Friday, July 20, 2012

50 Greatest Soap Couples: #30 Rick & Lesley From GENERAL HOSPITAL

COUPLE: Rick Webber & Lesley Williams Faulkner
SHOW: GENERAL HOSPITAL
RANK: 30
PLAYED BY:
Rick: Michael Gregory, Chris Robinson
Lesley: Denise Alexander
YEARS: 1976-1984

STORY:
Rick was a promising young surgeon who dated Monica (Patsy Rahn) when he went to African and was presumed killed.  Monica began dating his brother, Jeff, when Rick turned up very much alive.   Meanwhile, Lesley was also a doctor whose husband Cam had recently died.  She was pregnant and Rick was there for her and the two of them grew closer. Monica wasn't having this so she tried to keep them apart.  Her interference ultimately led to Lesley losing the baby and she backed off.  Rick helped convince Lesley's biological daughter Laura (adopted by the Vinings) that Lesley loved her.   Lesley and Rick confessed their feelings for each other and were married.

An already complicated life got even more complicated when Rick's buddy David Hamilton moved in with them.  When he ended up dead, Lesley confessed (covering for Laura) and ended up in prison.  The aftermath of this saw Rick having an affair with Monica splitting up his marriage to Lesley.   Lesley was thought to have been killed in a 1984 car crash but turned up alive in 1996.  Rick returned in 2002 and the character was killed off.

IMPACT:
In 1973 GENERAL HOSPITAL brought on one of Daytime's biggest stars in Denise Alexander to help save the struggling soap.  The show found gold when it paired Lesley with Rick.  Incredible chemistry, a great storyline and the ability to play heavy drama, comedy and everything in between made Rick and Lesley a fan favorite.  They dominated the soap magazine polls in the late '70s as GENERAL HOPSITAL rose to No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings.

Like several of the other popular acting duos in the countdown, Robinson and Alexander were reunited on another soap, ANOTHER WORLD, in the late '80s.  The chemistry was still there but the story wasn't as solid and fans preferred Alexander's Mary McKinnon with Robert Hogan's Vince instead.

Amazingly, Alexander has only received one Daytime Emmy nomination ever, in 1976, for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.  Alexander and Robin were named by the readers of Daytime TV magazine the Favorite Actress and Actor from all soaps.

CLASSIC CLIPS:
Rick agreed to keep Monica on staff despite what she did to Lesley (1977)
Rick asks Lesley to marry him...again
Rick and Lesley's wedding (1981)
Rick, Lesley and Susan Moore (1983)

Share your thoughts on Bob and Kim in our Comments section below or on our message board.

RELATED:
- 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actors: The Complete List
- 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actresses: The Complete List
- THE COMPLETE LIST: 25 Biggest Blunders In Daytime Soap Opera History

8 comments:

  1. One of my favourite soap couple of all time. Patsy Rahn was great as Monica even though most people only remember Leslie Charleson.

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  2. So excited about Rick and Lesley making it on the list and at a decent number. AFter Luke and Laura they were my next favorite GH couple!

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  3. Loved Rick and Lesley together and would be in my top 50 soap couples, but I don't think they should have beaten GH couples like Stone and Robin or Frisco and Felicia.

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    1. Actually, I think they were overlooked too often by GH viewers. They were in the shadow of Luke and Laura for most of their relationship in 1981. They are my all-time favorite gh couple.

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  4. I adored Rick & Lesley! I felt so cheated when Rick came back and they never got their happily every after. Felt double cheated for the 50th anniversary when Ghost Rick came back for Monica!! What a disservice to the history, the characters and the fans of the best of the best!

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  5. Rick and Lesley are my all time soap couple, followed only by Jasam of this generation.

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