Connect with us

Breaking News

125

Genie Francis Returning To General Hospital!

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Fantastic news that General Hospital fans have been waiting for!  The iconic Genie Francis will be returning to the show this fall reprising her role of Laura.

This comes after a huge fan outcry to bring back the beloved Francis, after she was taken off-contract by the ABC daytime drama series.

When we last saw Laura back in January, after marrying Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom), she went off to Europe to take care of her grandson, Spencer Cassadine, who had broken both of his legs.

GH’s executive producer, Frank Valentini revealed to TV Insider: “I’m really excited for Genie to be rejoining the cast and we have an amazing story for her.”

Francis added: “I’m headed to Maine for the next month and then, after that, I’m back at General Hospital.  I’m looking forward to coming home and I am really excited about this new invigorating storyline they have for Laura — I look forward to the next chapter of this prolific and historic character.”

No word yet on the date viewers can look for Genie back 0n-air, but stay tuned.

Leave a comment | 125 Comments

125 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

It’s about damn time. I’m excited to add GH back to my DVR. What have I missed since January? My motto is always, “when Laura leaves, so do I.” Laura is coming back to Port Charles and so am I.

This makes me a regular viewer again once she is back on screen…meanwhile, i said Nelle will switch babies with Brad and Lucas’s which i believe theirs die…kind of like when Heather secretly let the Taylors adopted her son Steven Lars but they called him PJ…and just like that story when all is revealed Lucas dies of a heart attack like Peter Taylor and Brad will later be murdered and found laying in a pool of blood with the name Micheal written in blood like when Diana was found with Anne’s name written on the floor-ok, kidding about the latter part-lmao

I love, Jimh, how yo recall that long-ago story. It was epic and I loved it! Poor Diana Taylor! The show had some awesome stories in the 1970s and early 1980s beyond the Luke and Laura phenomenon.

I second your thoughts precisely, Iakovos! I am especially partial to the 1970s, its storylines as well as the original Diana Taylor, Valerie Starrett! But they continued to give the Taylors great storylines even after Starrett left. LSD-laced iced tea anyone? Jeff/Anne/Diana triangle, murder of Diana, etc….

James…your fondness of Diana Taylor (and Valerie Starrett) makes me fondly remember the Quartermaine family…ESPECIALLY back in the 1980’s. Man, oh, man…those were the storyline days!!!!! Soap days from long ago. Oh…and you are SO RIGHT ON…Genie’s return is most welcome news…DEFINITELY!!!!!

Later, Brother.

Hello jaybird 369! You certainly can’t go wrong with the Quartermaines! True GH royalty! As is Genie Francis!

If ReRon was still writing, that’s EXACTLY what they would do… and of course he would break Heather out of her padded cell again to do it.

Ron already copied Diana’s murder when Connie wrote “AJ” in blood after she was shot. Of course, the moron probably didn’t have enough strength to write “Ava” only 1 more letter & not implicating The soon-to-die again Quartermaine heir.

He would write Heather to be Nelle’s mother.

Jimh, I, of course, love your nod to Diana and Peter Taylor! But that would involve recycling plotlines. And what show would EVER do that?!?! 🙂

Still, Genie’s return is most welcome news!

Thanks James…i think Diana and Peter were awesome characters…wish i had watched their entire story…as i said before i did see Valerie in the role when i was at my grandmas house and she started as a waitress…also seen clips of her on youtube..you are so right about Valerie-she was great!!!…and i wouldnt mind recycles stories as a nod to the past but only if done right-but i like Brad and Lucas and wouldnt want them killed of…hope there are scenes of them raising their son and Brad’s reaction everytime he sees Micheal-that could be some neat stuff there!!!

Hey Jimh! Thanks for your reply. I do remember our back-and-forth on Diana and Peter. Sometimes it’s almost scary how ingrained their story is in my mind, particularly when my memory on other things is hit and miss! My fandom of Starrett is a programmed talking point for me! Always will be so…

No, I wouldn’t want Brad or Lucas killed off either. And I agree with you that recycling is not always a bad thing. In the big picture, it’s often a necessity. Without it, we’d have storylines on aliens, weather machines, and many characters coming back from the dead… 🙂

Soaps should be about different generations to please viewers of all age…old or young i will watch as long as their story is good and interest me!!!

Please cook up a better storyline for Genie Francis on GH. Here is one of the premier actresses on daytime – still beautiful, vital. Personally, I wish Ms. Francis would go back to playing Cane’s mother on Y&R. She had more interesting material to work with, and the relationship with the available Jack Abbot has so much potential…

I hope the story is about Laura finding Nikolas alive. Which in turn brings Spencer back to town. Am I asking for alot?

Well, there’s two big problems with that scenario…..

1) Tyler Christopher is still in Salem, the only successful Nicholas recast is apparently now a fugitive and serial con man (yes, in real life) and the last temporary recast sucked dragon ass. So Nik coming back seems unlikely.

2) Spencer’s return is problematic because Josslyn and Cameron (the other two participants in ReRon’s ridiculous kiddie love triangle from a few years back) are now SORASed to teenagers. So we would probably see a SORASed Spencer and they would more than likely ruin the character in the process.

I suspect the storyline we’re going to see Laura in, is that SHE will be the one held prisoner… by one Ryan Chamberlain, who had to lock her up somewhere in Europe, while he stole his brother Kevin’s life in Port Charles. The fact that we now have confirmation (blurry as it was) that Real Kevin is the guy being held next to Carly at the loony bin pretty much implies that Ryan was behind Laura’s sudden disappearance, and arranged Spencer’s accident… if indeed he actually had one.

Now if Laura is brought back with an adventure for us to watch, I’ll definitely take that. Sounds like a good story you cooked up!!!

WOW!! Satan…congrats. That idea had not even crossed my mind, but I loooove it !!
Yes, I suspected all along that “Kevin” was not really Kevin, but Ryan….. Laura, as his prisoner, has so much merit. I hope you’re right. Intriguing!!

when did we get confirmation?

When they were dragging Carly off to the electro-shock chamber, she passed another patient in the hall, who was muttering “SOS”. Though they blurred the camera shot, it was clearly Kevin’s face.

Of course the problem there is whether Carly will remember this at all, given the amount of drugs in her system at the time.

oh..thanks. I didn’t get a look at his face. Before that scene I’ve been going back and forth with the Kevin/Ryan theory. So far I’ve seen nothing to indicate that Kevin’s not himself. He has been nothing but warm, supportive and helpful to Franco, Carly and Alexis…no aberrant behavior, etc. I’m leaning toward Morgan or Nicolas…unless you’re right and that face was clearly {albeit blurry) Kevin’s.

It does seem coincidental with Genie’s return…hmmm.

Did not notice the face…I saw the guy as a blur. Good point and observation, Satan.
It only reenforces what I, you, and others thought that Kevin is not Kevin.
I noticed the discrepancy of time from Alexis’ first meeting with Kevin.
Then, he was at Ferncliff with Carly simultaneously.
How could Kevin be at two places at once?

Wow, Satan, thanks for that info on “the only successful Nicholas recast”; I did some googling and . . . interesting stuff, to say the least. I had no idea; I wondered what he had been up to in the years since his last soap gig, and it turns out he’s been a very busy boy (and a very, very bad one). Clearly I need to do a better job of keeping up!

As for the storyline you suspect is going to play out: I would be surprised (though I guess where GH is concerned, nothing should surprise me). Genie has said multiple times over the last decade or so that she’s not interested in playing victims and damsels in distress anymore. If the GH writers can tell the story in such a way that Laura doesn’t come off that way, then maybe.

Whatever the story (Did I just say that? A risky statement indeed where GH storylines are concerned; just look at the mudpit that Finola/Anna are mired in), I’m glad Genie is finally coming back.

Laura could always be the one who brings Ryan down in the end. Maybe she could even get an assist from Felicia, since it’s inevitable that Ryan will probably come after her now that he’s back in town.

Despite being one of Kevin’s best friends, there’s no love lost between Laura and Felicia. Luke cheated on Laura with Felicia in the early 2000’s. (One of the most cringeworthy pairings in GH history).

Perhaps having Felicia team up with Laura might mend fences.

Steve, that was most definitely a cringe-worthy pairing back then. I like Kristina Wagner but Tony acted circles around her. They were not equally matched. It was a bad pairing in every way. It was painful to watch.

I agree, it’s a win for the good guys no matter what the story is. I remember when Finola returned in 2012 and quickly went on contract. That was a win as well after not being wanted on the show regularly since her departure in ’92. Whether I’ll watch is another thing altogether. What is allowed onscreen will determine whether I will tune in and my bar keeps being raised higher and higher as the years go on so those in charge will have to put in more effort to bring me (and many others like me who are not reading soap news sites) back.

Just replace Tyler christopher; problem solved.

I had thought of that same storyline. Genie would really get to emote; she does it so very well. Story could be exciting, suspenseful, and dramatic.
If they will let Genie have some air time!!!

Yes, bring Laura can bring back Lucky AND Nikolas. Of course, NiK is alive. 🙂

Yeah, having Spencer and Nikolas back with Laura would be awesome!!!

I think it’s rather magnanimous of her to keep returning in light of how poorly the show has treated her in the past. Having said that, I’m delighted she’ll be back. She is soap royalty and deserves to be treated as such. Maybe we’ll find out one day what was in the letter that Luke left for her when he departed.

I’m guessing there’s something in it for her this time around or she wouldn’t be back. She has over 7K likes from fans on her Tweet about her returning which is more than 3x the number of GH’s audience so obviously she has some pull–I just want to see the result of those negotiations.

I’m not really a fan of the Laura story since she married Kevin. I don’t think it will return a real love or serious relationship. Both Characters are simple. We shall see!

Kevin is far from simple. If you didn’t watch in the 90’s, you’ll be sure to discover that in the weeks ahead.

Agreed!

Laura is a “simple” character????!!! Say what!!!!????

This is great news for Genie fans. Listen, she cleared the air when everyone jumped on Valenti’s back about her being put on recurring back in January. That was nice of her and lucky for him! I remember last time she came back Frank teased he had an amazing story for Genie. Uh, she walked around the hospital with a clipboard and slept with Kevin WHEN she was on. Good job Frank! Hey, how could they miss the boat this time, Ryan will be Kevin and Kevin will be Ryan and Laura will be caught in the middle! Hopefully Luke will fire up his white horse and ride back into Port Chuck to save his damsel!

Fat chance of that happening since Tony Geary was so very vocal about not even appearing with Genie when he “retired.” So very unprofessional and plain declasse.

Although I know Tony wants nothing to do with LnL, I would not mind seeing Luke and Tracy help Laura get to bottom of this. Tracy became good friends with Laura, after all. I can see Tracy wanting to help Laura reunite with her dear Kevin. And I haven’t watched in a few days…have they said where Anna is? Could she be tied up in this mess also? Robert and Luke need to help. 🙂

The show can barely afford Genie. There’s no $ in the budget for expensive returns like TG or JE.

I agree Steve but there is a lot of fat on that cast list!

Carrie, I put out Tony’s name because I do love him BUT I also knew it would piss some people off wanting him to return! Thank you for being open minded. What you suggested is brilliant! Tony might not like Genie but on screen they get along and have moved on. Luke would be cool with Laura hooking up with Kevin.

Anna, I havent a clue. Robert confirmed she is missing and being held and I think they want Finn to join her? Its weird. I hope its Anna’s twin they have captured along with the real Anna who has been written terribly, lately! Also, wouldnt it be cool if Anna’s sister was Peters mother?

Timmm, Like you, I think Luke would be relieved Laura married Kevin. He would be happy it was not scotty. Since Laura is the mother of most of his kids (assuming he had not fathered illegitimate kids in brothels across the globe), he would want to help her. i can see Tracy wanting to help her also. Can you imagine Tracy getting into Mary Pat’s face reading her the riot act? Since Luke knows what it is like to be locked away in the looney bin, I can see him wanting to help Kevin. Kevin helped Luke on a mission or two back in the day. Genie was asked back a few times to help usher Tony off the canvas. It would be a nice gesture if Tony returned to help usher Genie back onto the canvas. ..Especially since he has had 3 years to hopefully get over his hatred for the genre and the lnl phenom. Maybe he would be open to the idea if he was reuiniting her with Kevin. ….since he loved doing anything on screen that felt like a smack in the face to lnl fans. I am an lnl fan but only when they were younger. I wanted her to leave Luke years ago as his character worsened.

I never had the understanding that Tony does not like Genie; I thought, rather, that he preferred Luke without Laura and felt the Luke and Laura pairing limited what the show could do with Luke–and hence the range of acting possibilities they could give him. But I had never heard of any dislike or animosity on the part of Tony Geary toward Genie Francis. (Maybe I missed it, however.)

I think his problem was more with Luke and Laura. As a young actor, he didnt want to be labeled THAT guy or THAT couple because when that whole wedding craze was going on, Tony had dreams of starring in great Hollywood movies like his friend Liz Taylor did. He didnt want a label or stereotype. He wanted the freedom to be in other things. Well, as time went on and he got older, he saw that being the next Brando or Bogey was a pipe dream so he embraced the soaps and his character. AND, staying with Laura would not play well on screen since being married with kids on a soap CAN be boring. Just my assumption.

There are others I’d rather see back full time like Scorpio and Mac. I like Laura but her character in recent years has bored me. I think she ages Kevin with her sedate personality, as well. I’d rather see him with someone else. He and Alexis would have been interesting. He needs someone with personality to liven him up and Alexis needs a good, stable guy.

Laura? Without, Luke, Lucky, Scotty, Nicolas, Stefan, Helena…all the people and situations that gave her character life? The jury’s still out for me.

The writers made Laura boring…hope that changes when she returns…a long time ago i said Alexis should been with someone like Kevin…but now maybe it could be with his evil twin!!!

lol…dont press the “sweet” too far. You know me when it comes to my girl!

Yes, Jimh….Bedding the evil twin, Ryan, would be exactly par for the course for Alexis, given her highly questionable taste in men…Totally her speed!

Hey, Shay,
Perhaps,the ‘old’ Alexis would slide right in….as I said, looking for love in all the wrong places—-but, the new, revived Alexis is a different person; that is, in a different state of mind. I would hope a more positive one.
I really like Alexis as she is. …..without Julian; without all the baggage of the ‘wrong” men in her life; starting with her father.
Alexis has finally reached her “majority”, per se.
She better not disappoint me, LOL.
I think it would be a big mistake on the writers’ part to put Alexis back on the road to destruction …. pardon all the lyrics ( of song) ……they’re in my head, Shaybelle. Music is on ( built-in system in every room, LOL) all day….so, the words follow me everywhere, and they stick!!
Truly, I am looking at Alexis through different colored lenses–HaHa! Literally ( I now have pairs of glasses in different hues)….some wire. Imagine that!!…how ’60’s-ish of me!!
Alexis has come a long way for me, amica mia.
I think she realizes her weaknesses and her strengths, where she answers to no one but herself—-no more “how high” when ANYone asks her to jump.
You don’t see the change, Shay? It’s not particularly subtle.
I think that is “par of the course” for many characters on soaps. Some are immobile, unchangeable, such as Carly and Sonny: hopelessly list in a world of their own making.
But, such characters, as Alexis, are perfect contenders of change….for the better.
Soon….

Yep..she needs Ryan!!!

No, Jimmy…not Ryan. Way back when I suggested Ryan would be impersonating Kevin when Laura came back. But, Shay said that Laura would not get fooled that easily.
I doubt Alexis would get easily fooled either. From what I understand, Ryan is dangerously nuts. I would not wish him on anyone.
I think Satan has the best scenario….if it pans out: Kevin has kidnapped Laura and holding her prisoner?
And, the guy in the hallway at Ferncliff is, indeed, Kevin?
I said at the onset that the SOS signals had to be given by someone with intelligence, or a military person…whatever, air force? Navy?
Morgan was too much of a witless idiot to know his way around sophisticated issues—-except his way around THE SCHOOL FOR SPOILED BRATS!!

Maybe, Jimmy…..but, albeit some people saw her as boring, I never felt that way. She was not on long enough; or given a decent, ‘grab-me’ storyline.
Her life consisted of Lulu and Specer etc.
This is why I await with bated breath for my head to roll. LOL.❤️

I need more sleep. Seriously; four hours last night. So, huh? Lol, did u mean she’d be a good match with Ryan or did u mean Kevin might be missing in action and pretending to be Kevin? Yawn, stretch, if only I wasn’t on my lunch break at work and could sleeeeeeep…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

What I said! 🙂

Genie didn’t bore you; the writers write the words.

I didn’t say “Genie” bored me; I said Laura did. Of course the writers write the words; lol! And, the way they’ve written her on her last returns has bored me to tears. I didn’t look forward to her scenes. I wasn’t glued to my set to see her follow Spencer around the park or lecture him at lunch. She didn’t have one interesting story line, she doesn’t interact with other characters, she’s not dynamic. BORED ME. Hoping her return will not.

Just jumping in,adding to all the interesting ideas of Laura’s return. She may be going after Valentin to recover Spencer’s inheritance. Hopefully, she has been with Kevin long enough to know his scent, smell, touch, etc. and as most wives would “know” their own husband, unlike Sam, which was unbelievable, to me at least.

Alexis’ character is no good anymore–they need to retire her after that whole Julexis mess. She’s just not viable as a lead romantic character anymore.

The fact of the matter is it’s not an either/or sitch with Robert OR Laura. They could have both back on but what’s the point in bringing all of them back unless they are given story which it’s clear they’re not going to do since they’re all not returning. If and when we see enough of them return and it’s not for a GH Finale, THEN we’ll know the show is turning around and headed in a better direction.

Boring=GH for the past two decades; the repetition, the darkness and dullness, the lack of conflict, violence being the main lead of the show

Laura is boring to me; not to you. Alexis isn’t boring in the least. To me. And to many of her fans if you go by Facebook and Twitter. I saw you mentioned Twitter on this page and the support Genie got for her return. Truly; I think that’s great. I’m hoping they make her character more interesting. But since you mentioned it, Nancy Grahn has twice as many followers on Twitter; I think Genie has 60k and Nancy has almost 130k. Laura Wright beats them all and I can’t stand Carly so it’s all subjective. As for Alexis? To me she’s a still-dynamic, attractive, fun, sarcastic, a powerhouse attorney and has connections with her daughters, Julian, her clients, Diane. She’s also portrayed as a still-sexy woman and her persona/style exudes that. Mature but youthful.

Laura, on the other hand, has been portrayed just as a mother and a grandmother and is dressed in very matronly clothes. There’s no sex appeal to her character and the next step for her and Kevin were rocking chairs on a porch. Kevin was much more vibrant with Lucy.

I like Laura; don’t dislike the character. Just that she’s not had anything interesting to do or say in the last returns. If they can turn that around and make her more interesting/dynamic I’d be all for it. I’d take her any day over Hayden. Not that’s one character I have no desire to see return but she probably will be with baby Finn in tow.

And by the way, Alexis was never a “lead, romantic character.” She was a woman, like Anna, Tracy, Lucy, etc who had romantic partners. Not viable? By whose standards? She was great with Finn; still think they’re good together. They had more chemistry than Anna and Finn or Hayden and Finn. Something about them fits.

Actually, Anna was a romantic leading character at one point for many years in the 80s. With her Julian storylines, Alexis was given lead time for a bit.

With Twitter, Genie doesn’t have that many followers but was getting more than 7K Likes. That’s what’s so telling. If she hadn’t, they wouldn’t be bringing her back. It’s the fan uproar that brought her back.

It’s easy to have a lot of Twitter followers if you’ve been on the show for the past ten or more years. It really does not tell you who is most popular. It only tells you that whoever has the most screentime is going to be more popular because that’s what they’re selling.

Agree to disagree. You like Laura. I “liked” her but I found her character boring in the last stretch. Didn’t like her with Kevin as I mentioned. Love Alexis, which you probably know. She’s extremely popular “out there” regardless of the few on here who aren’t fans.

As for Twitter, Genie is behind in followers by over half. Nancy G. Laura W, as well as Michelle S, Finola H have over 100k. Still, doesn’t matter. We like who we like.

As for Alexis being a romantic lead, I wouldn’t call her that. Or, any of them. They’re just characters with romantic partners and for a long time women over a certain age were neglected on GH. Tracy, Alexis, Monica, even Anna hasn’t been with anyone in years. So, it was great that they gave both Alexis and Tracy men in their lives. Just because Alexis and Julian had a crazy soapy twist that derailed them and never should have happened in my opinion, doesn’t mean they should “retire the character” or that Alexis is no longer a strong, viable character. We have Deidre Hall over at Days as Marlena, who’s in a major romance and is about to get married (still gorgeous in her 70s) and “Kate” in her 60s getting it on with the stunning Gilles Marini. So, not sure where you’re coming from unless you just don’t like Nancy, the actress. Whatever; to each his/her own.

You definitely don’t know where I’m coming from. Basically, this is a topic on GF’s return and you’re posting negativity in it. But why if you support women over 50 getting story and romance? Laura hasn’t been given the chance for a story so of course you aren’t into her for the past stretch. It makes no sense. The fans and GF did an amazing thing getting her back on the show and honestly it could pave the way for NLG or others you like in that age group to do the same thing one day when they are offhandedly dismissed. Everything is not about shipping one character or a couple although those can be good things in the right context. NLG and her character are not written the way Marlena and Kate are on Days. Her character needs to be written differently too as many NLG/Alexis fans will say on Twitter. That Julexis relationship did her wrong. I am more about the story and the writing for the women in this MeToo age but I understand if you want to play the one upping game with characters. I’ve seen that before and so I’ll steer clear of reading your posts from now on because I don’t do that. What goes around, comes around on this show.

Well, ditto. You haven’t understood a thing I’ve written. And, it was you who played the one-upping with characters. I mentioned that I found Laura’s character boring and felt she made Kevin less dynamic, too. Thought he might have been a good match for Alexis, though I liked Alexis with Finn. It was you, even though this is a page about Genie’s return, who responded that the character of Alexis should “be retired.” They don’t get rid of a character because of a story of a relationship gone wrong…

You’re making this personal. I said I like Genie and I used to like Laura, but that she’s been written very poorly and of no interest to me. I think you know that when these posts are written by MF not everyone agrees; not everyone has to jump up and down with glee because a character is coming back.

What happened with Alexis and Julian has nothing to do with the “me too” movement. That is about men in power abusing that power over women in the work force. Thus, the story of Kiki and Bensch. Alexis and Julian were just a soapy story of a criminal turning to the dark side and becoming violent. Those stories are written about all the time in books, TV and film. Nothing “you too” about it. And, Alexis wasn’t seen as some clinging vine groveling to get him back. She had a very human reaction: fear, betrayal, resentment, shock, loss, grief, anger, disbelief…and handled those overwhelming emotions by having a meltdown and turning to alcohol to alleviate her pain and loss. Again, not a me too story but a human one about a strong women with human frailties like everyone has. And yet, she came out strong in the end, ready to get back to work, go to meetings, examine her past and history, etc.

I have no problem disagreeing with someone or they with me. You just made it personal; not me. So, agree! Let’s stay out of each other’s orb.

It’s not personal. I assure you. And I’m sorry you aren’t able to debate the point of why Genie can’t be given a chance at a good story but NLG (or Jane or Finola, etc) can without getting offended. Again, this topic is not about NLG or Alexis.

JMR; I can debate anything. I’m not sure you’re aware of what you’re posting. YOU said that we should stay clear of each other’s posts. I agreed.

And, mentioning another character is not “off limits” here. There aren’t any “rules” that if the topic is Genie Francis coming back you’re not allowed to bring in the mention of another character. (we’re going around in circles at this point.) I just mentioned that I don’t like Laura and Kevin together. What I didn’t mention was I thought the coupling of the two was a great idea at first. But as it went on, for the little amount of time they were on, they were, dare I say it? Boring. They did nothing but sit at a table, talk about Laura’s problems and babysit Spencer. Kevin was no longer the psychiatrist with an interesting life; he was “grandpa” to Laura’s grandma. Actually depressed me watching them. So if I thought that Kevin might be fun with Alexis, I’m entitled to that thought and mentioned it in passing. YOU decided to pick up the Alexis theme, run with it and said the character should be “retired from the show.” If you’ve ever read any of my posts it’s way beyond obvious that Alexis is one of my favorite characters so I responded to your comment. This isn’t a competition. It’s a show and we’re talking about fictional beings. The only time it gets personal for me is when fiction starts edging toward reality and actors ages/looks etc are brought in or anything racial, anti semitic or ageist. As for the “characters?” They’re just that.

So, LOL!!!! I find Laura boring. I’m entitled to feel that way. If they write the character in such a way that I’m not bored, great for me. I actually would prefer not to be bored. I didn’t say “Genie shouldn’t be given a chance like Nancy or Finola. I don’t even know where you got that from. You’ve taken this topic and my one original comment all over the place. To quote the Beatles, let it be.

Great! You give me hope. I’m glad you think Genie should be given a shot at a good story and yes, that will make us all less bored. That’s all it takes is a good story!

My point with the Alexis “retire” comment is that an actress is only as good as her last story to some like you. However, a lot of fans could dismiss Alexis because of her Julexis story. Just like some, like you, are considering dismissing Laura because they haven’t given her good story in a very, very long time. I don’t have any real Alexis dislike or hate, for the record, if you haven’t figured that out. I know I triggered you and that was the point I was making with that statement. I don’t even care which one of them Kevin ends up with although switching partners every two seconds doesn’t appeal to me. I support all of the older actresses getting story. Would I like great writing too? YES, that is everything to me, because the characters and actors we love are nothing without great writing and that is the other point I was making.

JMER: What’s the point in “triggering” someone other than to antagonize? There’s no need. I simply said I do not miss Laura nor am I in the group that petitioned for her return or jumping up and down with glee. And by the way I’m not talking about Genie; I’m talking about the character, Laura. Truth be told I’d rather see AJ resurrected again, or as said, Scorpio, Frisco, Mac, etc brought back. THOSE characters would be a great return for me. However, my lack of enthusiasm for Laura seems to have triggered something in you even though I wasn’t addressing you or anyone in particular; just giving my opinion on the news that the character was returning. Some could be thrilled if Lucy was coming back, maybe some never liked her. Some could be thrilled when AJ came back; others thought he was a loser. The fact that I like the character, Alexis, is beside the point. What I DID say was because I haven’t enjoyed the character of Laura for a very long time because she’s consistently written as placid, a homebody, grandmother/mother who does nothing but sit around and furrow her brows while babysitting, I felt she made “Kevin” boring, as well. Without her character on the canvas I’ve enjoyed him again and wouldn’t mind seeing him with someone else. I doubt that’s going to happen unless it was some freaky twist and she married his assumed-dead brother, Ryan.

You didn’t need to come at me because you think I “dismissed” Laura. You simply could have said you like the character, understand why I didn’t enjoy her latest run (s) and that you hoped she’d be more dynamic this time, too. I don’t argue about character even when I’m passionate about him/her. When I do get annoyed it’s about bashing the character’s therefore the actor’s looks, age, etc. There’s a difference. We don’t all have to like the same characters/stories. LOTS of fans love Carly. I can’t stand her. Lots of prefer Jason to Drew. The fights that ensue because of these preferences are insane. Enough insanity in the world; soaps are supposed to be the escape from the madness…

And by the way; yeah I love Alexis. A lot. But if the day comes when I don’t, I won’t have a problem with her being gone, too. Nothing to do with Nancy (whom I really like). Talking strictly, again, about the character. There are people who bore the crap out of me in real life and I have no desire to be with them; same thing in fiction; I don’t need to be bored by fictional people. This isn’t about the actor; it’s about the character.

Everything rebecca1 said on both of these posts! Agree with every word.

Hi Violet! Thank you! I’m exhausted! 😉

It took them long enough, but I’m glad they were able to work something out with Genie. She’s a soap opera icon and should have never been dropped in the first place. Now what they need to do is cut some of the dead weight from the cast, of which there is plenty of names to choose from, and get Genie and Tristen Rogers back under contract. Honor the little bit of history that GH has left.

Dan, I would LOVE it if Tristan and Genie were on contract.

Thanks for agreeing, Carrie. There’s no reason both of them shouldn’t be. I know a lot of lapsed GH viewers that it would bring back. Give Laura the front burner storyline she deserves, you could make Robert the Police Commissioner again, with Jordan leaving. So many possibilities. But no, let’s bring on more new characters with no history to the show. Ahhhh! Being a fan of this show is so frustrating sometimes, lol.

Welcome back, Genie Francis!!! This is music to my ears. You are much loved. I’m looking forward to your storyline.

Is it possible Laura and Anna (the equally fabulous Finola Hughes) are being held captive together somewhere?

This is a red letter day for GH! 🙂

Great idea but don’t get too excited about that. Got to stay grounded when following this show.

I got one am thrilled. Gh will be back on the DVR. Loved Laura and Kevin. Hoping we get a good story!

00hh geez.. I asked friend how long Genie was Laura, she sent this;

Genie Francis filmed her first scenes on December 28, 1976 and made her onscreen debut on February 8, 1977
She continued to play the role until January 15, 1982, when Genie Francis left show and the character was taken off-screen.
(5 years)

Genie briefly returned from November 14, 1983 to December 27, 1983
and once again from November 9, 1984 to December 10, 1984.
(total 2 months)

On October 29, 1993, Genie returned full-time to play Laura until quitting on September 6, 2002.
(8 years; not regular)

Two years later, she was asked to play a guest series for the 25th wedding anniversary of Luke and Laura.Her guest spot aired from October 26 to November 22, 2006.
( 1 month)

She returned again from August 25 until November 12,
2008.
(2+ months)

On January 8, 2013, executive producer Frank Valentini and Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Francis would again return to General Hospital. She first aired on February 11 and last appeared on August 28, 2013.
(6 months)

On May 29, 2015, Entertainment Weekly reported that Francis would once again make a return to the series, beginning June 5
On October 26, 2015,
(4 months)

In January 2018, Francis was dropped to recurring status.

How many years was Genie with GH=
14 yrs 8 months
out of 42 years.

Other years in the soaps;
Days
Y&R
AMC
Loving
and a variety of other series.

One amendment, su000: Genie WAS a regular between 1993 and 2002–contract role, on multiple times per week, featured heavily in story, etc.

What’s missing from your account, though (and I think that with that one amendment, it’s an accurate account of her time on the show), is the context of when she was on–and that context is important here. 1977-82 were GH’s best years, by far, in the ratings (indeed, better than any soap ever); and 1993 until about 1995 or 1996 are considered by many to be another golden period with excellent storytelling (and still far better ratings than any recent time period). So Genie was a huge part of two stellar GH eras; that makes her count for more, I think, than her total time on the show might indicate. (And let’s remember that some of her time away wasn’t her choice; she was more than willing, but Geary didn’t want Laura around, and the show chose to indulge him in that.)

Little things matter. Why she left in 1982, they asked her back in 83 to exit Tony because ratings dropped and no one would accept Demi Moore, Janine Turner, Emma Samms, and Jeanna Michaels as Luke’s love interest even though Laura was dead. (and not mentioned again on the show until Nov 83 return). GH did a special w/Tony & Genie/LnL the following year that introduced a bunch of new characters & announced they were in TX & she was pregnant w/Lucky. She was “convinced” to return in 93… each time her fans returned, the ratings showed how important she is to the show. She is a wonderful actress the heart of GH/Port Charles. I could go on but there is a reason she was invited back when Tony was leaving. For her fans. They wanted us. If not for Genie’s Laura, the show would have gone off the air before anyone ever heard of Geary and the rest of the current/past cast.
The past 3 years, she’s been give a couple of good scenes. The rest were dropped stories. Never using her the way they should.

))In December 1981, General Hospital fans were shocked when Genie Francis, one half of the daytime soap power couple Luke & Laura, suddenly quit the show.
Only 19 and already hugely successful, many people believed the actress had it all.
The truth is, she was struggling with drugs and alcohol and beginning to cause strain behind the scenes((

That is why she left..

I know why she left. I was watching at the time, have seen her interviews about that time, Gloria’s comments etc. The ratings went down when she left. She was 16/17/18/19/20 and working with actors in their 30’s. No peers. And performing at or above the same as anyone on the show.

You got that right, Michael.

What’s the purpose of your post? All that matters is she’s coming back.

Well, she’s gotten more than 7K likes for her Tweet about returning to the show. That speaks for itself seeing as it’s more than 3x the number of the current GH audience. And all of her Tweets since her departure earlier in the year have gotten a similarly high amount of likes. The reason Classic fans have continued to follow their fave actors is because those stories and characters are still resonant today–I doubt that’ll happen with the past two decades of GH in the same way when we’re 25-30+ years on.

Ahhhh, Genie….it does the soul good to see your face and look into those limpid eyes!! You shine, my lady!!
Hope they have the mother lode of a storyline in store for you.
Who occupies the “other” cell at Ferncliff? Do you have the key? Love you….
Bonne chance!! Welcome back; with open arms.

Yay, Celia, our prayers are answered! Makes up for all the Corinthos-centric tales we’ve had to suffer through lately.

Hey, Soaphound,
Yeah……a breath of fresh air, right? The stench of Carly and Sonny has reached the maximum point for me.
If we read these posts, the majority does not like ( to put it mildly, LOL) this couple.
So, it was hard to believe that on Facebook ( not part of it, personally) and other Social Media venues, as Rebecca stated, how popular the couple is. Go figure.
I have had enough of Jason, as well…..too bad, though—just when I started liking him on Y&R. I wish he would go back to GC and rescue Sharon. Ha!

Steve Burton has to be embarrassed with his return to GH! Is the same old crap he did previously on this show. Sonny and Carly’s watch dog! When Patient Six was all drugged up, I was so hoping he would return as Jason Q! I, like you am craving a little Dylan McAvoy!

I know, my T…..I am struggling between reality and the abstract…no answer.
While the ‘unreality’ of a being such as Jason may exist; as yourself, I would have welcomed a ‘different’ Jason.
Having read all the old posts, and now the new posts, his personality, or lack-thereof has not budged.
From what I’ve read, The chasm between Jason Q and Jason Morgan is astronomical?
Jason is forever toting a gun, sporting a cold, fixed stare and an obsessive want to be near Carly.
Duh?! How is Mighty Mouse OK with this?? How would any man? Does he know of Jason’s and his wife’s past ‘efforts’ in the boudoir? What a distorted picture I have now stuck in my brain. Ha!!
Robotic moves? Hmmmm!! Ewwww…..
Agreed!! Dylan would be a welcomed sight in GC.
Inasmuch as I have always rooted for Nick and Sharon, but because of Nick’s immaturity and libidinous nature, Sharon needs Dylan ( the best man that ever happened in her life) soon….she will be devastated when she finds out about Nick’s betrayal.
Jason sticks out like a badly-healed, sore thumb.
❤️

I just think Steve would have had so much more fun as a Q. This Terminator dude is so simple. It requires self defense and a line or two!

Hey Celia…’the stench of Carly and Sonny’…TOO FUNNY…lol.

Later, my friend.

Right, Jay??????❤️

You really nailed it with that aptly vivid description, CeeCeeGirl! Kudos….

Thank you, my lovely Shaybelle.
I leárned from one of the best. YOU!!
I jyst finished praising Michael’s (not Fairman)
Splendid account of GH’s days gone by. WOW!! You are in the same category, as far as I’m concerned.
Telling the truth, not withstanding, Shay. I do speak from the heart, as you guys do……it works.

And thank you, CeeCeeGirl! Yes, you do tell it like it is, which I find extremely refreshing….it’s just one of numerous aspects of why I so enjoy your well-written, intelligent, insightful and often witty remarks. However, it sadly doesn’t always “work” here…..calling it like you see it frequently gets one stifled, especially when I respond to you, as I did to your above comments on Alexis, as well as other GH characters in recent weeks. (Seems that unless one is wildly cheerleading certain obviously sacrosanct cast members here, then our less-than-glowing opinions are silenced.) I believe in giving massive praise when praise is due…You know how much I adore the uber-talented Kathleen Gati and I am absolutely thrilled to see the beloved Genie Francis returning to the GH canvas…Same for your aptly-named “Mad Maddie!” And it’s been an utter pleasure to watch Robert Scorpio back in action in Port Charles….both with and now without the lovely Anna, whose presence is sorely missed! I’ve also given huge kudos to Chloe Lanier’s Nelle as of late…Despite the bandied-about notion that I only criticize, I have plenty of positive things to say when warranted and deserved. But if one cannot honestly make observations and state their take on all things GH—even if necessarily negative—then what exactly is the point of posting??? If the only purpose of these threads is to be a PR arm for GH—-and particularly a favored few players from that soap—-then call a spade and spade and publicly list those special people we dareth not speak of except with effusive sycophancy. ‘Twould be far more expedient than wasting the time of contributors who simply wish to state their unvarnished views of what we see as a precipitous decline in the quality of a once-superb soap and the reasons for it.

Well, my lovely Shay….amica cara,
We have never met physically….but we know each other in spirit…kindred spirits, yeah??
My twin and I do finish each other’s sentences….and, I bet, if we ever met, you’d read my thoughts …..not as Elle ( Giselle) would, but as close as my other two sisters.
We can disagree about any character, yet maintain respect for each other.
What happened to change my mind about Alexis was a phenomenon. You witness how I abhorred her EVERYTHING.
I truly think the writers put her under that dark light which only Julian could provide.
She is now one of my favorite characters and I miss her when not on stage.
As far as ‘hushing’ you or moi, or anyone else is definitely out of line.
But, you know the ‘clime’ in all things, today.
You and everyone else, have the right to voice what is on your mind….and heart.
People may argue a point; great…..but, for the sake of argument, it should be done in a civil manner.
I think I have seen much progress….obviously the watchdogs do a great job…..and, I must admit, I have done a lot of growing up in the past four years.
I don’t really care if someone doesn’t like what I say…..and I’m sure you don’t either.
I am sorry if I go on and on about Sonny and Carly and Jason, or NuBilly and nuPhyllis, Devon etc (Y&R)….
I especially enjoy Soaphound, who comes out with stuff which deserves belly-worthy-laughter (eg. Carly’s big, noisy shoes…LOL)
I know that the stories have lost their way….their soul. No comparison to what soaps once were.
To your point of the “old world soap”…. yeah…I get it. Everything made sense then.
Even the kitchen, LOL ( the heart-beat of every soap) was always a welcoming sight—there was warmth and comfort…..from Ada’s kitchen ( AW) to the Kramers’ ( OLTL)…..so inviting—it was like saying, “Come on in”…. you know, Shay?
We do not see the kitchen-gatheings any longer…..miss that!
I told you before, Shay….I was born in the wrong era. …..

I always respect your opinions, even whence they don’t comport with my own…I truly admire your thought-process regarding characters, storylines, and all else. Why disagreeing has to be disagreeable is a mystery to me…yet, as we have seen time and time again, it can be a very prickly matter, especially in reference to certain subjects which inspire over-passionate responses! And speaking of Alexis…..(Hah!!!)….she still does absolutely nothing for me, and I state so as often as possible, even if my sentiments fail to post! Yes, she may be talking a different game as of late, but will she “walk the walk” when her libido is again aroused by a new (or former…) charming rogue? Me thinks not…she will revert to her old ways and the only walk she will once again be doing is the one of shame. As for whether she will be duped by Ryan? I think she already has been….along with the rest of Port Charles, if “Kevin’s” strange behavior way back when he was fixating on “Faison’s” brain is any clue! That’s when I first suspected that something was seriously amiss with Dr. Collins….and that precedes any therapy sessions that Alexis engaged in with Kevin/Ryan! Finally, your views on the “old world soaps” are spot-on…there is no way that today’s shows can compare with the formerly meaningful, traditional daytime drama formats full of home, hearth, heart and soul that I encountered in my tender youth….comparing them to the current-day equivalents is akin to contrasting old-fashioned courtships with dating apps….now it’s all about quick and dirty, superficial, expedient moments with nothing of substance or lasting meaning earned in a slow, deliberate manner, and more’s the pity since we all suffer the consequences of that phenomenon….art is merely imitiating life! Ditto for the “social media environment”…so much of what goes on there is a false construct designed to lure its participants into a completely altered sense of reality with all sorts of cyber chicanery where anything can be contrived including the numbers of followers and barometers of so-called public opinion. Thanks, but no thanks….I prefer living in the “real world,” even though our own heartfelt online “conversations” often mirror those I experience in my own genuine daily interactions with friends and family. Later, mia vera amica!

rumor has it its a story of rape which makes laura go back into her past..with the help of her husband and mother where she wil finally deal with luke was it rape ..rich hystory with all kinds of flash back..denise and genie will ignite the mother daughter chemistry that rocked this show oh so many years ago..along her journey she will deal with killing rick webber which led to her catatonic state…here she will realize what actually happened to her in her years of sleep..its a journey that leads right back to the present,,past characters will fill the canvas as laura searches for answers,,of course this is just a rumor

Seriously? They’ve already revisited the rape once and dealt with the fact that it really was rape; I was grateful for it (never, ever was I a fan of the original storyline and the attempt to recast the rape as a “seduction”; whoever was responsible for that–I’m assuming it was Gloria Monty, but I have no way of knowing that for sure–deserves a special place in hell for perpetrating such an appalling notion), but I see no reason to go down that road again. Especially if it will mean rewriting the rewrite that rewrote the original rewrite that rewrote what we saw on screen. Luke and Laura were honest with each other about what went on, and the writers gave Laura, two decades later and retroactively but I was still grateful, a reasonably plausible motivation for loving Luke despite the rape; that meant accomplishing the nearly-impossible, and I would think TPTB wouldn’t want to risk disturbing that.

(But Genie would play the hell out of it, and I’d love to see more of Denise Alexander.)

Thank you for that post, Michael ( not Fairman). Informative.
I still have a hard time distinguishing between ‘seduction’ and rape. Seriously….does it depend on the victim’s age ( statutory rape)?
Is the delineating point to distinguish the difference the word NO?
It’s the beauty and the ugliness of poetic license, I guess. The obfuscation of history and the talent/finesse of playing with words in soaps.
Yet, the writer has to be an expert surgeon to excise any doubt from the viewer’s mind. It doesn’t always work…….as it did not here…..not for me.
Luke raped Laura. But, it was swept under the rug as inconsequential. How many people marry their rapists? It’s an act of violence no matter the embellished words.
It is important to know if Laura dealt with her demons…..if so, are the fears and doubts all gone? As I said, I’m a relatively newcomer.
I wish her return would give me a bit of a glimpse into that……I like Satan’s suggestion. The only snag would be if this introduction would be detrimental or beneficial.
I can’t wait to see Laura and her story.

I was a kid during the original rape storyline. I remember all of the disco rape scenes (and the Herb Alpert music) because they flashbacked to it almost daily for months during that time period. A few years ago, I watched the whole story on youtube and it really holds up. Stories were allowed to slowly develop back then and it was a fantastic time. A time of top notch character development. An actor’s dream, I imagine. Lots of long scenes and ample dialog. From the get-go, Genie was instructed to play Laura as being fascinated by Luke. Eventually it became clear that she was in love with him (even before the rape to some extent) but in denial about it. And since the character of Laura has always been forgiving to a fault, it was easy to see the story unfold like it did. And then, Luke was so remorseful for his actions, he made it his mission to be her protector. And even after professing their love for one another, they never consummated their “consensual” relationship for several months. The rape had been discussed and analyzed between the two characters a great deal for almost a year. Throw in Laura getting stuck in a closet, overhearing Frank Smith discussing “the organization” with Luke. Laura’s life is suddenly at stake and that adds a whole new dimension to their story, and their bond, and her ability to forgive him. After the Frank Smith story, then it was almost another full year before they had relations again. The writers made sure Luke was going to be portrayed as the opposite of a rapist at that point. He was abstaining even when Laura was trying to initiate. Even after they got engaged, they decided to wait to have sex…mostly because any time they tried to have sex, they were always interrupted….usually interrupted by Robert when they were stuck on Cassadine Island…or when Leslie and Rick flew over in a helicopter to surprise them on Cassadine Island while they were trying to have a romantic rendezvous on the Island. Or the time they were kissing in Laura’s apartment and someone would always knock on the door or one time they heard the news of Diana Taylor’s murder over the radio while they were about to get it on. The writers kept them apart sexually yet always in each other’s orbit….and (aside from the Diana Taylor murder) they wrote so much humor into LnL’s banter…especially in 1981. It was great.

What we saw on screen was rape, clearly—at least there was no doubt it my mind; Laura was clearly, visibly terrified and not participating willingly, and if my memory serves me correctly, she said “no” multiple times. That Laura had a fascination and perhaps even an infatuation with Luke had been evident for a good while before (as Carrie notes in her post below), but even as a young man of 18/19, I was infuriated by the idea that the show seemed to be selling, which was that Laura’s attraction to Luke (whatever its exact nature) somehow meant that it wasn’t rape, after all—as though it was not possible to have an attraction to someone and still not consent to having sex with him/her. Then not long after, when Luke and Laura as a couple really started taking off, Gloria Monty made the rounds of the soap magazines, etc., labeling it a “seduction” rather than a rape, which totally contradicted what I knew I had watched on my screen, and I just got more infuriated. It was 40 years ago, long before #MeToo, long before “No means no”–but I still knew what Luke did was W-R-O-N-G, and I think most people at the time who had no prior knowledge of the show or investment in any particular point of view about the characters, if they had been shown the scene, would have agreed: he raped her, she was traumatized, it was ugly stuff. Had the show dealt honestly with the rape then (rather than 20 years later), I might have bought more readily into the aftermath of their falling in love (forgiveness is certainly possible, even in the most appalling of circumstances, and there were things going on that drove Luke to act out in the way he did), but I really felt that TPTB were playing fast and loose with the truth and insulting me as a viewer (I SAW the rape scene; all the back-splaining they wanted to do was not going to change what I saw). The wholesale rewriting of Scotty, practically overnight, from Laura’s white knight into a villain (and a fairly cartoonish one, at that), to prop Luke only made things worse in my eyes. (To be fair, Scotty wasn’t the only character who was being rewritten around this time. Alan Quartermaine, previously passionate but grounded and decent, became a would-be murderer, for example.) It proved to be a smart decision for the show, ratings-wise, but I have always wondered if the ratings would have been even higher had they approached things more honestly. Genie and Tony had undeniable chemistry (she and Kin Shriner had chemistry too, but not the incredible, off-the-charts kind of sparks she and Tony had; I think Genie may be one of those rare actors who has chemistry with absolutely everybody, but what she and Tony had jumped off the screen at you), so it made sense to make Luke and Laura the end-game rather than Laura and Scotty, but the way it was handled still appalls me to this day. (I don’t think I will ever forget the coverage in the soap magazines circa 1980 of Tony Geary on stage at fan events with women screaming “Rape me, Luke! Rape me!” If anyone needed evidence of how twisted the whole thing had gotten, there it was—and I completely blame TPTB for the messaging, because they deliberately and consciously sold the rape-as-seduction, seduction-as-rape idea. But the ratings were used to justify the story, and there was actually remarkably little criticism. I kind of get that: it would have been hard for soap fan magazines—dependent as they were and are on access to TPTB, actors, shows, etc.—to call into question a phenomenon that had turned into a ratings juggernaut by pointing out what a rotten foundation it had, and there was little chance of any other outlet noticing much besides the ratings, because the media outside the soap mags did not take soaps seriously, think they were worth much notice, or believe they had any real influence on the culture. Still, it was appalling to the infinity power.)

Oh, my gosh!!!!
Michael!!!!!! This a post for the ages. Immortal…
I see everything—the narrative, which brings events and their effects to light, is incredibly alive….visually and emotionally prolific, as I find myself in the midst of it all.
My grandmother’s narration(s) is as fertile as yours…..her words paint a picture …….yet, Micheal you have simply transported me to a time where I wasn’t even born….but I was there!!!!!! Watching what transpired, with you.
Thank you…..I don’t know if I’ve ever read ( and there are many great writers on these sites) an account; a recollection as to ‘grab’ me the way you have…..every word dances before me, without boredom.
To me, rape is rape; not seduction. The fact that Laura had a strong sexual pull towards him ( and Luke probably sensed it and followed the scent), as a much older man of the world, he should have known better. NO means NO.
Sadly, this happens in real life.
Thus, it is very disappointing that the GH biggies would market such abusive and ”tacit’ violence, especially on daytime……
Children were , and still are, exposed to soaps. My kids ( when I watch during the day) watch with me…..albeit, I do skip certain scenes when necessary.
I became addicted to soaps watching with my Gran ( who took care of us while my mother went to law school).
Yes, Michael, I think we can come to the conclusion that ‘Luke’ was a hit with the fans—probably an unexpected happening—so, it stands to reason that TPTB had to “patch things up” by having Luke appear a quasi-hero. I get it. But, at what cost?? Their coffers?
There are many, as you are aware, I’m sure, Michael; who cannot separate reality from fiction.
What TPTB did, in my humble opinion, was give license to the horribly obnoxion notion that it’s OK to take what is not freely given…..Any nut-case would look at this as an advantage.
Thank goodness, there are decent men and women who can distinguish the difference. One such person is my husband, Michael……he is a few years older (4 years) but as a fourteen-year old and he eighteen, the gap was huge….I was a kid, he an adult. He knew better to stay away from me, regardless of the attraction we had for each other…..Plus, he had my Dad with whom to deal, albeit our families were friends.
Well, thanks again for the splendid look-see into the world of GH, as it was!! Great stuff!!
❤️

You’re welcome, Celia; I’m glad I could provide some real insight.

I will add only this, which has occurred to me since I posted yesterday and does provide some context: US society was in a different place then, in particular where rape was concerned. There was still ongoing debate over whether “marital rape” was even possible, and in most states, it was still not illegal. (Only a couple of years before, another soap had done a storyline about it.) I still stand by my perceptions–what I saw on my screen was not a seduction, and the ensuing storyline was indeed appalling–but it did take place in a social context in which rape was taken far less seriously, especially what would now be termed “acquaintance rape.” I don’t think anybody had any confusion at all about–what would one call it? “stranger rape”?–but as a society, we were a long way from the current understanding of consent and of the need to take women (and it was exclusively women in those days; the idea that a man could be raped would not even have been in most people’s consciousness) seriously in regard to their sovereign rights over their own bodies.

I offer that not as justification but just as contextualization; and I still think that even in that much-less-enlightened social context, TPTB should have known better. I did, and I was 18/19; what was wrong with them?

Hi, Michael,
I’m sure that although “marital rape” was not considered rape, there were many who, such as yourself, or anyone who knew right from wrong, barked at the injustice.
Women were possessions. Most marriages were arranged.
When I was old enough to understand, I was appalled in learning that there are women rapists, as well. Men do not talk about it because they are embarrassed or feel emasculated.
I am glad we are where we are, albeit not everyone speaks up….there’s always that fear of credibility, or lack thereof, and shame.
Lorena Bobbit ( sp) did what she did out of desperation…..can’t say one can blame her….his abuse held her mind prisoner. That was her defense.
Oh, Michael….at the risk of sounding repetitious…..yes, TPTB should have known better….
Thank you so much, my friend…..what a great learning experience.
I hope I never lose this overwhelming desire to learn anything and everything. I’ve always been an avid reader…..
Who knows….perhaps, as I age my brain will explode. LOL.
My son, who will turn nine tomorrow, was fascinated by two birds today, as they sat on a branch, cooing to each other……he asked, ” Mom, what are they doing? Kissing?”….I said, “Yes, Nico, I guess they are…..and talking”.
He said, ” does that mean they’re going to have a baby?”
Hmmmm…..he reminds me of myself….always thirsty for any kind of knowledge……
Except, Michael, I am not ready for that kind of knowledge. He’s still a baby!! Right?

I hadn’t started watching GH til 82 after the L&L phenomenon so I’ve always been curious about how it played out. In fact, rape was not discussed in US culture anywhere until the early 80s so the dialogue between Luke and Laura post-rape initiated a dialogue within the culture about rape–a very soapy thing to do–all this was explained to me in a podcast by media professor Elana Levine who posted this on the topic as well Then I felt good about going back and watching it on YT and it DOES play out that way although I’m not all the way through it yet (there are many many hours). All I know is that everyone was watching it for a reason and this sweeping under the rug part does not seem to be true at all, nor does the context of the seduction. There is also a war of masculinity that’s discussed and which I think is highly relevant. http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/2008/03/19/luke-spencer-general-hospitals-repentant-rapist

Thanks for this article. The author reiterates they spent a long, long time rehashing the rape. The rape was discussed to death. It was not swept under the rug. It was a very complex story. It was quite pissibly the first time date rape was addressed on tv. In those days, we learned it as “aquaintance rape.” At least, that is what they called it when Laura attended a few group counseling sessions. It was a compelling story for its time; a first of its kind.

Whatever they were playing on the screen at the time, Gloria Monty did make the rounds trying to sell it as seduction rather than rape, and the bit about Geary having fans scream “Rape me! Rape me!” is also accurate; I may even still have the clippings somewhere, and Geary has also discussed on various occasions how uncomfortable it made him.

It’s true that the culture was just beginning to grapple with issues surrounding rape and boundaries and sovereignty; as I pointed out elsewhere, in many states at the time, a woman could not bring charges against her husband for forced or coerced sex. The cultural dialogue on rape needed to happen; I don’t remember the Luke and Laura storyline as being much of a driver of it, but if it did contribute, then I’m thankful for that part of it. Nonetheless, TPTB did plenty to set the discussion back rather than move it forward, and at best they deserve mixed marks.

With all these years having passed, maybe I’m ready to go watch it all on YouTube, too. And maybe I’ll feel better about it. I think to do that, though, and interpret things accurately, I’d have to start by watching the rape itself (or maybe a little before), and I am not sure I’m up for that. I still can’t hear Herb Alpert’s “Rise” without cringing, and it’s been 40 years.

In the late 90s, the show felt the need to revisit the storyline and clarify things; a good bit was made of that at the time. So I’m not alone in thinking that the original round of storytelling sent mixed messages (at best).

I have heard those things as well Michael (not Fairman). And I’ve been hesitant to watch the old footage but as far as PR and fan reaction goes, I generally dismiss much of that as PR is a simplifying of the actual story on the screen, which is the actual thing most people have an interaction with, not the magazine and newspaper coverage itself. And the hysteria surrounding phenomena such as L&L also tend to simplify and distort things as well because people go out of their minds a bit when reacting to something so strongly. I am encouraged by the fact that TG was upset by the “rape me” screams which I’m sure were done in good humor. No one actually wanted TG to rape them. I am aware that many romance novels used the “bodice ripper” and rape fantasy as well back then but that is not what I saw when watching their rape storyline play out at all. It was very much a serious reflection and discussion on what had happened between Luke and Laura and I was relieved.

If you look back at 80s culture, which I grew up in as a preteen and teenager, the first film to address rape was, “The Accused,” in 1988 starring Jodie Foster. The rape trial that inspired the film happened in 1983-ish and coverage of it was broadcast on live TV. So if you watch even a few scenes of what happened after the L&L rape and realize that discussion happened before all of that, it appears realistic to think that it did bring about a national discussion on rape. As for the publicity machine, I’m sure Professor Elana Levine will give that ample room in her upcoming book on soap opera history. What you read was just a quick blog post on the matter, not a dismissal of the machine.

So glad to hear she is coming back pretty sure it’s very much time now to bring her back to the set have a very heavy story line for her and family!

Best news ever and it is about time. 🙂

OK…you know what: I HOPE AND PRAY TO GOD that GH DOES RIGHT by Genie Francis (and Laura) this time.

Hey…just saying……….

Amazing news! I will look forward to seeing Genie back as Laura. TPTB had better of learned from their grave mistake by kicking her out the door at the beginning of the year. Fans were excited as her storyline started to build and then, bam!, she’s gone. No doubt the storyline will revolve around Kevin and Ryan and Ferncliff with Laura using her deductive powers to suss out the truth of who is who.

After that, they ought to have her involved with cleaning up PC like she was going to do when she was running for mayor. Maybe she and Ned could work on this together. It would provide a neat throw-back to the show’s history, give two beloved vets some air time. So many of the stories get dropped mid-way through…still haven’t seen that waterfront project Michael was working on with ELQ…nor that spa that was going to take Lucy, Laura, Felix and others on an adventure. Just saying that first storyline was Laura’s and dropped when she was. Viewers didn’t necessarily forget.

A standoff at Ferncliff. I would love to see Laura confront Mary Pat! Let Laura’s fierce-B**ch side show.

Thrilled she’s coming back! Love the character and the actress. My hope for this story is she returns to the strong, brave, smart Laura we love, has at least 1 or 2 sets of her own. Has friends because Laura has always had friends around. Discusses her children and grandchildren but the story needs to be a Big Laura Centric showcasing her extraordinary talents. Let her be a Heroine again. Let her be on more than every other Wednesday. Let her finish a story.

Wish they could bring back Elton as one of Laura’s friends. I always enjoyed the Laura/Elton scenes. I enjoyed the scenes between Tracy and Laura as their friendship developed. Monica and Laura were dear friends in the 70s and 80s. Seems like writers, over the years, didn’t have a clue about the Monica/Laura friendship. It is a missed opportunity to not grant them more screen time. Bobbie and Monica became close in the 80s. The 3 ladies could have more screen time. Days of our Lives grants a lot of screen time for their veterans and rounds out the cast. I wish GH did the same.

Great news IF TPTB do indeed give Genie a great story! I will tune back in GH at that time to see if they carry through on their promise. It’s always iffy since they have “stiffed” Genie so very many times in the past. Come home, Genie! Can’t wait to see you–could you bring Lucky back, perhaps? 🙂

So true, Nancy. We are tired of being promised a great story only to see her play grandma and mommie again.

Yes! Finally. It’s a shame that she was ever gone but I will focus on her being back on screen with hope that she has a story worthy of her talent and importance to the history of GH. And bring back Leslie – at least as a recurring character. Denise Alexander is also soap royalty and TPTB should treat her as such. Anytime Leslie and Laura are on screen together, it’s soap magic. I hope Genie has a great month in Maine and comes back full force as Laura!

I always loved Denise and Genie as mother and daughter. I love Denise’s sense of humor.

okay yeah bring Laura back to be tortured by Ryan, Kevin’s crazy twin boy I would hate to be in a dark ally with these writers for GH now, they’re evil lovers.

Breaking News

George Cheeks, CBS President & CEO, on Timeline to Launch New Daytime Drama, ‘The Gates’: “We’re So Focused on Getting it Right”

March 2024 will be remembered in the TV and soap world when the news broke that CBS is prepping a brand new daytime drama. Many had thought a major network would never bring a new daytime soap into the world, given that the last time it was attempted was 25 years ago when the now defunct Passions bowed on NBC.

However, The Gates is definitely in development and moving forward with some major players associated with it including: Michele Val Jean as The Gates writer, showrunner and one of its executive producers, and Sheila Ducksworth from NAACP Venture

Now, for the first time since its announcement, George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS and chief content officer for news and sports at Paramount+, spoke on the project that will feature a Black family as its central focus who live in a wealthy gated community.

Photo: NAACP

Speaking with Vulture, and when asked if The Gates is really something that truly has a chance of getting on the air, Cheeks clarified, “It’s super real. And just to give you a little bit of the backstory,  when we hired Sheila Ducksworth to run the NAACP Venture, she and I had multiple meetings talking about what different genres she was going to lean into, and we talked a lot about daytime.”

Cheeks added, “One of the things that the data made very clear to both of us is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women, and yet when you look at soap operas, it’s usually sort of a white-led family with supporting characters that reflect more of our society. So we just thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to flip that and make the core anchor family a Black family, and then make the other characters reflect more the broader scope of society?”

Photo: JPI

The CEO gave props to Michele Val Jean,  and how Ducksworth came to the table with the former B&B and GH writer. “She found this great writer, Michele Val Jean, who’s been in the soap opera space for 30 years. She came up with a pitch, and we loved it,” shares Cheeks. “We brought Procter & Gamble into it as well, because if there were going to be (product) integrations, we could do it more holistically and organically. All of that is to say, we did a lot of work on the front end to put this together. So while yes, it’s development, it’s accelerated development.”

When prodded on the timeline of when The Gates could come to full fruition, Gates related, “The actual timeline and when we’re going to do it is still uncertain, because we want to get this right. I mean, there hasn’t been a new soap opera launch since I can’t even begin to tell you when. But we have great success with Bold and the Beautiful and Young and the Restless, and so we think we’re the right folks to be launching a new soap. I wish I could tell you more about exact timing, but we’re so focused on getting it right, and that will dictate when we’re ready to launch it.”

The CBS exec also shared that whether The Gates will wind up an hour soap or half-hour is not yet determined, but that it is being developed as an hour show.

So, after reading what George Cheeks, the CBS President & CEO had to say about ‘The Gates’, are you even more excited for what looks to the first new network soap in 25 years? Comment below.

Continue Reading

Breaking News

Robyn Bernard, ‘General Hospital’s’ Terry Brock, Dead at 64

Former General Hospital star, Robyn Bernard, who played aspiring singer Terry Brock has died. She was 64-years-old.

Bernard’s body was found Tuesday in San Jacinto, California. A Riverside County Coroner told TMZ they identified the actress’ body using her fingerprints after deputies responded to a death investigation call on Tuesday March 12th.

Sources told the outlet that Bernard’s body was found in the wee hours of the morning. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

Photo: ABC

Bernard joined General Hospital back in 1984 as Terry Brock, the daughter of the abusive D.L. Brock (played by David Groh). Robyn remained on the ABC soap opera for six years before making her exit in 1990. At one point, Terry’s stepmother would become Bobbie Spencer (the late Jackie Zeman) when the nurse married her father.

Terry was involved in the Laurelton Murders storyline and after first setting her sights on Frisco Jones, wound up with killer Kevin O’Connor. Later, Terry was blamed for several murders and in the end killed Kevin in self-defense. In addition, Terry had a relationship with Dusty Walker played by none other than Shaun Cassidy.  She eventually left Port Charles after landing her own recording contract.

Photo: ABC

The last time GH Fans may have seen Bernard was in 2014, when she appeared at the GH Fan Club Weekend Past Cast event. Robyn is pictured below with the late Susan Brown (ex-Gail) at the fan gathering. She has been out of the limelight for several years.

Photo: JPI

In addition to her role on GH, Bernard was featured throughout her TV career on primetime’s Simon & Simon, Tour of Duty and The Facts of Life.

Share your remembrances and condolences for GH alum Robyn Bernard and her loved ones via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

Breaking News

51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Announce Broadcast Date on CBS

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Tuesday, that the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on Friday night, June 7th (8 – 10 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.

This year will mark the 18th time CBS has broadcast the Daytime Emmy Awards, which is more than any other network.

The 2024 Daytime Emmys will take place at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles. Back in December of 2023, the delayed 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were also held at that venue. The June 7th date for the upcoming ceremony will be the first time in several years that the event is scheduled a few weeks earlier than normal; excluding last year’s revised date to the actors and writers strikes.

Photo: NATAS

Lifetime Achievement honoree, nominations, host, and additional information will be announced in the coming weeks.

In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS noted, “We eagerly anticipate our return in June as we once again partner with CBS to recognize the exceptional and talented individuals who make daytime television great. We’re thrilled to kick off our second half-century of the Daytime Emmys.”

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.

Photo: JPI

The 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will once again be produced by NATAS and Associated Television International (ATI), which produced Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies on The CW in 2009 and on CBS in 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Adam Sharp and Lisa Armstrong are executive producers from NATAS, while David McKenzie is executive producer from ATI.

So, glad to know that the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards honoring performance and shows in the 2023 calendar year, will be held in early June this year, and once again broadcast on CBS? Comment below.

Continue Reading

Video Du Jour

Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

Recent Comments

Power Performance

Kim Coles as Whitley

Days of our Lives

Airdate: 7-24- 2023

Popular