Ghosts of GH Past Viewing Party: '80s, '90s, And All Eras Of Non-Suckitude!

[ulkis]

It was.

[Melgaypet]

Here are Helena's first scenes with Nikolas and Stefan. I just love the moody Gothic-ness of it all. There was a horse!

[SlovakPrincess]

At the 12:54 mark ... the whole sordid, overwrought, and unintentionally hilarious backstory of the Jones brothers' feud is revealed.    

Also, I guess Frisco's given name was actually Andrew, since Tony keeps calling him "Andy."  Maybe Frisco was his middle name?  

[ulkis]

29 minutes ago, SlovakPrincess said:

At the 12:54 mark ... the whole sordid, overwrought, and unintentionally hilarious backstory of the Jones brothers' feud is revealed.    

Also, I guess Frisco's given name was actually Andrew, since Tony keeps calling him "Andy."  Maybe Frisco was his middle name?  

 

No, they called him Frisco cause he liked San Francisco. Seriously. Something like that.

[SlovakPrincess]

1 hour ago, ulkis said:

No, they called him Frisco cause he liked San Francisco. Seriously. Something like that.

Whaaaaat?  That's just lame, 1980s writers!  

Of course, I don't think I ever found out why Albert Parrish was called "Blackie" by everyone, either.  Maybe because he had black hair?  So dumb. 

[UYI]

2 hours ago, ulkis said:

No, they called him Frisco cause he liked San Francisco. Seriously. Something like that.

Wasn't it because his police career started in San Francisco?

[SlovakPrincess]

10 hours ago, UYI said:

Wasn't it because his police career started in San Francisco?

He was a musician named Frisco before he came to PC and eventually decided to be a cop.  Perhaps his music career started in San Francisco though? ... so you may be on the right track. 

[Melgaypet]

I don't care about the provenance of the name, I love it. It's soapy, and fun to say. Frisssco.

[ulkis]

On 3/28/2016 at 10:35 PM, SlovakPrincess said:

Oh, good, Stavros (finally) fell down the stairs and eventually died.  As much as I was glad to get Laura back, the Stavros crap was kind of a chore to sit through.  Now, back to Luke and Laura realizing they have no freaking idea what to do as mayor and mayor's wife!

 

I really enjoy the scenes where Luke realizes he's gonna hate / suck at this job .... since his reasons for running for office were so ridiculous in the first place.  

What were his reasons?

[Oracle42]

I think he was mad at Robert for talking about the negative elements that are attracted to casinos. Also, Holly chose Robert

[Francie]

38 minutes ago, ulkis said:

What were his reasons?

He owned a casino, and Lee Baldwin didn't want to casino on the waterfront

[SlovakPrincess]

The casino thing was part of it, although Luke actually had no animosity toward Lee Baldwin and, in fact, liked and respected him.  

Brock talked Luke into running for mayor, partly because Brock financially backed Luke's casino and Brock wanted the money to keep flowing.  But the incentive for Luke was that, as mayor, he could fire Robert from running the police department, and Luke was mad that Robert and Holly married while Luke was off playing dead and learning to walk again.  At a certain point during the campaign, Luke did seem to get into it, convincing himself he really wanted to help the poor families on the waterfront, since that had been his own background.  But it really started as a way to stick it to Robert.

So nobody else is as amused as me by Tony Jones' backstory?  I burst out laughing when Frisco blurted it out.  But maybe there's something wrong with me ... ahem.

[Pete Martell]

I know this isn't GH, but it's a 1971 audio clip of Bright Promise featuring Tony Geary and David Lewis. Geary played some type of troubled youth, who, this being the early '70s, was also a singer/songwriter. Susan Brown (Gail) was also on the show, as the main heroine (who went on trial to protect Geary when she thought he'd murdered his mother). Anne Jeffreys was also on the show for several months, I think as Geary's mother. Gloria Monty directed Bright Promise and remembered various cast members when she was hired to produce GH.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Pete Martell

[Pete Martell]

5 hours ago, SlovakPrincess said:

So nobody else is as amused as me by Tony Jones' backstory?  I burst out laughing when Frisco blurted it out.  But maybe there's something wrong with me ... ahem.

I always thought it was kind of hilarious too, partly because it was so incongruous to most of what Tony was (although his dirty sex pig affair with Carly in later years wasn't too far off). I remember reading Tony was originally supposed to be very different to what he became. 

I think there was also some sort of background similar to this in a primetime show. 

[ulkis]

What was Tony's backstory?

[Pete Martell]

8 minutes ago, ulkis said:

What was Tony's backstory?

Their mother was dying, and her nurse couldn't be there to help her because she and Tony were too busy playing doctors and nurses. 

[SlovakPrincess]

Watch the clip I posted, above!!  It's even more hilarious watching Frisco and Tony argue about it ... 

I could sort of see Tony / Carly happening, because by that point, Tony had lost BJ and his marriage to Bobbie had been pretty damaged.  He was jaded, and not an earnest young doctor with a bright future anymore.  Whereas '80s Tony came across as kind of a Boy Scout (really handsome, though - I'd forgotten that!)

Edited November 16, 2016 by SlovakPrincess

[dubbel zout]

32 minutes ago, SlovakPrincess said:

I could sort of see Tony / Carly happening, because by that point, Tony had lost BJ and his marriage to Bobbie had been pretty damaged.

Carly targeted him and knew exactly how to insinuate herself into his life.

[Pete Martell]

Another Bright Promise clip with Tony. If there are any more I won't post again, don't want to clog up the thread with non-GH material.

[cmahorror]

The bacchanalia - when they had a brief flash of a possible Nikolas/Robin coupling and dropped it.

 

The look he gives her at 4:34 says it all and then going to dance with her after turning his back on Helena. I wasn't watching then so I have no idea why they dropped the possible pairing or at least made a full out triangle between her, Jason and Nikolas.

I love the look of all of this. Multiple characters interacting, beautiful costumes, and no Sonny. Ahh, the good old days when Sonny wasn't the saint of Port Charles.

Edited November 19, 2016 by cmahorror

[ulkis]

1 hour ago, Pete Martell said:

Another Bright Promise clip with Tony. If there are any more I won't post again, don't want to clog up the thread with non-GH material.

 

It can go in the "stars in other roles " thread.

19 minutes ago, cmahorror said:

The bacchanalia - when they had a brief flash of a possible Nikolas/Robin and dropped it.

 

 

The look he gives her at 4:34 says it all and then going to dance with her after turning his back on Helena. I wasn't watching then so I have no idea why they dropped the possible pairing or at least made a full out triangle between her, Jason and Nikolas.

I love the look of all of this. Multiple characters interacting, beautiful costumes, and no Sonny. Ahh, the good old days when Sonny wasn't the saint of Port Charles.

Sonny was actually completely absent that year aside from a brief visit. That was nice lol.

Scuttlebutt is SBu wanted to Jason and Robin together.

Edited November 17, 2016 by ulkis

[HeatLifer]

I always thought they'd do Nik/Robin for a minute if Kim had stayed. Because Jason/Robin were still eventually going to break up over the Carly/Michael situation. (But I don't think it would have ended in such a final way with Robin telling AJ. I think Jason/Robin would have still been the "meant to be" couple.)

[TessHarding2]

20 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I know this isn't GH, but it's a 1971 audio clip of Bright Promise featuring Tony Geary and David Lewis. Geary played some type of troubled youth, who, this being the early '70s, was also a singer/songwriter. Susan Brown (Gail) was also on the show, as the main heroine (who went on trial to protect Geary when she thought he'd murdered his mother). Anne Jeffreys was also on the show for several months, I think as Geary's mother. Gloria Monty directed Bright Promise and remembered various cast members when she was hired to produce GH.

Bless your heart, Pete Martell.  Thank you.

And Happy 35th Anniversary Luke and Laura.  You got married in two parts.  

[dubbel zout]

Man, those were the days. I know the budget was at its peak in those days, and Luke and Laura were at the peak of their popularity, but compare that wedding to anything we've seen in the past decade and it's so sad.

[TeeVee329]

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 8:51 PM, cmahorror said:

The bacchanalia - when they had a brief flash of a possible Nikolas/Robin and dropped it.

 

 

(clicks play)

(sees it starts with a scene of five non-Jason Quartermaines together)

(gets sniffily)

[cmahorror]

 

Carly: Have you ever had a friend that would just... risk their life for you?

Patrick: Yes, I have a friend like that. I'm married to her.

Carly: Hmm. I'm going to smile and bite my tongue.

Patrick: As you should.

[HeatLifer]

9 minutes ago, cmahorror said:

Patrick: Yes, I have a friend like that. I'm married to her.

My damn HEART. Scrubs own me.

Also, Carly's dialogue on Jason possibly changing and not prioritizing her/losing him like the Q's did was more in-depth than anything written with BM's Jason. 

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, cmahorror said:

Carly: Have you ever had a friend that would just... risk their life for you?

Patrick: Yes, I have a friend like that. I'm married to her.

Carly: Hmm. I'm going to smile and bite my tongue.

Patrick: As you should.

Patrick didn't shut down Carly like this nearly often enough.

LW's quasi–Farrah Fawcett hair was not her best look.

[TeeVee329]

22 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Patrick didn't shut down Carly like this nearly often enough.

More people in Port Charles period need to shut Carly down like that.  Why do people just let her barge up to them and start yelling?

That was some interesting writing re: acknowledging that the Quartermaines lost something to her gain.

[SlovakPrincess]

Ughhhh ... you guys, the full 1984 episodes run out after April of 1984!  Now I have to hunt and peck through clips to get, like, a third of the story.  

#firstworldproblemswhenyouhaveaweird1980sGHobsession

[pianogirl73]

9 hours ago, SlovakPrincess said:

Ughhhh ... you guys, the full 1984 episodes run out after April of 1984!  Now I have to hunt and peck through clips to get, like, a third of the story.  

#firstworldproblemswhenyouhaveaweird1980sGHobsession

I just ran into the same problem! 

[SlovakPrincess]

The Two Grants story (and especially the involvement of Tania) makes even less sense when you have to peice it together from clips shared by people who only saved Robert / Holly and Frisco scenes.  Not that I'm not grateful for all of these clips!  But still!

Good thing Robert and Holly just dipped into everyone else's story that year instead of having their own real story, so I at least have them EXPLAINING much of what I'm missing.  No Q scenes anymore, which sucks!  

[pianogirl73]

2 hours ago, SlovakPrincess said:

The Two Grants story (and especially the involvement of Tania) makes even less sense when you have to peice it together from clips shared by people who only saved Robert / Holly and Frisco scenes.  Not that I'm not grateful for all of these clips!  But still!

Good thing Robert and Holly just dipped into everyone else's story that year instead of having their own real story, so I at least have them EXPLAINING much of what I'm missing.  No Q scenes anymore, which sucks!  

I agree! And as annoying as Celia was, I need to know what happened. I was 10 when I first saw it and I don't remember. I'm only watching the Robert Holly clips right now. I need to find Frisco and Felicia. 

[SlovakPrincess]

There are a few Frisco channels that include pre-Felicia scenes, including the intro of Tony and Frisco's failed attempts to get Tania to date him.  

Oh, man.  Celia.  I want to feel bad for her, since a bunch of insane things happen to her and she kind of has a right to whine.  But damn is she irritating at times.  

[pianogirl73]

I have to find those channels. I loved Frisco and Felicia!

And I agree about Celia, but she was such a spoiled princess. The guy who played both Grants was very good. His portrayal of Grant Putnam was chilling. He made such a distinct difference between the 2 Grants. Even the voices were different. I remember future story of his that was downright scary to me at the time. 

[dubbel zout]

4 hours ago, pianogirl73 said:

And I agree about Celia, but she was such a spoiled princess. The guy who played both Grants was very good. His portrayal of Grant Putnam was chilling. He made such a distinct difference between the 2 Grants. Even the voices were different. I remember future story of his that was downright scary to me at the time. 

I know. They did a good job with Celia in that respect. I think we were supposed to feel for her and also be frustrated with her. 

The Two Grants story was such a classic soapy story. We don't get anything near that these days.

[Francie]

30 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I know. They did a good job with Celia in that respect. I think we were supposed to feel for her and also be frustrated with her. 

The Two Grants story was such a classic soapy story. We don't get anything near that these days.

I'm just realizing now that Celia was very much cut out of the same mold as Erica Kane, and to a lesser degree, Tina Clayton Lord from OLTL.

Celia was a woman from a station or two in life above most female viewers. So it was a glimpse into another world, where women can imagine being her or being her friend and in her circle.  The women who were taking a break from housework to watch at lunchtime were watching other women lunching out at fine restaurants. 

[pianogirl73]

I'm only on my 5th clip of when Frisco and Felicia met and I am as hooked as I was when it originally happened. I love those two!

[SlovakPrincess]

On November 23, 2016 at 0:00 PM, Francie said:

 The women who were taking a break from housework to watch at lunchtime were watching other women lunching out at fine restaurants. 

And going to a spa, in 1984, to be massaged by the guy who later went on to be Edmund on AMC!  

 

You know what I love about the Jake Meyers character?  How he always threatens to abandon his clients in the middle of a murder trial if he begins to suspect they may be guilty.  That's ... not how it works, Jake!

Edited November 28, 2016 by SlovakPrincess

[SlovakPrincess]

Trying to make sense of the clusterfuck Grant Andrews attempted murder trial (Grant Putnam set it up to look like Grant A rigged a bomb to try and kill Grant P and Celia) ...  now I'm just yelling "objection!  objection!  you can't ask that question!  hearsay!"  at my laptop.

So on top of this story making no sense, the law nerd in me is getting irrationally angry.  

Edited November 30, 2016 by SlovakPrincess

[dubbel zout]

Is it comforting to know that GH never got the legal stuff right (or at least logical within its own rules) even with better writers? Heh.

[SlovakPrincess]

4 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Is it comforting to know that GH never got the legal stuff right (or at least logical within its own rules) even with better writers? Heh.

To be fair, the mistakes they were making in '84 are commonly made in prime time and movies, too ...   

Less excusable is how Robert keeps ping ponging between helping the defense lawyer and helping the DA.  You're the frickin' police commissioner!  You shouldn't be involved in the trial work this much at all, and the investigation should have been thoroughly done already!  (Though if there is a cop in this forum I'd love to hear an expert opinion!)

There's a nice scene where Jake goes back to his office to work all night to prepare for the next day of trial, Rose has to bring him dinner, and finds him napping.  Most realistic thing they've shown about working on a trial - the sheer exhaustion!  

[pianogirl73]

I'm on the Aztec treasure finale right now. I wonder how the hell they got away with making Sean Donely police commissioner when Robert left. And making him Robin's Uncle Sean. He kidnapped Holly, Felicia, and Frisco among many other major crimes. Can anyone help?

[SlovakPrincess]

1 hour ago, pianogirl73 said:

I'm on the Aztec treasure finale right now. I wonder how the hell they got away with making Sean Donely police commissioner when Robert left. And making him Robin's Uncle Sean. He kidnapped Holly, Felicia, and Frisco among many other major crimes. Can anyone help?

Not to mention he also kidnapped and threatened Anna, Robin's mom, during that storyline!  But she still made him one of Robin's godfathers, lol.

But finish watching the Aztec treasure finale, and it may start to make a bit more sense.  Sean makes a transition to being a better man who is loyal to Robert and Anna, and the first glimmers of it start to show up during the finale and its fallout.  Are you at the fight on the tram between Sean and Robert yet?  Sean's reaction to what happens on the tram (or what he thinks happens) is really interesting.  

(How Sean gets out of this legally ... well, that I can't help you with, since I haven't seen any of his trial for his crimes or 1986 yet!  I also have no idea how or why Robert forgave Sean for how Holly was treated during her kidnapping -- but it may be that Sean's thugs were instructed to treat her well but did not follow Sean's orders.)

Edited December 1, 2016 by SlovakPrincess

[pianogirl73]

16 minutes ago, SlovakPrincess said:

 Are you at the fight on the tram between Sean and Robert yet?  Sean's reaction to what happens on the tram (or what he thinks happens) is really interesting.  

(How Sean gets out of this legally ... well, that I can't help you with, since I haven't seen any of his trial for his crimes or 1986 yet!  I also have no idea how or why Robert forgave Sean for how Holly was treated during her kidnapping -- but it may be that Sean's thugs were instructed to treat her well but did not follow Sean's orders.)

Yes. I saw that. I'm on to the Asian Quarter story now. I love little Robin!!!

[SlovakPrincess]

Just now, pianogirl73 said:

Yes. I saw that. I'm on to the Asian Quarter story now. I love little Robin!!!

Tiny Robin is delightful!

Anyway, I love that Sean cries like a baby when he thinks he's killed Robert ... and is so relieved Robert is really alive that he happily cooperates when he's eventually arrested.  Kind of lays the groundwork for him becoming a good guy, private detective, and eventual cop, I guess.  

[pianogirl73]

48 minutes ago, SlovakPrincess said:

Tiny Robin is delightful!

Anyway, I love that Sean cries like a baby when he thinks he's killed Robert ... and is so relieved Robert is really alive that he happily cooperates when he's eventually arrested.  Kind of lays the groundwork for him becoming a good guy, private detective, and eventual cop, I guess.  

I loved it too. But Sean was truly despicable. People would be screaming today with a "redemption" like that. And I am someone who loved Sean back in the day. 

[cmahorror]

Little Robin is wonderful - I love the way she instantly had Robert wrapped around her little finger.

It cracks me up later on in the story when Robin says she wants to have a boyfriend just like Robbie (she didn't know Robert was her father yet) someday - fast forward to 23 years later and she did lol.

 

Edited that because husband and boyfriend are different things.

Edited December 1, 2016 by cmahorror

[HeatLifer]

15 minutes ago, cmahorror said:

Little Robin is wonderful - I love the way she instantly had Robert wrapped around her little finger.

It cracks me up later on in the story when Robin says she wants to marry someone just like Robbie (she didn't know Robert was her father yet) someday - fast forward to 23 years later and she did lol.

Ha! That reminds me of the scenes where Robin told Patrick he was like Robert.

"Forget about him. I mean, there are plenty of self-centered jerks I could compare you to."

"Clearly, we shouldn't talk."

Scrubs >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[cmahorror]

You had to know I would post those scenes...

 

Robin: Look, some people wait their entire lives for love. I, fortunately, experienced it at a very young age with a very kind and caring man. Loving Stone and watching him die made me who I am, so did loving Jason, who I also had a relationship with. So you see, I'm not afraid of love. I just accept the fact that I may never find it again.

Robert: Well, um, not with that attitude, you won't. But what about this, this Dr. Drake? I mean, isn't that a decent place to start?

Robin: Well, this doesn't pertain to that situation. Love is not what Patrick and I are about. Now, if you're talking about sleeping with him - well, that's another story.

Love the look on Patrick's face when he walks in on Robin saying that - no strings my ass.