General Hospital News & Gossip
News for the week of 05-May-2008
Five-time winner Tony Geary (Luke) was nominated again this year as outstanding lead actor for the 35th annual Daytime Emmys. He was the only GH cast member to receive a nomination. Other ABC Daytime soaps fared about the same, with AMC represented by lead actor nominee David Canary (Adam/Stuart) and OLTL by relative soap newcomer Brian Kerwin (Charlie), supporting actor. Most of the rest of the nominations went to CBS’s Y&R with NBC’s DOOL receiving a lot more love than in years past. The Daytime Emmy nominations were announced by soap stars in attendance at The View for its April 30th show. ABC’s total count in nominations was 39.
GH was also nominated for outstanding drama series, directing, writing, casting director, art direction/set decoration/scenic design. For a complete list, look here. The Daytime Emmys are set to air from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre June 20, via ABC.
Select fans can be a part of the Daytime Emmy celebration. Simply visit ABC Daytime, and answer the question, “How has your favorite daytime TV show changed your life?” Winning submissions (deadline May 23) may be included in vignettes aired during the June 20th Emmys on ABC.
Head writer Bob Guza Jr. again defended the use of violence against a child in his mob-centered story as a necessary catalyst to Carly, Sonny and Jason having to take stock of their lives personally and professionally. Guza promised this would take longer than May Sweeps and that Michael’s coma would mean a lot to those who love him. Details: “Sonny is going to have to make a very, very painful professional decision, which will make Jason then have to make a painful professional decision. Carly will then have to deal with the reality of that and make a choice in terms of her friendship with the two of them.” Guza also previewed deep, romantic connections forged between Carly and Sonny, as well as Jason with Elizabeth, however more bittersweet since they decided to remain apart. While drama and romance will naturally result, Guza felt hardpressed to insert levity into the mix of this umbrella story. It would hardly seem fitting to show Carly breaking from her somber mood about Michael to nag Max to avoid Diane’s bed, Guza said, so they won’t do that. When all is said and done, Guza claimed that the fan response has been favorable, in that they’ve seen the damage the thwarted shooting has done to the primary players. –EW.com
Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) has generously agreed to meet and greet fans for a June 14, 3 p.m. Manchester Animal Shelter fundraiser in New Hampshire’s Hudson Hill Tavern. It will be his second annual benefit appearance. Fans are encouraged to bring cameras and something they’d like Anderson to autograph. Cost is $30, which includes appetizers. Info: (603) 628-3544, email FMASNH@Aol.com.
One of several projects occupying Finola Hughes’ (Anna) hectic schedule involves being a part of a special Verizon application called “Style Kick With Finola Hughes.” This application enables cell phone users to receive fashion advice. Hughes chooses the clothes, outfits the models and takes the photos. “It is a one-man band, but it’s super-cool fun.” –Soap Opera Weekly
Kimberly McCullough (Robin) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) have given their moms a nightmare or two while growing up. McCullough can recount one PG anecdote about sneaking out of her house to be with a special guy and angering her mom who busted her on more than one occasion. Herbst cut class in high school, but not ceramics, since she liked that one. Her mom knew, and was there waiting for her when she finally deigned to come back to school. For that flagrant violation, Herbst lost her driving and phone privileges.
Jackie Zeman (Bobbie) learned of a strange, wonderful connection between the late GH producer Gloria Monty and her college-age nephew. Monte (Monty, get it?) and his mom, Zeman’s sister Lauren, caught up with the actress on a recent visit to California. They were telling her about Monte’s New Jersey Monmouth College and its campus television studio, donated by Monty… when Zeman recognized the synchronicity of it all. “My sister’s son is in the studio that Gloria built? Nobody ever mentioned it. She didn’t want any thank-you’s or recognition. I didn’t even know,” Zeman explained. “I found out on the 45th anniversary [cake cutting] of GH.” –Soap Opera Digest, May 6, 2008
Nazanin Boniadi (Leyla) isn’t just some pretty, semi-famous face. She’s smart, too. Before choosing acting, she would’ve gone on to do some powerful, important research for cancer. Tehran-born and London-raised, Boniadi completed a biology program with honors from UC Irvine, earned a research award studying the molecular structure in cancer and heart disease, worked on the school’s medical newspaper as assistant editor and was head coordinator of the campus’s biology of cancer class. Giving up medical research doesn’t mean she’s given up helping others. “It is my priority in life to help people and I realized you don’t have to be a physician to do that.” She defends the helpless by shedding harsh light on injustices in Iran, where she came from. On her MySpacepage, Boniadi—born on May 22—can be found writing about the plight of the young facing execution. –Soap Opera Digest, May 6, 2008
Gossip for the week of 05-May-2008
Okay, the Daytime Emmy nominations, I mean, WTF? OLTL received more nominations than GH, didn’t it? And nobody from GH but Tony Geary (Luke)? Where’s Tyler Christopher (Nikolas) dammit?! At least my viewing of the June 20th Emmy ceremony will be short and sweet.
Elizabeth and Jason may be on hold until TPTB see how Jason and Claudia work out chemistry-wise on-screen. It’s a toss-up as to whether the two kiss. Sonny will abdicate his mob role to Jason. But don’t count him and Elizabeth out forever. In the meantime, Elizabeth may go with Ric or Lucky. If Kelly Monaco (Sam) has her way, Lucky will stay with her character. –SoapDish, 5/1
Jason Cook takes on the role of Dr. Kyle, who refers to Claudia’s mom as his mom. But Domenica isn’t really his mom. He appears at a clinic when Michael goes there to be fixed up.
Head writer Bob Guza indicated he would snap up Natalia Livingston (ex-Emily) for a comeback in a minute. But he doubts she’ll have a free moment once she puts herself out there in the mainstream.
The Claudia Facebookdrama is giving me a headache. Last week I tried to paraphrase what was reported in a Soap Opera Weekly… badly apparently, because several of you e-mailed me your side of the story complete with links to messages and videos and what-not. Keep in mind that I have been severely sleep deprived since February…but here is what I understand from the various attempts to clarify what happened between Sarah Brown (Claudia) and some fans. The fan who spoke with SPW directly, and who did not give her name out, was my primary source for the info below:
Brown set up a Facebookpage for her fictional GH character Claudia. Everybody who posts there, posts there with their full names attached. One night, some fans posted a few silly, fun things on the wall of Claudia’s page. The comments weren’t mean in any way, and were about the fictional character. In fact, some of the fans gave Brown their condolences for her dog’s death in the midst of the frivolity. Then, some fans discussed the March 26th showdown between Claudia and Kate, in the context of character. A fan posted what Kate had said in the episode. Another fan named Alicia Branch embedded onto Claudia’s Facebook wall a YouTube video of the showdown. The actual person who put the video together called Claudia Claudiwhore in the description, not Branch who was just posting the video.
Sarah Brown had allegedly heard about this reference from her 10-year-old daughter Jordan, who had to ask what a whore was. Brown then took it upon herself to call Alicia Branch and her friends out, like they had done the Claudiwhore insulting. This is when Brown told them to get a life, April 3. She also posted a song on her wall entitled, “Shut Up.” Some fans attempted to explain that they weren’t insulting her but commenting in fun about the character. Some other fans went farther and reached out in private messages of apology, again reiterating that it was just in fun over the character.
Brown took two of the messages and reacted to them in an offended manner (because of the Claudiwhore reference). But the two fans she reacted to had nothing to do with that video and they never called her Claudiwhore. This is when the actress wrote that her daughter Jordan saw the reference and inquired about the “whore” part, as well as requested fans give her a list of all the “haters” so the “ugliness” could be put to a halt. This gave the impression to Brown’s fans that there were enemies in the camp trying to diss their favorite actress. One of the fans viewed as “a hater” tried to get Brown to see and admit that the Claudiwhore reference was made by someone who made the YouTube video and nobody on Claudia’s Facebook page. Instead, Brown posted another song, entitled, “This Is How It Hurts.” And insisted that putting the video up there, with ‘smackdown’ and the whore reference was hateful.
Another fan disputed the innocent fun claim, asserting that both Sarah Brown’s mom and daughter had to read about the Claudiwhore reference and the joking around that took place over the character. She insisted that it was more than just in fun, and that it hurt feelings.
Here’s what I have to say. Sarah Brown should stick to acting and stop messing around online with soapfan drama. It’s not for the weak at heart.
Jeff’s take:
General Hospital News & Gossip, Copyright © 2008 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.
