GL Oldtimer

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

The conversation regarding the lack of Emmy wins for Guiding Light has been interesting to read. I'm shocked the show didn't win Best Drama Series at all between 1990 to 1993. For me, that was the show's last great era. It's also maddening that Michael Zaslow only won once and Maureen Garrett never won at all. These actors, as well as others, are the reason I watched the show. Their performances were always so grounded and measured. There was so much truth in their work. Annette

In regards to Marcy Walker, it's interesting rewatching her time on Guiding Light as I have been thanks to YouTube. The writers threw Tangie with nearly every character and in nearly every storyline, and nothing seemed to work. It certainly wasn't for a lack of trying on Walker's part though. Annette

@Contessa Donatella, thank you for explaining to me what block voting is and how it works as it pertains to soap operas. Annette

I have what is probably a rather stupid question, but what exactly is block voting? I don't understand the definition of it as it pertains to the Daytime TV Emmy Awards. Thank you in advance to anyone that can provide an explanation. Annette

Did Beverlee McKinsey ever discuss publicly why she didn't submit her work during her run on Guiding Light? Annette

Beverlee McKinsey was just an absolute powerhouse! I loved watching her scenes. She was very measured and realistic in her approach, which I appreciated as a viewer. In those moments when Alex showed anger or shed tears, I really felt it. The country club scenes when Alex takes down Roger are simply epic. Same for the scenes when she confronts him about his infidelity. Talk about a masterclass in acting. Annette

I started watching Guiding Light in the summer of 1989. It was Reva and Josh's wedding at Cross Creek that intrigued me as I was flipping channels. Up until that point, I had just watched nighttime soaps. I remember being so mesmerized by all of the location scenes. I stuck with the show for several years after that. My favorite years of the show were between 1990 to 1994 as I felt like it was very much an ensemble at that point. It seemed to me that most characters had a least some sort of storyline, and I thought the writers did a nice job of having multiple characters interact with each other. Springfield felt like an actual community to me. I watched religiously for a nearly 12-year span, and the early 90s were just awesome. Like most of you on this board, I didn't just watch one soap opera. I was also a fan of As the World Turns and One Life to Life. While I certainly had my favorite characters on each, I do think soap operas were a better viewing experience when they focused on multiple storylines involving multiple characters. I realize that there are going to be ebbs and flows with storylines and characters, but it's never good when one or two characters monopolize a show. I think Guiding Light was one of the worst examples of allowing that to happen. Annette

Thank you so much @DRW50 for tagging me. What a gem of a find! It's so exciting to watch episodes from so many decades ago. Thank you. Annette

I had no idea that Michael Zaslow wrote for Another World! That's very cool. Annette

I started watching the show in 1989 and thought it remained very strong until about 1995. I know a lot of people feel the show started to shift downward in 1993, but I didn't feel that way until 1995. That's mostly thanks to the fact I was intrigued by the Roger and Holly pairing. Once things ended between them, my interest started to wane. It's very disappointing when quality doesn't translate into ratings. Annette

@Khan, you mentioned in your post above that it's pretty much show up, stand on your mark, and go. This must be why when I catch some episodes of soaps airing now, there's not as much blocking or movement as I remember when I watched in real-time during the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Annette

Are soaps not rehearsing scenes at all at this point? I'm glad I was a fan of the genre in its heyday when every major network had several soaps on in the afternoon. Those were some awesome days! I remember how much I looked forward to the new issues of Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly to hit the newsstands. I just remember it being an exciting time to be a fan. Annette

@Khan, I remember the scene you're referring to fondly between Roger and Meg. I remember Holly witnessing his talk with her daughter as well. I believe it came at a time when the writers were trying to soften Holly's stance on Roger. Michael Zaslow could convey so much with just a look. In fact, someone commented on one of "Blake Marler's" YouTube videos that you could always see how Roger felt differently about Holly versus all of his other women by the look in this eyes. Zaslow was just a tremendous actor, always giving his performances 150%. What happened to him, and how the top Proctor & Gamble/Guiding Light brass treated him was such a tragedy. Annette

@Donna L. Bridges, thank you very much for sharing the Beverlee McKinsey interview. She was a tremendous force on the screen. In regards to the Wheeler storylines, I do wish I liked more of what I saw, but I'll keep going through those years and perhaps I'll think differently when I'm finished. @OpportunisticSlut, oh yes, Roger Thorpe is definitely an entertaining villain. Despite all his misdeeds, he's easy to root for. I think so much of that is thanks to the way Michael Zaslow portrayed him. There were just so many layers to Roger. He certainly had his soft spots, and I loved that vulnerable side of the character. Annette

I agree that the episodes posted on YouTube by "Blake Marler" have absolutely been a Godsend. I watched Guiding Light in realtime from mid-1989 to about 1999, and it's been such a treat to revisit the years I originally watched. As I've said before on this board, I'm a big Roger and Holly fan and I think the early 1990s were some of the best years for these two characters. Now that I've been rewatching some of these years, I also felt the show had a nice balance of romance, mystery, scandal, drama, and comedy. Also, no one character seemed to really have the spotlight, at least not from my perspective from 1989 through 1993. I do think things started to shift a bit in 1994 when there was a lot of attention paid to Buzz. Regardless, it truly has been fun to rewatch episodes from over 30 years ago. I also admire actors like Michael Zaslow, Maureen Garrett, and Beverlee McKinsey so much more now than I did as a teenager because I can really see all of the nuances they brought to their work and characters. Soap opera actors truly don't get the credit they deserve. I've seen glimpses of the show from when Ellen Wheeler took over and introduced Peapack, but I find it a tough watch. I don't have much to add from what people on this board have already said about those years, but from someone who didn't watch the show then, I can appreciate that there was an attempt to save the show by trying new things. However, in my opinion, the production values and the storylines from what I have seen from the Wheeler era are so poor, that I found it hard to stay engaged with the characters. Annette

I actually think Mark Derwin was effective as Mallet in lighter moments, especially during some of his banter with Mindy and Harley. I also thought he was quite good in some of his romantic scenes. I do see his appeal, but I had difficulty with him when he had to deliver really dramatic moments. I just didn't feel like he was able to do those as effectively. I watched him as Ben Davidson on One Life to Live, and felt he had similar struggles in dramatic scenes, especially when he was acting against Erika Slezak. One of the reasons why I watched Guiding Light was because I always thought the acting was some of the strongest on the soaps, at least during the time when I watched in the late 80s and early 90s. I could watch actors like Michael Zaslow, Maureen Garrett, Kim Zimmer, Rick Hearst, and Beverlee McKinsey recite the phone book, especially Maureen Garrett. I was always so intrigued by her as an actress.

On page 812, @bboy875 asked if anyone knew what the show planned to do with Roger/Holly/Amanda before Michael Zaslow and his replacement, Dennis Parlato were let go from the show (I'm sorry for repeating the question here, but I haven't figured out how to copy someone's comments as I've seen done in other posts). I've often wondered this myself. Before Zaslow was let go, it seemed as though the writers were working toward a reconciliation between Roger and Holly. Holly had certainly softened toward Roger by the time Zaslow was let go and was replaced with Parlato. I wonder if the writers had to abandon whatever they had planned when Zaslow was let go. Speaking of Roger, I think the show lost a lot when the character was written off. He was such a great villain and soaps need that. Of course, I think a lot of credit goes to Zaslow for creating such a nuanced villain. He was just a marvelous actor, and despite all of Roger's misdeeds I found myself rooting for him at times. I always felt bad for Parlato because he truly had impossible shoes to fill, and the entire situation with Zaslow was handled so poorly by TPTB. I do wonder though if handled correctly could a character like Roger ever be successfully recast? There have been some successful recasts of other big characters, so the precedent is certainly there. I just think Roger's absence left a big hole in the show. Of course, being a huge Michael Zaslow fan, I think I would have had a tough time accepting another actor in the role. Annette

@SamandWillowFan, I always thought that Holly was supposed to be between 45 and 47 when she became pregnant with Fletcher's baby. Does that make sense to others on this board? These old episodes that have recently been posted here are just awesome to see! Annette

A few pages back there was a brief discussion about all of the actors that played Alan Michael. I absolutely loved Rick Hearst in the role. He was just brilliant! I also agree that it would have been great if his character was paired up with Gilly. They had good chemistry. I also liked some of the scenes he shared with Holly through the years. I thought they had a nice chemistry too.

@Donna L. Bridges, thank you so much for posting these clips here so I could see them. The scenes are certainly very intense. Thank you. Annette

@Donna L. Bridges, the only exposure I've had to the rape scenes is what I saw via Roger Thorpe: The Scandal Years. I'm assuming there's a few places on YouTube where I might be able to find more from that time period. Even though I didn't watch the show in the 70s when Roger Thorpe was first on, he seemed like such a different character when he returned to the show in the late 80s. @Fevuh, thank you so much for the link to the Instagram page. What fascinating posts! @Soaplovers and @Mitch64, I think your ideas for ending the Roger and Holly pairing make so much more sense than what actually happened on the show. Using the couple's past as the catalyst for the relationship ending would have really played well with the couple's long and rich history on the show, a history that writers used very well at times, although not in this case. I knew Roger and Holly would never last, but to this day I still don't understand Holly's motivation for leaving Roger in favor of Fletcher. I think I'm still in shock that they got married and had a child! If someone has a reason for the character's motivation, I would love to hear it! I've really enjoyed reading your thoughts about the Roger and Holly pairing. They were certainly a dynamic duo, and some of my favorite scenes were those when you could sense the yearning for each other underneath all that hate. I just found them fascinating to watch. I still do. Annette