General Hospital News & Gossip

News for the week of 04-Sep-2006

by Carol Banks Weber

The first thing I noticed while tuning in to ABC at 10 a.m. on August 31 were the two GH representatives assigned the task of appearing on the network’s annual one-hour, pre-fall special, SoapNet Reveals… ABC Soap Secrets. There was Laura Wright (Carly), getting out of a limousine with her daughter to a crowd of soap worshippers, but then there was Natalia Livingston (Emily) coming out alone later. Where was Jason Thompson (Patrick), rumored to be the scheduled eye candy on either Wright’s or Livingston’s, or both women’s arm?

Despite my missing Thompson’s presence, the two ladies were nevertheless charming and forthcoming with the backstage dish and the soon-to-be, on-screen storyline spoilers on the special, which aired first during The View’s regularly scheduled time slot (10 a.m. over here in Seattle), then later on the cable network SoapNet.

Livingston said that Nikolas and Emily will reunite, only to fight an even greater force of evil than Helena, in nanny Colleen. What Colleen tries to do to NEm will make Helena look like a saint, the actress described.

CarJax received a huge roar of approval from the live audience when Wright brought the couple up in her specific spoiler. They will attempt to walk down the aisle, and Carly’s determined to not let Sonny “ruin it for her.”

Other spoilers: Jason and Sam get back together behind Alexis’s back, the truth about Elizabeth’s pregnancy and possible question of paternity comes out, affecting her, Lucky, Jason and Sam (“I look forward to being pregnant, for pretend this time,” quipped Elizabeth’s Rebecca Herbst). “Patrick will finally commit to Robin, but their lives will change dramatically when the results of his HIV test come back in January,” previewed portrayer Jason Thompson in an already filmed segment on-set. Kimberly McCullough (Robin) added to those spoilers with, “You didn’t hear it from me but… Robin will play an important role in getting Laura out of her catatonic state. But Laura’s treatment will cause Robin to butt heads with Patrick.” Julie Marie Berman (Lulu) divulged that her character will finally make a decision about her unplanned pregnancy, and nothing will ever “be the same again.” She’ll also realize that she still loves Dillon, which is good for Berman because she loves working with Scott Clifton.

It’s no secret that both Wright and Livingston love working with the King of GH, Maurice Benard (Sonny). His infamous, Emmy-award-winning name came up during conversation with the special’s co-hosts, from SoapTalk, Lisa Rinna (ex-Billie, DOOL) and Ty Treadway (ex-Colin/Troy, OLTL). The GH actresses were asked to reveal a secret about Benard that nobody else knows. Livingston then deferred to Wright, who said Benard watches reality-TV shows, like Rock Star Supernova, like her. Livingston threw in the bit about prankster Mo and Steve Burton (Jason) scaring her to death once with a monkey head and a remote control.

She also admitted, when prodded, that unfortunately, she would date someone like Sonny, as she likes a little bad boy in her men.

Livingston paid Wright some Carly homage in confessing to a little awe and trepidation at having to fight as characters one day. She’d hoped it wasn’t too soon, ‘cause Wright looked to her like someone that could kick her ass and win on-screen. Wright, who pooh-poohed that, said the fight scenes are fun for her and Livingston, for sure, but that they have to be choreographed carefully, moreso to protect the men (in the case of a film clip shown on the special, Tyler Christopher/Nikolas and Derk Cheetwood/Max) having to step in to break up the catfight.

If my recap sucks ass, check out the SOAPnet Reveals ABC Soap Secrets Watching LIVE Post! from the SZ GH board.

Daniel R. Coleridge’s The Q Guide to Soap Operas hit bookstores September 1, for your reading pleasure, with exclusive celebrity interviews, a history of gay characters in soaps, the Top 10 Soap Hunks, Top 10 Divas, trivia quizzes and an overall gay perspective on soaps. The TVGuide.com senior editor, Blogger and soap columnist has put together a fun, dishy, sassy, gossipy, Queer Eye for soaps book, Alyson Books publishers. If you can’t find it yet, check out the TV Guide Store, where it’s also available.

Unlike most soap opera books out there, Coleridge’s uniquely gay perspective, relentless commitment to the truth, journalistic integrity and uncanny interest in probing behind the velvet curtain lends his book a certain superiority. He wrote about the book’s debut in his September 1st Daniel’s Dish entry: “It also dares to explore taboo topics that other soap-opera books shy away from. Like the fact that there are many gays and lesbians watching the soaps — and they're starring on the soaps, too.” An excerpt exemplifies Coleridge’s “taboo” point beautifully, as today’s soap coverage is compared similarly to 1940s Hollywood, where the press is paid to kiss but not tell: “During the days of Hollywood's studio system, the press kissed the studios' tushes — or the press got no access to the stars. Yes, there was gossip, but the press kept much more scandalous information secret than they ever reported. It's very much the same way with today's soap-opera press.” Quotes from Soap Opera Weekly’s founder Mimi Torchin and a soap opera veteran go on to explain why it’s terribly verboten to even go there in the uber-conservative soap community. I can’t wait for my autographed copy to review, dude.

As with every social-issues storyline, GH’s PTB did the research, made the connections and sought the facts with an organization that would know. Lulu’s unplanned teen pregnancy story required the expertise and help of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The organization made sure the scripted dialogue rang true, yet reassured any teens watching that it’s okay to explore all options without judgment or an after-school special vibe. At least, that’s Marisa Nightingale’s story. She’s the director of the National Campaign’s media and youth, and swears that everybody involved is committed to telling a true to life tale avoiding such clichés but offering real insight. “The theme of a teenager getting pregnant is full of real-life drama. It is about feelings, values, the future, relationships, disappointment and heartbreak. There is plenty of fodder,” Nightingale said. “This is the perfect way to get this on a teenager's radar screen, and that's how prevention starts.” Examining this hot-button issue without judgment is of utmost importance, said GH executive producer Jill Farren Phelps. Assisting in this endeavor are the younger actors who are not only turning in explosive, heart-rending performances but who can identify to a large extent, because of their other younger friends. “They are very excited to be doing this story. They live in a world where this has happened to their friends. They resonate to the story, the ambivalence and the fear,” Phelps attested. Apparently the ratings reflected fan interest accordingly; the second week of August saw a spike with the teen girl demo. A public service announcement with the actress in the title role, Julie Marie Berman (Lulu), will accompany the story. –Orlando Sentinel, “Soap offers serious message about teen sex” by Susan Reimer-Baltimore Sun, August 28, 2006

Laura Wright’s (Carly) family have adapted quite nicely to their new life on the West Coast. Her husband’s reaped the benefits of encouraging his actress wife to move from New York in the first place to take on the challenging, but rewarding role of Carly. And now, their children are happily, busily occupied with interests; surfing camp at the moment. Her daughter takes karate classes and plans to take up guitar so she can be a rocker with her own rock band. She’s also participated in her school’s musical theater.

Jason Thompson (Patrick) breaks the pretty boy mold in a new independent flick called Swivel, playing a man fixated on the number 7 and the links he believes the number plays throughout the existence of mankind. Swivel, made on a $5,000 budget, will air on the Independent Film Channel.

For a short – blessed – while, Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) was ignorant of the fan-based wars started up all over again following the blackout sex between Jason and Elizabeth, and Ric and Sam. JaSam and Liason fans have been going back and forth on the matter on the boards for weeks since, a fact Herbst only recently learned of when she met with executive producer Jill Farren Phelps. Still, the actress defended the unlikely, unpredictable, controversial acts, especially by Liz and Jason. Sam started it by parting the curlies with Ric, according to Herbst, and besides, Jason sought comfort from the woman who got away, the woman he became friends with, not some stranger off the street. If a hook-up pleased the long-suffering Liason fans, much the better, Herbst remarked. “For the past six years, I thought [a Liz/Jason reunion] was never going to happen. But their fans are so dedicated. I think Steve (Burton) and I work better together now than we did seven years ago. It's a great payoff for the fans. And even if Liz and Jason don't end up together, it deepens both of their characters. It was a smart move.” –Soap Opera Weekly, September 12, 2006

Greg Vaughan (Lucky) is a passionate proponent and advocate of his own drug addiction storyline. He asked critical fans to rethink their dismissal of his character as this downer of a druggie and cheater, instead of the usual upbeat hero, for the eventual payoff he feels will come down the pike. “When it ends, when Lucky’s totally down, then he’ll have something to rebuild.” In portraying Lucky totally down, Vaughan takes care to portray it authentically. He also takes care to ensure his acting partner (and off-screen buddy), Kirsten Storms (Maxie) not suffer in the bargain. “Sometimes we try to restructure it so it doesn’t make her look as bad as it might have. We try to make sure Maxie doesn’t look so pathetic and needy.” –Soap Opera Weekly, September 5, 2006

Helena and her portrayer Constance Towers are completely enamored of the babies who play the former little John, now Spencer. Towers joked to EYE ON SOAPS’ Karen H that if TPTB aren’t looking, she might take off with them. Towers and Karen H., Confessions Of A Media Ho columnist, were shooting the breeze before the GH Fan Club Luncheon last July. The last update, posted August 29, contains much more star encounters.

Ted King (Lorenzo) knows his music, and not just the old-school jazz stuff either. Recently, he attended a Radiohead concert, raving about it.

Gossip for the week of 04-Sep-2006

by Carol Banks Weber

Normally, I’m the first in line to castigate Daytime for its lack of diversity, for paying lip service to diversity without the story and character backup and for the general decline in positive portrayals of minorities. But my view of Sonny’s therapy sessions with Lainey differ from that of a Soap Opera Weekly writer [“MISS… Her name is Lainey, GH, not Kizzy” by SC, September 5, 2006]. In the critical “MISS,” SC goes on to write that Lainey should’ve “looked at [Sonny] sideways, taken off her shoe and beaten his sorry behind with it” after the mobster proposed she pretend to be his mistress and let him take his sessions secretly in his house. SC referenced the history of black women being taken as sexual property, against their will, by white men, as her argument against the writers ever depicting this specific relationship – or any involving a black woman and a white man – in such an (offensive) manner. “Given the ugly sexual history between black women and white men in this country (slavery, anyone?), it’s amazing that GH would consider such an exchange entertainment, particularly when they just killed off their only core minority character (Justus).” This writer has a point, and maybe it was insensitive of the writers to treat this as just another day in the life, except: a) Sonny isn’t a white man, he’s portrayed as Latino by a Latino, b) Latinos have suffered their own institutional racial hardships – although not as severe as blacks, and c) if we keep taking issue with every single incident as racist, when the writers merely treated the characters the same, outside that context, we will soon be, I’m afraid, out of any story involving anybody of color for fear by TPTB of stepping on overly PC-minded toes. We either want to be treated equally, or we don’t. The only way a Lainey is gonna be served with justice, is a cold day in hell when a black woman is in charge of the daytime network, and since that ain’t never gonna happen, let’s focus on the truly heinous acts of misuse and neglect. Like that firing of Justus Ward.

Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) admitted that if she ever felt her character getting too annoying for words, she’d join in on the bashing. She might want to start loading up, because Alexis is veering into control frrrreak territory with her perverted sense of family justice, trying to hook Ric up with Sam and repeating herself incessantly about Sam staying away from Jason.

General Hospital News & Gossip, Copyright © 2006 Carol Banks Weber. Published by SoapZone.com / Jeff Jungblut. No part of this page may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed on this page are those of the author and may not be representative of SoapZone.com or its advertisers. Don't steal scoops.