by Ann Carson
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Daytime soap operas have a tradition of including multiple generations to their ensemble cast. General Hospital has always made older characters, such as Steve Hardy, important members of the Port Charles community. There are few other mediums that do this and it is rare that even prime time television shows have story lines that represent older characters. The only one that comes to mind is the Walton's, where they portrayed the grandparents as having real issues and were considered important members of the family.
Recently, there have been several articles about ABC daytime shows removing older actors from the cast. Actors have reported that the reason they have been let go is because the network wants a young cast and that there is a lack of interest to write storylines for older characters. And by old, the networks are referring to anyone that doesn't represent the 18-24 age group.
Anna Lee, 90, who has played Lila Quartermaine on General Hospital since 1978, has recently been dropped from her contract. Even though Lila has a small role, she is still an important member of the cast. Old and young viewers alike are thrilled to see Lila in a scene at the Quartermaine Mansion. Who can forget when Felicia started writing Lilal's memoirs or that Lila started her own business with her Pickle-Lila recipe.
Viewers want to see all the characters on the show. The small scenes of Audrey Hardy visiting her granddaughter Elizabeth in the hospital, or Lesley babysitting Lesley-Lu, or Lee and Gail Baldwin advising Scott are vital to keeping the fabric of the show true to the daytime traditions of using multiple generations. It would be wonderful to have Mike visit his newborn grandson, Morgan. What better time to have Sonny and Mike resolving their differences as father and son, especially now that Sonny is a father himself. Viewers would welcome the conflicts, the bonding, and the relationship of three generations. Yet, these scenes are not being written. Shame on the network executives that are eliminating the very foundation of the soap opera genre: family.
It's extremely disconcerting to see ABC set this precedent for their daytime shows. Longtime viewers yearn to see characters that they have followed for many years be included in story lines. The hallmark of soaps is they include multiple generations with relationships that cover a variety of issues. To accomplish this, the viewer must see continuity, respect for history, and good writing on the show. The daytime viewing audience is loyal and invested in the characters. Adding young characters to the cast is fine, but not at the expense of phasing out long time cast members. It is wrong and not the way to keep the devoted viewer watching the show.
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