Allan Potter probably thought the youngsters would find the new GL opening totally groovy.

16 hours ago, Khan said:

Another suggestion: Susan Sullivan.

Basically, you could've said that, in the years away from Springfield (and from Alan), Elizabeth re-discovered her passion for photography and became a fashion photographer like Annie Leibovitz or Richard Avedon.

I like that...I could see Joan or Susan as sophisticated world traveler...and of course the reason she couldnt come back was that Alan was blackmailing her with something..that fact alone would make Phillip wash his hands of Alan (hopefully for a long duration this time) and set the stage for Alan to take up the real heir over the Golden Boy. Interesting to see Phillip face a nonSpaulding identity.

Leigh Taylor-Young could have been a possible re-cast for Elizabeth.

9 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Allan Potter probably thought the youngsters would find the new GL opening totally groovy.

OMG, I hated that opening, I hated the disco, and I was in the demo they were going for. I was really happy to see that go.

It doesn't seem to me that they ended up making GL a "younger" show. I do like how Long created strong young characters with major stories, yet still kept them connected to the older characters. There was always stuff happening among the generations, and that was good. Unlike some other shows where it felt like the younglings had taken over the town.

7 hours ago, Mitch64 said:

Interesting to see Phillip face a nonSpaulding identity.

There was a point after Alan returned the first time where he was going to give up the Spaulding name. There might be an episode or two out there that refers to it. I remember Alan telling him to sign the papers to give up the name. Of course, it never happened, but I don't recall why.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of bringing back Alan and Elizabeth's "dead" baby. Not only to be in opposition with Phillip, but Alan Michael. Alan Michael was always treated like an afterthought by Alan, but he had the comfort of knowing that he was Alan's one legitimate, biological son.

Now have another one show up tied to the history of the show.

Handled right, it would have been VERY interesting. And not really any wilder than Amanda turning out to be Brandon's kid.

23 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

OMG, I hated that opening, I hated the disco, and I was in the demo they were going for. I was really happy to see that go.

It doesn't seem to me that they ended up making GL a "younger" show. I do like how Long created strong young characters with major stories, yet still kept them connected to the older characters. There was always stuff happening among the generations, and that was good. Unlike some other shows where it felt like the younglings had taken over the town.

I think the opening is cheesy fun (it doesn't hurt that I didn't like the leaves opening [the closing music is gorgeous though]), but I don't believe for a minute this would have appealed to any younger viewer. Disco wasn't even a big thing by 1981.

I think under Marland's pen the show did shift to being younger, but you can't feel the shift because the show (to me anyway) is so incredibly dreary.

Long has quite a few younger characters, but she has more age groups - characters like Alex being in central roles helps.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by DRW50

It's the bits with half the cast cold-cocking the fourth wall right into the camera that kill me in the disco opening. Just wild stuff.

28 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

OMG, I hated that opening, I hated the disco, and I was in the demo they were going for. I was really happy to see that go.

It doesn't seem to me that they ended up making GL a "younger" show. I do like how Long created strong young characters with major stories, yet still kept them connected to the older characters. There was always stuff happening among the generations, and that was good. Unlike some other shows where it felt like the younglings had taken over the town.

It's just the antithesis of what Guiding Light was---you'd be forgiven in thinking you'd stumbled into a repeat of Mannix, FCOL, with those strange actions shots. And I will forever loathe that shot of Vanessa playing up to Tony. What I loved about the My Guiding Light opening (especially the original versions) was it gave you a sense of who the people were, and how they were involved. Springfield was not a town of spinning dancers, leering ankle lusters, and the occasional crime fighter.

I think the show beefed up the younger crowd from the Dobson era. The Dobsons didn't really have a teen scene. And even the young adult crowd (maybe 25-30), Ben, Amanda, Eve, Hope seem to be playing older. (.That's just the impression from what's available to see, but it was happening on ATWT as well) Marland brings in Kelly/Morgan/Nola, makes Tim a little more involved. Even if they're not significantly younger, maybe they're not as established in their lives.

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by P.J.

CBS and P&G were shaken by 1978-1982 ABC big three huge rise and domination, that's why so many changes to the shows in that era.

51 minutes ago, P.J. said:

The Dobsons didn't really have a teen scene.

They did earlier on. They had a teen hangout type diner where the juke box played rock music. (Horrors).

They often had young characters played by much older actors--Hope was played for a short time as a teen/young adult by an actress who was in her 30s. Elvera was also much older than the early 20s Hope was supposed to be when she started on the show. Casting very young actors probably became the rage because of how popular Genie Francis was on GH. It's not like they never had that before (I believe Susan Lucci was still in her teens when she started as Erica on AMC, and Fran Myers was very young when she started as Peggy on GL) but it became far more common.

I think what you saw happening in the 80s was more than just GH becoming a monster hit--it was a generational shift. My parents' generation got married very young, got established in their adult lives very young. Then Boomers started delaying marriage, children, and even careers. Marland was a little bit stuck in that mindset that young people got married very young, which may be why Scottie and Laura and Kelly and Morgan had short shelf lives as soap couples. I find that Long wrote young people in a way that was much more believable for the times.

Someone probably posted this a while ago, but an interview with Rebecca Hollen. Around the one minute mark (or so) it has a clip of her talking to Mike, which I don't think I've seen before.

Does anyone remember the Hope before Robin Mattson "Tisch Raye" ? She played the part 1975-76. Did her version of Hope have any storylines or was she just a filler ? I see veteran TV actress Katherine Justice played Hope in 1977-78 before Elvera Roussel assumed the role in early 1979

Gena Rowlands won an Emmy Award for portraying Mary Stuart (yes that Mary Stuart who played Meta Bauer on GL) in the TV film "Face of a Stranger" - Here is her acceptance speech below where she thanks Mary Stuart for her wonderful life story she was able to portray on-screen.