General Hospital News & Gossip

News for the week of 26-Dec-2005

by Carol Banks Weber

Changing his tune somewhat, Tony Geary (Luke) joined Jackie Zeman (Bobbie) in the latest Soap Opera Digest interview to beat the drum for more, more, more – with a rebel yell! – familial interaction, using the relative ties the show’s got, tap into that strange brew of history, use the next generation in veteran connections, affect some influence on the youngsters following in the elders’ footsteps. Acknowledging the distance, diffidence of the Spencer clan, with everybody usually out doing their own thing, unconnected, Geary nevertheless encouraged TBTB toward “interwoven stories,” including the Quartermaines too (whom Luke’s been involved with majorly); the stories don’t have to be warm and fuzzy. Geary and Zeman – who’ve been with the show as its on-screen brother and sister for decades now – felt an immediate connection, as the siblings they portrayed. Today, Geary declared, they feel like the patriarch and matriarch of the Spencer clan. Regarding one of the stories about to explode for February Sweeps – Lucas coming out – Zeman believes it could help jumpstart the family imperative.

Kent Masters King (Lainey) and M’fundo Morrison (Justus III) filled in the diversity blanks, in terms of storyline, direction, characterization and the question mark of network commitment towards these two on-screen lovebirds. King sounded a little more upbeat about the pairing than Morrison, who cautioned interviewer Daniel R. Coleridge, of TV Guide Online-Soaps [December 20, 2005 update], not to get ahead of himself until or if their story caught hold with those in upper management. Where it counted. Like, so:

M'fundo Morrison: We'll see, brother, let's not get ahead of ourselves. It all depends what the writers do with it. Shows like Y&R take advantage of full diversity and push black stories. We get a lot of letters asking why it's not pushed more on GH and stuff like that.
King: There's an African-American audience that definitely wants to see us, but they've also written two really interesting characters and there's so much that can be done with this. Hey, you know I'm glad [about Lainey and Justus]! It makes it more real and interesting to have different flavors.

On a lighter note, Morrison pointed to a myriad of Lainey’s assets which first drew and continues to draw his Justus to her as a potential mate. She’s beautiful, of course, but she’s also strong and smart as a whip, far from a pushover. King described her character’s first reaction to his as being a little overwhelmed, “disconcert”ed even, because of the mob connection. But she was able to see through the job exterior to the solid heart and soul of the man himself, the actress explained, adding prophetically, “At times when Lainey's been upset, he's consistently been there, and that will melt any woman's heart.”

A week prior to the December 22nd debut of Lainey’s father, Roger Winters, King and Morrison, in Coleridge’s TV Guide Online-Soaps Q&A, previewed the catalytic appearance of the once-renowned attorney, now suffering from Alzheimer’s. That father will be portrayed by actor Willie Carpenter.

One can always count on Steve Burton (Jason) to shade his GH recollections with a heavy dose of the theatre of the absurd. He did so recently by summing up his experiences filming the November Sweeps train wreck and that time several years prior, when Jason and Sonny had a bomb to diffuse. All in the context of … some of the stupidest plot twists he’d ever heard. “You have a brain-damaged guy who can’t remember anything defusing a bomb? We did that a couple of years ago when Sonny and [Jason] defused a bomb and I thought, ‘You’re having a manic-depressive and a brain-damaged guy defuse a bomb? That’s crazy!’” Wait, Burton’s not done. The set-up, rehearsal and filming itself – at times, not chronologically – of the recent train wreck nearly had him praying for the quick death of his character, as the entire ordeal turned out to be, quite an ordeal. “It hasn’t turned me off stunts, but I’ve got to tell you, I was really glad Jason ended up in the hospital afterward. All I did was lie in bed. That was great!” –Soap Opera Digest, December 27, 2005

Natalia Livingston (Emily), who can be funny if she wants to, was, however, a bit more straightforward in her answer as to the silliest move her character pulled. In her view, it’s keeping Nikolas at a distance when she would’ve been better served drawing him in, closer to her. The distancing from loved ones (in lieu of full disclosure, allowing them to help her) amidst angst tends to be somewhat of a habit for Emily, Livingston said, adding that, this habit, hopefully, seems about to end. –Soap Opera Digest, December 27, 2005

It was the special guest star appearance of Simply Red on OLTL that first spurred Rick Springfield (Noah) and his people to seek a similar promotional effect for CD sales. They shopped around at various soaps until DOOL’s executives expressed interest. But by then, Springfield was too busy with touring and such to pause for a new character debut. GH, at the time, couldn’t see fitting Springfield in, in a singing at a club showcasing his latest tunes type of setting. Then, several months ago in the fall, GH execs did see an opportunity to slip Springfield in as Dr. Noah Drake again, in a hospital setting, as an aging, disillusioned alcoholic to a disillusioned, embittered but brilliant young surgical son. The actor/musician believed his reappearance—23 years in the making—might be a soap first. But not last, since the writers extended his four episodes to nine, and maybe more. Depending on the busy man’s touring availability. Going back, after those 23 years ago, did feel strange, new studio, mostly new crowd, definitely renewed circumstances. “The weirdest thing was seeing the clothes hung up in the dressing room with a tag saying ‘Noah Drake’ on them. That was the biggest kind of ‘wow.’” –North Jersey Media Group, Entertainment/Living, “Rick Springfield Visits General Hospital” by Susan King-L.A. Times, December 20, 2005

Kudos not just for newbie Laura Wright (Carly IV) from Tony Geary (Luke) and Jane Elliot (Tracy), but for another newbie, Julie Berman (SORAS’d Lulu, 16). Berman also attends USC, wrapping up final exams, while doing outstanding work on the soap opera—a fact that has Elliot musing on what makes a success right off the bat, regardless of youth. The veteran actress equated Berman busying her young self with school studies and work studies as the right combo sometimes.

True, Maurice Benard (Sonny) misses Jennifer Bransford (ex-Carly), fought for her to remain on the show as he never did for anybody before, to the extent of putting together a best-of reel for TPTB. But he’s also welcomed the new Carly, recast Laura Wright, whom he can’t help but be bowled over by. In his view, skills are skills, and both women, in their own right, possess skills in abundance. “When Laura came in, we had to re-create scenes I had done with Jenny, and about three or four scenes I had done with Tamara Braun (ex-Carly). We had to do the scenes in a row, and change. They were big scenes, and she was great. Laura hit a grand slam,” he told Soap Opera Weekly, recently.

The following are February Sweeps previews from the writers, with interpretation from moi:

• The General Hospital, in General Hospital, will again be made more prominent in story and setting.
• Helena abducts Courtney, removing her from the premises far far away, with Jax in hot pursuit, leaving an ignorant Nikolas to presume the worst – Courtney fell back in love with Jax and they took off. The outcome of this, to expedite Alicia Leigh Willis’s exit (and her possible recast), is Nikolas looking twice at Emily.
• Patrick and Robin. Patrick and Carly.
• Jason and Sam encounter another anvil, but their pairing stays strong in the face of it. The anvil will give them mortal pause, and be staggering.
• Lucky withholds important information from Elizabeth. This very act could be the undoing of their marriage.
• The Ric and Alexis sitcom plays to largely favorable audiences, until the reality of the mob steps in, i.e., she must defend Manny.
• Manny’s trial pits Alexis against her other sworn enemy, Carly, in a deposition, as a Nancy Lee Grahn-inspired dramedy.

Gossip for the week of 26-Dec-2005

by Carol Banks Weber

Sharon Wyatt’s (ex-Tiffany) available, for Passions? That’s where her former GH co-star, John Reilly (ex-Sean) now resides, as evil Alistair. Reilly’s much hated, and not in a favorable way, amongst many of the PSNS fans and critics.

Robin Christopher (Skye) better see more romantic days ahead for her character, preferably with Ted King’s Lorenzo, or she might take a hike, permanently, from GH… is the latest buzz online. And, it seems she may receive her fondest wish, King’s amenable, in the near future, as Lorenzo tosses Carly aside for Skye, for real. If this is true, then Luke will really renew his quest for Skye, his ultimate turn-on being, a chick who’s really hard to get because she’s moved on to another love.

(Had I retained ownership of DirecTV, I’d have enjoyed a fan makeover – designed to resemble Skye and approved by Skye’s portrayer Christopher – on the cable alternative, SoapNet, SoapTalk. Alas…)

Taking another beating on the boards by a few single-minded butthole fans for supposedly phoning it in, Tyler Christopher may have more to emote about if his Nikolas character does indeed undergo a sinister transformation, c/o of a Stavros spookfest. Maybe Nikolas channels his natural father’s persona or something, but this Nikolas will fixate on Emily to an unhealthy degree, raising the red flag of a protective Sonny. When Nikolas grabs Emily for a tongue-driving, stern Sonny will be privy. Stavros himself might experience a kind of resurrection, as the writers are said to be fond of this dastardly character.

Lotsa lips on lips action for a New Year’s Eve montage, according to reports at SoapDish. Nikolas on Emily (don’t get excited, it’s a friendly buss, one for the road). Same deal with Carly and Lorenzo. Lucky and Elizabeth lock lips (and hips) for real, as husband and wife. Ric and Alexis engage in sexual relations, love in an elevator, bay-bee. Sonny and Emily trip the light fantastic, which could eventually lead to more later in the year. Courtney takes off with her unborn baby, who may not be born after all, exit Alicia Leigh Willis, stage right. A mysterious pairing, never before heard of, promising hard-ons for every voyeur.

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