GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[Asp Burger]

I'll admit I've never loved the character Jordan, with either actress. Law-enforcement characters on this show are almost always boobs, and Jordan gets worse writing than most. But Vinessa definitely had more charisma, presence, and chemistry with her main love interest. About the only thing I'd give her replacement in the advantage column is that she comes off as "harder," and it makes sense with the character's history. But I care less about her. Much less. When Drew ran over her kidneys, I wouldn't have minded if that had been the end of her. 

It's ridiculous that they wouldn't give VA that one tiny concession. It's how you treat someone who doesn't matter at all. She gave them four years, she did have fans, and I know she did the best she could do with the role. 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Asp Burger

[dubbel zout]

40 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

If FH can take six months off, and Geary can get his monster vacations regularly plotted into the show, they could easily have given Antoine three months off to shoot Diggstown.

It's ridiculous. It's not as if Jordan at that point was so necessary to the show. VA could have been accommodated.

11 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I wish Maurice Bernard would ask for off for outside projects.

I don't think he tries to work outside of GH anymore. He's got a sweet deal that requires very little effort from him. 

[YaddaYadda]

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

She really wanted to be the Jordan getting married to Curtis and wanted to have a clip montage for it. It would have been a better show, and she definitely was a better Jordan. If FH can take six months off, and Geary can get his monster vacations regularly plotted into the show, they could easily have given Antoine three months off to shoot Diggstown.

I was glad when TG went on vacation. FH's last vacation felt especially long and ridiculous.

[ByaNose]

The only real payoff I had with VA as Jordan was the final confrontation scene between Jordan & Aunt Stella with Curtis. It was with a therapist (I could be wrong about that though). The two actresses were able to end the hostility between the characters and I was glad VA got that before leaving. I also thought a wedding would have been a nice send off, too. I remember when she was still on the show and the wedding was really near but then they dropped it until the new actress started. It seems like FV and the writers didn’t want to give her the wedding since she was going to leave. I agree it would have meant more had she’d been still in the role. They always say what goes on behind the scenes is nothing compared to what the writers make up. All the soap actors all claim they are a family blah, blah, blah but pretty much stay mum on any outside drama. 

[Tenshinhan]

I'd also like to see more dark-skinned Black people on the show in main roles.  I can see the show beginning to expand the Black families and that's nice and all but being light-skinned shouldn't be a prerequisite.

[30 Helens]

Damn. I didn’t know Vinessa wanted to stay. They really should have accommodated her. Now we’re just stuck with a pair of emoting eyebrows.

[Ambrosefolly]

On 3/8/2020 at 6:42 PM, Tenshinhan said:

I'd also like to see more dark-skinned Black people on the show in main roles.  I can see the show beginning to expand the Black families and that's nice and all but being light-skinned shouldn't be a prerequisite.

As someone who is indian, there are more minorities besides black and white.Though, they could bring back Maya Ward, since her and Brook Lynn got along. I am always been pissed that a billon years ago, when Michael decided to deign to do an internship at ELQ at Edward request, they had an African American playing a Ivy League worker, who was promptly asked to fetch coffee. I would have loved if they expanded that part and have him pursue Maya to get a better standing in the company/becoming part of a upwardly mobile couple. 

[dubbel zout]

On 3/8/2020 at 12:58 PM, YaddaYadda said:

I was glad when TG went on vacation.

Same here, which makes me sad. But the show never wrote Luke properly, and it was ridiculous that we always got some stupid, rushed reason for him to leave. The vacation was written into his forkin' contract! I'm sure the dates were known well ahead of time. 

TG's time on GH in his last half decade or so was used very, very badly. I know people will argue that time frame, but I think it was especially egregious then. Things were pretty halfhearted on both sides.

7 hours ago, Ambrosefolly said:

upwardly mobile couple

Jordan and Curtis aren't exactly on government assistance. But your larger point is a good one. 

We get lip service that the Qs and Sonny are superrich, but it's not as if anyone else is hurting unless the plot demands it. (Elizabeth and Lucky having no health insurance, to cite the most ridiculous example ever.) Everyone is comfortable at the bare minimum. Soaps never do a good job with finances, but GH doesn't even try.

[GHScorpiosRule]

11 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Same here, which makes me sad. But the show never wrote Luke properly, and it was ridiculous that we always got some stupid, rushed reason for him to leave. The vacation was written into his forkin' contract! I'm sure the dates were known well ahead of time. 

TG's time on GH in his last half decade or so was used very, very badly. I know people will argue that time frame, but I think it was especially egregious then. Things were pretty halfhearted on both sides.

While I agree with all of this, I, um...miss Luke.

I'll show myself out now.

[dubbel zout]

I don't miss the Luke of his last years. I do miss Luke of old. Though if he still has that terrible hair, he can stay away! It freaked me out. 

[Asp Burger]

I think Luke is a great, iconic character of soap history, but he's tapped out. The surviving characters in his orbit are better for not having him around now. Yes, I will still feel that way if they bring Lucky back, played by anyone. In his last years, it was more like we were supposed to be grateful still to behold Soap Acting Legend Tony Geary; we were not seeing stories that argued for the continued vitality and relevance of Luke Spencer. 

I don't have a sense of how much of a spike in viewership a long-term TG return might bring, but it's not anything I hope for. 

[dubbel zout]

I wish I could disagree with your post, @Asp Burger, but I can't. *sad trombone*

The current characters are terribly written, and bringing Luke back won't improve that. The show has been creatively bankrupt for long enough that nothing will change. We bemoan this all the time.

Edited March 13, 2020 by dubbel zout
referenced wrong poster

[GHScorpiosRule]

50 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I wish I could disagree with your post, @TeeVee329, but I can't. *sad trombone*

The current characters are terribly written, and bringing Luke back won't improve that. The show has been creatively bankrupt for long enough that nothing will change. We bemoan this all the time.

Do you mean @Asp Burger's post? I don't think @TeeVee329 talked about Luke.

Me: confused.

[statsgirl]

I think much of the problem with Luke's latter years was that they let TG and his ego dictate too much of Luke's storyline (e.g. marrying Laura held him back). Ditto for MB and SBu.

It's a striking contrast to how they wouldn't accommodate 3 months off for Antoine to star in her own show.

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Do you mean @Asp Burger's post? I don't think @TeeVee329 talked about Luke.

I do; brain fart. 

[jsbt]

GH just gonna keep filming til Mo, Roger or McBain coughing up bloody sputum on-camera, huh

ETA: No

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by jsbt

[ByaNose]

They tape enough ahead so they’ll be fine. Heck! Days could stop taping for the year and be fine. I’m am curious exactly how far ahead they are though, back in the day it was 2 weeks to a month. Now, GH goes dark a lot and takes breaks so I don’t know what’s in their vault. 

[dubbel zout]

GH tapes 6 to 8 weeks ahead, I think, so depending on how things go, there might be a lag when things restart.

[statsgirl]

Switzerland and other European countries are expecting the outbreak to peak in May so there may not be enough.

[jsbt]

18 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

They tape enough ahead so they’ll be fine. 

No, they won't.

[dubbel zout]

Ironically, with more people WFH, viewers could increase, especially where the show airs at 1 p.m.

[Gam2]

After watching today’s show with Harmony and Jordan, I have lost interest in GH. Boring!!

[Auntie Velvet]

10 hours ago, statsgirl said:

I think much of the problem with Luke's latter years was that they let TG and his ego dictate too much of Luke's storyline (e.g. marrying Laura held him back). Ditto for MB and SBu.

 In retrospect I think the other underlying issue was TG's back problems.

It's really striking to look at older clips and see how agile and lively he was until -- at some point Luke just seemed to freeze up from the inside out in terms of how he moved and emoted.

We know now that TG was in pain, but the effect was a Luke who just didn't care enough about anyone or anything to have much of a reaction, ever.

His back issues also screwed over the charcter in terms of TG's extended health leave. The SL was building up to reval that "evil Luke" was actually his evil twin cousin -- before the medical leave. But enough people had guesed that to piss off Ron C.m so the big reveal became that all these years Luke had a split personality so severe that he basically planned to just kill his whole family.

I know you guys remember all this. I'm just ranting 😉 

[Tenshinhan]

21 hours ago, Ambrosefolly said:

As someone who is indian, there are more minorities besides black and white.Though, they could bring back Maya Ward, since her and Brook Lynn got along.

I'm aware that there are other groups of minorities that the show could definitely use more of.  However, I was referring to the show continuing to cast lighter-skinned Black actors over darker-skinned Black actors.  Maya Ward was a decent character who I wouldn't mind seeing return, but she was light-skinned.

Edited March 14, 2020 by Tenshinhan

[ouinason]

Honestly, GH fails at all levels of diversity, despite their token characters.  If you aren't white, straight, able bodied and lovely, they aren't that interested in casting you.  And, if they need someone of mixed or POC skew for a role, they get the closest to white they can get.  One transgendered woman on the show isn't exactly diverse casting, and the execs really don't care.  

 

Take their gay couple.  They are the only gay people on the show since they got rid of the only other one.  They barely exist, and they do NOT have the same treatment as other couples on the show do.  Compare that with DAYS which is an EXTREMELY shitty show, but they have gay guys rotating in and out of there as spoilers for the main gay couple, who cheat, lie, divorce, remarry, have amnesia, come back from the dead... all the stuff the other couples do, and they are a MAIN couple on the show.  Lucas is a legacy character, being born on the show and having 20+ years of history since birth, this is true.  Meanwhile, Sonny and Will are both legacies and both have strong and very visible ties to canvas.  Lucas and Brad could easily be lifted from GH and there would be no impact.  Sonny and Will being gone from the show (or even just Will when he was dead) severely impacted story and caused a big problem for fans.

 

You guys covered the POC problem.  There have been 2 Asian characters on this show in the last 15 years.

 

I would discuss Persons with Disabilities on the show, but...... 

[BlancheDevoreaux]

I'm in agreement with anything that gets more Curtis screen time.

[ouinason]

3 hours ago, BlancheDevoreaux said:

I'm in agreement with anything that gets more Curtis screen time.

Preferably without Jordan, cause she sucks.  I am gutted that they saddled such a good performer with such a low energy and chemistry free partner.  

[lb60]

20 hours ago, ouinason said:

Compare that with DAYS which is an EXTREMELY shitty show.....

As a Days watcher, I found this comment extremely hilarious.

And pretty much on point. Once in a great while, they come up with something decent like Friday's cliffhanger.

Thanks for the laugh!

On 3/13/2020 at 1:48 AM, 30 Helens said:

Now we’re just stuck with a pair of emoting eyebrows.

Those things really are distracting.

[30 Helens]

23 hours ago, ouinason said:

One transgendered woman on the show isn't exactly diverse casting, 

Is she still on? (And was she ever, really? I bet she’s had no more than 20 minutes of screen time, cumulative.)

[mbluecpa]

Clickbait headline suggested KA was returning but alas it was only for a visit to the set. No filming.

https://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2020/0312-kristen_alderson_back_at_gh.php

[dubbel zout]

Thank Jasus!

[Asp Burger]

A recent piece on William Lipton...

http://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/entertainment/william-lipton-talks-general-hospital-and-east-coast-fan-events/article/568536

...and something sweet from his social media.

[dubbel zout]

Awww. He’s right, of course. I bet BH helps him a lot.

I bet the fan events are canceled, which is probably a bummer for him as a newbie.

[30 Helens]

I read GH has suspended production for about a month. Supposebly (TM Joey Tribbiani) this will not cause a break in air dates. 

[Sake614]

50 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

I read GH has suspended production for about a month. Supposebly (TM Joey Tribbiani) this will not cause a break in air dates. 

All soaps, and most of Hollywood, has suspended production for at least a month. But I think GH tapes 6-8 weeks in advance. And with all the pre-emptions, they likely have enough for an extra few weeks after that. 

On 3/15/2020 at 2:34 PM, mbluecpa said:

Clickbait headline suggested KA was returning but alas it was only for a visit to the set. No filming.

https://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2020/0312-kristen_alderson_back_at_gh.php

 

And a collective sigh of relief could be heard across the land 🙂

Edited March 17, 2020 by Sake614

[jsbt]

Hot take: Not only should GH do an AMC/OLTL 2.0-style time jump and use this opportunity to cut much of the cast and revamp, they should also consider doing podcasted serialized/limited stories via ABC - a viral outbreak story, like some of their best, going back to Lassa Fever. We're going back to GL basics.

[dubbel zout]

Dare to dream, @jsbt! They'll never revamp the stories that most desperately need it, e.g., Sonny and his idiotic mob crap. And the deadwood characters cut would be ones like Lucas (who?), someone already completely written out of his own story. They'll bring people like Valerie (who?) back only to kill her off, which is pointless.

I have no illusions whatsoever that this hiatus will bring about any improvements.

[jsbt]

I didn't say it would, just that it should.

[dubbel zout]

I doubt any inkling of change is on the table, alas.

[KittenPokerCheater]

If they can't resume taping, maybe they will show "best of" storylines from the 80s/90s....

[dubbel zout]

They won't. They never do.

[YaddaYadda]

4 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

If they can't resume taping, maybe they will show "best of" storylines from the 80s/90s....

To remind long time viewers and new ones that the show used to be good?

[jsbt]

 

[statsgirl]

Yikes!

Quote

Called my doctor. Had a Skype att with them and they said because I didn’t hit all the symptoms laid out by the CDC, they could not test me. Then last night came the chest pain and shortness of breath. I went to the ER today where they again refused to test me because I’m young and there are very few tests to go around. The doctor said I ‘probably have’ but because of my age and overall health otherwise, I should continue to self isolate.

Snipped. There's more.

Poor kid. Sounds scary.

[Amtosbm]

I found this article in y news feed. No idea of the date. It mentions all soaps but I thought the GH ones were the most juicy so posting it here if anyone is interested!

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/sex-death-in-the-afternoon-an-oral-history-of-the-american-soap-opera?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[ThatGreyCat]

Thanks!  That was a very fun read.  

[jsbt]

Quote

Kimberly McCullough: I remember one time Jack Wagner and [then-wife] Kristina were doing a love scene, and he didn’t want to get out of bed because he was actually naked. He took the bottle of Champagne they were supposed to be drinking, pulled it under the covers and peed in it. He did stuff like that all the time, and (Kristina) was like, “Jack, oh my God, stop it!”

Tristan Rogers: When Liz came on the show, I had a one-on-one scene with her. She had all the dialogue down, a total pro. She walks on with a drink in her hand, and I’ve got my prop drink. I said, “What did they give you to drink?” She said, “Some of that stuff there.” Piled against one wall was all this pink Dom Perignon. She said, “You want a hit? Drain it!” I drained it, thanks. So we’re having our own little fun. Gloria Monty comes out onto the set. Of course she wasn’t going to chew Elizabeth out, so she said to me, “Tristan, this is a professional show, you’re wasting our time.” Liz turned to her and said, “Who do you think you’re talking to?” I had close-ups of the back of my shoes for about a month.

This, along with bite-sized scenes scripted for rapid editing, is the heart of many problems, esp at GH and late OLTL:

 

Bill Hayes: When Susan and I started out in this business, we read through every episode the night before, staged it, timed it, rehearsed it, and the next morning started again. Then we rehearsed for the cameraman, had a dress rehearsal, notes, and then we did the taping.

Susan Hayes: Today, your blocking rehearsal is “Cross to his elbow, and then leave the room. Got it, thanks. Moving on.”

Just click the above closed tab bc the quoting system on PTV is fucking abominable

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by jsbt

[spinxella]

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by spinxella

[DanaMB]

6 hours ago, spinxella said:

 

I just can’t stand her. She admits in a later tweet she hadn’t thought about this in 20 years. I’m not defending his actions, just think it’s crass to tweet this the same day he died. 

[WendyCR72]

I was once a huge fan of NLG, going all the way back to her Santa Barbara days, but the more I see of her on Twitter, the less respect I have for her. Whatever John Callahan's issues, a daughter has JUST lost her father. It's BEYOND bad taste to bring this shit up.

Even worse when you consider the man is not here anymore to defend himself.

I just...what the hell is the matter with her?!

As an aside, I know John Callahan is now remembered more for his AMC role, but his Craig Hunt on Santa Barbara (pre-AMC/Edmund Grey, obviously!) smoldered. And sadly ironic is that his character was once in a triangle with Roscoe Born's Robert Barr for the affections of Kelly Capwell, and now both men are gone.  😞