General Hospital
RATINGS: GH Spikes In Total Viewers With The Return Of Steve Burton!
Courtesy/ABC
The ratings are in for the week of September 18-22nd, and it was ABC’s General Hospital which saw the largest additions in viewers with the return of Steve Burton aka Patient Six!
In fact, the much publicized episode where GH fans got their first glimpse of Burton, even though it was just his eyes revealed at the end of the episode, was the highest watched episode of the week for the daytime drama series. Overall for the week, GH added +109,000 more than any other network soap giving it 2,538,000 total viewers for the week, and for Burton’s first glimpse episode, 2,725,000. In addition, GH gained the most viewers in the key womens 18-49 and 25-54 categories.
CBS’ The Young and the Restless was the only other soap to gain total viewers for the week, bringing in +58,000, and showing gains in the all three key demos 18-34, 18-49, 25-54. However, in the 18-49 ratings share, the series still tied an all-time low.
Still the number two-rated daytime drama, The Bold and the Beautiful lost only -5,000 viewers for the week, but did remain in the positive side adding eyeballs in all three key demos.
Days of our Lives lost the most viewers for the week with -66,000, but with the double wedding that begun to air last week and the bombshells ahead this week, hope for an encouraging next ratings period. View the entire ratings picture via SON here.
Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,412,000 (+58,000/-376,000)
2. B&B 3,577,000 (-5,000/-123,000)
3. GH 2,538,000 (+109,000/-173,000)
4. DAYS 2,087,000 (-66,000/-110,000)
So, what do you think of GH’s ratings on the heels of the return of Steve Burton? Which soap opera is delivering the best drama right now? Which do you feel is not? Share your thoughts on the ratings picture and more in the comment section below!
I have been watching soaps since the 60’s and I don’t recall a time when every single soap on air was boring me to tears. I don’t care what the ratings say, because a lot of us watch out of habit or loyalty BUT that doesn’t mean the story lines are good.
On Days the double wedding is barely interesting– if the person who crashes the ceremony is a drunk Lucas and not some major reveal I will be greatly disappointed, but not surprised
Over at B&B it is downright creepy watching Bill make gaga eyes at Steffy– if they pair those two– all I can say is ewwww.
At Y&R, please for the love of God, end this tedious fued between Jabot and Brash and Sassy and while you are at it– put Cane out of his misery and send him out of town with Juliette and let this waste of air time go.
GH the thing saving your a$$ is the hunk of the day going shirtless– a classic rating booster that never goes out of style Lol
Oh, my gosh, Mary. ….I could not have said it better. I have not been watching since the ’60’s, LOL, but I have been watching long enough to agree with you.
How easily the words flow from your mind to your fingers. ‘Ain’t’ that the truth.
However, I like what’s happening with the wedding crashing at DOOL….only because it has a modicum of excitement, which is so lacking on GH and Y&R. I did not expect for Ron to capture my interest.
I do agree about Lucas, though. I don’t think it’s him; it would be such ennui if it were.
Most think it’s Ben, which will make the story so much more enthralling …..a lot to tell there.
It bothers me not that Steve is back, albeit I am not familiar with Jason Morgan.
But, as you point out, the story better be intriguing…..something else you said which is soooo true: many of us watch soaps out of loyalty or routine.
Great post, Mary….to the point.
Oh Celia, you and Mary are so sadly correct. I’m literally wearing out my FF button on these shows. What’s going on? Ava and Griffin? I mean the man is gorgeous but has the personality of a dial tone. And that awful Graham, awful Charlie, awful Mattie, sleazy Zack, neanderthal Scott on Y&R! Ugh. At least DOOL will have the talented and beautiful Robert Scott Wilson back for a while. Why couldn’t Y&R have nabbed him for Scott Grainger? Well, gotta go change the batteries in my remote. Will need to “breeze through the boredom” later.
@Soaphound.
Hey, you,…..
Too funny.LOL. I did mention on the Y&R site that the show should weed out its cast of buffoons (Scaramouches)……
Yet, I’d die without my Y&R.
I do not understand why some of these characters are needed. What is Ravi’s purpose? To figure out who is playing musical computers? Or to make a fool out of Ashley?….old enough to be his mother Gross!!
“Gotta” take the good with the bad, my friend.
YOU ARE RIGHT ON!!!!!!!!!!! SO MANY OF THESE HORRIBLE STORY LINES ON ALL THE CBS SOAPS HAVE TO COME TO AN END SOON BEFORE WE ALL CALL IT QUITS!!!!
DOOL will be facing cancellation again next year. the end is near folks. the ratings are terrible.
Hi Wendy..
Good! then RC can come back to GH ..
Saving Days is like kicking a dead horse to run..
If RC can’t get it up then the clock ticks 🙁 🙁
I predicted as much. I stopped watching when the doppelgangers appeared–too out there for me.
RC was NOT the Knight in Shinning Armor!
I am only loyal to GH. Not interested in the other soaps. The acting is too weak for my taste.
Same here. I’ve always been a watcher of the ABC soaps. I love GH & miss the others that used to be on there… (All My Children, One Life to Live)
Mary, I had an episode or two of General Hospital on this past weekend, and I spent the entire time on my phone. When I found something of more interest on my phone, I muted the show-“nuff said.”
After the horrific act of gun violence in Las Vegas, it’s time for the writers to let the mob storylines go. This may be difficult to hear, but GH is profiting from the proliferaton of gun violence and we need to stand against it.
Amen, Jim! You are absolutely correct with your analysis and viewpoint. I’m with you, Friend!
Jim, mostly ALL TV and movies profit from sex and violence!
Violence on soaps has always existed. But not to this extend.
When there was s story on crime, the bad guy always paid.
Now the criminal is glorified.
Prayers to the victims and their families who suffered and are still suffering through this ordeal.
We have to stop justifying violence. Hollywood does it all the time is not a rational or responsible response. They will clam up for a while, promise to do better, wait for the furor to die down, and then it’s business as usual. It’s cynical and despicable.
Over 50 people died in Vegas. 500 people were shot! This wasn’t a soap opera! This was real life!
I honestly can’t imagine being Maurice Bernard and having to play a character where murder is a way of life. Soaps always talk about breaking new ground and maybe it’s time it takes another courageous stand and say with the world becoming more and more violent that we choose not to go there anymore. The mob story has been done to death. It’s time for Sonny to go. Anything less or maintaining the status quo is greed, pure and simple.
Sing it, Brother Jim! You are right, thank you for pointing that out. Well done.
I am to right along with you all about the mob on GH…
The day Steve was promoted to return, Tuesday, GH was over 2.7 million viewers. In that episode, fans didn’t get Steve, only a reveal of his eyes at the 59 minute mark, and the show they got for the first 59 minutes was full of Franco, Franco pain, Franco propping and the clear message that Franco will be all over the Jason returns story. Also a good dose of Nina along with Valentin, a character lapsed viewers wouldn’t know at all.
Then of course, the previews for the next day had no Steve Burton. Truly brilliant! As if Frank will show ABC for forcing Burton back on him, he’ll undermine the whole thing. I mean honestly, reveal his eyes in the last 30 seconds and then no follow up the next day. Can Frank really be that incompetent? Can he?
So if lapsed viewers tuned in they didn’t get Steve, they got a whole lot of Franco and the message that they will get a whole lot more Franco and that probably not much else has changed in terms of the GH they tuned out; unrecognizable and full of new characters and actors. And then they had no reason to even tune in the very next day, no Steve in the promo.The rest of the week, many of the extra viewers who came back for Steve on Tuesday did in fact tune out. The numbers dropped 200,000-250,000.
They had an opportunity, ABC gave the promotional resources, they attracted a larger audience that day and they blew it. Ben Sherwood, Vicki Drummer, whoever is in charge over there should take a hard look at their EP, what he’s doing with GH and what he does when given valuable promotional resources. This guy has an agenda and it is not in the best interest of GH. He has proven this time and time again. If not, he’s completely incompetent and that should concern them.
The only way it will let me make a comment is by replying, so I’ll reply to yours. First, I am one of those lapsed viewers having been away for a couple years… I came back a few weeks ago in anticipation of Steve… super excited. I LOVE the Jason/Patient Six story. I LOVE that Ava is in the mix. I love Billy Miller, but there is only one Jason Morgan and that’s Steve (no offense to Billy, I do love him too. ) Hoping to see Sam and Jason Morgan reunite.. and hoping Frank will value history and let that happen. I have to say I agree with your post.. there’s a reason I stopped watching before and already am having to ff. So much more I could say but can’t find the words right now.
Gwen, adding to your list–Anna and Finn.
I know I don’t just speak for myself when I attest to the fact that I am in need of some good old fashioned escapism. Anna and Finn grant us that escapism. Sure, I miss Hayden but Finn and Anna are positively grand together.
And today, beautiful and intelligent Laura came back to go toe to toe with Valentin. She is now a mean, lean fighting machine and I like her this way.
I can’t believe I am being all Pollyanna here as usually I am the one complaining and asking for some cheese with my whine.
Sure, I still have a lot of complaints but I will say that for me when Sonny and Carly are off the screen, this soap rises up out of dark, dreary and dull redundancy.
amen!!!
Gh is so boring a blank screen is preferable
Yes very boring lol
The patient six story is NOT boring!! Loving it!! So glad Steve is back!!!
Love him or hate him, Steve Burton is compelling and exciting as Jason “Stonecold” Morgan.
He fizzled as Dylan on Y&R but comes alive as Jason.
However, I still love Billy Miller and can see that these two can coexist simultaneously without canceling the other out. In fact, I think they can enhance one another.
I am also actually enjoying Franco for the first time.
Y&R has also been providing some good old fashioned, soapy fun–love the Abbotts.
Harry you couldn’t say it better!
Yes. No matter how much the writers push Ava on the viewer, this viewer is not impressed, same with Julian, I might add. That “redemption” coupon just ran out.
Amen to that, Nancy! And the same goes for Nina! All of the aforementioned characters have surpassed their “expiration dates” for so-called “redemption!”
And speaking of Ava, I just read something on GH Dirty Laundry site that says:
You know who (the rescuer priest/doctor) “declares his love for Ava.”
I say: “Huh?” Boy, “love” comes so easily on GH, doesn’t it? Another prime example of just what we’ve been discussing: failure to develop stories that allow the viewer’s investment.
And, btw, I’ve never understood that duality of priest/doctor.
I kinda figure.. that Ava will not have a chance any longer w/Griffin, since she signed the papers for Valentin… reneging ? on her testimony for Spencer
so.. I had hoped beyond that it was Nicholas at the Russian clinic. so that Ava can move on
oh well
i’m about 5 eps behind.. so.. the only thing I know about Steve Burton STAR turn is that he’s telling Ava to “Just do it ”
be a nice person… as Ava laments her trials and tribulations… didn’t she reel her life story.
it’s the most I’ve ever seen Ava speak , at least one sided.
Steve Burtons EYES really took over the show.. that was his whole act
that’s it folks
The only reason I watched Gh that week was bcs Billy Miller was finally back on GH after a 3 week drought of not seeing him. I think this whole clinic story with Patient 6 & Ava is silly. Not interested. If GH wouldn’t have gotten good ratings on 9/19 after all the promoting they did of Steve Burton, I would say GH should just throw in towel.. All they did was promote Steve Burton’s return on 9/19 for weeks. I don’t think I saw any other promo involving any other actors for at least 2 weeks except SB. Why weren’t the ratings that high on 9/21 & 9/22? He was in the previews for those days also. I think you have to look at a month’s worth of viewership before you determine what effect SB’s return will have on GH. It’s not a one man show. You need storylines that ppl are interested in. That’s how you increase ratings.
I couldn’t agree with you more! The only reason I tuned back in that week was because Billy Miller was FINALLY back on screen after a long 3 week draught!
I am the only one walking away here. Steve Burton’s returns has no place on General Hospital. Been watching since day one…now I am walking away. The last few years GH has been sinking in it’s appeal. Stories are si dull and unreal. How many times do people die? The mask storyline was the worst. Reusing the same stories over and over. Getting rid of good actors to bring back one that dumped his fans wirh lies…..not acceptable. Yes I did watch the return of BS but now I know where this is going my TV gets to rest during that air time. It really went down the last few years Good bye General Hospital…..you were once a terrific show…..But Now I see you only going down hill.
Thank you so much for echoing my feelings. As bad as the show is lately, Billy is always a beautiful bright spot in my day. And I would have rather watched him sleep than hear Sam’s incessant whining. It’s her darn fault he was shot in the first place, running around town constantly saying “Jason” to anyone who’ll listen.
Well you have to look at other storylines that were going on too that may have caused people to DVR so they could ff (when people ff, it doesn’t count towards ratings.) There is another story I don’t want to watch that I have been ffing. When it comes to the two Jasons or Jason and Drew, I love both Billy and Steve, but there is only one Stonecold, and that is no disrespect to Billy, it is like saying someone else could play Luke if Anthony Geary came back. There is only one Luke. I think this is going to be a good story.. lots of excitement and drama and lots of awesomeness from Steve and Billy and Kelly. <3 I hope Sam goes with Jason Morgan and I have my theories about what will happen, but she will be torn for sure, in love with two men. And I love love love that Ava is part of it!!! Maura is so amazing.
Who’s Luke? And who’s Anthony Geary?? LOL! LOL!
Welcome back, SBu!
Shelly Altman is a wonderful head writer for GH. She is full of ideas, loves the history and she a huge game plan for GH. Cant wait to see her take off at GH.
Nathan Varni, is that you?
i have told you before, if Shelly loves GH sooo much, tell her to learn the characters history
We’ve been waiting almost two years for her to “take off” at GH. At what point do we conclude it isn’t going to happen?
I like what I am seeing so far…
Like Mary…i too have been watching soaps since the 60s and i remember a time when i couldnt wait to turn in the next day or wait for the weekend to end…but that was the days of character driven stories by masterful writers…todays soaps are plot driven and not very planned out in advance…the writers seem to start a story but without a middle and an end…its more like they write the plot as they go along with no thought of what will happen next…just wake up, put pen in hand and write todays episode…then if one thing doesnt work change history to make it work…none of todays soaps are exciting and i only tune in once in awhile…always waiting for things to turn around-its difficult to stop a plus 50 year old habit but sometimes i think i just might call it a day sooner or later!!!
Like @Mary SF and @Jimh, I, too, have been watching the soaps since the 1960s.
Mary SF makes great points about how boring the remaining soaps are currently. I trust Mary at her word. I’m not much of a viewer anymore…
I reply to you, Jimh, because my early viewing mirrored yours. (And I know we’ve discussed the old days on occasion). As I recall, you were a huge AW fan! I was so excited watching these glorious characters I cared about. And most soaps had a great cliffhanger on Fridays, often played out by organ.
I did get to the point where I needed to “call it a day.” It came sooner for me, Jimh. As I explained in a recent thread, my main allegiance was to GH, long before the city of Port Charles was established. I watched from 1969 until 2004. It was clearly an addiction, one that was hard to give up. But I could no longer tolerate the overriding focus on Sonny and the Mob, and I didn’t like how veteran actors (and their characters were treated). But this addiction reared its head again and again as I would learn about certain storylines and certain stars returning (Genie Francis, I’m talking about you!), and I had to watch the hoopla surrounding the 50th anniversary of GH. So I was hooked back into this addiction repeatedly.
As of today, my viewing is next to nil, as I will do a bit of channel surfing, but nothing compels me anymore. And, of course, I see new characters I don’t even know.
Jimh, your point about “plot driven” stories (as opposed to character driven stories, which we remember from the early days) is SO TRUE!! Back to those old days, it was a time when the viewer truly cared about certain characters. You rooted for star-crossed lovers to unite. You were frustrated when roadblocks (as in troublemakers) would get in their way. As I mentioned before, I was hooked on the love story of GH’s Peter and Diana Taylor (Craig Huebing and Valerie Starrett), but with GH, you also rooted for Steve and Audrey. On ATWT, you rooted for Kim and Dan. I don’t want to leave anyone out, but there are plenty of examples from other shows. The soaps created couples, even before “supercouples” became the lexicon, that the viewers enjoyed and kept returning to see. They didn’t have to have sci-fi or Mob-related adventures. The actors were able to convey the connection to each other’s characters and, in turn, to the viewers.
I’m glad my greatest enjoyment of the soaps occurred decades ago, which I would characterize as the “Golden Age.” I don’t begrudge those fans who feel that way now. Maybe they’re as excited now as I once was. Maybe they see the value in the stories and the characters. Maybe I’m just one of those geezers who thinks everything was better back in the day! Well, I know I can say that for music! 🙂
But I do appreciate the enjoyment I received from the soaps, from my so-called “Golden Age” and beyond. I enjoy the camaraderie here, and I hope the genre can survive…
Very well said…and what you said about Sonny and the mob is true to me too..its why i rarely watch anymore…im just happy that i lived in the time of soaps golden era…that was also the time of my greatest enjoyment of the genre as well!!!
Jamesj75, I so appreciate your kind words…You are such an excellent writer and how you word all your comments. THANKS again…
James…as always, you are SO SPOT ON, Brother!!!!! But you know what really, seriously and truly frustrates me about all of this: Those clueless POWERS THAT BE treat us longtime soap viewers like we’re idiots!!!!! BEYOND FRUSTRATING!!!!!
Later, Brother.
I loved the love story also between Peter and Diana, and I was just a kid back then . Remember the who killed Phil Brewer mystery? I started watching the soaps back then because of Dark Shadows. Loved that show, and started watching GH, then OLTL because they came on before DS. Even my Mom got hooked on all three shows. I agree, those were the good old days when you couldn’t wait to watch the next episode and they always had the exciting Friday cliff hangers. Miss those days. I am finding myself interested in the Jason story and hoping the show is improving a bit. The one thing that keeps me watching is that I think GH has the best actors, to me, then all the other soaps. Maura West is incredible and having her involved in the Jason story was a big plus. Steve B. even seems better, shows so much emmotion just with his eyes. If only they would stop with the Sonnt/Carly thing. Just have them on less and I can take it. I like the vets on DOOL but the acting of the younger cast is questionable.
I bow down! Great essay! And I agree with you, btw.
I, also, have watched GH since the ’60’s.
Beautifully said, James. I’m a 52-year watcher of soaps and fondly remember those wonderful days of the 70s and 80s often. I, too, want the genre to survive. We certainly have the most talented actors in the business. We just need better tales for them to tell.
You are more than welcome Jamesj75, so glad I made your day…THANKS again.
Jimh and Jamesj75…the golden days of soaps, oh how we all miss them for us that have been watching since the 60’s and myself since the middle 70’s…I started watching with my mom…The Doctor’s, Somerset, Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life, Another World, Days of our Lives, The Young and the Restless, As the World Turns, The Guiding Light, All my Children…my personal favorites were Y&R during Bill Bell Days/Kay Alden, Guiding Light when Douglas Marland was writing for GL and DOOL in the 70’s & 80’s with Addie, Julie & Doug, Don Craig, Liz & Neal, Bo&Hope, Steve&Kayla, Justin&Adrienne, Shane&Kimberly…it’s so sad that those days are over with…Daytime head honchos take a look at This is Us, this is what we want…character driven tight writing of character’s we care about and write a story from beginning to end…I loved the Y&R and started watching again when Sally Sussman and Kay Alden returned and I have asked and begged for Y&R to return the classic background music and I so wish they would bring back the production and the feel of the show but the top brass won’t listen to us fans and you are wondering why you are loosing viewers and don’t listen to us…PLEASE listen to us fans for we care about our shows…
Kevin C, I appreciate your reply! It’s great to read about your favorite shows, including your allegiance to Y&R and the great couples you mentioned from DOOL. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was fairly easy to watch several shows — I did, too — as they (primarily) were half-hour shows.
You also make great points about the “top brass” who “won’t listen to us fans.” Your last statement is particularly telling: “PLEASE listen to us fans for we care about our shows…” We see, time and again, that the views of fans are largely ignored. A cursory look at this website and others will indicate a great deal about how fans feel about what is working and what isn’t, about which characters are relished and which characters are polarizing, etc. Kevin C, I really hope the top brass take your learned advice…
I have been watching the repeats of The Doctors…i watched this show when it originally aired…and even if i remember many of the stories outcome its still far more entertaining than soaps today,,,like back then i never can wait for the next episodes…wish more had survived the wiping process!!!
Thank you so much, Kevin! You’ve made my day, Friend! 🙂
Oh, Jimmy, my friend…. You guys are so lucky to have watched for so long.
Yet, although I missed all those good, nostalgic years, I have been chanting your same litany since I started watching GH…..an out-of-the-blue beginning, with a horde of new characters; barely a middle; and, definitely no end.
And, yes, Jimmy…as I have said a million times before, TPTB make up the plot; the lines; the theme as they go along.
From what all you long-time watchers are saying, it seems that leaving stories in limbo has become the norm. Will they all end up in the Luke-Fluke ossuary, without concrete justification?
there are some rare episodes and clips on youtube that survived the wiping processs..sometimes i go back and watch those instead of what on now…i read The Paley Center in New York and a few other places have rare surviving episodes in their archives too…Days i heard archived all theirs-if true i wish they showed the repeats somewhere…the late 60s to late 70s the show was at its best…currently im watching The Doctors-most of their episodes were saved…the show has its ups and down moments but i still enjoy it better than current GH!!!
Thank you, Jimmy. My grandmother steered me in that direction.
I have trouble sleeping, some nights; so, I do ‘scour’ utube for old clips of defunct soaps, which I enjoyed as a child and beyond….to the present ( or whatever is left, LOL).
Sometimes it makes me wish I had lived through the sixties and seventies…..
Those were the days, Jimh and Mary SF. They will never be recaptured.
I lived within walking distance from school and I would go home for lunch just to catch a few minutes of soap time.
Michael,
u forgot to add that there was a drop in the ratings after the eye reveal,
wasn’t all it was cracked up to be
Days is getting really good now, and the ratings are not going up. this is not good at all. I am really getting worried. I love Days.
Days Of Our Lives numbers are not moving up, even Ron cannot save my soap. time for the funeral Days lol. Lets end the misery.
Did you really think Ron could save Days??
First thing he did there was the dumb ass doppleganger story, featuring the return of one of the most useless characters in the history of Salem, Bonnie Lockhart (only her kids were more useless, but I’m sure Ron is already planning their comeback, since Mimi was one of his OLTL pets after she left Days)
At least he didn’t kill off a beloved Days character and try to bring in a character from some dead soap and tell the audience they had to love that useless auto-tuned bubblegum singing twit all in the same day, which is what he did his first day on GH.
Oh… and not to get back on topic or anything, but…..
Welcome back Jason! Welcome back decent ratings!
Let’s hope they get the message there….
It didn’t take Ron and his “mob” to kill Days–just Ron and rotten writing. Amen.
Nancy, thank you so much for your kind words (above)! I’m glad we had we were in such great company as we watched GH from so long ago… 🙂
This is my question…..If we are all so bored with our soaps i am curious when was the last writers for these soaps we love were greatWatching old soap storylines on u tube i think late 90’s was the last time soaps were soaps and not cheap imitations of them.Steve Burtons return is all for ratings not for a sit at the edge of your seat nail biting reveal!Why do they need 2 Jasons they barley have known what to do with one!Why involve Franco the least liked character on the show>Personally bringing back Jeff webber and addressing the Hayden Elizabeth story would have been much more interesting!!!!
I loved Y&R up till 2006 when they fired Kay Alden and a lot of behind the scenes people and then Y&R wasn’t the same…Same with Guiding Light when Douglas Marland left and I could tell something had changed…
I completely agree with the Y&R remark. It has been a LONG decade for me to continue watching the show. I vividly remember the last Y&R storyline that I thought was very compelling —- The fallout of the death of John Abbott. While I personally would not have killed off the Abbott matriarch, the scenes between a grieving Jack and a grieving Gloria where they practically were at each other’s throat disagreeing about removing John from life support and blaming each other for the loss was very good writing. Neither character was completely in the wrong or the right but both genuinely loved John. What really nailed it was the terrific acting by Peter Bergman and Judith Chapman.
It has been a long haul watching Y&R the last 10 years. The writing has been bland, unoriginal or made no sense. (I’m still trying to figure out what throw pillows embroidered with character descriptions and a key lodged in the victim’s throat had to do with the senseless death of the completely miscast Diane Jenkins. I also can’t forget a stressed Kevin chatting with a chipmunk!).
I had HUGE hopes that things would improve with the return of Sally Sussman and Kay Alden. I know that some viewers have not liked what Sussman has written. However, the woman only had NINE months to repair what took a DECADE to destroy. IMO, Sussman wasn’t given a real opportunity (or the creative space) to correct things or put her imprint on the show. Sussman’s leaving has been very disheartening. Frankly, this 40 year viewer isn’t sure what can be done to save Y&R if Sussman couldn’t do it (or wasn’t given a proper choice).
After four decades, I’m not willing to ditch Y&R ….. yet. However, I’m having trouble mustering much enthusiasm for Mal Young’s writing to hit the screen. At least five times in the past decade, the show has “teased” us that things will improve with a new head writer. With the exception of Sussman, each time has been AWFUL.
I’m giving Young a slight chance. However, if he doesn’t deliver quickly or doesn’t stay in the job long, this veteran viewer is turning off Y&R permanently. I’m worn out by the bad writing, constant change in direction of the show, new characters who are made the focus of the show and suddenly ditched when the new head writer arrives, etc.
My perception of the poor treatment of Sussman and Alden has just about closed the deal for me. A decade of bad writing is awfully hard to take, especially when I firmly believed these women could have turned the show around if they had been given the opportunity to do so.
Barbara from Atlanta, very well said and I totally agree with what you said…I pray that Mal Young will keep the character driven stories going and I know a lot of people didn’t like Sally Sussman’s writing but I did and like you said Barbara she wasn’t given time to return Y&R to where it should be…I will give Mal Young a chance but we shall see…
I personally have enjoyed Sally’s material on Y&R but I think a lot of viewers didn’t like her material because they weren’t used to a writer who was playing the long game with story evolving from character instead of just being pulled out of thin air. If for nothing else, Sally should be given kudos for her redemption of the character of Sharon who had been written as a complete mess for the better part of the decade.
I’m loving the patient six story. Love love love. Have to ff another story.. but I agree back in the 90’s it was amazing. I also loved the 2,000’s… did not like Ron Carlivati years and stopped watching the past couple years. But they are doing a good job with this story imo. I do wish they could bring back Claire Levine, if she is still working or JFP.. or bring in someone from primetime to produce and someone who approaches the writing like art.. I’d love to see Guza and Wolf work together. Guza with his excitement Wolf with his sense of poetry.
But I have to add whoever is responsible for the patient six story is doing a great job, if ratings don’t reflect that, it’s because people are ffing another story.
Yes, Gwen….this story, as I said on another site, albeit seemingly on shaky ground, is getting quite compelling. What gets to me is ever-present Sonny.
But, as Satan said; Sonny is an integral part of Jason1’s life, dead or alive, Jason Q or Jason Morgan, or whomever he turns out to be.
From the onset I have said there is more to the story than meets the eye. Valentin, if not all the remaining Cassadines, including Nik, have a hand in it.
Why Russia? That’s why.
I think Claire Labine passed away. Her storylines were awesome when she penned the show!!!!!
You’ll know GH is being cancelled if Phelps, Guza or Wolf ever return. Phelps and Guza killed the Quartermaines and went all-in on the mob. Wolf gave dull stories like “the lady in white” and would have permanently killed off Robin if he wasn’t let go. Is Altman the answer? Most likely not, but if (when) she gets replaced, it will hopefully be with some new blood.
Stop hating!! some of us love the story lines.
Suzette,
I think you should look up the definition of hating; a word which has become so loosely used.
We do not hate…..we give opinions by opening our hearts.
You insult us all, en masse, when you call us haters…..and, frankly, I am sick of hearing it.
Hate is what happened in Vegas today. Thus, your usage of vocabulary is not fair. It’s mean.
This is a great group on this site….with feelings and a brain.
Thank you.
Very eloquently put, CeeCee! I think the words that far better describe many of the comments expressed here regarding various storylines and characters on our favorite soaps would be incredulity, abject frustration and often times, even utter boredom, with what today’s daytime efforts have wrought. For longtime fans, the current versions are simply too bitter a pill to swallow, and despite our creative suggestions for solutions that are frequently meant to be helpful—or at least, thought-provoking!—we keep getting more of the same old, same old material from the respective showrunners. In other words, our pleas continue to fall upon deaf ears! Perhaps if we felt that our input actually mattered to the soapworld’s big kahunas, we would tend to be a tad kinder in our assessments, but when one seemingly gets nowhere with friendly chiding, it only serves to make a person more vociferous and less charitable in their assertions as time passes. (Think of the many less than enthusiastic reactions to GH’s Sonny as a prime example of this phenomenon….)
So if “some of us” love the storylines and others don’t, and the others speak out, they’re “hating”? Yikes. That sounds like bullying to me–an attempt to pressure people who disagree with you into being silent by labeling them negatively. That’s not nice, you know? It can’t really be what you meant to do.
I occasionally do see behavior on this site that might rise to the level of “hating”–posters who get way too personal in their attacks on other posters, or posters who cross a certain line in the way they phrase their criticisms of performers, writers, producers, etc. But I haven’t really seen that all that often on here, thankfully, and I haven’t seen it in this thread (so far).
I see this move (to get back on topic) of rehiring Burton as another desperation GH move, similar to the ones they’ve been making for a while now–hire a popular performer and hope that that will goose the ratings, regardless of how weak the stories are and/or how uninspiring the writing is. The fact that they need to keep doing it speaks to how well it isn’t working. I do get, sure, that popular actors/actresses can translate into ratings, sometimes (and SB was surely popular in his run as Jason), but they have to have characters and story to support them, and that hasn’t been the case on GH for a while now. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you can only paint mobsters and maniacs so many different ways before the palette runs out of colors and you don’t have any new ways to disguise what they really are. I fear that if GH can’t find a way to steer away from mafia dons, mob molls, and assorted maniacs (yes, I’m looking at you, Franco!), it’s doomed. And having two Jasons on the canvas (or however they end up resolving this) does not say to me that they’re moving in that direction (away from mobs and lunatics) anytime soon. Sigh.
Michael (Not Fairman) you write so very well.
I guess I’ve either acclimated to mediocrity, or I am in desperate need of some escapism from this very dark world we are currently living in.
Maybe it’s a combination of the two aforementioned variables, but either way I’m trying to enjoy GH right now.
I still cannot stand Nina who seems to have no purpose other than playing Valentin’s husky voiced body guard. And yes, enough with the redemption stories (Ava, Julian and Franco). But at least those three characters mention that they are in need redemption. Sonny never mentions that he killed an innocent man 9AJ) in cold blood and got away with it.
I’m still enjoying GH maybe because I need to. Yesterday was a dark day in American history and on top of that, Tom Petty, a rock and roll artist whose existence actually contributed to the greater good of society, died. Tom Petty and I’m Heartbroken! So, going to stay tuned to GH and watch a lot of comedy.
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Will and Grace are back after a long lapse of time and they are just what the doctor ordered.
Michael (not Fairman): I totally agree with you about the “stunt casting.” No character should ever be cast until long term story and a one year arc are in place. Few actors ever generate the same buzz in a new role as they did in their breakout role so having a strong story in place is crucial.
As for GH’s obsession with the mob and violence, I agree that if the show doesn’t find a way to present a more balanced story canvas they will most certainly face cancellation. In all my years of soap watching I have rarely liked every story at any given time on a show but there have always been 2 or 3 plots I was invested in. GH doesn’t give viewers that option: you either love Sonny/Carly and violence or there’s nothing for you. When a beloved legacy character like Genie Francis’ Laura isn’t in a front burner story you know there is a problem with the writing.
Hi Michael (not Fairman)
Yes; this site has “pop-up” hate/group mentality at times. Albeit a small group which consists of a few regulars…but it’s, unfortuantely, indicative of social media in general. And those perpetrating it think they’re righteous. Infantile, classroom mentality.
With that said, I think Suzette just probably reacted to the steady stream of negativity. Posters come out to criticize stories before they even begin. LOL…we only saw Steve Burton’s eyes before the choir jumped in.
I have to admit I’ve said recently and I still feel that GH builds momentum for a story, then when they FINALLY get to it they throw it in for about ten minutes (spread out between other stories) then don’t even follow up the next day but rather leave it for two days before even getting back to it! In my opinion it’s not the stories as much as the way they show them in a broken manner. They build momentum for one story, end on a particular note at the end of the hour and then cut to an unrelated story the next day. Just when they’re trying to pique our interest they cut to another story completely unrelated. It’s frustrating to say the least. If they know many viewers are looking forward to Steve Burton’s return, or if not enthralled at least curious, it does the show runners no favors to spend so little time on it. They need to focus on THAT story for a time…the unrelated stories are a distraction and seen a filler
So I get the frustration Suzette expressed. If you read almost every page here the entire site is made up of negativity. All the posts that have replies are negative ones. The positive ones barely get noticed. There are those who still enjoy the stories. I do. I’m frustrated with points I made above, but I still enjoy the familiarity of characters and realize that comparing GH to what it was decades ago is futile. It’s never going back. It can’t. It’s just nostalgia at this point. So, I just enjoy it for what it is today. As for mob stories…I don’t see many. We do see a lot of Sonny…but he’s almost never involved in actual mob activity. One can hate Sonny…I personally can’t stand Carly…but I don’t see the show as mob-centered or violent. Just a lot of attention on certain characters such as Sonny and Carly over others. Then, when we have sweet characters like Sabrina or Amy (wonder if there’s more to Amy’s story…) people don’t like them either. They’re “too” sweet! Too nice. Morgan too whiny. Alexis shouldn’t drink. Lulu gets on everyone’s nerves. See what I mean? Lots of complaining…
Imagine belonging to a book club and all the readers did was sit around and complain about the story and the characters. Sort of defeats the purpose of the club…
So I get Suzette’s point. I think people need to be less sensitive to how she expressed it but understand why she did.
One can criticize and yet still find something positive to say as well. When it comes to the point when a viewer can’t find anything positive about a show it does beg that eternal question that no one likes to hear…”why watch?”
Hi, Rebecca:
I understand your point about the show not having many mob stories, but nonetheless: Sonny’s a mobster. Carly’s a mob moll. Ava and Julian are mobsters. Jason’s a mob protector. That’s a huge chunk of characters (and that’s not even listing others who are, to one degree or another, mob enablers or mob apologists) with substantial screen time who have mob ties and whose lives are governed by that. It’s true we don’t see mob stories very often, per se—but it’s not as though the show has clearly and consistently moved the characters away from the mob, either, so there it is, a constant factor in the way the canvas is constructed, and, more importantly, in the moral and ethical atmosphere in which the stories take place. The whole Port Charles environment gets skewed because there’s no other way to make Sonny et al. viable characters; in just about any real town, they’d be absolute pariahs and nobody with any sense would have anything to do with them voluntarily, but they have to have story, so Port Charles largely accepts them, and the moral perspective gets skewed accordingly. And it’s been that way, pretty much nonstop, for two decades now, and my point is that it has taken its toll, over that time; there are only so many stories like that you can tell and only so many ways you can dress it up until you have the entire canvas being dragged down by it. Add to that the unusual number of (borderline or actual) maniacs, plus the Cassidines, who may not be mobsters but engage in the same kind of sick, sadistic violence as mobsters do, and you’ve got a huge problem in figuring out how to construct viable storylines that aren’t entirely warped and that don’t distort the other characters in order to accommodate the darkness. Two cases in point: Alexis, who’s been sapped of her brain power through the years—she used to be smart, savvy, and fun, once upon a time; and Liz, a rape survivor who logically shouldn’t be giving the time of day to someone who arranged for someone else to be raped. But there they both are, where they both are, because there have to be stories for Julian, Franco, and the other denizens of dysfunction. I’m more convinced than ever that this can only go on so long before it can’t be sustained, and I think we’re nearing that point. A truly visionary ABC executive would start moving the show in a different direction, applying every spare brain cell if necessary to figuring out how to keep Sonny, Ava, et al. on the screen if that’s considered necessary to the show’s survival—hell, it doesn’t even have to be all that plausible; how many completely implausible things like weather machines, returns from the dead, and John, Starr, and Todd morphing into Silas, Kiki, and Franco overnight have we swallowed over the years—but moving the show away from the mob and cutting back the darkness level to something more sustainable.
As for why people watch when they’re not getting enjoyment: I think it’s intermittent reinforcement, if I’m remembering the terminology from my college psychology correctly. I’ve watched, sometimes more avidly than other times, for 40-plus years. There have been a lot of bad patches, in which I barely kept up, but then a stretch comes along that I’d be sorry to have missed. And you don’t know exactly when those stretches will come along, so it’s not as though you can say “I’m tuning out until February 2018, when I know there will be something I want to see”—and then do so. So there I am, like the gerbils in the experiments we used to read about in Psych 101, madly pumping the lever, hoping we’re going to get another goodie, even when it’s been forever since the last one came down the tube. I do try—I can’t speak for anyone else, but I do try—to make sure to speak up when I do find something good to say (and I found more than most people on here to be pleased with when Carlivati was writing, for example, and I did say so at the time, though I recognize his tenure was not perfect by any means), but the most recent configurations of headwriters have not given me much to work with in that regard, I have to say. Tempering criticism by finding positive things to say presumes there are positives one can sincerely point out; I don’t see many (other than the acting, which has always, collectively and in many individual cases, risen to the challenge). I’ll give the writers and producers a pass on part of it—they’re stuck with the aforementioned canvas of dysfunction, and that’s an ABC decision, not theirs, and they have to do the best they can with it—but I don’t think it has to be this uninteresting and unconvincing.
Hi again, Michael (not Fairman)
Thanks for your reply. Yes; I get what you’re saying in regard to Sonny, Carly, Ava, Julian, etc…as well as the Cassadines. But, as you also said, GH has had these types of stories for two decades! Nothing new here. The days of “hospital” stories were far away and long ago…Yet, they have made an effort to do more stories centered around/in the hospital. And personally? I’m not that into watching stories about illness. I’d rather see mob stories than sickness. Escapism for me isn’t watching people sick, dying, etc. They brought in a “new” Amy to try to capture the essence of the former Amy. That didn’t work. Who knows if Amy Vining would have worked today. Again…different time…different sensibilities.
The mob? I don’t agree that Sonny’s stories have any baring or resemblance to the unfortunate reality in today’s society…the most recent being the horrific slaughter in Vegas. I’d worry more about gun control and better screening of who gets their hands on these weapons than whether a soap has a mob story (that never depicts violence and basically talks only about “territory”). We’ve had mob stories back to James Cagney and all those films of that era. They were hugely popular. The Sopranos? Another great show with a huge following. Now THAT show glorified the mob and showed way too much violence. Yet, it still was a compelling drama.
A few things: Yes, soap ratings were much higher decades ago. But that was before social media, computers, cable. Women were stay-at-home moms. Kids were watching with parents, grandparents, friends…in dorm rooms. We’re never getting back to those days. Even the best of prime time will never reach the numbers they had decades ago; there’s too much competition for time.
General Hospital is not a show about the hospital. Even back in the day, when we had major characters that worked there, we had the Cassadines, Sonny’s nightclub, Laura’s “rape”. We had the Quartermaine’s and their wonderful, dysfunctional goings-on; we had Robert and Sean and Tiffany. But! We also had Casey the alien! I just think that our sensibilities were different then. Not sure Casey would get the seal of approval from today’s audience…or the Ice Princess or any of the out-there stories from back in the day. Yet, it’s still called General Hospital for continuity. But really, who’s left? Some have passed, others have retired. Even when they bring back Mac and Felicia (love both of them) it’s just not the same. Not without Robert, Frisco, Georgie…that era is over. And if Robert and Frisco came back…would the WSB stories even come close to what they were? I don’t think so.
Sonny. Sigh. He frustrates the heck out of me. I HATE him for torturing AJ and ultimately killing him. I hate Michael being the dedicated, loving son to him again with never a mention of AJ. I hate the hypocrisy of both Sonny and Carly. And, yes, I agree the show is way too centered on them. But, again, I don’t see any violence…though the “business” is always known. And, I don’t see him held up as a hero other than to his immediate circle. But then again, LOL, he’s the father to four women’s children! So, between them and their collective offspring…there’s not many that CAN hate him! What IS ridiculous and completely non-realistic is that Monica talks to him at all. What is obnoxious (and always has been) is that Carly and Sonny judge others. Makes my blood boil when they judge Ava as a parent. It’s literally frustrating to watch.
I understand why people watch…it’s like positive/negative reinforcement. You watch and it’s good…or it’s bad..but you know it can be good again…and you don’t know when that will happen, LOL. But my point was that some ONLY criticize…every single post. It’s also disheartening to those who are enthusiastic about stories or characters coming back to read such negativity. Which brings me back to my original defense of Suzette. (Suzette? See…that’s negative reinforcement! Perhaps I just haven’t read anything by her before (or perhaps she’s a familiar poster with another name) but if it IS the first time she’s posted, being berated will make her hesitant to post here again.) And, I personally don’t take offense at the word “hater.” I just think, like I initially said, that she felt strongly that people were bashing the story that she’s enjoying and felt frustrated. No biggie…
I think we also need to give stories a chance. This one’s just begun.
There’s also the fact that the show is on every, single day. Yes, I know daytime has always been on every day. But, do you remember how dragged out they were then? You could miss a story for months and they’d be at the same page. Dialog got repeated each day in case you missed the days before. It was redundancy at its finest; yet somehow it worked. I only watch B&B in additon to GH. Very rarely Y&R. But I see no difference on B&B. Same stories done in 100 different ways. Perhaps our tolerance for the incredulous, the mob, the redundancy was greater decades ago. Perhaps people would enjoy soaps more if they were weekly instead of daily…
I’m not going to say I never find fault with GH. I do. But, I like Sam. I liked Morgan (and Bryan Craig.) I like Julian. I DON’T think Alexis is any less intelligent or “sapped of her brain power.” She’s the same quirky, funny, sassy, lovably neurotic but incredibly smart woman she always was. Just because she fell in love with a man she thought had changed, or fell apart because her world fell apart, didn’t lessen her for me. She’s fallen for bad guys before…she fell for Sonny, Shawn, Rick. But, then again, almost all the women on the show have fallen for these types. Just as Brooke on B&B has fallen Bill AFTER he had Ridge tossed off a plane!!! LOL! It’s ALL so ridiculous…but then again soaps are just that. Over-the-top…many times not realistic….
So. It comes down to characters. And I guess that’s the crux of the matter. I like many of the characters. I come back to Sonny and Carly. Don’t like em. But, believe it or not I can tolerate Sonny more than Carly. She’s just too smug, too much of a hypocrite. I hate seeing her with Ava’s daughter. Hate it.
I’m loving Finn and Anna. I hope they keep these two together. I think this is the first time I’ve liked Finn. He and Anna have a great rapport and I love the sarcasm/banter flying between them. I think the two characters/actors are really bringing out some much-needed fun for both. (See? Something positive!) 🙂
Seriously, I do get your points but I really do feel there’s too much negativity. On every story. Almost every character. I’m sure there are many viewers who DO like the stories/characters…but they’re not as vocal.
As I write this I’m remembering OLTL. Not sure if you watched it but that soap had heart. It had its fair share of silliness, craziness, over-the-top. But, it had heart. It did to the end. GH lost that I think a long time ago. Not sure if it was with the death of Lila…or the death of the Qs and the Spencer’s; both families depicted as dysfunctional but loving…but I think THAT’s the key to what’s missing. GH needs to find its heart….
GH has started to bring it with the return of Steve Burton. Y & R has some issues with the Mariah/Tessa storyline. Also with the Tessa sister/prostitution storyline. They need to utilize veteran actors more, giving them more interesting storylines instead of bringing in newbies.
GH should be #1
#1 Sonny/Jason & Carly fan I’ve been a GH fan for 28 years I never lost hope I always knew the original Jason would return but I’ve grown to like the new jason how awesome that we can have both Jason’s twins reunited ♡ and the plot thickens for Franco
I been watching General Hospital for a very long time almost from the beginning. So I don’t know about other soaps. The time General Hospital been on, speaks for itself how GREAT IT IS.Love the soap.
LOVE My “GH” 🙂
GH has been better,,
But– for godsake! move it on move it on..
The slow lagging is not of the 21st century media, the pace needs to drastically pick up..
the long drawn out stories is what is putting everyone to sleep;;
SPEED IT UP !! we live in a fast world..
writers, get your lazy asses out of the 20th century and SPEED IT UP !!
And the “stories” are so convoluted, su. Just try explaining Franco’s and Jason’s and “Jason’s”–see what I mean. So tired just thinking of the effort. But, I can give you chapter and verse of the “classic” Luke and Laura storyline. (Mind you, that’s up to the 90’s only. NOT after they sent Laura to the loonybin–nor Luke to “Fluke.”
The stories are insanely dragged out boring..
The longer the stories drags on the more exciting interest is sucked out of them..
Stories need to be much faster ..
all this 3 months of dragging out obvious outcomes is tiresome to watch, interest is lost.
writers need to get to it !
The problem isn’t the writing or the actors on these shows mostly it’s a lot of viewers trying to be armchair writers and producers .people forget budgets are being cut left and right .too many viewers want instant gratification when the fact is you can’t have a story start and end in two days now that’s what’s boring .I love the Jason /drew story on gh and if you read any soap related media ben is the univited guest on days watch this week you’ll be surprised what’s comming
I’ll take your point, and I do think many viewers (I’m not one of them; I go back to the days when soaps were slo-o-o-o-o-w but very entertaining) want stories to move faster than they probably can–but I don’t understand why budget cuts translate into bad writing (which is mostly what we get these days). I accept that smaller budgets mean fewer or no location shoots, and that younger (= cheaper) actors are going to have the majority of the screen time. But before the late 70s, soaps didn’t have big budgets either, and they managed to tell compelling stories. I don’t understand why small budgets mean that’s not possible now as well.
A bad story is going to be a bad story whether it plays out in two days or two years. Some–not all, but some–of the impatience with slow stories that I’m seeing among viewers has to do with how uninteresting, unimaginative, and uninspiring the stories are. Unfortunately, I think that kind of impatience does have the effect of making it all worse, though.
A show’s budget has no relation to good storytelling. Good writing is good writing. If you need big bucks to tell a story in daytime you are probably in the wrong medium.
Welcome back Steve!!
a soap on the air is better than no soap on the air…will all the Nay Sayers be happier if all soaps were gone ? gees.
Actually, yes, in a sense. I wouldn’t be happy because of all the soap fans (i.e., those who are still getting some real measure of enjoyment out of watching) who would be made unhappy by the cancellation of all the soaps. But I can honestly tell you that yes, by the time Guiding Light and As the World Turns were cancelled, I was glad, or at least relieved–it had become painfully clear that they were never going to be allowed to be genuinely good shows again, and their cancellation felt like mercy killing. (I did not feel the same way, in contrast, by the first [ABC] cancellation of One Life to Live, which I thought was still in pretty good shape.) When I watch any of the four remaining soaps now, it’s more out of nostalgia, I think, or habit; they don’t come anywhere close to the kind of compelling addiction they were back in the 70s and 80s, lacking as they are (for me) in real emotional content.
So to go back to your question, I wouldn’t weep if the four soaps on the air today got cancelled. I’d feel bad for other people, but other than that, no.
I started with GH and OLTL back in 1976 and have watched ever since thanks to my Betamax in those days. I too agree that GH is not what it once was, but I still have hope that ABC will get with it and try a OLTL reboot (without the horrible music that the V2 had) All lot of the cast is still out there and I am sure they would be as happy as all the viewers to see an ABC version once again.
You’re right, OLTL was actually in better shape than GH when the former was cancelled. It was always the workhorse of the ABC daytime lineup, while GH and AMC got more promotion. Questionable storylines and poor casting in its final years doomed AMC. OLTL was still fresh and had high production values despite a tight budget.
It’s still down 173,00 from last year. I’m glad that it’s up a bit, but the gradual decline from year to year is telling. Long time viewers are still alienated and those of us who don’t see Sonny and Jason as hero’s, just won’t stay.
I don’t like that young and the restless is trying to put thre two girls together. What’s with that every body needs gays to get rating or
to stay on the air
HAVE SET MY VCR AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY MANY YEARS I FAST FORWARDED THRU TWO COMPLETE Y&R FROM FRIDAY AND TODAY..ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE STORYLINES!!!!! THIS SHOW HAS GOTTEN SO BAD….DONT EVEN LIKE THE CHARACTERS ANY MORE…..OH FOR THE DAYS OF KATHERINE AND JILL, AND REAL ACTING.
P.S. ONLY REASON TO WATCH Y&R IS DINA MERGERON!
The Mariah/Tessa story is an example of diversity in storytelling — not just in the fact that it is a same sex story but also it is a story this show has never tackled in depth. Back in the day people were upset about DOOL’s David Banning falling in love with a black woman. Viewers should consider that there is a whole world beyond their front door and not everyone looks or acts like them; taking the time to learn about others and see things from their point of view is something that the world could benefit from (and people might be surprised to learn that they have more in common than they think with those they consider so different).
Homogenized storytelling is the problem with daytime at this point. If all the characters are the same then the medium will never attract new viewers. Younger viewers want to see storytelling that reflects the world they live in (and that world is inclusive of different cultures, different races, and love in all its various forms). If soaps are going to survive they must evolve and deliver storytelling that is relevant to all viewers.
Great post, Alan, and I do agree . I LOVE Mariah and Tessa. Those two young women actually have chemistry and I can feel the romance naturally and slowly brewing between them.
Their relationship does not feel forced, not a cart leading the donkey kind of thing. Love that Mariah has more chemistry with that hapless dud, Devon.
Alan, very well said and I like your thinking…BTW, I also like what you said regarding Sally Sussman and also about the character of Sharon…
Of course the ratings are up! GH is always on top stories are intrieging and packed full of drama. Best soap y’all thanks for bringing Stone Cold Blue back.♡♡♡
Y&R numbers up? Thanks to Dina Mergeron. Other than that, total horse shit! The Nick story or a sub for Adam, The Winters kids suck, Cane is a louse, Victoria, Billy and Phyllis, SNORE, and Sharon and BOZO end it now! It was nice to see Kevin again and Tess and Mariah can be intriguing. Devon is a piece of rotten wood!
GH, there you go Burton haters, take that! HE brought the ratings up! Him and Ava have been great. Who would have thought he and she would share his first days back? I thought he would stumble across Sonny or Carly’s feet! But thats the good news, the reason this show stalls and will NEVER pass B&B is because of the lack of Q’s, MAN freakin LANDERS, Helle and Michael and that high pitched noise known as Amy!
Tell us how you really feel, Timmmbo! But seriously….I certainly cannot argue with your assessment of GH and its Burtonesque bump in the ratings! Still, even “Stonecold” isn’t capable of single-handedly saving this soap from itself and those atrocious characters which you have so markedly pointed-out that require either major overhauls or a one-way ticket out of Port Charles! (Add Nina and others too numerous to mention to the latter option, as well! Let’s clean house and start the GH renaissance anew!)
Hi Shay. Steve Burton doesnt have an “S” on his chest although he could! [Steve!] But I think there are other tools already there with better writing that could help. Ava is golden. I LOVE this potential pairing of Dr. Bensch and Alexis with Julian coming back to be in the triangle! Laura and Kevin could help the show. I smell a Robin appearance during Christmas with Noah Robert in hand! But thats the potential. They need to dump Man Landers, anybody connected to Man Landers, Spinelli, Boredan [Jordan] and Helle! [Nelle] With two Jasons I hope that Monica gets to be in the story and have someone with her that she can talk to as a confidant!
Awww, Timmm….I have a soft spot for Spinelli! I guess its his clever monikers for those near and dear, not to mention his highly-intelligent verbal skills that ingratiate me to him….I get that his quirkiness can be irritating for some, but as long as he is doled out in judicious amounts, then I see him as harmlessly charming. But you have it right on the rest of your “to-go list!” And those legacy players you have penciled in for a Christmas visit would be a most fitting holiday gift indeed, along with Frisco—Yes!….he should return as the new PCPD “Commish” if Anna does not eventually reclaim her rightful place in that position! I guess the only notions where we really part company are in regard to the subjects of Ava (I’m just really sick and tired of her…end of story!) and, but of course, the always-appalling Alexis! Her ever-ready floozy act simply bores me beyond words! When we have such great characters as Laura and Anna in the same (approximate) age range, plus Monica as Port Charles’ premier moral matron and matriarch, I don’t see why so much time and effort needs be expended upon this pathetically and predictably wanton creature’s endless search for her next sordid episode of sexual escapades when one already knows they will undoubtedly end in the usual roughhouse and tears that have become this weak-willed femme’s raison d’etre.
Frisco would be an amazing Commissioner and Maxie would have her dad back in town! I guess Jack works enough where he doesnt need daytime? Plus, if he came back, knowing this writing team, he would be gay! I know you are not a fan of Alexis. I see why. She acts like a teenager! She should be grateful that Bensch wants to even give her a look! I like this guy and Julian will hit the roof when he finds out that his long in the tooth floozy is rolling around in the linen closet with a doctor!
Or hitting those famous GH showers with an MD, Timmbo! That would probably appeal to Alexis’ kinkier side…especially if they were caught by, well, anybody, but Julian, for sure, for sure! Hey, wouldn’t it be nifty if Bensch turned out to be a “Dr. Strangelove?” Couldn’t think of a better “partner” for him than the always game Alexis! LOL. But yes, Frisco would be an awesome choice for commissioner and it would do Maxie good to have her dad back in town…Even if Jack Wagner doesn’t need GH, Port Charles could certainly do with a visit from him…and his guitar! Yeah!
Frisco is “All we Need!”
Amen to that thought, Timmmbo….AMEN!
Well this old geezer use to st and watch soaps with my mom. Love of Life was 30 minutes, As the World Tirns was 15 Minutes, Guiding Light was 15 minutes and Edge of Noght
Yeah!
I’m loving what’s going on right now on all the soap shows accept for Y&R. Get rid of that waste of space Juliet, kill her off and let Cane and Lily raise the baby together, but don’t make their reunion too easy.
I think that weirdo Charlie will kill Juliet to reunite his family. Yeah, a murder mystery that will have Cane locked away for a bit.
A bit? Oh, T, I hope forever. Don’t they have soaps in Australia?
Timm, I think that weirdo Charlie will end up hooking up with Juliet to save his family.
And Mattie gets on my last nerve. Yes, we get you’re a nerdy, scary-smart teenager, but the damn posturing is annoying as all hell.
Maddie, stop crossing your arms!!
GH may have been up 109,000 viewers for the week, but it is still down 173,000 viewers from this time last year. That suggests to me that roughly a third of those lapsed viewers tuned in out of curiosity to see how Steve Burton would be written back into the show. The key to holding those 109,000 viewers would have been to have other storylines to also pique their interest but unfortunately GH doesn’t have a single storyline that works right now.
Turning GH back into The Sonny Corinthos and His Lil Enforcer Stone Cold Show will ultimately turn away more viewers than it will bring in. Soaps should be an escape from the real world — romance, mystery, and family were the winning formula in the golden age of soaps for a reason.
Thank you, Alan! I’ve been patiently awaiting Steve Burton’s return to see if it will bring a fresh approach to solving GH’s lingering malaise….”The Q a Deux” storyline could be just the trick to ingratiate longtime viewers to tuning in again on a regular basis, provided it doesn’t become a hackneyed, reheated version of the leftover remnants of the previous Sonny/Stonecold bromance. Putting “Dimples” on the sideline where many of us would like him to be would surely prove the best means of signaling there’s a new, more palatable direction to Jason’s(?) upcoming existence in Port Charles!
Oh, Alan, I was waiting for you opinion…..and, as always, you are a man after my own mind.
I honestly have no objection to Steve’s return ( albeit, I have never seen Stone Cold in action)…..the problem is, Sonny and Company will take up 99% of the scenes.
That’s something that literally and physically makes me cringe……get hives just thinking about it.
That is not hate ( I do not like the word, and never use it unless under these dire circumstances, LOL) , it is repulsion and revulsion. ….the words, basically, mean the same thing….just had to say both for emphasis !!!!!!!!
I am still grappling with the reason why this “has-been”, or should I say, “never-been” filibuster of a character gets so much air time.
As a woman, I would love to see a bit of real romance. We were teased with Laura and Kevin…had just gotten to appreciate their sweetness in love, then poof…..gone.
I hope the Alexis and Dr-what’s-his-name comes to fruition. I liked the her scene the other day……anything and anyone is better than another mobster. I do not like to watch women groveling for crumbs……Alexis is a strong character and deserves more than what she has been getting; as it were.
I don’t know if twenty years of watching soaps qualifies as “the golden age” of soaps, but, I, too, see a difference just within those twenty years, albeit I remember watching at the tender age of four……just made no sense, LOL. I got a grip at about 12-14…..But, I do remember Rachel and Ada ( AW), at that earlier, younger age.
I am happy, though, that we still have soaps to watch. I am always hopeful.
In today’s crazy, violent world soaps would be smart to go back to their roots: romance, family, and mystery. Viewers want an escape from the depressing daily news and lose themselves for an hour or two in a world that they wish reflected their own lives.
Some of my favorite scenes in forty years of soap viewing were those between AMC’s Tad and Grandma Kate and ATWT’s Emma Snyder and Lily in the Snyder kitchen: they were simple but gave viewers a taste of the kind of family we all wished we had. Today’s soaps choose to ignore these kinds of generational scenes in favor of “action.” Big mistake.
Daytime will never be able to compete with primetime or film when it comes to those kinds of stories and fans of those genres aren’t looking to soaps to find them. Soaps are about emotions, relationships, overcoming adversity, and family and have 250 odd episodes a year to explore those things in depth. It’s time they got back to embracing their strengths and unique format instead of trying to be something they aren’t.
@CeeCee….It would seem that the “all roads lead back to Sonny” meme is what gets most GH viewers in a lather…My word, I don’t even recall Anthony Geary’s Luke Spencer being so all pervasive on the Port Charles canvas…he came, he went, and so on and so forth, but life continued independently for many other characters regardless of his absence or his presence….it was never all about him, all the time! We should be so lucky to have the same situation with the “Dimpled Don!” How this simple fact appears to escape the GH showrunners is beyond me…we’ve stated our objections six hundred ways from Sunday on this subject, yet, somehow they still don’t get it! To put it bluntly, some balance would be most appreciated…as you and others here have so succinctly stated, give us the basic soap opera staples of romance and familial relationships—with some adventure/mystery tossed in for good measure—featuring our beloved legacy players, but for the love of God, please get off this over two-decades long obsessive fixation on the dark world of Sonny Corinthos! Enough already!!!!!…As for Alexis and the “good doctor?” I truly don’t hold out much hope for those two to get together….unless this medical man is secretly harboring an evil soul and is clandestinely working on Helena’s payroll to make mischief at GH, that is! Otherwise, he won’t stand a snowball’s chance in getting those familiar old juices flowing for Alexis!!!! Nice guys need not apply to fill her dance card!
@Shay.
Hmmm, Shay….did not look at this that way. This new doctor does seem too good to be true. What’s he hiding? Is he another illegitimate Cassadine?
Poor Alexis. I feel sorry for her. I think that with the right guy she would soar!!!! She’s a good person, just misguided ( yes, soar….now, now Shay; not sour, but soar. LOL).
As long as I don’t see “Julexis” in print again, I’ll be happy. Not a fan of the applied couple name.
….just came to me…if my husband and I put our names together, it would be: Jucee. Ha!!
Alan, what you said about soaps returning to their roots so agree…So miss the good old days…
Not only is Bill making stupid eyes at
at Steffy wrong hes just doing it to get back at Liam. But Wyatt sleeping with Katie his brother’s mother and his father’s ex wife is ridiculous
General hospital because when Steve left I said he will be back and when he came back I said the ratings were going to sore!!!!!!!
I started watching AMC, OLTL , & GH each at their first shows. Losing AMC and OLTL few years ago hurt like crazy. I felt like my family died. I am an avid fan of GH and hope they don’t take it off the air. I’m 70 years old and have been watching for the better part of 50 to 60 years. That’s a long, long time.
FINALLY ENJOYING GH…AFTER TODAYS EPISODE I THINK IT IS GOING TO REALLY BE GOOD…JUST DONT EVER GET RID OF BILLY MILLER AND WE WIL BE FINE!!!!
I agree they gotta keep Billy Miller!!!!
I am a Steve Burton fan. Happy to see him back at GH. I am also a fan of Billy miller and his portrayal of Jason and whoever he will turn out to be. I LOVE Franco and I am intrigued by how he fits in the Jason Drew and Cassadines story. I really want Nik to come back. I really miss his character. I also would like to see more focus on the Quartermanes. I was hoping with the Ned’s marriage we would see more of the Qs.
They are definitely back on the upswing. This momentum must continue. Morgan must be resuscitated and somehow Nicholas must be injected back into the show. Even if it’s with a replacement. It would be great, since there is a new focus on the hospital to get Dr. Drake back and Robin on a recurring basis. The biggest thing for me, and I know people want the mob to go away, but bringing Lily back with Carlos and a presume dead Sabrina would be ratings gold and the biggest reveal of her being Sonny’s daughter. This would not be hard to do if her dead was planned to save her life and her child. Carlos’ brother could easily be Carlos in disguised.
@Darnell….You pretty much had me until you mentioned Sabs….(and by extension, Carrrrr-LOS!) Some characters are simply better left dead and from my perspective, the saccharin babysitter/nurse/whatever, her hirsute hitman and their upside-down fairytale/nightmare definitely belong in that category. But your notions about Nik, Drake Jr. and Robin are spot-on wonderful…GH sorely needs more of its familiar and beloved legacy players back in Port Charles and these three represent core families that once made this soap great! Even Morgan could possibly be palatable if he is in the form of a recast and has obtained some semblance of maturity during his days away from Port Charles, although I wouldn’t necessarily count upon that happening. However, at the very least, his return would put an end to Carly and Sonny’s endless moaning about their “lost boy,” which would be a win-win situation in and of itself.
Sparkle Pony returns as Sparkle Zombie?
Now there’s a scary thought!!!! And with Halloween right around the corner….but no, just NOOOOOOO!!!!!!
@Michael ( not Fairman).
Thank you, Michael. Well stated. I sort of get carried away when speaking od certain characters—trying hard not to step on the actress’s/actor’s toes ( Sonny?, LOL)—but, you are right…to attack other posters is beyond the pale….being one of the “attackee” ( LOL, no duch word, I know), it’s rude and mean.
My mistake is trying to defend myself in kind. Not worth it.
This is why Mr. Fairman’s staff, tries to nip it in the bud, albeit, some such comments do slip through its ‘fingers’.
Unfortunately, certain people do go by different names, relentlessly directing her/his horrible remarks against other posters.
Let’s hope we see none of that again.
I do agree with you that this is, for the most part, a good, nice, authentic bunch.
So true, CeeCee…I think most of us honestly do make a concerted effort to mind our p’s and q’s and stick to the “soapchat” at hand (unless a thread’s subject matter actually lends itself to discuss wider topics….) in as civilized a manner as possible, yet there still remains a few individuals who continue to try to stir the pot and stoke the fire with their offhanded little political asides and thinly-veiled personal digs. It seems that whenever there is even a miniscule opening, they have to insert their own agendas into the conversation by alluding to current events and certain public figures in the news, until it becomes necessary to respond and counter their views once the ball really gets rolling. One can see such evidence right here on this page….and no, I am certainly not referring to those who simply offered prayers and thoughts to those suffering in Las Vegas…that should be a universal sentiment…period. But please leave the political grandstanding at the door and show some proper respect for the victims and their grieving friends and families during this time of national mourning.
Absolutely, Shay. But, I am not referring to just the ‘political’ innuendos, but, more to the “personal digs” you mention.
It is subtle…the style and words, that is….but, I have a great sense of smell….
I am glad to see I am not the only one who has noticed that it has started again. …did not take too long, did it?
Using a different name, purposely making grammar mistakes or misspelling words, changes nothing. We know who it is. The theme is the same. ….defending doap characters by insulting posters. No lesson learned here. Sad!!
Disasters and tragedies mean squat to some, as long as their word of supremacy is heard….Has to have the last, imperialistic word.
Steve is Jason. Not a Jason fan but at least he makes the character watchable.
I’ve been pontificating about Maura West the past few days. I do believe she is one of the best actresses on GH (and daytime). However…
Sometimes I wish she’d go that extra mile physically to commit to the storyline. With the current face burn story, why is she wearing lip gloss and earrings in a Russian clinic? Even before she was released from GH, the gloss and nail polish were out-of-place for a burn victim.
During the Denise Demuccio debacle, one of the things that made that storyline so bad was the obvious wig. I’m sure ABC would have paid for a good dye job if she’d want it.
And finally, when Silas hid her during her now forgotten cancer treatment, she could’ve used makeup to make her look more sickly.
Maybe GH’s makeup and hair departments might be at fault, but when the storyline relies on a physical attribute or condition, everyone must be on board to make it somewhat believable.
Days ratings should improve. The show is much better than it was.
I agree with you, Mo. I had not been ‘moved’ to watch since Kate Mansi, et al left.
But, the last few weeks held me in place. Days has a lot of life left.
Soaphound…more and more, you crack me up…lol. Thank You. Oh…and a couple of things here…
1. DEFINITELY…Rob Scott Wilson would have been a W-A-Y BETTER CHOICE to play Y&R’S Scott…unlike that other dude that currently plays Scott…BEYOND BLECH!!!!!
2. As for GH’S Sam…why, oh, why is that boring chick STILL ON THE SHOW?!?!?!?!?! To me, Sam has the functioning abilities (or whatever) of a broken down vehicle…lol.
Later.
I hope they put Jasam back together
I want to see Jason see his child Danny
But I don’t understand Emily Scout parentage
This won’t last long. He is even more dead above the eyebrows than usual. No expression . I watched it was Friday, and I didn’t go to the gym, wished I had. Nice to see Laura, how often is she on ?. Soaps bore me to death. I have no one to root for anymore.. This from someone watching soaps since 1969. If I see Sonny, I automatically turn around and go on the computer.
Yes Steve,you did it
Now can the,writers make Julian
Redeemable.
I have enjoyed General Hospital (GH) storyline even more since Steven Burton returned. The writers have done a great job moving the storyline while keeping the audience wanting more. I am EXTREMELY HAPPY Steven Burton is back. I record the show and tend to watch the episodes multiple times since he’s returned to the show. No offense to Billy Miller, however I was not happy when Steven Burton left the show. He and Maurice Bernard are my two favorite actors on GH.
General Hospital
(INTERVIEW) Adam Huss Talks on His Latest GH Return, Maura West, Nicholas Chavez, and Being a Swiftie
This week, General Hospital fans were in for a surprise appearance when Adam Huss reappeared as Nikolas Cassadine while serving jail time in Pentonville. He also had a very intriguing visitor, his ex, Ava Jerome (Maura West)!
In the key scenes, Ava seemingly tells Nikolas, who can do nothing about the situation, how she is getting closer to Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and within his inner-sanctum, much to Nikolas’ chagrin. For Huss, those scenes were difficult to shoot, because in real-life he has just lost his beloved grandmother, but he soldiered through and delivered an effective performance.
Adam has had quite the adventure as GH’s dark prince of the Cassadine clan. Having first subbed for former Nikolas, Marcus Coloma, a few times and over a few years time, then taking over the role and being instrumental in moving story forward, but yet not always physically on the canvas. Since taking over the role, Huss has put his own spin on Nikolas, while delivering some top-notch performances. Look no further than in scenes with the exited Nicholas Chavez (Spencer), the aforementioned West, GH icon Genie Francis (Laura), or the twins that the play Baby Ace (Joey Clay, who shares the role with twin brother Jay) to name but a few.
Michael Fairman TV chatted with Adam to get his thoughts on: Nikolas’ emotional state now, where he thinks the storyline may head in the future, his co-stars, reflecting on what the late Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas) brought to the role, and yes, some banter with us about Taylor Swift! Check out what Adam had to say below.
Courtesy/ABC
Nikolas is kind of the gift that keeps on giving, as you keep popping back up on GH. Just when you think the show literally has written him off, he makes a return. Look no further than on Monday’s April 29th episode when he gets a visit from Ava while in prison.
ADAM: Listen, I’ve really fallen in love with playing the character. I’ve stated that I’m super passionate about it. I really like that the more I delve into his backstory, I learn about the layers of who he is. Watching Tyler Christopher’s (ex-Nikolas) work, because he really originated that character, I become even more enthusiastic about it. I have so much respect for this medium as it is. I’m a fan of TV and film. I am coming in to the story sometimes not knowing where Nikolas may be mentally. So, it’s been nice to be guided once you’re on set. You can’t come in with just your ideas and you have to be open to the collaboration. It’s been a challenge, but a lot of fun.
In the scenes that just aired opposite Maura West, it seemed you could tell that Nikolas still cared for Ava.
ADAM: I thought that was a happy surprise. I am so fond of Maura as a person. I could say that we’ve mutually grown closer each time I come in and play the part. I don’t think Ava knew what she was going to really get when she came to see Nikolas. When he saw her, I think he was just taken with her. It was interesting. There was one moment when she’s talking about Sonny. I felt as if Nikolas didn’t want to hear this, but I was advised by our director, Allison Reames Smith and Frank Valentini (EP, GH), “Remember, Nikolas hasn’t seen her in months and this is really exciting for him to be sitting across from her. ” So that really fed the motivation.
Courtesy/ABC
Nikolas gets an earful from Ava, and he is left with her secret, which is the dose of medication in Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) pills are causing him to act erratic. Ava kind of admitted to Nikolas what was going on and what she was planning.
ADAM: She did, and you’re right. I think she told him because it was safe, and in her mind he’s not going anywhere.
However, Nikolas isn’t always on the up and up, either.
ADAM: No, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants. This is all speculation, but maybe to get her away from Sonny he uses the information she shared. I think Nikolas is thinking that he doesn’t want to see her get hurt, and, “I cannot lose another person right now. I lost my newborn son,” in that, he is not going to raise him. And even bigger, he lost his son Spencer who he believes is gone. So, imagine then losing the love of his life. Their last interactions around New Year’s Eve showed that he still had feelings for her.
Photo: ABC
So, when you first met Maura, what was your reaction to this daytime dynamo?
ADAM: From day one, she was so lovely to me. I tested with her. I got to know her in that moment. She was just so welcoming and wanted me to succeed. Then, when I did fill in for Marcus Coloma, the first time, she and Ken Shriner (Scott) were super lovely. It was like, “You’re my scene partner today. You are Nikolas today. Let’s have fun.” Each time I came in to work, I got the same thing, if not more – more trust, more openness and kindness. Then, as you’re aware, my grandma passed right before these most recent scenes. Maura was so lovely about it. We were running lines, but she just wanted to stop and talk about it for a second. I almost didn’t want to come to work. I just wanted to get home. Maura really got me focused. It was something you wanted to get off your chest with somebody. Then we filmed, and she called me after, and just made sure I was doing alright. I said to Maura, “You are a class act, you know that. Thank you so much.” I am so glad I didn’t have to miss the funeral and I still got to film at General Hospital, which my grandma loved to watch me on.
Courtesy/AHussIG
Now. did you have any context when you started that your on-screen mother was Genie Francis (Laura)?
ADAM: I did. In the nineties, when I was on Long Island in college and working as a DJ in the summers, I just remember seeing soap opera magazine covers. I’d see that triangle between Nikolas, Lucky and Elizabeth. So, I very much knew of the world that those people were part of. I knew how big the Luke (Tony Geary) and Laura wedding was and all of that. I definitely knew the legacy I was coming into. When I read these sides for the role, I was like, “I think this is Nikolas Cassadine!” Later, when I was on the show, and doing scenes with Genie, where Laura was warning Nikolas about making up with Spencer, she said, “You’re doing wonderful work.” To hear that from her was a big sigh of relief for me. I love connecting with actors in the eyes. I know when things are cooking when you almost feel like magnets in your eyes with another actor, because you’re drawing that emotion through them. The eyes are the windows of the soul, right? I felt that with Genie, Maura and Nicholas Chavez, too. You feel that magnet pull and it’s so beautiful.
Photo: ABC
I’m going over your gut-wrenching scenes in my head. There was obviously when Spencer hands baby Ace to Nikolas, and then the baby is so taken with you, and the scenes where Spencer tells Nikolas how much he loved him as a young boy and vice-versa.
ADAM: The three scenes you just mentioned are highlights for me in shooting the show thus far. Those moments felt so authentic to me. As soon as Spencer got Ace in my arms, I just would melt, and it made me emotional just to hold him. And then, he really took to me. His mom was like,”I think you kind of remind him of his father,” because there is a similar energy. He’s just a great little actor and a great little empath. The moment with him laying his head on my chest was so emotional. In the one scene with Nicholas Chavez, he’s supposed to not hand me Ace till the end, but as soon as we started the scene, the baby reached out to me with this smile. Nick is like, “OK, here you go.” We sort of had to improv around it a little bit, but it was amazing.
Courtesy/ABC
However, then there is the scene where Spencer cries about how Nikolas meant everything to him, too.
ADAM: I think Nikolas went to Spencer with the intention of like, “I’m taking this baby no matter what. And if I have to get through my son, I’m going, too.” There was so much power in the words that those writers chose especially when Spencer goes, “You were my whole world” as a child. Nikolas was saying how I loved him fiercely as a kid. I was watching a lot of those scenes between Nicolas Bechtel (ex-Spencer) and Tyler Christopher. That kid was such a dynamo, too, and he was so cute. Their bond stuck with me.
Courtesy/ABC
You are one busy actor. I check in on your Instagram and you are either in one town or the other shooting a horror film or other projects.
ADAM: Not just horror films, there’s a mix of Hallmark, too. I’m super excited about an indie film I did called Pieces of Lilo. It’s about an estranged father and son. In it, my father gets sick and I get stuck basically taking care of him. And then he passes and when I’m burying him, all these memories start flooding back. It’s this sort of flashback of basically trauma and how this trauma affected, my character, Jerry, in the present day. I fought for this part and I got it. We just wrapped in March. I’m excited about that. Next week, I am off to Long Island to do a rom-com called The Wedding Bell.
Don’t you also have a role in an upcoming Melrose Place-type streaming soap?
ADAM: Oh yes. I wish it was the Melrose Place reboot! I did work with Daphne Zuniga on a Lifetime movie, though. She was awesome, and we’re friends, so who knows? It’s called The BLVD and I’ve taped it already. There’s supposedly five more episodes they’re going to shoot soon. So, we finished the pilot and I play one of the one of the clients of the PR firm. It’s all about cutthroat PR in Hollywood.
Photo: JPI
I know the fans really enjoy you in the part of Nikolas. However, the worst thing in soaps, I think, for any actor is having to replace a very well-known actor in a part; whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent. People just don’t like change. As a recast, you have to kind of go through that difficult part of waiting to be accepted by the audience. They often say how they don’t like the actor and then somewhere along the way, they are like “Oh! I love him in the part.” How has it been for you to ride that wave of, you’re not Tyler Christopher, you’re not Marcus Coloma, but now it’s you playing Nikolas?
ADAM: I get it. You want your original person to be the person, and sometimes they just can’t, and in soap operas, it’s more common. I also know it’s always polarizing. There were days in the beginning where I was like, “Oh, my God! Look at all these wonderful comments.” Then it’s, “Oh, my God.” and as you’re scrolling, you see “I’m a hideous monster” to these people. I think you just have to have a very healthy perspective. Thankfully, I do have tools in my life to secure my foundation of who I am. And sure, on those vulnerable days or those ambiguous days where you don’t know your future at work, it could weigh on you. You could think of every, “Oh, my God! Everybody hates me.” I am so glad and grateful that people have come around. You’re not going to please everybody. It’s just the nature of what we live in now. I will say, the warm embrace and the acceptance, and people who have really come around, has moved me and then they’re feeling the same way about my performances. When I say I’m humbled by it, I’m blown away, it’s true. I used to get annoyed at Taylor Swift when she would always say that. I’m like, “All right, honey, you’re selling millions of copies. Accept it.” But it is humbling, because you know how critical people can be, and for it to really start to change overtime, helps me every time I hear it.
Photo: DisneyPlus
Speaking of Taylor Swift, are you a Swiftie?
ADAM: I am a Swiftie, sure. I didn’t go to Taylor’s concert. I wanted to. But then, when my friend showed me The Eras Tour on Disney Plus, I was like, “That was amazing. That was like the best time.” I’d have a smile on my face for three and a half hours if I was at her concert. So, yes.
Did you listen to Taylor’s new album, Tortured Poets Department yet?
ADAM: Yes. I’ve been bouncing around in there. There are a lot of songs.
It’s a lot of songs. It took me a little bit to warm up to it. And now, just like in true Taylor Swift fashion, I’m like, “You know what? This track or that track is really good.”
ADAM: Yeah, at first they all sound the same for a minute.
So I wonder, how does Taylor Swift manage to suck us in all the time?
ADAM: I know. I think it works whenever someone’s just raw and honest. Taylor gets a lot of flak for talking about her exes and stuff in her songs, but that’s her life experience. We feel that and we resonate with that, especially younger girls, or anyone really, can relate to these like breakups and this heartache. I think that’s where she gets you.
Courtesy/ABC
Hopefully soon, it’d be nice to see Nikolas not in prison orange. So, he gets out of jail and where does he go then?
ADAM: I don’t want him on the run because that’s the whole reason he came to prison, you know, to reform himself. So, for me, that was a nice sign of like, “Hey, maybe the reformation comes and you finally get to be free.” Maybe Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) gets her law degree back and then she’ll help him get out. Wyndemere’s gone. It’s out of his hands. I think it’s a good time for him to start a different life and for us to see Nikolas in different stories. Let’s see a different person trying to put his family back together and falling in love again. If it’s Ava, wonderful, would love that. I’d love to see a really great, big epic love story like he had in the past. I try to infuse that when Nikolas is sitting across from Ava. The last thing I want to say is, I wish I was there at GH more, too. However, I really trust in the process and the writers, and the way things unfold. So, I’m hoping that it all leads to a beautiful place.
What did you think about the scenes this week on GH between Ava and Nikolas? Do you hope Adam Huss is back on-screen sooner than later? What are some of your favorite scenes with him thus far? Comment below, but ICYMI, below are the touching scenes between Spencer, Ace and Nikolas that GH fans are still buzzing about.
General Hospital
Nicholas Chavez Confirms Exit From General Hospital
On Friday May 3rd, it was confirmed by Nicholas Chavez that he has indeed left his role as Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital.
Taking to his account on X, Chavez shared some heartfelt goodbyes to the cast, the creatives and the fans of the ABC daytime drama series. This comes after months of speculation and reports that Chavez is not returning to his Daytime Emmy-winning role.
Chavez left the soap to go film his leading role in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix limited series, Monsters: The The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and in story on GH, Spencer went overboard on a boat, when he was drugged by Esme (Avery Pohl) on the Seine River in France. His body and Esme’s thus far have never been found.
Photo: ABC
In his heartfelt message on X, Nicholas expressed, “I’m so appreciative of the opportunity that GH gave me, and I wouldn’t be as busy as I am professionally if it weren’t for the talented producers, writers, directors and fellow actors. Frank Valentini is a mentor and a friend, and we’ve had some pretty extensive conversations about my future on the show.”
Photo: ABC
Sharing his thoughts on if the would ever come back to GH, Chavez added, “While there are no current plans for me to return, we are still talking very openly about future possibilities for Spencer in Port Charles.”
Finally, Nicholas shared,”Beyond the people I’ve already mentioned, I want to take some time to thank and honor the GH fan base… especially the Sprina fans… who must be THE most loyal and kind fan base in the universe of entertainment. Words fail to show the depth of my gratitude, thank you, I love you all very, very much.”
Photo: ABC
Nicholas took over the role of Spencer previously played by Nicolas Bechtel, in July of 2021, and his last episode aired on January 31st, 2024. In April, reports surfaced that the actor was not returning to GH after all.
What do you think about Nicholas Chavez farewell message? Are you sad that he has confirmed his exit from GH, or were you expecting it? Comment below.
I’m so appreciative of the opportunity that GH gave me, and I wouldn’t be as busy as I am professionally if it weren’t for the talented producers, writers, directors and fellow actors.
Frank Valentini is a mentor and a friend, and we’ve had some pretty extensive conversations…
— Nicholas Alexander Chavez (@nicholasachavez) May 3, 2024
General Hospital
Richard Simmons Recalls His Time On General Hospital and Meeting Tony Geary, Genie Francis, Rick Springfield and More
Fitness Guru, Richard Simmons has been recently sharing many stories about his time in Hollywood and his career on his X account as he reflects on his life and prepares his biopic.
In a string of posts, containing moments from his time on General Hospital, and meeting many of who would be his co-stars in Port Charles, Simmons opened up about how he landed on the soap in its hey day.
Simmons began by explaining that after an appearing on an ABC local morning show with Regis Philbin, he got a call two days later about GH, and things took off from there.
Photo: JPI
Richard expressed, “I met with the most powerful woman in daytime television. Gloria Monty. I also met with the head writer Pat Falken Smith. These ladies were very smart. They told me their idea. I would teach exercise classes in a disco for all the ladies on the show.” He added, “A week before taping the show the studio asked me if I could drive over and do some promotional photos. In my car I brought with me six jogging suits….My make up…some towels and five pound weights. I still could not believe I was going to be on a soap. lol.”
When he got to GH’s studio, Simmons shared, “The first person that I met was Genie Francis (Laura). Her father was Ivor Francis an actor who had been on Broadway and many TV shows. Genie was so young and innocent looking. I clicked immediately with her.
Photo: ABC
“The second person I was introduced to was Anthony Geary (Luke),” recalled Richard. “Some people called him Tony. ..but I did not. He was an actor’s actor. Mr G had curly hair like me. When he was not acting he was sitting in his dressing room learning all of his lines. His door was always closed. One day when it was open. I asked if I could come in and sit and talk. This man won 8 daytime Emmys for playing Luke.”
“Now what can I say about Jane Elliot (Tracy)? She had an aristocratic face,” says Simmons. “One moment her character was very nice then she was the queen of mean. She allowed me to come into her room and chat while she was putting on makeup.”
Photo: JPI
Then, Richard recalled the late, great Stuart Damon (ex-Alan) and Jackie Zeman (ex-Bobbie). “I then met Prince Charming. Stuart Damon. He had been in a lot of TV shows and played Prince Charming on a special about Cinderella. Jackie Zeman was so cute. She had a pixie face.”
Simmons recalled when Rick Springfield joined the cast as Noah Drake, sharing, “While he was on the show his father passed away in Australia. I went to the news stand and bought him a bunch of magazines to read on the plane. How many times have you sung Jessie’s Girl and Don’t Talk to Strangers? When he came back from Australia he resumed his role.”
Courtesy/ABC
Noting his humble beginnings on GH running the aerobic classes at the Campus Disco, Richard recalled, “My first scene was in Luke’s Disco. All the nurses and other actresses were there dancing with me. I had never memorized lines before. So much was going on in my head. At the end of my scene, I heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor and everyone froze. It was Ms Monty and she was talking to me. ‘Richard the television is this big . You are talking like you are on a screen in a movie theater…bring your voice down.’ So I did.”
What do you think about the sentiments shared by Richard Simmons on his reflections on his time on General Hospital? Check out this OG GH scene with Richard leading the exercise class at the Campus Disco with some beloved Port Charles notables. Then, comment below.
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