GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[magnolia11]

I'm just grateful NB didn't show up in yesterday's episode as little Bobbie's friend or something.  I was kind of girding myself for it.

[KerleyQ]

I'm just grateful NB didn't show up in yesterday's episode as little Bobbie's friend or something.  I was kind of girding myself for it.

 

And now I'm ridiculously grateful that Luke was too old at the time of these events for NB to play young Luke. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'm hoping Dominic and/or Kelly try to slip in a "fuck" if they're on on those days, heh.

Poor ulkis.  Even if he does manage to do that, ABC has a 10 second delay, and it will probably be bleeped out.  On the days The View is live, many a time, words that shouldn't be bleeped are. Like "Penis" and "vagina", and one time the f-bomb was dropped, but it was bleeped out.

[ulkis]

Can KeMo do her live stuff with her hair in rollers and her sunglasses on? Please make this happen.

 

I'm thinking for once instead of empty air in everyone's coffee cups, there will be a wee bit of liquid courage to help them out. :)

 

(And no, not just Kelly's cup, it's not a dig at her. Although I'd be lying if her name didn't make me think that everyone might want shot or two that day before they go on set.)

[TeeVee329]

I'm just grateful NB didn't show up in yesterday's episode as little Bobbie's friend or something.  I was kind of girding myself for it.

 

I'm surprised they didn't dye Wig!Luke's wig red and stick it on him so he could play Bobbie.

Edited April 2, 2015 by TeeVee329

[ulkis]

Poor ulkis.  Even if he does manage to do that, ABC has a 10 second delay, and it will probably be bleeped out.  On the days The View is live, many a time, words that shouldn't be bleeped are. Like "Penis" and "vagina", and one time the f-bomb was dropped, but it was bleeped out.

 

bleeping is fine! :)

[OnceSane]

GH is going to have a May sweeps stunt on May 15th and 18th - they're airing live.

This is going to be awful…in the best and worst ways.

[HeatLifer]

I'm thinking for once instead of empty air in everyone's coffee cups, there will be a wee bit of liquid courage to help them out. :)

(And no, not just Kelly's cup, it's not a dig at her. Although I'd be lying if her name didn't make me think that everyone might want shot or two that day before they go on set.)

I take a shot before I watch the show, so I wouldn't blame them. ;)

[tvgoddess]

Sounds like TC will be one of the live ones:

 

Tyler Christopher ‏@Tyler2929  45m45 minutes ago

Best dust off my theatre chops for #ghlive. Everyone will be great! #GH

 

 

Unless he's just assuming. I want a cast list for these, stat!

[SlovakPrincess]

I don't suppose it will ever occur to the show runners that the way to raise ratings might just be stories that don't depress / infuriate a lot of people?

[ulkis]

I think they already think they're doing that. "We're giving them Franco and Nina! What more do they WANT?"

 

I gotta say, if they put Bryan Craig on that day, I might have to propose a drinking contest in which you take a shot every time he says "kay" or "like". He already has a bit of trouble remembering his lines on tape, imo.

Edited April 2, 2015 by ulkis

[TeeVee329]

I wonder if they'll try and center it around one big event where everyone's mostly in one place.  Given that it's Friday and then Monday, I assume there's some big cliffhanger involved.

[SlovakPrincess]

I think they already think they're doing that. "We're giving them Franco and Nina! What more do they WANT?"

Hee. I just want a show where the assholes don't keep coming out ahead while the halfway decent people just constantly lose out or get ignored by the writers.

Also, I really, really miss the days when a villain would get killed or actually be sent off to prison for good.

[UYI]

 

I'm thinking for once instead of empty air in everyone's coffee cups, there will be a wee bit of liquid courage to help them out. :)

 

(And no, not just Kelly's cup, it's not a dig at her. Although I'd be lying if her name didn't make me think that everyone might want shot or two that day before they go on set.)

 

This, I would be okay with. I'm also sort of looking forward to seeing her drunk off her ass and threatening to flash the audience again at the Emmys this year. ;)

 

They're apparently doing two live shows a day. When OLTL did this, they did one live show, and rebroadcasted that on the West Coast. I figured that would be the safer choice here, too. 

[Tiger]

 

I gotta say, if they put Bryan Craig on that day, I might have to propose a drinking contest in which you take a shot every time he says "kay" or "like".

Half of the posters here at going to die of alcohol poisoning.

I wonder if they'll try and center it around one big event where everyone's mostly in one place.  Given that it's Friday and then Monday, I assume there's some big cliffhanger involved.

Logistically wouldn't everything have to take place on one set?

[TeeVee329]

Logistically wouldn't everything have to take place on one set?

 

The OLTL Live Week had scenes on a bunch of sets, even some on location.  Ditto the British soaps when they've done this, it's not just one set.

[Chairperson Meow]

Please let Mo have a long scene with Roger Howarth so that Roger Howarth can do the thing he does where he interrupts Mo forgetting his lines. And then can we have a Chad Duell scene after to cleanse ourselves? And for the love of Jasus, no Kiki.

[TeeVee329]

I wonder if Olivia will go into labor/have the baby during a live episode.  That's been a staple of the live episodes on the British soaps.

[ulkis]

I wonder if Olivia will go into labor/have the baby during a live episode.  That's been a staple of the live episodes on the British soaps.

 

If she does - and the baby is not premature - is that the shortest "full term" pregnancy on GH ever, heh?

[LeftPhalange]

I don't suppose it will ever occur to the show runners that the way to raise ratings might just be stories that don't depress / infuriate a lot of people?

 

Don't be silly. 

[dubbel zout]

Can KeMo do her live stuff with her hair in rollers and her sunglasses on?

and

I'm thinking for once instead of empty air in everyone's coffee cups, there will be a wee bit of liquid courage to help them out. :)

 

Can Sam and Liz be hammered? KeMo and BH are both good at that.

 

I wonder if Olivia will go into labor/have the baby during a live episode.

 

I think LiLoC goes on maternity leave before that. She said she'd be really close to her due date for the Emmy ceremony (April 24), and the live eps are two weeks later.

Edited April 2, 2015 by dubbel zout

[tvgoddess]

I wonder if Olivia will go into labor/have the baby during a live episode.  That's been a staple of the live episodes on the British soaps.

 

LLC tweeted something about how funny would it be if her water broke live on camera. 

[jsbt]

Hoo boy! I am all about this. I support it wholeheartedly. I loved Live Week on OLTL and thought it should have been an annual event every year. Successful or not, this is gonna be a blast. I think they'll probably pull it off, though honestly with the increasingly slapdash production model at GH under Frank I have some doubts. Especially since I think they will be eager to showcase their big favorites, and I'm not exactly convinced Nicolas Bechtel is ready to do it live.

Gotcha -- thanks! I had forgotten it was a whole week. I've conflated all the episodes down to one episode in my mind.  The one scene where someone completely forgot their lines and their screen partner had to bail them out sticks in my mind, along with the scene with Hillary B. Smith in Central Park. 

 

Florencia Lozano (Téa) - she bailed out Patricia Mauceri as Carlotta, IIRC. I don't remember any other mishap, and Florencia covered pretty well. I do remember HBS saying they had to, like, run downtown to do that remote. It was honestly a pointless sequence in a bad story, but it showed off the city nicely. I don't remember the whispered swearing or the people waiting for their cues.

Roger was still on OLTL in 2002 during Live Week, and he did fine. Of course, he was mostly in serious scenes, but still, he kept it under control, from what I remember. 

 

He was fine - I mean, he was raked over the coals by some of us for not giving KDP much in their big scenes about their son, but that was part and parcel for his usual in those days. He came to work and did his thing, and looking at it today I don't think he was too bad. He was just doing what he did everyday, full-on Cute Todd at a really inappropriate point in the story. He didn't go rogue when they went live, really, anymore than he does. But today, on Frank's speed-run GH, playing serial killer Franco? I think all bets are off. And if not for him then definitely for Michelle Stafford.

Edited April 2, 2015 by jsbt

[MSquared]

TV Line's article on the live episodes raised an interesting point - why all the pomp and circumstances for year 52?

 

http://tvline.com/2015/04/02/general-hospital-to-go-live-in-may/

 

Because they need to start pumping up the rating if they're going to get any more renewals is probably Frank's thought process.  So, all the gimmicks are part of that.  

[jsbt]

Because they need to start pumping up the rating if they're going to get any more renewals is probably Frank's thought process.  So, all the gimmicks are part of that.  

 

Exactly. The thing is, I don't disagree in theory, but I think they'd have a much better shot if they stopped, I don't know, focusing on horrible stories or people only they like. Or trying to drag the Jason amnesia story across every sweeps period of the year. You can use him without stretching this to the breaking point.

Edited April 2, 2015 by jsbt

[ulkis]

I think it's a good gimmick. And I think it will be fun for any of the actors who aren't too wrapped in their egos and/or are still interested in acting outside of GH.

[WendyCR72]

Live episodes. Lord. But hey, if/when mistakes may occur, maybe there will be some unintentional comedy out of it, thus a bit entertaining.

[TeeVee329]

I think it's a good gimmick. And I think it will be fun for any of the actors who aren't too wrapped in their egos and/or are still interested in acting outside of GH.

 

Oh I definitely agree, it will be fun.  It's just that they seem to have gone for gimmicks a few times in the last couple of months, that's all.

[Francie]

I tend to think that FV and RC would love it if something drastically went wrong so that they'd get free press for it.

 

Why do I imagine it will include a promo that says that "Not one (show shirtless Dante), not two (Patrick), not three (Sean), not four (Julian), not five (Lucas), but six (Nathan) of Daytimes' hottest actors will be wearing a towel.  And nothing else.  Tune in to see if anything drops. (Cue scene of Sloane's towel dropping) Anything can happen .... LIVE" 

 

Of course nothing will happen but a few flubbed lines here and there.

 

In fact talking about it possibly being a train wreck is exactly what they want.  My God, Frank and Ron are now toddlers who are best ignored so that they'll stop acting up.  

 

Because they need to start pumping up the rating if they're going to get any more renewals is probably Frank's thought process.  So, all the gimmicks are part of that.

 

And here all I want is my favorite on, in a storyline, 3 days a week.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Francie

[kristabell]

GH is going to have a May sweeps stunt on May 15th and 18th - they're airing live.

Gee, where have I seen this before, I don't know about 13 years ago on the same network?

[ch1]

And, as far as NB and "the question," I think the bigger question is, Who told him to ask it? A kid his age wouldn't think that up on his own. Somebody should go after the adult who fed it to him and supervise all future (if any) contact he or she might have with the kid.

 

 

This is why I think his parents just see him as meal ticket.  Where are they to supervise him and those around him in the business?  The only chance this kid has of growing up with any normalcy is a family that gives a shit about him.

[ulkis]

Oh, I think his parents care about him. If anything, she seems like a typical over-the-top stage mom, where they think their cute kid is 10 times more amazing than they actually are.

 

By the way, the mom has been known to prowl social media and argue with fans, so, you know, just don't say anything you might not be prepared to defend to her "face".

Edited April 2, 2015 by ulkis

[peachmangosteen]

Can Sam and Liz be hammered? KeMo and BH are both good at that.

 

BH doing Drunk!Liz live would be so amazing. Make it happen, Ron!

[OnceSane]

BH doing Drunk!Liz live would be so amazing. Make it happen, Ron!

GNO at Jake's with Sam? Maxie and Lulu can come too. And Carly can walk in and have the sads that she wasnt invited.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Live episodes. Lord. But hey, if/when mistakes may occur, maybe there will be some unintentional comedy out of it, thus a bit entertaining.

 

I've got visions of Soapdish dancing in my head, ya'll.

[Kitty Redstone]

If you ever want to know why soaps are so bad right now, this is the person who has the ear of, and gets to interview, the head writer:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBd8cxpuX-g&feature=youtu.be

 

OH MY GOD!  So funny.  I love his take on Jason as the big dumb one that saves people.

[LeftPhalange]

By the way, the mom has been known to prowl social media and argue with fans, so, you know, just don't say anything you might not be prepared to defend to her "face".

 

Is she related to Ron?

[Sake614]

DC has an interview with Ron where he talks about the Luke story. He still claims FLuke = Bill was a red herring. Newsflash Ron, Geary already outed you!

http://daytimeconfidential.com/2015/04/02/part-two-of-gh52-interview-with-ron-carlivati

[WendyCR72]

I'm not saying Genie is some great thespian, but in addition to two other soaps, she was a recurring character on Murder, She Wrote (as Jessica's niece); was on that horrid yet soapy, short-lived soap, Bare Essence; on Perry Mason: Case of the Killer Kiss, where Stuart Damon, Sean Kanan, and a host of other soap stars appeared...and more recently, in the Notebook movies.

 

How could you forget North & South?  :-) 

 

Still, as much as it sucks that TG rules all, and GF is just a woman (horrors!), I think, even with TG having tantrums, he is unwittingly doing GF a favor by keeping her off of this show.

 

But yeah, I echo that he can STFU anytime now. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

[jsbt]

DC has an interview with Ron where he talks about the Luke story. He still claims FLuke = Bill was a red herring. Newsflash Ron, Geary already outed you!

 

Oh, good grief.

Edited April 3, 2015 by jsbt

[Tiger]

Oh, I think his parents care about him. If anything, she seems like a typical over-the-top stage mom, where they think their cute kid is 10 times more amazing than they actually are.

By the way, the mom has been known to prowl social media and argue with fans, so, you know, just don't say anything you might not be prepared to defend to her "face".

I would gladly "tell" Mama Bechtel to her "face" that IMHO her 10 year old asking a grown woman about her breast implants was extremely inappropriate, and that her kid can't act for shit. I'd also have something to say about that instagram handle.

These are my opinions and I love that here at PTV everyone is allowed to express their opinions and no one tries to shout down or prove others wrong. There is plenty written on this board and others that I disagree with it, but I have respect whoever is expressing it.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Tiger

[LegalParrot81]

A very nice interview with Dee Wallace.

 

http://michaelfairmansoaps.com/news/general-hospitals-dee-wallace-interview-playing-patricia-luke-the-spencer-family-secret-working-with-tony-geary/2015/04/02/

[Box305]

 

I've got visions of Soapdish dancing in my head, ya'll.

 

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Dr. Randall, what a surprise! Are you having lunch here?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] I will if it's that sample. Huh... I wish it was that simple.

Edmund Edwards: [offstage] This guy never heard of contact lenses?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] The test results have come back.

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] And?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] And I'm afraid the results are very disturbing. It seems that Angelique has a rare case of brake fluid...

[pause]

Jeffrey Anderson: Bran... fluid. Bran flavor.

Burton White: What the hell?

David Barnes: [offstage] Brain fever!

Edmund Edwards: [offstage, loudly] Say it!

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Brain fever!

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Yes. Brain fever. Or what we call in Austria...

[they both goggle at the word]

Jeffrey Anderson: Kopfgeschlagen. At the current rate of inflation, her brain will laterally explore the...

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Literally explode?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Exactly, within the next three houses.

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Hours?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Yes, will literally explode within next three hours. I would suggest leaving the restraint.

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Restaurant?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Restaurant, yes.

Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Her brain will actually explode?

Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Yes, yes, I've, um, seen it happen. It's a dreadful, dreadful thug. Thing.

 

Hahahahahahahaha

[ulkis]

I would gladly "tell" Mama Bechtel to her "face" that IMHO her 10 year old asking a grown woman about her breast implants was extremely inappropriate, and that her kid can't act for shit. I'd also have something to say about that instagram handle.

These are my opinions and I love that here at PTV everyone is allowed to express their opinions and no one tries to shout down or prove others wrong. There is plenty written on this board and others that I disagree with it, but I have respect whoever is expressing it.

 

I didn't mean it that the original poster couldn't express it, it was just that, simply a warning that she might actually might pop up to say something. 

[Tiger]

A very nice interview with Dee Wallace.

 

http://michaelfairmansoaps.com/news/general-hospitals-dee-wallace-interview-playing-patricia-luke-the-spencer-family-secret-working-with-tony-geary/2015/04/02/

Dee sounds like a great person and her work as Patricia the last few days was brilliant. I really wish we were getting more of her. I don't understand why they had to kill her off. If Dee was expensive or unavailable, put her in a coma until she could return.

[Oracle42]

Oh please please let Benard and Paevey be on on those days.

 

Get outta me head! That was the very first thought I had when I heard the news

[dubbel zout]

Dee sounds like a great person and her work as Patricia the last few days was brilliant. I really wish we were getting more of her. I don't understand why they had to kill her off. If Dee was expensive or unavailable, put her in a coma until she could return.

 

As much as I enjoyed DW, I'm glad Patricia died. The last thing this show needs is yet another character. We already have Valerie; who knows how long she'll stick around? I also don't want this story dragged out a second longer. We still have the second half to suffer through: Why Luke is a part of the LoD. Zzzzzz. 

[methodwriter85]

I feel sorry for that Spencer actor.  His parents see him as meal ticket.  A kid asking about breast implants is not cute.  They are raising someone who is going to be a - the nicest way I can say it is - snot.

 

He's also 10 and pretty short for his age. I don't think he's going to luck out in a big growth spurt that turns him into a hunk and helps him avoid the awkward stage. Unless GH is still running, he's going to be unemployable by age 15.

 

[Pete Martell]

I tend to think that FV and RC would love it if something drastically went wrong so that they'd get free press for it.

 

Why do I imagine it will include a promo that says that "Not one (show shirtless Dante), not two (Patrick), not three (Sean), not four (Julian), not five (Lucas), but six (Nathan) of Daytimes' hottest actors will be wearing a towel.  And nothing else.  Tune in to see if anything drops. (Cue scene of Sloane's towel dropping) Anything can happen .... LIVE" 

 

Of course nothing will happen but a few flubbed lines here and there.

 

In fact talking about it possibly being a train wreck is exactly what they want.  My God, Frank and Ron are now toddlers who are best ignored so that they'll stop acting up.  

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they have some actors "accidentally" forget a line, or walk into a scene, to try to make sure they get on The Soup (because that's Ron's main goal in life), and because they're deluded enough to think this will get them big publicity. 

 

When Eastenders had their week of live inserts and a full live episode, one of the actors screwed up and called a character by an actor name. This got huge, huge publicity in the UK, to the point where some believed it was staged (I don't think it was - she's not a good enough actress to sell that type of shocked face...).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqrLxcO28zE

 

If Ron heard about that, then I can imagine him assuming the same will happen here. The problem is that Eastenders is still a national institution, even for many who don't watch the show, haven't watched it in decades, never have. GH is the same on one level, because of Luke and Laura, but it's not as close to a public touchstone now as Eastenders still is.

 

The UK soaps have made a lot of mistakes in the last 15 years, many of the same mistakes US soaps made, but one thing I will say is that they all put in a hell of a lot of work on their live episodes. The actors all did their best, and even when there were big screwups (and the first EE live episode had huge screwups, including an actress who forgot an entire key scene, an actor who missed all of his lines, and an actor being caught oncamera putting a finger down his throat and making vomit sounds because he was supposed to be sick offcamera), the fans didn't care, because the cast was trying.

 

I'm sure that some of the cast will try, but I have a feeling many of the shiniest prize ponies, like Howarth, won't (I hope I'm wrong), and it's going to create an awful juxtaposition of so many green actors on this show who will struggle while actors who could do well won't bother.

 

Live episodes need a lot of rehearsal time, and I just don't believe Frank will care about giving them rehearsal time. I wouldn't be surprised if he just has them read scripts oncamera.

 

Live episodes can have such energy and can connect you to a performance, can make you feel electric. The last EE live episode had one of the best performances I've ever seen on a soap, thanks to Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale). And all I can think is that he would never be allowed on a show like GH, because Ron would take one look at him and go, "Ew! He's a fatty!" and because he actually gives a damn about his work in a way Ron and Frank likely resent in actors.

 

Instead of good quality material showing respect for the cast and for this genre, we're probably going to get a lot of "oops" missed lines, and probably some "cute" or "funny" moment where they "almost" have the boy who plays Spencer say a bad word, only to cut away in the nick of time (how shocking! how edgy! etc. etc.) 

 

It will just be one more excuse for Ron to tell the world that he sees soaps and soap fans as a great big joke.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Pete Martell

[jsbt]

Yeah, I do not think a huge portion of this cast is prepared to do it live. The production schedule and rehearsal time has only gotten worse on soaps since 2002, and while the OLTL cast has said FV would occasionally give them extra time and let them work through it when he could, it seems as though the overriding philosophy for him has always been "faster, more intense," on time and under budget. That is part of the unavoidable necessity for soap survival these days no matter what, and I can't fault him for all of that. But I do think a lot of the actors he has hired or chosen to focus on at GH do not know how to handle this kind of grind. I'll be snooty and say I think part of it may also be the NY soaps vs. LA, and the resulting theater training for some actors vs. others. Of course, many of these actors started on the NY soaps.

 

I don't think RH will be a problem here; he's done live soap before with no trouble, and he's also much more chilled out about being on soaps in general today, just comes in and works, more than he did then. The only thing that concerns me is that I think he has absolutely no commitment to the horrid Franco character, I think he's totally disinterested in it (and I would be too) and possibly disgusted by it, there for the paycheck, and just fucks around on their dime because he knows that's all they want him to do now. So maybe this time he'll go rogue, but I doubt it, he's too professional. Michelle Stafford, OTOH, worries me. As does poor Maurice Benard, for different reasons.

Edited April 3, 2015 by jsbt