Paul Raven

They had an opportunity to reset Adam when Grossman took over but instead the same beats are played over and over.

Guiding Light Linda that dated H.B.(and left with him for around the world cruise) Cass Morgan 1995

What was the first soap squishname? I seem to recall Shane/Kayla-Shayla as one of the first times it was used for a soap couple and that was around 1990. What were some others from when it became a trend? Days couples like Bope, Jarlena weren't used in their first go round in the 80's.

Ethel Wilson Mystery Man Aunt Ray 1941 Brave Tomorrow Mrs Brink Willard Waterman Stepmother 1941 Bachelor's Children 1941

For those interested, summaries from around late 1951. Life Can Be Beautiful Chi -Chi Conrad lives with "Poppa" David Solomon in the apartment behind his "Slightly Used Books" shop in New York. In the same building are Doug and Alice Norman who print a neighborhood paper. Intent on getting a story, Doug has apparently become involved with a young girl, but Chi -Chi is attempting to aid Alice in working out her troubles. Other principals in the cast include wealthy Victoria Vandenbush and her ne'er -do -well nephew Paul, who hopes to get her money. Overseeing all is kindly Poppa David, who has an unbroken faith that life can be beautiful. Road of Life Dr. Jim Brent, in love with Jocelyn McLeod, is engaged in a fight to save his position at Wheelock Hospital, as well as his reputation, because of the machinations of wealthy Conrad Overton and his co- conspirator, Gordon Fuller. Augusta Creel, who worked for Overton two decades ago when he cheated his brother Malcolm out of a fortune, has been kidnapped by Fuller, who wants to keep her away from Brent to protect Overton, but also away from Overton, as a wedge to guarantee his own position, for Fuller wants to take over Brent's duties as head of the hospital. Brent is being aided in his fight by newspaper editor Frank Dana and by Lt. Hodges of the police force, whose position is jeopardized by Overton's control of the force. Overton faces trouble, too, from his rebellious son, Hugh. Pepper Young's Family This is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Young of Elmwood and their children, Pepper and Peggy, and their friends. Pepper and his wife, Linda, have been drawn more closely together following the recent accident in which Linda was seriously hurt when she tried to run away with young Edith, thinking that Edith's parents, Andy and Edie, had been killed in a storm. They're being helped by Peggy and her husband, Carter Trent, who, in addition to making a home for their two children, are caring for Carter's mother, who wants to give herself up to the law for her part in a plot which almost cost the life of Sam Young, Right to Happiness Miles Nelson is serving his first term as governor. His wife, Caroline, is is assisting him as he recovers from an attempt on his life. She has her son (by her first marriage) though her first husband, Dwight, is still attempting to obtain custody of the child. Miles is working hard to establish a sound administration but is not aware that his lieutentnt- governor is involved in a graft which concerns affairs at the state prison. Backstage Wife Mary Noble is the wife of handsome Broadway star Larry Noble. She is also the object of the affection of wealthy, scheming Rupert Barlowe, who is constantly seeking to separate the Nobles so he can persuade Mary to marry him. Barlowe's handyman, Victor, is anxious to please his boss as long as he profits by what Barlowe does. Mary's confidant is her long -time friend, actress Maude Marlow. Stella Dallas Stella Dallas has a shop on Boston's Beacon Hill where she works as a seamstress. Most of her time, however, is concerned with the affairs of her daughter, Laurel, who is married to Dick Grovenor, son of a wealthy Boston widow, who makes no secret of her dislike for Stella. Mrs. Grovenor is currently involved with a disreputable night club habitute, who wants to marry her and thus gain an opening to Boston's wealthy widows in hopes of bilking them of their fortunes at the White Orchid Club's gambling tables.

Thanks for taking the time to reply Robb. That's why I put 'pre SFT' to make it clear(I thought) that these were small roles before her long stint as Sunny.

David Winn Love of Life

Kevin Bacon All My Children

Marcia McCabe Guiding Light Another World For Richer For Poorer All pre SFT (According to Daytimers magazine interview) Marsha Clark Somerset Search for Tomorrow (pre GL)

I'll add my thanks to Vee for the Knots write ups. Enjoy reading them and look forward to future posts.

Following in the footsteps of Reed, Charlie and Moses. He'll probably be gone within the year.

To see that outline of the character of Brock....I wonder if Josh Griffith does the same for today's characters eg Allie Maybe something like -a pretty, bright young woman who comes to town to reconnect with her family. Cos that's all we're seeing onscreen.

For Richer For Poorer ??? Richard Ryder

Thanks for posting those pics. I recall those scenes from Patty's pov and thinking that 4th wall looked pretty basic. Nowadays we don't even get to see the dining room at the Abbotts. On the subject of extended sets, I recall the Newman Ranch having a dining area that was in front of the sofa and was used at least once for a family dinner. Does anyone else remember that?

Is she contract? If so, that contract must be a blank piece of paper. Why is the show so anti Esther? They make a fuss of her 40th anni and give her 2 episodes before she disappears again. Kate Linder is very gracious under the circumstances. Meanwhile Imani finally gets some airtime but Faith and Moses vanish. And EB should not be leading the year to date list.

What-major-soap-change/event-would-shock-you-if-it-happened-this-year? Any of the shows showing an increase in ratings.

So glad that Cricket aka pizza face was able to offer Traci some words of wisdom that changed her whole outlook on life. At 48 min in we have a seen of Jill standing on a terrace with the Abbott living room in the background. She then enters from an area next to the fireplace. Once in the living room we see glimpses of a chaise longue next to the fireplace. The editing doesn't make it clear how that all fits. I don't recall that area ever being shown or used again. Does anyone else recall seeing it? Why use it that one time?

Agree, this is just another example common to many soaps where characters who could have been brought back to tighten the canvas and solidify families are ignored in favor of new characters.

Peter Lownds All My Children Daryl Mitford Barbara Erwin One Life to Live Beaulah Richard Gleason One Life To Live 'photographer' The Doctors 'boyfriend' All My Children

So Lily has decided to get into the hotel game. Seems Devon sold GCAC. Is there another lame story on the way? Can't see the point of this, unless they want to introduce another cramped, empty meeting place. Nate and Elena at the penthouse. Trying to recall how many characters have ownedit/lived there and the decor never changes. It's not like it's exquisitely decorated. Natel got a love scene and a bedroom set. They should consider themselves blessed that they didn't have to make out on the sofa like other couples.

Graet find about a fascinating storyline. Loved Jeanne's 'lay a heavy trip' comment - sure she picked that line up from a script-sounds very Brock. The rationale for the story makes perfect sense and Bill Bell was ahead of his time in exploring it. Interesting that nowadays the women would probably end up in a sexual relationship. I've seen a number of TV shows/movies where straight women fall into bed with each other under and its deemed a natural outcome in the circumstances.. I just this weekend watched the movie Parallel Mothers where, out of the blue, twowomen began a sexual relationship just because of emotional closeness,. Funny but you never see two guys do the same thing. I think Bill would never have taken it that far, firstly because of the times, but also he was writing a more nuanced story.

Flora Campbell Stella Dallas 1943 Nona from Nowhere 1950 Backstage Wife 1952 Front Page Farrell 'Case of the Invisible Man' Oriana Owens 1951 Eric Dressler Lighted Windows Robert Thompson Kenneth Daigneau Second Husband 1945 Front Page Farrell 1945 Story of Bess Johnson Mr Bartlett school trustee 1941

Excellent! Some requests Basil Hoffman Barbara Erwin Carl Anderson Peter Lownds Richard Gleason

Thanks for the correction. Don't want to be guilty of the very thing I am objecting to !

John Conboy interview Four-time Emmy winner John Conboy was named Executive Producer of Guiding Light in December of 2002. Previously, he produced Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The Young and the Restless and Santa Barbara, as well as created the Washington D.C.-based Capitol. Six months into his latest stint, Mr. Conboy sat down with SoapCity for his first ever exclusive chat outlining this award-winning visionary's plans for daytime's longest running drama. SoapCityAlina: After all that you've achieved in your career -- you are widely credited with changing the entire look of daytime drama -- the logical, first question is: Why GL? Why now? John Conboy: I watched the show for about five months, and the cast blew me away. (New head writer) Ellen Weston and I talked back and forth for a long time before I made the decision (to take the job). It was a fairly large decision for me to make because I live in California now. But when I got here, I was so astonished by the welcome that I got that I know I made the right choice. I love it. This was a lovely chance for me to, one, get back to New York, two, get back to CBS and three, work with Procter & Gamble for the first time. SCA: Fans seem to know what a writer does, what a director does, what a set designer does. But I think a lot of them wonder: what exactly does a producer do? What does it mean, your title, Executive Producer? JC: It means very little, as long as everybody else is doing what he or she needs to be doing. I'm their tour guide. I'm their leader. One of my jobs is to keep people working with me five days a week, 52 weeks a year and to keep them wanting to do it. SCA: I mentioned your changing the look of daytime. Y&R was the first show to feature a more youthful cast, not to mention brighter lighting, hipper clothes, flashier sets. Everything that we take for granted on daytime now, you pioneered. Do you have a vision for GL as well? JC: I don't think that my vision has changed. I do think that my taste has changed over the years, as far as coming into the 21st century and by my exposure to other things. But, at the end of the day, no matter how sharp you get the show to look, you're still talking about a love story. If you watch it carefully, most of what our people do on my shows, they do because they love someone. I'm not doing anything different on Guiding Light than I've done before. This is the style that I choose to do, and so I did come in and say (technically), "Let's do this." I have a lighting designer who is a genius. I have directors who were just waiting to get some stuff to do. And I have a brilliant cast. I said to all of them, "I am only as good as you are, so don't screw it up." I would love to do a movie a day on this show. I would love to have enough money to do the kind of production that I want on the show. Actually, because of the skill of the people we have on the show now, I'm very happy with the look of the show. I would love to go out to Niagara Falls, or sail to Europe, but if you tell a really good story, you could do it in my office. SCA: You said that you watched GL for five months before deciding to take the job. What did you see on-screen that you knew you needed to change as soon as you got here? JC: I think a lot of people who were on the scene needed stories, which they didn't have. That was my major concern. Now they've got them; they've got wonderful stories. The direction we are going in, everybody is going to be involved in one of the big stories coming up. Hopefully, we are going to involve all the adults and all of the younger people in the same story. I think it is important that you put your core characters with the younger people, so that they intermingle and work together. The baseball story that I'm doing with Shayne, for instance, is a story that so many mothers and fathers go through. I think it is going well. We're really going to play baseball and have some fun with it. And I think the Reva story is going to be huge. We have a big surprise on that story coming up. I'm also introducing another young character, a Latino boy. I'm looking forward to that introduction. And we are very excited about Bradley Cole being back. I think he's a terrific actor. He was enormously popular, we did a lot of research on him, and so we created another character that's working wonderfully on the show. SCA: How important is fan input to you? JC: Thank God we've got fans that have watched the show for a long time. There is an enormous history here, and the fans are the first ones who will tell us if we've got it right. Lots of fans write two or four times a week. One particular person will write several times, and they are very articulate. They know the show. They tell me what they like and they tell me what they don't like. Of course, I try not to give them what they like! SCA: That's certainly a very provocative statement! What does it mean? JC: It means that if you want it, and if I give it to you, then that story is over. When I was doing Y&R, we could keep stories going for years. Of course, the audience now is a different audience. We used to say it was the MTV audience. Now, God knows what kind of audience it is! But whatever it is, we need to keep them alive, bright and entertained. I want our audience to watch us five days a week. I want them to enjoy watching our stories as much we enjoy telling them!