Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[robbwolff]

We Love Soaps just posted the full episode where Alan-Michael parachutes in. So you can see Lacey a few times here:

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[TimWil]

Thanks for this, robbwolff!

[Vee]

Who wrote this? Pam Long?

[robbwolff]

Sheri Anderson was head writer at that point. Pam Long returned around August 1987.

[NothinButAttitude]

How long was Sheri Anderson at Guiding Light? And why didn't they keep her longer given her success on other shows? Do you veteran fans think it was because Sheri's writing style didn't match with GL? Was it because ratings dropped?

[DRW50]

She must have only been there six months or a year, at most. The ratings weren't good at this point, and the show was very aimless. She had a very heavy focus on the Shaynes, I think, and tried for intrigue and some other things. I think one of the main problems was that these stories, like Johnny Bauer/Christine Valere, Rusty and the trucking company adventures, etc. weren't all that compelling to viewers. GL had no real identity, as P&G interference, Jeff Ryder's tenure and the end of Long's first tenure had taken it away.

[robbwolff]

Anderson's husband Joseph Manetta arrived around October 1986 while Anderson was wrapping up her stint at Days. Anderson then joined in late October/early November. She was gone by August 1987.

Ryder's tenure was short but I personally think more damage to GL's identity was done during his successors' stint -- Mary Ryan Munisteri and Ellen Barrett. That was the summer of 1986 and it was terribly boring.

[NothinButAttitude]

Thanks for clearing this up for me, buddy!

I didn't know what she was behind the Christine Valere story, which I know many old school GL fans loathed and rank as one of their top crap stories of all time.

[DRW50]

Which stories were going on at that point (summer 1986)? That was when Beth was presumed dead?

[robbwolff]

That period featured Beth's drowning, the introductions of Dorie and Dinah, Claire's descent into madness, the return of Alan Spaulding, Vanessa's revelation she had Ross' child, the introduction of Johnny Bauer. There was much promise but it didn't materialize on the screen.

I remember a huge focus on Camp Cayuga. But there seemed to be no focus at all.

[DRW50]

I remember Susan Pratt trashing Claire's exit storyline.

I'd forgotten Dinah came around then, and of course poor meaningless Dorie.

I always wonder what they would have done with India if MKA had stayed on.

[Mitch]

Oh that summer..that stupid summer camp where the characters just wandered around. Oh, it was not only the camp but also that the lake at the camp had a mythical monster in it. You also had the jewels in the corner stone of India's castle she and Alan were trying to retrieve...(loved MKA and the Alan actor, no sex charge but a power charge that almost rivaled he and Bev's chemistry..) Also...you had the start of a weird...Vanessa, Billy, Roxie Shayne triangle...Maeve lying and saying her kid died (with Louie helping her..) and of course Reva still unaccountably in LURVE with controlling, nostril flaring Kyle...Oh, and that dumb blond magician guy convinging Alex of all people that he was Brandon's long lost son. He was in LURVE with Jesse, Beth's duller then dull cousin (she made Lucy Cooper interesting) and Jesse's mom had syphillis or something from her ex-husband. Jesse read the medical report, flipped out and ran out into the street (for what reason, no one knows..) and I think got hit by a car...(she unfortunatley lived.)

I will say that Anderson when she came, did want to expand the Bauer and Reardon families by brining in younger members..but Long nixed that. It was a weird time.

[cassadine1991]

Anderson wanted more Bauers and Reardons? That's interesting

[TimWil]

Hah, Mitch re Jessie's mom Calla (who called her sister Lillian "Lily"-get it? Calla lilies?)-I believe she actually had herpes.

Edited July 3, 2014 by TimWil

[robbwolff]

Anderson and her husband were the ones who brought back Bea Reardon and introduced Chelsea. Anderson expanded the Bauer family by introducing the short-lived Lacey (Johnny's sister) and their parents Jack and Lainie. There were also plans to introduce a brother Todd, played by Frank Dicopolous. But when Long returned, she scrapped the plans for Todd and created Frank Cooper, or so the story goes. Also during Anderson's stint, Mary Stuart was approached about portraying the role of Hannah Bauer.