Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Mitch64]

And actually it would have been a good storyline..either Nola or Reva's kid should have been gay with the most obnoxious gay supporting mom on earth "Now Jay, I am closing Company to have a Pride party just for you and the rest of the boys..I hired 5 strippers..." And Ethan sure was PERTY

...Maybe GA and MOL were visionary head writers. LOL

 

I agree, that was good and they both were solid in it. MOL no mugging. I didn't mind Mel and thought it was cool that the next Bauer matriarch was black, but by that time being a Bauer matriarch meant nothing (cause you know, its all about Reva and Cassie) and a triangle with Beth would have made sense ( Phillip "dead" ..Rick clinging to the memory of the 4 M's) but by that time Beth was so..weird...was she good, bad, vixen...she made no sense. I too think Mel had no definition, married, baby...then Conboy put her on recurring. Those Weds shows did no one a favor by having people off camera for weeks and their whole storyline in one day.

[P.J.]

Yep. I know that's probably an unpopular opinion, and I know she was liked on B&B. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Dani is a divisive polarizing character. So you are not alone.

I love the actress & the character. Also on GL first, then B&B. 

[P.J.]

Who needs a resident patriarch when you can keep a guitar playing Prince imposter and and at least half a dozen useless characters? 

*sarcasm*

Stans.

[cassadine1991]

I found the Mindy/Lujack flashback. It aired on July 16, 1991.

looks like VI’s first airdate as Nick was actually July 15, 1991 

Edited April 4 by cassadine1991

[Gatecrashers]

I just have to put this here. I wonder what Harley Jane Kozak means by this:

"I am such a poor interview because I have no bad memories of Texas. I’ve got nothing salacious to say. Now if I was asked about Guiding Light that is another story."

[P.J.]

Knowing how Marland plotted, Phillip and Rick's return probably was on his mind. They didn't come back until around Christmas '82, so he didn't write for them.

[Contessa Donatella]

After the show was over & his wife divorced him & he got drunk & stayed drunk for awhile. Then he picked himself up, dried out, gave up the bottle & wrote a play. That play has been produced several times.

[Gatecrashers]

When my mother and I met the Four Musketeers at So Long, Springfield, I shouted "I love you," as we prepared to take a picture. MOL, without missing a beat says, "Thank you, but what about these other guys?"

[chrisml]

Thought this excerpt from Tina Sloan's book about Michael O'Leary might amuse people: 

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[DRW50]

I imagine he was involved in the Philip recast as Philip had been a central character until they wrote him out. Not hiring Grant, but the choice to recast him at that time.

I sometimes think it was a mistake to not have the reveal while Jarrod Ross was still in the role. Grant was excellent in the reveal, but it was all done with so quickly, zero long-term impact. Of course, Marland would never have known that - who'd expect the show to just barely bother. Today maybe...but in 1983 it wasn't as common. GL, breaking ground in some not great ways.

Rick seemed like he was barely seen anyway. 

I do think O'Leary was decent recasting, but the first "adult" Rick, Macgregor, was not bad at all in the few clips of him which showed up.

@chrisml Thanks. I'd heard O'Leary talk about being a Dr. Death, but never heard about the cake. 

I'm glad that GL never took the ER-ification as seriously as JFP did with AW around this time. 

And then GL would only outlive ER by a few months...

I can just imagine, especially given her main co-star.

Edited April 4 by DRW50

[Contessa Donatella]

Great fun!!! Was Krista the Mindy at that event? Unlike some fans I was never really bothered that "Mikey" was not going to be winning any acting awards & I actually liked him as one half of the "fan joke" homoerotic bromance that Philip & Rick were the most enduring couple & with Abby plus with Mel since Yvonna Kapsaz Wright had enough acting ability & stage presence playing Mel to carry him with her. Your anecdote illustrates perfectly how quick he could be.

AMEN to that. Between NYPD BLUE & ER Jill took being derivative to a new level at AW which that show did not need!

Who was that? And, could you imagine in words for the rest of us, clueless?

[DRW50]

I was thinking of the issues Melanie Smith said she had with Gregory Beecroft on ATWT, but I don't know what Harley has ever said about him.

[Mitch64]

Oh...and don't forget he was a rapist as well..and wasnt it cute how he called Harley "Terrier" and our big mouth gal said nothing, and don't forget him screwing Beth over Alan's breakfast croissant !  Ohh, but that longish hair and that guitar playing got the over 40 fraus estrogen levels back in place!

[P.J.]

I do wonder when Jarrod Ross' last air date was. As Phillip wasn't at Jackie's funeral, it must've been before July when Jackie's plane went down. I think Marland would've loved writing for GA.

If there's one regret, it's that Cindy Pickett wasn't there to play out the reveal.  But I disagree that it had zero long-term impact. It colored the Phillip/Alan relationship for the rest of the series. It may not have been stated, but long term viewers knew the root cause of Phillip distrust of Alan. 

The part that never played out was Justin/Phillip. Which is too bad. Tom O Rourke was underappreciated.

Ugh...please don't remind me. The less I recall about him, the better.