing but real good things.

Edited December 23, 2014 by jsbt

[KerleyQ]

The sad thing was nearly all those characters were killed off. Poor Justus, stuffed in a car trunk. Why was that necessary? So needlessly gross.

 

 

That intro ended up playing like the video version of hunting trophies mounted on a wall for Guza.  

[dubbel zout]

They lost me here:

 

Nicolas Bechtel as Spencer deserves a nod, as well.  Most child actors are stilted or cloying.  Bechtel continues to grow, with a natural ease on camera and a wonderful sense of wit to his delivery.

 

Bechtel isn't stilted, but I'd say he is cloying. And I also think he's overdoing it a lot these days, as he becomes aware of his own (supposed) adorability.

 

The only opinion about actors I agree with without reservations is the praise for FH. Oh, and the dislike for KA. Hee.

[jsbt]

He is charismatic and a cute kid but he is often stilted, IMO. They give him endless shit to say these days, a lot of dialogue that is too purple or worldly and over the poor kid's head. IMO he's often struggling just to get it all out, and he clearly isn't being directed much or at least very well. When he has to deliver a rambling aristocratic line, he just goes for the grade school play approach: big flopping gestures and spit it out in a torrent of words that are not always coherent. Usually collapsing onto the nearest furniture.

 

I do think he's being told that everything he's doing is adorable and a knockout and he is working it, but I also think that's largely on TPTB. They're clearly obsessed with him and how's he gonna know what not to do if they don't tell him. He's just going in and having fun.

Edited December 23, 2014 by jsbt

[SlovakPrincess]

"It's good that you wrote that Fluke story, Ron! It's real good! And it just keeps going and going - that's real good, too!"

[Chairperson Meow]

I think the Fluke story could potentially be good. I still think Roger Howarth is great. It's the character of Franco I don't care for. Everyone has their own opinion. Not everyone will agree with each other.

[ulkis]

No one's telling you you can't like Roger Howarth, grrpants. Or even Franco, even though I know it kinda feels like it when one has an unpopular opinion. It happens sometimes. I still can't convince everyone that Rocco is a cute name, alas.

[dubbel zout]

It'd be nice if someone could take him aside and tell him he doesn't have to be so big and dramatic, but that probably won't happen while Frank and Ron are so taken with having a hammy kid on the show.

 

I don't equate having trouble with dialogue as being stilted, but I can see where others would. I find Spencer intolerable no matter what. He's on way too much and is given dialogue that is grossly inappropriate for the character and his age. Any warm feelings I might have had for him vanished when he used the word "townie." UGH.

[LeftPhalange]

 

I am so tired of hearing about how much I should value soap star Roger Howarth and those great years as Todd Manning.

 

If Roger Howarth is so Super Amazing and Wonderful then I assume he would have easily been able to get hired on another soap. Why did he need to come back to GH and play Franco? I don't begrudge the man getting a pay check, but I am bitter that Ron stupidly chose to resurrect Franco and a character I like got stuck being paired with him. I don't care how good RH is supposed to be, he's not worth all of this.

[dubbel zout]

The only time I like Franco is when he's getting under Sonny's skin. But that's not really Franco's purpose. I don't blame RoHo for sticking around for the pay check, but Ron and Frank really need to accept that this reboot doesn't work. Franco was never supposed to be long term.

 

I wonder if RoHo came to GH as a favor to Ron and Frank?

Edited December 23, 2014 by dubbel zout

[Chairperson Meow]

No one's telling you you can't like Roger Howarth, grrpants. Or even Franco, even though I know it kinda feels like it when one has an unpopular opinion. It happens sometimes. I still can't convince everyone that Rocco is a cute name, alas.

It blows that the dude whom I know is an amazing actor will be known for this shit role. The character Franco was meant to be a joke. JF was trolling soaps. Ron thought he could remake Todd Manning. No. Characters like Todd Manning, Roger Thorpe, Sonn Corinthos only work when played by a goregous, brooding 25ish year old guy. And then you can't troll the audience. I think RH did try. I think he's being directed this way. We will never know. Dude doesn't do social media, rarely does interviews. He was called "The Phantom of the Soaps" for a reason. He's highly respectful of his co-stars and etc. Dude never ever gossips. In a world of twitter, Facebook, instagram, etc, I respect him for that as well.

And I do think RH would be snatched up by another soap if he let the GH contract run out. He does primetime work, etc. I think he likes the block taping and has two children- age not known.

[Fylaki]

Can I ask why the Soap Press still matters? I mean there are only four freakin Soaps. Why does any one care what Michael Logan writes? RH failed as Franco, not his fault Johnny Depp would have failed as Franco under Ron's god awful writing.  So the Soap Press is afraid of Ron and Frank? Why? Hell if the soap press still matters and I still do not know why it would, then they would matter more if they grew a spine and demanded better from GH (and I suppose all the shows) rather than kissing the backside of a prima donna weather that be Frank or Ron or even Roger.

[Dandesun]

And I do think RH would be snatched up by another soap if he let the GH contract run out. He does primetime work, etc. I think he likes the block taping and has two children- age not known.

He's got one kid he needs to worry about. His oldest is in his 20s and I think he actually plays professional soccer across the pond. I think... I do know that in a rare recent interview (probably a few months old at this point) he mentioned that his son was an athlete and that has a definite timetable to it and that his son has expressed interest in acting.

 

His daughter is not yet in high school according to another interview last December when he spoke of wanting her to attend high school in New York.

 

As for his preferences, who can say? I would honestly question the concept of block taping as it is right now because it's nigh impossible to tell a cohesive story the way they shoot. I hope he plays something different than what I'm used to from him on The Flash. I'm expecting yet another snarky type but I hope he surprises me.

[ulkis]

It blows that the dude whom I know is an amazing actor will be known for this shit role. 

 

He won't be. 

[jsbt]

So the Soap Press is afraid of Ron and Frank? Why?

 

Ron and Frank give them access. Without access they have no exclusives or new info, without new info they have nothing to print or get clicks for.

Edited December 23, 2014 by jsbt

[WhoaWhoKnew]

A few months ago I watched the whole Dawson's Creek series for the first time and was surprised to see RH had a role as a professor in its last season. His character's personality was exactly like Todd and/or Franco and it made me wonder if that is as far as his acting range goes.

So is it?

[Chairperson Meow]

No. 90s Todd was nothing like what he was on GH. 2013 Todd till he got back in Llanview/was confirmed Todd was not snarky guy.

[WendyCR72]

A few months ago I watched the whole Dawson's Creek series for the first time and was surprised to see RH had a role as a professor in its last season. His character's personality was exactly like Todd and/or Franco and it made me wonder if that is as far as his acting range goes.

So is it?

 

Probably, but hey, if the schtick works - and it must since RoHo has another new prime time gig, he may as well milk it until it gets entirely threadbare. And even some A-listers use limits to their advantage...

[Dandesun]

He was pretty different in his blink-and-you-miss-it appearances on 'Californication.' Buuuuut... his wheel-house does seem to rest solely in the 'snarky dude who loves his daughter' category. It's why I hope it's different on Flash but since he's going to be Iris' mentor they'll have that vibe. It won't be father-daughter (Iris already has a great dad) but the vibe will be similar. He's a major investigative reporter... I imagine the snark will be there, too.

 

We'll see. But at least it's a role I actually look forward to him being in for a change.

[TeeVee329]

A few months ago I watched the whole Dawson's Creek series for the first time and was surprised to see RH had a role as a professor in its last season. His character's personality was exactly like Todd and/or Franco and it made me wonder if that is as far as his acting range goes.

 

I believe TWoP dubbed his character Professor Flip-Flops.  Ugh, and he had a super annoying proto-Joey daughter too, if memory serves.

[Fylaki]

 

Ron and Frank give them access. Without access they have no exclusives or new info, without new info they have nothing to print or get clicks for.

Okay I can see that to some extent, But isn't it  fan base, which grows smaller every year more important. If they reported more fairly wouldn't more people read it? and isn't that more important than whatever bone FranknRon throw them?

[linsav]

Grrpants09

No. 90s Todd was nothing like what he was on GH. 2013 Todd till he got back in Llanview/was confirmed Todd was not snarky guy.

Agreed. and on  OLTL 2013 on ine Todd was not snarky lguy and was close to 90s Todd. It was refreshing to see RoHo act again in every show.

 

[SlovakPrincess]

For me, both TG and RHo have the same issue - they can be excellent, but they can also be wildly inconsistent and sometimes unbearably over the top and cringeworthy.  

 

And I've never liked the characters they play, so I've never been able to get into either one of them that much (although I'm mostly enjoying TG in the 1981 clips I've been watching lately ... while still thinking GF is actually the better actor).  

[kristabell]

A few months ago I watched the whole Dawson's Creek series for the first time and was surprised to see RH had a role as a professor in its last season. His character's personality was exactly like Todd and/or Franco and it made me wonder if that is as far as his acting range goes.

So is it?

 

Ok, I swear I'm not trying to be mean but I just got back from being stuck in Christmas traffic, so I'm going to be truthful.

 

Yes, that is the only character he can play. He played it on OLTL, he played it on GH, he played it on ATWT, he played it on Dawson's Creek. I saw dude back in the day on Loving (I miss that show :( ), which was before the role of Todd and he was playing Todd Manning then. I don't know if he doesn't care, he knows what sells, or what; but, yes, he really does only play one role.

I thought his performances in the 90s were really good. But imo he has been living off the fumes of those performances for a looooooooooong time. 

[KerleyQ]

Ron and Frank give them access. Without access they have no exclusives or new info, without new info they have nothing to print or get clicks for.

 

I can't remember details right now, but, several years back (hell, it may have even been more than a decade ago), didn't one of the soaps essentially cut off access to one of the soap mags over something?  I can't even remember what it was about, but I think it was SOD (or maybe SOW), and the cut off was extensive enough that the synopses section for that show each week was a week or two behind all the other shows, because the magazine just wasn't getting the info as timely as they were from the other shows.  

 

Given how petty Ron behaves, I can see the soap press fearing that they will lose all access to GH (cast, spoilers, everything) if they get on his bad side.  

[ulkis]

I think Frank is the one in charge of that kind of stuff though I should think, so they should really try to be at least a little sterner. (Dear Michael Logan, next time you say Franco has got to go or that the masks are incredibly embarrassing, stick to your guns!)

[jsbt]

I don't think Ron could cut off all access in and of himself, no. I do think they both play these games with the soap press.

[yowsah1]

Or, you know, they could cut their fucking losses.

 

Maurice Bernard is coming up on his third decade of being on GENERAL HOSPITAL.

 

"Cut your fucking losses" has never been a thing that GH does.

[ulkis]

Except Maurice and Sonny, and Sonny and Brenda, were genuinely very popular for several years. It's one thing to keep him and Geary long past their expiration date, another to keep Franco on when he's been a wreck from day 1.

[sometimesfan]

Oh, you're preaching to the choir here on this subject. I didn't even like him as Todd on this show. Well, I had some moments where I liked him but I never watched OLTL so I was never a fan of the OLTL characters coming on. But if Ron is never gonna stop trying with this guy - I'll take him as someone else. And by that I mean, I'll take him someone else and hopefully even Jamey Giddens will be like "what the hell is this shit" and finally RoHo will be booted from the friggin lot already.

 

Honestly, I think many OLTL fans weren't happy with the characters coming to GH. It wasn't a case of "their show" living on at GH. It was their show dying and being used for parts on GH.

[jsbt]

I was happy with it, up to a point. At that time no revival of OLTL was on the horizon. It was a way to keep the show and the overall legacy of the ABC soaps alive. I enjoyed a lot of it and I think initially they only meant well. I do think they steamrolled certain things to try to make some pairings happen, but for me, as a fan of OLTL overall as well as the Todd and Blair couple, I thought they kept so much of all of that alive and vital. They didn't do everything they could with Todd, Blair and Carly, and they rushed him off with Carly near the end in a way that squandered the decent chemistry Howarth and Laura Wright did have. By the end their pairing was fast becoming the least exciting option for both of them, but Todd could've gone on for years causing trouble in Port Charles. He worked in that role, the same way past ABC Daytime transplants (Marco Dane, etc.) had on other shows. John McBain, I thought, certainly worked much better on GH. Starr was alright to a point.

 

I thought it was a terrible, cruel decision to off Cole and Hope and then to kill Téa's son; her fanbase and that of her with Victor/Todd II had, IMO, been through enough. I believe RC and FV likely had intended to revive them all including Victor had they kept the rights - as part of the big Robin/Faison/etc. story - but as we can see now, doing it 'someday' is no guarantee of when or if they would have ever gotten around to making things right for those characters and their fans. Same with OLTL characters like Blair or John's ex Natalie. You could tell no other vet from OLTL was going to be hired on contract, therefore those women's recurring roles would be to come in, mix it up with their exes, keep the fire burning in an absentia triangle or quad, and leave, perpetually, until GH went off the air. Same thing they do with Scrubs now. Robin is the perpetual someday true love, we know Scrubs will come back together in the end, but she's not getting serviced by the active ongoing story, she's constantly run over by it. And that wasn't right, and IMO it shouldn't have gone on that way.

 

I liked the crossovers. But they needed more careful handling than they were getting, and certainly by the end I think it was about pride and anger and doing as much as they could before OLTL came back without this TPTB. I think it could have still worked. But as of now I really hope these guys don't get it all back. It's their white whale and they've crippled GH because of it. Not when the crossovers happened, but after OLTL left.

[TessHarding2]

When the Llanview trio were heading over to GH, I went to Youtube to see if I could "get" Todd Manning an McBain in a few scenes.  I got the basics watching old Todd and 2000's Todd.  McBain was sexy with the red haired actress and then I watched a bunch of Port Charles episodes with Kelly Monaco, the Vampire stuff.  Boy was that addictive.  I have zero emotional connection to any of it right now, so I pretend it's a brand new soap and watch the beginning and end.  I'd be quite content with wrapping up the Fluke mess and have real Luke and Helena sit in a room together.

[TeeVee329]

I was happy with it, up to a point. At that time no revival of OLTL was on the horizon. It was a way to keep the show and the overall legacy of the ABC soaps alive.

 

That's kinda where I fell.  It took a little of the sting away to see some of the characters and hear references.  I think it helped, for me, that I wasn't a hardcore fan of Todd, John, or Starr.  I mean, I knew Todd lusting after Carly towards the end of that run was bullshit, but it didn't like, wound me to my core, you know lol?

 

And I'm not gonna lie, I let out quite the fan boy squee the day John reported to the LPD that Victor III/Danny had been kidnapped by Heather and they name-checked Oliver Fish.

 

You know, at the end of the day, Ron probably did more damage to "Port Charles" with that vampire storyline than he did to OLTL.

Edited December 24, 2014 by TeeVee329

[UYI]

I can't remember details right now, but, several years back (hell, it may have even been more than a decade ago), didn't one of the soaps essentially cut off access to one of the soap mags over something?  I can't even remember what it was about, but I think it was SOD (or maybe SOW), and the cut off was extensive enough that the synopses section for that show each week was a week or two behind all the other shows, because the magazine just wasn't getting the info as timely as they were from the other shows.  

 

Given how petty Ron behaves, I can see the soap press fearing that they will lose all access to GH (cast, spoilers, everything) if they get on his bad side.  

 

 

I'm pretty sure you're referring to Ken Corday at DAYS cutting access off with SOW, because Mimi Torchin DARED to give his show--gasp!--actual criticism as opposed to just kissing his ass.

 

IIRC, that is.

[jsbt]

That's kinda where I fell.  It took a little of the sting away to see some of the characters and hear references.  I think it helped, for me, that I wasn't a hardcore fan of Todd, John, or Starr.  I mean, I knew Todd lusting after Carly towards the end of that run was bullshit, but it didn't like, wound me to my core, you know lol?

 

Oh, I was a huge Todd fan, and a pretty big fan of Todd and Blair, always. But it didn't really bother me because I knew anything with Todd and Carly was just him replacing Blair - it would always come back to that in the writing, the woman he couldn't shake. Whatever else they did, they made that abundantly clear. Carly was a similar woman in a new town where he wasn't universally hated, a substitute for what he couldn't have. He cared for her, sure, but the writers didn't bother to build anything to tell me otherwise about their relationship. It was presented as a carbon copy of better stories they'd told with Todd and the other women in his life, and of course they are trying to do it all again now with Franco and Carly/Nina, down to the same verbiage. Friends, his only friend, and then love. Had they bothered to try something with Todd and Sam or someone else, some different dynamic, I might have been more intrigued. They didn't. And then A.J. came along for Carly, and forget it, that was where I was at for her.

Edited December 24, 2014 by jsbt

[TeeVee329]

Had they bothered to try something with Todd and Sam or someone else, some different dynamic, I might have been more intrigued. They didn't. And then A.J. came along for Carly, and forget it, that was where I was at for her.

 

And that's where the problems started.  Ron had his crossover couples mapped out - Michael/Starr, Sam/John, Carly/Todd - and it blinded him to the more interesting possibilities that abounded.

[jsbt]

It always does. See also: The Great Fluke Rewind.

[sometimesfan]

John McBain, I thought, certainly worked much better on GH.

 

 

I never understood this feeling. The character was created for OLTL. He was there for nearly a decade on a show where the police force wasn't a complete farce and actually got to sometimes be the good guys. On GH he was nothing more than Sam's lapdog and the miserable cheating deadbeat dad. ;)

[dubbel zout]

I didn't care about Cole and Hope dying because I never liked the teen pregnancy in the first place. I thought it absolutely ruined Starr. It was one of the worst decisions Frank and Ron made on OLTL. So their crossover to GH was useless to me.

 

Todd/Blair/Carly could have been an interesting group—I don't think a romantic triangle would have worked all that well, but some sort of business rivalry could have. Blair could challenge Carly for the MetroCourt or open a rival nightclub, and Todd could stir the pot with the newspaper.

 

John McBain worked in the PCPD for me because he had been competent in Llanview. It gave me hope that maybe the PCPD would solve a crime on its own in this century. I also think ME had great chemistry with FH and DZ. He was a breath of fresh air.

 

But all that's woulda/coulda/shoulda. The lawsuit made it impossible, and then Frank and Ron had to get their panties in a twist and put the three actors into the worst possible roles for them. It kind of amazes me that they are all so miscast.

Edited December 24, 2014 by dubbel zout

[TeeVee329]

I never understood this feeling. The character was created for OLTL. He was there for nearly a decade on a show where the police force wasn't a complete farce and actually got to sometimes be the good guys. On GH he was nothing more than Sam's lapdog and the miserable cheating deadbeat dad. ;)

 

I think what became problematic about John was that it became too much of a formula.  John is framed, John must break out of jail, John is the only one who can solve all of Llanview's crimes, John must get to his latest damsel-in-distress before it's too late, John is emotionally damaged and can't say "I love you", etc.

 

When he came to Port Charles, however, the tropes felt a little fresher because it was just such a relief to see someone besides Jason - and an actual cop, to boot - saving the day.  I will never forget the delight I felt the day Dante said they should call Jason to help them find a kidnapped Sam and John was all, "Why would we call a mobster to help with a police matter?".  LOVED!

[sometimesfan]

I think what became problematic about John was that it became too much of a formula.  John is framed, John must break out of jail, John is the only one who can solve all of Llanview's crimes, John must get to his latest damsel-in-distress before it's too late, John is emotionally damaged and can't say "I love you", etc.

 

When he came to Port Charles, however, the tropes felt a little fresher because it was just such a relief to see someone besides Jason - and an actual cop, to boot - saving the day.  I will never forget the delight I felt the day Dante said they should call Jason to help them find a kidnapped Sam and John was all, "Why would we call a mobster to help with a police matter?".  LOVED!

 

But then he just became a lying POS on GH. At least on OLTL he had a happy ending. There was no reason to destroy that, and there was just as much of a formula on GH with him having this ridiculous connection to Sam.

Edited December 24, 2014 by sometimesfan

[Chairperson Meow]

In my mind, Brody father both Jessica and Natalie's sons. Brody ftw!

Btw what happened to that actor?

[WendyCR72]

Okay, everybody, not to be a Grinch here, but while the occasional OLTL reference is to be expected considering GH's PTB, it's getting to become a wee bit too much OLTL, less GH. So please get back to talk as TPTB pertains to GH and take the OLTL chatter to its own forum.

 

Thanks and carry on and Merry Christmas (Eve)!

[kristabell]

I unfortunately don't think Roger Howarth is tanking much of any of Franco. I think this is what they give him thinking they are playing to his strengths - humor! Improvisation! It's just like Todd! I think he has played it pretty much as the writing intended. And it's awful and he is awful in it. It's everyone's fault.

 

Clearly the writing isn't helping; but I have to agree with the person upthread who said FH and everyone else gets crap material too, but they at least are trying to do something with it. RH pulls this same schtick every time he doesn't like the writing; God knows he did it on OLTL enough. I, too, think it's incredibly disrespectful to his co-workers, and it annoys me because of that if nothing else.

[jsbt]

The thing is, I think they're writing most if not all of that for him at this point. Yes, he's always improvised and has acted out when he doesn't like something. But these writers clearly relish what they think is "classic Howarth" stuff, and they have been absolutely desperate to make the audience equate Franco with Todd. I'm not saying his schtick is not incredibly obnoxious here because it is, but I think a lot of it today is manufactured by everyone on the creative team - they think it's gold and the only way to make the audience love RH's new character.

Edited December 24, 2014 by jsbt

[superdeluxe]

Paevey, for all his limitations, is much better than both Geary and Howarth. I have never seen him undermine his scene partner(s), draw focus, ham it up, or purposely tank a scene as those two hacks frequently do.

 

That just made me laugh.  Hard.  I needed that laugh.  I'm sorry, but a block of wood is not better.  He doesn't undermine his scene partners or draw focus or ham it up or what the hell ever because he doesn't know what he's doing.  Maybe he's improved.  I don't know.  I don't watch his scenes anymore because it was just too embarrassing to watch him.

Edited December 25, 2014 by superdeluxe

[dubbel zout]

I think a lot of it today is manufactured by everyone on the creative team - they think it's gold and the only way to make the audience love RH's new character.

 

I agree. It's like they think we'll forget Franco is A SERIAL KILLER if only the writing showcases his "wacky," quippy side. Which, NO. Franco is A SERIAL KILLER who relished torturing people and facilitated a rape. If RoHo had played the tumor-reveal scene with some sincerity and pathos, the character might have been able to be turned around somewhat. But instead he's been taking his cues from MB and Sonny: "It wasn't my fault! It was a tumor! Geez, how long are you people going to hold that against me?!"

Edited December 25, 2014 by dubbel zout

[Sake614]

MB renewed his contract. No surprise, I mean it's not like anyone is banging on his door offering him starring roles someplace else. But I had a glimmer of hope that MAYBE he'd finally hang it up.