General Hospital

The Vampire Diaries Co-Creator Julie Plec Reveals How "The Scotty Baldwin Theory" & GH Helped Shape Her Vision Of Villains In Storytelling!

December 11, 2015

Photo Credit: CW/Emmys.com

Photo Credit: CW/Emmys.com

Julie Plec, the writer/director/producer of hit primrtimes series including CW’s The Vampire Diaries (which she co-created), as well as The Originals, and the soon-to-be-seen Containment (which co-stars former OLTL star Trevor St. John (Ex-Victor Lord Jr.) is featured in TV Guide.com’s new online series, Visionaries.

In one of her five part video feature installments, Plec discusses “Villains and Anti-Heroes” and the keys to those characters working in particular on The Vampire Diaries. Julie admits that soap operas had a huge hand in her storytelling. She recalls loving General Hospital, and how the character of Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner), and his relationships with Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), and Dominique Baldwin (Shell Danielson) was a perfect example of how the villain is not alwaya a true villain, and can also be involved in a moving love story.

Courtesy/ABC

Plec related on the soaps and GH: “I always talk about Kevin (Williamson, co-creator) and I, and when we made The Vampire Diaries, and what are influences were. He was a huge nightime soap fan, and I was a massive daytime soap fan, and those shows are the first show to tell you that a villain doesn’t have to be a villain. A villain doesn’t have to be redeemed. I always called it the ‘Scotty Baldwin theory’ and the ‘Lucy Coe Theory’. Two characters I loved from General Hospital ... they were both so nasty for so long, and all of a sudden Scotty Baldwin falls in love with a girl with a brain tumor. Suddenly, you love Scotty and Dominique more than any couple you have loved in your life, and you are right there with them.

Courtesy/CW

You forget anything bad Scotty ever did, because if Scotty and Dominique can’t be together then the world must come to an end. Thinking about that is sort of the root of the Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) character on Vampire Diaries.”

Watch Plec speak about her soap influences after the jump! Then share your thoughts on how soap opera villains have informed dramatic primetime series of today, and your thoughts on Scotty Baldwin, Lucy Coe, Damon Salvatore and more!

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Guest

Rose

I figure most drama, day or night, is a variation of the soap opera “formula.” Also thanks a lot to Shakespeare. Also think vampires, werewolves and zombies are very “in” for telling a story to certain audiences. As strange as this may seem to some, the stories they tell can have many other layers and can ask interesting questions and suggest consequences of human nature (again a “soap” thing). StarTrek has done this. Like ‘Once Upon A Time ‘ right now…several evil to hero’s…Regina, Gold, Hook. Getting back to the Vampire Diaries, which was derived from a teen series (lots… Read more »

Guest

rebecca1

Agree with her. People, not just “villains” aren’t ever black or white. Always loved the character Scott Baldwin…still do. Wish he was a more permanent fixture on GH. He brings it all…history, humor, likeability…what is WRONG with these writers who don’t recognize the need and demand for the original players! These “scribes” should be talented enough to blend the past with the present and future. Sorta like real life!

Guest

I watched when Dominique had her tumor and it was so sad. It was lovely storytelling. Good to get more recognition for the soaps!

Guest

Rose

Don’t remember the actress playing Dominique, but she was lovely.

Guest

Liam

Scotty, Dominique, and Lucy…what a great story that was. I too wish that there was more blending of the past with the present and future. I also wanted to add that I believe there is truly one element that has been missing from GH for a very long time…and that is the relationship between Monica and Scott. They are practically family (due to Gail) but that has rarely been addressed since the early days of these characters.

Guest

Abruzzfan

No wonder why I like Vampire Diaries so much! The co-creator based it on beloved characters from my favorite soap!

Breaking News

DAYS and GH Director Joe Behar Passes Away at 94

July 19, 2021

Joseph Behar was heavyweight director in daytime drama having worked on both Days of our Lives and General Hospital and now comes word of his passing. Behar passed away on June 26th at the age of 94.

According to his obit, he died at his home in Manhattan Beach, California.

Joe spent the the bulk of his career directing Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. He actually directed the pilot episode of General Hospital back in 1963, then came back the ABC daytime drama series 30 years later to direct it for more than 10 more years,.

Along the way, he won 5 Daytime Emmys for his work on GH, and had won six overall throughout his career. He continued directing until his retirement back in 2005.

Behar’s career started on the Ernie Kovacs Show and he also directed Let’s Make a Deal. and more.

Photo: JPI

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn and his sons, Jeffrey, Steven and Greg Behar and his grandchildren, Alex, Mallory, Niko and Lydia.

Watch an interview with Joe via the TV Academy on his career including working with Frances Reid (Ex-Alice, DAYS), the pace of directing in daytime and more below.

Share your remembrances and condolences for Joe and his family in the comment section.

General Hospital

GH’s James Patrick Stuart Releases His New Album ‘Clean Slate’

July 15, 2021

On Thursday, the highly-anticipated nine song set from General Hospital’s James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) dropped on Apple Music

The album entitled “Clean Slate” features the tracks: “Look Out Below”, “My Funny Friend”, “Can U Feel Me?”, “World of Good”, “Don’t Tell Me”, “I Burn For You”, “Always Love You”, “Another Time”, and “My One and Only Love”.

Photo: japastuTwitter

Fans of General Hospital, always love when James performs at the Nurses Ball’ but now here, Stuart delivers several original songs with his unique vocal style that make it unmistakable JPS.

Check out a preview of the album below.

Now, let us know if you will be adding “Clean Slate” to your playlists and more via the comment section below.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Austin Reveals His True Identity

July 14, 2021

Leave it to many GH fans who guessed right as to just who Roger Howarth’s new character of Austin will turn out to be! On Tuesday’s episode of the ABC daytime drama series, we learned the last name of the character who is related to the Quartermaine’s.

For weeks, Austin has seemed to be fixated on Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) and the Q’s and now with this cliffhanger of a reveal we know why.

At a key family business meeting at the Q’s, Scott (Kin Shriner) who now seems in cahoots with Austin for a piece of the Quartermaine pie, brings Austin to the gathering.

When Austin arrives, Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) looks none-to-pleased! She clearly knows the guy. When Michael struts up to Austin asking who he is and what is he doing here … Austin introduced himself as Austin Gaitlin-Holt. Michael and everyone else look a bit perplexed as we fade to black.

However, GH history buffs know that Jimmy Lee Holt was the son of Edward Quartermaine and his mistress Beatrice LeSuer. Jimmy Lee did some pretty reprehensible things while he was in Port Charles. When he left he married Charity Gaitlin. Upon the death of Edward Q. back in 2012, Jimmy Lee was left out of his inheritance. Therein must lie some of the story…. and now Roger Howarth fans eagerly await to see how this new doctor in town and Quartermaine turns out to be. Will he be a bad boy, or a misunderstood good guy? We shall see.

So, what did you think of Austin being revealed to be Austin Gaitlin-Holt? Share your thoughts in the comment section, and also cast your vote in our poll on Roger’s new character below.