Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Maxim]

No. I can't too.

[DRW50]

She doesn't say anything about Long. 

The biggest problem with the Meg story on a soap is any story Holly would have had in future, you'd wonder why the focus isn't on her daughter. It is possible for a soap to have a parent of a Down's child in heavy story - Emmerdale has for the last fifteen years with two of their characters - but it would have been much harder for GL, and with Holly, given the huge baggage she already had as a mother. The story also took away most of the spark Holly had, and it never really came back.

[alwaysAMC]

Yes!  I was able to find this one online.  He was a great actor too.  Handsome to boot haha.  Megan McT mentioned that he was bipolar and had a break as they were filming his big reveal scene, and likely would have been written to stay.  Was that true or is she exaggerating?  How did that play out - if wasn't able to return to set, how did they end up writing him out and finish the storyline on such short notice?  

[DRW50]

The story continued with an actor named Marc Wolf, who did a good job, especially given the circumstances. Beaty returned to finish the story. 

In those last months, they had brought in a sister for Brent and revealed that he had been abused as a child, so all the groundwork was there for them to keep him if things had worked out differently.

[alwaysAMC]

Ahh interesting - so there was closure for Beaty.  I'm happy to hear that.  

[soapfan770]

Late to the party on this thread about McTavish as well it seems. I’m still screaming over how campy and arrogant that draft comes off. The constant snide sarcastic insults to actors, writers, and execs, deserved or not, she didn’t like is both hilarious and inappropriate at the same time. 

@DRW50 I did the read the blurb about Jean Carol. Yikes! Seems a bit overkill to do that to JC instead of just writing Nadine out with Carroll the trucker or something…but it’s a bit perverse McTavish took satisfaction out of killing off JC’s character (among others she mentioned). 
 

The comments about Garrett, Torchin, and Laibson seem over the top though. McTavish doesn’t mention any of her 1996 work at all, especially doing Amelia Marshall’s Gilly so wrong & dirty or mentioning writing for Zimmer.
 

I had wondered about this in the AMC thread. Conforti had been with GL for years before she came and stayed in til what ‘98? Which is odd as she did praise Miller although they had worked on other soaps together.

Conforti must have been a favorite of JFP as she later hired him at GH in 2001 probably to Megan’s chargin and then later hired him again at Y&R in 2012, at a time when McTavish seems to have be writing this book up. 

[DRW50]

I wonder if she was trying to be nice about Zimmer as she didn't want to ruin her chances of Zimmer plugging her book. I didn't think her writing for Reva was bad, but I'm not sure what Kim ever said about that period of time.

I'd love to know her thoughts about the disgusting story with Gilly, not to mention having Griffin stage his own assassination. Then again, maybe I wouldn't...

If any of the stuff with Torchin and Garrett is true, then I don't blame her for speaking up about it, as using a soap magazine to try to strongarm a writer is never a great idea (and reminds me of how much Torchin's run started to crater in the late '90s), but I just don't know if it is true. Contrasting this with the glee she took in murdering Nadine just because Carol went to SOD to try to pressure her a bit gives a window into just how aggressive she was in pushing back, above what suited her shows or characters. 

[Vee]

I don't remember much about it in Kim's book beyond summarizing various storylines and maybe enjoying working with Justin Deas.

[soapfan770]

McTavish did write again for Marshall on AMC as Belinda, but obviously nothing extreme as Belinda was token/window dressing for AMC by that point. 
 

Oh no doubt I can see Torchin definitely rubbing the wrong way by that point…but obviously McTavish makes it know she had a vengeful streak and the way she delights in the deaths of Nadine, Trevor, and Dixie is rather revealing and unnerving about her psyche. (I didn’t see her mention it but I don’t think she liked the soap press either. I remember Michael Logan always being particularly critical and harsh on her)

[DRW50]

Thanks.

I forgot about that. She did give Belinda the romance with Adrian, which was pleasant, if a B/C story (the next regime dumped her - one of many reasons I lost interest in the show at that time). Maybe Marshall was just always willing to play whatever and then go home (she must have been to get through her Passions run - I recently saw some clip where her entire scene amounted to manipulating her vulnerable niece and having inner monologues calling her sister a "slut" about 3 times).

The Nadine stuff was the toughest for me to read of the three, but they were all offputting in their own ways. 

I was always torn between respecting Logan's opinion and cringing at his star!@#$%^&*]ing ways - he will forever be immortalized for me because his column is where I first saw that PR photo JFP used for years, as well as Guza in his oh-so-badass shades and leather jacket.

Edited March 19 by DRW50

[soapfan770]

I remember seeing Marshall on Passions and was always dismayed by what I saw at the time about her character becoming a caricature especially since I had adored her as Gilly but looking back I wonder she just took the role for the fun of it or was done a favor like Strasser and Noone. 
 

Lord Michael Logan could be an enigmatic for sure…example he trashed Tom Langan rightly so at Days but then turned around and sang Reilly’s praises in 2003. I guess going back to Mimi Torchin I do remember the “war” Corday and SPW had in 1999-00 simply because SPW named Days as the worst show of 1999 or something and Corday cut them off. I don’t think McTavish had that power though 

[alwaysAMC]

I stumbled across a YT channel that has full episodes of GL from 1996 (wow, they make that easy!).  I just happened to watch January 2, 1996 randomly, just to get a sense of what was going on, and I enjoyed it!  I can't believe I was sleeping on GL back in the day.  This was the masquerade-style New Year's ball and Brent was lurking around in this long-nosed creepy costume/mask.  Although in looking at the dates of Beaty's time on GL, it looks like maybe I should go back to 1995, as the character exits in Feb 1996.  Seems like maybe Marion was mostly in 1995.

But wow did GL have some handsome men back in the day!  Alan-Michael (although I always knew Ric Hearst was)... Josh (Robert Newman)... Frank the cop... Beaty...  

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Oh and some of my AMC favorites are on here - Vincent I and Marj Dusay!  Marj had a small scene, but she was giving me Vanessa vibes haha.

Edited March 19 by alwaysAMC

[DRW50]

I'm glad you are enjoying it.

Marj's Alex was a daffier Vanessa. 

Ric was always a good looking guy, even when it took GL a long time to see it.

[Contessa Donatella]

About Jerry verDorn, he also won the year prior, 1995, and that year it was for "Ross's Election Night Dream" which Patrick Mulcahey wrote.

I recalled a post Scott McKinsey wrote about Jerry in my group on Facebook & it gave me a lot of new information about Jerry & you might find it interesting, also. 

Scott McKinsey     May 2, 2022 

It seems wholly appropriate that Jerry verDorn would pass away on May 1st, Workers’ Day.

Jerry was the AFTRA Guild’s steward on Guiding Light for several years; and he made certain the actors’ rights were protected. Jerry was also the steward of the Guiding Light company. He was recognized as a leader, fellow and cohort by everyone working on the show. He led with intelligence, wit and talent. His example engendered pride. Whether on stage, the softball field, or charity events, Jerry made us all feel honored to be a part of the Guiding Light family. Personally, Jerry validated me and inspired me. Everyone at Guiding Light became a better person because of Jerry verDorn. May Jerry’s legacy be the standard for all to follow. Eternal joy and laughter to you now, my dear friend

Edited March 19 by Contessa Donatella

[Mitch64]

I would have to disagree here. Brent was not trans..he was at most...a cross dresser for a specific purpose. I think a better writer would have emphasised how this misogynistic rapist, who obviously hates women, is running around as one..and choose to dress as an unattractive woman (I never knew what JFP looked like then, I was just struck that everyone in Springfield took a dummie pill and didnt notice this was a man..besides Rick, and was astounded that there was someone unattractive running around ..Alex said something, but they were writing her as being boorish and rude instead of noticing something was up.) The storyline also got backlash for Brent changing Lucy's HIV test to positive, which I didn't get at that time..shows have been doing that for pregnancies for years, but I guess it was 1995 when real people were getting real results and it was a death sentance at that time.

This I feel was more disgusting then Brent/Marion...the incest angle, which McTrash seemed to love, and having a civil rights leader shot themselves to frame a white man.   I have no idea why they didnt pair Gilly with Nick.

 

Look I hate Buzz, and believe he should have been a victim of Brent...(cue the longest and loudest death scene in history...) but I would not have written it as a joke to get back at an actor I find intolerable. She has a thing for dead bodies laying around doesnt she?

 

McKinsey was up for GL EP but MADD in her continued stupidity...chose Wheeler. I am sure we would have had JVD to the end if he was there..(and a better show.)