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and so did the actor, Tony Geary. Luke without Laura was apparently only Lukewarm. Geary was later brought back in the character of Luke's cousin, Bill Eckert, but the fans didn't embrace him and "Bill" was eventually sent packing.

In the years immediately following Luke & Laura, Monty paired more actors, keeping the same Super-Couple formula that catapulted Luke and Laura to fame: exotic locations and steamy sex scenes. Scorpio and Holly, Duke and Anna, Frisco and Felicia, Alan and Monica, Bobbie and Tony and Sonny and Brenda eventually picked up the void created by the absence of Luke & Laura. But history repeated itself and one by one the actors portraying the couples split and left the soap.

With the absence of the super-couples they'd created, the show begin to flounder. By late '93 the show was once again in trouble. In '94, both Geary and Francis reprised their roles as Luke & Laura and brought a lot of media attention with them. Once again, GH broke ground in new territories when Geary and Francis appeared on the top rated CBS sitcom, The Roseanne Barr show, appearing as Luke and Laura in a storyline that once again had them on the run. In return for the appearance, Roseanne and then husband Tom Arnold made appearances on GH. Ratings went through the roof and once more, fans put the show on top. Sponsorship dollars were at a premium and GH was back at the front, leading the pack in Soap Opera ratings.

Once their fan base was stabilized, GH execs decided this time around they weren't going to put all their creative eggs in one basket. The focus shifted from romance and they began exploring social issues that other soaps hadn't touched; breast cancer, Aids, HIV and even homosexuality. During the 90's when social consciousness was regaining a stronghold on the political front, this was considered a brilliant move on the part of ABC brass. This newly awakening social consciousness was a winner with the audience and again, GH rose to the top of the ratings heap.

In 2005, however, new writers alienated many fans by writing off long-time characters. The new writing team and new executive producer came in and cleaned house. More than half of the cast was either let go or put on recurring status. This so angered the fans they quit watching. GH plummeted to the bottom of the ratings again, the writers were let go and yet another creative team was brought in. The current head writers are now bringing back beloved characters from the GH hey-day and giving them vital,

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