General Hospital -- the good old days

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Is it possible to watch really old episodes of General Hospital?  I'm talking Luke and Laura, Scorpio and Anna, the Ice Princess, the evil Casadines, Felicia and Mac, etc?

 

I was telling my 21yodd about it today, and she stopped me to say, "Wait.  Are you talking about General Hospital?"  I tried to tell her how amazing and ground breaking it was, and how all us teenagers would get together after school to watch, and I just wish I could show her, maybe binge watch for awhile.

[StaceyinLA]

I don't know, but those really were the days. I LOVED General Hospital. Remember Jimmy Lee? That was one of my major high school heartthrobs. My best friend and I loved him and John Stamos (I don't remember what his name was on the show).

 

But yeah I loved that show for years!

[Joker]

You could try YouTube. I find it funny though that whenever I have seen anything about GH recently it includes the same characters you're asking about. I think most are still on today. I grew up watching them with my gma and whenever I catch one now it seems it's still the same. 

[Arctic Bunny]

It makes me wonder if Days has changed. I remember I'd watch it before my mom got home from work, then I missed several years after high school - like seven - then thought to watch it one day when I had the chance.... and it was practically the same story lines.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

My mom loves that show.  "Carlie" actually owns a small vineyard in Napa and my mom went there recently just for the fun of it.  I think she got a signed bottle.  lol.  

 

I used to watch it with her sometimes and it always made me laugh that I could miss a week, a month, or several years, and still basically know what was going on.  Ha!  

 

 

Can't help with the actual question though.   

[marbel]

My husband and I were talking about General Hospital the other day.   Somehow the topic of Unity Candles at weddings came up, and I read that the practice really took off after Luke and Laura did it at their wedding.  I told him that any woman of my generation* knew exactly who Luke and Laura were.  

 

I didn't realize that GH was still on!  I thought all those old soaps had been cancelled.  My big three were GH, All My Children, and One Life to Live. 

 

Check youtube. There is also a facebook page.  

 

Oh boy, I can see what my day is going to look like today.  

 

:lol:  :lol:

 

*OK, I just realized that someone will correct me on that, so I'll just admit that was a bit of hyperbole on my part.  I'm sure every woman was not hip to GH. 

Edited July 12, 2017 by marbel

[Guest]

My mother still watches Days but won't admit to it. I watched Another World until they took it off.

 

Before VCR's, my aunt had two tvs right next to each other because her soaps overlapped on different channels. She'd turn up the volume on the one that was at an interesting part. That is dedication!!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I don't know, but those really were the days. I LOVED General Hospital. Remember Jimmy Lee? That was one of my major high school heartthrobs. My best friend and I loved him and John Stamos (I don't remember what his name was on the show).

 

But yeah I loved that show for years!

Wasn't John Stamos' character named Blackie? That's what first popped into my head.

 

--

To this day, I cannot listen to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds without thinking about Lucy helping with the nurses' ball at GH.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Scoutermom

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I was just reading about the whole Luke and Laura controversy the other day. I'm old enough to remember the storyline because my great-aunt, who babysat me after school, watched every day, but I was young enough at the time to not really quite understand the meaning of it all. I remember the aftermath and the wedding, etc. However, I'm more from the Felicia and Frisco days myself. As a teen and young adult, I watched Days of Our Lives and Another World. I used to record them and watch them after school, and sometimes my dad would be home. He would roll his eyes and ask how I could watch that garbage, and then I would turn around and catch him watching too over the top of the folded down newspaper :lol:

 

I don't know, but those really were the days. I LOVED General Hospital. Remember Jimmy Lee? That was one of my major high school heartthrobs. My best friend and I loved him and John Stamos (I don't remember what his name was on the show).

But yeah I loved that show for years!

 

 

Blackie Parrish! Yep, loved John Stamos...

Edited July 12, 2017 by ILiveInFlipFlops

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Does anyone remember Ryan's Hope? 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Felicia and Mac? I remember Felicia and Frisco! Anna with her scar. Lucy the librarian.

 

Yes! Frisco, not Mac. Jack Wagner, right up there with John Stamos  :svengo: :lol: 

[Joyofsixreboot]

That was a walk down memory lane.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Beth S]

. . . adding in Rick Springfield, as Noah Drake.

A friend here actually went to a Rick Springfield concert last year.  He's 67 yo now.  Not kidding.

 

. . . and Demi Moore also got her big break as Jackie Templeton on GH as well during this era.

[Guest]

A friend of mine got me sucked into GH my senior year of high school. We got out at 2:20 and drove home as fast as we could to catch the last half! I watched all the way through college. Felicia, Mac, Robin, Stone. I've forgotten so many of the other names. Who was the evil lady and wasn't there a weather machine at one point??

[Matryoshka]

*OK, I just realized that someone will correct me on that, so I'll just admit that was a bit of hyperbole on my part. I'm sure every woman was not hip to GH.

Might not be hyperbole. I *hate* soaps. I practicality break out in hives if one is on TV in the same room as me for more than 5 seconds. And I knew all about Luke and Laura and their wedding. It was inescapable. Luke in his gray tux and ridiculous permed receding hair were on every tabloid in the checkout aisle. All the kids on the bus were talking about it (pre-earbuds, it was hard not to overhear). Heck, I think the news was covering it. It was inescapable, even if you really, really didn't care. :lol:

[2_girls_mommy]

I once found several old episodes on Youtube. I am sure more are out there. It was a fun walk down memory lane for me too. 

[Guest]

Try this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=general+hospital+luke+and+laura

 

And this for Days:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Days+ofOur+Lives+Patch+Kayla

 

And I also watched this one:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Santa+Barbara+Eden+and+Cruz

 

because we didn't have TV remotes and the Soaps put babies to sleep.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Guest

[arnold]

I loved All My Children, I was so sad when it ended.

[kewb]

I remember cutting last period to make sure we were home in time for Luke and Laura's wedding.

 

I used to tape days our lives, another world, and general hospital. Loved them.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

You could try YouTube. I find it funny though that whenever I have seen anything about GH recently it includes the same characters you're asking about. I think most are still on today. I grew up watching them with my gma and whenever I catch one now it seems it's still the same. 

 

 

My mom loves that show.  "Carlie" actually owns a small vineyard in Napa and my mom went there recently just for the fun of it.  I think she got a signed bottle.  lol.  

 

I used to watch it with her sometimes and it always made me laugh that I could miss a week, a month, or several years, and still basically know what was going on.  Ha!  

 

 

Can't help with the actual question though.   

 

That's the thing.  That year of the Ice Princess, with all the espionage and adventure, had never been part of any soap opera in the past, and it has never happened again.  That was what captured everyone's attention.  Sure, some of the characters are still around, but that magic is gone forever.

 

 

 

Yes! Frisco, not Mac. Jack Wagner, right up there with John Stamos  :svengo:  :lol:

 

 

I loved Frisco, before he met his untimely death so that Jack Wagner could pursue his music career.  (Remember when he sang his song, "All I Need" to Felicia?  I just melted.)   :001_tt1:   Remember their daughter with her heart condition (what was her name?  Maxie?), who was saved when a horrible accident took the life of Scotty's daughter (it was Scotty, right?), and her heart was transplanted into Maxie.  I will never forget the scene in the hospital hallway when Felicia learned that the heart had come from her daughter's closest friend (cousin maybe?), the way she just crumbled to the floor in a heap.  I still cry, just thinking about it.    :crying:

 

Frisco was definitely swoon worthy, I just liked Mac.  He was stable, just a good guy always trying to do the right thing.  I was older by that time (maybe even married, so those things were important to me). I hated when Felicia had an affair with Luke.  I think I stopped watching at that point.  I couldn't believe they messed around with Felicia.  She was always good.  She was the rock.  It started to seem just like every other soap opera at that point, so I stopped watching.  

 

Speaking of swoonable GH men, don't forget Miguel.  He left the show to pursue his singing career as Ricky Martin. I sure loved looking at him!  He was such a sweetheart!   :svengo:

[kewb]

Thinking about this thread I remembered one of my friends named her son Noah for Doctor Noah Drake (Rick Springfield). I loved him more than Frisco (Jack Wagner).

[Crimson Wife]

I was a diehard Days fan but also watched GH the two days per week when all the big events happened (Monday and Friday I think?) I didn't really have time to watch 10 hours per week of soaps with extracurriculars, homework, babysitting & other odd jobs, etc. But I figured out that I could keep up enough on the GH storylines by just watching it twice per week.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Thanks for the links.  

 

And, I hadn't thought to check YouTube.  I will do that.  

 

 

So many stars made their starts on GH.  

 

Another thing that was different about General Hospital, at least during the years I watched it, was that if an actor left the show, they were written out of the script.  They either died, or they disappeared (so they could come back later).  With few exceptions, they didn't just get replaced with a different actor.  No facial reconstructions after terrible accidents.  (I can think of one exception to this -- that guy who was Sonny's underling in the organized crime syndicate.  He started out good, then went "bad".  What was his name?)

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Thanks for the links.

 

And, I hadn't thought to check YouTube. I will do that.

 

 

So many stars made their starts on GH.

 

Another thing that was different about General Hospital, at least during the years I watched it, was that if an actor left the show, they were written out of the script. They either died, or they disappeared (so they could come back later). With few exceptions, they didn't just get replaced with a different actor. No facial reconstructions after terrible accidents. (I can think of one exception to this -- that guy who was Sonny's underling in the organized crime syndicate. He started out good, then went "bad". What was his name?)

Jason? And if I'm right, I'm going to die laughing...

[prairiewindmomma]

Part 1 of the ice princess adventure:

[kewb]

Ooooh, Scorpio.  Loved him, too.  

[Spy Car]

Yeah, the old old days when the girl fell in love with her rapist.

 

They don't make TV like that anymore.

 

Bill

[Guest]

Jason? And if I'm right, I'm going to die laughing...

 

Yes! I think that's him. And he was with Robin. Or Carly. Or maybe both? People got around on that show, so hard to remember! He was on that weird 80's show with the space alien girl when he was younger. I wish my brain devoted less space to remember things like that and more to important things like math. :) 

[Anne in CA]

My sister and I loved Days. We were devoted! We watched Another World for a long time too, but it got super silly when Rachel got preggo at the age of like, 79, lol.

[Guest]

Yeah, the old old days when the girl fell in love with her rapist.

 

They don't make TV like that anymore.

 

Bill

That was a storyline on Days too. But, it was a misunderstanding!! And he felt bad eventually so...

[ktgrok]

My mother still watches Days but won't admit to it. I watched Another World until they took it off.

 

Before VCR's, my aunt had two tvs right next to each other because her soaps overlapped on different channels. She'd turn up the volume on the one that was at an interesting part. That is dedication!!

 

Me too. Another world was my favorite....when Josie and Matt first got together I was so happy! And whenever I see red and white roses together I think of the matriarch, and how her husband had always sent them to her for Christmas, and she even got them after he died because he'd already placed the order. So romantic!

 

The show that they replaced it with was terrible. 

[MooCow]

It was Dr.Tony Jones daughter, nicknamed "BJ" (named Barbara Jean for Bobbie, Luke's sister) and she belonged to Tony (who is Frisco'so brother ) and his first wife. It was Maxie's cousin Felicia and Frisco oldest daughter .

 

I have no life. ;)

[MooCow]

Yes! I think that's him. And he was with Robin. Or Carly. Or maybe both? People got around on that show, so hard to remember! He was on that weird 80's show with the space alien girl when he was younger. I wish my brain devoted less space to remember things like that and more to important things like math. :)

It's Jason. Carly and he are besties. I think they only got together in the beginning. Sarah Brown was playing her.

 

He's coming back if the rumors are to be believed. To play Jason again. I don't like the new one. He and Sam had great chemistry.

 

Again, I have no life. :)

 

 

Eta: Steve Burton

Edited July 12, 2017 by MooCow

[mumto2]

I watched GH but As the World Turns was my favourite. I watched it with my Grandmother then with dh's grandmother. :lol: I bought a best episodes dvd set for ATWT off Amazon at some point. It's fun to occasionally put one in and remember.

[Guest]

I was an All My Children fan. WTched it from day one for a couple of summers and for a few episodes each year for many imyears. It was surprising how easy it was to keep up with only four episodes a year.

[AnnE-girl]

I used to watch The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful with my grandma when I was a kid. When she had luncheons to go to, causing her to miss them, my grandpa would watch for her and take notes. I thought that was sweet. My mom watched Another World for a while, but wasn't quite as dedicated. I watched off and on when I could through high school and college. I went back to watching soaps when I was first home when my oldest was a baby. It was the same characters and storylines. Eventually I got too busy and lost interest.

[Guest]

Me too. Another world was my favorite....when Josie and Matt first got together I was so happy! And whenever I see red and white roses together I think of the matriarch, and how her husband had always sent them to her for Christmas, and she even got them after he died because he'd already placed the order. So romantic!

 

The show that they replaced it with was terrible.

And when he died and didn't come back to life 😢😢😢😢.

 

What was that show?? There was a bunch of magic and a talking doll in it and it was badly acted, even for a soap.

 

ETA--Passions??

 

ETA again--am I thinking of the wrong couple? He was a cop, I think?

 

More editing--Vicki and Ryan!! I loved them!

Edited July 13, 2017 by Moxie

[AnnE-girl]

And when he died and didn't come back to life 😢😢😢😢.

 

What was that show?? There was a bunch of magic and a talking doll in it and it was badly acted, even for a soap.

 

ETA--Passions??

 

ETA again--am I thinking of the wrong couple? He was a cop, I think?

 

More editing--Vicki and Ryan!! I loved them!

It was Passions and it was awful.

[happi duck]

Lol!

 

I watched Passions! It was so bizarrely bad that it was fun!

 

I think I liked it because it vibed like satire.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

And I also watched this one:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Santa+Barbara+Eden+and+Cruz

 

because we didn't have TV remotes and the Soaps put babies to sleep.

 

Santa Barbara! I watched that too for awhile. It's funny that I just finished watching the Longmire series on Netflix, and A Martinez plays a major character on there. It was hard for me to adjust to seeing him so much older and in such a different way.

 

Santa Barbara also launched Robin Wright's career too, and I've liked her since I watched her on that show. 

[Guest]

The weather machine lives!!!

 

[Suzanne in ABQ]

It was Dr.Tony Jones daughter, nicknamed "BJ" (named Barbara Jean for Bobbie, Luke's sister) and she belonged to Tony (who is Frisco'so brother ) and his first wife. It was Maxie's cousin Felicia and Frisco oldest daughter .

 

I have no life. ;)

 

 

 

Yes!  Of course.  BJ, and it was Tony in the hospital hallway.  I need to find that scene.  (But maybe I won't, because it may not be as good as I remember)

[Guest]

Who remembers All My Children Jenny and Greg? I think it was Greg.

I was more in the Phoebe Tyler, Mona and Brooke and Tad era. Erika is timeless.

[mellifera33]

Huh. I wouldn't have guessed that soaps were so popular among WTMers. Or were you watching ironically? :D

[Guest]

Huh. I wouldn't have guessed that soaps were so popular among WTMers. Or were you watching ironically? :D

We like to be one with the people. Keeps us humble. ;)

[kewb]

Huh. I wouldn't have guessed that soaps were so popular among WTMers. Or were you watching ironically? :D

Where else could you learn about adult life before the internet? Sure, Judy Blume covered puberty but what about after?

[Guest]

Where else could you learn about adult life before the internet? Sure, Judy Blume covered puberty but what about after?

Seriously!! What if I'm ever trapped on an evil base disguised as a tropical island?? Soaps teach necessary life skills!

[MrsMommy]

One Life to Live was my soap. I was channel surfing one day while on maternity leave with my first, and came across a completely ludicrous scene...I just had to see how it turned out. Three weeks later, and I was hooked. ;)

 

I watched off and on for...I guess eight years, until it went off the air. I'd get bored with how slow the story moved, and stop watching for a few months. Then I'd start to miss it, and it was like I had never stopped watching. When we had cable, I'd sometimes record it, and only watch the story lines that interested me. But there was something comforting about knowing how many decades it had been around, and how many women just like me, as well as women nothing like me, had watched it through the years. There was some kind of continuity and commonality there that I found very appealing during my days of being a new, young mother.

[MooCow]

Yes! Of course. BJ, and it was Tony in the hospital hallway. I need to find that scene. (But maybe I won't, because it may not be as good as I remember)

You should watch it. It still makes me cry. Tony listening to BJ's heart in Maxie, Felicia collapsing. Sniff. Soap opera at its best.

[J-rap]

Are soap operas like that even on anymore?  I watched Dark Shadows occasionally, but not the others.

 

I think many modern day TV series are spin-offs from the old soap opera formula.  Each episode is a continuation of the last, with romances, murders, and everything else.  Except now they are for everybody, not just housewives!