Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Mitch64]

They hadn't written for Nola for at least a year, right after the Lake Elizabeth story, and she had A.J. The Haunted Cottage was a story that Nola should have been all over, investigating the cottage and dusting it up with Ms. Piper(who Nola would have been fascinated with. ) She just stood around listening and then they gave them the dumb story with that kid scientist. Lisa was sick of it and wanted out, but the Quint actor wanted to stay, and even suggested killing Nola and letting him have a Mr. Mom storyline...(luckily they just wrote both off, which is what they should have done with Josh and Reva once Kimmer left, and we would have been saved the ghost and San Crud.) Tony, Annabelle and Jim both wanted to leave, and by that time Lee Lawson wanted out as well as she was just standing around doing nothing. 

I don't think that Long understood Quint, but got Nola..and liked her I think. She was just tied to Quint who Long had just turned into a dorky uptight professor to Nola's quirkiness, so there they stood. Qula was one of the first fanatic fan bases and they would not tolerate breaking them up (I would have had Quint die in the explosion rather then Hillary, what does Nola do once her dream ends...I say go back to the scheming Nola of old.) They could have also had Quint taking Henry's spot at Spaulding and he and Van competing while Alex is interested in him...but then they had no interest in the Chamberin's at that point as Van was hog tied to the Lewis campy bandwagon.) 

I do remember an interview with Jeff Ryder, when ATWT was having its comeback as Marland just got there and they asked him if he was taking note and of course he said, "no" but he did say he asked Lisa to come back and that he promised to write for her this time but she wasn't interested. 

[P.J.]

As they hadn't written Kim out when Robert left, I don't think they would've needed to just automatically write Robert out when Kim left. 

Although, admittedly, I never really miss Josh when he exits town either. It might've been nice to see Josh in a romance that wasn't preordained to end in the other woman going nuts.

[Mitch64]

I thought Jenna and Josh (J & J ) had chemistry when they were testing them, but then he left. In writing out RN when Kim left was more about him leaving, what six months later? But I know they would just want to have a big blow out for Kim to leave...I just thought the logistics of bringing her back from the dead were messy, but they were not handled well with McTrash. 

[DRW50]

Thanks.

I could swear there was some mention of Kyle, although I don't want to go back and look.

[P.J.]

Well, McTavish didn't handle anything well that I recall.

I do not remember them chem testing him with Jenna. But Robert had a decent amount of chem with just about everyone (save Marcy Walker for whatever reason) they tried him with.

I don't know how far ahead Kim let GL know she wasn't re-signing. Or what went into Robert's decision to go. AFAIC, they could've just relocated Josh/Reva to Tulsa (or Venezuela..lol) and had Josh jet back to deal with Billy's problems for six months until his contract was done.

The way it played out, I'm not even sure Robert would've come back in '93 if not for Jordan's problems. I almost believe it was a spur of the moment decision. If the plan had been for Josh to return, he might've at least been mentioned at Billy and Vanessa's wedding at the end of June (and I don't think he was.)

[kalbir]

Going by the timelines, Robert Newman had three runs (November 1981-November 1984, November 1986-January 1991, August 1993-the end) and Kim Zimmer had two runs (November 1983-July 1990, May 1995-the end).

I'm guessing Kim Zimmer contract was done November 1989 but she probably signed a short extension to cover her pregnancy leave (her younger son was born February 1990) and for an exit storyline.

I can't guess the contract timing for Robert Newman January 1991 departure but maybe he had an out clause.

[DRW50]

Thanks. I had assumed Lee didn't want to go as she returned a year or two later and still didn't really have any story.

Quint never had a great deal about him as a character once his "mysteries" were solved - Tylo had some ability to be dashing and do action/adventure, so maybe they should have leaned into that instead of making him the dull scientist, but then when AMC tried the same with Tylo a few years later, he wasn't very good, so maybe they got their best with him from around 81-83 and should have killed him off and seen where they could have taken Nola.

Lisa made the right choice to not go back to that mess Ryder, although much as I loved Iva, I think playing such a depressed role for so long broke her spirit, probably along with getting divorced in those years.

I enjoyed some of McTavish's choices (like Alex/Hawk, much as I know that would have been inappropriate with Beverlee's Alex), but not many.

That whole period of GL when Robert left for the second time was so full of upheaval, a huge amount of exits - I wonder if it was just an unhappy backstage experience at the time.

Edited March 2 by DRW50

[kalbir]

Are you referring to the early months of 1991? Nancy Curlee taking over as HW and the departures of Grant Aleksander, Beth Chamberlin, Kassie DePaiva, Robert Newman, Michael O'Leary.

[DRW50]

Yes.

[P.J.]

Well, given that Bev's pissed off in '92 and leaves...it might've been a contributing factor. Although Grant always seemed to be restless after a few years. And Kassie's departure wasn't a big loss. 

[Soaplovers]

I think the show was desperate to get a veteran back that they didn't really have a plan for Josh when he showed up.  TPTB had stated had Beth Ethlers/Mark Derwin not opted to leave, they would have done a Mallet/Harley/Josh triangle.   There were some scenes when Josh first came back in 1993 where he visited Harley at the firehouse and she gave him a mouthful over the way he had left... and Mallet/Josh butted heads after the Dylan/Julie wedding went bust.  It would have been a great story because there was definite acting chemistry between all three.

After the Tangie/Josh story went bust in early 1994.. the show did try Josh out with some of the other women.  He had a video blind date with Lucy, he was fixed up with Holly by Vanessa one time, and he and Jenna were at the Roadhouse one time flirting with one another.   Jenna and Josh would have been a fun little fling, but I couldn't have seen them as a long term couple.

 

[DRW50]

He could have been a good contrast with the early Jenna, who was fiery but broken, like Reva. Once the show began "redeeming" her she lost most of her spark. 

Josh/Annie definitely feels like a default pairing. I wonder what the show would have done with them if they hadn't decided to bring Kim back full-time. I don't think a Josh/Annie/Rick triangle would have been very interesting.

[P.J.]

It might've been interesting to throw Josh into Roger's orbit via Holly---but Josh was too ethical to ever give Roger a good run for his money.

[kalbir]

That was more JFP doing. 

Beverlee McKinsey run February 1984-August 1992 saw so much turnover as far as EPs and HWs go. I wonder what kind of working relationship BM had with Robert Calhoun and Nancy Curlee.

[P.J.]

I recall some interview where Bev basically said even getting Curlee back wouldn't have kept her there. So she liked her.