Over the last four decades, Marlena has written many, many stories on “General Hospital” (which premiered in 1963). Now that NBC is moving “Days of Our Lives” to its streaming service, Peacock, as of next month an alarming question arises: Will ABC send its soap standard bearer “GH” to streaming as well?
Marlena certainly hopes not! So perhaps this is a good time to take a critical look at the current state of the beloved soap. After all, “GH” is an American institution. (But then again, so were “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” also of ABC — and look what happened to them!)
Oh, Marlena, calm down. Let me tell you, cher readers, that the show (which has never had a down time since its premiere) is currently in what I think is pretty good shape. There are things I don’t like, of course, but I will go into them anon.
“GH” today is skillfully executive-produced by old soap hand Frank Valentini — and, as always, its production is meticulous in almost every respect. (I think he picked that up by working at “One Life to Live” the late, great Paul Rauch.)
Marlena always believes, however, that that the quality of any soap is contingent on the quality of its headwriters. I think Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor are, for the most part, doing very good work. Most important, they know and are using the show’s history. Remember the day at the pool when Cody (played by Josh Kelly) revealed to Scotty (played by Kin Shriner) that he was the son of Scotty’s dead love Dominique (played by Shell Danielson)? That’s a long-ago story, indeed. Now, they are implying that Mac (played by John J. York) might be Cody’s father.
O’Connor and Van Etten are very conscientious about their canvas. I was impressed that this year they brought back a traditional soap summer staple: hunks without shirts at the pool (and in the gym). (Summer was the season when, starting in the ’80s, soaps used to pump themselves up to attract teen viewers on school vacation.) Marlena admits to (oy!) enjoying this.
Like all good headwriters, O’Connor and Van Etten play on the strengths of their actors. The senior romance (yes!) of Maurice Benard’s classic Sonny Corinthos and Cynthia Watros’s Nina Addison Reeves (who Marlena thinks is pure magic) is so interesting because of the magnificence of both actors. A lot of fans are angry that Nina has broken up the long relationship of Sonny and Carly (Laura Wright.) (Four marriages at last count.) Now, Carly is seeing Drew Cain (played by soap vet Cameron Mathison) and, well … I don’t see it. Another mismatch is Sam McCall (played by Kelly Monaco) and Dante (played by Dominic Zamprogna). (I’m bored.) What really bothers me, though, is the misuse of soap superstar Roger Howarth who plays Dr. Austin Galton-Holt and is not being given anything to work with. (I’m sure my Howarth-obsessed pal Leonie would agree if I could talk her into checking out “GH.” But she’s still boycotting ABC Daytime over the cancellation of “OLTL.”)
For everything that doesn’t work, though, so much does: Donnell Turner (who plays Curtis Ashford) is an impressively strong actor, and I love the character’s romance with Portia (played by Brook Kerr). Also, Robert Gossett, who plays Curtis’s father is superb. How daring of the writers to have made the character schizophrenic. And what have they done with Willow Tait (played by Katelyn MacMullen). She goes to the hospital hoping to learn that she will be having a baby, and the doctors tell her she has … leukemia. Well … um … the name of this show is “General Hospital.”
As I’ve written before, casting directors have a lot to do with the success of any show. “GH’s” Mark Teschner — who just marked his 30th anniversary with the show — is remarkable. In all those decades he has rarely missed.
Take the romance of young Spencer Cassadine (played by Nicholas Chavez, this year’s Emmy winner for Best Young Actor) with young villainess Esme Prince (played by Avery Kristen Pohl). This past Friday, Spencer found out that his father, Nikolas (played by Marcus Coloma), had slept with his girlfriend. A confrontation ensued. What a knockout performance for this actor (who Marlena thinks is the next Paul Newman.) The actor cried real tears! (I’m not as impressed with Miss Pohl; the writers have risked a lot by putting the whole show on her shoulders. The writers seem to believe she could be the next Robin Strasser. (As a teenager, Strasser played the young wrong-side-of-the-tracks villainess Rachel Davis, making perhaps the most impressive acting debut in soap history on “Another World” in the late ’60s.)
Speaking of strong soap actresses, moi believes you can’t match Emmy winner Maura West as the always fascinating villainess Ava Cassadine. This past Friday — the same afternoon that Spencer confronted Daddy — Ava (who was present when the thought-dead and now missing Esme went off the parapet) revisited the scene of the crime — and a sharp hook stabbed her in the abdomen … OMG, I screamed loudly at this cliffhanger. (Didn’t you?)
Oh, boy, aren’t soaps — especially “GH” this past Friday, as in ye old soap days, the greatest form of entertainment in the world?
CONGRATS, CHERIE, ON ANOTHER FUN AND LIVELY COLUMN. MARLENA IS DEFINITELY BACK — AND IN FINE FORM. C’EST MAGNIFIQUE!! 🙂
Marlena says; Thank you mon Davide. I’m lucky because I have the best friends in the soap biz. Our friendship of course dates back–how many decades?? You and only you. Toujours l’amour!
Very interesting point re: the young talent on ‘General Hospital’ currently — Nicholas Chavez is a major talent whose future is nearly assured to be as bright as he wishes — and on daytime in general. One thing I’ve often thought about in the last few years is how sad it is that the decline of soap opera as a form, and of network television more generally, means that the amazing young talent that would have started in soaps almost as a rite in generations past are now proceeding directly to Netflix series, or to any of the seeming dozens of streaming platforms and cable outlets which are producing series.
One supposes that in a media universe which makes it possible to create more than 500 unique television series, it has never been easier for young actors to pursue a life before the camera, but all that content impossibly dilutes the pool of talent available to soaps looking to cast the younger parts on their respective canvases, and though it once drove me a wall to hear actors refer to soaps as a ‘training ground’ — they ARE that, but vous know they are SO much more than that as well! — youngsters who are currently developing their craft are, to their GREAT detriment, not getting the same sort of hothouse-style sink-or-swim camera training that young actors in the 1980s and ’90s received on this very genre of television.
This tragedy (such as it is!) is *acutely* felt with the complete current absence of New York soaps, which were responsible for being the big breaks of SO many sensational would-be superstars. The list of current television and film talent which originated from the East Coast programs is genuinely mind-boggling: (I’m sure I’ll miss more than a few, but) Kevin Bacon, Ray Liotta, Anne Heche, Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan, Nathan Fillion, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tuc Watkins, Josh Duhamel, Matt Bomer ALL cut their teeth on the New York soaps and hit the ground running when they headed for Hollywood. Would love to compare thoughts with you about this, Marlena!
Marlena says: Magnificent post as always dear Brandon–what good points you make, especially about what a loss to the medium it is that there are no New York soaps.
There are so many great things about being a soap journalist–but a chief one is to meet or do the first interviews of people who become stars. (Okay, one anecdote: I used to go to Studio 54 in the club days–and guess who I saw there as a scantily clad bus boy– Alec Baldwin, just previous to debuting as Billy Adrich on “The Doctors.” From set visits my assistant and I at “Afternoon TV” were introuduced to Alec….very bright and troublesome even then. But both on the soap and in later movies he was(is) a gigantic talent.
I particularly enjoyed interviewing so many stars in their first roles–Lori Loughlin as Jody on Edge of Night, the incredible (and sweet) Julianne Moore when she was Franny and Sabrina in “As the World Turns.” Judith Light as Karen on “One Life to Live… I’m really name dropping here. But we journalists all have great stories…. Plus I firmly believe (look at Kevin Bacon and Morgan Freeman) that so many of our greatest stars started on soaps.
Another great one, Marlena! Of course, while we agree on a few things (like the ever-fabulous Cynthia Watros and her character…and the romance with Sonny), I of course have to disagree a little bit. I think Avery Kristen Pohl has the potential to be fantastic! I just wish someone would take her aside and tell her to play against what’s written (at least a little bit) or she’s doomed to become a cartoon villainess. If she can’t show even a little bit of remorse or humanity, she won’t last long in daytime. But if she DOES learn to do that, the sky’s the limit!
Marlena says: Thanks Esther–you are right as usual (LOL) about Ms Pohl. She’s grown a lot already. The best part of being a soap journalist is the friends we make along the way….