Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Mitch]

Roger was rather one dimensional at this time. I think the Dobsons wrote James Stenbeck the same way...not that AH as hot as he was, was an actor of the same caliber of Zaz, but I always wish they had written him withe more conflict then just EVIL..

 

Is anyone else having problems on this page with Google ads blocking posts?

[Bill Bauer]

 

 

I am. It’s extremely annoying.

[slick jones]

I had that problem yesterday, but it's okay today.

[Paul Raven]

Just finished reading Ed Zimmerman's novel 'Love in the Afternoon' published in 1971.

At that time Zimmerman was playing Dr Joe Werner on TGL.

It's a fun read and a look at soaps of that time and seems pretty much based on TGL.

 

Actor Steven Prince is Daytime TV's brilliant but ruthless surgeon, Harlan Cross. Dr. Cross is a steely-eyed perfectionist, scheming to lure nice nurses into nefarious post-surgery seductions. Actor Prince is a near-sighted (can't even read the teleprompter) blunderer whose trick knee sometimes collapses in the middle of a tricky operation. The show is live and the moments lively as Prince copes with an assistant (actor) who can't keep his lines straight. . . or even memorized; a nurse (actress) who slaps his surgical gloves on backwards; an aging mother (aging super-star) who plans to really dominate the scenes; a love interest (sexy ingenue) who insists on dressing in his dressing room and a wife and mother (real) who sometimes get him confused with his character. It's a slight but sometimes very funny look at the traumas behind the souped up, soapy dramas.

 

 

One character seems based on Stefan Schnabel (Dr Steve Jackson) In the book he's presented as an old sleaze, coming on to younger female co-stars, although it's supposed to be seen as amusing, in keeping with the times.

He also details an aging Hollywood star coming on who makes a mess of dialogue and cues but always delivers on air. The only actress I could think of that might apply to is Jan Sterling who appeared on GL in Zimmerman's time frame(or maybe it was based on someone on another show that he heard about)

 

Anyway it's a quick read and definitely worth it for soap history fans.

 

 

[juppiter]

 

Yes when I view the board on iPhone this always happens to me. 

[chrisml]

I've been watching some GL episodes from the eighties, and I was interested in how Elizabeth Dennehy's Blake was portrayed. Was she supposed to look and act like Glenn Close's character in Fatal Attraction?

[Mitch]

I actually liked her but Pam Long HATED her...they hired her during the writers strike.  I don't think she had any chemistry GA or MOL..both of whom have chemistry with everyone (different kinds tho they may be...)  I never liked Stringfield who everyone loves..she was just too damn campy and I like LK but she was just too "nice" to be Blake...

[Soaplovers]

 

I recall reading in a soap opera digest article post 1988 writer strike that Pam Long approved casting of Dennehy.. but that the character was introduced after the writer strike happened without the bible/outline for Blake... and that when she resumed head-writing that they tried to lighten the character up (i.e. be more humorous, etc)... but Dennehy had the tragic vibe moreso than the light hearted/comic touch that I guess Long was trying to infuse Blake with.  Sherry Stringfield was more dead-pan in her delivery of her lines.. while LK was more emotional/wacky

[kalbir]

When Blake Lindsay was introduced, was she always intended to be Christina Thorpe or was that done after the writer's strike ended?

[~bl~]

Blake wasn't supposed to be Christina, and had another back story, which never happened (no idea who she actually was supposed to be though it could have been a new character not tied to the canvas directly.) The whole Christina thing happened due to Chris Bernau's illness, a phone call to Zas asking if he would play Alan as Chris would not be able to act anymore. Zas saying that it wouldn't make sense for him to play Alan Spaulding, but perhaps Roger could come back to town. 

[j swift]

I'm currently reading the 1983 summaries and I have questions that I hope someone can answer.

 

The characters of Mark and Brian keep coming up and I keep confusing them.  I know Mark is having an affair with Amanda and Jennifer, and that he is under an assumed name.  But can someone remind about Brian?  I think I am confused by the memory of Mark Pinter as Brian McColl, but that was on ATWT.  Also, Mark, Quint, and Mona all went by fake names, and they renamed the baby Staci at the same time?  How did viewers keep it all straight?

 

Also, there was a prior mention that Quint was not meant to be a Chamberlain when the character was conceived.  If anyone has more information on that I would appreciate it.  

 

From tumblr

GUIDING LIGHT: Week of January 10 - January 14, 1983

(3:00pm - 60 minutes - CBS)
Mark suspected the mystery man who knocked him unconscious knows Mark’s true identity.  College student Clay Tynan told Mike and Ross that he saw Mark with Brian.  Phillip admitted he resents the fact that Alan and Justin packed him off to boarding school.  After conning Rick into drag racing, Phillip took the blame and was charged with drunk driving.  Mark and Brian went to London to get their share of Mona’s (Rebecca’s) estate.  Rebecca failed to seduce Quint, who returned from Hollywood before Nola.  Mark and Amanda comforted each other behind closed doors.  Maureen dated Matt.  Hillary set out to win back Kelly after he spotted Morgan kissing Josh.

Edited March 8, 2019 by j swift

[victoria foxton]

I didn't know that Hillary and Kelly were a couple.

[Mitch]

Bull dyke Marsha Clark and gay JWS had zero chemistry.  Clark was Marland's spy with the actors reporting back to him what people were saying.

 

I actually thought that Blake should have had the more somber bearing..the kid thought Ed was her dad for her formative years (which was never mentioned by Long much) then found out family enemy Roger was her father, was kidnapped, he died, she was carted off to "europe" and place in a boarding school by a mother who had neurotic problems of her own..Stringfields spoiled princess didnt make a lot of sense.

[robbwolff]

 

That synopsis is slightly incorrect. The guy's name was Bryan -- with a a Y, not an I. He was a henchman for the Spauldings, I believe. As for Mark, I believe his real name was Mark Evans and his alias was Samuel Pasquin. Mark was married to Jennifer and having an affair with her daughter Amanda.

[victoria foxton]

From what i seen online i liked Hilary with Jim. She even had chemistry with Fletcher. I heard that both MC and JWS were Marland's spies.That's a messed up thing to do.