Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Paul Raven]

Two performers from the Dobson/Marland era have died recently.

Rita Lloyd (Lucille Wexler)

Tom O'Rourke (Justin Marler)

[DRW50]

That's sad. Did they ever say why they didn't bring Tom back as Justin instead of the bad Chris Pennock recast?

I loved Rita on ATWT as Connor and Evan's snooty mother Edwina.

Edited October 3, 2009 by CarlD2

[jfung79]

It feels wrong that I now need to post about GL in the cancelled soap section. Who's following the official PGP/TeleNext continuaton, Mindy Lewis's Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MelindaSueLewis ? Even if you don't read it daily, please consider following to show TeleNext you are still interested in Guiding Light.

The story picked up after the "one year later." Sarah is jealous/upset that Lizzie and Bill's baby (Alana Grace Lewis) is a girl, not a boy as they expected. Phillip wants to give away all his money, and didn't talk it over with Beth first, which upset her. Mindy and Rick got married and are trying for a baby despite her previous miscarriages. Josh and Reva are still away somewhere.

Also, not sure if anyone posted this already somewhere, but Marvel Comics put up their Guiding Light comic story for free on their Marvel Digital Comics site at http://marvel.com/digitalcomics/titles/GUIDING_LIGHT.2009.1 as a mark of respect for GL coming to an end. I already bought it and read it in 2006, but figured many had not so might be interested to see it now that it's free. The story is strictly okay, and the artwork for Olivia and Coop doesn't look like them at all, but still an interesting piece of history.

[DRW50]

Thank you for keeping us updated. I always appreciate how hard you fight for GL and ATWT and AW.

[DAMfan]

Where I live it is raining, pouring and no GL to watch or to record is boring - I dread when we are all snowed in and there will be no GL to watch - however I will never watch that stupid game show - LMAD.

[DAMfan]

Dear CBS this is my 3rd week of not watching or recording GL and any CBS daytime - since CBS made the mistake of taking off our GL and putting on a stupid game show.

[jfung79]

Thanks CarlD2, I just post my opinions! DAMfan, glad you are still posting about GL and it sucks that it's gone. CBS needs to know that it will never be forgiven!

[DAMfan]

Where is our GL - who thought it was a good idea to take away our Light and the characters we love and put on a stupid game show with clam people.

[DRW50]

Does anyone remember the exits Dahlia and Marcus had?

Ruth, Vicky Spaulding, and David Grant never had exits, right?

[soapfan770]

I believe Dahlia left town with Sugar Hill and Marcus just vanished. Griffith vanished too, not long after the newly returned David played by Tifford told him off after catching comfort Vivian following Charles' heart attack. It was a non-story really.

Not sure about Ruth but both David and Vicky had off-screen exits. It was mentioned that Vicky went back to Barbados and in one of Charles' many guest appearances he mentioned that David went to Europe.

Edited October 11, 2009 by soapfan770

[DRW50]

Thanks, I'd forgotten about Griffin, and the comfort with Vivian. I thought it was odd that Rauch did almost nothing with Petronia Paley, given that he brought her into AW, but then, that was the exception, not the rule, for how he treated blacks on his soaps.

The exit story for Gilly is one of the most despicable of all time in soaps, if you ask me. I was so offended. It was so sleazy. Seeing a similar story on Y&R this year only brought that back.

I really thought Vicky had so much potential. Ruth did too.

[soapfan770]

Gee I wonder what story THAT could be lol...

Yes, that was beyond disgusting with Gilly's final story, absolutely rancid. Sadly enough I believe Gilly was the only Grant family member given a proper exit, with the throwaway explanation of David's absence, Charles' random blink if you miss it pop-ups, and I believe the last time Vivian appeared on-screen was when she got a "gift" from the Holly/Nursery Rhyme Stalker. One character I can't pin an exit on is on Hamp. I know actor Vince Williams died in 1997, but he was still being credited in 1996. Yet in 1995 episode I have on tape where Gilly breaks off her engagement to Sid, its mentioned that Hamp is long gone.

Kevin Mambo might be a contender for one of the the most undeserving Emmy winners in my opinion.

Edited October 11, 2009 by soapfan770

[DRW50]

I don't even remember that much about Kevin Mambo. I did like his friendship with Dinah, back before WM ate the show.

The last time I remember seeing Hamp was in late 1995. I think we saw him when Marcus was working at Towers and got into a fight with someone, which set up the story where he was framed for Cutter's murder.

At the time I didn't quite realize just how easily you could interpret the black stories during McTavish/Laibson as racist. Not only did you have the trash with Gilly's exit, but you also had Dahlia's drug-addicted prostitute mother (the actress was FABULOUS, I wish they'd kept her around), and Griffin arranging to be shot to help his cause. Even Geoffrey Ewing was angry about that. It's just ugly propaganda and really destroyed Griffin.

The sad thing is that was one of the last times they wrote for black characters on GL, with a few blips here and there excluded. I guess that's one of the reasons I liked Remy and Christina. I was happy that they were just a regular part of the community.

[soapfan770]

I never understood the point of Boudreau family. Both seasoned daytime vets Richard Biggs and Yvonna Kopacz Wright were completely wasted for the most part and then everyone except Mel was recasted. Remy was not used at all the until the "prestigious acting school graduate" took the role and Felicia when used had to have been the worst psychiatrist ever. Leah was idiotically SOARSed but rarely appeared after that, probably because TIIC realized their mistake. It would have been easier to have revitalized the Grant family when they had the chance instead introducing a whole new family with no purpose and no use.

[SFK]

LOL, I'm leaving that alone.

But looking back, it really was an interesting time when we had Gilly there, and Vivian on contract with Charles recurring, Marcus I just never really liked, he annoyed me, and Dahlia was cool I suppose. My clearest memory of her was when she sung "Someone to Watch Over Me". I guess I took their presence for, er... Granted. Save for Y&R when Dru was still living, that was the last time I remember such a large African-American presence on a soap, not just a family but their outside relations as well. I was VERY excited about the black Spauldings, which turned out to be the black Spaulding, singular. What a let down. I wanted to see more Spauldings, regardless of color, because I enjoy watching interfamily fighting among the rich.

Edited October 11, 2009 by SFK