Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Vee]

Wasn't there talk of them bringing back Rita as Gus' mother at one point? Or something?

[DRW50]

Yes. I don't know if Lenore was ever asked. Then it became a nun.

Thanks. I didn't realize it was in 1987. That timeline doesn't make a lot of sense even if she would have had Ed to interact with. If they didn't ask her back in 1989 and she was willing, what a stupid error.

The attempts at these feuds, or even the whole families tied together stuff like Maryanne Carruthers, never had any real impact because of how depleted the Bauers felt even by the mid '80s. And instead of expanding them, which would have been common sense, various producers were just too lazy, or too ashamed, and kept bringing on other families, or bringing in too many people at one time and not knowing how to write for them (the Spauldings in the McTavish era - as SOD said at the time, everyone in the family had the same personality).

[Contessa Donatella]

Is there anything in print or fan lore or info about Don Stewart & temperament or behavior? Of course my brain could be playing tricks on me. 

[DeeVee]

Oh, wow.

This explains why there is a scene in one of the 1987 episodes where Alan out of the blue brings up Rita to Ed! It always seemed incredibly out of place before now.

For most of 1987 Alan was involved with Vanessa. Marland initially planned to have Rita and Vanessa become rivals over Ed. They ultimately decided Ed and Van were not a good pairing. While I was never convinced Van was in love with Alan, she could be very possessive, so the two of them fighting over him could have been very interesting. 

If she had come back with a KID, after Maureen accepted Ed's baby with Claire....

SO MANY great possibilities here.

Not to mention, if she had come back, MAYBE that would have kept Alan out of Reva's orbit. (I can dream, can't I?)

My guess for why they didn't bring her back in 1989--Alan was being hustled off the canvas, plus after bringing back Zaslow and Garrett, they might not have been able to afford her.

He complained a lot about Mike's romantic pairings. I seem to remember he also complained that he didn't get to do enough action scenes. I think he wanted to fly a helicopter in a scene and was miffed they had the stunt man do it. Which was probably done because of insurance reasons.

In Locher Room interviews I can't recall anyone who worked with him who speaks of him fondly, while people will speak warmly about Chris Bernau and Tom O'Rourke. The best Elvera could do was mention he flirted with her mother during a set visit.

[Contessa Donatella]

Thanks! I've kept thinking that he carried some negatives. 

Patrick Mulcahey told a story about a scene being written where a helicopter swooped down upon a group of people & the P&G rep tried to sell them on the idea of it not being a helicopter, but a blue luxury sedan. Yeah, NOT. 

[Mitch64]

Your right, as opposed to other matriarchs, even Nancy Hughes, Bert had a vital life outside of her family. She wasn't just sitting in her kitchen waiting for someone to stop by and cry. She volunteered, and later (thanks actually to Pam Long) had a job running the Patient Advocacy program, had friends, it didn't seem weird if she was at a party or an event, (with Nancy even with Marland it was like she was tagging along and every felt responsible for including her)  Bert was kind of a role model for aging gracefully and independently.

I dont understand why they didnt bring a recast Mike and Hope back when Alan returned.  Your right, his animosity towards Ed and his branch, seemed forced....but not as much as the years of Alan hating on the Lewis family, then even worse, the Coopers..(like they would be a match for Alan..they would be totally beneath his notice.) They should have had Mike in constant oppostion to Alan and Roger (Ed was too docile and had his own problems at home) especially if Alan was involved with Alex.

[DeeVee]

It's doubly a shame because one thing Long excelled at was using backstory to enhance the present story. I think that's one reason why Josh and Reva took off the way they did--the early stuff is really good. (Unfortunately, they ruined it by overusing the characters).

Imagine if Roger returned to get involved with Alex, and her brother and ex, who used to be dire enemies, came together to oppose him. Instead, Mike was nowhere to be seen and Alan was written out for years.

Yes, casting would have been an issue, but when you think about what they wound up with for 15 years...

 

[Gatecrashers]

Question for all: Who would have made a good Mike recast after Stewart departed?

[Vee]

I might've gone after someone like Jed Allan, or even Donald May. Though they're very different.

[Contessa Donatella]

If they had snagged Donald May then maybe Carla Borelli would have come along for the ride & you know what that means? She is Reva & Kim is not.

Can you possibly imagine it?

[Mitch64]

I like Jed Allan, it has to be someone who can play authority but "good" authority to oppose Alan's bad. As mentioned upthread, can you imagine how it would have been with Alan and Mike against each other, with Roger in the mix. But I would have had Roger, ever the opportunist to try to take advantage of their fighting to make his own headway.  Maybe that could have been the storyline, Mike involved with Alex, but the constant fighting with Alan causes a rift (she like Mike fighting Alan when it is to her advantage, but he can be a bit self righteous and I can see him demanding her to disavow Alan publicly..) so that is how Roger lands in her bed, much to the consternation of BOTH Alan and Mike. I would like to have a woman of a certain age being fought over by two men (really three if you count Alan.

[DeeVee]

Interesting that Donald May has been mentioned twice. He's on my dreamcast list for Alan. He was somewhat older than Stewart and Bernau, but he could have played either role.

An actor I thought about for Mike was Dan Hamilton. He played a role on GL during the 60s, but enough time had passed that it shouldn't have been a problem. He usually played smarmy characters but it would have been cool if they had gone against typecasting.

[Khan]

As hard as it is for me to imagine anyone but Don Stewart as Mike Bauer...I dunno...maybe someone like "Adam-12"'s Kent McCord?  Or Robert Hogan?

Edited 7 hours ago by Khan

[P.J.]

Robert Colbert.

[DRW50]

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Kim was cast before Don Stewart left GL.