What would you do to save GL?

[MTSRocks]

For the record, I don't think that canceling GL is like wishing death upon the soaps before someone makes that assumption. Guiding Light has had numerous changes throughout the decades, some good, some bad, and some downright awful. However, today it doesn't even feel like Guiding Light anymore. I know many will be unemployed, but I'm sure plenty will bounce back quickly as well.

[DaytimeFan]

Cancel It. GL is the longest tenured series in the world. It's run its course. The show is 'done'...and I must admit, I've searched YouTube for the Nancy Curlee years and I must agree with Y&RWorldTurner, it was fabulous and I don't see how anything since can touch it.

[JackPeyton]

its honestly not that hard to do.

they need a new HW. and a new EP. I actually like EW because she does want to svae this genre and i think keeping her on some level would be nice. but she doesnt seem to ahve direction overall. a new HW is key.

after that... certin people need to go. get back to the core of the spauldings, lewis, cooper, and baur family. michelle should come home.

and pace things, play the beats of the story, and gave fans some kind of an ending and move on.

[Greg's GL]

There's an interesting article on GL over on Marlena's site. I have posted something similar to this over there....

Unfortunately, I tend to agree with a lot of other here that GL is mostly beyond saving at this stage of the game. You don't know how much I hate to say that, but there's no sense in denying it any longer. Even a casual viewer can see that this show is on it's last legs.

That being said, I think TPTB should start NOW on getting things wrapped up with some dignity. How?

- Bring in an experienced EP that KNOWS how to produce a show. Someone of the caliber of Ed Scott. EW is clearly in over her head as an exec. producer.

- Bring in a GOOD HW. Broderick, the Cullitons, Labines, Taggert, Sheffer. Someone that is capable of writing narrative serialized drama unlike DK. Allow the new HW to choose their own writing staff as well.

Since the show is renewed until 2009, this would be the way to go. TPTB at P&G/CBS should give the show a larger budget to implement the staff changes. The EP/HW could start now writing a year-long story arc to bring GL to a close. Center the stories around the Bauers, Spauldings and Lewises. Concentrate on un-fragmenting these broken families like"

- Resolve the Rita Bauer issue. She was pregnant when twin boys when she left Springfield. Ed was the father.

- Bring Hope Bauer back as a disillusioned drunk. Seeking revenge against Alan and looking for her son, Alan-Michael.

- Get Peter Simon back as Ed. Recast Mike Bauer and bring him back to town.

- Bring A-M back.

- Get GA back as Philip, at least to resolve the "Where is Philip" story before the show closes. Have him and Beth stay in town at the finale, raising Peyton and James.

- Give Alex a love interest, play this story until the finale.

- Reunite Lizzie with Bill.

That's just some of my thoughts. But I think this is the direction the show should take - with an eye on 2009 as the end game and giving this much storied show an honorable ending.

[Aaron]

It's so frustrating to me that we FINALLY have a kinda-sorta soap channel playing classic stuff on AOL, but they won't show GL because it's still on the air. Cancel it and show the good stuff there, we may never have another chance to see it!

[ian]

hm im just wondering what happened to the days when the actors just acted and weren't ridiculous EPs (you hear me EW?!!)

This show is so sad cause its got a great cast but its garbage. Set them free and send the good ones to other shows, à la Port Charles' finale.

[Andrew]

Put Alex, Blake, Beth, Vanessa and Lillian on contract and make some stories for them.

Maeve Kinkead (Vanessa) where really good on frontburner when Kim Zimmer (Reva) wasn`t on back in the earlie 90s. An idea bring back the clone Dolly, joking!.....

[Greg's GL]

Bumped. Now I am officially PISSED off. I have sat around and waited, WAITED, for EW/DK to be given their walking papers for YEARS.

Now over the last 2-3 years, other shows are recognizing when something isn't working (OLTL-Dena, AMC-McTavish and B&E, YR-LML). Why aren't TPTB at GL doing the same?!? It boggles my mind.

LML's YR wasn't anywhere NEAR the trainwreck that GL is today. It was bad, but com'on, nothing compares to the utter [!@#$%^&*] EW/DK broadcast on a daily basis! Why isn't someone doing something? Does Babs think GL is in good shape with these two hacks?

Something has to be done but sadly, it doesn't look like anything will be.....

[sungrey]

It sounds like the actors are upset big time. Can't say as I blame them. Ripped-apart couples (oh hi, Marina and Cyrus! Good to see ya, Josh and Reva!) Stories that are meandering. Gus a CROOKED COP?

I have defended DK in the past because Weston's GL train wreck was worse than this, but things are going downhill and it is time for a change.

[MarkH]

In academia, when you want to stimulate change, you hire a new leader from the outside...a new Chair or a new Dean.

But that costs money. Recruitment costs, relocation costs, startup costs.

So, what you see is that poorer schools, or even richer schools during lean times, will promote from within. By promoting someone who is already there, you save all three costs listed above. Generally, though, there is an understanding that this can bite you in the butt, because you lose innovation and tree shaking.

(On the other hand, there is a high failure rate for new administrators in the first year...some people simply can't adapt to the new culture they have been hired to lead. So they become inflexible and out of touch).

Now, in REALLY poor schools or REALLY lean times, schools will stuck with lame administrators...even when they know they should change. Why? Because even promoting from within requires giving someone a promotion raise, etc. Moreover, there is a feeling that the system is so f*cked up, they won't even find any internal candidates willing to make real change.

So, all this offers by analogy: I don't think P&G can afford to bring in newbies. That is why both Passanante/Goutman and Kreizman/Wheeler stick around. There is no way the shows can afford to recruit from outside (or even expend the dollars needed to search). There are no other plausible candidates from within.

I really feel that the current P&G teams will stay in place until cancellations begin (my speculative dates) in 2010 and 2011.

I feel what Casiello said about Days is relevant too. Once word of Days' imminent cancellation got out, viewers started leaving. Why hang on to a sinking ship? I do feel that this "edge of the abyss" feeling that surrounds GL and ATWT also affects viewers' being willing to stick around.

In that sense, I congratulate P&G/GL for claiming that the new production model is a way to modernize the show. It creates a sense of optimism when, in fact, what you're seeing is the effect of hemorrhaging budget cuts. You're really seeing the terminal end of 72 year old institution, but you're being told it is evolution and progress. Convinced?

[MichaelGL]

To reply to the title of this thread: I wouldn't know where to start.

I remember back when ConWest took over GL I wrote/thought up this elaborate bible of how I would get the show back on track. Then it seemed as if my prayers were answered when DK first took over; not. DK/EW have been the worst thing to happen to GL. They made me do the impossible; make simply not care anymore. I still enjoy past clips of the show I know and still love and I tune in every now and then, still hoping to tune in for that once familiar show. However for me, Guiding Light died years ago, and this is only a shell of its former self.

[brimike]

Mark, your ability to see through all the B.S. while still looking at it from a professional and business standpoint (and without bad-mouthing people) is really amazing. This is absolutely what's going on, and although most of us would love to see somebody at the top admit mistakes were made, that's just not the way corporations run. ANY corporation. They have to say it's evolution and progress. It's the line they get paid the big bucks to tow.

There are those of us who argue that they get paid the big bucks to IMPROVE THE SHOWS, but we could go around in circles all day with that and still not get anywhere.

[LoyaltoAMC]

The show is as good as dead. There's simply no money in the budget to bring on an Ed Scott or a Lorraine Broderick, or to offer contracts to Tina Sloan or Maeve Kinkead or Marj Dusay, or to try and get Grant Aleksander back. Wheeler and Kreisman come dirt cheap. The production values are worse than an NYU student film. Sure, they must be saving a bundle with Goldin's and Ehlers' exits, but with the ratings hovering in the mid 1's during May sweeps, I can see their budget being slashed even further, if that's even possible. I highly doubt it'll be renewed at its next cycle. Just wonder what that would mean for ATWT. It's HH ratings, and certainly its demos, haven't been that much higher than GL's of late. Will P&G continue in the serial business with only one soap? Kind of unlikely. And if ATWT miraculously does survive past GL's demise, based on its lackluster ratings it'll probably be subjected to a budget cut like GL was a couple of years ago. At that point, I would wave bye bye to the contracts of underused but expensive people like Liz Hubbard, Scott Holmes, and Ellen Dolan. Then it's all downhill from there. That's how I see it. By 2010, I wouldn't be shocked if the only soaps on the air were Y&R, B&B, GH, OLTL, and AMC.

[Greg's GL]

Great analogy. And that's probably exactly what's happening behind the scenes. However, AMC is not that far above GL and below ATWT in the ratings, but they have the budget to sign four biggies in recent months, not including when they brought the "real" Greenlee back. Then they have the budget to fire B&E and bring on a new HW? I don't get it. Is the show that much more profitable than ATWT or GL? Strictly going by the ratings, I don't see how that's possible.

I wouldn't go so far to "congratulate" P&G/GL about the new production model. It might create a sense of optimism to the casual viewer, but to me it IS like seeing the terminal end. When they can't even keep 2 of their last remaining stars on contract, it appears that the show can't even get their employees to drink the KoolAid.

Viewers and/or interest in this show appears to be falling precipitously as well, as not even a MONTHLY discussion thread about this show gets much attention. I think that CBS/P&G probably reacted too soon when they renewed it through 2009. They should have given it a couple more months and before claiming that veiwership didn't drop off when the production format was changed....

[MarkH]

But aren't they posting the biggest increases with 12 year old girsl? :-)

I think ABC (not AMC) has deeper pockets, and they have a longer-term strategy trying to keep their soaps...both to keep SoapNet viable, and because they're dreaming big dreams regarding new media as a delivery mechanism for soaps.