Guiding Light discussion thread

[amybrickwallace]

I see. Hopefully it will never, ever be done again on daytime TV!!!

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[Paul Raven]

Erik Howell who played Johnny Fletcher from 1967 - 71 passed away March 18. He was 75. Survived by husband Randy.

[NothinButAttitude]

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[Mitch]

 

I thought I was the only one who liked that storyline! Holly looked smoking hot in her leather stalker outfit..it was fun to see her be smart and slick (okay, if bad) and more fun to see people like Cassie, Van and Reva have to see they really aint perfect. I think that actually making a major character do this kind of thing was new, and actually Days ripped it off for the Salem Stalker and Marlena.  I think they did a pretty good job of setting it up and having Holly guilty about her kid, drinking a lot, etc..just typical E & B and Rauch that they went for the most ridiculous ending (ALL the characters kids had to be kidnapped..Holly was crazy to want to spend time with those brats) and skipped over some of the good parts...(they should have had Holly passing out and not remembering doing this stuff) and sloppy on other things (the infamous front door opening OUT with Dinah's miscarrage..)  And yes, Reva as the freaking hero..(should have been Ed on that bridge with her...) They also quickly skipped Holly being in therapy...and her Annie friendship...plus Holly was just back to normal after this and disappeared...(they should have had her come sane, but a tad bit bitchier and in control of her life...) It would have been fun to see her bring her pal Annie back to live with her..."( "Oh Reva you dont like it, go tell someone else, I am not impressed with Queen Katherine's opinion") and see her and Alan connect...(I dislked Raines but oddly enough he and Garret had some great chemistry..) That is when Roger's death should have been handled and Holly inheriting all his money and Spaulding stock.

[Soaplovers]

 

They did briefly reference that in 2003 during Reva's stalking story...with evidence pointing to Holly doing it...and Holly proclaiming she was innocent...but everyone wondering if she flipped out again.

 

I recall the scone with fake Michelle being nervous having holly alone with her baby.  It didn't make sense that it was referenced all of a sudden..and before she was a suspect for Reva's stalking.

 

I did like Ed believing her...and then all of a sudden...she was determined as innocent and vanished for awhile to babysitting duties.

 

I thought the nursery rhyme stuff tied into her drinking...or was I wrong to assume that.

 

 

 

[Mitch]

They showed her on the bottle again but they didn't really tie it together..as she didn't seem drunk when she was stalking people. It was just so nice to see a woman in something other then a boring pastel dress that EVERY freaking woman in Rachville wore!I wish Holly would have kept the look and when people would raise eyebrows she would be "Hey I like it!"

[Dan]

I don't know if I was just desperate for Holly to be featured, but I was really glad that she was a Red herring in the stalker story. And it all led to Ed and Holly being a couple again. The story of Reva's stalker was the odd Reva's story that began quite well but ended terribly (what reason would Alex have to stalk Reva's in the first place?). Usually it was the other way around. 

 

I think my biggest disappointment with GL was that the end of 2002/beginning of 2003 didn't lead to bigger and better things. 2002 wasn't perfect, but Millee Taggart had started to position the show into a stronger direction. And early 2003 was really quite good. And then... Ellen Weston happened and squandered all the good will. I don't think my GL viewing ever really recovered from that. 

Edited April 14, 2017 by Dan

[Mitch]

Agreed,  the show was turning around, and believe it or not, would have continued if Rauch had stayed and kept Taggert on...(though they fought constantly I heard Taggert could actually win with him...) When MADD took over producing for a couple weeks was when we lost Joan Collins and then she brought Conboy on of all people (though she was considering Wheeler) and he insisted on Weston.  Conboy totally screwed the budget over at that time. It would have been interesting to see Wheeler working with a stronger head writer like Taggert and with a semi normal budget.

 

Alex wasnt actually the stalker all the time. Reva did have a real stalker who was caught but Alex continued it on to distract Reva (you know that hard hitting journalist) and Holly from investigating the Spauldings..which would have been a good reason if it wasn't for it being to cover up dumb Gus's even dumber paternity...(Taggert's version had Jonathon be the stalker, Gus a Santos and for Alan Michael to come back to help Alex fight Alan and Phillip.)

[DRW50]

2002 was one of those years I wanted to enjoy a lot more than I did. I do think that things were turning around right before Taggart was fired. I just wish it had happened sooner, rather than Marah shouting to be raped, Philip/Harley custody stupidity, and Nancy St Alban making me root hardcore for a mobster and thug to take their child and never look back.

[MichaelGL]

2002 was a year where I can actually say the show was at least 50% salvageable.  So much potential with its storylines, but all sqaundered away because of Conboy/Weston. 

 

The show even hinted at a storyline about insider trading if I recall, involving Phillip. The stalker should've been Jonathan. Danny and Cassie would've been a better pairing than what we were actually subjected to. Alan Michael should've returned and thrust into the Spaulding drama. (I personally would've also had Blake get drawn back into the war over Spaulding Enterprises perhaps conspiring with Alan-Michael to get their own shares. Not sure if Taggart was planning on having Blake thrown into the mix of Alex and Alans war.)

 

 

[Khan]

 

Ellen Wheeler could have had a HW'ing triumvirate with Bill Bell, Douglas Marland and Agnes Nixon and GL STILL would have become a mess.  She just couldn't produce for [!@#$%^&*].

[Soaplovers]

The final co headwriter Jill loris Hurst sounded promising..and I wonder how she would have fared had she had an executive producer who dealt in reality.

[Khan]

You know...I watched some of Jill Lorie Hurst's work...and it was okay.  But the show had become so painful to watch, I have a feeling viewers tend to praise her work, however faintly, because ANY thing would have been an improvement.

Edited April 14, 2017 by Khan

[Soapsuds]

Ellen Wheeler was a shitty EP but she was good at directing episodes. i enjoyed them on ATWT.

[Khan]

 

I wouldn't even go THAT far.  Ellen Wheeler was/is an excellent actor (although, her Marley on AW was sort of boring -- although, that's probably more of a writing issue) and that's it.