Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

My main memory of Marcy's work as Tangie is all the monologues she had for a while. Sometimes I think the show cheated because they knew Marcy was good at those (Santa Barbara loved a monologue) but that doesn't make for a characterization. We just kept getting all these pictures of worlds we were never going to see, while she was doing [!@#$%^&*] all in Springfield. And saddling her with a stolen money story early on, which never works for anybody, didn't help.

[kalbir]

Marcy Walker was offered a part on B&B around the time she was offered GL but for whatever reason she chose GL over B&B. I think the part on B&B she was offered was recast Kristen Forrester but B&B in 1993 had too many females in the early 30s age range and not enough storyline to go around plus by the fall Bradley had taken over. Perhaps Marcy Walker dodged a bullet there.

[j swift]

I always forget the timeline, but wasn't Marcy Walker's casting on GL similar to when Sarah Brown returned to GH as Claudia Zacchara?  In that they were hired under one set of writers or producers, and then those people left soon after the character premiered?  So, whatever the original pitch was for Tangie's story arc may have been subverted for reasons beyond her control.

Although, if Tangie's bizarre connection to Roger was part of that pitch, she must have either been very loyal to JFP, or not very good at selecting roles.

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Edited June 7, 2024 by j swift

[kalbir]

Marcy Walker joined GL in October 1993, under JFP watch and Nancy Curlee was HW. As we all know, Nancy Curlee left March 1994 and JFP left May 1995. Marcy Walker left sometime in summer 1995 I think, as her return to All My Children was that fall.

[Sapounopera]

I always wanted Morgan to return, along with Amanda and Jennifer.
I could see a successful Morgan recast becoming "Annie" in Josh and Reva's life. 

[DRW50]

I could have seen Marcy as a good Amanda recast, although she might have been a bit young for the part.

[Sapounopera]

I certainly wouldn't want her as Morgan. She might have been interesting as a frigid Amanda.

The thing is that I don't see Marcy Walker fitting in 1993 GL at all. It was a stupid JFP idea and another stunt casting disaster. Perhaps she could have been Holly's niece Emily, creating a Norris women group with them and Blake. But I don't really see it.

[Mitch64]

Actually the writer Hurst said they were trying to figure out a way to take advantage of BC and KMK's chemistry (I don't remember it) but she admitted they didn't really do it as well as they should have (I like her, she is very open about story slips..unlike other writers who will defend to the death their work.) I to think the comments on Van's age were from Rauch grinding his axe..which is funny, the rest of the cast had to comment on Reva's beauty in scenes and Zimmer is attractive (and was a complete knock out when first on the show) she looked rougher then MK.  I do wish they had written it as Van getting her groove back in the biz world, and doing long hours and loving it...but much of it is in avoidance to dealing with the fact that the bloom is off the rose with boytoy and she is bored with him.  That leads Matt to help Beth on a project (I would have her rehab a rape counseling facility to give her something to do then hang around the Spaulding liquor cart, humping the couch and chasing after anyone in pants) and they develop a bond and attraction, with no bad guys, no ageism, no Beth being a petty b*thc..

Matt creeping after Dinah during Wheeler's time was creepy..."Matt, do you have a job, a family, anything but chasing after your, gotta admit, sex on a stick step daughter."

Where she uttered a classic line..a character talking about Liza's producing her work on a show called something like "Guiding Light".....where Liza says, "Not my best work..let's move on" ! LOL 

That's a good idea...they originally were going to cast a blonde "model" type for Amanda, and I can see that after spending time in Cali she goes blonde and high fashion...seeing an icy Amanda like early Bev/Alex would be cool. Thou I will always love sex pot campy vixen Toby Poser's Amanda, even if it made no sense!

[DRW50]

Sometimes I wonder if Toby's Amanda was a bit ahead of her time - I could see her being a hit on Twitter. 

That's a good idea about what the Van/Matt/Beth story could have been. And the info from Hurst. I never saw any chemistry between Kurt and Beth, or Beth and much of anyone, although she did her best with the truly mindboggling writing she had throughout her second stint on the show (glad I was not watching much by the time she was married to Rick and having Alan's child).

I think on paper she fit more than several other hires at that time, like Sonia Satra and Justin Deas, but it did seem like she ended up being a difficult fit when she finally arrived. I believe the only pairing she ever had that generated fan interest was with Det. Cutter, and it was clear the show had no interest. Having her as Holly's niece might have been a better idea, especially if they wanted to play up ties to Roger.

[chrisml]

From what I remember reading about Walker's decision to join GL, she was promised so much that was not delivered. I know there was an interview with another GL actor who commented that the GL cast were all shocked that Marcy Walker was given so little to do. I want to say it's either Crystal Chappell or Liz Keifer but I'm not sure. 

Edited June 8, 2024 by chrisml

[Khan]

It seems like when MW/Tangie didn't spark right away with RN/Josh, the show abandoned whatever big plans they had for both actor and character.  Personally, though, I feel like GL should have cut their losses much sooner than they did and released MW from her contract rather than waste her.

[NothinButAttitude]

Question--does anyone knows the official birth order of the Reardon kids? I mean I know Chelsea is the youngest and Jim is older than Tony. I've just always wondered about the official order. 

This is sparked due to me having my annual Quola binge-fest where I watch their arc from start to finish. 

[j swift]

I should start a list because Marcy Walker at GL in 1993 is another example of a trend that's never worked; stunt casting an actor from a recently cancelled soap. 

Despite the actor's talent, and supposed popularity, if they didn't bring the ratings to their old show, history has shown that don't bring additional fans to their new show.  For example, Larkin Malloy (EON to GL), Beth Ehlers (GL to AMC), Ricky Paull Goldin (AW to GL), and dozens of others, have rarely been the draw that they were hyped to be.

Edited June 8, 2024 by j swift

[chrisml]

I don't understand the point of stunt casting because if someone were popular on another network's show, most viewers of their new show would most likely not have watched. I think there are a small number of viewers who soap hopped especially in the early nineties. 

[DRW50]

I suppose Malloy and Goldin at least had some success, but Marcy never did at GL. Her fitting right back in when she returned to AMC just showed how little effort was made at GL. For someone as hands-on as JFP was at her soaps, I have no idea what she was even doing at GL by her last few years as producer. I do remember that the only stories I thought were genuinely worthwhile were those that didn't involve her pet actors.

This period also had the actor who played Bunny on SB - I think he was in drag on GL too. Or somebody in that story was in drag...

Edited June 8, 2024 by DRW50