CBS cancels Guiding Light

[alphanguy74]

I gather this is NOT an April Fool's joke, but if it was, it wouldn't be as cruel at the one I read last year (On another board, some DWEEB posted an April Fools Joke that Jeanne Cooper had died of a heart attack... needless to say, that SOB was crusin for a bruisin!) I never watch it, but I want to send my condolences to all of you fans out there who enjoy it and love it. My grandmother watched Guiding Light, she never lived to see it end... but she sure enjoyed the heck out of it when she was here! I still think there's a flicker of hope to go to another network or something.

[DaytimeFan]

Definitely feel sorry for the GL fans out there...it's never a good thing to see a show end, particularly a daytime soap. This cancellation is pretty damn bad for the industry. But then, the show has been on life support for a long, long time.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I'm hearing Gina Tognoni is the most saugh after GL star at the moment.

I hope to hell she's not going back to OLTL to play bland-ass Kelly Cramer.

Y&R needs to reinvent Victoria (well, write her the way she used to be before the recast), fire Amelia, and hire Gina...

[DRW50]

All kinds of my great aunts and my grandmother watched GL for many years. They kind of lost interest over time, but it was enough to get me hooked.

I'd be happy if they could find a new place and it works out, as unlikely as that may be.

I don't want to punish the whole network, because it's not the fault of the other three soaps, but I can't sit through most of ATWT and B&B anyway. Bradley Bell's very lucky for what his father built up, because that show has been choking on fumes for a long time now.

She'd make a better Victoria, like you said. If she does go back to OLTL, I just hope they give her better writing than they're giving Blair...

[DaytimeFan]

YES. Gina Tognoni would make a GREAT Victoria...I know Jeanne Cooper likes her, can dull ass Heinle, bring on fiery Tognoni.

[pelphreyfan]

P&g says they are trying to find a new home for GL. Let's get behind them. Write to CBS and let them know how you feel about them canceling our favorite show and doing it on April fools day to boot. I will NEVER watch the replacement show. Not even the first day. Guding Light has gotten so much better in the past couple months and CBS didn't even give it a chance. Ilove this show and I am so disappointed it is going off. I have watched it since 1952 and I consider myself a pretty good fan since I can't remember ever missing one episode that I didn't catch up with on my recorder. My mom watched and I watched with her and my daughter watched with me. Shame on CBS. How many boring game shows do we need or worse another failed talk show.

[tina m]

I may have not watched Guiding Light expect a few times back in 2002 but this news is just heartbreaking. Over 70 years on air, countless episodes, a line of fans for generations.. I know we've heard about this for the last few years, but I can't help but be hurt and so sad to hear this. We can only hope it goes out with a bang, but that's so little to ask for the longest running television drama.

[bellcurve]

You don't know that. Michael Logan says the decision was made over Barbara Bloom's head.

I can't believe I'm being a Barbara Bloom apologist, but please, don't put the blame where it doesn't belong.

[Ann_SS]

ITA. There is no way that Barbara Bloom has the authority to cancel a soap. There are men in suits who crunch numbers and decide which shows are not profitable, not Bloom.

[DRW50]

That's a touching story. 1952, wow.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It kind feels like that relative you were close to at one point, but he/she got very sick and has been on life support for years, but finally, life support was taken away.

I'm still in shock, though this was VERY expected, it kind of feels like a member of the family has died.

[JimTolkien]

Completed expected!!!

For the remaining CBS soaps, you better hope and do the raindance that your viewers don't leave you!!! And weather, people not staying home excuses, blah, blah, blah won't cut it anymore. CBS C-suite mean business literally!!

[Ponz]

Very sad news. I've never been a regular GL viewer but have always admired the show's longevity. Surviving for three generations across two mediums is an amazing feat that will surely never be matched. Regardless of the show's economic value or lack thereof, this is a big loss for television and for American culture.

[EricMontreal22]

This is an alarmist attitude. As Vee pointed out SuBE, PC and Passions were soaps that never truly caught on. The 80s and especially 70s (and 60s) all had TONS of soaps that were canceled in under 10 years. TONS. One long term soap and now one more (RIP ) isn't all that bad (and past decades had that too--Edge of Night, Love of Life, Search, etc). Of course the diff is it doesn't look like we'll get new soaps anytimes soon--still I don't think it really says ALL that much about what' sto come for soaps (though I agree As, being the only P&G soap is pretty much in trouble)

Really? I don't think this will have any real effect on Y&R and B&B...

Will As move up to GL's timeslot? or what's gonna happen ?

[alphanguy74]

I don't see this as a death watch for all soaps. Isn't there a CHANCE that SOME viewers might migrate to the other soaps on the air? And here's something I've wondered. The only P&G shows are GL and ATWT... Proctor and Gamble has already stated that they would like to find another home for GL, because, apparently, it's still working for them. Considering the sponsorship power that P&G has on daytime TV... if CBS goes after ATWT, don't you think CBS runs the risk of pissing off P&G enough for them pull ALL of their sponsorship from the ENTIRE CBS lineup? They could just take their sponsorship over to ABC. I think CBS needs to think very carefully before they make another move.... I think P&G still wields ALOT of power. I always wondered why GL and ATWT couldnt' SHARE a timeslot... let one air on M/W/F, and the other on T/T. Kind of like in the old days with McCloud/ Columbo/McMillan and Wife.