Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[dc11786]

The budget issue might be true, but the rating decline wasn't any different than it had been in the previous years. Labine  and early Lucky Gold managed to hit in the 3.3 - 3.6 range in the summer of 2001. Gold fell under 3.0 in March 2002 and the show never went back.  During the summer of 2002, the show averaged in the 2.6 - 2.8 range. Probably as a result of Gold's poor stories, Taggert and Culliton were initially mostly landing in 2.5 to 2.6 range. There last weeks they jumped into the 2.7 - 2.8 range, but we'll never know if they would have been able to maintain that. Conboy and Weston did have an initial drop, but they managed to rebound to the 2.6 - 2.8 range for most of the summer of 2003. The remainder of their run was in the 2.4 - 2.6 range. After Conboy departed, the show dipped, Weston and Wheeler's work mainly fell in the 2.2 - 2.4 range with the occasional dip above and below.  Yet, Wheeler and Kriezman were able to get back to the 2.4 - 2.6 range for a bit in the winter of 2004/2005, the show falls back into the 2.2-2.4 range fairly quickly only to settle at 2.3 in the fall of 2004.

[j swift]

When Jennifer Richards came out at the trial as Jean Marie, did anyone know about it before the trial?  It looks like Nola knew but I can't tell.

[glatwt]

Does anybody have the scene where Blake finds Jeans body floating in the country club pool and her screams are heard inside on the intercom??  Please!!!!

[Soaplovers]

It is a shame the show never thought to bring back Pam Long especially since she did help correct/right the ship in the late 80s leading to Curlee's early 90s golden period.  

[glatwt]

+1000

[Faulkner]

I wonder if Pam Long was asked and turned them down. GL started slowly going to hell right after Santa Barbara went dark, so it may have been an opportune time to bring her back, especially when Nancy Curlee was on her way out and they decided to have the show head-written by committee for a year. She could have spared us Megan McTavish. I wasn't crazy about Pam Long's OLTL, but at least she knew GL well. 

[antmunoz]

Nola didn’t know. And if she had, there’s no way she wouldn’t have told her “best friend” Morgan. 

GL revisited this humor in its final year when Alan refused to allow Daisy to dine with the family, shouting, “She shot me!”  Phillip responded, “YOU shot me!”

[MichaelGL]

What's even more ridiculous is that Pam Long had worked with Paul Rauch on SB, and I honestly don't believe he bothered to ask her to return to GL. 

[Faulkner]

And GL was reverting to The Reva Show, and Pam created the damn woman. Who knows? Granted, B&E's first year with Rauch was very entertaining before they went sci-fi/fantasy/Godfather, and again Pam Long's OLTL was not good in a lot of fundamental ways, so it may be an instance of be careful what you wish for.

[Soaplovers]

I think she could have made R eva work in the late 90s...and I know she wouldn't have ever thought of bringing in the mob or creating that stupid island.

 

The reason Pam Long didn't work on OLTL wad because that show was about a more urban area, class differences, etc.  Santa Barbara was quirky and more avant garde then what Pam Long wrote.  She seemed strongest on family stories..rather in the country or smaller towns.  She even created a drama in the 90s for ABC that was decent (but in a bad time slot).  

 

She helped steer the show correctly in 1983/1984...and came back in the 2nd half of 1987 and helped fix the show then....so I could have seen her doing that again in 1998/99...  I could have seen her keeping the momentum if rick/Abby as the next tent pole couple...and helped focus the drew/michelle/bill/drew stuff.

 

I just think she is better at turnaround and not steering the ship long term...but picking the correct course.

[GH_Girl]

 

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Edited January 21, 2018 by GH_Girl

[cassadine1991]

Didn't P&G try to get Michael Laibson back after Conboy departed?

[Khan]

I've heard that, and frankly, it puzzles me.  Why on Earth bring back an EP whose first run was a disaster for fans and critics alike?  IMO, P&G would have been much better off asking someone like Ed Scott or David Shaughnessy (both from Y&R) or GH's former EP, Wendy Riche.

[amybrickwallace]

 

Yes, Second Noah. I think it aired during 1996-97. 

[Mitch]

I think CBS had a thing out for Long...and maybe vice a versa when she left the last time. I know she was upset with her original idea for "Ghost Reva" (that Pam for even thinking that up so others could run with it) coming back at Christmas to help Marah.  CBS didn't want to do it (at that time wisely thinking it would mean Reva was really most sincerely dead, you know unlike later when it was..hey she is alive.but she was a ghost, but oh nevermind you think that's stupid wait until you see what we have up our sleaves for later!)

 

I know Long worked for Rauch before but I don't see her doing that when she had a definite vision of what GL should be and I don't think Rauchie would have allowed her to do that...(imagine her bringing back Beth as a crazy sour horn dog ex wife??)

 

Michael Laibson??? I really think GL's problems were more McTavish then him. He did allow her to bring back some old faves..I think his production values were good, I just think he needed a really strong writer. Maybe Laibson and Long could have saved the show.