Paul Raven

Whittier Star Review, Volume XVII, Number 106, 15 January 1948The popular daytime drama, The Guiding Light, again did the unusual - turned a story character into a real person. In the script "Charlotte Wilson,” portrayed by Betty Lou Gerson. was given a radio try-out. Listeners to the program were urged to register their opinions of this new' actress by sending a postcard to Charlotte, c/o "The Guiding Light.” The overwhelming number of "ayes” amounted to over 600. *

Desert Sun, Number 120, 22 December 1983‘Guiding Light’ writer looks for fresh ideasBy TOM JORY Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) - “Guiding Light” has been a daytime companion for millions since 1937, starting on radio and switching to TV after 15 years. Can anything new, really new, ever happen to the Bauers or the Reardons or any of the other folks in Springfield? “I get really upset,” says Pamela Long Hammer, principal writer for the CBS soap opera since March, “because I’ll come up with this neat scenario and someone will say, ‘That’s like “Strangers on a Train.’” “I think, ‘They keep stealing my material.’ “The way I figure it,” she says, “there are only so many stories in the world. It’s the characters who keep the show new and exciting. All of our stories come from them: I don’t come up with a plot, and then work a character into it.” Continuity is important. Someone out there surely knows all that’s happened, to everyone on the show, in 46 years. How about Miss Long Hammer? "Nope. I care about what our core families have been doing,” she says. “I’m always interested in what happened to Bert Bauer (played since 1950 by Charita Bauer) 20 years ago, but as far as going back and reading scripts, no. “Others on the show keep track,” she says. “I’ll suggest something, and be told, ‘You don’t remember, but fiveyears ago, they had this terrible fight. They would never speak to one another now.”’ Miss Long Hammer, a former Miss Alabama who came to New York as an aspiring actress in 1980, began writing for daytime television while playing Ashley on NBC’s “Texas.” She eventually wrote herself out of the story. Her staff for “Guiding Light” includes nine writers, among them her husband, Charles Jay Hammer, whom she met while both worked on “Texas.” NBC dropped “Texas” after two seasons, and episodes from the serial currently are being rerun on the Turner Broadcasting System’s cable-TV SuperStation, WTBS. Gail Kobe, who was executive producer of “Texas,” now has the same job on “Guiding Light.” And Beverlee McKinsey, who played Iris Carrington in “Another World” on NBC, and later in "Texas,” will join the Light” cast of the CBS soap in February. Miss Long Hammer is reponsible for the long-term story, which can mean looking ahead 18 months or more. Staff writers deal with specifics, including the scripts for individual episodes. She says she draws on “imagination and instinct” for the “Guiding Light” story. Often, that involves inventing new characters. “‘I look at Vanessa (Maeve Kinkead), one of our leading ladies,” Miss Long Hammer says. "What could make theaudience care more about her? “Then I think, ‘Why can’t she find a man she can love, who will also love her?’ Voila, here comes Billy Lewis (Jordan Clarke). “Another example,” she says, “is Alan Spaulding (Christopher Bernau). All of a sudden, he’s got a sister no one ever knew about. “They come complete,” says Miss Long Hammer of the serial’s characters, including the new ones. “We know who they are and where they came from long before the viewer gets all that information. That’s one of the most interesting things about daytime, the complexities of the characters.” The writers make a big effort to keep the show contemporary, and four of the leading players are in their lateteens or early 20s Judi Evans, who plays Beth Raines, Kristi Tasreau (Mindy Lewis), Grant Alcksander (Philip Spaulding) and Michael O’Leary (Rick Bauer). “Guiding Light,” longevity notwithstanding, is a moderate success by that ultimate yardstick of the industry; ratings. The show is behind only “General Hospital,” “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” all on ABC, and CBS’ “The Young and the Restless,” among soaps. And Miss Long Hammer says she’s convinced writing is the key to even greater achievement. “When I say I love the characters, it’s not a light thing,” she says. “I think what the audience senses is an enthusiasm and an energy among the people who do the show.”

San Bernadino Sun April 17 1983. Bekins left in June. I guees that story of him being in 267 eps in ar ow is true? It seems unbelievable- surely they would have rested him here and there? Richard Is Real 'Jamie' Isn't . Do soap opera actors ever "become" the roles they play? "There is a symbiosis with the characters," says Richard Bekins, who plays James Frame on NBC's continuing daytime drama Another World, airing weekdays at 1PM. "After five hours a week on the screen, the characters become almost personas of the actors," Bekins reflects. "It's acting, but we're often playing ourselves. The storylines can affect your personal life or the writers may pick up on whatever you're going through-and write for it. So your life and your character's life tend to parallel." Bekins says Another World fans feel a particular closeness to Bekins' character because they remember the tempetuous affair between Jamie's unmarried parents that resulted in his birth. "Salesmen, strangers in the street all call me 'Jamie' when they see me. Nice young ladies send me romantic letters, inviting me to be their dates at graduation or visit them in Oklahoma City." When Bekins took over the role three-and-a-half years ago, he had only one year of professional acting experience under his belt. "I was a novice then," he remembers, "but I was very lucky to be working with fine actors such as Doug Watson (as his stepfather) and Vicky Wyndham (his mother) because their style of acting rubbed off on me. Perhaps that's why Vicky and I play mother and son so naturally." Bekin's popularity has kept him in the forefront of the show. At one point he worked 267 episodes in a row. "Jamie was newly married and working hard for his stepfather. To keep up with the work he started taking drugs and losing his sanity. It was hard to act out the role day after day, month after month," Bekins recalls. "I kept expecting his neurosis to end, but it kept getting worse. I began to have bad dreams. I began having the classic actors' nightmaregetting on stage and not remembering my lines. With an average of 30 pages of dialogue a day I sometimes lived that nightmare!" In the past year Jamie has given up drugs, divorced Cecile, been reunited with his real father and enjoyed success as a novelist. "Now that Jamie is no longer a victim, it makes me (eel stronger," says Bekins. Just as Jamie has grown up considerably in the past three-and-a-half years, so has Richard. "You have to leave your work behind you when you leave the studio to make it better," says Richard. "I care about my character and I feel a big responsibility to the viewers because I think they care as well. But the totality of Richard is more than this character. One's alive and one's not real and that's the bottom line.

C & L started as a TV movie that was a hit. CBS commissioned a series but Loretta Swit was still tied to MASH, so Meg Foster took her role. CBS slotted it after Magnum on Thursday, but it didn't take off and they dropped it and replaced it with Simon & Simon which took off. CBS scheduled an episode Sun @10 which was a success and caused them to re-evaluate and order another series. Meg Foster was dropped (the infamous 'too dykey' comment from a CBS exec) and replaced by Sharon Gless. But again C&L didn't do well enough Mon @10 and was dropped. There was a huge outcry and the next season, after Emerald Point failed, C&L again played Mon @10 and finally took off.

True -only Hope got on the action/adventure train. When Mike and Jennifer came back their stories were always a little more grounded. I always thought Steve could have come back at that time-he was less 'suburban' than the rest of the Hortons. I mean, he was living in Europe! That immediately gave him a more shady demeanour in the Days world.

All he does is recycle the psycho/business plots and come up with crappy stories to keep the Newman/Abbott rivalry going. Yes JG has to go and go NOW!!!!

I guess it was more acceptable then for a young woman to get involved with an older guy (even desirable) than to have teen Nick with an older female. The only older women who were allowed to romance a younger man were the likes of Katherine and Dina, who ultimately lost them to younger gals.

How about a psycho from the past comes back to torment vet characters? Or business 'intrigue' where companies change hands every month?

Nick can discuss addiction with his mother and former stepfather-both recovering addicts. Or catch up with Billy-alcohol/gambling addictions.

Really enjoyed Friday, just a lot of interesting, connected scenes. No big stories. I enjoy Kat much more when she is more 'natural' in attitude and appearance. Her hair and outfit were more to my liking. Even Tomas was not bad.

Great perspective from Roylance and she was right on target. I think often the writers envisage a role and then react to what the actress is delivering on screen. I recall Sandy at that time and the lack of momentum. She was just there saying her lines, with no connection to the other characters or the viewers. She wasn't a bad actress but as she said, she didn't have that elusive 'chemistry'. Such a pity,as that was it for Sandy.

https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/malonemichael

MASH debuted in 72 on Sunday night b/w Anna & The King (TV version of King And ! and Sandy Duncan, one of the oddest lineups ever. MASH struggled but fared better when Dick Van Dyke became the lead in and Mannix the lead out. Then in Fall 73 it moved to Sat after All in The Family. Needless to say that worked - and MASH finished #4 for the season.

When the numbers went back up did that change?

Malone's papers are at Duke and include a CD of the Bourbon pilot and scripts for the show.

Gotta mention The Jeffersons. In 76-77 it was bounced around from Sat @ 8 to Wed @8.30 and then Mon @8 finishing #24. Then in 77-78 it was back To Sat @9 where it fell out of the Top 30. For 78-79 it was placed Wed @8 then moved to 9.30, again out of the Top 30. After 2 lower rated seasons, it looked like cancellation was on the cards. Instead CBS moved it to Sun @9.30 following Alice. That moved paid off and Jeffersons zoomed into the Top 10 #8. And stayed there for 3 more seasons. Timeslot shift that worked.

Looks like AL is using AI.

Timon has remained covered up , even in love scenes with Hayley. And in the hospital he had an undershirt under buttoned up pyjamas. Wonder what the story is there? Smitty does nothing for me shirtless or otherwise. Have we seen Martin shirtless? I don't like when Vernon has a T shirt neck showing under a smart shirt/sweater/jacket. Looks messy to me.

According to a Nov 1966 article Loretta Swit had previously appeared on The Doctors.

ABC copied it's own success when Owen Marshall Counsellor at Law debuted . It was basically the legal version of Marcus Welby MD with wise older senior mentoring younger upstarts as they tackled ethical dilemmas. Same producer-David Victor.

Hart to Hart started the 79/80 season Sat @10 following Love Boat where it did well. But Fantasy Island was dying Fri @8 so ABC quickly moved it back to follow Love Boat. Meanwhile ABC"s hit Tuesday line-up was suffering at 10pm where Lou Gosset's medical drama Lazarus Syndrome was squandering the Three's Company/Taxi lead-in. So Hart to Hart was moved there, the numbers went up and Bob & Stephanie became a Tuesday night stalwart.

@JAS0N47 Thanks for the extra info, Even w/o World Series competition ABC Wed was a disaster. Especially the movie star lineup of Smith Family -Henry Fonda, Shirley's World-Shirley McClaine and Man and the City-Anthony Quinn. Ironic that Ed Sullivan was cancelled just the year before due to low ratings/ dated feel and then hits the Top 10 with a special. James as Nichols saw NBC viewers switching off in droves after #2 Flip Wilson. NBC returned Ironside to that slot. And there was time when 60 Minutes was an ignored news program.

Took a closer look at those numbers. Lou Grant debuted Wk 5 of the season due to a strike that delayed some shows. That put in Nov sweeps when NBC were airing their strongest TV Movie titles/specials and as always had to compete with Football on ABC. MASH held up and House Calls did OK but LG saw viewers often switching to the movie or Football game. Then in Jan ABC went with a movie and again a strong title affected Lou Grant's ratings. Later in the season CBS tried Making the Grade @9.30 which didn't work so LG had a weaker lead in and ratings declined more. But it was obvious that Lou Grant's time was up. CBS went with Cagney & Lacey the next season, but the situation remained .Too much fall off from the lead in.

Wk ending Oct 17 1971 Onlt Top 40 shows are ranked. Mon ABC Nanny & Professor In The Game NFL Football #24 CBS Gunsmoke #10 Here's Lucy #14 Doris Day # 31 60 Minutes NBC Laugh In #23 Movie Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman)#28 Tues ABC Mod Squad #20 TV Movie Taste of Evil (Barbara Stanwyck, Barbara Parkins) #5 Marcus Welby #1 CBS National Geographic Special #26 Hawaii Five O #25 Cannon #32 NBC Ironside Sarge The Funny Side Wed ABC Bewitched Courtship/Eddie's Father Smith Family Shirley's World Man and the City CBS Carol Burnett #33 Medical Center #11 Mannix #17 NBC World Series #4 Thurs ABC Alias Smith & Jones Longstreet #27 Owen Marshall # CBS Bearcats Movie Dirty Dozen Pt 1 (Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine) #9 NBC Flip Wilson #2 Nichols Dean Martin Fri ABC Brady Bunch #17 Partridge Family #16 Room 222 #34 Odd Couple #40 Love American Style #37 CBS Chicago Teddy Bears O'Hara US Treasury #39 Movie Dirty Dozen Pt 2 #7 NBC The DA TV Movie Marriage Year One (Sally Field, Robert Pratt) #36 Sat ABC Getting Together TV Movie In Broad Daylight (Richard Boone, Suzanne Pleshette) #29 The Persuaders CBS All in the Family #3 Funny Face #12 Dick Van Dyke #18 Mary Tyler Moore #19 Mission Impossible #30 NBC The Partners The Good Life Movie Duel At Diablo (James Garner, Sidney Poitier)#38 Sun ABC The FBI #22 Movie No Way To Treat A Lady (Rod Steiger, Lee Remick) #8 CBS Movie The Sand Pebbles Pt 2 #13 Special The Sullivan Years #6 NBC Disney Summer Magic Pt 2 #35 Bonanza The Bold Ones

In addition to Julie Montgomery Girls Nite Out also featured Lauren Marie Taylor(Loving) Lois Robbins (RH) and page Mosely (Santa Barbara)