Laura Returns Photo Gallery
The Wedding 1981 Photo Gallery
The Wedding 2006 Photo Gallery
(Please log in first to see gallery pix)
With 30 million viewers, the wedding of Luke & Laura was the most watched television episode, second only to the wedding of Diana and Charles, which occurred earlier that year. Odds are, with all the diverse outlets for our attention these days (iPods, computers, electronic games, the internet, movies, cable, DVDs, etc.), daytime television may never see such record numbers again.
And what a wedding it was! Earlier this month, Soapdom screened the famous Luke & Laura wedding episodes, including the episode that aired November 15, 1981 and the episode that aired November 16, 1981. Both will air again on SOAPnet on November 24, 2006 and we highly recommend your tuning in, whether you’re a GH fan or not. The episodes combined love, romance, tenderness, fun, danger, politics, the uninvited jilted ex husband who shows up anyway, several way cool vintage cars and so much more.
With the 25th anniversary of Luke & Laura’s wedding looming, ABC Daytime approached Genie Francis, who originated the role of Laura 30 years ago, to return to the canvas and help make the celebration even more special. Francis admitted that she was nervous about returning, but was able to gauge the response of the audience from her neighbors in Maine. Once they found out she was heading back, they would approach her saying, “Did you know Lulu had an abortion?” “Lucky’s on drugs.” “They need a mother!” “It was so sweet,” Francis told the LA Times.
“Obviously, with Laura, we’ve been hyphenated as characters for almost 30 years,” said Anthony Geary of his on-screen love interest. “And Genie and I are soul mates in terms of acting. (We’re) terrific acting partners. So I’ve been waiting (for her return).”
On October 26, from out of the depths of a catatonic state, and from Belfast in the state of Maine, Laura returned to Port Charles. On November 16, 2006, she will again walk down the aisle to the waiting arms of Luke as they remarry 25 years after on the very same day that they married the first time.
Taking things a step further, SOAPnet is not only re-airing the original wedding episodes, they’ve scoured the depths of Iron Mountian Underground (where ABC stores its tapes), to compile a myriad of clips showcasing Luke & Laura’s romance. You’ll relive the snippets of their lives including:
The day Luke and Laura met in 1979.
The summer of 1980 when they went on the run.
Their first marriage.
The births of their children.
Their return to Port Charles in 1993 in a pink Cadillac.
Their divorce in 2001, and…
Their emotional reunion when Laura emerged from the four-year catatonic state.
Imagine the task of combing through approximately 5,000 episodes to find just the right scenes to air. Thanks to SOAPnet’s Luke and Laura Task Force, headed by Linda Kirwin, a coordinator in the programming department, and Diane Desio, producer for SOAPnet.com, they first picked 50 scenes, then narrowed them down to 25 of the most special moments of the love story. When Tony Geary and Genie Francis saw the compilation for the first time, they were in awe of the Task Force. “That’s a lot of tape,” quipped Geary. Francis remembered that she stood for 13 hours so as not to wrinkle the wedding dress. Geary admitted that he volunteered to jump over the balcony. Apparently, it took too long to walk around the veranda, so he said he’d jump. He didn’t realize until it was too late just how far the jump was. “That’s the thing I never liked about (Luke). He’s so bombastic,” Geary told the LA Times. Francis was quick to note that everyone who watched loved it.
ABC Daytime and SOAPnet Combine Efforts
As we’ve been reporting for the past few months, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet have pulled out all the stops to take us back to 1981, and to celebrate the wedding with Luke & Laura’s new wedding 2006 style. Here’s what’s happening…
October 26 – Genie Francis' first episode airs on General Hospital.
November – SOAPnet begins a month-long celebration of Luke & Laura's wedding.
November 4 & 5 – SOAPnet airs ‘best of’ Luke and Laura moments during same day recap marathons of General Hospital.
mospagebreak
November 10 – Super Soap Weekend adds a kick off event in honor of Luke and Laura sponsored by Colgate® Total®. This is Genie Francis and Anthony Geary's first public appearance together in several years.
November 11 & 12 – Special Luke and Laura and General Hospital merchandise will be available during Super Soap Weekend.
November 11 & 12 – SOAPnet airs ‘best of’ Luke and Laura moments during same day recap marathons of General Hospital.
Week of November 13 – ABC airs special Luke and Laura taped segments during the commercial breaks of General Hospital.
November 16 – Commemorates the 25th anniversary of Luke & Laura's
wedding with a special celebration episode and special taped segments to air during the commercial breaks on ABC daytime.
November 18 & 19 - SOAPnet airs ‘best of’ Luke and Laura moments during same day recap marathons of General Hospital.
November 24 – SOAPnet airs “Luke and Laura 25: Something Old, Something New…” a marathon of pivotal episodes in their relationship including the original wedding episodes and a one-hour original special, “Luke and Laura Through the Years," (working title) hosted by Genie Francis and Anthony Geary. Francis and Geary reminisce about their characters and how the wedding catapulted them into pop culture history.
November 25 & 26 - SOAPnet airs ‘best of’ Luke and Laura moments during same day recap marathons of General Hospital
“General Hospital” airs Monday-Friday at 3-4PM ET, 2-3PM PT on the ABC Television network and Monday-Friday at 10PM and in Sunday marathons from 2-7PM on SOAPnet
Related Features
The Year Luke & Laura Got Married
Luke & Laura Time Line
Tony Geary Bio
Luke Spencer Bio
Genie Francis Bio
Laura Spencer Bio
Love in the Afternoon
GH’s Genie Francis Brings Laura to Life Again
GH’s Luke & Laura Get Remarried On-Air
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Snail Mail TPTB
Soap Tweets
