Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Khan]

Nope.  They aren't.  At this point, it's just, "show up on the set, stand on your mark (or whatever), say your lines, thank you and NEXT!".  Prospect Park, the production outfit that handled AMC and OLTL's brief, online revival back in the dark ages of streaming, did a lot of things wrong, but one thing they apparently did NOT-wrong was give back rehearsal time to the actors on both shows.

[GL Oldtimer]

@Khan, you mentioned in your post above that it's pretty much show up, stand on your mark, and go. This must be why when I catch some episodes of soaps airing now, there's not as much blocking or movement as I remember when I watched in real-time during the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

Annette

[Paul Raven]

I think there is a rehearsal, although different soaps may have different practices.

Maybe they do a run through on set and then begin taping. 

They would not be able to just turn up and tape. Camera angles, movements etc have to be set up.

OTTOMH,there used to be a table read/discussion, a run through, a run through on set to make adjustments, dress rehearsal and final taping.

[Dan]

This is probably going to be something of a hot take, considering the number of decades long GL fans here in the post. But after watching some episodes from the late 70s and early 80s and contrasting that to later in the decade and the early 90s, I have to say getting rid of cue cards might have been the best production change of the entire decade. Maybe it veered soap dialogue to less of a natural and more stylized conversation between characters, but it's more of a entertaining scene overall. And it really made the actors elevate their game and gave more creative energy to some of the great script writers that came out of the 80s.

Also, I cannot get through a soap episode these days and that is part cause the dialogue in all 4 remaining shows is absolutely basic soap-speak and lacking any kind of originality. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Have you watched DAYS lately? I think the scab writers have immensely improved the dialogue! 

[Vee]

It showed, too.

[Contessa Donatella]

Does anyone know anywhere there are daily or even weekly recaps of GL Jan & Feb. 1991. The farthest back I've found so far is 1996. 

[j swift]

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Remember the article about the end of GL from a couple of months ago?  This is the author.

Edited January 31, 2024 by j swift

[Matt]

From the October 1940 issue of Radio Mirror, a novelization of the beginning radio story.

 

 

 

 

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Edited February 1, 2024 by Matt
putting pages in the right order

[Mitch64]

I have just started reading "Unscripted" which is about Sumner Redstone and the fight for the business empire...(oh...if only GL writers would have done a bit of simple research on how international conglomerates were run, maybe the constant, "Who runs Spaulding" would have been more interesting, as it was, they ran that place like a family run hardware store...) A player in the early chapters is our own J. No Dot George Pilgrim...he was the first actor to play J Chamberlin and was much reviled for his obnoxious character and acting. The writers must have been basing J on the actor as it turns out he is a scam artist who spent time in jail.  Interesting to see him pop up in this as I haven't thought of him in years.

Edited February 2, 2024 by Mitch64

[Maxim]

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There is nobody better than BM. 

[P.J.]

I guess I didn't realize that Brandon's ashes were spread like Alan's. (yes, less spectacularly, but still...)

[Contessa Donatella]

In case it is of interest to anyone I have found a resource for earlier than 1996 weekly recaps. They're scans of Digest. https://www.tumblr.com/classicsodgl

[kalbir]

February 10 is the 40th anniversary of Beverlee McKinsey debut on GL.

[Contessa Donatella]

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