General Hospital News & Gossip
News for the week of 18-Aug-2008
What’s with the Laura and Lulu promos so soon? It turns out Genie Francis has already begun filming—earlier than originally reported—and will last a little longer too, throughout October.
John Bolger (Mayor Floyd; ex-John Sykes, OLTL) is famously known in these soap circles for his romantic turn as OLTL’s John Sykes. But before soaps, he has turned in impressive work in complex, challenging roles on the stage and screen. Law & Orderfans will readily recognize him for a considerable about of guest-starring stints, not to mention a sexy turn as Samantha’s boy toy in HBO’s hit series, Sex And The City. The busy actor is about to jump into a musical of the movie, Dirty Dancing!, too, playing the dad of Baby (Jennifer Grey’s character), starting in Chicago and eventually headed to Broadway. EYE ON SOAPS columnist Media Ho recently interviewed him about his past and present projects (he has directed too, including an OLTL episode, as well as produced plays). Mayor Floyd has afforded Bolger an opportunity to keep his daytime muscles flexed. It has come in handy, he said, when filming primetime episodics on location, turning in performances quick while beating the clock. For NYPD Blue, the cast and crew were readying themselves for a scene with dwindling light and a fatigued star. “It was shot in a cemetery in Queens off the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (the same cemetery used in The Godfather), and when it was time to shoot, (then-star) David Caruso was exhausted. The shot was delayed because of that, but we needed to get it in quickly so we wouldn’t lose the light. My daytime experience helped me get that in the can. Daytime is great training for everything.” As a working member of GH’s cast, since 2006, Bolger cited his scenes with Nancy Lee Grahn’s Alexis as favorites of his. He noted that their characters’ push/pull repartee could easily have led to a dalliance. Rick Hearst (Ric), Bolger added, is also a joy to perform with. “It’s a talented group of people who are consistently enjoyable and who love going to work. The atmosphere is really a tribute to [executive producer] Jill Farren Phelps and the rest of the ensemble and crew.”
GH writer Karen Harris’s new web-based soap within a soap series premieres (with a beta and public debut) on Strike.TV’s online network August 18. Life In Generalchronicles what goes on behind the scenes of a soap opera studio and what winds up on the screen in the form of the soap opera itself, called, Greenville General. All of it’s a fictional account, written, created and executive-produced by Harris and starring DOOL’s Arianne Zucker (Nicole) and JoBeth Williams (Big Chill), as well as many soap actors in the field. The show is told from the perspective of the head writer Winnie, as played by Zucker. This project has nothing to do with GH other than the soap taking place at a hospital, and the characters are more often than not amalgams of real-life counterparts. The head writer of the web-based show and the show’s creator share some common feelings, fears and experiences, but not much else. Harris details in a blog how Life In General came about years ago, but kept getting shelved because nobody in the business could really see an opportunity for this seed to come to fruition (and it wasn’t really quite ready yet for its close-up). She was told that behind-the-scenes shows wouldn’t work. Everything came together during the recent writers’ strike. “Then one night at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium,” Harris wrote, “someone from United Hollywood announced something about StrikeTV. I only heard enough to know this was my opportunity. This was something I could write, create and oversee. No one to rewrite me, or give me notes. I knew the story I wanted to tell. It already existed in a different form.” With more fine-tuning, Harris had the workings of the kind of story that would reach audiences across generations, fans of both daytime and nighttime, with the goal of generating appreciation for the storytelling, character-based relatability of serialized dramas. It’s a story, told through the web-based series, that kind of reflected Harris’s own conversion. After working on primetime shows, she entered daytime and grew to appreciate its unique, heartwarming facets.
Ingo Rademacher (Jax) and Megan Ward (Kate) both agree that their characters may harbor a little attraction toward one another, but that’s about as far as that goes. Rademacher said that Jax is in love with Carly, and a little attraction doesn’t equal a threat. Same with Ward’s Kate and Sonny.
Rick Springfield (Noah/Eli) hit #28 in the music charts two weeks ago with his Venus In OverdriveCD, featuring that catchy tune, “What’s Victoria’s Secret?”
John J. York (Mac) crosses over to GH:NS in the 7th show. He has to, Robert’s about to have major, critical surgery to save his life.
Robert’s Tristan Rogers intimates that the story (to unfold) surrounding his character’s life-and-death situation will break new ground in its uncomfortable realism, facing mortality in an “iconic hero,” who has faced mortality before with complete confidence of triumph. “I cannot imagine Gloria [Monty, former executive producer] ever allowing something like this to take place on her watch,” Rogers wrote on his MySpace blog. But he’s looking forward to it.
Sarah Joy Brown (Claudia) avoids gluten like the plague – she’s got a celiac disorder – but that enables her and her parents to enjoy a more healthful bounty from Mother Nature. Brown keeps an organic garden in her backyard, which is lovingly tended to by her and her dad. Even though Brown’s parents split up back when she was a little girl, they’re still pals. “We spend every other Sunday together at my house and we all pitch in. He brings the food in, so he harvests, she cleans it and I cook it.” –Soap Opera Digest, “Brown University” by Tom Stacy, August 12, 2008
Did someone tell Brown that musician John Mayer is free now? Tabloids suggest he split with serial dater Jennifer Aniston. Brown said Mayer and American Idol winner David Cook are her ideal men.
Ever since Jossip published a report on August 7th about Carolyn Hinsey’s firing from Soap Opera Weekly/Digest, the comment section has been overflowing with cheers, a few jeers, and lots of juicy, scandalous gossip—about Hinsey’s heavyhanded ways and about soap actors. At last count, there were 1,902 replies going. Everybody in the business—from columnists, fans and curious onlookers, to TPTB, actors, publicists and the like—have been glued to this page, checking frequently for updates in hopes of reading more scurrilous dirt. It’s like a bad car accident, guys, you just can’t look away.
Former Soap Opera Weekly“Critical Condition” columnist Marlena De Lacroix has responded to the Hinsey firing in her August 15th blog entry, “The Killing Fields of Soap Journalism.” De Lacroix basically quit doing her acclaimed column about 12 years after she started, because of Hinsey and her Digest Dames. Soap Opera Digest was put in charge of SPW and not much later, Hinsey was appointed as SPW’s editor, and that was that for De Lacroix. “Immediately, I knew that my critical voice, fiercely protected for years by SOW founding editor Mimi Torchin, was not compatible with the unhealthy political alliances the journalistically corrupt, bullying Digest Dames had made within the industry. So back in July 2001, I made my own personal comment on Hinsey and the SOD management: I quit.”
When the former and current but anonymous employees of SPW/SOD made their comments in reaction to Hinsey’s recent firing on the Jossip page, De Lacroix went through her own painful learning curve and realized she wasn’t the only victim. She acknowledged the following people as especially deserving of an award for all they were put through: “the funny and wonderful writer Alan Carter, SOW founding editor Mimi (with whom I worked on magazines as early as 1978), the super savvy publicist Frank Tobin, my column’s editor Robert Schork, and the many other staffers and industry professionals who suffered and/or fell after us.”
Best of all, De Lacroix reminded everybody that they were better off for the moving on. They moved on to better, more fulfilling jobs and continued to do good work despite the, um, roadblocks. IOW, “… all this pain taught me a lesson, one I frequently pass on to my college journalism students. Journalism is a competitive business. But while others may try to copy you, no one can replicate your talent or originality. Or take away your great love of what you do.”
Gossip for the week of 18-Aug-2008
A SoapDish insider asserted in a post August 22nd that head writer Bob Guza Jr., who “receives bonuses based on the ratings,” has a habit of breaking up known, proven couples to bump up ratings. He did it apparently in 2006 when ratings took a dip but not enough of one to panic over. That’s when he obliterated the pairings of Ric and Alexis, Sonny and Emily, Elizabeth and Lucky, Jason and Sam, and kept only one. It’s gonna happen again, according to this insider. “Now, in 2008, ratings are way below bonus level and actually close to the numbers needed to exercise the termination clause. So what is our brilliant headwriter’s solution to this? Yes, you got it right, he is about to do it all over again. For November sweeps, expect the canvas to look like this: Sonny/Kate/Carly/Jax quad will kick into high gear after Sonny and Kate marry and Kate discovers Sonny’s secrets. This will be a major sweeps story. Johnny and Lulu will still be together but getting less screen time. As for the rest, I don’t know what you would even begin to call it except a huge polygon: Jason/Lucky/Nik/Matt/Liz/Sam/Nadine/Claudia and if he stays, Ric will be in a huge mix and match as couples come apart and others are teased. Sam/Nik are the only possible configuration that will not be played. Guza again, has one couple planned and the rest will be up in the air based on fan reaction. Matt will also be involved in a triangle with Spinelli and Maxie as the writers search for a strong place on canvas for him. Laura’s presence on canvas in November will not affect Luke and Tracy, whose marriage will be rocky anyway. Jerry/Alexis will be making strides. Scrubs will be fine welcoming their new baby. But the birth will not be without complications.”
Also, Guza plans to blow up a set for November Sweeps. Karpov and his henchmen will bite it. Sasha could survive as a temptation for Sonny or Jason. GH: NS’s high ratings could influence the mother ship to stop fixating on only mob stories and spread it around to involve the hospital more. Another child will be in peril (Jake), with an opportunity for the least likely hero. Michael may come out of his coma and not as a recast, unless Guza balks. Helena lurks in the shadows.
Guza allegedly has until November Sweeps to prove himself as head writer. If Sweeps tanks, he’s out. TPTB already has a replacement in mind. Garin Wolf?
Laura Wright (Carly) and Sarah Joy Brown (Claudia) were in a shoot-out together with Steve Burton (Jason) last week. Brown’s increased share of Jason scenes may not be sitting right with Wright. According to a SoapDish source, Wright sees “Claudia’s buddy scenes with Jason” as a threat and “has been demanding equal time with Steve and was getting it until now.”
Did TPTB reach out to Rena Sofer for a Lois rerun? Maybe. But she’s too busy.
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.
