Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[P.J.]

I don't think I've ever seen her fight with Jennifer or her death. It should be the week of October 13th, 1980 per TVGuide.

[DRW50]

This was never a big issue with the show compared to other soaps, maybe aside from Quint/Nola. I suppose we can blame the Internet. The whole Danny/Michelle mess in particular mystifies. I guess they saw NSA as someone they could identify with. I have nothing against her personally, I haven't heard anything bad about her, but I don't think Danny and Michelle needed to stay together after their split in 2000.

I remember a bit with Irizarry but most of it was Colon, IIRC. The scene with the most blatant shift is the one where Selena, in the highlight of a truly wretched storyline, went to her for help as she was being beaten up and terrorized, and Colon's Maria spat, "Puta!" at her.

[Contessa Donatella]

Recycling both HWs & EPs & long before the 90s. Plus arguably the very best HW from outside soaps, Pete Lemay. And, did you type Carlivati intentionally? Because [cough] hack!

[kalbir]

Terry Lester left ATWT sometime in Spring 1994 (I can't remember the exact time, but I'm pretty sure it was before OJ), so the timing works but I'm not sure if P&G ever considered him as a potential Alan recast.

Alan got de-aged with Ron Raines (45 in 1994), so Terry Lester age (44 in 1994) would not have been an issue.

[Khan]

IDK if I could see him as Alan, @P.J..  Of course, anyone would've been a better Alan recast than Ron Raines, lol.

 

I agree.  Whenever it came to super-couples and their often rabid fanbases, GL seemed to be above the proverbial fray.  You knew it wasn't a big deal for a couple like Phillip and Beth to break up, because the break-ups often made sense and led to good, if not better, story.  But that all changed with Danny/Michelle (or, with Matt/Vanessa, depending on how you look at it).  That was the first time in all my years of following GL where I felt the viewers were holding TPTB hostage, so to speak; and I think it's because GL was struggling so much that they were glad to have ANY fans still watching.

Edited April 6 by Khan

[slick jones]

Uncle Stavros came to town with the Greek family name, Stavros Kouperakis

[DRW50]

It would have been tough to see him as Alan because I think he was more suited to roles where he reacted to characters like Alan, but if they had revamped Alan, having him as more introspective and darker after prison (as Lester seemed to have lost most of the spark he had as Jack by the time he was on ATWT), it could have worked.

You're right about why they began catering to loud fan groups. I think it was also down to P&G no longer having any proper structure for the shows. They just gave up on having any standards. Even Rauch went out and blasted Matt/Vanessa fans - can't see that happening with later producers. 

(I will say I never heard of Matt and Vanessa fans sending death threats, unlike other fanbases)

[P.J.]

Having grown up with him as Jack Abbott, I have to believe he could've added depth and nuance to the role. Then again, he might have run shrieking from the building with those writers.

I guess there were other couples that sort of "creatively withered"...but I don't know if that was due to fans. The one that came to mind was Tony/Annabelle. They never seemed to have story after Barbados.

Thanks Slick!!

[chrisml]

The Beverlee McKinsey interview that was posted a couple pages back was wonderful. Makes me appreciate her even more, but I was cracking up at her outrage over Ruth Warrick. Who knew she had such a dislike for Warrick because of Warrick's nonsense?

Speaking of interviews, did any of the GL producers, ever give in-depth interviews about their time on the show? 

[Contessa Donatella]

Charlotte Savitz hired a bodyguard for an AW Annual Fan Luncheon. 

[chrisml]

I jest but I can see why. She was an awful EP. If anyone feels like a hatchet woman hired by P&G or NBC, it's Savitz. My word. She was awful. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Terrible & as fans we had to contend with her & with 6 months of VERY TERRIBLE Michael Malone. AWFUL time. NBC & P&G took turns picking the EP. She was NBC. 

Edited April 7 by Contessa Donatella

[kalbir]

I think the friend JFP wanted for Alan was either Roscoe Born or Lane Davies. Would either of them have worked?

[Contessa Donatella]

Love each & confident in each. 

[Maxim]

And I would love to see/read more Beverlee McKinsey interviews. This woman knows how to say so much without even going into specifics. You need to be very intelligent to be able to communicate like that. Not everyone gets that.