General Hospital
Michael Fairman & Dan J. Kroll Discuss The OLTL Crossover Conundrum On Soap Central Live – Listen To The Segment!
Courtesy/ABC
In case you missed last Friday’s Soap Central Live with host Dan J. Kroll, On-Air On-Soaps Michael Fairman was a featured guest during a segment discussing the latest in the soaps.
The main topic during the episode turned out to be the situation that has developed between Prospect Park, and ABC and General Hospital, over the rights to use original One Life to Live characters John (Michael Easton), Todd (Roger Howarth) and Starr (Kristen Alderson) in the upcoming online reboot of the beloved series.
Last Friday, news broke from various sources including: Michael Easton himself announcing that February 8th was his last tape date at his moment at GH due to legal issues, which was followed by a statement by GH stating that they intend to keep the actors who are under contract to them, even if it means they have to become different characters. That was soon followed by an official statement by Prospect Park relating that they “lent” the characters of John, Starr and Todd to GH, but that they are willing and hoping to work out a deal with ABC and General Hospital that benefits all parties involved in a “win-win” situation.
After the jump, listen to Fairman’s segment in the first 35 minutes of the series, and then let us know what you think of the situation after listening to the views expressed during Soap Central Live!
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cant they just do crossovers and borrow the characters occassionally. todd, starr, john, could call gh home now but travel to oltl for a brief visit to wrap up the todd/victor story and john/natlie/liam, then all three go back to gh. oltls nat and others could move on to different stories but on occasion todd, starr, and john could make brief returns to oltl and nat and blair could do the same with gh if needed. actually no matter how much i like the three, both shows could still go on without them. im tired of this with abc who… Read more »
p.s. in an unrelated subject, i want Brittany to be related to the dead Lisa Niles who came to gh for revenge for Lisa’s death with plans to hurt Patrick but fell in love with him instead. i also want Brit to be Faisons daughter, and had helped with Robins kiddnapping. i doubt itll turn out this way but it would be great way to connect the stories together.
I agree with you Jim!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t want their charcters changed at all.. I like them just the way they are! I followed their characters a long time and come to look forward to seeing them as John McBain, Todd, &Starr! Especilly Michael Easton’s
character. It shouldn’t change to a different character at all. I woudn’t like that one
bit! And all three actors can do both. Do GH & OLTL . And forget about Easton
playing Caleb again. I don’t like the vampire storyline at all. Leave the vampire
stories for the horror movies not the soaps!
Think of the vampire story as an inside joke of how the previous producers and writers sucked nearly all the life out of gh, and almost killed it, and now with the transfusion of new blood behind the scenes, gh has been revived and can live again. i posted it before but thought it worth repeating to help fans accept the vampire story in a different way. I have mixed feelings about the story myself. Maybe there isnt vampires, and its a harmless little mystery with a reasonable explaination at the end. But if it is about real vampires, its… Read more »
Right now it is a murder mystery. There have been no vampires and no fangs. To assume Caleb is really a vampire is assuming a lot right now. No one knows where this storyline is headed. We’re guessing at this point. I love the storyline so far and have faith in Cartini to deliver a great mystery. I don’t think the will jump the shark.
The vampire element is actually quite intriguing. Potentially the subplot could take a purely symbolic, existential route or a literal route (actual vamps) or a savvy combination of the two. There are limitless avenues available in the realm of imagination and creativity and a substrata of mystery, in the hands of inspired writers (which GH certainly has at this time), can lead down paths of brilliance. Under the guidance of distinguished writer Ron Carlivati, cliches (shades of TWILIGHT)will be avoided and the storyline won’t lead to (pardon the pun) dead ends (or”undead” ends?).
I agree. They really could loan these characters and actors to finish the storylines and then move on. As a long-time viewer I would be fine with that.
Great discussion. I hope this turns out as a win-win for all parties, especially the fans. I really think it’s do-able.
Off subject…just want to congratulate you Mr. Fairman on how far this blog has come and most importantly THANK YOU! “Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps” is my go-to for all things soapy!
I agree 150%. This is my favorite soap site. I always trust your words.
They should not be expected to do double duty. Recast on O!TL. New characters on GH!
Just finished watching GH there is Caleb & John . He’s playing two different parts. I saw
John McBain at the police station and Caleb on the docks. Oh Boy! I don’t like were this is going.
I don’t like vampire’s on GH! Again leave this story for the horror movies NOT THE SOAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I watched GH a long time and don’t want stories about vampire’s on it. I will watch repeats of Dark Shadow’s for that…..
They better work out something we the soap fans would like because we watch the soaps. Want to keep our inteerest in the soaps don’t mess around with John , Todd , or
Starr. Don’t change their characters!
of course I want to keep them on Gh and as the same characters, don’t care if they have to tinker with the character names, as I’ve said earlier, maybe John Ravaine instead of John McBain… but you know if PP is nasty about it and they have to be completely different characters, than there is no reason to mention any OLTL character and no reason for anyone to care about what PP is doing, and certainly no reason to go watch what they’re doing online for those that would have watched both just because they mention each other. I… Read more »
I want all three staying right where they are on GH. PP blew their chance last year! And I want Michael playing Caleb!
Watched him as Caleb on GH years ago. I feel it is a limited role..I don’t think it
is a long lasting role. There is so much you can do with that certain type of character (vampire). It isn’t a solid role like John McBain is.
Easton was Caleb on PORT CHARLES not GH. And you bet he could be Caleb permanently on GH now!
Hello? I see most of you are GH watchers, I have watched both for over 25yrs I was there on OLTL when these character were created, they belong back home on OLTL I have had trouble even watching them on GH they are not the same there and it takes away from their true characters….they have seemed out of place on GH> If anything they belong to OLTL and can crossover to GH. PP bought the rights to these characters because they belong with OLTL and their stories……I think there needs to be a mutal agreement somehow.
Agree Lynn!
I agree with Lynn. I watch both GH and OLTL, and these characters are OLTL characters. I have LOVED them over on GH, but now that OLTL is back….they belong “home”. Or, as others have suggested, they, along with maybe other characters, and do crossover stories from time to time.
All parties involved need to work together and not against each other.
I hope that they can be on both GH and OLTL !With OLTL taping in 6 week cycles,they could film scenes for GH when OLTL is on a shooting break,with all the great characters on the GH canvas,they would hardly be missed because of other great stories being played out during they’re absence !!
Bring the 3 back to oltl. abc and pp should work together to transition the stories on the correct canvas. It does not have to be rushed. I know it would be tough on the 3 actors who have already brought their lives to the west coast. The Caleb bring back is insulting. Sorry Blair needs Starr and Natalie needs John. Todd is the only one that can easily stay at gh. Once we find out that victor is still alive! The story line crossovers can be incredible.
I agree with what the radio guy said !! There is a way to do this with out messing it up! You can’t recast the characters for on GH and have different people playing them for both shows. I watch Both shows and it will only mess it all up!!!! If you watch both shows like I do, then there can’t be two different story lines for the same Characters. And what since they killed off Cole and hope on GH are they going to still be alive on OLTL???
They need to just go back and forth between both shows!!
I understand what people may feel about where the characters should end up. But I think people should also see the other side from the financial point of view. They will not be making the same salary as they did on an Advertisement driven Daytime Network show. Im an actor in nyc and Im so frustrated that people cant see where these actors are coming from. They all moved to LA pretty much making the same salary. Why should they move back to NYC/CT for a fraction of their salary? I get that fans want their characters, but the reality… Read more »
Exactly Travis. And going back and forth woukd not be fair either to the actors. They should not be expected to do both shows. They would not have a family life. They would constantly be on the move. They moved out to LA thinking they woukd be on for the duration of their ABC contracts. PP had pulled out of the soaps. I mean what should have Easton done, not gotten a job. I hope they stay where they belong on GH!
Michael, I think you make a very interesting point. People are so busy pointing the finger and PP, at the OLTL Fans & The GH Fans that they are all forgetting that ABC is the one that put this ball in motion. And I personally believe that it goes a little deeper. Follow me on this one….. Ok, at the height of the fans anger, after ABC decided to cancel AMC & OLTL….ABC could not have been more hated by the fans of daytime television. Well, here comes Prospect Park to save the day. Now can you imagine what would… Read more »
How are the characters not acting like themselves? Starr is trying to be a singer and her stories have been about boys, singing, and her dad. Ummm…I’m pretty sure minus Langston, that’s what she was doing in Llainview. It’s been over a year since Natalie decided to leave John. He only came to Port Charles on an assignment, but after losing your home, your girlfriend, your job, and your child, and being offered a job doing what you’re good at doing, why wouldn’t he take it. Gotta pay the bills somehow. And he’s only kissed Sam. Again, a year after… Read more »
Hugo Boss, I don’t know if you actually read one word of what I said. I said that I didn’t like how the characters were being handled…..I didn’t like the killing off of Cole & Hope, the killing off of Tea’s & Victor’s baby, and it wasn’t a year after that John broke it off with Natalie before he was kissing Sam….OLTL went off the air in Jan of 2012 and the characters of OLTL joined in like March or April….by July he was kissing Sam. HA! Not quite a year.
I read exactly what you wrote. Yes you did mention Cole and Hope, who lets be honest, Cole wasnt even on the show anymore. Yes Tea lost a baby. But how often does that happen on all soaps. But you did also mention John and his family, which I commented on. Todd and Blair….which I commented on. And Starr, the “seat-filler”, which I commented on. How is that not reading anything you wrote? And I’m sorry. It wasn’t a year. You are very correct. How silly of me to extend the time frame in a daytime soap. That NEVER happens.… Read more »
Bottom line is, I guess it would have worked out better “in my opinion” if Ron & Frank would have just started off making John, Starr & Todd three new characters that were not tied to OLTL. Had they done that, none of this contract mess would be an issue…..and on top of that, they wouldn’t have had to kill off Cole, Hope, Victor’s baby….plus have John leave Natalie behind in Llanview. It would have been just as easy for them to write 3 new characters in. When I said that I didn’t like how they were being handled, I… Read more »
If I have read correctly, PP will be filming OLTL and AMC in CT. GH films in CA. This could cause a slight problem with Starr, Todd and John/Caleb bouncing back and forth between the two soaps and the two coasts. Years ago the story lines did cross over General Hospital’s Dr. Steve Hardy appeared in Llanview to consult on Meredith Lord Wolek’s blood disease. One Life to Live’s Dr. Larry Wolek visited All My Children shortly after its premiere in 1970. AMC Skye Chandler to GH to become a Quartermaine. AMC’s Babe Carey’s son to OLTL’s Kevin Buchanan &… Read more »
OLTL never moved to CA, it was just AMC. OLTL took over AMC’s studio space in NY, when AMC moved to California.
Torrey, I stand corrected. I was under the impression all of the ABC soaps were filming in California. Thanks for the correction.
Saw today on GH (Mon.) John McBain at the police station and on the docks you see Caleb. Looks like Michael Easton is playing two parts. John the cop & there’s Caleb the
vampire. What’s up ???
When GH split into another series of Port Charles aka Port Chuck. They got into a whole vampire story. Yes Michael Easton was a vampire back then. That’s why he looks like he is playing two characters. I turned it off and got tired of the vampire storyline. Who knows whats happening now. Maybe this is what they want to do to write him out.
Thank you for being one of the voices of sanity. I’m one of those who have been deep in the trenches involved with the fight to save the shows since the beginning and to see so many people all of a sudden saying they’re not going to watch the oltl reboot because mean ol’ PP is wanting their own characters back is just forehead-slapping insanity…how quickly people forget what the whole PURPOSE was in the first place in regards to getting the show back – and the oltl’ers TEMPORARILY visiting gh to keep up their visibility was all to service… Read more »
Just like I said before…ABC is doing all the dirt slinging. They knew that PP has the rights to the shows and the characters. And for them to sign those 3 on to long contracts, knowing the possibility of PP getting things going on the internet was a dirty, under-handed move.
Torrey,
I agree with you 110%
PP only has the rights to the character names, not the actors! They are contracted to ABC now! They do not have to do PP if they choose not to. And it could work out the roles will be recast on PP, the actors Would be different characters on GH. PP blew it when they pulled out of the soap business before.
But keep in mind Roger and Kristen NEVER signed on with PP in the first place. And Trevor is now booking so much work doing Primetime Guest spots that he most likely wont return. And he will def be back recurring on Lifetime in The Client List. And it should be noted that the moment PP canceled their first attempt, that virtually released Michael Easton from that commitment. Im in NO way an ABC Daytime advocate, but this relaunch only became a problem because of the 1 month extension PP/Jeff Kwatinetz got from DISNEY not ABC Daytime. They were sort… Read more »
You know what? I’m just happy that PP didn’t give up on my soaps, like ABC did. I know that everyone was mad at them, the first go round, when the online venture didn’t happen….but I do appreciate their determination on making this happen. ABC cancelled both shows, in won fail-swoop and didn’t think twice about it…..now they’re painting this picture of PP as the bad guys….sounds like PP wouldn’t be opposed to doing crossovers, which would benefit everyone…but does that appease ABC? NO! They are painting a lop-sided picture, and it’s not right. They are going to benefit financial… Read more »
Oh Im def happy for my OLTL being back. It was and is my heart and soul. But Im not sure how you are feeling like ABC is doing any dirt slinging. They have not released any statements that said anything negative about PP or vice versa. My point wasnt about ABC or PP. My original point was about the actors. I was just trying to make it clear to everyone on the boards that two out of the 3 actors were never gonna be involved in this PP venture. And ABC can only ask them to do crossovers, but… Read more »
The problem for me is, ABC doesn’t own the rights to these characters, according to the deal that they made with PP…. I realize that neither Kristen or Roger were planning on signing on with the online venture, and what should have happened is ABC and the execs should have created new characters for these actors, in order to avoid a situation like this, rather than rely on the popularity of these characters to lure in pissed off OLTL fans…. guess that’s all I’m trying to say. It would have been so much easier to give these actors new roles… Read more »
Dear Michael, So legal terms are that Easton, Alderson,and Hawthorne are layed off until an agreement is made. Is that somewhat correct?
Not technically. The actors are contracted to ABC, but the characters belong to PP. So there are only 4 options. ABC terminates their contracts, the actors ask to be released from there ABC contracts and sign with PP, ABC keeps the actors and make them the same characters with different names, or they come to an agreement to make ABC, the actors, and PP all happy. But even if ABC lets them go, two of those actors wont be going back. I guess the best question is what were they planning on doing last year with those 2 characters because… Read more »