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Anthony Geary & Maurice Benard on GH's Stay of Execution, Valentini's Efforts & Llanview Crossovers!

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Who better to let soap fans know their thoughts on all the behind the scenes ups and downs then General Hospital’s most notable and prolific stars, Daytime Emmy Award winners, Anthony Geary (Luke) and Maurice Benard (Sonny).  Both men have been through the battles that GH has had to fight over the year to remain on the air, and have seen the show go from number one to a fledgling ship to its recent re-birth in the expert hands of new executive producer, Frank Valentini.

In a new piece out today from TV Guide both Geary and Benard weigh-in on GH’s renewal, Llanview faves crossing over to Port Charles, and the difference on the GH set these days.   Here are a few excerpts!

Maurice Benard on GH’s pick-up:  “For all we know, we’ve only bought ourselves six months.  But that’s not stopping the It’s a beautiful day in Port Charles! “Everyone’s excited and we’re determined to work hard and keep this thing going. Our goal now is to boost our ratings and be the No. 1 soap. Then they can’t cancel us!” Anthony Geary added, “For the last year or two we’ve been living on death row hoping for a reprieve, so this feels great. “We’re all breathing a sigh of relief, although we don’t really know what this all means.”

Courtesy/ABC

Anthony Geary on fans concerns of One Life to Live actors and characters taking over GH: “No one is worried that Port Charles will be usurped by Llanview. There’s just no downside to this. It makes us a much better show.”  Maurice Benard added: “Bringing in all this new blood is the smart thing to do. Let’s hope there’s more coming. I’ve been telling people we should do this for years!”

Anthony Geary on how Frank Valentini is working his magic on the soap:  “Frank loves this show and is fully prepared to go down with the ship, standing on the bow screaming at the top of his lungs. I can only admire that. It has made me and most of us want to work harder. Some people don’t like it because they got complacent, and I’m not just talking about actors but people throughout the production. Those who don’t want to work harder will not stay.”

So what do you think of Geary and Benard’s comments about fans concerns of the Llanview crossovers, what the renewal means for GH, and signs that the show is on an upswing under Frank Valentini’s watchful eye?  Weigh in!

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Glad to hear they like it! Hope they all want to work hard and stay on air. I think it is the best soap left… let’s hope they see it!

GH Rocks!!!

I personally think Bring It On though I will be honest I am not feeling the chemistry between Starr & Michael, but they are not why I have started watching again. I also think the new gal that plays Kate/Connie is improving all the time. And it is great to bring on a smart cop like McBain now get him to start interacting with Mac because I beleive John York is really very good when given story. Congrats GH for proving if you write good story viewers will come back.

They know what they’re talking about. If your business seems to be sliding downward, you gotta pick up the slack, get rid of the slackers and get to work even harder! Glad they’re on board with bringining in new blood (i.e. OLTL actors/characters)… it can only get better from here!

I’m really happy to hear that Anthony and Maurice are open to an inflow of actors from other soaps. Something has to change on GH to get it’s ratings up; things can’t stay the same and at the same time just hope the ratings go up.

I think it would be great if the gang from the Buenos Dias cafe from Llanview moved over to Port Charles and took over running the Spencer’s diner. Alot of fun and good interaction happened at that place in Llanview. The diner, when it was Ruby’s in Port Charles, was like that. And maybe that could help Erika Slezak slip into Port Charles and the land of GH.

I think GH is really in need of a strong, dynamic lead female character. Erika did that as Viki on OLTL, Susan Lucci did that as Erika on GH. That really gave the shows alot of good story lines and drama.

I hope it becomes Anna. I think she could do it!

Personally I think the strong dynamic lead female character has already been brought on and signed to a contract (thank goodness!)…..Finola Hughes! She is a GH legacy character and I think the best female character in GH history. Just my opinion…I don’t mind if they bring on characters from other shows as long as it’s well balanced with GH legacy characters.

It’s Tracy and Monica. Monica always has it, they just don’t feature her enough. It should be Monica and Tracy, as it was on OLTL, with Vicky and Dorian. Not Anna. Anna could never be strong like Tracy and Monica has class.

There are rumors floating around that Erika Slezak just might stop for a visit!

I heard that too, Kay.

God I hope so! I miss VIKI!!!!

Good have starr there, so Viki AND Dorian have reason to Visit!

Also did you know that Liz’s Grandfather (Late Great Steve Hardy) had a cross over with Viki and Todd’s sis Merrie in 1969?

Can you tell us more about this crossover ? I would love to know how it went, and would be interested to see if it could be explored more.

In 1969, Merrie had a Blood disease, and Steve Hardy went to Llanview to consult.

Plus another Tie-in, was when Cole’s Uncle, Ian Thornhart was a Dr. at GH, a decade ago. He hooked with Lucy and hasn’t been seen since.

I was trying to figure out who Merrie was… Oh, Meredith. I never heard anyone call her Merrie before. 🙂 Funny, I remember a scene where she and Larry (Wolek) were at the side of the crib and looking down at their baby Danny… that was a while back, huh?

I heard this to at soaptown usa (loose lips) I hope its true ,every time I go there the rumors are always true ,so seeing Erika slezak on general hospital would be so good I cant even say in words how wonderful that would be I miss her.She worked as a waitress in paris texas so she can pick roxy up and they can go to kellys diner for a cup of coffee,see a hiring sign fill out the job application and they both get hired.

I would really like all this “renewal” talk to stop. It is NOT a renewal. ABC owns GH and they have chosen to not cancel it just yet. There has been no official word on any extension. Like Maurice Benard said, it could be SIX months. People, don’t celebrate just yet. We have not won anything.

I do like that there appears to be a lot of articles coming out in soaps defense, but for what good that does remains to be seen. I think ABC just has their own agenda (one that does not include a future with scripted daytime drama) and they are just waiting until they have all their ducks in a row this time before completely pulling the rug out from under us.

well let’s at least celebrate helping to tank the Replacement, I mean the Revulsion, I mean the Revolution! ha! And I think it’s a small victory in the least, that they didn’t cancel both GH and the Revolution – they could have done that, but they didn’t want to deal with the wrath of soap fans so soon after what went down already! So there’s that to celebrate – we were heard – loudly!

Rock and roll, FV and GH! Let’s keep this train rolling, as long as possible! And whenever possible, “Less is more” when it comes to the previous “all mob, all of the time” focus….and “more is more” when it comes to humor, as much as possible…bring on David Vickers, just for a quick visit, to comfort Starr in PC!

We must boycott all of The Revolution’s successor shows so that GH always conquer them.

ABC has already taken two soaps away from us. The least they should do is having the decency to leave us one soap. Besides, Couric said that she wants GH as her lead-in.

As far as the end of ABC Daytime and its other shows….will we ever find out who JR shot in the final scene of AMC? At least there is hope in the long run for Victor to be revealed as alive somehow, someplace via OLTL characters on GH. But AMC really left it all wide open….can you please get to work on that for us, RC and FV?

And why not have have the infamous Erica Kane (and Susan Lucci!) cross paths with Luke, one of these days?

Erica met Sonny and Luke met Viki in the What if series. We know they have chemistry.

I have no real complaints for once. I would really like to see Kassie DePaiva brought aboard on contract. This woman Tweets and is a one woman cheering squad for daytime tv, specifically Soaps. She is one hell of an actress, singer, and from all I can see an all around nice person.
I’ll always be sad GH could not get their act together and treat Genie Francis with the long-earned respect she deserved. I wish her the best at Young and Restless. She shines on the show considering she was thrown in with Melody Thomas Scott who has long been what she was to GH and should still be. Maybe it will change but for now unless they can bring Laura back even half as strong as the character she is now then leave her be, intact with her dignity. I am thrilled on the hiring of Roger Howarth, long a favorite of mine…Apparently fit right in at GH. No surprise to me. Anyway, That’s my take. Thanks for a forum to express our opinions. I really like this site although pretty new at reading it. Very well put together and professional. Not that anyone’s crying over my feelings. Thanks Again Michael. I was on pins and needles over the thought of watching General Hospital sinking for the last time. There is a major sentimental reason I have always loved this show. My mother was killed in the late 60s, but she loved these shows. I distinctly recall the first episode of GH. I was in second grade and had just got home from school. The show was grainy to watch, music was bad, Black and White of course. But I will never forget Jesse Brewer RIP Emily M. Aunt Lucy? Oh my, anyone who ever saw Lucille March, hope that’s right, play this part well it was a treat. Recalling Audrey being a bit of a floozy, now that is OLD GH. I loved it. Skipped work to watch Luke and Laura, Only rich folk had VCRs then so you had to watch at two pm west coast time. Anyway, again, I am glad to see this show once again narrowly missing the chopping block, remember what happened when this happened before? Months later it was completely turned around. I see it starting to happen again. If I had a wish, it would be to see AMC meld with OLTL…All My Lives…lol. Anyway you get my drift. I had a much harder time watching the end of OLTL. There were too many talented actors and the stories were going well. I miss Gigi and Rex. What about Victor Lord showing up on that last show, I laughed and got angry at the same time…cliffhangers with possibly no ending. That was a good one i never saw coming. Thanks for making it though this. Feedback appreciated. Excuse my grammar and spelling, its gotten a bit rusty.

I love Both these two actor’s and I gosh, I would hate not to be able to get my Maurice Bernard fix, daily. The man can act, is gorgeous, sexy and those penetrating eyes! Mauuawah to them both, especially Maurice. <3

The brilliant Erika Slezak should come to Port Charles to help Kate/Connie with her recent DID diangnosis!

No post from Scott yet huh. Oh well, I love the show these past couple of months. I love the faster pace with the scenes. I love the new actors (all of them). Anything new will help now. All we need now is the viewers, calling all viewers, please watch GH everyday. They need you know more than ever.

LOL! Please, MB has been a “talking head” for years and who can take him seriously. It’s because of loathsome Sonny & immediate gang that the show has been going downhill for years – despite fan outrage. Tptb kept pumping them day after day for years and years and years. I’ve lost all respect for Geary. Great actor but if he’s angry at Luke’s association with L&L and wants Luke to become whatever he’s become now (as the list is endless), let him get another job. Stupid man, OK I agree L&L lost their mojo in the real world of growing old and life, but to discredit what was truly a magical phenomenon, rare indeed in literature/media of all types, is ignorant and self-centered beyond belief. GH should have been cancelled long ago.

General Hospital

More of the Story on ‘General Hospital’ Star Josh Kelly’s Latest Film Role in ‘The Workout’

We had previously shared that General Hospital’s Josh Kelly was taking three weeks away from his role of Cody Bell to a shoot a role in an upcoming movie entitled The Workout.

Josh originally revealed his role in the film during an episode of GH castmates, Steve Burton (Jason) and Bradford Anderson’s (Spinelli) podcast.

Now Deadline has filled in some of the blanks, and shared some intriguing intel on the premise of the film and its back-story.  The film stars Kelly along with Peter Jae, and UFC Fighter, Ashlee Evans-Smith. Other cast members include The Bay’s Kristos Andrews.

Photo: ABC

In The Workout, two army rangers set out to create a workout video, but their plans are abruptly halted when a mob hit interrupts their filming. Tragically, one of the rangers loses his wife in the attack, sending him on a relentless mission to take down the mob and anyone who stands in his way.

The film from James Cullen Bressack, almost did not get financed.  Apparently, ten days before his birthday, Bressack made a post on Instagram about the feature and production, casting, and financing came from the post … illustrating the power of social media. After the post gained traction, a producer provided financing and actors expressed interest in joining the project, leading to a quick production.

Photo: ABC

In a statement, Bressack shared, “As artists a painter paints, a musician makes music, a writer writes, but as filmmakers we have to ask permission to create. It’s time to change that narrative. This film spawned from a necessity to create. We create. We tell stories. We play pretend. I’m excited to take this journey. This is the truest form of collaboration and a community of friends coming together to make something fun. While our industry has had a rough time recently with strikes and a possible strike looming in the future, it’s nice to remind ourselves why we got into film to begin with. To have fun telling stories.”

No word yet on when The Workout will be released.

So, looking forward to seeing this collaborative effort featuring GH’s Josh Kelly? Comment below.

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Breaking News

51st Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Set to Be Announced

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed on Wednesday via X, that this year’s 51st annual Daytime Emmy Nominations are set to be announced in full on Friday, April 19th at 12 pm ET/9 am PT.

However, four of the top award category nominations will be revealed on Thursday, April 18th across four entertainment news programs to kick things off.

Those include this Thursday episodes of Access Hollywood, E! News, Entertainment Tonight and Extra. Over the past few years, NATAS has often let the syndicated entertainment news program handle the duties of revealing the top actor and actress in a daytime drama series, but we shall see which categories the shows unveil this year.

Photo/AP

As previously announced, the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be presented in ceremonies on Friday night, June 7th on CBS (8 – 10 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.

The awards will be back at The Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles, where (the delayed due to the actors and writers strike) 50th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held back in December of 2023.

Look for the full nominations to be posted right here at Michael Fairman TV and you can follow along on Friday on the Daytime Emmys social platforms as well.

Photo: AP

The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary, and legal/courtroom programs. In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards to be organized by content genre, as opposed to program airtime.

The 51st Daytime Emmy Nominations will honor the work and achievement from the calendar year of 2023.

So, who would you like to see in the running for gold when the Daytime Emmy nominations in the key acting and show categories are revealed? Share your thoughts below.

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General Hospital

General Hospital’s Adam J. Harrington Weighs-in On John and Carly, and How it’s ‘Starting to Get Very Complicated”

On recent episodes of General Hospital, Carly (Laura Wright) came to John “Jagger” Cates (Adam Harrington) rescue as he was beaten down in an assault. Carly put on her “nurses cap,” sort of speak, and got John to his hotel room and watched over to him, to make sure he didn’t lose consciousness.

GH fans also got their first glimpse of what may be a new romance for Carly, if she and John continue to bond.  If John and Carly were to have a relationship, it would certainly have a ripple effect with Jason (Steve Burton) and Sonny (Maurice Benard).

Adam J. Harrington shared his view on the scenes and what might be next between the two. Speaking to Soap Opera Digest, Harrington shared, “I thought it was written in a way where there’s an understanding and a respect between them both. I don’t think there was any moment where she was not aware that he’s an FBI agent, and there was no moment that he wasn’t aware of her history and relationship to other people in the town. I really liked it. I was really looking forward to shooting it with Laura and we had a really nice time shooting it.”

Photo: ABC

When Carly and John part ways, it seems there were some romantic sparks, as Harrington puts it, “Isn’t that interesting that sometimes with people, the one moment they actually show how they feel is when they know there’s an escape hatch. They know they’re about to walk away. So, it’s almost safe in that moment to do it. I thought that was really special about how (the writers) handled John and Carly. Even the music in that scene was beautifully done.”

Where is this all heading? Conflict! Internally and professionally, and as Adam explains, “Who Carly was to John on paper as just a tool to be used as bait is starting to get very complicated.”

What would you think of a John and Carly pairing? Would you prefer him with Anna, or neither of them? Let us know via the comment section and take our poll below.

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