Ghosts of GH Past Viewing Party: '80s, '90s, And All Eras Of Non-Suckitude!

[cleo 1.3k]

I'm just at the beginning of the Ice Princess storyline. Hutch is in the hospital recovering. I wish he had stuck around. Much hotter than Luke lol. And more charming.

Just saw Scorpio's first scene I think. He was waiting in Luke's apt with a gun.

I like Laura but she is often snotty and bitchy with her friends, like Claudia.

Amy Vining. What a thankless role. Why did they make this character so awful? I feel bad for the actress, can't believe she stuck with it so long.

[Asp Burger 4.6k]

Ugh, back in the late 70s and early 80s, the show seemed to toy with being educational about / socially aware of things like acquaintance rape (Luke and Laura) and marital rape (Alan and Monica), in a time when those concepts weren't fully acknowledged.  But then, of course, the show decided to royally eff it up, instead.

This is from a couple months ago, but I just watched that Alan/Monica scene.  Disturbing.

I hate to say it, but Stuart Damon must have become a much better actor over his time on the show, because I don't think he's very good in that scene. I started watching in the '90s, so I only saw him in his "patriarch" phase and I always liked him. Or maybe that scene just isn't his best work.  

Anyway, a little Googling suggests to me this was 1979 or 1980? That seems to have been when the Alan/Monica/Rick triangle was in full swing. What strikes me is that this is exactly the same television period when JR maritally raped Sue Ellen on Dallas (that was how their son, John Ross, was conceived) and when Blake did so to Krystle on Dynasty. Those, like Alan/Monica, were long-running supercouples who had a lot of break-ups and reunions, and a lot of fans who wanted them to be together. I'm glad soap writers are not so willing to go there anymore, and I'm glad viewers see these scenes as upsetting now. Younger people watch those clips and can't believe the male characters remained sympathetic at all, or the couplings viable. For them, it would probably be a deal-breaker. Even the odious Sonny has never been written to force himself on a woman who was screaming "No."  

[Oracle42 16.8k]

I skimmed through a few 70s bodice rippers from my great aunt's house - disturbing doesn't even begin to cover it

[statsgirl 37.7k]

22 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

I hate to say it, but Stuart Damon must have become a much better actor over his time on the show, because I don't think he's very good in that scene. 

Have you seen him as Prince Charming in 1965's Cinderella? Wooden is a good word.

(Interestingly Prince Charming in the 1957 version with Julie  Andrews was played by Jon Cypher who played Max Van Stadt on GH in 1981.)

Edited November 14, 2018 by statsgirl

[SlovakPrincess 7.1k]

On 11/12/2018 at 8:43 PM, cleo said:

I'm just at the beginning of the Ice Princess storyline. Hutch is in the hospital recovering. I wish he had stuck around. Much hotter than Luke lol. And more charming.

Just saw Scorpio's first scene I think. He was waiting in Luke's apt with a gun.

I like Laura but she is often snotty and bitchy with her friends, like Claudia.

Amy Vining. What a thankless role. Why did they make this character so awful? I feel bad for the actress, can't believe she stuck with it so long.

 

I think Hutch kind of had his own storyline (about trying to survive in prison) during the Ice Princess story.  I kinda fast forwarded through a lot of it, but if you're a Hutch fan, I think there are "full episode" feeds that could show you what he was up to during this time period.  

 

Early Scorpio is fun.   Although I must say, for the millionth time, Laura was a damn fool not to take Scorpio up on his flirting and ditch Luke back then!

[UYI 12.3k]

Sometimes it's so easy to forget that this show premiered 55 years ago--and therefore, merely around eight months before this fateful day. Unlike As the World Turns, the show interrupted on CBS, the timing here meant that GH was preempted completely. It's very easy to not think of this connection between this show and this piece of American history unless it is pointed out to you, but here it is:

[UYI 12.3k]

I missed the rerun from yesterday, but I just found it on YouTube; someone posted it a few months ago, before the announcement had even been made about it airing this year.

[Neptune 641]

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

 

Scotty somehow manages to make what I would often call a hairdon't look adorable. 

[SlovakPrincess 7.1k]

The hair is fine, it's the suspenders that are killing me.  

Ned looks like he's about to start eating the divorce papers at the beginning there, lol.    

Bill and Holly ---- ugh.  And Jenny, blah.  All the annoyance comes flooding back to me now .... lol.  

[UYI 12.3k]

30 years ago today! Happy Anniversary Sean and Tiffany...er, Elsie Mae Crumholtz-Donely! (Yes, Donely--no extra "n" or "l".)

Some fun facts about their wedding:

1. Sharon Wyatt really kicked/stepped on John Reilly's foot at the end of the aisle, enough that his foot was caked in blood for the rest of shooting. Gross.

2. IIRC, they were the only two people in the cast who had scripts for the wedding scene. Everyone else found out what happened for the first time as they were shooting.

3. Look carefully at the wedding party as the ceremony comes to an end--Robin has disappeared! Since KMc was still a kid at the time, the strict child labor laws all child actors face probably meant she had to go home LONG before everyone else, as of typical when a soap is shooting a wedding...but it also means she's off-camera before the ceremony is even over, LMAO. 

4. I was born about two months after this aired! Yes, my 30th birthday is at the end of February. :)

These scenes are courtesy of udhoop, a YouTuber who is probably one of at least two people on Earth who actually liked Robert & Tiffany's sister Cheryl as a couple (there was also at one point another GH YouTuber named robertlovescheryl; I shit you not). 

Edited December 23, 2018 by UYI

[UYI 12.3k]

Also, if you're interested, YouTube's resident Sean & Tiffany expert, The Donelys, has a video of the wedding with Pop-Up Video-type comments! They might be smaller than they were several years ago, but hopefully you'll be able to read them pretty easily. :)

[dubbel zout 56.3k]

Ah, back when the GH writers had genuine senses of humor and wrote that intentionally into the show.

[UYI 12.3k]

Also: This was the last time Cheryl was on the show for awhile, before she comes back sometime in 1989, very pregnant with Lucas (no, I will not say "who?" and dampen the classic GH spirit!), and hoping to God he was Robert's instead of Julian's.

(IIRC, the show actually WAS going to make Robert Lucas's father, but Tristan supposedly put a stop to it, thinking Robin should be his only child. I have no idea if that's true, though.)

I think Lucas is the only 1989 baby from GH, which is what I am, too, so that's kind of cool. :) 

Anyway, here are Robert, Cheryl, and Robin after the wedding (clearly the reception scenes were a day later, meaning KMc could be there again!).

Edited December 23, 2018 by UYI

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

[Oracle42 16.8k]

Look - actual sets!

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

I've complained about this before, I'm sure, but watching that just makes me say again that it was a mistake to get rid of Crystal Carson. She's such an understated and intelligent actress who also brought a very different vibe to the canvas. 

Kristina Wagner must have had a cold during taping. 

The little girl who played Maxie calling out to Scottie (and Wagner's ad-lib about how much she liked him) made me laugh. Then you have the poor child in the scene with Jon Lindstrom and the mother actress who clearly did not want to be oncamera...

Tiffany is the unsympathetic one in the custody saga, I suppose, but Sharon Wyatt acted the hell out of the storyline. I'm so sorry about what has happened to her in recent years. 

Jon Lindstrom is chillingly good as Ryan. 

I had to laugh that when Mac had to flash back after questions of Felicia's sanity, it was to scenes of them half-naked in the shower. 

[UYI 12.3k]

14 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

 

Tiffany is the unsympathetic one in the custody saga, I suppose, but Sharon Wyatt acted the hell out of the storyline. I'm so sorry about what has happened to her in recent years. 

 

That story earned her her only Emmy nomination. This is the scene where she confronts Sean about his affair with Jessica Holmes, and then suddenly goes into labor, which leads to her miscarriage (and then her suicide attempt--believe it or not, this happened shortly BEFORE Claire Labine started writing the show). It's so hard to watch, but she's JUST SO GOOD!

[Camille 1.5k]

I remember that story and I appreciate her being willing to look like hell during those episodes.

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

 

The start has a "Soapline" recap as this aired during the neverending hell of the OJ trial.

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

I couldn't stomach this era of the show but if anyone wants to see it:

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

Wading through the complete trash pit that was Laura's return (AKA let's show how noble and awesome Lucky and Luke are and why doesn't delusional stupid Laura get that Luke has a big sad over raping her since it's all about him), I'm reminded of why I saw promise in Tyler Christopher back then. That promise has been gone a very, very long time, and I doubt it's coming back, but he really had so much.

[ulkis 46.5k]

5 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

Wading through the complete trash pit that was Laura's return (AKA let's show how noble and awesome Lucky and Luke are and why doesn't delusional stupid Laura get that Luke has a big sad over raping her since it's all about him)

replying in the history thread.

Edited January 18 by ulkis

[UYI 12.3k]

R&B singer James Ingram has passed away. Luke & Holly may not be one of the better regarded GH couples (just a guess, heh), but a certain number one hit song by Ingram and Patti Austin will always be associated with them and this show. And yes, it went to number one BECAUSE of Luke & Holly; it had briefly reached the lower rungs of the Hot 100 for about a week, but when it was chosen as their love theme, fans called/wrote in asking what the song was and it ZOOMED up the charts!

And here's the song on its own if the thought of seeing Luke & Holly getting romantic makes you reach for the brain bleach haha.

Edited January 29 by UYI

[Pete Martell 8.0k]

On 1/29/2019 at 6:16 PM, UYI said:

R&B singer James Ingram has passed away. Luke & Holly may not be one of the better regarded GH couples (just a guess, heh), but a certain number one hit song by Ingram and Patti Austin will always be associated with them and this show. And yes, it went to number one BECAUSE of Luke & Holly; it had briefly reached the lower rungs of the Hot 100 for about a week, but when it was chosen as their love theme, fans called/wrote in asking what the song was and it ZOOMED up the charts!

Emma tweeted about his passing and included some photos of when James visited the GH set.

[SlovakPrincess 7.1k]

I love the Tiffany character - and the actress.  

Color me shocked that someone out there really liked the Cheryl character and was hardcore shipping her and Robert -- I mean, she was a useful character in many ways and drove some good plots, but on her own merits .... am I just misremembering her as kind of unlikeable and prissy?   

If you try to watch clips of the Luke / Holly Oil Scam story ... be prepared to hear "Baby Come to Me" fifty bajillion times.  

 

In other news, I have temporarily stalled out in my 1985 Aztec Treasure viewing.  I need a break from watching Robert pointlessly fuck up his marriage to Holly by continuing to lie to her about who Anna really is.  I'm a rabid Robert / Anna shipper, for crying out loud, and even I'm getting frustrated with this.  

He goes through this whole phase where he snarls at Anna one minute, then goes off to sulk and have flashbacks about her in private.  Which is unintentionally amusing, but you can sort of understand that the guy is struggling -- like, he wants to hate this woman, but he just can't, but he also has no idea what to tell his current wife who he loves.  Then finally, he reaches a point where he can forgive Anna and she's able to accept that the most she can expect from him is friendship (once she, y'know, stops committing crimes with Sean and starts helping the police).  But he's still acting weird and sneaking around.  Which of course makes Holly suspect he might be cheating.    

I mean ... I know it's a soap so things have to be dragged out to infinity ... but the guy is supposed to be smart!   At a certain point, even Anna is like "you should probably stop lying to Holly before you completely blow it with her."    Robert being stupid for plot purposes is very frustrating for me, LOL.