Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[P.J.]

That was a little before the episode with him in drag. But the lounge lizard type come ons/oily charm he tries with Vanessa has her staring at him like he's got three heads. At one point Buzz keeps referring to her as a cash cow (she's been aggressively bleeding Roger/Jenna of clients) and she sweeps past him saying "I suddenly feel the need to graze.."  OMG.

Otherwise, I'm in complete agreement. While he could occasionally reign himself in, those moments got further and further apart through the years. "King of Fifth Street Buzz" is just annoying.

[P.J.]

Thanks! I'd seen an episode after this, when Vanessa comes back to town frustrated after layovers and such, to Ross chewing her out just before Dinah's graduation.

I gotta admit, I wasn't really interested in 87 reading recaps and such. It seemed kind of odd trying to pair Vanessa and Alan when '80-'84 has them pretty adversarial. Now I think I need to watch. Chris could certainly slide into the softer side of Alan when it was called for.

[DRW50]

The IDEA of early Buzz was interesting, and I can see why people would prefer him to the martyred Buzz we got not long after, but I just found Deas' mugging and gum chewing/lip smacking to be exhausting. It was never what I associated with GL, which had some of the finest and most restrained soap actors. It was especially bad timing to me soon after Maureen's death.

Once Deas just calmed down I didn't care as much about hating Buzz, even when he still got OTT on occasion.

Edited June 21, 2024 by DRW50

[Mitch64]

Whoever the director was who told him to calm the hell down deserves a medal...I would say it was after JFP but MLaiby had him swinging those stubby arms around as the cliched "ethnic" actors stood around him in a circle jerk proclaiming him the King of Fifth Street! He must have loved NY or you know JFP would have hired him away to devour another show. 

[kalbir]

That whole era from the aftermath of Maureen's death to Nancy Curlee leaving the writing team was a chore to get through. Way too much Buzz.

[Khan]

I believe it was Bruce Barry, but I could be wrong about that.

Deas took the GL role, so he could stay home with his sons and allow his wife (Margaret Colin) the freedom to take more jobs that were outside of NYC.

[chrisml]

I never got the appeal of Buzz in any shape or form and I especially didn't like when he put on that fake accent. Obviously, he was so bad at it that he eventually lost it. I was an inconsistent GL viewer when Buzz was eating up airtime, but all that trouble for a character who didn't deserve it. I don't understand. 

[P.J.]

GL probably wasn't the only soap to fall into the trap of the "new clan is automatically loud and obnoxious" just to contrast against the established families in town. While it took multiple members of the Reardon and Lewis families, Buzz seemed to do it all on his own. 

[kalbir]

The Coopers were introduced in the Willmore/Long era w/ Harley, Frank, Nadine and expanded in the Calhoun/Curlee era w/ Stavros and Eleni, but it was under JFP's watch that Buzz arrived and the Coopers were elevated to a main family. JFP clearly wanted a showcase for her friend Justin Deas, and under her watch he got back-to-back Emmys.

These were the Emmy races.

1994 Supporting Actor: Ian Buchanan, Thom Christopher, Justin Deas (winner), Patrick Tovatt, Jerry verDorn

1995 Lead Actor: Peter Bergman, David Canary, Justin Deas (winner), Brad Maule, Michael Zaslow

Neither race seems highly competitive to me, but were the wins deserved?

[Mitch64]

Don't forget...Pops..who died in a fire...(how many times did that damn diner burn down) I always thought Frank and Harley were just Tony and Nola all over again, but whatever Pam Long... But yes, they were always the fringe family but JFP elevated them and for some reason Hurst and the other writers and Wheeler thought they actually were the core family...(those dumb ass touch football games just because they could shoot them outdoors.) Frank and Harley, originally recipe were good and a contrast of the rest of SF, and Nadine..well, she was way too pretty..she always should have been trashier, and that might have been fun (I wish they also would have made Sarah Shayne a "Hello Doll" kind of rough battle axe. 

Also that the 5th Street Fire, JFP wanted it to be a Buzz only episode but a wiser network exec said no.  But still she got a chance to give Deas a platform for that Emmy. 

Edited June 22, 2024 by Mitch64

[bboy875]

I remember SOD was shocked he won in 95, because they thought Maule should've won, I think in the aftermath of B.J.'s death and Maxie getting her heart. They said a hush fell over the place when he didn't win. I didn't watch GH but Maule did get acclaim from the soap press. I don't remember if it was the press or a fan who said something about a lack of respect as Deas didn't show up. I think the only time he did show up and won was 1994. I'm sure he didn't show up for his ATWT win, but I'm not sure about his Santa Barbara win

[kalbir]

1984 wasn't broadcast. Justin Deas was present at the 1994 ceremony but absent from the 1988, 1989, 1995, 1997 ceremonies.

[DRW50]

This also happened with Jerry ver Dorn - some people (fans, at least) were upset that he beat Michael Sutton. Nothing against Michael Sutton, but I was thrilled at the time that Jerry won and I still am today. 

I would have voted for Maule over Deas though, even if I think Deas did some strong work at times (not in that episode...).

[chrisml]

I think Frank Beaty should have won over ver Dorn or Sutton. I did not see Deas's submission, but Maule's was excellent. The same happened with Jaclyn  Zeman who lost to Rena Sofer's submission (a submission I did not care for but I also never liked Sofer on GH). I can only guess their episodes did not play well for people who were unaware of the story. That happens occasionally. Also, I wonder if actors win because they have been on other shows, and have stronger connections to the daytime community. JFP certainly knew how to work the Emmy system. I'll give her credit for that. 

[kalbir]

JFP stepped up her block voting game during Santa Barbara 1988-1990 Emmy run and by the time she got to GL she had the block voting game on lock.