General Hospital
Anthony Geary's Final GH Episode: Luke Leaves Port Charles And A Letter For Laura! Was It Anti-Climatic?
Courtesy/ABC
On Monday, Anthony Geary’s final episode as Luke Spencer aired on General Hospital. In his final scenes, Geary shared screen time with Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) as Luke basically told Sonny to take care of Port Charles while he is gone, because the place needs Sonny. The subtext of that moment was evident: Geary was passing the torch to Benard as the series leading character to which Sonny replied that he will be around, for now.
Luke did have an opportunity to have a final moment and goodbye with his daughter Lulu played by Emme Rylan. Later, When Lulu returned to the Haunted Star to tell Laura (Genie Francis) she met up with her father before he left town for good, she revealed he gave her a letter to deliver to Laura marked, “Angel”, which was always Luke’s nickname for his former wife and longtime love.
As Geary took his final on-screen bow walking into the foggy night to get on the boat that takes him out of Port Charles, he looks back with a smile. We are left with his silhouette, as he walks off, and the episode fades to black. For many, the moment was simple, touching, and tugged at the heart.
Courtesy/ABC
Over the last 24 hours though, some longtime fans of General Hospital have voiced their displeasure that the final episode of Geary’s featured no video montage featuring retrospective clips, and did not have the emotional impact that the days leading up to the Geary finale had.
Nathan Varni, the Manager Current Series of ABC in charge of General Hospital related on his facebook page when commenting about the lack of clips in the episode from a fan responded by saying: “Wasn’t the direction Tony wanted, but there are many montages avail to view on the ABC website and You Tube.” Another common comment, of course, was that there was no final goodbye scene with Genie Francis.
Which leads us to the letter marked, “Angel”. What is the contents of the letter? Will Luke have some important words for Laura? Will he discuss their relationship and what he meant to her? Or, none of the above?
Whether you were pleased, cried, or were disappointed, yesterday marked the end of an era for a performer who brought so much to daytime and changed the game for so many actors, and raised the bar with his performances time and time again. With one last look, here is Luke’s final moment in Port Charles below.
Now, let us know, what were your thoughts on Tony Geary’s last episode? Did you reach for the hankies? Were you disappointed? Will you miss Luke now that he is gone from the canvas? And, what do you think Luke wrote to Laura in the envelope marked, “Angel”?
I am actually EMBARRASSED that I had my Mom and some long-time exGH watchers tune in when I said to watch the 27th. How dull and dismal was that? What were they thinking?
No one was, that’s for sure.
I was disappointed. Yesterday should of been a day all about Anthony. Scenes from the past 37 yrs or so. I cried all last week. Yesterday, nothing. It definitely could have been written better. Tony will be missed!
I was very disappointed as well if he was really leaving everyone should have been on the dock to bid him farewell very disappointed once again RC disappoints
Right, and if you tuned in for Luke’s Finale, regardless of the content, Luke was on for a total of about seven minutes. He was barely in the episode and the other characters and scenes had nothing to do with Luke and did not even feature characters associated with Luke.
How in the world can Luke be such a small part of his final episode? And how were there no flashbacks? This was just a complete failure. How ABC allowed this is just beyond belief.
I have exhausted myself and others on this subject, but sadly, Luke’s last episode was incredibly disappointing. It’s as if they tried to make it as bad and as unfeeling as possible so we wouldn’t mourn his leaving.
There could have been some meaningful moments which did not involved Tony Geary playing Luke’s screaming, over-the-top father. Luke should have visited his old haunts–Kelly’s diner, his old jazz club, the old campus disco which had been converted into a Starbucks or something. A few poignant goodbye scenes with Laura interjected with a splash of flashbacks, a montage and a really good song.
Tristan Rogers Tweeted, “I just saw Geary’s last show. Hmmmm….” I think this speaks volumes about how bad it was.
Exactly Harry, right? They could have done such a nice, Our Town…Its a Wonderful Life type journey through the happy memories of Luke’s life, not this manic made-up suicidal freak that has taken over. Disgusting depressing dour and not entertaining at all.
Same here! I was talking it up to all the lapsed GH watchers I knew. They were expecting to see Luke AND Laura! Everybody was expecting them to ride off into the sunset (or the fog) together. All I can hope is that my friends & family forgot to watch. Otherwise, what are they going to think of me? “You actually WATCH that drivel?” LOL
Tony Geary made it clear in several interviews that, as far as he is concerned, Luke and Laura are over forever. Given how Tony felt, I doubt he would have agreed to have Luke go off into the sunset with Laura. I suppose we should be grateful, when I was was in LA someone told me that Tony wanted Luke to be killed off.
But Kelly, no one is saying that Luke should have walked off into the sunset with Laura–no one! Not even the most ardent Luke and Laura fans are saying such a thing. I mean, please pay attention.
What we wanted was for Luke to play fidelity to his history with Laura and thusforth, play fidelity to the love and passion this coupling triggered and sustained for well over thirty years.
Laura deserved at least a backward glance before Luke dissolved into the fog.
I could be wayyyy off here, but from what I read from you guys, AG held Luke captive by telling what the writers what he would and wouldn’t do. An actor shouldn’t have that much power. I can see saying “Ummm…that’s out of Luke’s character. He wouldn’t do that.” But it basically sounds like he’s been guiding Luke for a while. I don’t know, this is a soap opera, not a gritty crime show. Even though it’s based on the mafia. Viewers like mush. He shouldn’t decide if the viewers get a happy ending or not!
Harry, what you don’t seem to understand is that Tony Geary believed that Luke and Laura marriage’s ended years ago. You talk about the “love and passion this coupling triggered and sustained for well over thirty years”. What you don’t understand is how irritated Tony Geary was with that idea and the fans who continued to push for a “re-run” of Luke and Laura. Tony said as much in a 2013 interview.
“The past is best left in the memory. Nothing stays the same except butterflies under glass. In drama, there has to be conflict and movement. There is nothing less interesting to me than the thought of a 65-year-old man making goo-goo eyes as he feeds his wife strawberries and they forever relive their glory days. The viewers you speak of have always wanted Luke and Laura happy and growing old together like Ward and June Cleaver. They’re like a child who never got over his parents’ divorce and lives in perennial hope that mommy and daddy will get back together again. For a variety of reasons, that is not going to happen. The audience needs to let it go and find interest in tomorrow instead of yesterday.”
According to my friend who works for the studio the above comments are FAR MORE DIPLOMATIC that what Tony Geary has said behind closed doors.
Kelly, I do understand that for the longest time there were Luke and Laura fans still clamoring for a Luke and Laura reunion and for them to live happily ever after in a gingerbread house.
While I am a recovering Luke and Laura fan, I honestly think Laura can do much better and did not want a Luke and Laura reconciliation.
What Luke and Laura fans wanted as part of Luke’s exit strategy was some kind of bow of respect and love to the L&L history. We all knew Luke was leaving while Laura was staying so it would not be realistic to hope that these two would walk off into a rainbow while unicorns and sparkle ponies pranced around. Yes, I do know Geary has expressed bitterness about the Luke and Laura pairing and it has always irked the hell out of me.
However, I do feel the need to point out that sometimes with the written word, tone of voice is lost. Had we heard Tony say it’s like seeing a” bad high school picture of himself over and over” we might hear the humor behind it.
I myself sound rather terse and impatient when I respond to other people in this forum but if you heard me tell you to “pay attention” you might understand I was kidding around. I just cannot force myself to write a LOL, or worse yet, post a smiley face.
I will not be watching this show anymore. Since Luke departed there is no reason to watch this trash of a show. It’s been going down hill for a while with all the gay stuff being showed down our throats.
It does get pretty tasteless, like Felix’s “drop the soap” moment, ugh! I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost a lot of viewers right then and there. To be fair, though, the heterosexual sleaze factor is much, much worse!
HEAVY SIGH … I watched Luke’s last scene … still a little choked up. For those complaining (and Lord did I complain with the whole Jennifer Smith debacle) … what I got out of this episode was this … I think the show actually respected his wishes. Tony Geary has LONG been over the “Luke and Laura” thing. And I can’t say that I blame him .. HE was so much MORE to that show then just that relationship. I LOVED that Laura acknowledged that she and Luke had said their goodbyes long ago (and the then there was the letter he left for her so we don’t know yet what that is going to be about). Honestly, I don’t think there was ONE WAY to send him off that would fairly represent his 37 years of playing the SAME CHARACTER (my actor friends would get what I’m saying here). As a fan, I had to realize the other day that my GRIEF at losing this beloved character is what was fueling all my angst over his sendoff. And GRIEVING is what I think a lot of us are doing. I wish Mr. Geary … ALL THE BEST .. and THANK HIM for providing me all those years (the 70’s, the 80’s, the 90’s and 15 years into the new millenium) of GREAT ACTING. I have ALWAYS been a Lucas Lorenzo Spencer fan. I ALWAYS will be. Godspeed Mr. Geary. Godspeed.
Harry,,,,,I am a fan of over 50 years. As an ardent fan, I would have loved to see Luke and Laura walk off into the fog. They held this show together in their time and made it what it was. Without them it was just another soap. They were the reason grew to be so popular. As a result, despite what the actors thought, they should have ended up together. It would have ended the story.
Amen Terry.
I thought the departure of Luke Spencer fell totally flat. He says good-bye to Sonny and not Laura?
I know TG was determined to keep the scene from becoming a LnL tribute, and I understand why. But, like it or not, Laura was the biggest part of Luke’s life for most of his tenure on GH. Was it too much to ask
for a brief, “Good-bye, Angel” and
the blow of a kiss before he walked off into the fog? Personally, I was very disappointed.
to me that was only thing I like about this episode
I thought it was perfection. Understated. In all honesty I was OD’ing a little on all the goodbyes. Saw no need for a Laura goodbye again. Loved the Lulu goodbye for the last. Got me a little teary.
THEY HAD SHOW CASED LUKE FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS AND ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS FOR HIM TO WALK OFF INTO THE SUNSET. THE STORY LINE IS FINALLY OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think they should have had Luke say goodbye to both Bobbie and Lulu on Friday and ended it then. Monday’s episode with regard to Luke seemed anti-climactic.
It’s funny you said that because I felt that Friday’s episode was “the end.” I figure from a producing standpoint that some scenes were pushed into Monday to help with ratings. Even the preview for Monday showed too many stories for Luke to be front and center.
I agree completely.
Disappointed does not even begin to describe the way I feel. A LETTER to Laura? Really?
Where is the drama in that? A letter? How very insulting to the longtime devotees of the love story (no, more than that–the romance) of Luke and Laura. How very insulting to Genie Francis! How ungrateful of TG–if he has a say–and he says he always did–how unprofessional and simply small-minded of him. Why didn’t he insist on Laura being there?
And the way he walked off into the fog seemed to me like a dig at Laura’s walk into the fog when she disappeared–when Genie Francis had to leave the show the first time.
Leaves such a bad, bitter taste in my mouth.
I thought it was horrible too and I’m sure that he refused to have a last scene with her. I’m sure the writers came up with the letter to deal with the fact. I’m glad he will not be on anymore. I am glad I watched for Genie’s sake the last few weeks but the show is really terrible and not what it used to be. The irony is that Tony Geary denies the best part of GH and he won Emmys when the show wasn’t good anymore. I think much of that is the lack of competition and the caliber of soaps. There is power in abuse and it comes in many forms. I think TG abused Genie and the writers one last time. That the audience doesn’t count is legend.
Wow, I really agree with you. I stopped watching GH when Genie left a few years ago. I tuned back in when she came back on. Now I’ll watch again until she leaves again. I’m almost 70 years old and watched GH since high school. Believe me, Luke and Laura was the best story line that hAppened on GH in the past 50+ years.
well,
Laura/Genie was long gone when Tony by himself pulled in a load of Emmy’s..
Luke and Laura have been over for decades, why would Tony bring her in, she was not even a regular og GH after she quit, left.
Tony made his way to self legend decades after Genie/Laura had left GH..
Tony has no need to share his after career with Genie, who wasn’t even with GH.
Through the years, Francis has appeared on numerous other daytime soaps.
She starred on Days of Our Lives as Diana Colville
from 1987 to 1989
and on All My Children As Ceara Connor Hunter from 1990 to 1992.
She reprised her role as Ceara on Loving in a cross-over storyline in November 1991.
She then returned to General Hospital in 1993.
In 1994 off for maternity leave.
in early 1997
then Francis abruptly left General Hospital in 2002 due to contract issues.
Tony was with GH making himself an awesome career and became a legend of his own long after the Luke and Laura era ended.. He has no need to share it with Genie. Tony was awarded many Emmy’s without her, more than any soap actor has ever won, by himself….
Not everyone can be the star, the legend.. Tony accomplished that on his own long after the 80’s ..
It’s not where you started but where you end ..
yes Su000, The current ratings reflect that Tony made his way without Genie. As you can see, NOBODY tuned in to watch when they found out even his last scene wasn’t with Genie. So you can blow all you want about how great Tony Geary is, but the proof was in the numbers.
Couldnt say it better, well written!
He shouldve just scribbled what he had to say to Laura on the bathroom wall at Kellys…thats how bad that exit episode was…its a stinker…lol
Hahaha, good one! That’s about all the respect GF/LS was afforded by TG’ last scene.
What a letdown..
It was shameful. Never in a million years would I have expected GH to have so little respect for Luke and Laura, of ALL couples! Everybody involved in planning that ending should have their heads examined.
maddiehayes, hi
There is no Luke and Laura..
They have not been a couple for 25ish years..
Luke has been with GH without Laura for decades and with others and fell in love with Tracy..
Luke and Laura were a fictional couple..
There is no Luke and Laura .. that couple is dead and gone in the far past never to be again..
Tony has built his career to great heights. During those decades there was no Laura just Luke,,, Tony and Tony alone rose to his iconic legend status (leaving Laura far behind him)
Soap couples, even the super couples come to their end, but always a memory.
You have a memory, that is all 🙂 hold onto it..
Then I guess Tony Geary should have his head examined because the episode apparently ended exactly as he wanted.
Um, Su, where do you get your data?? Lmao. Luke and Laura separated in 2002, got phony remarried in 2006….where are you getting that they have been apart for 25 years?? They werent even back on the show 25 years ago!
Laura hasnt been relevant since the early eighties!
Yes Kelly, I do believe Tony Geary needs to have his head examined. Such hatred for the pairing that MADE his CAREER is not normal. And now did you see? He says he’s changed his mind, he might come back to GH again! Puhleeze, what a drama queen and attention hog he is!
Thank you Aden .. Luke&Laura haven’t been a couple for 25 years, LOL. They were still together when they returned in the early ’90s, they had their “ups and downs” so to speak before divorcing in 2001, but their 20th anniversary got them feeling all sentimental again and they reunited. Before they could remarry, she ended up catatonic in the psych ward. In 2006 she came out of the catatonic state and they “remarried” in a beautiful ceremony, in which it was obvious LAURA was the love of Luke’s life, not Tracy. But Laura went catatonic again. But she came out of it yet again in 2008. Again, Luke wanted LAURA, not Tracy. But Laura was still unsure about her medical condition and went to Paris (Scott tagged along). She didn’t return again until 2013, this time got engaged to Scott, but she and Luke still clearly had lingering feelings, in spite of his eventually telling her their relationship was like an old worn-out T-shirt .. THAT is when it ended. Two years ago! And Luke’s supposed “love” for Tracy .. when is he supposed to have come to this conclusion? Because it wasn’t that long ago he spurned Tracy for Anna Devane. He’s said a few times that he loves Tracy, but it was never convincing to me.
I have to stop watching that video it makes me cry every time. I’ll miss Anthony Geary’s Luke more than anything and good or bad storylines the end had to come. It’s always been the Quartermaines and the Spencers but nobody lives forever, families lose members and drift apart . We were damn lucky to have the highest caliber of actor in Tony Geary, good or bad scripts he was the glue that held GH together. It’s time for GH to shake itself off and find a new center. If it can do that it will continue, if not I fear more tears will be shed when we viewers have to say goodbye to all of Port Charles.
Blessings Anthony “Lucas Lorenzo Spencer” Geary, Blessings.
With all of the goodbyes said, he went quietly and while that was not quite what I expected I am not totally disappointed. he walked off into the mist. It left his end to our imaginations. I don’t think Tony knew about the letter to Laura but as a fan since 1976 I appreciated that Luke said goodbye to Laura. I appreciated that the writers did not have her chasing him down for a dramatic goodbye but instead sent lulu to say goodbye.
In my opinion, while the adventure to save lucky was cute, it wasn’t really necessary I think the he should have left after the April reveal to find himself if that was how they were going to write him out that way. as for the letter left for Laura, I think its just goodbye and I love you
“Benard as the series leading character” is not a motive to watch GH!
Yeah, Sonny is the reason I’ve been tuning out for so many years now. I wish ABC/GH would realize that character has been played out.
In fact, it’s the main reason I (and countless others) left GH. I only tune in now when I hear about something interesting, such as Genie Francis’ return. The character of Sonny, and his all-encompassing storyline, has ruined GH for far too many years. Someone, anyone, please, take Port Charles out of Sonny’s hands!
Why couldn’t it have been Sonny that was retiring?
IKR? LOL! Luke telling Sonny “Port Charles needs you” OMG, that is the biggest laugh I’ve heard all day! Port Charles needs Sonny like it needs the bubonic plague. He is nothing more than a greasy, low-life mobster. I know, I know, Luke was no better! Port Charles “needs” a police force that is tough on crime! It needs Anna Devane and Robert Scorpio!
SUPRISE!!
Maurice/Sonny has a very loyal following and is loved by many..
GH is about the mobsters and their families and lifestyles along with the hospital peoples and the rich business people, and couples ..
The mob and Sonny are a cornerstone of GH ..
They have been and hopefully will be 🙂
I hope Brad’s family of somewhat sophisticated business mobster come to town!
Then Sonny and Julian will need to team up! cool !
and take note– Sonny has hardly been seen in past months and now he’s in daddy mode and will have Ava to deal with, none of which is mob related..
All of what Sonny does especially with Morgan and Michael the past year has had nothing to with mob stuff..
I like the gangsta’s !! And would love to have more gangsta action ! (and I am among others who would like it, also..
Love Sonny ! 🙂
Right, maddie? Why would any town/city need a Sonny-type? I can’t get started on Sonny….I will never end, and I’m tired…LOL.
What is hard for me to swallow is why Sonny is held in such high regard? I’m not convinced by the actor’s mediocre acting. Now, his ‘son’, Morgan is showing signs of violence. I noticed his red-rimmed eyes…hope is ok!
Yes Su000, I realize the GH’s “mob set” has a lot of fans, I wouldn’t mind so much if they weren’t eating up the whole town! And let the “good guys” win once in awhile! GH, for better or worse, has mobster heroes now, but Sonny and all the other mob goons have made the Port Charles police look ridiculously incompetent. I liked GH much better when the police were in charge, and Robert, Frisco et al took down the mob. Perhaps GH needs some balance.
Exactly!
I’m shocked yet gratified to see that so many others also refuse to accept “Mumbles the Moody Mobster” as their personal daytime savior. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
I prefer Mr. Mumbles the Mustache Victor Newman. Hahaha. I do like Sonny though. I have missed out on the amazing Luke. Since I’ve been watching he’s been gone half the time, kind of like how Robin is supposed to be so fantastic. It doesn’t make sense for the characters to have so much to lose when they leave town and then still have the gonads to leave. The writing is never enough to convince me.
Mr. Benard!
Very anticlimactic, very disappointing send off and it’s pointless to go on, clearly the person in charge of writing the send off is no longer there either, still FV and Vicki drummer should also feel embarrassed on what they put on the air especially as tony Geary last episode.
I thought it was fine the way it was. I am just glad the whole thing is over. What else could have happened….Luke was always just walking away so to me it fit. Personally, he has been gone for years….olff…on. I believe if you hate the show quit watching….I am sick to the death of all the bitching.
Hahahahaha well said!!
Same as you told viewers to stop watching who hate gh, well, the same to you, stop reading bitchy comments if you hate those…lol
I loved it. It was very understated and quiet, and gave Geary a chance to show the human side of Luke.
I’m sure Mondays episode will be somewhat highly rated and fall miserably on tues from the aftershock of a disappointing send off.
Luke and Laura were iconic and to end like that was wrong. This regime ruined everything that made GH special. As for TG, you forgot what made you and that was L& L. I prefer GH end then thus garbage since it u d not GH anymore. Well every dog has its day and they will.hav ed v theirs.
i can only speak for me who has been a gh viewer since the beginning – it was definitely anti-climate…………………..as far as the letter goes i think that laura will mention that she read it off screen & say something like the letter was very personal………………jmo
Complete waste. Horrible send off. The last two years of Luke/Fluke were a disgrace. The entire send off was lame. Frank Smith again was ridiculous. I wish Heather would have killed him two years ago. And no scene with Laura but a letter? That was lazy and a big f-u to Genie Francis, the L ad L fans and viewers like me who have watched for over 40 years. Im very disappointed in all of it. It could have been great but it was a waste with a few nice moments here and there. Sad.
I loved the send off….there’s been little that I’ve liked about GH since the ‘change’ but this was an exception….I like that it was simple & cleanly done, no major catastrophe, etc….
But where is the drama in that? People tuned in to see Luke for the last time abd it was just like the other 4,000 times he’s left before… The fans are the ones getting hosed. This is still like a death to a long time soap fan.
I think fans wanted a “Luke Show” with clips and a surprise or two. The ONLY part that was good as when he disappeared in the fog.
My guess is someone added the scene with the “angel” letter. We all know now how Tony Geary felt about Luke & Laura. Thank you to whoever did it.
I liked it,I thought it was the perfect send off for Luke,just fade away into the night,and for those of you that wanted clips from Luke’s past,there’s plenty of them on youtube.
Careful what you wish for Tim. If GH alienates enough viewers, it will get cancelled like the other shows and everyone will have to view clips on youtube.
Like ATWT. Snifffffffffff My poor show that they ran into the ground!!!! No soap os too good for it these days.
Your right Dana, like him or not Lukes departure will hurt GH’s ratings further.
too put it bluntly a piece of crap…i fast forwarded most of it,,im just not a geary fan the only time i tolerated him was opposite genie francis,,,ill never get the hoopla about this overrated actor,,,i am one of the ones who is really happy hes gone,,,as for the final eppy of luke,,,general hosppital missed the boat,,,honestly to not have a fair well scene between luke and laura was like spitting on longtime fans who worship every luke and laura moment…but general hospital has missed the boat on allmost all the storylines,,,some days its like watching sat morning cartoons..but the final straw is the announcement that genie francis is takeing a leave for 2 mths,,,so again the powers that be lied through there teeth about genies return saying it was long term,,pleeeease,,,,,we have ben had once again,,,,fool me once shame on you ,,shame me twice ,,shame on me fool me 3 times,,,u get turned off….bye bye general,,
I’m sick of the good-byes. So glad he’s gone. I only wish Sonny had gone with him!
Same here!
So Tony Geary is trying to come to terms (his words) with the fact that his obit will say “Tony Geary, one half of the Luke and Laura love story?”
Well, would he rather have his obit say he was “a would-be actor who played bit parts (such as “Thug No. 1″ in the Quinn Martin productions)”?
!
Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Geary! THINK ABOUT IT!
Still now, I can’t believe it would come to this. I just can’t believe how short-sighted TG has become. I say, as Genie Francis posted in her farewell to him: I hope he can find a way to be proud of his work–but, alas, he has sullied his legacy as an actor, to say nothing of the legacy of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer and the legacy of the greatest, most romantic, most memorable love story in daytime drama or–no qualifications–of all time.
So very sad!
Excellent post!!!!!!
Hi Nancy. I’m hoping after some time away, he’ll feel differently. I remember Donnie Osmond admitting it took him years to finally get over his self inflicted shame and embarrassment of his teen idol years and its media circus. He said after spending so many years away from it, he eventually began to see it in a different light. He said it doesn’t bother him anymore. Genie had a lot of years away from the show; away from the hype. I think Genie is praying Tony will eventually change his tune and make peace with that time in his life, as she has. We can only hope. If he never changes his tune though, I guess I wouldn’t be surprised. He “has” had many long vacations in Amsterdam where nobody recognizes him, and it hasn’t seemed to help him forget. I’m still interested in seeing if time will help this man turn a new leaf. In the meantime, this summer’s writing was a disappointment.
From what I’ve been able to gather, Tony Geary has been irritated with Luke and Laura for years.
[Reposted from yesterday] As someone that never drank the Geary kool-aid, I found his departure as pompous and self-serving as expected. (Reminded me of #GH’s opening credits in the 90’s where the final shot was of him breaking-character in a group shot and just walking out-of-frame like he was too self-important?! Sorry; he’s just never been my cup-of-tea.) But I will echo his disappointed fans here: even as a life-long #GuidingLight follower, I knew enough about his background to think his 37 yrs warranted some clips of Bobbie, Holly, Laura, Lucky, Lulu, Ruby, Scorpio and the incomparable Jane Elliot (Tracy), who I fell in love with from her 1981-82 tenure on my soap (GL). Rather than having him ‘mug’ for the camera, let clips of his eight-time Emmy-winning performances say the goodbyes for him. (Too staged, too forced…too bad!)
If TG had any reservations about being labeled “Luke” of Luke and Laura, he should have been professional and kept them to himself. I haven’t heard Genie Francis talk like he has; certainly she has talked about her difficulties of being a very young star and has talked candidly about her addictions, but she has never talked publicly about Tony Geary or about being “saddled” with the label of playing Laura. I’m sure she probably has often felt as frustrated as he, but she has refrained from airing her dirty linen, so to speak. Good for her.
When asked in the interview for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, she discreetly said: “Tony doesn’t like much to be known about him, and I respect that.”
That’s class.
And every time, without exception, when she has been on screen with him, she has always remained in the character of Laura and has always looked in his eyes and given it her all. Even TG has said as much. But this last time acting with Genie, TG hardly looked at her or even deigned to say the name “Laura,” speaking only of “his family.”
Petulant behavior–and inexcusable.
Go Genie! The consummate professional.
And one final thing, she has often said she regretted leaving the show so abruptly when she left for the first time–and even felt guilty for disappointing the fans–and for not doing a 20th anniversary show that TPTB wanted to do. I applaud her honesty and her candor.
But she is never self-serving and always refrains from self-pity. Admirable. No so, Mr. Geary.
I agree with your entire post. Genie is a class act. Tony doesn’t believe in suffering in silence. Instead he just had to make sure fans knew how much he didn’t like Luke and Laura.
It was HORRIBLE! Thank god his last scene wasnt with Fulu! But then again, Sonny? We knew it wasnt going to be Laura so it should have been with Bobbi. I think Luke’s very first scene on GH was at Kelly’s Diner with Bobbi. They should have met there again, 37 years later, said their goodbyes, Bobbi excuses herself to get refills on coffee, she returns to the table and Luke is gone. He either left and caught that boat or was kidnapped maybe for eternity? Who knows but for him and Sonny to have Luke’s last scene was HORRIBLE! And by the way, Sonny’s henchmen grab Luke off camera and bring him to Sonny and Dr. Corinthos comes to the conclusion that Fluke is gone forever and is no longer a threat? Its his old buddy Luke! God was this dumb! No last words with Scott Baldwin and no flashbacks? I hope the hell this show rights itself. Ron C. did some quality work but his ship has sailed and maybe these two new writers can clean up all these lose ends. I say reboot! Rebuild the Q’s, bring back Stephan, Emily is alive and recast Robin, Michael and Morgan. Pink slips got to Lucy, Jordan, TJ, Nina, Franco, Liesel, Nathan, val Chops and Sappy! Come on ladies, lets go!
I agree, with almost everything you say here, Timmm, especially the last scene of Luke ending at Kelly’s. That would have been more fitting and within character. And, with Bobbi, too.
But, wait, hold up…. what did dear Lucy do, to receive a pink slip from you? Hopefully, the new team of women writers will use her talents and time more appropriately. All in all, good post.
Yup; I love Lucy!!
Lucy was good when her and Alan were married but I havent seen anything from her in a long time. She does well as the host of the NB though.
I would love for GH to finish what they started. I love Kevin & Lucy, and it would be grand if Jon Lindstrom could return as Kevin.
I would love for the show to reconnect to the Kevin/Lucy/Scotty/Bobbi storyline, they started it, recast Kevin for one episode in January, and because of the Fluke storyline, among others, we’re left with “what’s up with Lucy?”. We see Scotty as DA and scenes as Dad with Franco. We see Bobbi with Luke, Lucas, Valerie, etc.
Now, it’s time for Lucy. I want to see The comeback with Lucy & Kevin. And, also, where is Mac & Felicia? Come on new headwriters, use your veterans…regularly. Same with Monica!
Oh, no, you ‘di-int’, Timmm. You want Nina, Franco AND Nathan out? You wound me, my friend. You are making me cry! Let’s bet on it! LOL.
Sorry, Cee Cee–I also want Franco, Nina, Nathan and even Denise out. These characters have been ruined. I also think Donna Mills is as pointless as Donald Trump’s comb over.
Double Cee, I love Michelle and Roger BUT their characters suck! NATHAN! Lets bet on this, if Nathan gained 100 pounds and took the short order cook position at Kellys you would be saying “Get rid of Nathan!” TCB!
@Timmm.
HaHaHa…I like that, Timmm, Double Cee! Cute. My husband just calls me Cees.
Anyhoo, we must be positive and hope that the ladies’s writing team will erase this child-woman caricature/characterization of Nina and draw a brand new image of her. I really believe in Michelle…when presented with the right script and storyline, she will surpass all our expectations. And Franco? Yes, he does act the buffoon…but I am hoping his time to be the Roger we know is around the corner.
Nathan? Well, Timmm. I cannot dismiss or deny what you are saying…he is one piece of masculine beauty, but I look at the essence of the person.
I know sometimes I may sound shallow…so, what if I told you, my husband were four feet tall and wore a toupee? HaHa. Later…I really like you so, Timmm.
@Harry.
I respect your opinion, Harry. This is why I love these sites. Isn’t diversity of opinion great? So democratic…LOL.
The man left GH, he was written a story..
Tony and the others liked the ending..
It was a great goodbye, it was not a renowned broadway production lol
It was good .. it was what it was supposed to be, a goodbye scene, and it was done well..
It is more than obvious Tony did not want the Luke and Laura stuff in his last hurrah..
He did not want it to be about Luke and Laura anything.
The letter is probably what he agreed with for the fans ..
ahaa he most likely doesn’t even know what’s written in it lol
Life is not perfect and soaps are not perfect, just entertainment..
All in all, there were some very strong emotional scenes during the past 3 weeks and of course the 52nd anniversary was powerful and very good..
As many as possible were brought back for the exit.. I liked that
Some wanted it to be written the way they personally wanted it to be written especially for them lol
We’ll see Tony/Luke again.. I’d bet on that 🙂
lol you’re like a philosopher who wants the fans written especially for you and your lol’s. Lots of lol’s.
I’m going to live by your “Life is not perfect and soaps are not perfect” Wow is that deep.
lol.
I am in agreement with you, su….nothing is perfect…no one is perfect. But, said adage should not always be used for convenience’s sake. It should be steadfast.
However, as everyone is in accordance; the last scene should not have been with Sonny! The symbolism here is a bad one……a negative one…..an atrocious one, in my opinion. Now, I admit I am not an expert on GH, as most long-time viewers are, but I have surmised much in the past year.
As someone already stated, this last scene was purposely contrived to ‘pass the torch’ to Sonny. I ask, why?….thing is, I do not get it. Luke, is supposedly an icon…ok, I’ll buy that…his string of Emmys re-enforce his ‘greatness’, as an actor. So, the symbolization of his last scene is ceding the reins to Sonny? The same Sonny who murdered AJ in cold blood and got away with it? The same Sonny who cannot keep two thoughts in his head and put two words together without stuttering? So, why pay so much homage to a murderer? Oh, yeah….he’s a good father…sure, he is. I said this before, one good deed does not negate all his bad deeds. And, I hope the new writers, who truly have been passed the torch, have enough insight and give the viewers what they want. Not only due punishment for Sonny, but these ladies owe us the decency of treating us as intelligent beings. Yes, su, I know you love, Sonny. I know it’s a soap. At the same time, it should set good examples. We expect that. I will not question your words because it is how you feel. We cannot help how we feel or how we formulate an opinion. But, to me? Sonny does not build; he destroys….so the entire scene went up in smoke mingling with the fog that swallowed Luke.
Was that last scene a replica of BRIGADOON, as it forever vanishes into the misty fog? All it needed was a requiem; and, a dirge to follow.
I have come to appreciate Tony/Luke, he is what he is. And, one must remember that he brought entertainment to many fans throughout the years. Furthermore, I would think, he did not write his send-off…or did he? Later.
I thing Luke passed the torch to Sonny because Sonny is a tenured veteran and I guess he will be on the show for some time so thats what I think it was. Who else would you pass the torch to? Sonny, like Luke are tied to so many characters on the show. Thats why I think Maurice is in line as the heir apparent?
@Aden.
So true, Aden. If I researched correctly, Laura was on the scene first. Luke put Laura through hell and back repeatedly. Yet, she was his salvation, so to speak.
Laura/Genie deserved better. But, if anyone takes the time to notice…..her dignity remains intact. What we see before us is a LADY, in the true sense of the word. I simply love her.
@Timmm.
Very goôd assumption, Timmm. To be honest; I hadn’t even paused to think about the ‘order of things’. I suppose, the gesture falls right into play.
But, you know how I react to Sonny…I SEE RED!
Luke’s clip reel will be in Laura’s mind once she’s considered the content of his letter to her.
It was very disappointing to see how Luke treated Laura over the past month and that there was no goodbye scenes between the two. Yesterday, I took the liberty of watching some Luke and Laura montages that fans have put together over the years. There is no doubt that Tony Geary is a talented actor but without Laura (Genie Francis), he would not have been a soap icon. Perhaps spending all that time with Liz Taylor went to his head. None of his other leading ladies brought out the magic, romance and adventure like Laura. He became larger than life due to their pairing and GH failed to celebrate that remarkable chemistry over the past month.
Why is a soap actor dictating story lines to the writers, producers and fans. We loved Luke and Laura because they were unconventional and an against all odds couple who proved everyone else wrong. They had an amazing family and they are why I watched GH for 35 years.
Why can’t a beautiful fairytale last. If we wanted Fluke and all that evil, we would watch the nightly news. We watch Soaps to escape the harsh realities of our lives and search for heroes and couples and families to emulate.
He was in love with Tracy, though. Laura had bailed on the family, yet again, and Luke had moved on. The one redeeming thing about Luke’s goodbye saga, imo, is that he did NOT really want to ditch Tracy when Laura showed up and snapped her fingers, and that he DID apologize and try to fix things with the woman he truly wanted to wind up with.
When Genie takes off this next time, I don’t expect to see a lot of fans gnashing their teeth for her to return again. Laura’s nobody on that show without Luke.
Is that you, Tony? Fans have been begging to see Laura since 2002. And now that Geary has spilled all his tea, even more fans are rooting to see Laura without Luke.
And who was Luke without Laura? An unrepentant, drunken, child killing, sociopathic disassociative murderer. So….who brought out the best in who?? It would be nice if people would think before they type.
Um, I guess I missed the part when Laura “bailed”. She was fired, reportedly, back in 2002 by Jill Phelps because she had the gall to ask for as much vacation time as Tony. If things were so great without Laura, why are the ratings in the toilet. Why didn’t people return to watch Tony’s exit?
AND a Lifetime of wisdom! Great post!
You can’t compare the Luke and Tracy storylines with Luke and Laura. You just can’t. The Luke and Laura storylines literally made history; television soap opera history but history nonetheless. No one is going to be talking about Luke and Tracy 37 years from now.
Tony’s finale was a big let down. The walking into the fog and fading to black has been done so many times it is no longer effective. I think the show could have done more of a montage of Tony thru the years. Would like to have seen a clip of Tony with Elizabeth Taylor.
It made me cry. Gh would not be GH and lasted so long without Luke. Who had a greater watching audience Luke and Laura’s wedding or Luke’s farewell show. I watched both and I am still hoping and praying Tony will decided Luke can return on a short visit to Port Charles. His name will be mention a lot in the future.
I cried through the whole episode . I am going to miss Luke…. It was a heartfelt episode that I won’t forget. I had read but I guess it is not true but Tony said he wanted to die off the show. I am so glad that it ended the way it did…..
I cried too…for watching it…lol
Lmao
How are we suppose to know what it said? We don’t even know what day she will read it – if at all.
lol
wouldn’t it be funny if the said;
”glad I’m gone now that you are here..
The Luke and Laura hype has gone way beyond its’ death..
Time to forget it and let it go ..
The end ..”
Now that would be so cool !!
Like it or not Su000, viewers wanted to see a Luke and Laura story. Look at the ratings. They are HORRIBLE. Get a clue.
It said “Your career was nothing without Me!”
well actually Timmm, since Laura was on GH before Luke, and Luke was only supposed to be a six-week character, his career was nothing without her.
13 weeks Justin.
at least he’s gone.
Heh, Boes. Yes, well there’s that.
I’m just glad Luke is gone. I won’t miss the character at all.
Geary’s attitude regarding Luke and Laura over the years and his recent comments about “the writer” have been disappointing to say the least.
Well I thought Luke’s interaction with Bobbie was magic, and very well written. Tracey also had a good scene with Luke. Anna also got to say goodbye, which was one of the best scenes. But as a longtime faithful everyday GH fan since 76, I felt we deserved better in regards to saying goodbye to Luke saying goodbye to Laura. As Laura disappeared n the fog in the early 80’s with mysterious music and intrigue, we now got to see Luke do so–with no destination. It was painful to watch, and sad, but not Anthony Geary’s fault. With no closure to the greatest romance ever told in the history of modern television, it means a couple of theories to me. 1–That the letter has his whereabouts for Laura to find him, 2–That someone wanted a low-key mild send off exit, 3- that TPTB have no regard or the fans. Who knows? we may never know. I am hoping that our new head writers who have a wealth of GH knowledge of story can capture Gloria Monty’s story telling and connection to families so much so that Anthony can return. This show made him a SUPERSTAR, Luke, Dante, and Carly, and Anna all deserve emmy nods next year for very powerful scenes so I am hopeful.
People get married everyday. They are wonderful weddings. Expensive. THEN, they get divorced! Its called life. Tony was over the L&L thing and the fans should move on as well.
They have. That’s why no one watched.
I was disappointed but not surprised. I read Genie Francis posted somewhere recently that she hopes Tony Geary can someday learn to be proud of the work he’s done, and I think her comment (if accurate) is spot-on. Looking back on Mr. Geary’s relationship with the media over the past decades, I can’t think of anyone more painfully ashamed of his fame or more eager to dismiss the memories surrounding the height of his popularity. He’s taken every opportunity to dump on the Luke & Laura legacy, right up to and including his exit interview, and his selfish, adamant unwillingness to discuss or revisit that dynamic has robbed both Ms. Francis and the long-term GH audience of more memorable moments. I “eagerly” await the inevitable rebuttal from Su000 in defense of viewers with the attention span of a hummingbird.
Great post! Lmao!
This post is almost profound bro! Well written, well played, hats off to you my friend!
As I said before I felt they should have ended it with Fridays’ episode, Monday’s was over kill, much like Mr. Fairman endless coverage of Mr. Geary’s exit. The man retired he didn’t die- so can we all move on now– please.
Luke’s last day was meh, but meh was about all I expected. What’s truly annoying is how The Writer frittered away Luke’s last few years on the show. Fake Luke? Please. Frank Smith? No. How many people back from the dead? I’ve lost count. And come on…Laura blowing back into town to muck things up? I got over her way back when she was lying to Luke about who Nik’s father was and playing smoochie-on-the-side with Stefan. Fine with me if we never find out what’s in the Angel letter. She’s no angel in my book, and now that Lucky and Luke are gone, she can flit back off to wherever she came from this time.
I didn’t watch it because I have fallen out of love with GH. My mom called me last night and told me how bad it was. She said GH is turning into newbie central. How could they put that Franco,Nina garbage on Geary’s final episode. GH is completely unrecognizable. ABC should be ashamed of themselves. GH is in bad shape. The show has looked extremely cheap,that tells me ad revenue is decreasing and the show is running out of money. Here’s a thought,trim the cast and use the money to improve production quality. The new writers have a tough job to restore GH to the show we all loved
I didn’t like the ending. After 37 years on GH all he gets is a:
“BYE FELICIA”
FYI: “Bye Felicia” is the new catch phrase. Kind of like “Talk to the Hand”.
It was a terribly dull ending. And the lack of an LnL goodbye was absurd. But, you have to remember that in ’83, when Tony and Genie left the show together, there was a number of flashbacks and goodbyes exchanged between Luke and the people of PC. So maybe Tony Geary and ABC didn’t want to do the same thing all over again. That said, this ending still stunk big time.
loved it !
I know it wasn’t about Luke & Laura, but if you think about it.. they “both” were big with each other. I totally would have liked to see him say good-bye to her. Not sure if it was up to the writers and/or Tony, but you do realize, a lot of fans would have liked to see that. I enjoyed some of the “talks” Luke had & yes I was sad to see him go. There are a few others I would have liked to see him say good-bye to as well, but I understand they couldn’t get everyone. I wish Tony Well.
I read TG’s exit interview. He said that he would always get his way because he would threaten to quit. He felt he knew the character better than the next “new” writer since he played the character for 37 years. It was written into his contract that he could ad-lib and change lines.
It liked the goodbye scene, and thought that it was done well. I was entertained and cried. I was so happy that they didn’t kill him off!
It is obvious to me that Tony did not want the Luke and Laura stuff in his last scenes. Like Nancy Dillingham said, TG didn’t look into Genie’s eyes while she looked into his eyes. Genie did a great job. Like CeeCee, I think that Genie “now” looks like Luke’s daughter given their ages of 68 and 53 as compared to their heyday ages of 36 and 21. TG did not want it to be about LnL, and I would guess he dictated that. Genie had left many times and was gone for the majority of the last 37 years, while TG was there. While I do agree that TG is pompous, I can understand why he would want the exit of his long-time character to stand-alone.
Luke’s send off was a complete let down. I would have liked to see him end the show with one last heroic deed, preferably against the Cassadines. I think they lost a great opportunity here.
Disappointed not only in the ending but the entire “farewell” story. If this was truly the end of Tony Geary’s time on GH it should have been about the fans and not Tony Geary. He and the show knew darn well the majority of fans wanted to see a story about L&L. Geary refused that and what we got was very little LnL and a petulant Geary who barely restrained is contempt for the story line. Sad to say but I am happy to see him go. He can stay in Amsterdam and talk to anyone who will listen about what a tortured artist he is and his bad choice of staying with a show for over 30 years that made him a multi-millionaire. He can also cry about how that show typecast him all due to those fans who just cannot move on from the couple he helped create and made him famous. Most people in his position would show grace and would want to give the fans what they want to see out of appreciation and gratitude. But no, it was all about him and he leaves biting the hand of just about everyone who helped feed his success.
There is no Luke and Laura..
That couple was put to grave decades ago..
They are a memory, nothing else..
It is the fans fault that they can’t put it to rest and live in the now, 25ish after LnL were a super couple and some see it as yesterday lol ..
Even super couples fade away to memories, and nothing more.
There is no Luke and Laura and to even have them on stage together as if they are is stupid lol
Luke’s love is Tracy not Laura, Laura is long gone from Luke’s life. 🙂
yes, it was all about Luke, that is what it was meant to be, his goodbye,,
It was Luke’s goodbye, not the fans .. 🙂
Su, some memories are precious. Sadly, sometimes, that’s all we have. Memories MEAN everything.
Very disappointed. Whole episode should have been about Luke and Laura, because Luke would have been nothing without Laura. The way they ended up together should have been addressed because it sent a really bad message to young women.. I hope they have a good storyline ahead for Genie Francis. She has developed into such a fine actress. She would be such a wonderful addition to GH.
They needed each other earlier in the careers but after the wedding, she fell out of favor and Luke has been going strong ever since. Laura cannot carry a story by herself.
The story sucked. It was flat. Geary should’ve left after the Fluke story ended. All of this was overkill to me. And I don’t care what anyone says, that letter was a diss. Luke and Laura have been over but how about saying goodbye to your acting partner of 30 years? She didn’t even warrant that? Tony didn’t know about that letter and I doubt we’ll ever know what it said.
Every single person who had a hand in telling this story failed its viewers. I’m just glad its OVER. Bye Luke.
I thought it sucked. Worse than that, Nathan Varni said the only people complaining – referring to us fans who have watched the show for over thirty years – are people who have nothing better to do. Well, gee, Nathan, I just found something better to do. It interferes with GH so I guess I can’t watch it anymore. As if anyone over there cares. We can all see how they value the fans, advertising this finale as the be all and end all and then giving us zip. Thanks.
i won’t miss Geary and as we’ve seen everyone is replaceable .. Steve Burton goes, Jason gets re-cast … give it a few months and they’ll be putting out calls for a new Luke
They will NEVER recast Luke, NEVER.
Never say never
are you the same person who doubted me when i said Ric was behind the Hayden is Jake’s wife con???????
NEVER! Daryl! Why didnt they recast Jeanne Cooper? Same thing, she was an icon on Y&R and they knew the fans wouldnt buy it. I didnt doubt you on Ric. No, wasnt me. Good conclusion, though. I might have suspected Ric because of his feelings for Liz but cannot remember if it occurred to me at the time.
Breaking News
(WATCH) 2024 Daytime Emmy Nominations Special Live!
After exciting morning for your favorite daytime stars when they were revealed to be nominees for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards comes tonight 10th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special.
Beginning at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, several of the nominees will talk with Michael Fairman on their reactions to the news they have been nominated for a Daytime Emmy, share what scenes they submitted that landed in the top five or six in their respective performer acting categories and much more.
Scheduled to appear are: Days of our Lives nominees, Tamara Braun (Ava), Eric Martsolf (Brady) and Linsey Godfrey (Sarah), The Young and the Restless nominees: Allison Lanier (Summer), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Courtney Hope (Sally), Bryton James (Devon), The Bold and the Beautiful’s John McCook (Eric), General Hospital nominees, Finola Hughes (Anna) and Alley Mills (Heather), and The Bay’s Mike Manning (Caleb).
Photo: JPI
The 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ on Friday night, June 7th and emanating, once again this year from the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Photo: JPI
For a full list of this year’s nominations click here.
Now, watch below as the stars chat it up as we celebrate their Daytime Emmy Nominations. If you have a potential question you might want posed to any of our guests, drop it in the comment section below and we just might ask it on air.
Breaking News
51st Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations: CBS Soaps Score Most, Eric Braeden, Dick Van Dyke, Guy Pearce Receive Nods
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) have officially announced on Friday, the full list of nominees for the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
While Thursday brought with it four reveals of the nominees in the Outstanding Daytime Drama, Talk Show Host, Lead Actor and Actress categories (as presented by various entertainment news programs), today’s nominations include all the other categories not previously announced.
The Daytime Emmy Awards telecast is set to be presented live on Friday night, June 7, at 8 PM EDT /delayed PT, on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. This will mark the 18th time that CBS has broadcast the Daytime Emmys.
Photo: JPI
In addition, The Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy Awards will be presented on Saturday, June 8 at t9 PM ET/6 PM PT and streamed on The Emmys apps and at watch.TheEmmys.tv. The ceremonies will take place at the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles.
Television icon, Dick Van Dyke has received his first-ever Daytime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Guest Performer category for his touching portrayal of Timothy Robicheaux on Peacock’s Days of our Lives. The nomination makes Van Dyke the oldest Daytime Emmy nominee in history at 98-years-old. In addition, motion picture and TV star, Guy Pearce, is also nominated as Guest Performer for his longtime role as Mike Young in the reboot of Neighbours.
Speaking of Neighbours, the Australian soap opera also received its first ever Daytime Emmy nomination for Daytime Drama Series now that its a revival can be streamed on Amazon Freevee. In addition, The Young and the Restless iconic, Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) received his first Daytime Emmy nomination in more than 20 years in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series category.
Photo: AmazonFreevee
In the Daytime Drama series categories, CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless each scored 12 nominations more than any other show. Leading the acting nominations was B&B, who landed 7 performers in the various categories, a first in its 37-year history.
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS expressed, “We are happy to once again honor the creative talent both in front of and behind the camera of America’s favorite Daytime programs. We look forward to celebrating the icons who enliven the days of audiences across the country.”
Photo: JPI
Brent Stanton, Head of Daytime, NATAS added, “Producing the Daytime Emmys is a labor of love for all of us at NATAS. The huge popularity of these shows continues to be must-see viewing for their fans.” NATAS also revealed that Lifetime Achievement Honorees, Hosts, Presenters, and Silver and Gold Circle honorees will be revealed at a later date.
The Daytime Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievement in television programming honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary, and legal/courtroom programs. In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards to be organized by content genre, as opposed to program airtime.
The 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be produced once again by NATAS and Associated Television International (ATI). Adam Sharp and Lisa Armstrong are executive producers from NATAS, while David McKenzie executive produces from ATI.
Congratulations to all the men and women in front of the camera and behind the scenes for their recognition as we take a look at who will be going for gold come June. Here are the nominees below starting with the Daytime Drama Categories.
Photo: JPI
OUTSTANDING DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES
The Bay
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of our Lives
General Hospital
Neighbours
The Young and the Restless
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES: ACTRESS
Tamara Braun, Days of our Lives
Finola Hughes, General Hospital
Katherine Kelly Lang, The Bold and the Beautiful
Annika Noelle, The Bold and the Beautiful
Michelle Stafford, The Young and the Restless
Cynthia Watros, General Hospital
Photo: JPI
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES: ACTOR
Eric Braeden, The Young and the Restless
Scott Clifton, The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye, The Bold and the Beautiful
Eric Martsolf, Days of our Lives
John McCook, The Bold and the Beautiful
Photo: JPI
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES: ACTRESS
Jennifer Gareis, The Bold and the Beautiful
Linsey Godfrey, Days of our Lives
Courtney Hope, The Young and the Restless
Allison Lanier, The Young and the Restless
Emily O’Brien, Days of our Lives
Photo: JPI
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES: ACTOR
Robert Gossett, General Hospital
Bryton James, The Young and the Restless
Wally Kurth, Days of our Lives
A Martinez, The Bay
Mike Manning, The Bay
Photo: JPI
OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES
Linden Ashby, The Young and the Restless
Ashley Jones, The Bold and the Beautiful
Alley Mills, General Hospital
Guy Pearce, Neighbours
Dick Van Dyke, Days of our Lives
OUTSTANDING WRITING TEAM FOR A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES
The Bay
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Photo: JPI
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING TEAM FOR A DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES
The Bay
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DIRECTION
General Hospital
The Jennifer Hudson Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The View
Photo: ABC
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of our Lives
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade
The Kelly Clarkson Show
OUTSTANDING CASTING
African Queens: Njinga
Days of our Lives
General Hospital
Start Up
The Young and the Restless
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION/SET DECORATION/SCENIC DESIGN
African Queens: Njinga
The Drew Barrymore Show
General Hospital
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The View
The Young and the Restless
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN/STYLING
African Queens: Njinga
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri
Photo: WarnerBros
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING AND MAKEUP
African Queens: Njinga
The Drew Barrymore Show
Sherri
The View
The Young and the Restless
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG
“Shine” General Hospital
“Unexpected Truth”Unexpected
“We’re Home” Reconnecting Roots
OUTSTANDING DAYTIME TALK SERIES
The Jennifer Hudson Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall
Turning The Tables with Robin Roberts
The View
Photo: ABC
OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT NEWS SERIES
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
OUTSTANDING CULINARY SERIES
Be My Guest with Ina Garten
Family Dinner
Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays
Valerie’s Home Cooking
What Am I Eating? with Zooey Deschanel
OUTSTANDING LEGAL/COURTROOM PROGRAM
Hot Bench
Judy Justice
Justice For The People with Judge Milian
The People’s Court
We The People with Judge Lauren Lake
Photo: Disney/ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES HOST
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, Live with Kelly and Mark
Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell, Sheryl Underwood, The Talk
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
OUTSTANDING CULINARY HOST
Lidia Bastianich, 25 Years with Lidia: A Culinary Jubilee
Valerie Bertinelli, Valerie’s Home Cooking
Eduardo Garcia, Big Sky Kitchen with Eduardo Garcia
Emeril Lagasse, Emeril Cooks
Sophia Roe, Counter Space
Buddy Valastro, Legends of the Fork
OUTSTANDING DAYTIME PERSONALITY – DAILY
Frank Caprio, Caught in Providence
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What do you think about the nominations for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards? Who do you think deserved to get in that did? Who do you think got snubbed? Who are you happiest to see receive a nomination? Let us know via the comment section below.
Make sure to be with us live starting tonight Friday, April 19th at 8pm ET/5pm PT for the Michael Fairman Channel’s 10th anniversary edition of its Daytime Emmy Nomination Special 2024, featuring some of the just announced daytime drama nominees.
Breaking News
51st Daytime Emmys: Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Nominations
On Thursday, the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards revealed nominations in several key categories via four entertainment news programs: Access Hollywood, E! News, Extra and Access Hollywood.
Three of the four announcements were major categories in the field of Daytime Dramas.
The nominees in the Outstanding Daytime Drama Series category are: The Bay, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, Neighbours and The Young and the Restless.
Photo: JPI
General Hospital won this category last year, and has the most all-time wins for a series in this category. For the first time, the beloved Australian-based soap opera, Neighbours is now eligible for competition due to its reboot which streams on Amazon Freevee.
Photo: AmazonFreevee
The 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out in ceremonies in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Friday night, June 7th.
Previous categories announced tonight via the entertainment news outlet included: Lead Actor and Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
So, what do you think about this year’s nominee for the Outstanding Daytime Drama Series? Who do you think should win? Comment below.
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