Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Maeve Kinkead is amazing.

Her and Maureen Garrett are so underrated and because they don't chew the scenery, they never get the credit they deserve. How lucky was GL to have them? Too bad they didn't get better treatment towards the end.

I always hated the Matt and Vanessa pairing...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KNvISqaYxbw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Edited January 14, 2012 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

I was so amazed Maeve came back at all. For her (many) failings, Ellen Wheeler seemed to be able to keep a lot of cast around who normally never would have been seen again. Vanessa deserved more airtime but I'm glad she at least got the happy ending I wanted for her.

I was going to ask if anyone knows what story Darcy Dekker had in late 1987 or early 1988? SOD lists her as being a recurring character, and returning.

Watching some of the 1982 clips, I was confused at seeing yet another Tim McIntire, played by an actor who looked about 35. Reading Soapcentral, apparently he had some romance with Trudy (Morgan's friend) before leaving town. I wonder why they didn't try to keep the character around, appropriately aged, since he'd been around so long and would have been a good fit for the group coming in (only a few years older than Mindy/Phillip/et al).

[Mitch]

Darcy had turned her life around after getting treatment for her addiction, and became a drug counselor. She was brought in to counsel that drugged chick that Rusty was seeing (who came between he and Mindy.) Kind of an interesting choice to do that.

[rcsnj]

Nigel Reed played Tim Werner at that time. I don't recall him having much of a storyline at all. He was written out around December 1982, which is when Guiding Light added an aged Rick and Phillip to the show. Another teenage character, Clay Tynan, played by Giancarlo Esposito, was introduced at that time but was gone within six months.

[DRW50]

Thanks, both of you. It's too bad they didn't keep Darcy around.

What did you think of this story? I enjoy the acting but it seems a little OTT and rushed to me - I know that this ends with Charlotte's murder and her sister Alicia comes in and tries to frame someone. Rick's reaction at the end cracks me up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NduTx3Hqm-I

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjCiWScF4TY

[DRW50]

Finally got to see Trish's last scenes. I still think her leaving was a mistake...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7fTYXlZfYI

This Charlotte story is so OTT. It's so alien to most of what GL was at its best, and the deliberate pacing of the Dobsons, Marland...even early Long.

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[rlj]

I dont even remember this story, when did it play out?

[DRW50]

Apparently July 1985, according to the writing on the clips.

This whole story seems to reflect the hysteria of a lot of the show at this time. The scenes where Louie and Harry were going to brawl in the corridors over the sancticity of Ed's reputation were bewildering. And I laughed and laughed at those scenes where Charlotte called into "The Fletch and Mo Show" and broadcast the Claire/Ed affair, without ever saying it was them, as Fletcher and Maureen wail and weep and throw things.

I think this ended with Charlotte dead and Alicia as her killer.

You can also see why Susan Pratt wasn't thrilled with Claire - she seems fine here, but within a few months she will try to smother baby Michelle with a pillow.

Edited January 17, 2012 by CarlD2

[rlj]

Oh ok, I was working at a Day Camp in the Summer of 1985, so I missed this crap lol.

Oh if I was SP, I woulda been pissed to, her character became so vile imo, and I didnt know where they were going with having her work for Kyle as Maeve's doctor. 1985 was not a good year for the show imo.

[Mitch]

1985 was a really bad year for the show, right up there with Conboy/Weston and Wheeler/Kriezman...and it really stood out as the show was great, a year or two before. It had it Number 1 and then the network wanted them to go "BIG" to compete with GH, even though GL knocked it out of the top spot, and focus on weird stories and the Lewis family and Reva. So we got the Lewis and Kyle Sampson and Infinity and the Bauers and the Reardons were backburnered. This Charlotte story was just sped up filler to give the remaining Bauers something to do and it shows, it was sloppy and silly.. and the killer was obvious and over the top.

[DRW50]

Did Louie, that doctor with the baseball cap, have any type of exit? GL seemed to hold onto many of their recurring characters for decades, but he just seemed to vanish.

[Mitch]

Louie just disappeared as did that goofy nurse that he was always hanging around with. Its too bad..as GL did keep recurring people around (i.e Dr. Sedwick cared for more paternity cases then any OBGY in history) as it gave it a real feeling.

Whatever happened to those goofy maids of Jenna's and then Alex?

[bboy875]

I just googled it just to be sure, SOD named GL best show of 1985 lol. The last I remember seeing of Louie was after he helped Maeve keep Ben from Kyle (I think she lied and told Kyle she had a miscarriage), but I don't remember an actual exit. I did see the 70th anniversary episode and thought it was quite good (wished they would've used old clips though). They did try to tie Tammy's death into the ep. In the end, Irna responded to killing off a then popular character (I think the one she killed off before.handing the show over to Agnes Nixon) and Jonathan mourned over Tammy over Irna's voice over.

I just googled it just to be sure, SOD named GL best show of 1985 lol. The last I remember seeing of Louie was after he helped Maeve keep Ben from Kyle (I think she lied and told Kyle she had a miscarriage), but I don't remember an actual exit. I did see the 70th anniversary episode and thought it was quite good (wished they would've used old clips though). They did try to tie Tammy's death into the ep. In the end, Irna responded to killing off a then popular character (I think the one she killed off before.handing the show over to Agnes Nixon) and Jonathan mourned over Tammy over Irna's voice over.

[bboy875]

Sorry for the double post. Btw, as much as I hated the Wheeler/Kreizman era (I gave up in 2008 after watching since the late 70's) they did find ways to use their recurring vets at time, unlike some other shows. And I was happy that Holly and Vanessa got the endings I always wanted for them (with Ed and Billy-never liked Van with Matt either). I guess I could never say enough about Maureen Garrett. She and Michael Zaslow will always be my favorite daytime actors, and Roger and Holly, perhaps my favorite tv characters of all time! Flawed characters with real wants and needs. I hope they come out with a whole dvd set of these two.