Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[KLN]

Watching 90's GL on YouTube.

Michael Zaslow was a legend. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by KLN

[Joseph]

Gl's Unsung Star, The Vet that never had her turn to Shine, her biggest Storyline was the one that made everybody hate her, MY Poor Lillian/Tina

Uh the "Bad" Amanda

Would Love To Know The Last Airing of Paige Turco as Dinah Marler, also Does anyone have Scenes With The First Dinah Jennifer Gatti? (Wasn't She Y&R's HIV/AIDS victim Keesha? Then she was a black woman playing a couple of White Folks' Daughter? Or was she like a Suspected, White? I'm just no good at this kinda thing)

[Paul Raven]

Some 70's GL memories;

Dan Hamilton as David Vested and Christina Pickles as Linell Conway.Forgotten characters. Were they involved with the Stanley Norris character and his business, which I think was prominent for a time?

[Contessa Donatella]

No other like him.

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When I think of GL writers putting their heads together, brainstorming an ALS story for Roger, beginning with putting Roger & Holly together & Paul stopping them & then MADD saying what she did, I get burned up all over.  For once JFP did the right thing.

 

[KLN]

It could've been an amazing story.

[Contessa Donatella]

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I agree! At least he got some money.  And, then, for once in her life JFP did the right thing.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Tonksadora
Smallify.

[Forever8]

FYI has uploaded these promos from 1996 featuring Reva, Josh, Dinah and Phillip. 

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[BetterForgotten]

Those promos are so ridiculous, but still better than what much of the show was by this point as this was when the cancellation rumors started to intensify and GL even dipped below AW for a week or so in the ratings. 

Edited August 24, 2022 by BetterForgotten

[Vee]

For one thing, the lights were low.

I am curious when the cancellation bell began ringing for GL as early as this, and what factors or circumstances led to it. I didn't know it was a going concern this early.

[BetterForgotten]

I believe in ‘96 there was a lot of talk about CBS wanting B&B to expand to an hour and the Bell’s seriously considering it. The talk was GL would be canceled to make room for that. This was also when the show was in the creative and ratings gutter. Rauch, for all his faults, did reinvigorate things for a (short) while a year or so later and GL’s “recovery” in 97 was being hailed by the press. But obviously that didn’t last too long.

GL’s cancellation rumors likely began as early as 93/94 when many of the major affiliates switched it to a 9/10am timeslot, which also coincided with JFP’s worst tendencies overrunning the show by that point and ratings starting to tumble. But things got really bad in like the summer of ‘96 when GL dipped below even AW for a week or so and talk of expanding B&B took wind.

[Contessa Donatella]

I remember reading that CBS let it be known, in public, that they wanted the Bells to create a new soap for them to replace GL & it may have been '96-'97. I might look to check the date. But, anyway, what happened was P&G pitched a hissy fit & there was this big confab & CBS laid out what they expected/wanted out of both ATWT & GL. And, things that they did not think they were getting out of P&G's two remaining soaps, on CBS. If I remember correctly the Bells refused to enter into it at all, that they wanted to keep their noses clean. I don't think they liked CBS doing that in public & involving them in it. This rings my bells. [cough] [bad joke]

Just thinking of close to that time, 1998 was when the clone died, so back off & you'd have the date when CBS began their pressure on GL to do that story. And at least by that time CBS was telling P&G things that they had to do - or else. And, or else = cancelled! And Paul said the show would never recover if they were forced to do that story. When those affiliates changed the show to 10 am they did so where there was that damnable stupid "Day Ahead" issue which likely did so much damage in ratings actually telling who was watching what show when.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Tonksadora
Remembered something.

[Soapsuds]

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[wonderwoman1951]

a few thoughts

cbs affiliates in major markets (including the cbs flagship station in nyc) moving the show to 9am (coming on the heels on killing off maureen bauer’) was not just a signal from the network, but further exacerbated the ratings decline.

expanding the bells was the stick cbs used to control p&g.  this is from a february 1996 piece in the la times:

“A year ago, the Bells were asked to create another show to replace the fading “Guiding Light,” sources say. But Procter & Gamble Co., which owns both this show and “As the World Turns,” vigorously fought the change, and CBS relented. (Senior Vice President of Daytime Programming Lucy) Johnson and P&G instead initiated a number of production changes on the show...”

those productions changes included the great 1995 executive producer switch that put michael laibson at guiding light, john valente at atwt, and sent jill farren phelps to another world. the previous year, pgp executive in charge of production, ed trach, retired and was replaced by ken fitts, who had been supervising producer at atwt. i’ve often wondered if lucy johnson waited to make this move until trach was out of the picture. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by wonderwoman1951

[Contessa Donatella]

That is what I think. She might have had an inkling that his retirement was coming given how long he'd been in that slot & his age, etc. Glad to hear someone else think it. And glad you found that quote! That was what I was referring to & looked that night & did not find it. Thnk god I got a date right. MIracle.

[dmelvinwalker4]

Does anybody have some more photos of Bryan Buffinton as Bill on Guiding Light?  Or does anybody have some full episodes from August 1996?

Edited August 25, 2022 by dmelvinwalker4