"General Hospital" Alzheimer's Story Was Daytime Drama at Its Best

Turning out approximately 250 hours of dramatic television every year the production of daytime dramas remains a formidable task even during the healthiest of times But it has been even more impressive in 2020 because all four daytime dramas including NBC39s Days of Our Lives andamp160CBS39 The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful were somehow able to safely get back to the business of daily production long before the rest of the television industry There was a recent noticeable interruption when Days of Our Lives shut down for two weeks after a crewmember tested positive for coronavirus but from what I have heard that is happening in various primetime productions as well I39m sure Days will be up and running before those sands finish shifting through the hourglassOnce again the people who produce daytime drama have proven that there is nothing they can39t do in the interest of creating compelling television entertainment even against the obstacles of shrinking budgets growing competition and now a public health crisis that is proving to be deadlier than any other since before television beganWhich brings me back to GH The Alzheimer39s story which is continuing even after Mike39s death with his son Sonny Corinthos Maurice Benard pictured above growing increasingly concerned that one day he too may suffer the same fate as his father has been another shining example of the power of daytime drama GH and the others can tell stories like this one in real time for as long as it takes on a daybyday basis Peak TV has brought with it a dizzying number of scripted television series but not one of them can do what the four broadcast serials can amp8211 create ongoing daily relationships with millions of viewers What a shame that so many short sighted broadcast executives treated the genre with such reckless disregard during the previous two decades Most of them have moved on to other pastures but the damage they left behind likely will never be undoneMike was played by veteran actor Max Gail pictured at top whom many of us recall from his time on the fondly remembered Seventies sitcom Barney Miller which aired originally on ABC It was clear from the time he took over the role back in 2018 that his portrayal of a man attempting to mend fences with the family from which he had long distanced himself while facing the terrors that Alzheimer39s can bring would be the role of his career In fact in a column I wrote at the time I suggested that he was giving the television performance of that year I know that Mike39s story generated great interest and awareness because my column about it has continued to enjoy appreciable traffic ever since it was first publishedThis ability to tell stories of varying lengths tailored to fit whatever the subject matter may be is the singular strength of daytime drama whether entertainmentdriven educational or both I still recall following Monica Quartermaine39s ordeal with breast cancer and her long recovery on GH back in the Nineties and the slow sad passing of young Stone Cates from AIDS Monica is still on the show Stone is mentioned from time to time and spoken of with great fondness His girlfriend Robin Scorpio who was infected with HIV during their relationship remained with the show for over two decades and still appears from time to time Robin has become a doctor had boyfriends is now married and is the mother of two children Her story has over time been an incredible oneofakind public service and a source of great inspiration for anyone whose life has been touched by that virusThe opportunity to embrace realtime storytelling on these shows goes beyond the exploration of social issues which they all do so well Even as the Mike Corbin story came to an end GH worked the time factor in another way bringing back to its canvas abrasive journalist Jackie Templeton who left the show almost 40 years ago Back in 198284 she was played by Demi Moore in her first acting role of note Jackie is already mixing it up with characters from the Eighties who knew her when and it has been revealed that she has family connections to at least two of the younger characters who have appeared on the canvas during the last few yearsJackie is now played by Kim Delaney who is remembered by anyone who watched ABC39s late lamented All My Children in the Eighties when she portrayed young Jenny Gardner a workingclass girl who fell in love with a boy from one of the town39s most affluent families Millions of young women quotshippedquot Greg and Jenny to put the level of fan adoration in contemporary terms Tragically Jenny was killed via an exploding jetskiAnd so it is that Mike is gone Jackie is back and life continues on in Port Charles New York the setting for this enduring show I39m glad I found General Hospital when I did way back in 1978 even before the legendary story of Luke and Laura began I couldn39t have known then that I would still be with it over 40 years later In a world of viewing options that continue to expand in every conceivable way at an everaccelerating pace across multiple platforms sticking with a daily serial now by way of Hulu and Instagram along with ABC remains a singularly unique television experience one that continues to engage me now across multiple platforms in different ways Sadly I don39t believe that future generations will have that entertainment option They39ll never know what they missedClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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"General Hospital" Alzheimer's Story Was Daytime Drama at Its Best

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Ed Martin

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"General Hospital" Alzheimer's Story Was Daytime Drama at Its Best

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