If I wasn't already certain after last summer's sensational Night Shift 2 performance, the June 23rd issue of Soap Opera Digest totally confirms my un-adulterated crush on Tristan Rogers. In their "late-breaking news" section, digest notes that Anthony Geary has come under fire from fans who were irritated by comments he made recently regarding Luke's philandering on Laura back in their super-couple days.
No, really?
Fans are annoyed that Bob Guza is retroactively destroying the first and arguably the greatest, super-couple of the soap-verse for a cheap and inevitably short-lived, poorly realized, plot-point and that Anthony Geary is supporting it?
The heck you say!
Those pesky, irrational fans.
Tony Geary has fled to Amsterdam for his quadra-annual vacation, and could not be reached for further comment (because they do have legalized drugs and prostitution, but they don't have phones in The Netherlands, apparently).
In any event, Tristan Rogers could be reached for comment, and this is what he had to say: "It's no great secret that TPTB don't consult me much these days when it comes to story... {Ha! 
Don't take it personally, I'm convinced Guza doesn't consult anyone with a rational thought in favor of that darn dart board, when it comes to storyline direction} . . . However, it was said to me that in the beginning, this was Robert's child with Holly, and that was how it would be presented . . . {Darn, that so would have been the way to go, vive les Scorpios!} . . . "Luke wants to be the father, but he's rather challenged when it comes to parenting skills. I mean it's a hard sell when it comes to being an engaging story." {A hard sell? Gotta love the Aussies and their gift for understatement. Not that Guza could sell water to desert nomads if he tried, mind you}
Regarding the fan uproar: "I believe TPTB were hoping just such a thing would happen, I mean, GH doesn't garner much interest at any level these days. {
} The fact that this would ignite controversy and get the boards posting and this would in turn get people watching had to be a prime factor in this story moving ahead . . . Right now, if all the brouhaha brings people to watching, even if they comment negatively, well, it's all ratings."
He is completely and totally right - - that is exactly how the executives think. Michael's shooting is a perfect example, the viewing public (all five that remain) may be completely disgusted, but at least they're talking about the show. Good job Bob! Thanks Brian, let's call it a day and head off to our misogynists united meeting.
Has it occured to no one to try putting on something worth-watching in the first place?
Something worth talking about for the right reasons?
Something like Night Shift 3, perhaps?
You are so right! I love Tristan Rogers. He totally cuts through all the bull and calls it like it really is. Yes, this story has got people talking, but it also has even more people tuning out and at this point they can't afford to lose any more viewers. It isn't even about pulling in new viewers at this point, it is about keeping the ones you have and trashing history for a shiny new toy and yet another useless plot point is just ludicrous.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 14, 2009 at 11:18 AM
I think many people comment without tuning in. I haven't watched the show once since early Nov of last year, but I keep up with the board just to see if there's any attempt to return to sanity by Guza. So, yeah, many may post and express outrage but many are still tuned out and have no plans to return until Jill Farren-Phelps and Guza are history.
Posted by: cillann | June 15, 2009 at 09:59 AM
Tristan was clearly talking about the storyline but people blurr the line between Luke and Geary. Holly did say Ethan was Robert's son but then she was caught in her lie and recanted. Then she admitted Ethan was Luke's son. That was the storyline folks, Luke wanted Ethan to be his son---LUKE. Luke is a fictional character, Geary is a working actor who brings to the screen what is written for Luke.
Geary gave an interview explaining Luke's motivation, he used Luke's "scripted dialogue" for the entire interview. This dialogue was written by GH writers, not Geary. Yet Geary takes the heat for repeating Luke's dialogue to a soap magazine to explain Luke's motivation.
Totally unreal. Geary is a real person---Luke is fiction.
Posted by: Catherine Kent | June 15, 2009 at 11:38 PM