GH History Lessons: Because History is Always Repeating Itself

[UYI]

 

Wait, so Guza's not the one who created Courtney?

 

No, it was McTavish. Actually, given that JFP's RL daughter is named Courtney ("I LOVE YOU, COURTNEY PHELPS!"), I'll bet you anything she named her herself (same with the Courtney character on AW).

 

She also created Kristina, Alexis' long-lost sister, around the same time. 

 

 

And Courtney died in January or February 2006, right after Spencer was born, didn't she?

Edited September 10, 2014 by UYI

[jsbt]

Wait, so Guza's not the one who created Courtney?

 

No, that was all JFP/Megan McTavish.

 

Courtney is the name of Jill Farren Phelps's beloved daughter, who she often names characters on her shows after and who she dedicated her Emmy to this year. (Her latest Courtney is the creepy porn star cop on Y&R.) When they worked together, Jill and Megan had a yen for adding random siblings - usually sisters - to core characters on their shows. They introduced and frontburnered two or three on GH, including Courtney.

 

Guza supposedly had no use for Courtney when Megan was fired and he resumed control, but Brian Frons had fallen in love with Alicia Leigh Willis and Steve Burton's chemistry based on a few scenes and insisted they put Jason and Courtney together. And a legend was born.

 

ETA: Ah, UYI beat me to it. And yeah, it was 2006.

Edited September 10, 2014 by jsbt

[TeeVee329]

Ah okay.  And weren't there rumors that Sonny's sister was going to turn out to be someone else,  maybe Gia?

[UYI]

Great minds think alike ;) .

 

But you expanded on it, so I still defer to you :) .

 

ETA: You know, it's strange. Both Courtneys on GH and AW ended with tragic deaths. Makes me wonder how JFP REALLY feels about her daughter. (I kid, I kid!)

Edited September 10, 2014 by UYI

[GHScorpiosRule]

And Courtney died in January or February 2006, right after Spencer was born, didn't she?

 

 

I'm thinking it was closer to April, right after RobertFucking!Scorpio showed up. During the Monkey virus thingamabob.

[jsbt]

Please don't defer to me!

IIRC, Michele ValJean may have had the idea to make Gia Sonny's half-sister during the waning Guza days when she was either co-HW or nominal HW after he was first dismissed. I can't recall the details of her position. I do know Gia and Taggert's mother, Florence, had known Sonny back in the neighborhood and was a fun character played by Lynne Moody. I was all for that story, but it didn't happen.

 

Courtney did die in February '06, IIRC, as part of the monkey virus story. Or maybe the tail end in March? Whatever happened, it wasn't what Jill wanted - she had lost most control after Guza returned.

Edited September 10, 2014 by jsbt

[Melgaypet]

Sonny was so disgusting to Janine. And I didn't like her! But, ugh. I hated Courtney and Hulkamania, so very much. It was kind of a pity, because Alicia Leigh Willis (who couldn't act) and Tyler Christopher did have chemistry. More than he had with Natalia Livingston, at any rate. But the way they were written made them impossible to like. (I feel the same about Niz, though I still love Elizabeth, somehow).

 

Speaking of Elizabeth and half-sisters, weren't there rumors back in the 90's that Elizabeth was going to be revealed as either Alexis or Robert's daughter? When she first appeared, they kept making a point of how she didn't fit in her family - the brunette wild child among blonde upstanding citizens.

[Chairperson Meow]

I'm so glad I missed this garbage. I'm sorry, but I think I was watching All My Children then.

[Francie]

Speaking of Elizabeth and half-sisters, weren't there rumors back in the 90's that Elizabeth was going to be revealed as either Alexis or Robert's daughter? When she first appeared, they kept making a point of how she didn't fit in her family - the brunette wild child among blonde upstanding citizens.

 

They were writing a secret child for Alexis, but she was away somewhere (in school in Europe?). Alexis would kiss envelopes and drop them in the mail to her.

 

I never had any sense that Elizabeth was going to be anything other than Jeff Weber's and nameless mom's daughter.  Sure, she was the black sheep of the upstanding do-gooder family, but I saw nothing to indicate that they were trying to say that she wasn't biologically part of the family.

 

Robert was beyond not on a the radar at that time.

[ulkis]

I had no idea Courtney was named after Phelps' daughter. Blerg, makes me dislike her even more in retrospect.

[WendyCR72]

Speaking of Elizabeth and half-sisters, weren't there rumors back in the 90's that Elizabeth was going to be revealed as either Alexis or Robert's daughter? When she first appeared, they kept making a point of how she didn't fit in her family - the brunette wild child among blonde upstanding citizens.

 

No to both, although Rebecca Herbst's character was, as the story goes, meant to tie to Alexis. (But wait, Wendy! That contradicts your no about Alexis!) As the story goes, Rebecca Herbst, when cast on GH, was not cast to play Liz Webber.

 

When Alexis first appeared, she was writing letters to an unknown person and having mysterious calls. In the end, however, this was dropped. Rumor had it Rebecca Herbst was to be cast as Alexis' daughter, and I believe I read her name was going to be Nina. But back when execs had brains, it was decided that since Alexis was brand new, time should be spent on exploring her and not tying her to a kid no one would give a damn about.

 

So the idea to invent a retconned granddaughter for Steve Hardy was born and voila.

 

But Liz/RH was never meant to be tied to Robert at all.

[UYI]

When Becky was interviewed for the special 50th anniversary magazine for GH last year, it was said she originally auditioned for Sarah (along with five or six other girls, all blonde, which she felt a little out of place about), but received a call not long after that the writers at GH (I guess Richard Culliton was HW back then?) had created the role of Liz specifically for her.

 

Random note: Jennifer Sky, the original Sarah, is a dead ringer for Olympic figure skater Tara Lipinski. 

[Melgaypet]

Thanks for answering my Liz question, you guys. I wonder where I got the Robert's daughter idea from? I guess fan speculation at some point.

[jsbt]

IIRC, Miranda, Jax's useless first wife who Richard Culliton introduced and everyone hated, was to be revealed to be a Cassadine. I can't recall if she was to be Alexis's daughter (which, come on, that's a stretch) or what, but I do know they had some sort of daughter thing in the pipeline for Alexis at the time.

 

Guza had apparently also set something up involving Kevin being linked to the Cassadines somehow - maybe he was one too, I can't recall - which is why they took an interest in him when they first returned. Anyway, it did not pan out. I can't recall where Jasmine Island or all that shit is, though. I remember they revealed Nicholas Pryor's character - Kevin's father Victor - to be some sort of secret agent, either on GH proper or on PC, and I just could not follow any of it. And while Pryor was a lovely man and actor, I could not buy his vaguely befuddled, genial character as some sort of spy.

[ulkis]

No, Miranda wasn't a Cassadine, although I think they dropped some hints that made it seem like she was. Neither was Kevin, that was just part of Stefan's elaborate scheme to bankrupt GH.

[Melgaypet]

Miranda! Lord, she was boring. Now that you mention it, though, I do recall several hints that she may have known the Cassadines, or rather they knew her and were somehow interested in her, but it all came to naught since she was written out. Because she was boring.

[dubbel zout]

Miranda had been involved with Mac, too, because everyone in Australia knows one another. 

 

Miranda was deathly boring. Worse than Abby.

[jsbt]

No, Miranda wasn't a Cassadine, although I think they dropped some hints that made it seem like she was. Neither was Kevin, that was just part of Stefan's elaborate scheme to bankrupt GH.

 

I know they had something in mind to make Miranda one of them. Kevin, I have no idea.

[Chairperson Meow]

Miranda irked me because it felt like a cheap copy of Jane Eyre.

GH you are no Jane Eyre.

[Francie]

IIRC, Miranda, Jax's useless first wife who Richard Culliton introduced and everyone hated, was to be revealed to be a Cassadine. I can't recall if she was to be Alexis's daughter (which, come on, that's a stretch) or what, but I do know they had some sort of daughter thing in the pipeline for Alexis at the time.

 

Guza had apparently also set something up involving Kevin being linked to the Cassadines somehow - maybe he was one too, I can't recall - which is why they took an interest in him when they first returned. Anyway, it did not pan out. I can't recall where Jasmine Island or all that shit is, though. I remember they revealed Nicholas Pryor's character - Kevin's father Victor - to be some sort of secret agent, either on GH proper or on PC, and I just could not follow any of it. And while Pryor was a lovely man and actor, I could not buy his vaguely befuddled, genial character as some sort of spy.

Miranda was slated to be a Cassadine, but definitely not Alexis's daughter. That would be like Carly being Alexis's daughter, in terms of the differences in their ages (25 for Miranda; barely 40 at the time for Alexis).

 

When she was first introduced, Miranda had previously had had plastic surgery (though we only saw what she used to look like via a flashback).  She then refused to speak around Helena, because she was afraid Helena would recognize her.  This was all dropped. 

 

Stefan had some plan for Kevin, but we also never learned what that was.  I really would love to know Guza's end game for the storyline that was in play until December 1996, when he left to helm Sunset Beach.

[Harmony233]

I thought the Stefan/Kevin stuff ws dropped because of PC.

[yowsah1]

Miranda was deathly boring. Worse than Abby.

 

What was sad was that the actress actually was fairly capable, she just never got to do anything remotely interesting except show up to screw up Jax's love life.

[TeeVee329]

There were. Bobbie was going to turn nuts over Roy DiLucca and his old flame Melissa - who Jill quickly positioned as the show's instant new star couple - and be shipped off to Ferncliff. Tony Geary stepped in to stop it.

 

Oh lord, I remember that awful Melissa chick, she was the worst.  Didn't she turn out to be doing mercy killings at the hospital?  And she might have tried to kill Edward or something?

 

And then Roy got diverted to Felicia, right?

[ulkis]

Yes and yes and don't remember, but I think so.

Edited September 12, 2014 by ulkis

[WendyCR72]

Not to mention the whole hiring of Jensen Buchanan once more got ABC in hot water as JB, apparently, still had some sort of contract issue with ATWT. I guess she could not air on GH while her character was still on ATWT or something? All I know is, I think she appeared once, ATWT/P&G threw a fit, and the character did not pop back up as a regular until her other character was over and out on ATWT. It was a needless mess, because JB wasn't needed. And bland was her middle name.

[Chairperson Meow]

JB sucked. I only ever liked her during the great Vicky/Ryan/Grant triangle. When Ryan died, my third grade heart was shattered. Shattered. And then I found ABC soaps and never looked back.

Yes, I blame JB and JFP for this.

[WendyCR72]

JB sucked. I only ever liked her during the great Vicky/Ryan/Grant triangle. When Ryan died, my third grade heart was shattered. Shattered. And then I found ABC soaps and never looked back.

Yes, I blame JB and JFP for this.

 

I know Vicky/Ryan were popular, but I NEVER warmed to JB's Vicky. Then there was her whole attitude about playing both twins which led to Marley being marginalized, then written out, then back as originator of both roles, Ellen Wheeler (with Marley having plastic surgery and being a head taller and, naturally, no longer identical).

 

Anne Heche may be cray-cray these days (or was?), but she was great as both twins, and she had a sass and fire that started with EW which JB could never match. AH's Vicky with Ryan, to me, was a lot more interesting!

 

But to keep on topic, yeah. JB was just mediocre, so I didn't get the burning drive to have her on GH and as a nobody at that. She was milquetoast on OLTL long before GH/AW, too. So, to me, it was her and not the roles she played.

[Harmony233]

I had only seen JB Vicky on AW but I did get a chance to see to see AH on runruns that Soapnet ran.She was good.You really felt like Vicky and marley was too different people.

 

One of the worse moments on GH was for me and theres so many lol is when Karen was forced to apologize to sonny.That scene still pisses me off to this day lol.That seemed to be the start of sonny can do no wrong and lets whitewash everything sonny done ect.

[Chairperson Meow]

Yes. She made everything around her boring. All I remember about her being on GH was her wearing beige clothes and this magenta lipstick. Very boring. I think it drove me to Passions.

[Harmony233]

so watching old 2007/2008 clips.Did we ever find out what Logan's big secret was when he was in the military?I can't remember.

[Melgaypet]

The big secret contained in a MILITARY FILE that the MILITARY COULD NEVER FIND OUT ABOUT, OH NOOOOO! That secret?

 

Yeah, I don't remember, either.

[jsbt]

IIRC, the original "Melissa" character that either Guza or Michele ValJean or both had on the books in late 2000 was supposed to be some sort of psychologist or something, possibly involved with Stefan. Bobbie Eakes was being tossed around as being in contention for the role.

 

When Jill took over, all that disappeared. Now, Melissa was played by Jensen Buchanan (and briefly, a very poor Jensen Buchanan facsimile when CBS demanded JB be taken off the air until finishing her run on ATWT) and she and Roy quickly moved to eat the show together in classic JFP fashion.

 

When Melissa was written out as a mad nurse the following year, it was the first major sign that the reign of Jill was over. She would never, ever have done that.

 

AFAIK, the Roy/Felicia subplot was Guza. I thought they were cute together but it was just a D-plot and they dumped them both.

[TeeVee329]

I've been curious if Robin and Helena ever shared scenes and I managed to find this clip of them apparently meeting for the first time:

 

 

ETA...in other news, how did I not know that Helena cursed the Quartermaines?  No wonder they've been dropping like flies lo these many years.

 

Edited September 13, 2014 by TeeVee329

[ulkis]

I've been curious if Robin and Helena ever shared scenes and I managed to find this clip of them apparently meeting for the first time:

 

 

ETA...in other news, how did I not know that Helena cursed the Quartermaines?  No wonder they've been dropping like flies lo these many years.

 

 

lol at Tracy's unimpressed face.

 

Of course dim bulb Emily was the cause of it all. Way to go, Num.

[ElleMo]

 

.Did we ever find out what Logan's big secret was when he was in the military?I can't remember.

The big secret contained in a MILITARY FILE that the MILITARY COULD NEVER FIND OUT ABOUT, OH NOOOOO! That secret?

 

Yeah, I don't remember, either.

It had something to do with fragging an officer. it sticks in my head because I remember Maxie asked what it meant.  Coops explained it meant killing an officer.  I am not sure if he fragged an officer, was involved in a plot or accused of something he didn't do.  I think that third vet they knew brought it up in an argument with Logan in front of Coop and Maxie  -- forgot the vet's name, but he was on Night Shift and was a really cool fleshed out character with PTSD then on GH he became one of Jason's flunkies.  It was during the whole "Departed" storyline, which has the potential to be kind of cool.  Now, did THAT story ever have an ending or did all the Coop/Logan spying for/against the PCPD/ District attorney just fizzle out?

Edited September 13, 2014 by ElleMo

[TeeVee329]

Of course dim bulb Emily was the cause of it all. Way to go, Num.

 

Trying to place this - this is when everyone thought Nikolas was dead, but he had amnesia and got mixed up with that crazy Mary Bishop lady, right?

[Ambrosefolly]

It could be the other time everyone thought he was dead, after Port Charles Hotel fire. 

[ulkis]

It could be the other time everyone thought he was dead, after Port Charles Hotel fire. 

 

It was after the Port Charles Hotel Fire.

[Ambrosefolly]

There were tons of Perils of Pauline storylines with NUm, which was used to drum of sympathy for those two, since they came off as unsympathetic (Zander anyone?).

[jsbt]

Man, I'd forgotten about that Helena/Quartermaines scene. That is harrowing to watch now, because she was right about Luke and Laura and well, what happened to the Qs speaks for itself.

 

Jane Elliot never had better hair on the show than in those days. I still miss that bob. I hate what they have her wearing now from the Susan Flannery/Chairman Mao collection.

[ulkis]

There were tons of Perils of Pauline storylines with NUm, which was used to drum of sympathy for those two, since they came off as unsympathetic (Zander anyone?).

 

I don't think that's why. I think Guza just decided Nem would have a princess/princess theme and as a result there were all these saccharine as you say, Perils of Pauline storyline. (I didn't feel much sympathy or hate for Zander either way, never liked him myself.)

[Ambrosefolly]

It was still pretty shitty how Emily treated Zander though. 

[WendyCR72]

It was still pretty shitty how Emily treated Zander though. 

 

As one who liked screw-up Zander and loved Original Zander/Emily, you'll get no argument from me. And it's why I detested Nik/Emily and danced in glee (okay, not really, but I WAS happy!) when they went belly up.

[dubbel zout]

The big secret contained in a MILITARY FILE that the MILITARY COULD NEVER FIND OUT ABOUT, OH NOOOOO! That secret?

Man, that was hilariously stupid.

 

lol at Tracy's unimpressed face.

 

Helena never could scare Tracy. Hee.

 

Jane Elliot never had better hair on the show than in those days. I still miss that bob. I hate what they have her wearing now from the Susan Flannery/Chairman Mao collection.

 

I loved the bob, too. I don't mind her wardrobe now too much—it's better than what most of the women on the show wear, even if it is a bit heavy on the caftans/mandarin collars.

 

Emily really took a dive once Natalia Livingston took over.

[Harmony233]

Emily really changed with the recast.AT was bratty and tom boyish.NL it seemed she came off more princess and had men falling all over her ect.

[Chairperson Meow]

I never got that. AT was always more of an etheral beauty imo. I think she's like the for real Emily and NL is fake Emily.

[TeeVee329]

Man, I'd forgotten about that Helena/Quartermaines scene. That is harrowing to watch now, because she was right about Luke and Laura and well, what happened to the Qs speaks for itself.

 

Look at all those poor dead or missing Quartermaines!  And the curse must have taken an early hold on Skye given the uggo outfit she's wearing.

[HeatLifer]

As one who liked screw-up Zander and loved Original Zander/Emily, you'll get no argument from me. And it's why I detested Nik/Emily and danced in glee (okay, not really, but I WAS happy!) when they went belly up.

I also really enjoyed Zander/Emily. Even when NL took over the role, I still liked them WAY more than Nem, which is rare for me because I usually don't like recasts in couple's I ship.

 

Even though it was completely cheesy, I freaking ate up that Chad Brannon came back for a scene for Rebecca's exit.

Edited September 13, 2014 by HeatLifer

[jsbt]

I thought NL's Emily had serious chemistry with both TC and Chad Brannon, at first. The show just did what could have been a very, very big story wrong. I'm not even arguing with them potentially ending on Nikolas and Emily, because that was a much-hyped almost pairing the show had flirted with for years in the '90s, but there were so many better ways to handle that goldmine of a story than just tanking Zander. Because while I was very intrigued by Nik and Em back then, I also loved Zander and AT's Emily.

Edited September 13, 2014 by jsbt

[WendyCR72]

I also really enjoyed Zander/Emily. Even when NL took over the role, I still liked them WAY more than Nem, which is rare for me because I usually don't like recasts in couple's I ship.

 

Even though it was completely cheesy, I freaking ate up that Chad Brannon came back for a scene for Rebecca's exit.

 

Oh, right! Rebecca and...Aaron...on that plane. So it was a fake NuZem ending. And I'm fine with it!  :-)