DOCTOR NOAH RISES AGAIN

Even after acknowledging that soap opera time is far slower than real time, it's still been 22 years since Dr. Noah Drake has been at General Hospital in Port Charles, NY. (I can't speak for the entire town, merely for his absence from the hospital.) That's because I used the fact that they still celebrate Christmas each year on 7West to mark the passage of Time.

He finally did show up this past Friday in a much heralded return well publicized by the press. But in true soap opera style, for he didn't appear in the episode until the last five minutes. Sweeps may be over, but the weekend cliff-hanger is a tradition soaps can't ignore.

But even though it's been over two decades since we last saw Dr. Drake, (not to be confused with Dr. Drake Ramoray), that doesn't mean he's just been packed in ice and put on hold until he was thawed out for future use. Even though we couldn't see what was happening, Noah Drake's life continued, with all of the misadventures and mishaps, joys and sorrows one could imagine might happen to someone usually caught up in a soap opera lifestyle.

And no one knows that better when it comes to Dr. Noah Drake than Rick Springfield, who, by an AMAZING coincidence, bears a striking resemblance to Drake.

Noah Drake "would have gone through a lot of [bleep]," revealed the actor/singer. "I certainly have in my life, and I can't imagine anyone hasn't gone through some pretty major things in those years. I'm sure [Noah Drake] won't have just had a nice, even career. He was transferred to Atlanta, but certain things can hit the fan during your 30s and 40s."

Weeeell, doggies! I'll say! When Dr. Robin Scorpio finally tracks Drake down, she finds a haggard drunk sleeping it off in the corner of some dive bar.

If there's any justice and respect for the tradition of in-jokes, let's all hope that it was the girl-friend of some guy named Jesse who led to Noah Drake's downfall.....

BCnU!
Tele-Toby