General Hospital
ABC Executive Vice-President Vicki Dummer Chats On The Changes At GH: Writing Regime Switch, Tony Geary & Michael Easton's Exits & The Ratings Picture!
Courtesy/ABC
There has been a lot of change over the last several weeks at ABC’s General Hospital. Fans watched legacy star Anthony Geary (Luke) take his final bow and exit the series. Next, head writer Ron Carlivati was let-go after saving the series from cancellation, and shaping the Port Charles canvas for almost four years.
Carlivati’s replacements were named in the form of former Y&R co-head writers, Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante, who also have deep-history writing for the 52-year staple that is General Hospital. And still there was more! The audience learned that fan favorite Michael Easton was killed-off as Dr. Silas Clay in order to facilitate a major murder mystery whodunit.
With these major shake-ups, and more changes expected in the coming months, On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Vicki Dummer, (ABC’s Executive Vice-President Current Series Programming, who oversees General Hospital) at the Disney/ABC Television Group’s TCA 2015 All-Star Cocktail Reception to get some network insight. From discussing the decision to implement the change in the writing regime, what this means for GH current executive producer Frank Valentini’s future, to what Shelly and Jean bring to the table in terms of story focus, Vicki shares her thoughts. She also weigh-ins on why ultimately Michael Easton’s character of Silas Clay met his demise, and who really played a part on the decision on how Tony Geary’s exit scenes were crafted and would play out on-air. On making all those impactful and important decisions for her show, here’s what Vicki had to say.
What are your hopes with the decision on bringing in Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante to take over the reins as the new co-head writing regime of GH?
Photo Credti: S Bergman
VICKI: First, I think Ron Carlivati did an amazing job with General Hospital and with the transition of the show that he and Frank Valentini took on. I think the 52nd anniversary episode was one of the best episodes of GH that has ever been done. But, we wanted to dig into a little bit more of the romance. We want to dig a bit more into the adventure of the show. I think that is the DNA of General Hospital. It’s in the DNA of what I have loved about it since I was a viewer back in the 80’s, and really explore that with Shelly and Jean as co-head writers. They also know the DNA of this show, and I think they are the women to do that.
From a network level perspective – when you go with a major shift and change a writing regime, is that a difficult decision? The ratings in the key demo of women 18-49 have been down for quite awhile, and the show overall. Was that the major factor in making this move?
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
VICKI: I don’t think the ratings decline is a function of the storytelling, or a function of Ron’s work. I really don’t. That people are focusing on that for a motivation for a change is not really what the story was. For me, our entire daytime line-up is depressed right now, because I think we had a hole in it when Katie Couric’s talk show Katie left, which we are now looking at the FABLife to fill that gap in a big way. We have a lot of hopes pinned on that show, which will elevate our entire daytime line-up. That’s not under my purview, but I am very excited about it. I think that will bring more viewers to our daytime programming. And again, in regards to Ron Carlivati, I think he has done an amazing job for us. I think working in this genre in daytime is the hardest job ever, and it’s not given the respect that it should be given. You look at some of our primetime shows that are doing 24 episodes of television, and that almost kills them. General Hospital is on every day. It’s an hour of TV every day, and there is such a churn of stories. I think at a certain point you burn out a little bit. It’s just time to infuse a different energy into GH’s stories.
Why did you decide to bring in Shelly and Jean to be the next head writers at such a critical time in the show? What about them made ABC decide to go with them, instead of perhaps some other notable writers, or even some new blood?
Photo Credit: ABC/Paley Center for Media
VICKI: Jean has been on the GH writing staff, and I think Jean has been part of the whole process, and has a point of view of where we should be taking the show. And Shelly knows GH inside and out. Shelly has been over at Y&R and came in with a renewed perspective of the show. The two of them as a team is really interesting. I think the job is too big for one person, frankly. I think with the two of them and their history with the show, I think they are the two people to take us to the next level. We love Ron. We love his writing. He has a blind script with us in primetime that we are going to be focusing on for him. I think that’s important for people to know, and that we respect him so much. I just think at this juncture, and at this point in time, we just want to focus on some of the aspects that were so critical to the show over the years, and just put a little extra push towards that.
The very popular Michael Easton (Silas Clay) was just killed-off on General Hospital. That was another big decision that was handed down … that I assume, was difficult to make?
VICKI: Yes, that was a challenge. But what it did afford us was a really great opportunity to tell a murder mystery. That’s what we are really digging into now, and telling that story. So, we are excited to see how that all unfolds.
How did you feel about Tony Geary’s (Luke) exit, and his final moments in his last GH episode? Nathan Varni (Manager, Current Series ABC Entertainment) had revealed after fan’s questioning, that Tony did not want any retrospective montage. In addition, clearly there was no “goodbye” with longtime scene partner Genie Francis (Laura) on-screen. I think some in the audience may not understand it was not just about that the writing team’s creative decisions on how they wanted Tony to go out, but there seemed to be certain parameters, or guidelines from Tony given on how he wanted to go out.
Courtesy/ABC
VICKI: Here is the thing: Tony, of course, had thoughts on his exit, and there’s a certain plan that the writers have in mind for him. My feeling was … I didn’t want him to go ever! Oh, my God. It was heartbreaking. We had a very private goodbye for him that was amazing, and I was in tears. The editors had put together a video retrospective and Tony spoke so eloquently about what the character of Luke Spencer meant to him, and what his time on the show meant, and how the people on the show meant so much to him. It was very moving, and that was a very emotional goodbye. And his on-screen goodbye, personally, I really liked it. I liked how he walked off into the mist.
Many fans were trying to understand, and had commented, since ABC owns the character of Luke Spencer, how come from the network level you could not insist on a few things that may have played more to the viewers expectations who watched the character, and loved and invested in the character for thirty-seven years?
Courtesy/ABC
VICKI: We do own the character, but we love and respect Tony so much that we want to really honor his wishes, and really service him as the actor and as a person, and how he wants to say goodbye to the character. I do appreciate the fans, and welcome their input. They are welcome anytime to say what they like and don’t like about the show. That is part of what is so great about this fan base, as they are so engaged in the content, and everyday they have something to say. Sometimes they love it, and sometimes they hate it, but what they do is talk about it.
Has moving General Hospital in some key markets to the 3PMEST/2PMPST time slot, while it airs in other markets at 2PMEST/1PMPST, hurt the show rating wise?
VICKI: The thing is; if you look at how data is reported for the live same-day numbers, the following day; it’s really not an accurate picture of what the overall rating is. That is because there is so much delayed viewing on this show. A lot of people watch GH on their lunch hours, or the next day, or they watch it at night. The ratings have taken a dip this season, but I firmly believe it’s our overall daytime programming that’s taken a little bit of a hit, because up until now we had that hour that wasn’t replaced after Katie was cancelled. But as I said with FABLife coming in, I think it will elevate all of our ships, as it were.
Has your role in the ABC day-part shifted, giving you more emphasis on overseeing GH?
Photo Credit: ABC
VICKI: Yes. Things got changed: ABC News is now overseeing The View. Lisa Hackner’s group is overseeing the development of the FABLife within syndication, as well as The Chew, and I am overseeing General Hospital. But Paul Lee (President, ABC Entertainment) really oversees it all. He’s not overseeing The View, as that is really news, but the rest of our daytime line-up is being overseen by Paul.
GH fans also were concerned that you may make a change at the top at the executive producer level and replace Frank Valentini. Can you address that?
VICKI: There are no plans to get rid of Frank. He has been terrific with the show as far as finding new ways to shoot the show, and being so conscious of the budget, and figuring out ways to do some pretty amazing things, economically. Those are things that you admire most in a producer … how you can really stretch the budget, and also create some pretty terrific shows.
So, what do you think of Vicki’s comments on the writing regime change, the exits of Tony Geary and Michael Easton, the ratings picture, and more? Share your thoughts below in the comment section!
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If they wanted a murder mystery, why not kill Hayden as she was in the hospital? Silas was finally some good storylines again being tangled up with Nina, Franco, Ava, Morgan, Kiki, Madelain, etc. I would have liked him to figure out Ric and Madelaine’s involvement, more than Morgan/Ava.
Maybe Helena will cart his body off to yet another undisclosed cryo lab. 🙂
Yes, why not kill Hayden, a lesser known character who happened to know something about Jake, for a murder mystery? Silas was a great character with so much potential and viewer investment. So many fans love and want to see more of Michael Easton, and he is great in romantic storylines. If romance is the direction, they could’ve taken the opportunity to use his talent and appeal. To think that a ratings decline is not a function of storytelling seems a bit ignorant (just listen to the fans), and reliance on other shows in the daytime lineup to boost GH… Read more »
No one cares about Hayden. You have to kill off someone with whom the audience has an attachment to really have an impact. Personally, I think Silas was dry as dirt, and I had zero investment in the character (or, frankly, half the characters that Ron has brought on), but I know others like Michael Easton a lot. That said, he really had no storyline, and I’d rather see him go than lose someone important to the canvas or history so quickly after Luke.
the storytelling is the reason for the ratings decline. she’s in denial
I totally agree, a new show will not boost ratings. Michael Easton already had a following is a excellent actor without a storyline. Michael was invested in GH with a lot of possible story lines for him had they been given to him. Michael character was just starting to get good. Hayden dying or being killed off wouldn’t have mattered to the fans or make the impact on the show that Silas death has. Most fans only tune into GH and really don’t have time to watch anything else.
i so agree with you!!!!! Very pointless interview. Clearly this woman isnt listening to fans at all!
Because Rebecca Budig is a much better actress than no emotion Michael Easton.
So glad she is on contract.
Amen. I would rather watch Rebecca Budig acting over the vampire guy anytime. I never liked him on any show. He is just frankly not that great an actor. I hear he wrote a book, perhaps that is better suited to him. Who knows, maybe one day he will come back and become head writer and save the show. Just as long as I don’t have to watch his wooden acting anymore.
for how long?
Michael Easton is a very talented actor who displays a lot of depth and emotion in subtle, nuanced performances. And when given the material, he delivers. Not everyone needs over the top performances to appreciate the acting.
AMEN MIKE!
Michael East on is actually a great actor… But you gotta have a good story for any actor. I’ve watched Michael for years, long before OLTL, so I know he can act. Rebecca might be a good actor, but Hayden rubs me the wrong way. Thought with her falling into a coma that would be the end of the blackmail story, but at least with her rousing and seemingly saying he’d take of things if she were to wake up, he would be top of the list, or his grandma, if Hayden was murdered while in her hospital bed. Sometimes… Read more »
Edit, that was to say that Nicholas would have been a top suspect
I totally agree. There are othe rpeople who should or could have been killed off :Madelyn, Hayden, Ric, Denise/Ava even Morgan.hey, I’m sick of Nicolas, and the creep he has become- killing him off would have been a great mystery.sSuch a great storyline could have been done with the information about Morgan and Ava that Silas knew. And it’s a hospital. We need some doctors in there.
killing Silas felt like it came out of nowhere. GH should be focusing more on the hospital,and not getting rid of doctors
I know… I keep so thinking if Nicholas is under Helena’s control all this time.
Long time ago, I even pondered if Nicholas is really Jason, and Jake is really Nicholas… Or such. 🙂
I’m outraged at her writing thiss is a murder mystery we’re gearing up for. yeah you do you not realize us OLTL fans lsot our charac cters but kept certain actors that we loved. You nwat us to buy why you got rid of Michael.
I love Michael Easton but I never felt the characters he played was a fit on GH. I was a fan of both OLTL and GH and as I said on many other comments; the destruction of JaSam for John bugged me. I liked the idea of him having beef with Sonny; although they could have come up with a better reason then the unbelievable “sister” crap. I liked the idea of him working with Anna. And while I love Sam, I was vested in her love story with Jason. Whatever chemistry ME/KeMo have wasn’t important enough to trash Jason… Read more »
First, these are still Ron’s stories. Secondly, why the hell would you kill Hayden? She can ACT!
Yes I agree with Anacarrie’s comments above. I too love Michael Easton and agree TPTB pushed and pushed to get him to fit onto the GH canvas and at what expense? McBain would NEVER leave Liam and Natalie especially after their reunion. They compromised his integrity by going after Sam (ugh) and trying to destroy Jasam. Again wrong. Two very strong fan bases that were affected badly not positively. And while Jasam got a HEA it was short-lived. Ron could play around with the OLTL characters and fans could keep hoping for a reunion. Then comes PP and many fans… Read more »
Jenn, thanks for that. And yes, RC kept regurgitating the same stories. I was AGHAST when they were writing that story about Jason being alive and John knowing about it and getting ready to embark on a relationship with Sam. THAT WAS STRAIGHT OUT OF JOLIE; probably one of their biggest and long lasting stories was the fact that Cristian was alive and John knew about it. That triangle between John, Natalie, Cris and Van lasted on and off over the course of 2 years. RC may have done some good to GH initially; I don’t think so but I… Read more »
If any one should of being killed off was Elizabeth. Lying – jour.
“We wanted to dig a little bit more into the romance…”
Couldn’t they just tell Ron that? Passanante/Altman’s Y&R wasn’t particularly full of romance or adventure so I’m not convinced they are the answer. I think a Carlivati/Passanante pairing would have been a better choice to take the show in the direction the network is looking for.
I agree with you Alan. I also thought that having Carlivati with Passante might have made an interesting mix. Too bad that didn’t happen.
Maybe, but ABC asked Ron for a wedding in order to drive up ratings. What did we get? Ric and Nina’s wedding.
network interference is hurting the show. the live shows were supposed to boost the ratings,it didn’t work. nothings working
No Harry!!
we got a Halloween wedding..
A wedding of great drama, Michael still hasn’t recovered ..
Franco brought it down BRAVO!
the phenomenal acting and intense drama of the halloween wedding is renowned..
Right Harry..calm down su0000..sometimes just UGHHH with your nonsense..seriously..the proof is in the article. Even this woman does not know the direction GH should take so she hearkens back to Gloria Monty yet again instead of finding the next Gloria Monty if that’s you’re direction..and once again she states that daytime is leaning more towards news/info/talk shows..Miss Thing..Katie Couric didn’t work because she replaced Oprah and was no match..Tyra Banks show is obviously a View hybrid to replace that sinking ship..getting caught up in daytime ratings wars instead of constantly moving the soap genre forward left us with four..the minute… Read more »
Yes agree. Just suggest to Ron to add some romance! Still seems like he was a scapegoat. I hope he gives an interview. Sounds like she’s been reading Twitter and is using the fans responses! Vague answers!
it felt like Ron was thrown under the bus
Well said! My thoughts exactly! Our soaps always had to run things by ABC for approval& they granted Cartini trust & freedom. Here we go again, “Fire him” “Scrap that story” “Change her wardrobe” “Put this in” etc…Still ABC ignores what fans want…Except GH, #StillboycottingABC/D
I don’t feel like ABC is making the show for us. they sided with Geary over the fans
“Romance?” What is THAT these days? Oh, does she mean jumping into bed with someone you just met because there is plenty of that going on in the remaining four soaps.
Romance is sorely lacking in daytime these days. It is all about lust and bedhopping.
Ron doesn’t do romance. They asked for a romantic wedding and we got Nina and Franco and guess what? The ratings plummeted for that week. That’s just a fact.
ooops this was for Harry..
we got a Halloween Franco and Carly wedding..
A wedding of great drama, Michael still hasn’t recovered ..
Franco brought it down BRAVO!
the phenomenal acting and intense drama of the halloween wedding is awesome!!
@su0000
What Harry was referring to were the live shows. Ron stated that the netwotk asked for a wedding and a shooting. The wedding RC chose was Ric and Nina. Which was a week of record lows ratings wise.
Good Lord, Suoo, I saw your response to my post the first time, no need to repeat it.
Now I am thinking of Winston Churchill who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.
Which makes me look at myself and why I feel compelled to argue with your seemingly insane statements.
Ron has said repeatedly he had neither the inclination nor the interest to write romance. And it showed, in spades.
Sorry but after reading this I don’t have much respect for this woman if she’s going to defend Tony Geary having control over his storylines and say the ABC lineup suffered because of Katie Couric’s talk show cancelled. How is a low rated talk show helping the line up?
Katie was a syndicated show so it how is it impacting ratings?
I blame ABC for allowing AG to have that much control over his character and story to the point that he just basically crapped all over GH, Luke and LnL fans.
blaming Katie for the bad ratings is stupid
Tony was on for 37 years. He doesnt deserve a say? You dont think Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt doesnt have a say when they make a movie?
MissSnow I agree with you, I blame ABC for giving Geary such latitude. For years he has been pushing bad story for self serving reasons. He loved the story about killing Jake, Eckert, etc–he has always pushed for dark stories. And as I say in another message, he interfered with writing, didn’t care that fans hated his stories, and then blamed everyone else. And ABC may still welcome him back even though most of the fans on the boards at least are happy he is gone. He is contemptuous of the soap genre, fans, and doesn’t care.
@Blake and MissySnow -Actually When RC changed that “Fluke” storyline on him that was when he finally decided to retire from GH [ but not acting]. That storyline was supposed to be a dual role. That was the storyline that was pitched to Tony. In the interviews that I have read, Tony was getting antsy way before having back surgery the “Fluke [dual role] storyline was the storyline that Frank pitched to him was supposed to be the one that was convincing Tony to stay on the show. He decided NOT to put too much input on that final exit… Read more »
Other sources have indicated that Geary decided to bail after the Fluke story line was so poorly received, and so thoroughly panned by focus groups, that Carlivati told him they would have to redeem Luke when TG returned in the fall. Tony didn’t want Luke redeemed, like the dark aspect of current Luke and decided to retire at that point.
Geary is and has long been a hypocrite. He insists on storyline rewriting and approval, but he never takes responsibility for the unpopularity of the darker Luke stories. No one liked Fluke, well he pushed for a darker storyline. He loved Bill Eckert–who else ever did? Geary thought of GH as place to express his own vision, he did not care about entertaining the fans. And he happily throws all the writers except Guza under the bus when his stories do not go well. The ones he contributed to, agreed to and so forth. He is a hypocrite, he did… Read more »
Well they are all coming out in droves these actors with their annals I never liked his writing most of the time and he needed to stay off Twitter and quit arguing. Now MB can’t wait to see you get your own cooking show because Jean & Shelly will have you cooking meatballs. Just actors shut up you get paid a good salary for reading lines. Please give it a rest! Heather Tom has won three Emmys for Brad and she is on the back burner do you hear her bitching on Twitter?? Grow up !
@Elizabeth and Megan – Well considering that Tony Geary has said he has never spoken to RC . How did Carlivati tell him anything? Besides he decided to leave before March when the ratings took a nose dive. That was in March. The ratings have been a 15 week low. Tony told Frank back in January that he was leaving- that was 3 months before that. He pretty much told him after he really gave it a good try after going along with the storyline shift of RC once again having no respect for GH history and changing the character… Read more »
Ron doesn’t do good romance stories but it might have been good to try him with a CO-HW, one that did the romance because truly Ron doesn’t know the meaning of the word romance, he thought it was playing musical chairs with couples
Such a shame, because he did such a great job in the romance department with OLTL, in its last three months. He knows what the audience wants, he knows how to give it to them, he just doesn’t choose to unless the show is ending and he HAS to. He delivered two weddings, and there would have been more if it weren’t for OLTL going to Prospect Park and he thought the story would continue there. Two beautiful, romantic reunions, though. That’s why I was so excited about him coming to GH! But in the three-1/2 years he’s been here,… Read more »
Well I was both a OLTL and GH fan. And I am sorry, Ron Carlivati’s writing on OLTL wasn’t that great either. Don’t get me wrong. Ron Carlivati is CAPABLE of writing a good story. I enjoyed Rex and Gigi’s love story (except the Stacy/bag of blood crap) and I really enjoyed 2009’s Stalker Story that led to the return of Mitch Lawrence, Jared’s death and Jolie’s reunion. But he was a terror in 2011. It was bad enough that he tainted Jolie’s reunion with Natalie’s ONS with Brody, but to rob John of his son for 9 FREEKIN months… Read more »
This interview is just a smoke screen; they have to play nice politically and not bad mouth him; and while they may let us in on some things; they will never truly admit the real deal; they could face all kinds of legal issues if they do. I don’t buy into the fact that RC SAVED GH; I feel there were several contributing factors that made it stay on the air. Katie Couric had already been promised GH”s slot; but when the stupid show that replaced OLTL totally bombed, they moved GH to OLTL’s time slot and at the time… Read more »
maddiehayes; yes be glad that you are able to watch all the things that happened to Jolie AFTER THE FACT because it was hard to go through it. He did give them a beautiful reunion in 2010 (minus the Brody crap) and he made John the best John ever. And their final reunion scene was the best. The Stalker Story was one of his best IMO so RC is capable of writing a good story once he gets over himself. He considers himself some type of soap god by recreating history all the time. But the good thing is while… Read more »
I stopped watching his crappy writing on OLTL back in 2007-8 ! smh…
lovesame1122, musical chairs? LOL HILARIOUS. You are so right.
You are absolutely right Annacarrie, we women watch for the ROMANCE. That’s NUMBER 1. If there’s no couple worth rooting for, I tune out. I remember very clearly in November, 2012, GH was dead as far as romance goes, but I saw a preview for OLTL, and I was hooked on John & Natalie right there and then! I switched from OLTL to GH and I was amazed at how much more fun it was to watch than GH. But that was in its waning months, and Ron was moving at lightning speed to wrap everything up. I’m so glad… Read more »
ICAM, it’s a real shame we never got a wedding for Jolie. I believe, at the time, Michael Easton was going to Prospect Park with Melissa Archer, so Prospect Park must have asked RC to save the wedding for them. Then PP fell through, and ME was signed to GH. By then it was too late to tape a wedding. Then, of course, OLTL did go online after all, and ME was paired with Cutter, ugh! PP AND GH tainted Jolie’s love so bad, just threw that couple away like yesterday’s trash.
Anacarrie, I did go to the “You Look Pretty” website and watched a lot of Jolie’s history. They were a great couple, yet I understand there was a big fan war with those who wanted John with Evangeline, too. So they had to kill off Evangeline, which just doesn’t seem right. Why couldn’t they have found a great pairing for a popular character like her? It reminds me of when GH was gonna fire Rebecca Herbst and kill off Jake, obviously just to squelch opposition to Jasam. Why not make the audience fall in love with your chosen couple instead… Read more »
maddiehayes, thanks for your reply. But it wasn’t PP that asked them to hold off on a Jolie wedding until the show. It was all Ron Carlivati. I can understand his thinking; after all that would be sure to have so many viewers. But at the same time, John and Natalie originated on ABC OLTL; John was created (by Josh Griffin) to be Natalie’s soul mate. Even RC said very publicly in an interview that the goals was always for John and Natalie to be endgame. At that time, Jolie was OLTL’s most popular pairing; their wedding should have been… Read more »
Again, so true. Bottom line Easton and Archer have natural chemistry. I so appreciate the afore mentioned comments. To this day I miss Michael Easton and Melissa Archer’s undeniable chemistry and hope to see them together whether online , or onscreen.
Yes, yes, yes we did deserve a Jolie wedding! It was sooo hard to watch ME be paired with KM, MW and MS. His success came from playing a well loved character for eight years on OLTL. His fans followed him over and then were treated like crap! To this day it is so unfair what was done.
@Anacarrie, surprised that RC was able to admit that he deliberately did that considering the lawsuit between ABC and PP is still going on. If that is true. That could actually be the REAL REASON why RC was fired!!!
Jenn, I didn’t have an issue with ME being paired with anyone else; I only had an issue with JOHN being paired with Sam because I am both a JaSam and Jolie fan. I felt RC wrote them all out of character to force the pairing and it didn’t make sense to me. Once he became Silas, I didn’t care but I wasn’t bowled over by him with any of the other women. I love Michelle Stafford; was a big fan of her when she played Phyliss but didn’t find them a match. I love ME but I wasn’t a… Read more »
GH was ABC’s highest rated soap before they announced the cancellation of AMC and OLTL. It was not until that announcement that ppl started to show support for the genre and fans turned back in to see how the soaps- AMC and OLTL were going to end that their ratings started to go back up. I even tuned back in to see where the soaps were going ….. I stopped watching both soaps after 30 years. I never got back into either soap again. Just tuned back in to show my support for the genre. I have been watching GH… Read more »
maddiehayes, as far as John and Evangeline; I liked them too; they had lots of chemistry and Renee Goldsberry is still one of my favorite actresses. However, John and Evangeline broke up in 2005; she was paired with Cristian Vega in 2006. She and Cristian broke up in 2007; she was about to be paired with TSJ/Todd which I was really excited about as well. But it never came to pass. Evangeline was a victim of a hate crime and she was written into a coma; at that time she and John had very few conversations with John; in fact,… Read more »
Guest, please allow me to clarify as I do not want to represent and want to be sure my words are not taken out of context. The interview I am referring to in which RC said that he deliberately threw more obstacles Jolie’s way took place in 2011. This was long before the reboot went live and before the lawsuit was filed. It was a video interview and he said that the goal was always for John and Natalie to be together and that he deliberately threw more obstacles their way in anticipation of PP’s reboot. However, when it was… Read more »
@Anacarrie -Actually from what I understood GH NEVER had the right when ABC sold PP the rights to OLTL even when it was shelved [temp] to offer ME, RH, and KA long term contracts as John, Todd and Starr. PP was nice enough to give the roles/ character to GH on a SHORT term basis with storyline approval [ that went for any and ALL OLTL characters used on GH . ] If that was not the case. The PP lawsuit against ABC would have been thrown out a long time ago and all characters used would not have had… Read more »
Guest, I pretty much agree with your comment except that Roger Howarth and Kristen Alderson had not agreed to sign on with PP on their initial intent to launch in 2012. So they were free to go wherever including GH. ME also was signed to PP but his terms were obviously different from the others as he was also free to move on GH when the opportunity came his way. So ABC unscrupulously signed ME along with KA to three year contracts KNOWING they only had permission to use John, Todd and Starr for a year. So PP had a… Read more »
I wish you had asked if ABC regrets killing OLTL. They should. That’s what’s wrong with their afternoon ratings. €##%*[]s.
that’s why I stopped watching gh ,I still miss OLTL .
I would love the Silas murder mystery to be resolved by it being someone in a mask or how about it being Stephen Clay. Silas is off somewhere hidden. I can’t even fathom that GH thinks letting Michael Easton go would be a wise decision! Do they have any idea how much they will lose in ratings?
Silass is boring! I do not notice when he is not on. Sorry! Think they should have made him a Cassadine. As a doctor the character was just not right! imo!
They could have done so much different for ME’; they could have made him a new character in the beginning; he has a strong support base. But instead they capitalized on the popularity of John and then RC had to hastily figure out a new character for him and it just didn’t fly. He has no imagination and Silas was just not worthy of a man with ME’s talent.
At this point the ratings are dropping precipitously because the writing is so bad. Any incremental drop in the ratings for other reasons is probably negligible at this point. Although I think Silas had far more viability long-term than Franco, Nina, Kiki or Ava. Would have rather they kept Silas over Julian also.
I still can’t believe Julian is back from the dead; I thought all of those Jeromes was killed off. As I said before, it’s a soap, not science fiction. Bringing back old characters is one thing but it takes more than those stunts to maintain a show and keep their audience.
I can’t remember. Did they have a body for the ‘vampire’ brother? It could be him that was murdered and Silas could be elsewhere …. Just an idea.
The only thing to do now is bring back Vanessa Marcil as Brenda Barrett, to bring rating up. Lbs
PFFT!! They blew it getting rid of Michael Easton IF it was ALL for rating!!
just saw the latest ratings. the murder didn’t pop the ratings
i’d say most Easton fans chose not to watch.
not surprised. No offense to Michael Easton or his fans, but nobody cared about that character. Actually, nobody cares about any of the characters that are eating GH (Madelin, Dr. O., Franco, Nina, Kiki), so why would anyone watch.
It was a mutual decision that he left! The murder was not even in the ratings yet.
It was NOT a mutual decision, Michael Easton has confirmed that much.
lol ohh geez.. they killed off Silas for a murder story, how sad.. 🙁 The very popular Michael Easton (Silas Clay) was just killed-off on General Hospital. (( That was another big decision that was ” handed down ” … that I assume, was difficult to make?——)) I gather it being ”handed down” came from the top and Vicki said; ”VICKI: —— Yes, that was a challenge. But what it did afford us was a really great opportunity to tell a murder mystery. —– apparently ”us” she killed Silas off ..? yah the suits did.. yet, she never said why… Read more »
And like a “murder mystery” is groundbreaking storytelling, huh?
I wish TPTB had shown the Luke retrospective she mentioned in the article. Luke’s exit is hands down the worst exit of a veteran character I’ve ever seen. Geary may not have wanted the fuss but the character and the viewers deserved it.
If they wanted a murder mystery why not have the victim be Luke? That would have been a true umbrella story because of his significance. If not Luke then why not Franco,Nina,Madeline,Kiki,or Julian? Silas is a doctor and GH should focus more on the medical staff instead of criminals and buffoons.
we definitely deserved a better Luke exit. Bringing Jake and Frank Smith back was so stupid
Tony wanted Luke to die so I agree that would have been a good murder mystery with Laura going away for a long long time!
The show just literally drags on to no end…Will that change?
They need new younger writers not the same old people switching from soap to soap. Ask the fans what they want. It is a disgrace how they treated the Silas character. Didn’t give him a storyline except now that he was killed off. The show needed a cancer doctor especially since it effects everyone nowadays. I hope they bring back Michael Easton as Silas or a new character. It doesn’t matter the time slot die hard fans will watch, it does make a difference though when GH is interrupted for unnecessary news stories. Time will tell which direction these writers… Read more »
LOL. If you ask the fans what they want GH will be a mess with 100% different answers depending on the day of the week!
So basically… it won’t be any different than it is now?
I agree. You know, I like Michael Easton but NO ONE was talking about him until he had a knife sticking out of his back!
I love GENERAL HOSPTIAL. but these stories are to much the jason story line is so slow an stupid i dont understand how long do we have to wait .my childrens. Kids we see jason know hes jason before i will.
the Jason revele was put on hold because of Luke’s exit story which would have dumped on Jason’s revele..
Tony’s exit has ended and now Jason is being revealed..
I luv Jake so don’t really care about Jason.. lol
Michael Easton may be “very popular” with his fans, but Silas as a character was a dud.
Yes, Silas was a huge bore.
not to everyone just sayin’
A number of characters are boring. Silas was not one of them to me.
It comes down to writing compelling, character driven story along with integration of newer characters. There was a huge missed opportunity there.
Silas may have been a bore, but that was not ME’s fault. The writing afforded to him has been horrible.
Now RH as Franco is a complete bore and he was never a bore on OLTL.
Sorry, this is a lot of spin and not convincing. Of course it was the ratings. If people were watching Ron would still be here. The rest of the daytime lineup is suffering? Please. If that was the case and the determination for why GH ratings were down and they’re just waiting for The FabLife, Ron would still be here. These answers make as much sense as Ron’s answers did for his story holes. If Drummer is the one in charge, I have no confidence that things will get better from this interview. GH is in the tank because of… Read more »
And even though Ms. Drummer says it isn’t about the ratings, the most current numbers are out. Geary’s final day, 2.9 million, not great, but then what? The Franco/Nina show takes over and total viewer number collapses and 18-49 stays at the all time lows. GH fans are not going to tune in for Franco, Nina, Ava, Julian, Nathan etc and the actors don’t have enough fans who will start watching GH. They haven’t yet and they’re not coming. Better writing, more romance, for these characters will not do it either. We don’t care about them. And no one wants… Read more »
Franco and Nina are loved by many! 🙂 Franco is one of the best characters on GH.. Ava is gold, her acting is beyond reproach.. many of the loved vets are retired, doing other projects or just simply do want to come back, really some oldies do not want to come back, seems logical… If one did, the families are gone as are their once long ago stories.. the Q’s= Tracy / and RC brought in Dillon to keep the Q’s alive, and that makes 2 Q’s.. and i believe he has Jake/Jason ready to be a Q, again.. The… Read more »
I0t hink your vision of what will fix GH would do the same damage. The young audience they want is not going to tune in to see characters that were old 20 years ago and who now are getting close to senior citizen age. Lets see maybe they can bring back Stuart Damon and do a storyline with him hiding his usage of viagra and depends. Maybe they can feature Jackie Zeman and her horrible botoxed face more. Hmmm lets see oh yea maybe they can have Rachel Ames as Audrey on 5 days a week dealing with dementia
Matt- Your answer is ridiculous, I guess the best way to deflect is with nonsense. You’re completely wrong and have no understanding of the “young” audience you are referring to. The 18-49 demo contains many fans who watched GH years ago, 15-20 years ago who would return to a show they recognize to see characters they know and love. You use Stuart Damon and Rachel Ames to make fun of their advanced ages and take a cheap shot at Jackie Zeman. First, GH could use a little Alan Quartermaine, Stuart Damon is well loved by many. But there are many… Read more »
Everyone clamors for Felicia and Mac, Kevin, etc….
John Lindstrom has an acting role on a prime time series.
Kristina Wagner (along with Jack) has a role on a series on the Hallmark channel “When Calls the Heart.” These folks are not going to be giving up their prime time roles to return to GH.
Damn, AJQ shoots and scores! She or he is spot on here.
You’re so right AJQ, thank you! The more un-recognizable GH becomes (more focus on new, unknown characters), the more the ratings fall. Su000, you and Tim can bash the vets all you want, but the fact is, the numbers are falling because of new characters like Franco and Nina. LOOK AT THE RATINGS.
Exactly, AJQ. There are a few fans who will follow a certain actor wherever he/she goes, but I’m not one of them. I will tune in out of curiosity, of course, but if the storyline isn’t great, I don’t stay. Come on, it’s not the actor, it’s the CHARACTER we love the most. GH fans love GH characters. Y&R fans love Y&R characters. OLTL fans .. etc. I am hopeful that, now that Tristan Rogers is on “recurring” at Y&R, GH will offer him a contract. His appearances have consistently brought up the ratings. Give Mac & Felicia something to… Read more »
GH is completely unrecognizable. They need to get rid of the newbies and focus on the core characters
and that is the biggest problem with GH a group of fans that are too exclusive. that will be GH’s downfall
Elizabeth, Jon Lindstrom is on True Detective which films only a few episodes and he has been finished with it for a while. Jon has also tweeted recently and favorited the tweets of fans calling for him to be back on GH. He isn’t a series regular on The Big Bang Theory, taping 8-9 months a year. Same goes for Kristina Wagner. These primetime gigs you are referring to are not full time work. These two actors would love to be on GH. However they are actors and seek other work because they are not. And John J York seems… Read more »
Can I just CO-SIGN the poster AJQ ?? Spot on posts and exactly what is wrong with GH. I am a 45 yr GH viewer who is currently 3 weeks behind on my viewing because I come away SAD every time I watch my beloved show. Every soap has it’s own “feel” or “vibe” if you will and GH was at the top of the heap in both story-telling & cast. We had the love stories of Luke & Laura (which TG seems to forget gave him the star status that he’s enjoyed for the past 35 yrs), Frisco &… Read more »
You say it well! “Heartbreak and triumph, with emphasis on “triumph.” The real world is dark enough; fans want to see, as you say, “well-written romance and love stories” like we had with the Luke and Laura story and countless others. And, yes, we want to see the so-called “good guys” win and we want them to win with integrity. That’s what OUR GH used to be; as you say, give us our GH back. It’s rather simple, you see! And I think Ms. Drummer is barking up the wrong tree; we don’t need a Katic Couric lead in. We… Read more »
Wnen GH did the show “Night shift” on the Soap Opera Network it was would GH should now be. A drama based on characters from the hospital. There are so many things that go on in a hospital. Look at Greys Anatomy, its still on. GH needs to get back to GH! Start by recasting Robin and have Jakeson be Jason Q and make him the doctor he was going to be long ago.
I love AJQ’s post!! Everything said is spot on. I would much rather see Stuart Damon as Alan arguing with Tracy or Monica then Nina and her mother. I miss the Q’s Thanksgiving. We havent even had a real one in forever. Bring back Jon Lindstrom as Kevin as he could be essential to alot of stories including murder mysteries! And give Monica a storyline , and stop leaving her in her room upstairs for 6 moths at a time. I love Anna, and love her relationship with Patrick, why don’t they give a storyline that involves Emma and have… Read more »
So much to support in your comments AJQ. It is unfathomable to me that ABC would give preferences to an actor’s bias about his exit versus doing what is better for the sustainability of the show. How insular and shortsighted are these people?
Maybe their density is purposeful, maybe Ms. Drummer sees it as her personal mission to succeed where Brian Frons failed (that is, at getting GH cancelled). This makes as much sense as her blather about the ratings being meaningless and reflective of the broader daytime lineup…
AJQ , as a 44 yr long term viewer I agree with you!!! And IF they can bring back Jake [ as ridiculous as that was- well, now they can certainly bring back just about anyone now- but show some imagination ( for goodness sake – IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT) This show is called GENERAL HOSPITAL and it has stopped resembling that for A LONNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG TTTTTIIIIIIIIIMMMMEE!!!! The Hospital should still remain the the main focus like it has been the first day I tuned in and it has always had some sort of mob element to it.… Read more »
I think she is in denial. The stories are the reason the ratings have gone down. The quality of GH started to go down when she became more involved with the show. I don’t understand why they chose AG over the fans for Luke’s final episode. Their should have been a montage. It is sad to see the fall of ABC daytime,the once gold standard of daytime television. I do think ABC has lost a lot of it’s viewers to CBS,CBS daytime had it’s highest rated second quarter in years. I predict FABlife will be a flop. I can’t believe… Read more »
The ratings started to drop with the whole Luke/Fluke nonsense that Anthony Geary just had to have!
That was classic Ron Carlivati; he couldn’t leave that duo personality, dark side good bad stuff alone. Took it straight from OLTL. GH is better off without him IMO.
Anacarrie,,,AG is the one that requested the dark story, so why is that on RC?
Because what is the answer to a failed talk show (i.e., KATIE), but ANOTHER freaking talk show. What has happened to Hollywood?! Cheap, cheap, cheap (reality, talk) and filled with sequels, prequels, reboots (my favorite, rolling eyes). How I long for the days when the mornings were game shows like SALE OF THE CENTURY, THE PRICE IS RIGHT, etc., etc., and the early afternoons were FILLED with soaps. You had like three on every channel. THEN you had your talk shows in the later afternoon before news. Now news is on every freaking hour. With all these digital channels, can’t… Read more »
People DO NOT want talk shows anymore! Look at the View, it is on its last leg. Cast members have hurt it more than anything but fans are tired of all the chitter chatter. We want to escape from all the BS in the news, dont care about peoples VIEWS and want a good soap!
For a murder mystery to have real emotional impact long term, it needs to be a beloved character, though Michael Easton was probably far more beloved than others.
There are way too many characters on the canvas right now and the new writers would be wise to pare it down somewhat.
And, this applies to all the remaining shows, please do not hire soap veterans without a well defined character for them to play.
Nah. The murder mystery could have been a knife wielding serial killer that took out Franco, Silas, Kiki, Nina, Dr. O, Hayden, Valerie, and Sloane, because the killer (Rosalie) ate way too much beans at lunch and was suffocating with gas!
Now, that is the best idea i’ve read so far MissySnow. Housecleaning is needed and enought with the stunt casting!
GH needs to stop the stunt casting
if the beloved character is murdered why hang around?
Michael can always come back as one of the other Clays we have never met.
I am very disappointed that Silas is gone, I think it was a really bad move to kill him. Also the girl that is currently playing Kiki needs to go back to acting school. She’s a very pretty girl and I’m sure with hard work she could do better but her acting is very unnatural and appears to
It’s nice that according to Ms. Dummer they ‘love and respect’ Tony so much that they wanted to ‘honor his wishes’. But where was the love and respect for the FANS of Luke and Laura? How about honoring THEIR wishes instead? It’s absolutely ridiculous that an iconic love story – which was promoted in the media by OTHER networks during Tony’s retirement announcement- ends with not one single scene between Luke and Laura. Unless you count a letter addressed to “Angel” [thank you Ron]. If it came down to a choice between respecting Tony Geary’s wishes or respecting the fans,… Read more »
Why? AG has made it very clear that Mommy and Daddy aka LnL were not getting back together and fans should just move on which I think is a hideous way to treat the people that supported the show and actor.
Right, and the fan DID move on; ipso facto, TG got his wish–the fans didn’t even factor in the equation–and this interview proves that. The blind spot persists.
Not a good predictor for the future ratings to go up.
So it remains the same. Might as well “call the whole thing off,” if the fans don’t count. Who does she think is watching??????????????? The suits and TPTB?
WHAT???
they chose Geary over the fans which is sad,i have stopped watching
I have too. Just can’t force myself to be interested in Franco, Nina, Denise De Muccio, Dr, Obrecht, Kiki, Madelaine. Sabrina and Jake are only tolerable because they at least are better integrated with core characters. I might check back in with the new writers and Genie Francis coming back on screen in October, but by then I’ll also be out of the habit of watching.
And let me say how much I do NOT EVER want to see Tony Geary back.
It’s plan and simple. They do not care about the fans, they would rather kiss Mr. Geary’s posterior and give him whatever he wants in the hopes that he graces all of us with his presence again someday. They would rather burn bridges with the fans then with him. It’s quite sickening. After all, we are just “numbers” to them.
I agree with all of you. I also have tuned out.
Ali, I second your every word here! They honored AG’s wishes, not the fan..buy WHY? And what’s wrong w/a montage for Pete’s sakes!? Why was AG whining about that! It’s old stuff he’s already filmed-give it a rest Geary! That man wears me out! I couldn’t believe how much ABC promoted his exit, and while the ratings for his last day were 2.9, it was by far the highest watched day of the whole week. I can’t help but think if they had done a stronger sendoff folks would’ve tuned in the next day. I think they fled in disappointment!… Read more »
It seems AG has a lot of control within his contract that ABC should have sent him packing with a long time ago, and we fans would not have these issues with how Luke or LnL.
If your theory is correct then the entire management structure at ABC doesn’t have a clue. Which certainly seems evident.
I can understand them playing softball about RC but to deny that ratings are falling because of the direction/storytelling of the show and instead it’s the entire lineup (side eye). That’s complete denial. And FV is staying? Great, so much for investment in GH’s future. I’m already not watching but now I guess I can take my attention completely off any GH news period because these people at the top don’t get it. It’s like they do things halfway and we had such a good chance at something good with both RC and TG gone.
RC pitches his stories while FV and the network give their input, so if RC was sent packing so should the other people giving the approvals. RC really needed a co-HW to help with the romance on the show and reign in his tendencies to go overboard and NOT write character but too much focus on plot.
RC wasn’t a decent plot writer while on GH either. That may have been his strong suit at OLTL, IDK, but if so he was burnt out by the time he got to GH. That burnt out part may be the only truth in the entire interview. He had no clue about romance, none at all. They really needed to let him go sooner before he completely fell down to save him some embarrassment. I don’t hate him, He just was not the right fit for GH. Dummer def needs to go with FV. I’m adding her to the list.… Read more »
FV’s hiring frenzy is every bit as bad for GH as RC’s writing. They BOTH needed to go.
@Elizabeth,,,,we will agree to disagree. I think the network and FV should have told RC to reign in his crazy stories and write character driven / romantic stories, and for FV to STOP hiring every other actor that he decides just needs to be on GH!
Good luck with the FABlife!
The fact that television execs think “The View” is a news program speaks volumes about the sorry state of TV journalism.
So true.
Thanks for the interview Vicki! With all the madness it’s nice to just seen some sensible answers to questions.
ME is a great actor but it was time for silas to go. He had no story and its a waste of ME’s talent and our time. And as far as telling ron to write romance….he has stated that happy couples bore him, and he isnt interested in character development. It was time for him to go too. I cant wait for this new writing team to start. I might watch more than i ff now.
PREACH. RC only cared about romance if it was a couple that he wanted to stick together. And I love ME but Silas has been there since 2013 and nothing about his story; even when he was with Sam, was earth shattering. He is a wonderful talent, I hope he has a better platform.
Agreed. Silas did ME no favors. His most powerful acting was as McBain. I resent GH destroying OLTL characters’ legacies and that is why I would welcome seeing ME and MA again. Their story was not finished. Hope springs eternal
More romance ? Than why get rid of one of the sexiest leading men in daytime …bring back Michael Easton as a cop or a not so good Cassidine and make Nik good again. Bring back ME!!!
I have a bad feeling about these changes . Jean Passanante /Altman were horrible on Y&R IMO. It just looks like they want the ratings to go down even more so they will have an excuse to cancel the show and replace it with cheaper programming.
Wow this was a good interview I won’t romance and adventure to but it need to
be with the next generation of Spencers females.
I want Dante and Valerie to get a chance as a couple. Can the show get better lighting too. I want to see more of Bobbie and Felicia and Mac. and Baby Goergie..
Adventure has long been left out in the cold at Gh and never fully re embraced. Gh at its best was an action adventure romance and bringing that back full force would bring back old viewers and not just women. Bring the Wsb back, Anna and Robert front and center. The spencer and the jones girls should be the second coming of their parents in some way or another. This has me excited. Adventure
Frisco should come back.
So let me get this straight an executive producer holds no responsibility for reigning in his head writer. RC had a lot of crazy stuff going on I agree masks back from the dead but I guess I am confused at no point did he might want to say you need to dial it back a notch. I hope they turn it around and Geary is gone can we move on as for ME he has a lot of talent going he just really never caught on with the viewers but I feel the same way about Franco and Kiki… Read more »
FV ran the show with input from the network, so if RC had to go he should have followed him out the door and I say this as someone that thinks RC should still have his job, and ABC / FV admit they made just as many mistakes. RC needs someone to reign him in and that should have been FV, his immediate boss.
Nice post MissySnow. I think Ron should still have his job as well.
My bottom dollar she doesn’t even watch the show regularly. She was like “Kill Silas? Okay. ” You can tell by her ridiculous answer. You want a murder mystery, you kill off a small character. Not one who makes the top 5 actors in every issue of ABC SID! That’s ridiculous! Hell, she didn’t even answer the question. Just agreed and moved on about a murder mystery that won’t matter anyway in the end. It’s scary to think these people who know little or nothing about the show and characters make big decisions. Look at the numbers! Michael Easton was… Read more »
well said! Horrible interview. I have no fsith in this Exec. Kill Kiki off!!! That would be a great murder 🙂
ok ok ok! Passanante; GH -breakdown writer- was one of the writers who followed Ron Carlivati to General Hospital as breakdown writer from May 3, 2012 until November 25, 2013 (((She was with GH for a very short time as a breakdown writer during the very recent years of 2012/13 (google) Shelly; Associate head writer: August 10, 2011 (GH’s near cancelation) January 6, 2012; February 28, 2013 Co-head writer: January 9 – February 20, 2012 (google) (((not even 2 months as co-head writer lol) Both together have very little General Hospital experience, History.. Near GH newbies.. Y&R threw Jane and… Read more »
ohh tidbit; just ‘cuz
On a typical soap opera there are three tiers of writers —
the head writer or writers, the outline or breakdown writers and the scriptwriters.(google)
Head writers; are responsible for coming up with long-term story.
Breakdown writers; take a week’s worth of story and turn it into five outlines, one for each day.
Scriptwriters; take these outlines and turn them into scripts.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know about all that jazz. “Show us the money”!
I agree.
Letting Michael Easton go was a bummer, like other posters have said previously, they could have a who done it murder mystery with anyone! I am not happy with this and hope the show gets better soon. Get on with the Jason story line, good lord how long can everyone in town know who he is? Getting OLD!
While the interview questions were well thought out, the answers made me shudder. Why? Because I felt the VP was giving us a massive snow job. The constant air kisses sent Ron’s way seemed false and self serving while the explanation of Silas’s murder made no sense. There were way too many other characters who were incredibly disposable–Kiki, Nina, Ava, Donna Mills (who is so useless, she is still just Donna Mills) Rosalie, Hayden, Morgan and Sabrina. Moreover, the VP just dodged the truth over and over throughout this interview. The real reason Silas was killed off was because he… Read more »
PS. This woman asserts that the ratings dived not due to the writing but due to Katie Couric being cancelled? The ratings nose dived long before KC was canceled–there is no connection.
Morgan can go and sell skin cream! Please clean house regroup and gosh finish the Jake/Jason storyline so Billy Abbott can go back home.
The ratings drop started March 2015 and Katie went off the air May 2014!
That’s right–there is a huge span of time in between Katie’s cancellation and GH’s ratings plunge. There is no connection between the two.
I agree, Harry!
Bravo, Harry!!!! While the character of Silas may not have set Port Charles on fire, Michael Easton transcended the banal nature of his role for many a fan. His soulful portrayal exuded a quietude and dignity that no words from the pen of Ron C could have ever provided. And for those of us who followed Easton’s varied career, that was enough….as long as there was always hope for a better tomorrow for Dr. Clay, along with the chance to see the actor bask in the moment as the epitome of cool and class—both such uncommon and underrated commodities these… Read more »
I felt much the same way re:snow job when I read her answers. And she even admitted ABC let Tony have his way over the fans. Any other business I know would find a way to keep a loyal fans/customers base they already had while adding newbies. If you look at it, soaps have been doing this for years. Instead they probably looked at their costs spreadsheets, became scared and reactive, cancelled OLTL and AMC, and then they keep substituting shows that haven’t had any staying power. Not that soaps don’t need refreshes to keep relevant, but you don’t throw… Read more »
So Ms. Drummer thinks the FAB is going to boost ABC’s daytime ratings. What’s she going to say when it fails like all the other OLTL replacement shows have done?
Again, I agree with Kay.
Don’t worry, Linda, I am positive they have another crappy talk show waiting in the wings for when this new one fails. They always do.
While it’s all well and good that that everyone at GH loves & respects Tony so much, the fans are the ones who made TG who he is. And that was because there was a Luke & Laura! The fans feelings should have been taken into consideration also. At the very least, Genie Francis should have been in the last scene on the dock with him. I was not at all happy with this send-off and I’m sure I’m not alone! And what about the letter he left for Laura? When do we get to learn what was in that… Read more »
I would’ve been happy with just a goodbye even if she wasn’t in the last scene. Luke would never leave PC “forever” and not even tell Laura he’s going. It was just so disrespectful. I doubt we will ever know what’s in that letter. That was just a symbolic apology to the audience.
I totally agree – TG didn’t want Genie in is last scenes. I loved him as an actor but think he was a diva and he even admitted it. She made his career!
Yep…
So agree with you, MissySnow! Also agree with me3 and Joanmarie K asten
Shit happens. You pay school taxes, your kids go to school. You have VERY little say in their education if it is a public school. You dont like it, you move your child to a different district. Same here, you watch GH, you are a fan and count for the ratings. STILL, you have NO say in the character. You dont like it even though your buying products advertisers sell during your show, you turn the channel. Its life.
Yes, shit happens but again Luke would not be Luke without his fans and if there was never a Luke & Laura!! And also again, I’m sure I’m not the only one of this opinion! Your reply sucks.
Shit indeed happens because this story was shit, and it happened. But clearly those complaining aren’t ready to give up on GH just yet. So here we are. And guess what? Fighting for something you love, is not shitty… but it also happens.
You people dont get it! Tony didnt force you to watch the show! He owes you NOTHING!
Well, she certainly ‘tap dances’ well when she answers questions eh?
She had class.
I didnt see her tap dancing. If it were a video you may have seen that. She answered the questions.
Huh? Timm, are you talking about the ABC suit interviewed here? Because she did not answer the questions. She did in fact dance around all of the questions and deflected, deflected, and deflected.
Joan, you call that class? I call it bullshit.
What I meant is if the interview had been streaming instead of just in print it would have been easier to read her body language. Like I said, at least she came forward with SOMETHING! I’m still waiting to see the report from CBS where Michael Muhney molested Hunter King! Of yeah, it NEVER happened! Braeden wanted Muhney out!
There is a petition online to bring Michael Easton back to GH. This wasn’t Michael’s decision to exit GH, this was a creative decision and a bad one. Michael Easton is a Popular Veteran of 3 of ABC’s Daytime’s Soap Operas. If you are a fan of Easton and have supported him in his nearly 15 years at ABC then please sign the petition. We are trying very hard and need all the signatures we can get. It only takes a second, please SIGN:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/914/044/258/bring-back-michael-easton-to-general-hospital/?taf_id=14208719&cid=twitter
Last count was around 6,100 signatures of the 7k needed by 8/14.
I saw that..
not a lot out of millions..
I wish it would get a million!!
I’ll wait for the petition to bring back Scorpio, Jones, Stephan, AJ, Ned and Robin.
At least it shows he is getting the signatures needed. I am sure it will not amount to anything as I believe Michael Easton will have a better opportunity (in whatever medium) down the road. It is respectable of the fans, though.
I love all those characters too. I started watching GH in 1985…Quartermaines and Scorpios are my all time favorite characters. I would sign a petition for all those characters to return as well.
I have it on good authority that the producers and the network wanted him gone. So he’s not coming back.
You may be right but it can’t hurt to try and I am a believer that if you don’t ask you can’t receive. This may very well not amount to much but Michael has been a favorite on this Network for 14 years and if nothing else, it shows him that it meant something to the fans even if it didn’t to the Network. That can’t be bad as he is such a humble and gracious man.
One more vote from me!
It was up to 6875 with my vote
done, thanks for the link, Leah !!! Every vote/petition counts!!!!
I can’t thank you all enough for your support…it means a lot to every Michael fan. I am sure when Michael sees the petition, it will mean a lot to him as well. He will probably be overwhelmed and without words in true Michael Easton fashion.
They want to get rid of GH. Who are they fooling. Tony wanted his way all the time and should have let them had Genie and him have a decent goodbye. What a slap in the face in my opinion. I also think fans want stories to go to quickly and Tony made the Fluke story longer than it should have been because he was ill. He also demanded long vacations which made the writers have to scramble every year to accommodate him and other actors on other shows were pros and took pay cuts (because of the economy). He… Read more »
I loved Michael too but I can be honest when I like someone and admit that most of the people who want him back are his die hard fans. They like seeing him but if they are honest, they may see that his stories weren’t up to par. GH wasn’t just about Michael Easton; there are lots of other longtime veterans from GH that I would have like to see in storylines . It’s like they had him there and didn’t know what to do with him.
I am not a die hard ME fan but I truly believe that ABC does not want any more soaps. These writers had to deal with Guza’s writing which people loved but I was bored as heck. So they bring in FV and RC who made the show suspenseful and campy at the same time. Maybe ABC, CBS and NBC should stop thinking about their money (they make enough) and think more about their soaps instead of boring or wacky talk shows or reality shows which are cheaper. IMO
Do you work for a living? If so, if your boss told you to take the summers off, we’ll see you in October, wouldnt you do that?
I don’t care why or how they axed Ron, it was a decision that needed to be made. His writing is so slow-paced and has become an absolute bore to watch. There was nothing exciting going on in the past year’s time, so I hope that Jean and Shelley are able to bring in that new POW that the brass at Disney-ABC are looking for!
RC’s Fluke story was dawn out tedious.. All his other stories were on the edge.. Ron had many intriguing, suspenseful stories.. Ron is the king of the twist and turns surprises and shockers, that kept us guessing and wondering.. RC gave surprise when long gone vets turned up, it was exciting.. When he brought back the Nurses Ball it was exciting.. He brought back Lucy and Scotty and others.. recently he brought back Laura.. RC gave us thrills and spills but he never bored.. Fluke was a mistake when he wasn’t killed when Tony had to go for 6 months..… Read more »
Sorry, but Ron is not the “king of the twist and turns and surprises and shockers”. There are other greats in the industry who could do that. Ron’s writing has always been stale and recycled, and the past year has truly been a trainwreck to watch, more so than usual.
Scott: Yes! Ron’s “twists and turns” could be seen a mile off. Look at the Fluke story, we all figured out Fluke was Bill Eckert long before the reveal so oops! They had to rewrite it and what did they do? DID. AGAIN. I was never, ever surprised by anything Ron wrote on GH – maybe because I had already seen it all on OLTL.
su0000, the past couple Nurses Balls were horrendous! I’ve seen high school plays that had more talent and packed with way more entertainment than Ron’s BALLS!
I agree, RC could pull out a brilliant ending unlike most writers today. There is nothing remotely as interesting happening on Y & R or Days of our lives, B& B is another story–it would have been nice to have GH be a bit more like that show. But in terms of great endings, RC is hard to beat. I will miss him on daytime, but I expect we will see him back soon.
‘Holly, High Camp, Batman…Silas SLICED’,…that little news headline shows what is wrong right there…too much silly campiness for one thing…the headline shouldve read: Local GH doctor Silas Clay found dead!!!…the other way was tasteless and tacky…yes, bring back the romance, drama and high adventure..more focus on the hospital like it used to be…it is called General Hospital!!! I know a certain fan said hospital stories are boring…well, real hospitals are boring but this is a soap and the hosptal storylines ive watched on this show and NBC’s The Doctors were far from boring and often informative…its not all medical—we learn… Read more »
Jimh !!! there are 2 doctors.. Patrick and Lukus lol Liz is there.. Felix and Brad.. and the hidden Dr. O.. just what can be done with them lol General Hospital needs a name change.. I always felt the boring go nowhere title ”General Hospital” is a killer for the soap.. Nobody in this era wants to watch a hospital named soap haa.. Now- the Young and the Restless title has much much more appeal to watch by title.. as does the Bold and Beautiful.. people really do get an impression of what will be behind the click in.. and… Read more »
No one in this era wants to watch a hospital soap???? Two words for you…Grey’s Anatomy. Your posts are increasingly bizarre and non sensical, even for you. Ron is gone…deal with it
I heart Aden.
Aden Greys Anatomy is not a soap and the title is not shouting hospital and is in a different league than a daytime soap opera.. If Grey’s were a soap on daytime it would be a different world, imagine it lol General Hospital is not about a hospital however, long long ago it was about doctors and nurses and their families revolving around a hospital.. It is no longer. A whole new cast of doctors and nurses and their families, even friends and foes would need to be created or recreated to have general hospital be a designated hospital anything… Read more »
really Su000? Tell that to fans of Grey’s Anatomy.
“Silas Sliced” is suppose to be campy because the newspaper is a spoof of the NY Post and Julian is its owner.
I just hope we do get our romance and adventure back. Not liking how it started with a dead Silas and the decimation of the best couple, Dante and Lulu, but I’m holding onto my faith they will fix what Ron messed up.
This is what I have been hoping for more romance and adventure. I am so hoping that this means a new direction for GH. But I do miss ME I thought he was a great actor who just did not get the best writing. And I believe Ava would have been a better murder mystery. Pretty much everyone in pc hates her.
I agree with Alan that Ron should’ve been informed of what they were looking for. And what’s wrong with having romance & adventure….there should be a mix just as in real life! I’m sure Ron would’ve been receptive to suggestions.
Receptive to suggestion?!! Anyone who dared to suggest something or disagree with Ron got a public lashing on Social Media!!
” Why kill off Silas, he has been great in his sorted storylines?” You have other actors that appear seldom why not take out one of them for a murder mystery?? I can think of a few, Lucas, Brad, Felix, Patrick (they are all okay but not as good as Easton)! I don’t think the age factor plays a declining rating, I’ve been watching GH since it started, and through my working years I always taped the show to watch at what I called “my quality time with my dinner”. I’ve grown up with GH’s older generations and consider GH… Read more »
They needed a “Name” to kill. If Rosalie would have ended up dead none of us would be posting any of these comments!
Soooo….. They knew what fans wanted, they even wanted it themselves. So they gave themselves the moving and emotional goodbye privately that they refused to give the fans who have followed the show for thirty years. And enjoyed it and are proud of it. Enough to brag about it. Their primary concern was that Tony Geary should be pleased with his goodbye because they respect and care for him so much. And fans are welcome to say anything they like (or, to be more accurate, don’t like) about what ended up on TV. And, I daresay, to vote their feelings… Read more »
Well said by you. Do they want great ratings or not? Then give us what we want. NOT what TG wants. Simple, right? Most fans don’t want him to return if he’s writing the script so no worries about upsetting him on his way out the door.
Haha! Nice.
It seems obvious from this interview that they are looking to cancel GH since they don’t care what fans want.
I agree with you Judy, mark my words General Hospital will be cancelled next year. Vicki is lying through her teeth. Who cares about Tyra Banks talk show. with her 5 panel robots. lol. GH has gone down hill. Bring back One Life To Live and All My Children back. Enough with the talk shows.
I don’t about the mystery; I am upset that Silas was killed off. It hasn’t been that long ago that AJ was killed off. Also upset about that. Only murder that would’ve made sense would have been either Madeliene, Ava, Nina or Kiki. Well one can hope.
I’m happy that they got rid of Ron. I’m excited to see what Altman and Passanante can do with the show since both have written for GH before. I’m hoping for some better romance. The only decent couple right now is Michael and Sabirna. Jason and Sam could be great again, it is obvious in their scenes. End Jason and Liz for good. Get rid of Nathan, Franco and Kiki. The murder mystery is a good idea, Silas was just to boring of a character and only semi-popular. I am hoping that two women at the helm will help. I… Read more »
well abc and dummer seem certain of things. her love for tony geary was a bit overstated. FABlife no thanks though I did love ATM years ago. The Chew doesn’t appeal to me at all. there was wonderful romance and love stories last year, so Ron was capable of it. at this point, i don’t really care. good luck to GH but i’m giving it all a pass. i think if i need a show to while away the time i might give DOL a shot. Eric Martsolf has caught my eye a few tiimes but tried to remain loyal… Read more »
I’m done with General Hospital until Michael Easton returns. If he never returns neither will I. I could care less about a murder mystery. This viewer is gone.
GOODBYE!
Okay, let me try to understand this. ABC and GH are excited about having a who done it murder mystery? A character that GH didn’t even know what to do with. And the character that was murdered wasn’t even likable to begin with. Since he wasn’t likable, why should we care about who did him in? Shouldn’t we care about the victim in order to get excited about who did it? As a longtime view, I cared about Micheal Easton, I just never cared about the character that he was forced to play. Personally, ME’s days were numbered the moment… Read more »
I hope this is not the demise of GH. GH has a certain style, changes sure but getting rid of Silas( great character) . Getting rid of Ron Carvilati was a mistake
Absolutely correct. ABC wants t his show cancelled (IMO). Fans don’t want suspense they want stories wrapped up in 2 seconds – that is not a soap.
no connection to Katie Couric at all!
I know the comment about Katie Couric was strange. However, I always like to read how the network spins things and the Katie Couric comment was a head scratcher!
Instead of firing RC, everyone from the network to FV should have taken a step back to see what was working and what needed to go, like, now! There are just way too MANY newbies that I don’t give a flip about and those were the ones that Heather Webber could have come into town and taken out with her trusty little knife!
@ MissySnow
yeah, where is HEATHER and her trusty little knife??? As loney tunes and out of control Heather is, I can usually warm up to her character, because Robin is an amazing actress. She’s such a talented gem. The other “villains” on the show, like koo-koo Franco, and Dr. O, Mad Maddie and Nina are over the top, way over the top!
I hope we see Heather Webber return though, I’m sure she’s craving a BLT!!!
General Hospital
(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
General Hospital
FRIDAY: Luke Spencer’s Family and Friends Gather To Say Goodbye On General Hospital
General Hospital
ESPN Sports Personality and ‘General Hospital’ Guest Star, Stephen A. Smith Reveals COVID-19 Nearly Took His Life
In a harrowing account of coming down with Covid-19, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who also has a recurring role on General Hospital as Brick, revealed his battle over the holidays that led to him being hospitalized because of the severity of his symptoms.
On Monday, Smith returned to his co-hosting gig on ESPN’s First Take and it was there he shared what happened during his breakthrough case of Covid. Stephen had been fully vaccinated. Smith said that he had tested positive late in December and wound up in the hospital with pneumonia in both lungs over New Years.
Photo: ABC
Stephen A. discussed the details, expressing: “I had 103 degree fever every night. Woke up with chills and a pool of sweat. Headaches were massive. Coughing profusely. And it got to a point where right before New Year’s Eve, I was in the hospital into New Year’s Day. That’s how I brought in the New Year.”
He went on to say about contracting Covid-19: “For me personally, it hit me differently. (Doctors) told me, had I not been vaccinated, I wouldn’t be here. That’s how bad I was. I had pneumonia in both lungs. My liver was bad, and it ravaged me to the point where even now I have to monitor my volume, get to the gym every day … I’m still not 100% with my lungs, but I’m Covid negative … I’m on the road to recovery.”
On a happier note, Smith shared how glad he was to be back at work after testing negative: “I’m ecstatic to be back. I’ve missed being at work. I’ve used more sick days in the last month than I’ve used in my 28-year career in this business. And I can’t tell you how lucky and sincerely blessed I am to be sitting here with you guys today because two-and-a-half, three weeks ago, I didn’t know if I was gonna make it.”
So, glad to know Stephen A. is on the mend from a very scary bout with Covid? Share your thoughts in the comment section
“And they told me had I not been vaccinated, I wouldn’t be here. That’s how bad I was.”
— ESPN’s @stephenasmith details his recent, nearly fatal battle with COVID pic.twitter.com/jtkZV62RIA
— The Recount (@therecount) January 18, 2022
All My Children Alum William Christian to Debut on Days of our Lives
(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Brooke Reels When Hope Says Douglas Saw Grandma Kissing ‘Santa Claus’
FRIDAY: Luke Spencer’s Family and Friends Gather To Say Goodbye On General Hospital
Lisa Brown to be Honored In Virtual Interview With ’42nd Street’ Co-Star Lee Roy Reams
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: What Did You Think of the Life-Sized Duke and Ava Scene?
ESPN Sports Personality and ‘General Hospital’ Guest Star, Stephen A. Smith Reveals COVID-19 Nearly Took His Life
2022 NAACP Image Award Nominations: ‘This Is Us’ Stars Sterling K. Brown & Susan Kelechi Watson and Tamron Hall Talker Score Nods
TONIGHT: All My Children’s Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams Together Again on All-New Episode of ‘Our Kind of People’
GH’s Kristina Wagner On Felicia’s Concern Over Maxie’s Emotional State
FRIDAY: Luke Spencer’s Family and Friends Gather To Say Goodbye On General Hospital
TONIGHT: All My Children’s Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams Together Again on All-New Episode of ‘Our Kind of People’
Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
The Bold and the Beautiful to Dedicate Episode to Betty White On What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless Receive WGA Award Nominations
B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor and Thorsten Kaye to Guest on THE TALK
ESPN Sports Personality and ‘General Hospital’ Guest Star, Stephen A. Smith Reveals COVID-19 Nearly Took His Life
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: What Did You Think of the Life-Sized Duke and Ava Scene?
GH’s Kristina Wagner On Felicia’s Concern Over Maxie’s Emotional State
All My Children Alum William Christian to Debut on Days of our Lives
(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Brooke Reels When Hope Says Douglas Saw Grandma Kissing ‘Santa Claus’
Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Michael at a Crossroads; What Did You Think of Christian LeBlanc’s 30th Anniversary Episode?
‘Soapdish’ Series Adaptation in the Works for Paramount +; Whoopi Goldberg to Reprise Her Role
Y&R’s Christian LeBlanc and Michelle Stafford Talk On Their Enduring Friendship, Sharing Scenes & Preview Special Episode
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: A Shocked Brooke Exclaims: “Oh, My God! I Was Drinking Last Night!”
‘The Bachelor’ Season Premiere: Will Clayton’s Season Be Intriguing or a Dud?
Betty White, Multi-Emmy Winner, Sitcom Star, and B&B Alum, Dies at 99
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General HospitalJanuary 19, 2022FRIDAY: Luke Spencer’s Family and Friends Gather To Say Goodbye On General Hospital
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All My ChildrenJanuary 18, 2022TONIGHT: All My Children’s Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams Together Again on All-New Episode of ‘Our Kind of People’
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NewsJanuary 13, 2022Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
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General HospitalJanuary 21, 2022(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
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Breaking NewsJanuary 13, 2022The Bold and the Beautiful to Dedicate Episode to Betty White On What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
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Breaking NewsJanuary 13, 2022Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless Receive WGA Award Nominations
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NewsJanuary 14, 2022B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor and Thorsten Kaye to Guest on THE TALK
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General HospitalJanuary 18, 2022ESPN Sports Personality and ‘General Hospital’ Guest Star, Stephen A. Smith Reveals COVID-19 Nearly Took His Life