Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

Absolutely, you are right to point that out. While writing it she had a stroke. But she persisted in writing it all herself & just had family help her get it from her head to the page. She always used a dictaphone & someone typed from that. She picked out the cover & died 2 or 3 days later, having Parkinsons & pneumonia, which I do not believe had been diagnosed, so no treatment. Thank you. 

[SamandWillowFan]

Were fans happy with the endgame couples?

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, I was. Not keen on the double wedding. Just think they're hokey. I bet no nobody actually has one. 

[Mona Kane Croft]

Did anyone ever notice that in almost all cases of "A Middle-Aged Woman Ate My Soap," the woman has been a former bad-girl?  AW - Rachel, AMC - Erica, GL - Reva, ATWT - Carly, GH - Carly, EON - Raven, etc??   Is this just a coincidence?  Of course there are a few exceptions, when a nice character eats a soap: DOOL - Marlena (and at times Hope), OLTL - Vicki (but Vicki really always was the leading lady from day-one. So I'm not sure she fits this mold), etc.  

Also, would others agree that this phenomenon has never happened on Y&R and B&B?  I'm curious how and why writers on those two shows seem to have avoided this trend.  At least so far.   

[Paul Raven]

Y&R Nikki?

B&B Brooke?

[wonderwoman1951]

agreed about gl’s aesthetics, but not sure this is a valid comparison. “the hamptons” may have been low budget, but it was certainly more than gl’s at the end. and whatever “advancements in production techniques” that may have occurred, they wouldn’t have compensated for time: “the hamptons” shot an episode a week; gl an episode a day.

Edited August 11, 2023 by wonderwoman1951

[Contessa Donatella]

Very interesting. Surely it's not just coincidence. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
typo

[FrenchFan]

I don't know if someone will be able to answer but I'm trying to find more about GL late 1960s' history. After checking the script archives from many writers, I think Agnes Nixon stopped being HW on November 25, 1966 and Irna Phillips came back with John Boruff on December 15, 1967. 

So 1967 is quite confused. Many writers are credited: the Averys, Funt & Lesan, the Ferros...

I only found a newspaper article crediting Theodore and Mathilde Ferro as HW in August 1967. Would someone have some more precise info for the writing of that year?

Thanks

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[Contessa Donatella]

I wonder if a comparison might not be to The City. I think people found it visually jarring.

[TEdgeofNight]

I respect that Agnes was 93. I'll give her a pass that her memory may not have been great. But I don't give a pass to her editors who should have fact checked her book. The problem is that people will quote passages from her book and believe them because it was in her book. Agnes said so in her book so it's a fact.

It happens all the time here that books and page numbers get quoted as facts, when they are not true. To stay on topic about GL, Christopher Schemering's 50th Anniversary book about GL had several wrong statements. Just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's true.

[Fevuh]

I would never have thought this about Y&R - to me, for it to be the highest rated and arguably the most popular for years - I've always thought it to have absolutely the weakest cast out there.  Definitely a show that I thought could never handle a bad writing stint.  Yet here we are.  Y&R kind of has a number of women that could fall into this category for me - not just one bad girl turned good.  I think - Jill before Nikki (but Jill has never maintained air time, Nikki has).  I'd throw in also - Sharon although never from the wrong side of the tracks, but Sharon is a more Brooke like (B&B) character, and then also I think of Lauren.  Never would have thought, but Y&R has kind of maintained a stable of good actresses as the show approaches likely an end.  I would never have thought it would be the show to maintain a stronger cast.....I also think Ashley and Phyllis.  Any one of these women have at times carried a LOT of story and airtime.  Nothing like Reva on GL or Vicky on OLTL, Erica on AMC, Marlena on DAYS.  I do think maybe Nikki is the most likely of Y&R's women right now, but it coulda shoulda been Jill.  

[Contessa Donatella]

At the time I read it I thought someone from soaps should have been an editorial pass.

[Paul Raven]

@FrenchFanThis is what was stated in Variety.

Agnes continued writing TGL when she took over AW. John Boruff was now assisting at TGL as of Jan 66

Ted and Mathilde Ferro began May 67

Irna returned as headwriter Feb 68

Are the Averys,Funt/Lesan mentioned in scripts you've seen?

I see their names in Soap World but maybe they were just scriptwriters under Irna. She was headwriter of ATWT at that time so maybe just doing long term story.

Also GL went to half an hour in 68 so extra writers might have been brought in.

[Paul Raven]

EDIT

I went back to my files and found the copy of the Variety article from Feb 68.

It states that Irna had returned to GL recently so your dates of Dec 67 is correct. It states that when Irna quit LIAMST in October 67 she was asked by P&G to return to GL.

[Contessa Donatella]

August 11, 2009, last actual production day, I believe. Today is an Endiversary. 14 years.