Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Soaplovers]

 

I agree, except I don't see her writing out the Snyder's.  She wrote the Reardons quite well in her 1st stint (and she had said would have kept writing for them if they didn't opt to leave).

 

I think she would have done well with the Snyder's and probably not isolated them as much.

 

Connor Walsh would so have been a character Pam Long would have excelled at writing...and I think Cal Stricklyn as well.  I could have seen her thinking of him like a Billy Lewis type of character.

 

I'm curious how she would have written the Hughes family.  

 

 

I actually think she would have fit better on AW...she was all about friendships..and that show had that in spades

[victoria foxton]

Your so right about Connor and Cal. Neither off them crossed my mind. As i was writing the post. 

Edited March 23, 2021 by victoria foxton

[Soapsuds]

I don't see Pam being able to write for Connor at all. She would've gotten rid of the Snyders. 

[Forever8]

I'm not sure how Pam would've written Duncan and Jessica? I could see her bringing in Shannon in earlier. She probably would've have had a better hold on The Snyder's too. And for the Hughes something tells me she would've done well for Kim and Nancy for some reason. I could also see her possibly bringing on a recast Frannie. 

[DramatistDreamer]

Nobody mentioned writing for Lisa.

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I realize not everybody is capable but Lisa was a major character.

[Forever8]

I forgot about her. How do you think she would've done with writing characters like Lisa? Bob? John? I'm struggling to see how she would write for the latter two. Although Pam Long was known for writing her male characters well for the most part. 

[Soaplovers]

I think Long would have done well with Lisa...and she would have done well with John Dixon.  Not sure about Bob...though I think she would have positioned Bob/Kim the same way she positioned Ed/Maureen..as tentpole characters.

 

The one character on GL that I wish Long had the chance to write would have been rita.  

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Yes, her tenures seem very testosterone-laced. As an aside, I think she would've been great at writing Brooke Logan as she seemed adept at writing sexually charged vamps. From what I have noticed, she seemed to write two archetypes of women, hard-charging, full-steam ahead in career, and hard-charging, full-steam ahead in the bedroom. The same way that many criticized Maryland in how he wrote '86 Barbara and Lucinda, I would see Long writing similarly for both characters.  Lisa is a character that seems straight-forward and easy to write on the surface but was a bit more complex beneath, which is my guess as to why the writers didn't bother with her at all towards the end (they should have at least tried though).

Due to Fulton's Southern heritage, I fear that Long may have been tempted to write her as some sort of ageing Southern belle or grande dame and that wasn't Lisa. Despite all her sparkly, fancy attire, Lisa wasn't a reclining grande same. She was a successful business woman but she wasn't an Alexandra Spaulding, either in business temperament, or in disposition (she was not as concerned with socio-economic standing and class as Alexandra). Lisa was a romantic but not a camp like Reva. Lisa was, on occasion down for a good scrap.  

Another thing, is that Lisa was fiercely loyal to her women friends. Most of Long's best known creations had stronger friendships/relationships with men. So, I would've handed off writing duties to another writer, as far as Lisa was concerned.

I think Long would've done fine with John Dixon (no one has ever truly flopped with him) and she probably would have written great conflict between he and Bob.

[victoria foxton]

I could see her doing a great job with Rita. I could see her getting Evan right But i wonder about Andy? Plus Oakdale would've had the same community feel. It had under Doug.

[Mitch]

I think Lisa would be so easy to write for..though (and Fulton wouldn't have liked this) I would nix the swoony dreaming romantic (so maybe she isnt so easy to write for..)  cause that was just getting pathetic as she got older, but she had connections to everyone (except the Snyders which I liked) she was great on recapping as she traveled around chatting up everyone, she had humor (if done right) took all the young people under her wing, especially if they were a bad girl with a good heart, and as DramatistDreamer said..she liked a good fight.  I never understood why Sheffer couldn't write for her.

 

I thought the best writing for Lisa was with Taggert and company pre Marland right after Fulton's return..she had a step family she was all over (I wish Ulrich didn't leave at that time...she was prime Lisa project material) she was running her businesses, she was getting kidnapped...acting like Joan Crawford at her husband''s murder trial..Marland made her kind of bland.

 

I can only imagine how Lisa would deal with Reva...and Fulton and Zimmer with each other!

Edited March 23, 2021 by Mitch

[DramatistDreamer]

 

If it were easy, Sheffer would definitely have done it.

 

He likely didn't want to write for Lisa because he really, he couldn't dress her in drag or have her do pratfalls out of windows.

Edited March 23, 2021 by DramatistDreamer

[Forever8]

'Guiding Light' Episode Entered into National Recording Registry - Daytime Confidential

[DramatistDreamer]

^^ NRR doing a much better job of explaining GL's cultural significance than P&G/PGP. SMH.

 

Still, very cool.

 

Are all GL's radio episodes archived? Does anyone know?

[Asb23]

Mark Derwin interview from this week:

 

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[cassadine1991]

Marj Dusay’s facial reactions have me

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https://youtu.be/ceun40-lkd0