GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[jsbt]

I think Luke and Tracy was successful, in the early years. It was smart to put Luke with the anti-Laura. But it also became a repetitious slog due to some of the writing, and it never, ever became what TG wanted it to be, which is equal to his past.

[ulkis]

I actually do remember seeing posts three or four years back about how superior Ron was to Marland, although I may have just eaten some bad chicken earlier that day...

 

I really hope it was bad chicken, otherwise I can't deal. And I actually haven't seen any of Marland's stuff, but I just have this crazy feeling he was a better writer than Ron.

I just don't believe, and never will, that TG has that much power. 

 

I didn't really believe it until he started having Luke drink against the script, even though the writers made a very specific effort for about a year to show Luke wasn't drinking anymore. I do agree with you that it was ultimately up to the writers to put their foot down, but imo Geary definitely had a certain amount of power.

[MSquared]

 

And I actually haven't seen any of Marland's stuff, but I just have this crazy feeling he was a better writer than Ron.

 

I've never personally seen anything of Marland's but from reading his Rules, he was 1000x the writer Ronnie Boy is or ever will be.

 

And they are (with my comment in the parentheses):

 

How Not To Wreck A Show

* Watch the show. (I don't care if he swore on the Bible, Ron has never shown has ever watched General Hospital beyond the LnL glory days.)

 

* Learn the history of the show. You would be surprised at the ideas that you can get from the back story of your characters.(Haaaa!  Yeah, GH history.  Ron doesn't care about it, even if HE wrote it!)

 

* Read the fan mail. The very characters that are not thrilling to you may be the audience's favorites.(-Oh, who cares about Monica/Tracy/ Robin/Patrick et al when you have the likes of Franco/Nina/Nate/Dr. O?- XO Ron)

 

* Be objective. When I came in to ATWT, the first thing I said was, what is pleasing the audience? You have to put your own personal likes and dislikes aside and develop the characters that the audience wants to see.(-But the audience's favorites are the SAME as my favorites! XOXO Ron)

 

* Talk to everyone; writers and actors especially. There may be something in a character's history that will work beautifully for you, and who would know better than the actor who has been playing the role?(See the last few above.)

 

* Don't change a core character. You can certainly give them edges they didn't have before, or give them a logical reason to change their behavior. But when the audience says, "He would never do that," then you have failed.(Oh, like turning Lulu into a baby mad woman?  Or having it be OK that Anna doesn't show concern that her daughter hasn't made contact with her for MONTHS?)

 

* Build new characters slowly. Everyone knows that it takes six months to a year for an audience to care about a new character. Tie them in to existing characters. Don't shove them down the viewers' throats.(Like Nina?  Or Silas? Or Ava?  No, none of them were shoved down the throats of the GH viewers.)

 

* If you feel staff changes are in order, look within the organization first. P&G [Procter & Gamble] does a lot of promoting from within. Almost all of our producers worked their way up from staff positions, and that means they know the show.(Like, say, firing the entire writing staff in favor of the crew from your last show?  Save for one writer.)

 

* Don't fire anyone for six months. I feel very deeply that you should look at the show's canvas before you do anything.(And after six months, if something isn't working, yes, you are allowed allowed to cut the dead weight, no matter how much you want to show up another outfit.  Keeping said dead weight will become an albatross if you are egomaniac enough.)

 

* Good soap opera is good storytelling. It's very simple.(With Ron, there is no good soap opera, because there is not good storytelling, mainly for the reason he keeps  NOTHING SIMPLE!)

 

Man, I enjoyed this rant!

[jsbt]

I have never seen anyone say Ron Carlivati was superior to Doug Marland. I've seen the comparison in terms of saving a show, but I think even that is a bit threadbare. He did save OLTL, for a time, and he and Frank did save GH from the axe, but at no point was he Marland's equal.

[kristabell]

I have never seen anyone say Ron Carlivati was superior to Doug Marland. I've seen the comparison in terms of saving a show, but I think even that is a bit threadbare. He did save OLTL, for a time, and he and Frank did save GH from the axe, but at no point was he Marland's equal.

Yeah, I'm not sure when the Emperor's New Clothes stuff started with FV/RC, but they and the "soap press" have bought their own hype for far too long. And, honestly, I think it's FV's budget abilities that "saved" both shows, not RC's writing.

[Tiger]

For the week of Jun 8th, GH tied its all time low in 18-49 households for a record 8th week in a row.

Bwahahahahahahahaha . . .

[OnceSane]

It doesn't surprise me, but GH will continue to enjoy a stay of execution until ABC finds a replacement people will actually watch.

[Harmony233]

Douglas Marland was a great writer him and GM didnt have the same ideas though.I think hes the one who created Bobbie and Luke.

[IWantCandy71]

For the week of Jun 8th, GH tied its all time low in 18-49 households for a record 8th week in a row.

Bwahahahahahahahaha . . .

But the overall ratings went up a bit.

I personally am enjoying the ELQ storyline and I like Dillon's return.The jury's still out on how I feel about Sam/Tracy/Sabrina, right now however I'm just glad we've seen the Quartermaine mansion every day this week.

That would have NEVER happened under Guza.

I'm not too interested in anything else going on right now, though.

Edited June 21, 2015 by IWantCandy71

[LegalParrot81]

 

Douglas Marland was a great writer him and GM didnt have the same ideas though.I think hes the one who created Bobbie and Luke.

 

As well as the Quartermaines, beginning with Alan in '77 and Lila, Edward and Tracy in the late '78.

[UYI]

Douglas Marland was a great writer him and GM didnt have the same ideas though.I think hes the one who created Bobbie and Luke.

 

He was. I know that Luke & Laura weren't meant to become a couple at all, but he DID want to tell a story with them--he just wanted to tell a slower story with more buildup, which GM disagreed with; he wanted to pay more attention to Scott & Laura for the time being. I can't remember what interview he said it in, but he was quoted as saying that, although Luke WOULD have been an interloper in Scott & Laura's relationship, it was the latter couple who would have wound up together. (Of course, he was not one to pass up on chemistry if he saw it, so L&L could have still happened under his pen.)

 

And, for the record, he also made it perfectly clear that he would have NEVER had Luke rape Laura. Pat Falken Smith (a woman) is the one who wrote that story. I think she was also the one who married Bill & Laura on DAYS, despite the fact that he had raped her several years before, which resulted in their son. 

Edited June 21, 2015 by UYI

[KerleyQ]

I actually do remember seeing posts three or four years back about how superior Ron was to Marland, although I may have just eaten some bad chicken earlier that day...

 

I assume that, whether it was you thinking you read it or someone actually writing it, a severe fever dream had to be involved.  Or Ron wrote it. 

 

It could have been successful if the writers hadn't had Luke constantly taking advantage of Tracy and Tracy putting up with it. It's hard to root for a couple where things are so unequal.

 

I think they were successful in the beginning (well, sans the whole way that relationship began).  But it went south, like so much that starts out promising ends up doing on this show.  It's really been degrading to the character of Tracy while simultaneously trashing Luke into someone it's impossible to root for any longer. 

 

Yeah, I'm not sure when the Emperor's New Clothes stuff started with FV/RC, but they and the "soap press" have bought their own hype for far too long. And, honestly, I think it's FV's budget abilities that "saved" both shows, not RC's writing.

 

I think Ron was actually really, really good at times on OLTL (more before he started buying his own press so much).  Part of that may be because he knows that show much better than he knows GH (despite his professed love of GH).  And there have been some moments on GH where he's been quite good, as well.  The issues, aside from his own ego, are things like poor follow up once he gets to whatever "big moment" he has been building to.  He has a tendency to get laser focused on one story line for a stretch of time, and then he gets distracted by his new shiny toy once he gets the moment he wanted, and he leaves the aftermath dangling while he goes wandering off to his next big moment.  And then, of course, there is his determination that whatever interests him is what interests his audience, and any viewer who dares to feel differently is just a "hater."   Of course, I can't forget the entirely too heavy emphasis he places on things being a surprise, to the point of not having a logical build up to that surprise.  

[Sake614]

Genie did another interview, and sidestepped the question of whether she agrees with Tony that L&L should never reunite. She also talks about what she'd like to see Laura do when Luke is gone, but says (obviously) that it's up to the writers. One interesting tidbit is she hints that they may have someone in mind for her new love interest. Other than Scott, which I seriously hope they never revisit, who else on the show is even in her age range? Ric? sloane? I refuse to even contemplate the other possibility.

http://soapcentral.com/gh/news/2015/0617-francis_iview.php

[Tiger]

I'd be down for Laura & Ric, first because it'd get Ric away from AT LEAST TEN OF US NEVER CARED, and two because I think Rick & Genie could have major chemistry.

[jsbt]

Oh, God, no. IMO there isn't a single man on canvas right now who is viable for Laura (and Luke, well, that's a whole other issue).

Edited June 22, 2015 by jsbt

[Oracle42]

I think Laura has done her time with a damaged man with daddy issues.

[ulkis]

Oh, God, no. IMO there isn't a single man on canvas right now who is viable for Laura (and Luke, well, that's a whole other issue).

Dante/Lulu/Sonny/Laura quad coming up next!

[ulkis]

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-casting-new-role-5

Wonder why they don't give poor Hayley Pullos a contract already

[Sake614]

I was just coming on to post about the new role. Is this new chick supposed to be competition for Molly? Will she interact with Keeks and Morgan? there is no teen set on GH except for Molly and TJ, so I don't even understand this casting unless there's more to come.

[KerleyQ]

Dante/Lulu/Sonny/Laura quad coming up next!

 

My eyes!  My eyes!!!

[TeeVee329]

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-casting-new-role-5

Wonder why they don't give poor Hayley Pullos a contract already

 

Could that finally be Lucy's daughter Christina?

[ulkis]

That's what I'm thinking.

[dubbel zout]

Wonder why they don't give poor Hayley Pullos a contract already

Maybe her parents don't want her locked in? IMO, we see Molly enough, though she's often not in the right story at the right time. But that applies to a bunch of other characters, too.

[UYI]

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-casting-new-role-5

Wonder why they don't give poor Hayley Pullos a contract already

 

Given the outside work she has gotten as a recurring actress on GH, she may not want a contract. 

[ulkis]

I thought that, but she retweeted something a couple months back about someone saying to give her a contract.

[Oracle42]

The Serial Killer and WE NEVER CARED (-2) are expensive and there's no point in giving Alexis's daughter a contract when MW's going to be swallowing all the story for the rest of the summer

Edited June 22, 2015 by Oracle42

[UYI]

Patricia Healy (the original Tammy, who worked at Kelly's) survives fire in her apartment that led to her to jump outside to safety:

 

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/real-life-tragedy-gh-alum

[ulkis]

Wow

[dubbel zout]

So sad about the dog. I'm glad she and her husband are okay.

[Tiger]

Did anyone see "Celebrity Family Feud" last night?

I need The Craig Family, including Kelly T, to face off against The Bechtel Family, including Uncle Frank.

[aA0009]

I just don't believe, and never will, that TG has that much power. And if Frank or anyone else ever bowed to TG if he DID say he didn't want Genie back, that's 100% on them. I think what TG has said is he doesn't want to do LnL again, I don't believe he ever said he didn't want GF as a person back. But again, at any point, TPTB had the authority to tell TG to shut his mouth and take a seat. And if TG didn't like that, well, he should have been reminded the door swings both ways.

 

 I also believe GF is a bit of a passive agressive person in interviews. I think she deliberately makes comments that she knows will stir people up, and there's just no reason for a grown woman to behave like that.  In one recent interview with TV Line (I think is who it was, I have tried to find it after reading some of it and cannot find it) she said how she was all "oh he wants me back?" and she knows darn well those kind of comments stir up crap. She knows saying things like that feeds into the conspiracy and paranoia of some people that TG is out to "get" her. It's all so ridiculous.

I find the whole issue tiring, myself, and I'm just ready for TG to leave so maybe the idiocy will STOP.

 

 

 

I agree but also feel GF is essentially a straight forward outspoken person whose been burnt by her honest comments of a drugged abusive environment in the early L&L era. She probably never got over it and it screwed her up allot. Being passive aggressive might be the only weapon she's got since GH/TG spit her out. Do you remember when Helena Cassadine would call Laura "Frumpa"? what kind of dialogue is that, unless a personal dig at GF's declining beauty by Guza (who didn't like her apparently). maybe that's all they saw in her unlike Geary whose nearly bald, skinny, has a big nose and kinda ugly - but it's OK if he's ugly.

 

After his failure as Bill Eckert Geary told ABC that he couldn't do Luke without Laura. ABC decided that L&L made money and Genie's AMC gig not so much so GF was told to get out of AMC and back to GH to continue the L&L thing. Geary kept his job and GF was miserable going back to GH and I can't blame her even though it resulted in the brilliant Cassadine story.

[IWantCandy71]

A drugged environment? I thought her drug addiction was the early eighties?

Anyway, I just don't pay attention to all of that. I think most of it is rumors/unsubstantiated gossip. I just don't deal in that, if I can help it. There are some rumors I think have merit, and some I don't, but I keep it, for the most part, to myself. I certainly will never believe GF was a victim and only a victim. She totally strikes me as just as capable of slinging the mud and making threats and making demands and having fits, as anyone else.

She's just really good at  PR, and phrases her answers in such a way as to be, as I said, passive agressive. She can get digs in, but you're left wondering, hmmm. Did she avoid that answer on purpose, did she phrase it that way on purpose?

And I could be wrong, but I think I'm a pretty good judge of those things.

Edited June 23, 2015 by IWantCandy71

[ulkis]

I certainly don't think she was solely a victim, but at the end of the day imo it all amounts to they did not want to give her the same perks as Tony Geary. I'd be annoyed and passive aggressive about it too.

Edited June 23, 2015 by ulkis

[peachmangosteen]

Did anyone see "Celebrity Family Feud" last night?

I need The Craig Family, including Kelly T, to face off against The Bechtel Family, including Uncle Frank.

 

LMAO! This is brilliant. 

 

Considering Celebrity Family Feud is on ABC they should have two GH families face off. But the only family with enough on screen members is probably the Corinthos', so never mind.

 

As for GF, I agree that she tends to take some passive aggressive digs in interviews, but considering the shit she's been through with this show I can hardly hold it against her. Plus she usually just comes of kinda snarky to me and I love snarky.

[jennifer6973]

well if they do the scorpio/drake family they would have Mac/Felicia/Maxie/Emma/Patrick

 

against

 

the West Family Madeline/Nina/Liesl/Nathan/Britt

[Dandesun]

As far as I'm concerned, Genie Francis has earned her stripes and can say whatever the hell she wants. I don't find her commentary to be passive aggressive so much as honest.

 

When you have Geary admitting freely that he has bullied, cajoled and manipulated to get his way on the show for YEARS... that's not rumor. That's him saying 'Yes, I did whatever I could to get what I wanted... or didn't want.'

 

Genie actually had success outside of the role of Laura. The same cannot be said for Geary. Yet the show acted like he was the only reason they were a success. It's actually depressingly common for this industry to give the credit to the male and act like the female was lucky she accidentally tripped into the pairing and just hung on for dear life while The Male Star allowed her to bask in his glow. It's bullshit.

 

Team Genie all the way.

[UYI]

 

Genie actually had success outside of the role of Laura. The same cannot be said for Geary. Yet the show acted like he was the only reason they were a success. It's actually depressingly common for this industry to give the credit to the male and act like the female was lucky she accidentally tripped into the pairing and just hung on for dear life while The Male Star allowed her to bask in his glow. It's bullshit.

 

Team Genie all the way.

 

See also: Sonny & Brenda. VM has had some success outside of GH (not to mention a shot in the arm by being friends with Prince/being featured in one of his videos while still on the show). Mo when he was briefly off the show? Not so much. 

Edited June 23, 2015 by UYI

[WendyCR72]

Genie actually had success outside of the role of Laura.

 

North & South, baby! (Obviously, the Civil War epic and not the British version.)

[Tiger]

I would also like to see a GH team of Bryan Craig, Nicholas Bechtel, William deVry, Michelle Stafford, and Ron face off against the casts of View or Chew.

[dubbel zout]

Genie actually had success outside of the role of Laura.

North & South, baby! (Obviously, the Civil War epic and not the British version.)

 

Bare Essence, baby!

[Dandesun]

North & South, baby! (Obviously, the Civil War epic and not the British version.)

 

Oh hells yes. That mini series had everything. I loved Genie as Brett. I loved Billy & Brett (both versions!) Orry Main ruined me for mortal men and they don't make hard core bitches like Ashton anymore. She was a snake but damn if she didn't get stuff done!

[IWantCandy71]

And see, I've always believe Genie has been right up there with Geary, being a demanding diva. Why  is it okay for HER to be outspoken, and not him?

She didn't get the reputation on the set of Days of Our Lives for being a demanding diva for no reason.

And why does anyone have to be successful outside of GH to deserve to get a voice?

Lots of actors at GH are professional. They come to work, they do their jobs, they go home. I don't think GF or TG are that category, and their whining gets on my nerves, and yeah, they both do it.

And NO, I don't think being a successful soap couple thirty years ago means either one should get what they want when they want it, or that they should get free passes to say or do whatever they want.

And I use the passive agressive term because TG just says what he thinks. GF will make veiled comments that if you know enough, you know they are about certain people or things. And that's just cowardly. If you're going to say, SAY IT.

Otherwise, keep your mouth shut, that's my philosophy.

[ulkis]

It's fine that he's outspoken. What's not fine is that she doesn't get the same credit for the success of Luke and Laura that he does. Imo it's why people are harder on him.

[IWantCandy71]

I don't get the vibe that it's fine that he's outspoken at all. I've in fact read quite a few comments along the lines of "Geary should just shut his mouth and give LnL their happy ending," etc.

Notice that in several interviews already, the interviewer makes a point of mentioning that when asked what SHE thinks of LnL reuniting, GF will say "well Tony doesn't want to do it", etc.

First off, that's a non answer. Hence my passive agressive label. She wants to put all the blame on Tony.  She doesn't want LnL any more than he does. She suggested other pairings for Laura while TG was on the show. She made references to wanting to get past LnL in her early post GH years.  Yet I've never, ever heard her be bashed for that. But TG gets bashed all the time for not wanting LnL and being vocal about it. Just because GF is, as I said, good at PR and is NOT as vocal about it.....anyway.

I think the whole TG/GF thing is a complete double standard.

And as far as not getting the same perks as him, etc. I'll concede that's not fair, but again. That doesn't just entitle her to say or do anything she wants.

[dubbel zout]

I don't get the vibe that it's fine that he's outspoken at all. I've in fact read quite a few comments along the lines of "Geary should just shut his mouth and give LnL their happy ending," etc.

He's entitled to his opinion as much as I'm entitled to dislike said opinion and want him to STFU.

[ulkis]

I don't get the vibe that it's fine that he's outspoken at all. I've in fact read quite a few comments along the lines of "Geary should just shut his mouth and give LnL their happy ending," etc.

Notice that in several interviews already, the interviewer makes a point of mentioning that when asked what SHE thinks of LnL reuniting, GF will say "well Tony doesn't want to do it", etc.

First off, that's a non answer. Hence my passive agressive label. She wants to put all the blame on Tony.  She doesn't want LnL any more than he does. She suggested other pairings for Laura while TG was on the show. She made references to wanting to get past LnL in her early post GH years.  Yet I've never, ever heard her be bashed for that. But TG gets bashed all the time for not wanting LnL and being vocal about it. Just because GF is, as I said, good at PR and is NOT as vocal about it.....anyway.

I think the whole TG/GF thing is a complete double standard.

And as far as not getting the same perks as him, etc. I'll concede that's not fair, but again. That doesn't just entitle her to say or do anything she wants.

 

I agree there. You're right, there is a double standard. But Tony Geary has gotten his way on the show and made Luke worse and worse for 15 years. It makes me not give him the benefit of the doubt, admittedly. Also the fact that he's ben so condescending about not wanting spoonfeed fans over the years.Genie may be a touch snotty, I don't know, but I've never heard her actively condescend like he has toward fans in interviews. Makes me biased.

[jsbt]

As far as I'm concerned, Genie Francis has earned her stripes and can say whatever the hell she wants.

 

The thing we also sometimes forget is: Genie has been working this show since she was, what, 17? 16? 15? She started before Geary. She was a child actress. She got hooked on coke and God knows what else on that set and she always delivered, and she grew into an adult actress and could still command and demand a massive following that was a huge part of what helped save that show from the axe in the late '70s.

 

Not namin' no names, but I think we can think of a couple other child stars on soaps who cannot say the same! Genie gave her youth to this show.

[ulkis]

The thing we also sometimes forget is: Genie has been working this show since she was, what, 17? 16? 15? She started before Geary. She was a child actress. She got hooked on coke and God knows what else on that set and she always delivered, and she grew into an adult actress and could still command and demand a massive following that was a huge part of what helped save that show from the axe in the late '70s.

 

Not namin' no names, but I think we can think of a couple other child stars on soaps who cannot say the same! Genie gave her youth to this show.

 

14, I believe, actually. She started in 1976.

Edited June 23, 2015 by ulkis

[jsbt]

14, I believe, actually. She started in 1976.

 

Jeez! Okay.

[UYI]

Not only that, but she went from being a typical soap kid--on only for a few throwaway scenes a few times a week when she started (and replaced another child actress--she's actually a recast)--to Gloria Monty telling her father, noted character Ivor Francis, that she wanted to use Genie to build up their after school audience, which meant that she had much more to work with than she ever had before that. And well, we know how much the audience grew after that happened. Genie has talked so much about how she had to give up going to high school for the show; I think a part of her still regrets not having that experience--Laura's first kiss with Scott was her first kiss period. I think Kin Shriner was her first boyfriend ever. (Which kind of skeeves me out, tbh, no matter how cute he was then, heh--she was still underage at the time, and he was quoted in a magazine once about how he memorized her birthday, because he was waiting until she was 18. I love Kin, but ew.)

 

And that's not even going into the drug use. Didn't she have an eating disorder at the time, too? Maybe bulimia? 

Edited June 23, 2015 by UYI