Oh Celia, you and Mary are so sadly correct. I’m literally wearing out my FF button on these shows. What’s going on? Ava and Griffin? I mean the man is gorgeous but has the personality of a dial tone. And that awful Graham, awful Charlie, awful Mattie, sleazy Zack, neanderthal Scott on Y&R! Ugh. At least DOOL will have the talented and beautiful Robert Scott Wilson back for a while. Why couldn’t Y&R have nabbed him for Scott Grainger? Well, gotta go change the batteries in my remote. Will need to “breeze through the boredom” later.

@Soaphound.
Hey, you,…..
Too funny.LOL. I did mention on the Y&R site that the show should weed out its cast of buffoons (Scaramouches)……
Yet, I’d die without my Y&R.
I do not understand why some of these characters are needed. What is Ravi’s purpose? To figure out who is playing musical computers? Or to make a fool out of Ashley?….old enough to be his mother Gross!!
“Gotta” take the good with the bad, my friend.

Hi Wendy..
Good! then RC can come back to GH ..
Saving Days is like kicking a dead horse to run..
If RC can’t get it up then the clock ticks 🙁 🙁

I predicted as much. I stopped watching when the doppelgangers appeared–too out there for me.

RC was NOT the Knight in Shinning Armor!

Same here. I’ve always been a watcher of the ABC soaps. I love GH & miss the others that used to be on there… (All My Children, One Life to Live)

Amen, Jim! You are absolutely correct with your analysis and viewpoint. I’m with you, Friend!

Jim, mostly ALL TV and movies profit from sex and violence!

Violence on soaps has always existed. But not to this extend.
When there was s story on crime, the bad guy always paid.
Now the criminal is glorified.

Prayers to the victims and their families who suffered and are still suffering through this ordeal.

We have to stop justifying violence. Hollywood does it all the time is not a rational or responsible response. They will clam up for a while, promise to do better, wait for the furor to die down, and then it’s business as usual. It’s cynical and despicable.

Over 50 people died in Vegas. 500 people were shot! This wasn’t a soap opera! This was real life!

I honestly can’t imagine being Maurice Bernard and having to play a character where murder is a way of life. Soaps always talk about breaking new ground and maybe it’s time it takes another courageous stand and say with the world becoming more and more violent that we choose not to go there anymore. The mob story has been done to death. It’s time for Sonny to go. Anything less or maintaining the status quo is greed, pure and simple.

Sing it, Brother Jim! You are right, thank you for pointing that out. Well done.

I am to right along with you all about the mob on GH…

Gwen, adding to your list–Anna and Finn.
I know I don’t just speak for myself when I attest to the fact that I am in need of some good old fashioned escapism. Anna and Finn grant us that escapism. Sure, I miss Hayden but Finn and Anna are positively grand together.
And today, beautiful and intelligent Laura came back to go toe to toe with Valentin. She is now a mean, lean fighting machine and I like her this way.
I can’t believe I am being all Pollyanna here as usually I am the one complaining and asking for some cheese with my whine.
Sure, I still have a lot of complaints but I will say that for me when Sonny and Carly are off the screen, this soap rises up out of dark, dreary and dull redundancy.

Love him or hate him, Steve Burton is compelling and exciting as Jason “Stonecold” Morgan.
He fizzled as Dylan on Y&R but comes alive as Jason.
However, I still love Billy Miller and can see that these two can coexist simultaneously without canceling the other out. In fact, I think they can enhance one another.
I am also actually enjoying Franco for the first time.
Y&R has also been providing some good old fashioned, soapy fun–love the Abbotts.

Harry you couldn’t say it better!

Amen to that, Nancy! And the same goes for Nina! All of the aforementioned characters have surpassed their “expiration dates” for so-called “redemption!”

And speaking of Ava, I just read something on GH Dirty Laundry site that says:
You know who (the rescuer priest/doctor) “declares his love for Ava.”
I say: “Huh?” Boy, “love” comes so easily on GH, doesn’t it? Another prime example of just what we’ve been discussing: failure to develop stories that allow the viewer’s investment.
And, btw, I’ve never understood that duality of priest/doctor.

I kinda figure.. that Ava will not have a chance any longer w/Griffin, since she signed the papers for Valentin… reneging ? on her testimony for Spencer

so.. I had hoped beyond that it was Nicholas at the Russian clinic. so that Ava can move on

oh well

i’m about 5 eps behind.. so.. the only thing I know about Steve Burton STAR turn is that he’s telling Ava to “Just do it ”

be a nice person… as Ava laments her trials and tribulations… didn’t she reel her life story.

it’s the most I’ve ever seen Ava speak , at least one sided.

Steve Burtons EYES really took over the show.. that was his whole act

that’s it folks

I am the only one walking away here. Steve Burton’s returns has no place on General Hospital. Been watching since day one…now I am walking away. The last few years GH has been sinking in it’s appeal. Stories are si dull and unreal. How many times do people die? The mask storyline was the worst. Reusing the same stories over and over. Getting rid of good actors to bring back one that dumped his fans wirh lies…..not acceptable. Yes I did watch the return of BS but now I know where this is going my TV gets to rest during that air time. It really went down the last few years Good bye General Hospital…..you were once a terrific show…..But Now I see you only going down hill.

Thank you so much for echoing my feelings. As bad as the show is lately, Billy is always a beautiful bright spot in my day. And I would have rather watched him sleep than hear Sam’s incessant whining. It’s her darn fault he was shot in the first place, running around town constantly saying “Jason” to anyone who’ll listen.

Who’s Luke? And who’s Anthony Geary?? LOL! LOL!

Very well said…and what you said about Sonny and the mob is true to me too..its why i rarely watch anymore…im just happy that i lived in the time of soaps golden era…that was also the time of my greatest enjoyment of the genre as well!!!

Jamesj75, I so appreciate your kind words…You are such an excellent writer and how you word all your comments. THANKS again…

James…as always, you are SO SPOT ON, Brother!!!!! But you know what really, seriously and truly frustrates me about all of this: Those clueless POWERS THAT BE treat us longtime soap viewers like we’re idiots!!!!! BEYOND FRUSTRATING!!!!!

Later, Brother.

I loved the love story also between Peter and Diana, and I was just a kid back then . Remember the who killed Phil Brewer mystery? I started watching the soaps back then because of Dark Shadows. Loved that show, and started watching GH, then OLTL because they came on before DS. Even my Mom got hooked on all three shows. I agree, those were the good old days when you couldn’t wait to watch the next episode and they always had the exciting Friday cliff hangers. Miss those days. I am finding myself interested in the Jason story and hoping the show is improving a bit. The one thing that keeps me watching is that I think GH has the best actors, to me, then all the other soaps. Maura West is incredible and having her involved in the Jason story was a big plus. Steve B. even seems better, shows so much emmotion just with his eyes. If only they would stop with the Sonnt/Carly thing. Just have them on less and I can take it. I like the vets on DOOL but the acting of the younger cast is questionable.

I bow down! Great essay! And I agree with you, btw.
I, also, have watched GH since the ’60’s.

Beautifully said, James. I’m a 52-year watcher of soaps and fondly remember those wonderful days of the 70s and 80s often. I, too, want the genre to survive. We certainly have the most talented actors in the business. We just need better tales for them to tell.

You are more than welcome Jamesj75, so glad I made your day…THANKS again.

Kevin C, I appreciate your reply! It’s great to read about your favorite shows, including your allegiance to Y&R and the great couples you mentioned from DOOL. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was fairly easy to watch several shows — I did, too — as they (primarily) were half-hour shows.

You also make great points about the “top brass” who “won’t listen to us fans.” Your last statement is particularly telling: “PLEASE listen to us fans for we care about our shows…” We see, time and again, that the views of fans are largely ignored. A cursory look at this website and others will indicate a great deal about how fans feel about what is working and what isn’t, about which characters are relished and which characters are polarizing, etc. Kevin C, I really hope the top brass take your learned advice…

I have been watching the repeats of The Doctors…i watched this show when it originally aired…and even if i remember many of the stories outcome its still far more entertaining than soaps today,,,like back then i never can wait for the next episodes…wish more had survived the wiping process!!!

Thank you so much, Kevin! You’ve made my day, Friend! 🙂

there are some rare episodes and clips on youtube that survived the wiping processs..sometimes i go back and watch those instead of what on now…i read The Paley Center in New York and a few other places have rare surviving episodes in their archives too…Days i heard archived all theirs-if true i wish they showed the repeats somewhere…the late 60s to late 70s the show was at its best…currently im watching The Doctors-most of their episodes were saved…the show has its ups and down moments but i still enjoy it better than current GH!!!

Nancy, thank you so much for your kind words (above)! I’m glad we had we were in such great company as we watched GH from so long ago… 🙂

I completely agree with the Y&R remark. It has been a LONG decade for me to continue watching the show. I vividly remember the last Y&R storyline that I thought was very compelling —- The fallout of the death of John Abbott. While I personally would not have killed off the Abbott matriarch, the scenes between a grieving Jack and a grieving Gloria where they practically were at each other’s throat disagreeing about removing John from life support and blaming each other for the loss was very good writing. Neither character was completely in the wrong or the right but both genuinely loved John. What really nailed it was the terrific acting by Peter Bergman and Judith Chapman.

It has been a long haul watching Y&R the last 10 years. The writing has been bland, unoriginal or made no sense. (I’m still trying to figure out what throw pillows embroidered with character descriptions and a key lodged in the victim’s throat had to do with the senseless death of the completely miscast Diane Jenkins. I also can’t forget a stressed Kevin chatting with a chipmunk!).

I had HUGE hopes that things would improve with the return of Sally Sussman and Kay Alden. I know that some viewers have not liked what Sussman has written. However, the woman only had NINE months to repair what took a DECADE to destroy. IMO, Sussman wasn’t given a real opportunity (or the creative space) to correct things or put her imprint on the show. Sussman’s leaving has been very disheartening. Frankly, this 40 year viewer isn’t sure what can be done to save Y&R if Sussman couldn’t do it (or wasn’t given a proper choice).

After four decades, I’m not willing to ditch Y&R ….. yet. However, I’m having trouble mustering much enthusiasm for Mal Young’s writing to hit the screen. At least five times in the past decade, the show has “teased” us that things will improve with a new head writer. With the exception of Sussman, each time has been AWFUL.

I’m giving Young a slight chance. However, if he doesn’t deliver quickly or doesn’t stay in the job long, this veteran viewer is turning off Y&R permanently. I’m worn out by the bad writing, constant change in direction of the show, new characters who are made the focus of the show and suddenly ditched when the new head writer arrives, etc.

My perception of the poor treatment of Sussman and Alden has just about closed the deal for me. A decade of bad writing is awfully hard to take, especially when I firmly believed these women could have turned the show around if they had been given the opportunity to do so.

Barbara from Atlanta, very well said and I totally agree with what you said…I pray that Mal Young will keep the character driven stories going and I know a lot of people didn’t like Sally Sussman’s writing but I did and like you said Barbara she wasn’t given time to return Y&R to where it should be…I will give Mal Young a chance but we shall see…

I personally have enjoyed Sally’s material on Y&R but I think a lot of viewers didn’t like her material because they weren’t used to a writer who was playing the long game with story evolving from character instead of just being pulled out of thin air. If for nothing else, Sally should be given kudos for her redemption of the character of Sharon who had been written as a complete mess for the better part of the decade.

But I have to add whoever is responsible for the patient six story is doing a great job, if ratings don’t reflect that, it’s because people are ffing another story.

Yes, Gwen….this story, as I said on another site, albeit seemingly on shaky ground, is getting quite compelling. What gets to me is ever-present Sonny.
But, as Satan said; Sonny is an integral part of Jason1’s life, dead or alive, Jason Q or Jason Morgan, or whomever he turns out to be.
From the onset I have said there is more to the story than meets the eye. Valentin, if not all the remaining Cassadines, including Nik, have a hand in it.
Why Russia? That’s why.

I think Claire Labine passed away. Her storylines were awesome when she penned the show!!!!!

You’ll know GH is being cancelled if Phelps, Guza or Wolf ever return. Phelps and Guza killed the Quartermaines and went all-in on the mob. Wolf gave dull stories like “the lady in white” and would have permanently killed off Robin if he wasn’t let go. Is Altman the answer? Most likely not, but if (when) she gets replaced, it will hopefully be with some new blood.

Suzette,
I think you should look up the definition of hating; a word which has become so loosely used.
We do not hate…..we give opinions by opening our hearts.
You insult us all, en masse, when you call us haters…..and, frankly, I am sick of hearing it.
Hate is what happened in Vegas today. Thus, your usage of vocabulary is not fair. It’s mean.
This is a great group on this site….with feelings and a brain.
Thank you.

Very eloquently put, CeeCee! I think the words that far better describe many of the comments expressed here regarding various storylines and characters on our favorite soaps would be incredulity, abject frustration and often times, even utter boredom, with what today’s daytime efforts have wrought. For longtime fans, the current versions are simply too bitter a pill to swallow, and despite our creative suggestions for solutions that are frequently meant to be helpful—or at least, thought-provoking!—we keep getting more of the same old, same old material from the respective showrunners. In other words, our pleas continue to fall upon deaf ears! Perhaps if we felt that our input actually mattered to the soapworld’s big kahunas, we would tend to be a tad kinder in our assessments, but when one seemingly gets nowhere with friendly chiding, it only serves to make a person more vociferous and less charitable in their assertions as time passes. (Think of the many less than enthusiastic reactions to GH’s Sonny as a prime example of this phenomenon….)

So if “some of us” love the storylines and others don’t, and the others speak out, they’re “hating”? Yikes. That sounds like bullying to me–an attempt to pressure people who disagree with you into being silent by labeling them negatively. That’s not nice, you know? It can’t really be what you meant to do.

I occasionally do see behavior on this site that might rise to the level of “hating”–posters who get way too personal in their attacks on other posters, or posters who cross a certain line in the way they phrase their criticisms of performers, writers, producers, etc. But I haven’t really seen that all that often on here, thankfully, and I haven’t seen it in this thread (so far).

I see this move (to get back on topic) of rehiring Burton as another desperation GH move, similar to the ones they’ve been making for a while now–hire a popular performer and hope that that will goose the ratings, regardless of how weak the stories are and/or how uninspiring the writing is. The fact that they need to keep doing it speaks to how well it isn’t working. I do get, sure, that popular actors/actresses can translate into ratings, sometimes (and SB was surely popular in his run as Jason), but they have to have characters and story to support them, and that hasn’t been the case on GH for a while now. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you can only paint mobsters and maniacs so many different ways before the palette runs out of colors and you don’t have any new ways to disguise what they really are. I fear that if GH can’t find a way to steer away from mafia dons, mob molls, and assorted maniacs (yes, I’m looking at you, Franco!), it’s doomed. And having two Jasons on the canvas (or however they end up resolving this) does not say to me that they’re moving in that direction (away from mobs and lunatics) anytime soon. Sigh.

Michael (Not Fairman) you write so very well.
I guess I’ve either acclimated to mediocrity, or I am in desperate need of some escapism from this very dark world we are currently living in.
Maybe it’s a combination of the two aforementioned variables, but either way I’m trying to enjoy GH right now.
I still cannot stand Nina who seems to have no purpose other than playing Valentin’s husky voiced body guard. And yes, enough with the redemption stories (Ava, Julian and Franco). But at least those three characters mention that they are in need redemption. Sonny never mentions that he killed an innocent man 9AJ) in cold blood and got away with it.
I’m still enjoying GH maybe because I need to. Yesterday was a dark day in American history and on top of that, Tom Petty, a rock and roll artist whose existence actually contributed to the greater good of society, died. Tom Petty and I’m Heartbroken! So, going to stay tuned to GH and watch a lot of comedy.
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Will and Grace are back after a long lapse of time and they are just what the doctor ordered.

Michael (not Fairman): I totally agree with you about the “stunt casting.” No character should ever be cast until long term story and a one year arc are in place. Few actors ever generate the same buzz in a new role as they did in their breakout role so having a strong story in place is crucial.

As for GH’s obsession with the mob and violence, I agree that if the show doesn’t find a way to present a more balanced story canvas they will most certainly face cancellation. In all my years of soap watching I have rarely liked every story at any given time on a show but there have always been 2 or 3 plots I was invested in. GH doesn’t give viewers that option: you either love Sonny/Carly and violence or there’s nothing for you. When a beloved legacy character like Genie Francis’ Laura isn’t in a front burner story you know there is a problem with the writing.

Hi Michael (not Fairman) Yes; this site has “pop-up” hate/group mentality at times. Albeit a small group which consists of a few regulars…but it’s, unfortuantely, indicative of social media in general. And those perpetrating it think they’re righteous. Infantile, classroom mentality. With that said, I think Suzette just probably reacted to the steady stream of negativity. Posters come out to criticize stories before they even begin. LOL…we only saw Steve Burton’s eyes before the choir jumped in. I have to admit I’ve said recently and I still feel that GH builds momentum for a story, then when they FINALLY get to it they throw it in for about ten minutes (spread out between other stories) then don’t even follow up the next day but rather leave it for two days before even getting back to it! In my opinion it’s not the stories as much as the way they show them in a broken manner. They build momentum for one story, end on a particular note at the end of the hour and then cut to an unrelated story the next day. Just when they’re trying to pique our interest they cut to another story completely unrelated. It’s frustrating to say the least. If they know many viewers are looking forward to Steve Burton’s return, or if not enthralled at least curious, it does the show runners no favors to spend so little time on it. They need to focus on THAT story for a time…the unrelated stories are a distraction and seen a filler So I get the frustration Suzette expressed. If you read almost every page here the entire site is made up of negativity. All the posts that have replies are negative ones. The positive ones barely get noticed. There are those who still enjoy the stories. I do. I’m frustrated with points I made above, but I still enjoy the familiarity of characters and realize that comparing GH to what it was decades ago is futile. It’s never going back. It can’t. It’s just nostalgia at this point. So, I just enjoy it for what it is today. As for mob stories…I don’t see many. We do see a lot of Sonny…but he’s almost never involved in actual mob activity. One can hate Sonny…I personally can’t stand Carly…but I don’t see the show as mob-centered or violent. Just a lot of attention on certain characters such as Sonny and Carly over others. Then, when we have sweet characters like Sabrina or Amy (wonder if there’s more to Amy’s story…) people don’t like them either. They’re “too” sweet! Too nice. Morgan too whiny. Alexis shouldn’t drink. Lulu gets on everyone’s nerves. See what I mean? Lots of complaining… Imagine belonging to a book club and all the readers did was sit around and complain about the story and the characters. Sort of defeats the purpose of the club… So I get Suzette’s point. I think people need to be less sensitive to how she expressed it but… Read more »

Hi, Rebecca: I understand your point about the show not having many mob stories, but nonetheless: Sonny’s a mobster. Carly’s a mob moll. Ava and Julian are mobsters. Jason’s a mob protector. That’s a huge chunk of characters (and that’s not even listing others who are, to one degree or another, mob enablers or mob apologists) with substantial screen time who have mob ties and whose lives are governed by that. It’s true we don’t see mob stories very often, per se—but it’s not as though the show has clearly and consistently moved the characters away from the mob, either, so there it is, a constant factor in the way the canvas is constructed, and, more importantly, in the moral and ethical atmosphere in which the stories take place. The whole Port Charles environment gets skewed because there’s no other way to make Sonny et al. viable characters; in just about any real town, they’d be absolute pariahs and nobody with any sense would have anything to do with them voluntarily, but they have to have story, so Port Charles largely accepts them, and the moral perspective gets skewed accordingly. And it’s been that way, pretty much nonstop, for two decades now, and my point is that it has taken its toll, over that time; there are only so many stories like that you can tell and only so many ways you can dress it up until you have the entire canvas being dragged down by it. Add to that the unusual number of (borderline or actual) maniacs, plus the Cassidines, who may not be mobsters but engage in the same kind of sick, sadistic violence as mobsters do, and you’ve got a huge problem in figuring out how to construct viable storylines that aren’t entirely warped and that don’t distort the other characters in order to accommodate the darkness. Two cases in point: Alexis, who’s been sapped of her brain power through the years—she used to be smart, savvy, and fun, once upon a time; and Liz, a rape survivor who logically shouldn’t be giving the time of day to someone who arranged for someone else to be raped. But there they both are, where they both are, because there have to be stories for Julian, Franco, and the other denizens of dysfunction. I’m more convinced than ever that this can only go on so long before it can’t be sustained, and I think we’re nearing that point. A truly visionary ABC executive would start moving the show in a different direction, applying every spare brain cell if necessary to figuring out how to keep Sonny, Ava, et al. on the screen if that’s considered necessary to the show’s survival—hell, it doesn’t even have to be all that plausible; how many completely implausible things like weather machines, returns from the dead, and John, Starr, and Todd morphing into Silas, Kiki, and Franco overnight have we swallowed over the years—but moving the show away from the mob and cutting back… Read more »

Hi again, Michael (not Fairman) Thanks for your reply. Yes; I get what you’re saying in regard to Sonny, Carly, Ava, Julian, etc…as well as the Cassadines. But, as you also said, GH has had these types of stories for two decades! Nothing new here. The days of “hospital” stories were far away and long ago…Yet, they have made an effort to do more stories centered around/in the hospital. And personally? I’m not that into watching stories about illness. I’d rather see mob stories than sickness. Escapism for me isn’t watching people sick, dying, etc. They brought in a “new” Amy to try to capture the essence of the former Amy. That didn’t work. Who knows if Amy Vining would have worked today. Again…different time…different sensibilities. The mob? I don’t agree that Sonny’s stories have any baring or resemblance to the unfortunate reality in today’s society…the most recent being the horrific slaughter in Vegas. I’d worry more about gun control and better screening of who gets their hands on these weapons than whether a soap has a mob story (that never depicts violence and basically talks only about “territory”). We’ve had mob stories back to James Cagney and all those films of that era. They were hugely popular. The Sopranos? Another great show with a huge following. Now THAT show glorified the mob and showed way too much violence. Yet, it still was a compelling drama. A few things: Yes, soap ratings were much higher decades ago. But that was before social media, computers, cable. Women were stay-at-home moms. Kids were watching with parents, grandparents, friends…in dorm rooms. We’re never getting back to those days. Even the best of prime time will never reach the numbers they had decades ago; there’s too much competition for time. General Hospital is not a show about the hospital. Even back in the day, when we had major characters that worked there, we had the Cassadines, Sonny’s nightclub, Laura’s “rape”. We had the Quartermaine’s and their wonderful, dysfunctional goings-on; we had Robert and Sean and Tiffany. But! We also had Casey the alien! I just think that our sensibilities were different then. Not sure Casey would get the seal of approval from today’s audience…or the Ice Princess or any of the out-there stories from back in the day. Yet, it’s still called General Hospital for continuity. But really, who’s left? Some have passed, others have retired. Even when they bring back Mac and Felicia (love both of them) it’s just not the same. Not without Robert, Frisco, Georgie…that era is over. And if Robert and Frisco came back…would the WSB stories even come close to what they were? I don’t think so. Sonny. Sigh. He frustrates the heck out of me. I HATE him for torturing AJ and ultimately killing him. I hate Michael being the dedicated, loving son to him again with never a mention of AJ. I hate the hypocrisy of both Sonny and Carly. And, yes, I agree the show is… Read more »

The stories are insanely dragged out boring..
The longer the stories drags on the more exciting interest is sucked out of them..
Stories need to be much faster ..
all this 3 months of dragging out obvious outcomes is tiresome to watch, interest is lost.
writers need to get to it !

I started with GH and OLTL back in 1976 and have watched ever since thanks to my Betamax in those days. I too agree that GH is not what it once was, but I still have hope that ABC will get with it and try a OLTL reboot (without the horrible music that the V2 had) All lot of the cast is still out there and I am sure they would be as happy as all the viewers to see an ABC version once again.

You’re right, OLTL was actually in better shape than GH when the former was cancelled. It was always the workhorse of the ABC daytime lineup, while GH and AMC got more promotion. Questionable storylines and poor casting in its final years doomed AMC. OLTL was still fresh and had high production values despite a tight budget.

Great post, Alan, and I do agree . I LOVE Mariah and Tessa. Those two young women actually have chemistry and I can feel the romance naturally and slowly brewing between them.
Their relationship does not feel forced, not a cart leading the donkey kind of thing. Love that Mariah has more chemistry with that hapless dud, Devon.

Alan, very well said and I like your thinking…BTW, I also like what you said regarding Sally Sussman and also about the character of Sharon…

Hi Shay. Steve Burton doesnt have an “S” on his chest although he could! [Steve!] But I think there are other tools already there with better writing that could help. Ava is golden. I LOVE this potential pairing of Dr. Bensch and Alexis with Julian coming back to be in the triangle! Laura and Kevin could help the show. I smell a Robin appearance during Christmas with Noah Robert in hand! But thats the potential. They need to dump Man Landers, anybody connected to Man Landers, Spinelli, Boredan [Jordan] and Helle! [Nelle] With two Jasons I hope that Monica gets to be in the story and have someone with her that she can talk to as a confidant!

Frisco would be an amazing Commissioner and Maxie would have her dad back in town! I guess Jack works enough where he doesnt need daytime? Plus, if he came back, knowing this writing team, he would be gay! I know you are not a fan of Alexis. I see why. She acts like a teenager! She should be grateful that Bensch wants to even give her a look! I like this guy and Julian will hit the roof when he finds out that his long in the tooth floozy is rolling around in the linen closet with a doctor!

Frisco is “All we Need!”

A bit? Oh, T, I hope forever. Don’t they have soaps in Australia?

Timm, I think that weirdo Charlie will end up hooking up with Juliet to save his family.
And Mattie gets on my last nerve. Yes, we get you’re a nerdy, scary-smart teenager, but the damn posturing is annoying as all hell.
Maddie, stop crossing your arms!!

In today’s crazy, violent world soaps would be smart to go back to their roots: romance, family, and mystery. Viewers want an escape from the depressing daily news and lose themselves for an hour or two in a world that they wish reflected their own lives.

Some of my favorite scenes in forty years of soap viewing were those between AMC’s Tad and Grandma Kate and ATWT’s Emma Snyder and Lily in the Snyder kitchen: they were simple but gave viewers a taste of the kind of family we all wished we had. Today’s soaps choose to ignore these kinds of generational scenes in favor of “action.” Big mistake.

Daytime will never be able to compete with primetime or film when it comes to those kinds of stories and fans of those genres aren’t looking to soaps to find them. Soaps are about emotions, relationships, overcoming adversity, and family and have 250 odd episodes a year to explore those things in depth. It’s time they got back to embracing their strengths and unique format instead of trying to be something they aren’t.

@CeeCee….It would seem that the “all roads lead back to Sonny” meme is what gets most GH viewers in a lather…My word, I don’t even recall Anthony Geary’s Luke Spencer being so all pervasive on the Port Charles canvas…he came, he went, and so on and so forth, but life continued independently for many other characters regardless of his absence or his presence….it was never all about him, all the time! We should be so lucky to have the same situation with the “Dimpled Don!” How this simple fact appears to escape the GH showrunners is beyond me…we’ve stated our objections six hundred ways from Sunday on this subject, yet, somehow they still don’t get it! To put it bluntly, some balance would be most appreciated…as you and others here have so succinctly stated, give us the basic soap opera staples of romance and familial relationships—with some adventure/mystery tossed in for good measure—featuring our beloved legacy players, but for the love of God, please get off this over two-decades long obsessive fixation on the dark world of Sonny Corinthos! Enough already!!!!!…As for Alexis and the “good doctor?” I truly don’t hold out much hope for those two to get together….unless this medical man is secretly harboring an evil soul and is clandestinely working on Helena’s payroll to make mischief at GH, that is! Otherwise, he won’t stand a snowball’s chance in getting those familiar old juices flowing for Alexis!!!! Nice guys need not apply to fill her dance card!

@Shay.
Hmmm, Shay….did not look at this that way. This new doctor does seem too good to be true. What’s he hiding? Is he another illegitimate Cassadine?
Poor Alexis. I feel sorry for her. I think that with the right guy she would soar!!!! She’s a good person, just misguided ( yes, soar….now, now Shay; not sour, but soar. LOL).
As long as I don’t see “Julexis” in print again, I’ll be happy. Not a fan of the applied couple name.
….just came to me…if my husband and I put our names together, it would be: Jucee. Ha!!

Now there’s a scary thought!!!! And with Halloween right around the corner….but no, just NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Absolutely, Shay. But, I am not referring to just the ‘political’ innuendos, but, more to the “personal digs” you mention.
It is subtle…the style and words, that is….but, I have a great sense of smell….
I am glad to see I am not the only one who has noticed that it has started again. …did not take too long, did it?
Using a different name, purposely making grammar mistakes or misspelling words, changes nothing. We know who it is. The theme is the same. ….defending doap characters by insulting posters. No lesson learned here. Sad!!
Disasters and tragedies mean squat to some, as long as their word of supremacy is heard….Has to have the last, imperialistic word.