Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

This is from a June 1993 Digest. It's just drama, drama, whine, drama. I'm not sure I ever would have been a Harley fan if I'd read the soap press back then.

[soapfan770]

Wow. I knew Ehlers seemed to have a lived a strange life the last few years including turning into a nutjob by 2008/2009 but I'd forgotten that Ehlers fling with Derwin lead to some pretty serious consequences there. No wonder Derwin never came back as Mallet in 2005 or period.

I guess all those years of troubles finally lead to her to those meltdowns she had that lead to her exit for GL. Though I never watched AMC, I did read about how she completely trashed JR Martinez who is now probably more famous in the mainstream than Ehlers ever was and how her final airdate on AMC was ironically 9//18/09.

Even though I became completely sick of Harley there 2006-2008 and my love for her turned into hatred, I kinda wish Ehlers had held out to the bitter end to resolve Harley as a character.

[Mitch]

Oh god...then we would have just had more snarling, snapping, sharpness, as every man fell in love with this unpleasant character. I wonder what happened with her. Obviously she always had these issues, as despite her protests, you just don't end your marriage cause one kiss from another actor! And they just grew over the years (i.e her and the new Mallet guy..) Too bad, she was so talented when she first came on, she just seems to be an unhappy, (which seemed to be accelerated with her weight loss) woman who needs constant approval from men.

[Skylover]

Hi, I was just looking at some stuff about the 70th Anniversary episode of GL and it seems to be some kind of parody of its start?

I don't get it...?

[DRW50]

It was something of a tribute to the show's radio and early TV days, and to Irna Phillips.

[Skylover]

Thanks Carl. It seems really bizarre. Did it count as an actual episode of the show or was it a special documentary episode? Was it a dream sequence or did a character dream up the scenario?

Edited January 13, 2012 by Edward Skylover

[DRW50]

It was just a special episode, outside of everything. The only connection to the present day was a brief opening scene of Jonathan and Tammy, when Tammy was dead, or dying.

[soapfan770]

Sadly I do agree. I enjoyed Harley there 1991-1993 and then again 1997-2003 but Ehlers lost it along the way, not to mention under both Weston and then Kriezman Harley became an increasing intolerable shrew until her character was totally ruined there in 2007. Pitiful really to go from fav favorite to one of the most loathed characters on the show as well as tarnishing and throwing away her entire career.

[Skylover]

Didn't it ruin the illusion of the show? I can't imagine an English or Aussie soap doing it.

[DRW50]

I don't think it did, although I wasn't watching regularly in those years, as I thought the show sucked.

[Chris B]

I don't see what is so shocking about it. It was simply a special episode. The soaps have done that many times in recent years. A good example would be those Fan February episodes OLTL had, or the most recent Fraternity Row episode. I thought it made sense considering how many years GL was running and how many different special episodes they would've done at that point.

[DRW50]

It was unique in that these were the same actors playing entirely different characters (or playing actors playing characters), but you're right, I didn't think it was a big change. Then again this is not something you see on British or Australian soaps.

[Skylover]

To me what is shocking about it is that viewers would have tuned in for a new episode of Guuiding Light and what they were seeing was nothing to do with the characters in the show at that time. I wouldn't have been shocked if, say, it was revealed at the end of the episode that it was all a character's dream, i.e. that all the people they knew were in a soap or something, but the fact that it was in the show rather than a specially commissioned documentary type episode out of the show is what's surprising.

But then I guess the UK soaps do try to stick to some consistency more than the US soaps?

[Chris B]

With this episode it was promoted as a special episode so viewers were aware that it was airing. I guess a good comparison would be the movie made about the origins of Coronation Street. Same thing, except a soap in the US isn't going to have a tv movie commissioned so they have to use their own timeslot to air and promote something like that.

[Mitch]

Thought the episode was one of the best that Wheeler/Kreizman came up with. A great tribute (and speaking of Ehlers, isnt it funny they chose her to play the sharp, unpleasant, prickly Irna Phillips.) Some of it was the usual Kreizman/Wheeler defensive thing (see, GL has always been about incest....they had a "step," brother and "step," sister in love, see the Bauers unseated other families to be the core family way before we chose the Coopers to unseat them) but the rest was a pretty imaginative nice tribute....I especially loved Zimmer as Charita Bauer...she really caught the actress and the characters big warmth.

And believe me, if had sat through "Harley as a superhero" (which believe it or not was not explained away as a dream, Alan's truth sermon, Lizzie ends up on a park restroom doing it with whatshisface, and the STUPID, "Springfield Cops," episode this one was a realistic gem!