Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Michael]

Thanks for such a detailed response.

I understand what you mean about Taylor. From what I've seen of his 80s run on Days and his primetime stuff, I get that he was pretty charismatic once upon a time. It's just hard for me to picture him as ever playing the Quint character that I'm watching on the GL DVDs right now (which I guess he didn't really do, haha). If it was a temp recast, the reasoning at least makes a bit more sense.

So Nola and Quint just reunited offscreen after Brown was let go, too? What a mess.

[DRW50]

He mostly just played the material of Quint pursuing Nola, and added his own flair.

Nola basically vanished after Brown was written out in 1998. She was never mentioned again, until she returned for a few days at the end. Lisa supposedly ad-libbed lines to make viewers feel that she had reunited with Quint. She ad-libbed a lot of important stuff, supposedly. That type of thing is why I can never see Ellen Wheeler as the demon many made her out to be. Rauch, JFP, etc. never would have let Brown do any of that.

[DRW50]

An SOD issue from spring 1984 says Bradley Raines was going to be killed in the Dreaming Death story. Clearly that didn't happen. Do you know what changed the show's mind? Was he even a part of the story?

[Michael]

Ah. Thanks! I watched the very end of GL, and even though the returnees had so little screentime, it seemed like their mere presence helped tie up a ton of loose ends.

[Mitch]

I wouldn't give Wheeler that much credit. I am sure they didn't want to stop tape and shoot again so they just went with Brown's ad libs (loved blowing a kiss good bye to Company/the Boardinghouse and to the viewers.)

80's Quint with Tylo was a weird character to bring back in the 90s. Actually, after they married in the 80s Quint stopped functioning as a character, he really was a mystery man plot device to redeem Nola and give her some happiness. After she was happy he didnt have a reason to exist. Quint should have been killed off during Long and Nola kept.

However, Josh Taylor played a great Quint, in terms of being a rugged man, who you could see out on digs, instead of the academic, kind of effette caricature that Tylo played. Personally, they should have made him an associate of Quints who was there when Quint was killed by a cave in, etc. So they could have a Marland kind of story where Nola was turned on by this rugged guy but not sure if he was responsible for his death.

[Michael]

Interesting way of breaking it down. 'Effete' is definitely a word I'd use to describe Tylo's Quint -- which, in these 80s episodes, I'm actually enjoying. He doesn't seem much like the other men at all (and the scenes with him and Tony are interesting for precisely that reason), more of a dreamer. I can certainly see how playing it more 'rugged' would play upon other aspects of the character.

[saynotoursoap]

I have never heard this tidbit. According to Pam, in her original story outline Bradley was to have died at the hands of Lillian. As the story progressed, Pam felt that death was too easy an out for the character. She wanted the audience to see Bradley imprisioned for his crimes. The idea was that Bradley being forced to take responsibility for the abuse of Beth, something for which he could never atone, was a fate worse than death. Plus, Beth would be given the opportunity to confront her attacker. I wonder if SOD simply made an assumption or if a false plot development was leaked? I really cannot see Pam writing such an end for Bradley because the sexual abuse story was taken very seriously.

[DRW50]

I'm not sure. The idea of it being a false spoiler does make sense. When I read it I wondered if they may have considered the idea, as it would have been a quick way out for Bradley, comeuppance, in some way (perhaps Lillian choosing to save someone else), and then Beth would move on with her life. Keeping him alive was a better decision though.

[Khan]

IA. I can't see Pam Long allowing Bradley to die from the Dreaming Death when what did happen provided so much juicy material for her, for the show, and for the actors involved.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7xPy7C8MU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxv9CaBqAW0&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gysuztIWQmg&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Ep1zVmYsc&feature=channel

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrPIdEs80hI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oagZe2m3i8&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7RAE5wEmrc&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8MivLv8Qsw&feature=channel

[Mitch]

Okay, I kind of liked this time on GL. I think sometimes Rauch got unfairly blamed for a lot of bad, because of the eventual rise of San Crud and the Mob, which did take over the show and did suck. But I kind of liked Dykey Annie with a new face (wish they had revealed it was all bullshit and FauxAnnie was a nutty imposter) and I know everyone HATES it but I liked the NurseryRhyme Stalker..."Hickory Dickory Dock, nows the time to stop your clock." But the show still had the family warmth to it, like this scene with Abby and Meta. I liked Abby...wish they would have kept her, she and Rick were a nice, normal couple (never liked Mel that much, at least with Rick.) In retrospect, a LOT of stuff was going on at this time.

[DRW50]

I thought the nursery rhyme stalker story was fun, high camp (not sure if it was supposed to be but who cares). I mostly just thought it was too soon to bring back Annie. The most interesting part of the story for me was the part they dropped, with Frank and Eleni and "Teri."

[Mitch]

The original plan was to sandwich the clone in between the two runs of Annie....so they always planned on it. It also shows that PG under Madd was hung up on "events," and "hooks," instead of any long range planning. I would have liked Butch Annie better if they had made her some nutball who worshipped Annie (hell I would have had Annie seduce this chick offcamera and send her to SF to torment Josh and Reva) who masquaraded as her.

This time always makes me think about the Zaslow controversy. My gut reaction was always to blame MADD and PG, but thinking about from a distance, they were really stuck between a rock and a hard place. Zas, was getting progressively worse and they didnt know what it was, so it was hard to write for him or even count on him being there to film. Viewers were writing in and asking what was wrong with him so they coudlnt just ignore it. I know OLTL was, quite rightly, lauded for bringing him back, but I dont know if that would have worked with Roger.

I am not defending the tasteless foot in mouth of MADD's comments (a problem she had for years) but I kind of know what she was saying, that it would be difficult for viewers, who have watched Roger be this strong, invincible guy, suddenly hobbled. It came out terribley "wizened???? REALLY??? but I kind of see what she was saying, once I take away my role as a viewer who grew up watching Roger and Zaz, and step into corporate who have to make budgets, schedules, etc.

What does anyone else think?

[DRW50]

I think the way it was done is what upset people most, but beyond that, I think they could have come up with a story, mostly because Roger had been a progressively weaker character for some time - first with the years spent pining for Holly, then that hideous Lonatrat story where he got ECT and was the foil for Dinah and Hart.

I think having a story where Roger was sick and Holly rushed to help him would have made some sense, and this would have driven Fletcher away, especially if Holly wasn't spending enough time with Meg. Then Roger could have gone to a facility, offcamera, once Zaslow couldn't continue in the role.

I don't envy P&G or CBS for the situation, I just think they handled it in the worst possible way.