Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

She couldn't have. They did a good job of writing for a Mindy who was not necessarily more mature but who had grown out of the princess mode. Kimberley was more like a woman. 

Indeed. Just awful. He also always sounded like he'd just eaten a peanut butter sandwich right before he went oncamera.

The only time I liked him was his initial stories with Francesca and Mindy. Unsurprisingly, those barely involved JFP.

Edited April 12 by DRW50

[chrisml]

Honest question: were there any non self-righteous men on GL?

I thought Derwin was charming and he tried his best to work against the character especially as time went on. I always thought he had more chemistry with Kimberley Simms than Beth Ehlers--at least on camera.  Something that always struck me is that I think JFP's team started to write Mindy as if Tesreau were playing her. She lost her intelligence and maturity (not that Tesreau could not play those things but her Mindy was in princess mode as DRW50 points out). I know Tesreau returned at some point but I don't know how they wrote for the character or if they even bothered to give her anything to do.

[P.J.]

I liked Mallett more when he got involved with Harley. Watching him go after Phillip was off-putting, and the Francesca stuff bored me to tears.

I agree, Krista couldn't have played the affair with Roger. I don't think there would've been any way to sell her Mindy completely forsaking Billy to go screw his enemy like that. It was hard enough to sell KS finding a way to sympathize with Roger.

Krista only made small returns. Once for the First Wives Club meeting called by Alexandra, and then at the end. And no, she really didn't do much, she was mostly there for atmosphere with either the other Musketeers or Billy.

Well....not really. All the men could be assholes. Maybe the issue with Josh is that he always seemed so surprised that Reva would lie to him (or do something so completely stupid). 

[Contessa Donatella]

I never liked Derwin, just personal pref, though. I liked both Krista & Kim Simms. 

 

[Spoon]

I never liked him either, even as Adrian on Y&R.

[kalbir]

I didn't think much of Mark Derwin acting when he was on Y&R so I was surprised he became so popular on GL, first winning Hottest Male Star at the 1993 SOD Awards then being nominated for Lead Actor at the Daytime Emmys that same year. We know Mark Derwin became a Friend of Jill as she brought him on One Life to Life.

[Mitch64]

She did return for Phillip's funeral when Liv was with Bill, they got into a tussle of some sort and she called Liv a "bitch" which was fun. Krista sold it as an older Mindy who could be fierce....but yes, she could not have done the Roger story and going up against BevAlex...she could not have held her own and Alex would have looked even more of a monster.  I did like Krista and MOL's nice friendly chemistry, they did seem like a nice normal suburban couple, no fiery chemistry but it wasn't needed,  they should have brought her back for him years before.

Josh before RN left the first time was obsessive and their relationship was almost as toxic as Roger and Holly, and they were hot. The whole point of the fountain is that Josh just sees Reva as a sex toy, something to be won, and Reva is tired of it, (though she can't let go either.) When he came back Josh was indeed a typical clueless soap guy and Long started writing them as "always" unironically..which made them boring. Actually, Reva post all the Lewis men wanting to f*ck her and strangle her became a bit more boring...but nothing like Post Resurrection.

I hate how they painted Annie as crazy and EVIL when Jeva drove her over the edge...Long would have called that out, but we were stuck with super couple Jeva, the righteous, 

I thought Derwin was sex on a stick but get the Mallet annoyance. I did think he and Simms had chemistry more than he and Ehlers....but Simms had chemistry with everyone.

Edited April 12 by Mitch64

[Contessa Donatella]

I do give him credit for one thing. He recommended Jerry verDorn to someone at OLTL for the recast Clint role & not just everyone would have seen that Jerry could play such a very different role, so he was a good friend to Jerry in doing that.

[DeeVee]

I found his older channel, but it only has a few GL episodes. 

Yikes, I hope we don't lose Spauldingfield. I am really enjoying watching what they have been uploading the past few weeks. I love that they are uploading the episodes mostly in order of air date. It has been fascinating to watch the show transition from the end of the Marland era, through the interim writers, to the early part of Long's first tenure.

Thanks! I don't remember these. I wasn't watching AMC or GH much during the mid 90s.

[Maxim]

I'm truly heartbroken about this. He had so much material on his new channel. So much GL, AMC, AW. 

These copyright tro-lls won't ever leave us the f-ck alone. 

[cassadine1991]

What the reason for Simms leaving GL? I’m surprised they didn’t try to get Krista back after Santa Barbara was cancelled or when recasting with Ann Hamilton failed 

[P.J.]

I'm not sure how interested Krista ever was about returning, but I sure would've welcomed some Rick/Mindy interaction over Rick's endless obsession with Beth.

I guess I see Billy as the obsessive one, and Josh as the guy who feels like a chump when she comes home married to his daddy.

[Soaplovers]

Pam Long wasn't writing the show when Josh returned in 1986.  When I watched the scenes where Reva and Josh came face to face in late 1986, I was baffled at how quickly Reva just accepted Josh back in her life and arms.. especially after the conversation they had where he admitted he knew of her suicide attempt and didn't even care to reach out to her, etc.

When she returned as head-writer in July/August 1987, she was the one to bring on Sonni as his thought to be dead wife.. and also split Josh/Reva up.   He was written as more judgmental.

In regard to Josh/Harley, the set up for the two started back in late 1989/early 1990 with the two clashing with one another during the whole Dylan paternity story.. and Reva deciding to hire Harley with Josh not liking nor accepting her.

Harley didn't really act like Reva because she didn't put up with his attitude and would push back against him.  Had Robert Newman not opted to leave, or if he had an extra six months on his contract, I think the coupling would have been done more gradual.

I always suspect that Pam Long and Calhoun were the ones pushing Mallet/Mindy because once both were gone, the show opted for Mindy/Nick and Malley/Harley.

[P.J.]

Admittedly, I haven't rewatched a lot of '86-'88. Recently though I did read some old SOD, which either called Josh/Reva's ('87ish) reunion a bust or gave it a thumbs down, which now makes a little more sense.

'90 Harley was the little canary in the mine around the Lewises (post-Reva) as she was pushing back against Josh, Sarah and Vanessa all kind of sticking their heads in the sand and pretending to be ok. In that way she was RevaJr, who always thought everyone should just be upfront about their feelings (when it wasn't her lying).

Edited April 12 by P.J.

[kalbir]

Apparently contract negotiations fell through (contract length was the issue). I always thought it was finish initial contract, move on to other things while still relatively young.

Kimberley Simms was mentioned in the soap press as a potential recast for some big roles in the 1990s (Another World Vicky in 1994 and/or 1997, Days Jennifer in 1995, Y&R Ashley in 1996) but as we know nothing came of it. She would return to GL in 1997 for HB funeral episodes and that was it.