Last week, ABC-Disney made the much anticipated announcement that General Hospital would remain on their daytime lineup. The show who ended up on the chopping block to make way for Katie Couric's fall talk show? The Revolution. The ratings dud which debuted in January replacing the beloved One Life To Live will air until July. It seems Anne Sweeney kept her word and the show with the highest ratings remained on the schedule. A big congratulations to all who worked so hard to keep GH on the air. But we still have much to do if we want to ensure the show stays where it is past April 2013. We must continue to WATCH!!! Ratings are our only ally at this point. We urge everyone who is a GH fan to watch no matter what and help our soap beat Katie in the ratings once her show debuts in September. We also want fans to contact their affiliates to let them know that GH is the only ABC daytime show they watch and only advertisers during GH will be seen by viewers.
Showing posts with label soap operas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soap operas. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A New Day on General Hospital
On January 9th, the "Age of Cartini" began on General Hospital. What the arrival of Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati, formally in charge at the now cancelled One Life To Live, holds for our beloved GH I do not know. I see them neither as devils nor saviors. I see them as what they are - professionals with a proven track record. I am cautiously optimistic for GH's future. General Hospital has THE BEST CAST anywhere on daytime television. Period. If the head writer can take the helm of this sinking ship and tighten things up while at the same time utilizing the talents of the amazing actors that comprise the cast, GH has a chance to shine. Shine as it hasn't in over a decade.
As fans of this iconic series, we have a DUTY to protect its legacy while continuing our fight to save it from cancellation. If General Hospital is indeed cancelled on ABC as many involved in the genre believe, it is imperative that we do all we can to help the show end with a bang and make it desirable for other production companies.
In our eyes, "Luke and Laura" will NEVER die. They will NEVER be gone from our hearts. They and the many characters and story lines that have graced our screens over 4 + decades will remain part of our collective psyche.
I urge ALL soap fans, regardless of whether you watch GH or not, to the support the show now more than ever. We owe EVERY soap out there and all the cast and crews working hard to support them. It's not about playing favorites at this point, it's about saving the genre as a whole. THE BIGGER PICTURE IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT HERE. There are MANY things you can do to support all the soaps. Do your part and together we have a real chance at preserving an American institution.
As fans of this iconic series, we have a DUTY to protect its legacy while continuing our fight to save it from cancellation. If General Hospital is indeed cancelled on ABC as many involved in the genre believe, it is imperative that we do all we can to help the show end with a bang and make it desirable for other production companies.
In our eyes, "Luke and Laura" will NEVER die. They will NEVER be gone from our hearts. They and the many characters and story lines that have graced our screens over 4 + decades will remain part of our collective psyche.
I urge ALL soap fans, regardless of whether you watch GH or not, to the support the show now more than ever. We owe EVERY soap out there and all the cast and crews working hard to support them. It's not about playing favorites at this point, it's about saving the genre as a whole. THE BIGGER PICTURE IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT HERE. There are MANY things you can do to support all the soaps. Do your part and together we have a real chance at preserving an American institution.
Become a SWAN (Stand With Agnes Nixon): Facebook Group | Twitter: @SWANS4NIXON
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Call the GH comment line and write to the executive producer and head writer about your favorite characters and what you would like to see on your screen. Let your voices be heard.
Friday, January 13, 2012
A Fan's Story: What "One Life To Live" Meant To Me
It was on a cold Sunday morning in November 28 years ago when my kind, bubbly and beautiful mom left me to pass on to "Another World". I was 11 and simply didn't get it. Couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I would never see my mother again. Only a week later, I missed her terribly. She was MY "Guiding Light", my moral compass, my everything. I had MANY idols growing up, but SHE was my ULTIMATE idol. Ever since I could remember, I wanted to be just like my mom. And now she was gone.... Who would get me through the daily agony of not having her in my life. That "WHO" came by way of the soap genre. Soaps became my daily companion. I welcomed them with open arms.
When my mother came to the United States at the age of 12, she could not speak A WORD OF ENGLISH. Guess who taught her? Yep, you guessed it, SOAPS!!! She watched Search For Tomorrow, Dark Shadows and Guiding Light, but it was General Hospital that made her a bona fide soap fan. One of my favorite memories with my mother was sitting on our green shaggy 70s-style rug on a cold November afternoon and watching Luke and Laura tie the knot as Helena Cassadine (a.k.a. the incomparable Elizabeth Taylor) cursed the star-crossed lovers from afar. I remember being amazed that Liz was even on GH, but my mom said "Honey, she's a GH fan!!! EVERYONE is a GH fan". Well, maybe not everyone was, but I think she wanted to believe that people could at least appreciate the amazing stories that soaps produced on a daily basis. My mom was crushed when Genie Francis departed the show in 1981 and was so happy to hear she would return in late 1983. She died two weeks before Francis returned and Luke and Laura were finally reunited. When Luke and Laura embraced in the gardens of the mayor's mansion and sealed their reunion with a kiss, I cried. A lot. Not just because they were finally together again, but because I knew my mom would've been sitting right next to me, hugging me and squealing like a lovelorn teenager if she were still alive.
Fast forward 10 years to another cold afternoon. I sat and watched as the beautiful Megan, Viki's daughter, died of lupus on One Life To Live. I LOVED MEGAN!!! For many reasons I will not go into here, I loved that character. In fact, she was probably my favorite character ever on OLTL. But her death, THAT storyline has been the most important soap storyline in my life. You see, it was lupus that snuffed out my mother's light on this Earth. It was lupus that ended a beautiful and vibrant 30 year old woman's life. It was LUPUS that stole my mother from me. As I watched Megan die of lupus, I literally relived the agony of losing my mom ALL OVER AGAIN. I was pissed that my favorite character was gone. I was livid that my favorite soap couple of the time, Megan and Jake, were being cruelly separated. But MOSTLY I was pissed because this television show was making me cry like a little baby, forcing me to relive something I had not dealt with for 10 years!!! And then the scenes after Megan's death when Viki locks herself with Megan in the hospital room aired, and I just sat there in silence. Not crying, not angry, just numb. It was then that I realized death is just the national end to life, that life goes on EVEN after we lose the ones we love. It took watching Viki grieving for her daughter for me to FINALLY grieve for my mother and accept that I was lucky to have had her in my life, even if only for 11 short years. From that day on I truly UNDERSTOOD the importance of soaps in our lives. They're our family, our friends, our educators, our psychologists, our doctors, OURSELVES! They maybe crazy and fantastical at times, but they are a reflection of society. The good, the bad, the ugly and THE BEST OF US.
I will FOREVER be grateful to Agnes Nixon and the cast and crew of One Life To Live for being my spiritual healers when I didn't even know I needed healing. For those who believe soap don't matter, all I can say to that is THEY DO MATTER. They matter to me. They mattered to my mother. They matter to thousands of other viewers. If you don't believe me, that's just tough cookies. But my story is just one of MANY stories out there. Every soap fan has one of their own. I hope others begin to share theirs so that, collectively, our stories make for ONE HELL OF A SOAP OPERA. We only have ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Let's make saving the soap genre part of OUR lives' journey.
When my mother came to the United States at the age of 12, she could not speak A WORD OF ENGLISH. Guess who taught her? Yep, you guessed it, SOAPS!!! She watched Search For Tomorrow, Dark Shadows and Guiding Light, but it was General Hospital that made her a bona fide soap fan. One of my favorite memories with my mother was sitting on our green shaggy 70s-style rug on a cold November afternoon and watching Luke and Laura tie the knot as Helena Cassadine (a.k.a. the incomparable Elizabeth Taylor) cursed the star-crossed lovers from afar. I remember being amazed that Liz was even on GH, but my mom said "Honey, she's a GH fan!!! EVERYONE is a GH fan". Well, maybe not everyone was, but I think she wanted to believe that people could at least appreciate the amazing stories that soaps produced on a daily basis. My mom was crushed when Genie Francis departed the show in 1981 and was so happy to hear she would return in late 1983. She died two weeks before Francis returned and Luke and Laura were finally reunited. When Luke and Laura embraced in the gardens of the mayor's mansion and sealed their reunion with a kiss, I cried. A lot. Not just because they were finally together again, but because I knew my mom would've been sitting right next to me, hugging me and squealing like a lovelorn teenager if she were still alive.
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| Credit: ABC video |
Fast forward 10 years to another cold afternoon. I sat and watched as the beautiful Megan, Viki's daughter, died of lupus on One Life To Live. I LOVED MEGAN!!! For many reasons I will not go into here, I loved that character. In fact, she was probably my favorite character ever on OLTL. But her death, THAT storyline has been the most important soap storyline in my life. You see, it was lupus that snuffed out my mother's light on this Earth. It was lupus that ended a beautiful and vibrant 30 year old woman's life. It was LUPUS that stole my mother from me. As I watched Megan die of lupus, I literally relived the agony of losing my mom ALL OVER AGAIN. I was pissed that my favorite character was gone. I was livid that my favorite soap couple of the time, Megan and Jake, were being cruelly separated. But MOSTLY I was pissed because this television show was making me cry like a little baby, forcing me to relive something I had not dealt with for 10 years!!! And then the scenes after Megan's death when Viki locks herself with Megan in the hospital room aired, and I just sat there in silence. Not crying, not angry, just numb. It was then that I realized death is just the national end to life, that life goes on EVEN after we lose the ones we love. It took watching Viki grieving for her daughter for me to FINALLY grieve for my mother and accept that I was lucky to have had her in my life, even if only for 11 short years. From that day on I truly UNDERSTOOD the importance of soaps in our lives. They're our family, our friends, our educators, our psychologists, our doctors, OURSELVES! They maybe crazy and fantastical at times, but they are a reflection of society. The good, the bad, the ugly and THE BEST OF US.
I will FOREVER be grateful to Agnes Nixon and the cast and crew of One Life To Live for being my spiritual healers when I didn't even know I needed healing. For those who believe soap don't matter, all I can say to that is THEY DO MATTER. They matter to me. They mattered to my mother. They matter to thousands of other viewers. If you don't believe me, that's just tough cookies. But my story is just one of MANY stories out there. Every soap fan has one of their own. I hope others begin to share theirs so that, collectively, our stories make for ONE HELL OF A SOAP OPERA. We only have ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Let's make saving the soap genre part of OUR lives' journey.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Join SWAN - Stand With Agnes Nixon
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| credit: zimbio.com |
Time to take a stand with other ABC soap fans and support Agnes Nixon, the woman responsible for giving us the gift, the legacy of two iconic soaps, All My Children and One Life to Live. Showing your support for Agnes is simple as this - join the SWAN movement! SWAN (Stand With Agnes Nixon) is the first fan-based movement in daytime television history dedicated to supporting Ms. Nixon's legacies. Join us as we demand that ABC/Disney release the rights to AMC and OLTL to Ms. Nixon. Spread the word to your friends and family, and help us do the right thing!
SWAN - Stand With Agnes Nixon
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/198139810275324/
Twitter: @SWANS4Nixon
SWAN - Stand With Agnes Nixon
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/198139810275324/
Twitter: @SWANS4Nixon
GH News: Comings and Goings!!!
Just a day after ABC/Disney announced the firing of embattled General Hospital executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, news that ABC Daytime president Brian Frons would be gone after his contract expired in January 2012 hit the web. The two ousters were met with a resounding cheer from ABC soap fans who blame Brian Frons for the "death of ABC soaps". Long-time GH fans were thrilled to hear of Phelps' firing. Former One Life to Live executive producer Frank Valentini will be replacing Phelps and OLTL head writer Ron Carlivati will replace GH head writer Garin Wolf. Wolf will remain with the show for the foreseeable future.
In other news, fan favorites Kimberly McCullough, who portrays Robin Scorpio Drake, and Jonathan Jackson, who plays Lucky Spencer, announced their departure from the soap they both joined as children. Jackson filmed his last scene as Lucky on November 17th and his last air date was Friday, December 16th. McCullough, who became a soap legend when she was given the monumental task of playing an HIV+ teen, will remain with the show through February. It appears that Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati wish to have both Jackson and McCullough remain with the show. Time will tell if they can be persuaded to do so. Fans of the two legacy characters were saddened to hear of the decision by both actors to leave the show, but considering the environment they worked in during 2011, their wish to leave is not completely without merit. Let us all hope the new regime can infuse life into GH and bring back these core characters with the respect they deserve.
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| credit: columbian.com |
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Join the "SAVE GH" Campign!!!
Join our "Save GH" Campaign and help us find a new home for GH after cancellation.
The "rumor with legs" (from legitimate sources who initially warned us of AMC and OLTL's cancellation) is that ABC will announce General Hospital's cancellation in January after One Life To Live's final air date. It would then air until sometime in May or June. The question is "What will happen to GH after its' final air date on ABC?" Will it go to Prospect Park as its sister shows did or will it end forever? Better yet, would another network and production company take over GH and give it new life?
It is our belief that General Hospital's best chance at survival beyond ABC is finding a new home on another network. At this point we feel NBC is the best option for GH given the way NBC has embraced Days Of Our Lives and supports the existence of the soap genre on network television.
The first phase of our "SAVE GH" campaign is to BOMBARD NBC, Sony Pictures Television and KenCorday Productions with calls, emails and tweets PLEASE!!! Call the NBC comment line, email NBC and Ken Corday, and tweet NBC and Sony Pictures EVERY MONDAY between 1 - 3pm (est). CLICK HERE for all the tel#, emails and addresses you'll need to help with the campaign. This is our way of getting their attention and hopefully open a dialogue with the network and production company. Together we can do our part to SAVE GENERAL HOSPITAL!!!
Our goal is to show the NBC network and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) that GH fans are loyal and will follow GH wherever it goes after ABC/Disney.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
ABC/Disney and General Hospital Executives You Should Know
Wonder who are the people respnsible for making the decisions that affect who comes and goes on General Hospital? Well take a look at these faces. They belong to the three most important executives at ABC/Disney and General Hospital.
From left to right:
Ann Sweeney: Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group.
Brian Frons: President of the newly-created Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group
Jill Farren Phelps: Executive Producer, General Hospital
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| Ann Sweeney, Brian Frons, Jill Farren Phelps |
Wonder who are the people respnsible for making the decisions that affect who comes and goes on General Hospital? Well take a look at these faces. They belong to the three most important executives at ABC/Disney and General Hospital.
From left to right:
Ann Sweeney: Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group.
Brian Frons: President of the newly-created Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group
Jill Farren Phelps: Executive Producer, General Hospital
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
GH Fans Unite Scrapbook
General Hospital Fans........
We encourage you to leave your thoughts on this page in the form of a comment so they may be submitted to the GH and ABC/Disney execs. At the end of every week, comments left on this page will be forwarded to TPTB so that you, the fans, can be heard.
Thank You
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