Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Khan]

 

Those are the rumors I recall reading as well.  I certainly remember SOD reporting Fiona Hutchinson's first exit to OLTL was due to negotiations breaking down with the network.  Dennis Swanson, who had helped launch "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee" and who was overseeing ABC Sports at the time, hadn't too long been named ABCD President as well; and he was looking to cut costs.

Edited April 11 by Khan

[alwaysAMC]

I'm up to August 24, 1995.

Tangie just left with a whimper, only getting a quick goodbye to Roger - how sad.  I googled when Marcy went back to AMC and it was only weeks after her last episode on GL (Sep '95).  Makes me wonder how long the switch was in the works for behind the scenes.  As a young teen, I'll never forget when Marcy came back to AMC as Liza and my mother screamed at the TV in shock haha.

Holly, thinking she was starting menopause, just found out she's pregnant with Fletcher's baby - gag.

I'm enjoying Nola so far.  She and Bridgett look very similar, it's uncanny.

Frank just joined the police academy and that's cute so far haha.  

Gilly just broke up with Sid because she found out he knew about her getting fired from the LA job at the hands of Alan, whom he just defended at the big trial.  She doesn't trust Sid and I'm not sure where this will go, but it's sad to see Gilly upset.

Aside from Reva's Amish return (so far so dumb) and the never-ending Dinah story which I strangely haven't gotten tired of yet, the other big story is the one that made me start this journey in the first place.  Marian has finally arrived and immediately got a job back at Spaulding.  It's creepy which I love, but logistically I have so many questions haha.  I'm going to suspend my disbelief, but its hard to imagine that Brent, the straight, handsome f*ckboy, thought the best way to get revenge on the Cooper's is to dress as an old lady.  I'm assuming his sister is still involved and has helped him, otherwise I don't really get how he knows what to do to make this happen.  It's also a little strange that while he's alone and undressing/dressing, he's sometimes turns gay (how I would perceive it) in the way he prances around and talks in the mirror.  I wouldn't think a straight dude dressing as a woman would continue the facade while alone.  I can't imagine daily having to put on the fake glued on mask that doesn't seem reusable considering it falls apart as he takes it off.  It seems like a creepy, younger Mrs. Doubtfire lookalike situation, which fits considering that movie came out in the early 90s. I'm still enjoying it though and it keeps me engaged, and I have to remind myself it's the 90s.  

Speaking of the 90s, the other aspect to this storyline is Lucy's HIV scare. It's a little cringe how dire and doom and gloom everyone is treating it.  "Lucy you can DIE, Lucy you can KILL people if you're not tested".  Everyone is scared to touch her or share food/drinks with her.  I find it so odd that employers have asked and refused Susan jobs because she's HIV positive.  There is no way they can ask that question these days, and I don't even know if they really could back then.  But again, I know this is the 90s and I understand the HIV/AIDS sentiment back then, but it just doesn't age well.

I'm still enjoying my GL watch, but all the character coming/goings the past few months has been a little jarring, but I guess that happens with a new EP and new HW.

 

[Khan]

It could've been worse.  He could've come back wearing blackface.

[DRW50]

They could...and the way things are going, I imagine they can again.

I'd totally forgotten about this. It's not a bad idea, although there's no real value without having his grandfather Mike on the canvas to react.

Yes, her OLTL exit seemed very high-profile. IIRC it was said ABC made an example of her.

[P.J.]

I'm pretty sure I know the character you're talking about. She was the girlfriend of a Galahad, and after that blew up, she went to work for Ross and developed a little crush on him. It was an odd plot point, if I remember correctly.

[DRW50]

Is that the same part Mary Ellen Stuart would briefly play?

[Contessa Donatella]

So very glad to read this reply! Thank you so very much for your kind words & your appreciation. It's true that I value the slinging of words & I think I do have a fairly good grip on humor. Thanks most especially for your last bit of sheer encouragement. I will endeavor to live up to your high ideals!!! And, you have a nice rest of the night, you hear? 

[alwaysAMC]

Touche!  

[alwaysAMC]

Question - did Josh have any girlfriends between Reva and Annie ('90-95)?  Josh and Annie are preparing to get married, only 4 months after having sex for the first time and while Reva haunted both of them during the entire time haha...  but Hawk and Marah are not taking their relationship and pending marriage well, and it just seems odd to me that this wouldn't have occurred with the first woman Josh was seeing after Reva's 'death'.  

Edited April 11 by alwaysAMC

[Spoon]

Absolutely not.  Josh briefly had a budding relationship with AuPair Harley.  He couldn't move on from Reva, left town in '91 after "seeing" Reva in a WSPR travel video of Italy.  IIRC, Him and the kids along with Hawk and sarah relocated to Italy and off the show.

[Mitch64]

I LOVE this..but I love Spaulding history and their dark secrets which always get screwed up by bad writers (Amanda is Brandon's kid...Alan is an opera queen, whose bad daddy doesn't like that, so he has an affair with some never mentioned woman with no ties to the canvas and she pumps out Gush and becomes a nun, and Alex knows all about this..blah,blah..)

To tie it in to my story, I would continue with NotLana (totally agree a Reardon would not be named that unless Bea was a big Lana Turner fan..) be the owner of the farm NotAmish Reva ends up on, and Alan comes a sniffing around after her (again, I would have a private eye find her for Alan and he is intent on using her for his advantage over Josh and again, just for [!@#$%^&*] and giggles and he knows it will bug the crap out of Alex to have Reva back...) Alan somehow has an accident and Amnesia Reva brings him to the house and NotLana is "Oh crap.." when she sees him.

At the same time I would have brought back Bea (even if I had to recast her) to come ring Nola's beads as she is causing havoc all over town with Van and Matt and Ed (again, finding out that he is basically responsible for her sister dying..) I loved the idea of Mary Stuart as Meta, but Meta was stuck in the Bauer kitchen when they were already obscured...Bea would bring a comforting matriarch back who, situated in the BH and Company would provide the whole town to come in and cry over their coffee or beer to her.

[alwaysAMC]

Ahh - I didn't realize Josh left the show for a period of time.  Thank you!

[kalbir]

There was the pairing with Tangie in 1993 that tanked.

Robert Newman had three runs: 1981-1984, 1986-1991, 1993-the end.

[Mitch64]

Lisa and Melissa look so much alike that I wish they had brought Lee Lawson back even for a one shot, as they look like a real family.

Frankie D is the only actor to thank McTavish, this dumb cop thing kept him on screen for years when better actors were written off. I can see Frank as a cop, but when they made him detective and poor Frankie tried to put off an authoritarian vibe..I just can't. I remember one scene where Alex opens a door, Frank is there, and she just slams it in his face.

 

That's how it was back in the day...if you watched ATWT after Margo's rape they spent months talking about if or if not Margo was going to be "HIV positive" It was a possible death sentance and that is why this storyline was very controversial... I didn't think so as it used a soap convention (switched test results) to get some points across.

[TheyStartedOnSoaps]

It was during the time Michael Zaslow went back to One Life To Live, as he also attended OLTL annual fan club luncheon. Who else showed up at this OLTL fan event? Fiona Hutchison, who played Gabrielle on OLTL. Fiona showed up to offer support for Zaslow and told the press that the entire cast of Guiding Light was behind Zaslow 100%

Soon after Fiona was fired for GL, with a year to go on her contract.