Watching this episode of Family Feud with the cast of Guiding Light from the 90s

One of the questions Frank Dicopoulos was asked was "On a scale of 1 to 10, how good looking are you"

Frank replied "8"

21 hours ago, Robluvthebeach said:

Actually, during the Marland years, it was established that Vanessa, Trish and Jackie all had went to school together (I think they added a couple of other actresses who were short term roles) and had known each other well and were friends.

I think Cindy Pickett left before Maeve arrived. And I don't think there's any scenes with her and Carrie Mowrey. But that kind of explains Vanessa's reaction when Ross tells her about Jackie's plane crash. Thanks!

The Journal Dec 1978 Writing Soaps, Getting Tanned

MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — "Forget the image of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' where frantic writers run around the set and throw out pages," says Jerome Dobson, sitting beside his swimming pool."We'll start plotting and say, 'Pass the suntan lotion.'"

Jerome Dobson and his wife Bridget lead a quiet, secluded life on a wooded estate between the mountains, and the Pacific in this affluent community south of Santa Barbara.

But they aren't cut off from the world of Bertha Bauer, her sons Ed and Mike, and everyone in Springfield, U.S.A., who don't make a move or utter a word that doesn't spring from the minds of the Dobsons. Every day they turn out a 65 page script for the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light," longest running drama in broadcasting, and are on the telephone constantly with the producers in New York.

Since becoming head writers 3 and 1/2 years ago they've given the soap opera  which had been suffering from hardening of the arteries, a decidedly contemporary look and a faster pace. The Dobsons plot the series a year in advance, dictate the day-by-day outlines to a battery of secretaries, and send the outlines to four assistant writers to flesh out with dialogue. They use graphs and charts to keep track of all 30 characters and to be sure every actor works the number of. days required by his or her contract.

"It's a giant crossword puzzle," Bridget says, "We may work from sunup to moonup. It depends on if Jerry's being good ,we'll get through it fast. They write wherever the mood strikes them — by the pool, in the pergola, or in, their private offices.

Jerry and Bridget met at Stanford University. Bridget is the daughter of Frank and Doris Hursley, who wrote for "Search For Tomorrow" and created "General Hospital."

'Guiding Light' is a vastly different show from what it was, say, five years ago," says Bridget. "We were with the show a year and a half before I can really say we were proud of it. You can't change it overnight. The pace is faster, the characters are more contemporary,it's sexier, it-has more humor. characters are more multi-dimensional.

The Dobsons say there's no formula for writing soap opera."You can't fill in the blanks," says Dobson. "You can't just punch up the characters. You have to write from the gut; You have to be true to your characters at. all times or the audience will jump on you."

Edited December 24, 2025Dec 24 by Paul Raven

2 hours ago, P.J. said:

I think Cindy Pickett left before Maeve arrived. And I don't think there's any scenes with her and Carrie Mowrey. But that kind of explains Vanessa's reaction when Ross tells her about Jackie's plane crash. Thanks!

It's very close as Cindy is still Jackie in the 5/28/80 episode (I can't remember if she is much further into 1980 - I know Carrie Mowery is there by late July) and if a quick search is any indication (may not be) Vanessa arrives in early June.

Edited December 24, 2025Dec 24 by DRW50

16 hours ago, DeeVee said:

As a former New Yorker, he SEEMED fairly normal back then, though there were red flags (i.e. he divorced his first wife to marry his cousin). 9/11 skyrocketed his national popularity--people even talked about him becoming president one day.

It was not unusual for the mayor of NYC to be a national figure back then. Late 90s, even before 9/11, he was already known and somewhat popular outside NYC, so it's not that surprising he would get booked for a gig on a soap.

Rudy was seen as something of a model for a Republican by the media due to his being moderate on social issues and tough on crime. He hosted SNL a year or two before he was on GL. I think if he didn't love being on TV he may not have been on GL, although another factor may have been helping his wife, Judith, who appeared on all the NYC-based soaps.

IIRC, their marriage ending in a very public, ugly manner hurt his approval and that only turned around due to 9/11.

Edited December 24, 2025Dec 24 by DRW50

3 hours ago, DRW50 said:

It's very close as Cindy is still Jackie in the 5/28/80 episode (I can't remember if she is much further into 1980 - I know Carrie Mowery is there by late July) and if a quick search is any indication (may not be) Vanessa arrives in early June.

Early June is what I've always heard. Unfortunately, the earliest episode available online with her in it, that I've found , is the July 11th episode.

3 minutes ago, P.J. said:

Early June is what I've always heard. Unfortunately, the earliest episode available online with her in it, that I've found , is the July 11th episode.

That reminds me - the original upload I saw of that, from nearly a decade ago, said July 1st. Then the one put up earlier this year said July 11th. I wonder which is accurate.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

That reminds me - the original upload I saw of that, from nearly a decade ago, said July 1st. Then the one put up earlier this year said July 11th. I wonder which is accurate.

My understanding is that it's the 11th. The version (or there was a version with the commercials) with commercials references the Democratic convention, which was the week of the 11th.

Ooo, oooh, a little Christmas present for GL fans, check this out:

By the way, that's a YouTube account.

They just uploaded some episodes from August 1979. Not sure yet if they're some that have already been uploaded to YT. That is the period when Alan and Hope are stranded on the island, Jackie has a miscarriage, and Rita is upset that she isn't having orgasms during sex with Ed.

Edited December 24, 2025Dec 24 by DeeVee

19 hours ago, Spoon said:

you were probably happy to see Alex return, of course this recurring stint was cut short by her going to AMC.

Marj only went to AMC as they offered her a three month contract (I think it went longer) and on GL she was recurring with no upcoming dates to film (too busy creating the next wildly successful Reva story.) So a bird in the hand....Too bad as they were finally writing an Alex that Marj could play.

15 hours ago, TheyStartedOnSoaps said:

One of the questions Frank Dicopoulos was asked was "On a scale of 1 to 10, how good looking are you"

Frank replied "8"

"And on a scale of 1 to 10 how dull are you as an actor"?

17 hours ago, TheyStartedOnSoaps said:

Watching this episode of Family Feud with the cast of Guiding Light from the 90s

One of the questions Frank Dicopoulos was asked was "On a scale of 1 to 10, how good looking are you"

Frank replied "8"

Go GL!!! Love that they won. Do we know if they beat B&B afterwards? Thanks for posting :)

I think Frank is definitely an 8 :P

Gosh seeing those characters really make me miss Gilly and Bridget. I didn't get to see Monty as David Grant, but really want to. Wild to me how popular Eleni was back then before the recast. Eleni sticks around for several years but the recast was never given a true storyline sadly.

4 hours ago, DeeVee said:

Ooo, oooh, a little Christmas present for GL fans, check this out:

This is exciting! Thanks :)

2 hours ago, Mitch64 said:

Marj only went to AMC as they offered her a three month contract (I think it went longer) and on GL she was recurring with no upcoming dates to film (too busy creating the next wildly successful Reva story.) So a bird in the hand....Too bad as they were finally writing an Alex that Marj could play.

That 3-month contract turned into almost 4 years! Loved it :)

2 hours ago, Mitch64 said:

"And on a scale of 1 to 10 how dull are you as an actor"?

Mitch! LOL - he's a sweet guy. 😜

I can't fault Marj for going where a contract was going to be offered. Soaps save money keeping performers recurring, but they also risk losing them if said performers get another job that offers a contract.