The Top 25 of 2015, No. 23: The 52nd Anniversary of “General Hospital”

This venerable soap opera hasnamp8217t had a very good year Despite having one of the best casts and most talented production teams working in daytime it has once again become a largely unsatisfying saga about violent mobsters and the ladies who love them above all else including decency humanity and the law And a yearlong story that served as a farewell saga for the legendary Anthony Geary who had played tormented antihero Luke Spencer and briefly his manipulative lookalike cousin Bill Eckert for most of the last 36 years before exiting the show in July dragged on entirely too long stumbling over itself along the wayBut the episode that marked the showamp8217s 52nd anniversary was a stunning marvel unlike anything ever seen in daytime drama It was filled with newly produced flashback sequences that revealed fresh information about the Spencer and Eckert families that enhanced several stories from its rich history dating all the way back to the very first episode in April 1963 16 years before Luke appeared on the canvas and 28 years before we first metamp160Bill It was an incredibly inventive narrative triumph pulled together by executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati who has since left the show and his teamIn those amp8220flashbacksamp8221 current cast members Ryan Carnes Rebecca Herbst and Jason Thompson pictured left to right at top convincingly portrayed iconic amp8220GHamp8221 characters Phil Brewer Jessie Brewer and Steve Hardy respectively while Laura Wright amp8211 the actress who plays the ferocious Carly Corinthos amp8211 played the sweet and fragile mother of young Luke and his two sisters Geary did double duty as his drunken and abusive father Tim opposite talented newcomer Joey Luthman as the younger Luke and later the younger Bill Geary Luthman and Wright are pictured aboveNone of that means anything to anyone who isnamp8217t familiar with the past history and presentday drama of amp8220General Hospitalamp8221 For those of us who are however it was an extraordinary bit of storytelling amp8211 one that could only work on a daytime soap that had run for decadesA soap opera is never better than when it serves up dramatic payoffs to longrunning stories that reward viewers for their longterm loyalty Most of the writers working in soap operas today donamp8217t understand that but for one wonderful hour back in April the writing team at amp8220GHamp8221 provided a master class in how it should be doneThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers amp160amp160

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The Top 25 of 2015, No. 23: The 52nd Anniversary of “General Hospital”

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Ed Martin

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The Top 25 of 2015, No. 23: The 52nd Anniversary of “General Hospital”

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Ed Martin

FEMA and the Ad Council Encourage AANHPI Communities to Enhance Disaster Preparedness in New PSAs - Ad Council InSites

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