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News for the week of 27-Jul-2015

by Carol Banks Weber

Amidst plenty of rumors, Soap Opera Digest online finally broke the news July 24 that head writer Ron Carlivati has been replaced by former Y&R co-head writers Shelly Altmanand Jean Passanante. Altman and Passanante will take over August 10. Between them, they’ve won several Emmys and wrote for several daytime dramas, including OLTL, AMC, and ATWT.

A week before this news broke out, Tony Geary (Luke) was spilling tea to Michael Logan about “the writer” he never spoke to and whose exit story didn’t make sense. “I think the problems were always more with the writer than with Frank [Valentini, executive producer], although the writer and I have never spoken… We’ve sat at the same table at the Emmys and what not, but he never has anything to say to me.” In the controversial, July 20th TV Insider interview, Geary got bold with his critical outlook on the show, the holes in his exit story, his famous Luke-and-Laura supercouple status, and the sorry state of soap operas in the age of social media. Geary in no-uncertain-terms expressed dissatisfaction with the parts of his exit story that involved bringing back two dead characters — mob kingpin Frank Smith and Elizabeth/Jason’s son Jake. “I loved that they brought back Emma Samms [Holly], Genie Francis [Laura], Jonathan Jackson [Lucky] and Nathan Parsons [Ethan] so I could work with them one last time, but I did not like the conceit that brought us all together. It was ill-conceived, cheesy and showed a lack of imagination. We saw Luke shoot Frank in the back over 20 years ago. And by the way, that character was old then. He would have been in his hundreds by now.” He also thought resurrecting little Jake was ill-advised, making it painfully clear that he did not desire his character to be redeemed (“I hate redemption”). “The audience saw that little boy dead on the operating table, and his organs were harvested. I do not understand the value of disassembling two of the best stories we’ve told. I guess the point of bringing the child back from the dead was so Luke could be redeemed, but I never felt he needed that. I hate redemption. I’m sure there are audience members who didn’t want him to be a child killer and so they’re pleased, which is fine. But I was not thrilled.” Geary said more to piss longtime fans. Read the fire and brimstone for yourselves.

In a more preferable exit interview — at least for ABC Daytime ­— Tony Geary (Luke) went over the same, semi-salient points of his soap character’s rise with Here And Now’s Meghna Chakrabarti in a July 22nd-posted interview. All minus the negative references to the very things that gave Geary such worldwide acclaim and a forum. In both this and Logan’s interview, Geary brought up one of his favorite GH memories — and it wasn’t working with Genie Francis (Laura), but another female actress, a legend really. “One that always comes to mind when people ask about what I hold as a treasured memory was the day I worked with Elizabeth Taylor. She came on to play Helena Cassadine, who had cursed Luke and Laura because Luke had killed her husband. And the character that she played was over the top and grand, and I got the opportunity to work with her one day, and I got completely lost in her amazing violet eyes, and every thought that went in my head went out of my head, and I just had to step back and say, ‘My God it’s Elizabeth Taylor.’ And she laughed and said, ‘Oh honey you should have seen me yesterday. I couldn’t remember one of these lines.’ She said, ‘I’m not used to acting.’ And then it led to a nice relationship between the two of us, which is very precious to me. So I would say that stands out as number one.”

While fans were suggesting cast cuts and supercouple stories already after the announcement of head writer Ron Carlivati’s departure, the rest of us were recognizing the highlights of one-half of the Cartini legacy. You remember Cartini, the duo who took OLTL out in glory instead of a whimper, who made gay people human, who resurrected the Nurses’ Ball and Elizabeth’s reason for living, who gave over-40 women love lives on-screen, and who infused campy humor that crossed over into the mainstream (Talk Soup did a Luke exit clip that spoke to a lot of disgruntled fans)… Class acts all the way, cast members Laura Wright (Carly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), and Wally Kurth (Ned) were among those on Twitter praising outgoing head writer Ron Carlivati’s stories. Popular soap blogger Spin’s Vixenella tweeted it best here: “I think when we look back in retrospect, history will be extraordinarily kind to Ron's tenure at #GH. Sincerest thanks @carlivatiron.”

Michael Easton (Silas) recently appeared at the San Diego Comic-Con to promote his new graphic novel, “Credence: Lose This Skin,” from Blackwatch Comics. The novel continues the “Credence” series. Michael Fairman’s got the trailer for “Lose This Skin” up on his website. Nine Inch Nails provided the soundtrack.

Easton also announced that he will, from now on, only be updating his professional Facebook pages Michael Easton and Blackwatch, and not his personal one.

On July 21, Brytni Sarpy (Valerie) live-tweeted with GH fans, showing a kind, gentle side. She gamely fielded questions about working with Emme Rylan (Lulu) and Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) (she loves them; they are so sweet), learning six weeks prior that she would have her first love scene with Dante (“it was a pretty fun scene to shoot actually... @dom_zamprogna is such a gentleman!”), her favorite couple (Tracy and Luke), beauty secrets (“water, laughter, and a good work out, are my beauty secrets ;),” “I’m a Pescetarian [fish and seafood only], I exercise often…I used to be a personal trainer”), work-out music (“usually I have it on Rihanna radio…lol”), favorite song (“I’ve been listening to a lot of @BigSean right now… great album!”), watching GH growing up, and favorite junk food (donuts, Lindt sea salt truffles). She even addressed the ridiculous delusions of at least two stereotypical soap fans hating on her for her character’s actions. Here’s one of her classy responses to a bash two days after the live-tweet: “Debra, it's disheartening people like you exist in the world... I hope you find your peace one day, spread love.” Debra had posted this lovely diatribe: “U are the worst actress EVER! Go away from my favorite show, GHl! UR making me not want to watch it & I've watched since the 70's!!”

Gossip for the week of 27-Jul-2015

by Carol Banks Weber

Déjà vu. Remember in September 2013 when Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante (with Tracey Thomson) replaced Y&R head writer Josh Griffith… only to be replaced themselves with Charles Pratt Jr.? What if this is the same thing, with Altman and Passanante as mere interim co-head writers until TPTB find the actual replacement? Or worse.

Unfortunately for growing fans of Brytni Sarpy (Valerie), there’s a rumor online that her character will go all Fatal Attraction on Dante, because we can’t have a legitimate story going on at the expense of the supercouple fan base.

Soap Opera Network tweeted July 24 about the interesting timing of the announcement of the new co-head writers and former head writer Ron Carlivati’s ongoing stories. Looks like the timing allows for all of Carlivati’s stories to run out before November Sweeps. “INSIDER: Timing of #GH's new head writing team ensures current material by outgoing regime will not play during crucial November sweeps.”

What about the timing of Michael Logan’s July 20th TV Insider interview with Tony Geary (Luke)? Did they both know head writer Ron Carlivati had already been replaced? So many questions from that interview: If Carlivati was so bad as a head writer with Luke’s exit story, then why did Geary earlier praise the Fluke story — did executive producer Frank Valentini write that one instead, since Valentini walks on water according to the actor? Did Geary give TPTB his notice at the last minute, forcing Carlivati and his writing team to replace their own carefully outlined summer stories to accommodate this hasty exit? How can any head writer be expected to write a perfect exit story for the eight-time, Emmy-winning actor with his own character proclivities, most likely edicts from higher-up in the network, other cast members’ contract considerations, other ongoing stories, back history, etc. — in such a short amount of time? Why is Geary considered such a wonderful soap legend when all he seemingly ever does is ride the coattails of the latest success story or pairing?

Soap fans may soon realize head writer Ron Carlivati wasn’t the only problem with the show. One man can’t control the lives of an inflated cast of characters, several egos on parade, and the constant shadow of interference from the invisible PTB of the network, and keep those stories continuous, consistent, and compelling 24/7. The fact that ABC Daytime chose once again to recycle head writers should tell you everything you need to know about a dying art form that once held the audience in the palm of its hand. Carlivati could be a dick on Twitter. But he wasn’t Guza, and he certainly wasn’t Garin Wolf. You’ll see, hopefully without an inevitable cancellation along the way.

I’m hearing that Silas may become the next murder victim and that Valerie will wind up with Dillon for a spell — as if we care anymore.

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