GL Oldtimer

I would LOVE that too! I would certainly buy more than one copy.

I want to thank everyone for posting information about what happened to Michael Zaslow. This discussion has been very interesting, while also heartbreaking too. At the time that the situation unfolded, I wasn't on message boards. The only sources of information I had was what was printed in publications like TV Guide and Soap Opera Digest. To this day, I still can't believe what Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin said about him, and in print no less. There are many ways that a point can be conveyed without resorting to such cruelty. I imagine if this same situation happened today, the public backlash would simply be too great to withstand and MADD would be fired. Annette

First, thank you to the posters that answered by question about how the show handled Holly's absence in the mid-2000s. Second, I have a question about Michael Zaslow. When exactly was he fired from Guiding Light? The way that I understand things is that he left before he had a diagnosis of what was wrong with him. I was always under the assumption that his departure was only going to be temporary. I'm assuming that he took some sort of medical leave with the hopes of getting better and returning. Am I right to assume that is what happened initially - he was initially not fired but went on a medical leave? I'm guessing that he was then fired at some point when he was on leave. Did he have a diagnosis yet when Guiding Light fired him? Decades later, the whole thing still makes me so angry and sad. I can't imagine what it was like for Michael and his family. I just remember feeling such a void when he left Guiding Light. I pretty much stopped watching the show after that. It was never the same for me. Annette

I have a question about Holly. I stopped watching the show consistently once the character of Roger left, although I did tune in here and there to see what was up in Springfield and specifically what Holly was doing. I did watch some of the Nursery Rhyme Stalker, although it wasn't easy. After that, I pretty much stopped altogether. I know Holly left the canvas at some point in the mid-2000s. How exactly did they explain the character's absence, or did TPTB simply not explain it at all? I think I read that at some point Blake was in a coma or a bad accident and that the TPTB didn't even have her return for that. Shameful. Thank you. Annette

Thank you very much! Thank you very much! I appreciate you both! Annette

@MLH, glad to read your post! I too was immediately drawn to Roger when he returned to the show. At the time, I was watching in real time. I didn't know much about his backstory and once I found out, I still found myself rooting for him at times. Of course a big part of this was thanks to Michael Zaslow's portrayal of such a complex character. Those moments when he showed you Roger's vulnerability really shined. It convinced me the character was capable of loving another person, but he just had so much trauma and baggage to overcome. I was bummed when the writers stopped putting Holly and Roger in each other's orbit. While fans will disagree whether they should have been romantically paired together, I don't think many fans can deny their chemistry. The actors were just incredible together and I missed when they shared scenes together. Even when the characters were fighting, it was always thrilling to watch. I think 1996 was the absolute worst year for me as a viewer as the two barely had any scenes together. Things were also pretty bleak in 1997. Like others on this board, I will never understand why TPTB decided to stop having the characters interact with each other, especially with such a rich and compelling history. If only the fans could have dictated the storylines. Annette

The Vault sounds like such a wonderful gift to all soap opera fans. I just learned about it and I'm very excited to use it. Thank you @ChickenNuggetz92 for all your work in keeping it going! Can someone provide me the most updated link to view Guiding Light episodes. I did see that on Page 1 of this thread, but I want to make sure that's still the right link. Thank you! Annette

Thank you very much for all your help, @Contessa Donatella. Thank you very much @BoldRestless for this information. I really appreciate it. Annette

I hate to be a pest, but could someone direct me to this Archive (the Internet Archive) some of you are referring to for episodes of Guiding Light? Thank you. Annette

Thank you very much for the tip. Annette

I'm so bummed about the Blake Marler YouTube channel. I was so delighted when I found it a few years ago and have been rewatching old Guiding Light episodes here and there. It's been great fun. Does anyone else know of a site where Guiding Light episodes are posted? Thank you! Annette

What an interesting read @Paul Raven. Thank you so much for posting it. Annette

alwaysAMC, I really hope you have a chance to watch Guiding Light from the early 90s. It was truly firing on all cylinders. If you're a fan of Roger now, you're going to absolutely love him from that time period. He was involved in causing trouble for nearly the whole town of Springfield. Annette

Thank you to all of those that shared Fan Fiction links with me. I truly appreciate it. I used to read a lot of One Life to Live Fan Fiction and I was always impressed at some of the storylines fans came up with. Truly some remarkable writing. Annette

I have a comment and a question :). First, I love reading all of the comments on this board. Guiding Light was the first soap that I watched and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Reading some of the comments on this board about particular storylines or characters really brings back some great memories. As for my question, there has been some mentions here and there about Guiding Light Fan Fiction. Does anyone have links they can share where I might be able to find that. Thank you. Annette

THIS! I remember being a teenager and wanting to look just like her! I finished reading Megan McTavish's book and I was surprised she talked about the mental health and addiction struggles some of the actors she worked with faced. And if Maureen Garrett was considered "old" in her late 40s, then sign me up. I wish I looked half as good as she did in her late 40s when I was in my 20s. Being one of only three actors at that time that had roots dating back to the 70s, a time that some fans consider one of Guiding Light's best eras, the actress brought a lot of value to the show, as did the character. I'll never understand why so many soap operas find it challenging to write for "older" characters. I'm convinced that audiences will watch good content, even younger viewers will watch stories about older characters if the stories are compelling and written well. Guiding Light had some of the best actors in the business in the mid-90s; actors capable of delivering the goods. The show was firing on all cylinders when Roger and Holly made their return in the late 1980s. Personally, I was challenged by the storylines during McTavish's tenure at Guiding Light. While I did understand her wanting to end Roger and Holly's romance, I did struggle when the two stopped being in each other's orbit. There was so much history between the two characters, not to mention Garrett and Michael Zaslow were just magic on screen together. I was just mesmerized by them, but all of that came to a halt when Holly was paired with Fletcher and Roger with Dinah. And there's no doubt that Holly's pairing with Fletcher stifled the character. All of the sudden she was wearing flannels and hair scrunchies and acting as a shoulder to cry on for all of Springfield's characters. This was certainly not MG's doing though. I imagine she must have found the lack of storyline for Holly as frustrating as I did. The creative team really pigeonholed a character that was at one point one of the most interesting on the show.

I realize this was discussed nearly two weeks ago, but I'm just catching up! Holly is indeed a queen! It pained me to see what became of the character after 1995. One of the reasons why I stopped watching Guiding Light was because I grew so tired of the lack of storylines for some of the veteran characters at a time when the show was introducing new character after new character. There was plenty that could have been written for the vets, but the show lacked imagination and inspiration. I love some of the ideas posted on here as to what the writers could have done with Holly and others. Annette

PREACH!!! These three actors were my absolute favorites on the show when I watched. I'll also throw Rick Hearst into the mix. The country club scenes when Alexandra shames Roger in front of the movers and shakers of Springfield was simply epic. Same can be said for when she confronts Roger about his affair with Mindy. These scenes are simply a masterclass all around. I was never one to root for the villain, and that was what was so brilliant about Michael Zaslow's portrayal of Roger — I found myself wanting him to win more times than not. It's one of the reasons why I loved him with Holly. As wrong as the two of them were together because of their past, there was also just something so right in having them together. I loved the vulnerability the character showed when he was with Holly. And I could go on for hours about Maureen Garrett. What a gifted performer. I loved her portrayal of Holly. I don't think I've ever seen another actor communicate so much emotion without saying a word. She should have won an Emmy 10 times over. Annette

The number one factor that attracted me to Guiding Light was the acting. Guiding Light was certainly one of the least glamorous soaps on at the time when I was watching, but the top-notch acting is what kept me coming back day after day. I think Guiding Light employed some of the best actors in the business. Annette

I just wanted to say that I'm really glad I found this discussion board. The conversations about Guiding Light are informative and fascinating. From the sets, to the storylines, to the characters - I really enjoy reading everyone's thoughts on things. I wish that when I was watching the show in realtime the 90s, I had a place like this to go. I started watching Guiding Light when I was in middle school, but the friends of mine that watched soaps were all ABC fans. I had no one to talk to about Guiding Light! It sucked! Thank you all for welcoming me. Annette

I really liked Reva and Josh. In fact, it was their wedding at Cross Creek in 1989 that got me hooked on Guiding Light. I thought they shared a wonderful chemistry together and I was definitely invested in their love story. I remember being pretty devastated when Reva's car plunged into the water. I do think the pairing lost a bit of that spark through when Reva came back after being presumed dead. For me, there were too many convoluted obstacles written to keep them apart, and then when they finally did get back together the payoff just wasn't there because their happiness was so fleeting. As a viewer, I got exhausted by their love story. Of course, I realize that a happy couple makes for a boring soap, but their constant together/apart routine just made me disinterested. Annette

The summer of 1992 was a tough year for Guiding Light with so many incredible actresses leaving the show. For me, the one that hit the hardest was Beverlee McKinsey. What a powerhouse. She was very much missed! I agree that the Ross/Blake/Roger/Holly storyline lost a bit of steam when Sherry Stringfield left. I also think the character of Blake changed a lot once Stringfield left. However, I think Jerry verDorn and Elizabeth Keifer shared a nice chemistry together. Also, I loved the mother/daughter chemistry between Maureen Garrett and Keifer. I thought it worked very nicely, especially once the two characters patched their relationship up. Recasts are tough. I certainly can't imagine the challenge an actor must face when coming into a role that the audience identifies with another actor. I think recast parts almost always seem to also change the character too. I guess that's to be expected as the new actor puts his or her spin on things. Annette

I recall reading an interview with Maureen Garrett in which I believe she said TPTB wanted her to dye her hair blonde to match the hair color of Lynn Deerfield's hair. I can't imagine Holly without red hair! Annette

In regards to some of your previous comments regarding Maureen Garrett and Maeve Kinkead being underrated and overshadowed, I concur. Like Beverlee McKinsey, Garrett and Kinkead portrayed their characters with such believability. There was never a false note in either of their performances. One of the things I admired about all three actresses is that they didn't always go for the big moment, even though they could have. They did it when it made sense, and to me, it was so much more impactful. It meant something to me when any of these three characters shed a tear or yelled because they didn't do it regularly. I'm not suggesting that one style of acting is right or wrong, but for me, their style of acting was more aligned with what I wanted as a viewer. I truly wish Garrett and Kinkead received more accolades during their time on the show. I stopped watching Guiding Light in 2000 when Holly got swept to the sidelines. Without Michael Zaslow there either, I just couldn't hang on. Annette

I've been enjoying reading about some of your thoughts about the storylines and characters from the 1970s. I wasn't watching the show at that time due to my age, but I have tried to see what I can via YouTube. As someone who didn't start watching Guiding Light until 1989, I have a question about Holly and Roger's relationship in the 1970s. Was it a love story? When the characters returned in the late 1980s, my impression was that they had this once in a lifetime love affair, which then went terribly wrong. I'm just curious as to how their relationship was portrayed in the 1970s. Annette