Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[chrisml]

I feel for Marcy Walker because it must be terrible to be used by someone you thought was a friend (JFP). JFP lures MW to GL and then abandons her. It says a lot that even MW's coworkers felt sorry for her (instead of being jealous by a big name coming to the show). 

[victoria foxton]

She put a spell on him.

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[DRW50]

 

Yes, Jane was probably the first GL stunt casting, even under similar circumstances to Marcy as she'd been a big part of Marland's GH as Marcy had been to JFP's SB.. The main difference being that Marland had obvious story plans for Jane and gave her a ton to work with.  

[Paul Raven]

Denise Alexander was an earlier example. GH grabbed her from Days and she was shoehorned in. There was a minor doctor character coming on and Denise took on that character that had no backstory or forward plan.

[Soaplovers]

But she didn't fit on the show..and her character was kind of a bust on the long run. 

[Stitches0210]

 

Guiding Light also did not pair Marcy Walker with the actor with whom she had chemistry—Scott Hoxby.

Tangie and Patrick had some spark.

 

I don’t know if it was GL, Jill Farren Phelps, or CBS. Or any combination of them.

 

Marcy first appeared in November 1993. Her last appearance was in August 1995. She immediately returned to All My Children for the next ten years (along with her sixth and last Emmy nomination for lead actress in 2001).

[Faulkner]

I think I vaguely remember her and Cutter seeming like a promising pairing. They wound up sticking him with Marian Crane/Brent, who killed him off. What a waste. 

[Stitches0210]

 

As a viewer, it seemed like Guiding Light wanted Marcy Walker paired with one of its more prominent men. She was introduced as the girlfriend for Robert Newman’s Josh. (He returned in August 1993, three months before Walker debuted as Tangie Hill.) Then, in 1994 (which became horrible during the second half of the year), the series had Walker’s Tangie be torn between father-and-son Ron Raines’s Alan and Rick Hearst’s Alan–Michael Spaulding. None of that worked. The one possibility of a well-matched actor and his character being right for Walker and Tangie, and Walker and Tangie for that actor and his character, was Scott Hoxby’s Detective Patrick Cutter. The series refused. Walker last appeared in August 1995. Hoxby last appeared in November 1995. 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Stitches0210

[FrenchBug82]

And of course one of most poorly-thought-out stunt casting of modern times would be Beth Ehlers' move to AMC. Granted she made it worse for herself but it was obvious almost immediately they had signed her without any real idea on what to do with her - since they didn't want to do the obvious and pair her with RPG which I always thought was... interesting.

 

 

Of course for all we know the hot partner might be a dull idiot! It is not like Alan is unattractive.
Or more charitably Alan could have plenty of qualities or even be very interesting in real life. He is just not good at moderating those.

 

[Stitches0210]

 

Beth Ehlers did get to work on All My Children, early on, with Debbi Morgan, as Ehlers’s character served in the military with Morgan’s character’s son. (Both of them are two of my favorite actresses in the genre.)

 

And Debbi Morgan also had a failure on The Young and the Restless, playing mom to Bryton James (who won his second Emmy this year as Devon).

 

All My Children failed Beth Ehlers.

The Young and the Restless failed Debbi Morgan.

Two actresses with three or four decades of combined years of experience—and there was no excuse for failing to properly develop and integrate their characters successfully.

 

For several years now, and certainly in current times, my wish for actors on the daytime dramas are, when they choose to leave a soap, they don’t come back to the genre. They succeed outside daytime.

[Soapsuds]

I find Alan unattractive. I keep wondering how he got his job for P&G. He is very dull and the beginning monologue to ever reunion is the same. I already have it memorized.

 

As for Tangie Hill........the name was horrific and so was the character. I remember the character getting so much negative feedback.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Soapsuds

[DRW50]

 

There were a number of Cutter pairings that viewers had a positive response to but he wasn't seen as big enough by the show. Mindy was another. 

 

I don't remember where my scan is but SOD had an ask the producers feature for all the soaps in summer or fall '94 and JFP was asked about one of the Cutter pairings as well as Alan-Michael and Gilly. Basically just non-answers. I think the show was thrown at there never really being tons of interest in Alan-Michael/Lucy as a pairing. 

 

 

I think Jane fit - she had easy chemistry with Jerry ver Dorn and was able to spar back and forth with the Spaulding Enterprises crew - but Marland wrote way too much for Carrie way too fast. Jane rarely stayed at a soap for long anyway, but with better pacing I think she could have worked on the show.

[Asb23]

The Marah’s reunion was enjoyable. It’s always nice to see child actors successfully transition to the real world and Ashely Peldon certainly has done that.  Good for her! She was so young I doubt she remembers much but I would have liked for hear more from her about her experiences. Laura Bell Bundy seemed to dominate the conversation. He reaction to finding out Wes Ramsey and Laura Wright are dating was very funny, however.  I would have liked to hear more from Kimberly, too (who knew she was divorced?? But how nice that Robert Newman attended her wedding).  Cute that Bryan Buffinton sent the picture of him and Ashely from 30 years ago in. Sweet that he was watching at all.
 

All in all this was a pleasant reunion. I’m glad we got to see KZ and RN’s reactions to seeing the girls for the first time.

 

I nudged Alan on Twitter to try to get Rachel Miner on one of these and I know they’ve been in touch so hopefully she’ll be on soon, too.

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Asb23

[DRW50]

Was there a reason given for Marty West not being  there? That was always a bit WTF to me anyway.

[Vee]

 

They clearly intended to re-pair Ehlers and Goldin. Her character, Taylor Thompson, was brought onto AMC with great fanfare specifically for him as Jake Martin. Problem was AMC fans didn't respond to a forced pairing from another show, and the throwaway pairing of Jake and Chrishell Stause's Amanda became unexpectedly popular. Ehlers also made herself unsympathetic IRL by dissing the surprisingly charismatic military veteran hired to play a romantic spoiler for her and Jake; even "Brot" was more popular than her on the show. The show dumped her on Tad, then off without an exit.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Vee