By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman For a soap that is frequently troubled and all over the place,General Hospital had a very entertaining week. That’s because it had a very definite throughline -- the revelation to many that Kiki isn’t a Quartermaine – aimed at a Friday cliffhanger destination. Michael’s brother Morgan was … [Read more...]
General Hospital’s Entertaining Throughline: Kiki Isn’t a Quartermaine
August 10, 2013 by 11 Comments
Why General Hospital Is So Unsatisfying to Watch Right Now
July 13, 2013 by 24 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman We had hope, didn’t we, in those heady days when General Hospital, the leading survivor among network daytime soaps, seemed to be in the ascendancy again. Alas, the good times have faded. These days, watching GH is a very frustrating experience. Many of the storylines are unsatisfying. … [Read more...]
Port Charles is Frustration City
May 25, 2013 by 23 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman As noted last week and confirmed by the passionate reaction in the letters section, there seems to be massive dissatisfaction with General Hospital right now. And it’s not only the appearance of three new characters with too-familiar faces (played by Kristin Alderson, Michael Easton and … [Read more...]
General Hospital at 50: They’ve Only Just Begun …
March 2, 2013 by 13 Comments
Marlena says: It's a special time at General Hospital. The 50th anniversary is coming up April 1 and it's been just about a year since headwriter Ron Carlivati and executive producer executive producer Frank Valentini took over a dying show and made it must-watch TV. Marlena's dear friend and veteran journalist Ed Martin, who first started … [Read more...]
On Soaps, We Believe What We Choose to Believe
January 5, 2013 by 12 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman General Hospital: Soaps or biology -- which do you choose to believe? On General Hospital this week, surrogate mother Maxie had a miscarriage (of the week-old embryo that is Dante and Lulu’s child) and barely noticed it. The same evening, New Year’s Eve, a drunk and apparently rejected … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 10: Katie Couric’s Talk Show is So-So … GH’s Fast Wrapping Up Remote … Y&R: Why did “Red”’s Hair Suddenly Turn Brown?
September 15, 2012 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman So what did you think of Katie, Ms. Couric’s new talk show? I have mixed feelings about it. Couric herself doesn’t bother me. Au contraire -- we should be proud that daytime television, which marginalizes older women, is spotlighting a 55-year-old. Katie’s usual intelligence does shine … [Read more...]
General Hospital Update: Understanding Itself, Misunderstanding Viewers
April 25, 2012 by 10 Comments
By Ed Martin It's been two months since executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati took control of ABC's General Hospital - long enough by any measure for a creative team to make its mark on a soap opera and make clear what they intend to do with it. Now, I don't want to start right in with the complaints, because … [Read more...]
