Kelly Sullivan Axed from "General Hospital"! I Don't Get It.

Soap opera fans are used to changes on their favorite shows.  We may not like them, but change is inevitable.  Most changes aren't THAT bad and we learn to live with them.  However, the loss of one of our favorite characters/actors when a show decides to let an actor go is NOT something a soap fan takes lightly because these characters and actors become like extended family to us.  We all have our favorite soap actors/characters, and we don't always agree with each other.  But every once in a while, you find an actor that is so talented that most of us can agree that we love him/her.  Such is the case with Kelly Sullivan.  Kelly has been playing the role of Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri on "General Hospital" since September of 2011.  She replaced Megan Ward, who originated the role.  It was announced this week that Kelly Sullivan has been written out of the show.  This is wrong on so many levels.  

First of all, she made the character likeable, which I didn't think was possible.  She brought a certain quality to the character that was different.  Kate was no longer just a stuffy business woman.  She had a sense of humor and was fun--and NICE.  Her portrayal of someone with D.I.D. was absolutely amazing!  So at this point, I knew she was probably one of the most talented women on the planet, and I was looking forward to her next storyline.  I had been getting worried because she wasn't on much lately.  There was talk of a third personality.  Then suddenly, we seemed to be getting something.  A Sonny/Kate/Olivia triangle.  This sounded interesting.  I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but hey.  If it gave Kelly Sullivan a storyline, I was all for it.  That's when the bomb dropped that she was being written out of the show.  It doesn't make any sense. Why create a storyline that could give her character something to do only to write her out? 

Point # 2.  Sonny & Kate (a.k.a. Maurice Benard and Kelly Sullivan) have great chemistry.  If they're going with a Sonny/Olivia pairing just because they share a child (but haven't been together in 25 years), that makes ZERO sense.  Yes, she's more his "type", but I don't see any chemistry there at all.  Not romantically anyway.

Point #3.  There are characters and then there are characters that change your life.  I was listening to a fan tonight tell how Kelly Sullivan's portrayal of a woman with D.I.D. literally changed her life.  I was brought to tears as she described how Kate/Connie taking control of her condition and getting the help she needed caused her to take control of her own mental illness.  Characters like this should not be thrown away.  Any actor who can change a person's life with the way she portrays a character is golden and should be appreciated by TPTB of the show she is on.  It isn't every day a person gets to change someone's life in such a drastic way.  Why anyone would throw away an actress that could do that is beyond me.  And I hope and pray that TPTB change their mind and keep Miss Sullivan.  I hope this is one of those situations where you are writing her out temporarily and bringing her back at a later date.  It's been done before, so I hope this is the case now.  Otherwise, this is a BIG mistake.

To Kelly Sullivan, I have this to say.  I admit that I was not a Kate/Connie fan when the character was on originally.  But you changed that with your brilliant portrayal of the character.  You made me like Kate/Connie.  Thank you for your dedication to your craft, the show, and the fans.  Your portrayal of Kate/Connie will never be forgotten.  You are very talented, and I wish you well.  I love you.  

The Fan/Celebrity Relationship

I have always been a big fan of celebrities.  I have too many favorites to count.  It started when I was a teenager and has shown no signs of backing off over the years.  Maybe it comes from my desire to want to be in the entertainment business in some way.  Most people I know, especially my own family don't get it.  They think it's silly.  It's always made me feel like a bit of an outsider.  And it's only when I'm around other fans that I feel truly accepted.  

Over the years, I have formed a relationship of sorts with some celebrities.  I've talked to some on the phone and was very close to one for a while.  It always surprises me, though, when a celebrity I don't know well remembers me.  Case in point, I recently tweeted a celebrity I haven't contacted in a while. I was shocked  when he remembered me and said he hadn't heard from me in a while.  There have also been times when I got a reply back from a tweet, and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.   

Still...I always had the attitude that the celebrity was there to entertain me.  It was their job. That's the life they chose.  The only money I should have to pay is to buy their movies, CD's or other merchandise they're selling.  So when I noticed a trend lately where celebrities were asking the fans to donate money to their projects, I was a little offended.  I mean, really?  I've heard of getting backers/investors for projects, but I thought that asking the fans was going a little too far.  I mean...they have money and contacts, right?  Why should the fans pay for their projects? 

Then I met a man online named Leon Acord, who has a web series "Old Dogs and New Tricks".  I now consider Leon to be a friend, and I hope he feels the same way.  He has totally changed my life and my way of thinking.  He posted a link The Art of Asking on Twitter.  After watching the video, I totally get it--and am now a huge Amanda Palmer fan.  I now see it as the fans being investors in projects, and I think this is a good thing.  We're the recipient of the final project, so why shouldn't we be involved in some way?  

Leon is trying to raise money for the 3rd (and what he says is the final season) of "Old Dogs and New Tricks". They need to reach their goal of $9,999 in the next TEN DAYS.  They are currently at $3,081.  Please help them out by going to Old Dogs and New Tricks Season 3 to contribute. Thanks!

A Soap Fan's Opinion About Fans and General Hospital

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Soap fans are the most loyal group I've ever seen. It doesn't matter what is happening on their soap. They will defend their favorite characters to the death.  Unfortunately, soap fans can also be the scariest group of people you will ever come across.  I've dealt with fans for years and have been freaked out by some of them. But my latest encounters on Twitter have me totally shocked and freaked out.

We all have issues with our shows and it's unrealistic to think that no matter who is writing or who the Exec. Producer is, we'll all go with whatever they dish out.  Sure some viewers do, but I'm not one of them, and I've never been able to understand the ones who are.  But as I said in a previous blog, they are a soap execs. dream viewer.  TPTB don't have to worry about dealing with them because they're always happy.  I am not one of those people, and I have been known for my "poison-pen" letters.  But over the years, since I've been involved with different celebrities, there is one thing I have learned.  It's OK to voice your opinion. I'm all for it.  You can still give your opinion without coming across as rude.  It's called constructive criticism.  Unfortunately, I have come to realize that most people don't understand what constructive criticism is.  It means expressing your opinion politely. 

From what I have seen on Twitter, some "fans" haven't learned the concept of constructive criticism.  They think it's OK to say whatever they want to the head writer of their show, and if the writer doesn't like it, tough--it's the writer's fault and the writer should get off Twitter if they can't take it.  And Heaven forbid if the writer responds to them with the same rudeness and blocks them instead of taking the "fan's" rudeness.  Like being on the internet makes it ok for the viewer to be rude, but if the writer is rude in return, the writer is to blame. Um...NO! To those people, I say GROW UP and take responsibility for your words/actions!  It isn't ok to be rude to someone and then be offended when you get rudeness in return.  And it most certainly won't get you anywhere with TPTB.  

The worst case I've seen of this is the fans' reactions to Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank on Twitter) and Ron Carlivati (@carlivatiron on Twitter), Exec. Producer and Head Writer of "General Hospital", respectively.  It's no secret that GH has been in trouble for years.  The last regime under Exec. Producer Jill Farren Phelps and Head Writer Robert Guza, Jr. was a disaster!  Even I stopped watching several times.  What they did to some of my favorite characters was a travesty.  OLTL and AMC were canceled in 2011, and GH was next on the chopping block.  Enter Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati who literally turned OLTL around during their tenure.  They have done the same for "General Hospital".  Considering the huge mess they were left to deal with, I'm very impressed with what they've done in such a short time.  First they had to clean up the mess left behind by Guza before they could do anything else.  That took MONTHS!  What they have done is nothing short of a miracle.  So you will have to forgive me if I wonder what everyone's problem is.  I mean seriously...do they not remember what the show was like just two years ago? The difference is like night and day.  Is it that people don't know good writing when they hear it? Were they so brainwashed by Guza's writing that they honestly can't see (or hear) that what we have NOW is good writing?  Mr. Valentini and Mr. Carlivati don't deserve the crap they've been getting from the fans.  They're not even giving them a chance.  It takes time to turn around a holy mess.  You can't do it all at once.  But for some reason, people seem to think it can be done.  These shows are written in and taped in advance. It's a slow process.  I have noticed that most of the people giving them a hard time are the ones who ONLY ever watched GH and not OLTL.  Fans that used to watch OLTL or both OLTL and GH seem quite happy with them.  The cast seems happy with them as well.  I hope the viewers who are criticizing Mr. Valentini and Mr. Carlivati will learn to at least give them a chance.  They seem to forget that it's thanks to them they still have a show to watch.   

I would like to send my love, gratitude, and admiration to Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati.  I was a fan of both of you from your time on "One Life to Live".  You did amazing work then, and you continue to do so now on "General Hospital".  You literally turned "General Hospital" around and made the show great again.  I am loving the show more than I have in years.  It is a credit to your guidance and writing.  You are both extremely talented and know exactly what has to be done.  Thank you from this grateful fan!