Wednesday, July 18, 2012

HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?

With massive chunks of the US currently sweltering through a heat wave (what can you do, it is the summer time), a cool spell sounds pretty delicious right about now - even if it does come courtesy of an evil villain's weather machine.

Thirty-one years ago, General Hospital gave soap viewers exactly that with their rip-roaring Ice Princess storyline.

Edward's beloved niece, Alex, was in love with Tony Cassadine, brother of Victor (a pre-DOOL Thaao Penghlis) and Mikos - who kind of wanted to take over the world (the fact that he was played by John Colicos, the original Balthar of the original Battlestar: Gallactica made it clear he wasn't kidding).

Luke and Laura got dragged into the fight via a mysterious World Security Agent named Robert Scorpio (Executive Producer Gloria Monty originally wanted to a South African actor for the part, since the plot involved a huge synthetic diamond, but misspoke and told her Casting Director, "Australian."  Which is how Tristan Rogers got involved), and his plucky side-kick/surrogate mom, O'Reilley, played by Witchy-Poo herself, Billie Hayes.

I was 11 years old when this storyline aired.  O'Reilley was my first soap opera death.  I didn't realize characters could die on soaps (well, not ones I loved, anyway).  I thought the whole point was that they went on forever.  That's what I loved about them.  I sobbed like crazy.

If you would like to do the same, as well as either relive those glory days of soaps, or watch them for the first time and get cooled off a little, most of the story is up on YouTube, beginning with Part #1, below:

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