Guiding Light discussion thread

[KMan101]

 

I don't recall much, if any, but to be fair my viewing was becoming spotty at the time between 1999-2002. I'd tune in for a while, get annoyed, stop watching, then come back, and wash/rinse/repeat, lol.

 

Did Ecklund want to leave? (And who could blame her?) If they dumped her they were stupid.

 

I had no idea she was 18 either in 1995. I'm guessing they dropped that fairly fast?

[DRW50]

 

I think she did want to leave, as they barely used her. I think she and Michael O'Leary worked to get the cochlear implants story on the air, but that was brief and a bit silly (her implants made her hearing powerful enough that she could hear a ticking bomb in the church). It's a shame as Amy was a fine actress.

[KMan101]

 

It really was a shame. I was very disappointed at the time to see her exit. I don't blame Ecklund for leaving though but selfishly wish she hadn't, but then she'd just probably disappear or be written terribly, or killed off for shock value. AMC should have picked her up but by 2001/2002 they were already a shell of it's former self and weren't interested in telling the types of stories they once did so she probably wouldn't have "fit".

Edited January 9, 2020 by KMan101

[Gray Bunny]

 

I *so* wish she had popped up on another soap long-term, and not just as some mayor with a hardon for Bo Buchanan.  Not sure which soap I'd wish her on nowadays. For aesthetic purposes, I'd say Y&R. For selfish reasons, I'd say DAYS, but it'd be such a letdown watching her scheme and manipulate in the Blue Room or Park Bench. Sigh... 

[John]

She would make an awesome Lois Cerullo on GH and is only a month younger then OG Lois, Rena Sofer

[Soaplovers]

I do recall Holly and Claire interacting once or twice... once to compare notes about Fletcher.. and another time when Claire and Holly were clashing about Michelle.  

[Mitch]

Labine loved Buzz/Holly/Billy but the net thought they were too old so she used them as filler. I still think Deas had more fans in the industry then he did in the viewing audience...it should have been Ed/Holly/Billy, three damaged alcoholics who support one another, Ed was always Billy's sponsor and his friend, so it would be interesting to have Ed develop feeling for Holly again, while Billy does too, and Holly torn, as they remain friends. Maybe they are starting a rehab clinic together, Billy using Lewis money, Ed being the doc and Holly organizing and it slowly developes. That would be the backdrop for introducing Mel, but I would make her a hard driving lawyer/community activist...(Rick is too much of a mensch to have another softie as his partner..) who sees the effects of the Santos crime has on a changing 5th and 7th Street hood ( I hated how they stocked 5th Street with cliched Greek "ethnic" types to make it looks urban during Phelps time)  as POC and immigrants move in.(Mabye her family or another black family buys the Boardinghous and Company, better then the Coopers)  She would also be resistant to the Spauldings...not for the usual reasons but because she sees their use of labor, etc. That would put her at odds with Phillip, and much to his surprise Rick has her back still. I like the Bauer matriarch being a person of color, it makes sense but maybe I would make her a latina to offset the image of the bad Latino Santos. She and Rick would compliment each other.

 

The Van/Matt/Beth triangle could have worked but not the way Rauch drove it (the sexy young sex toy taking away the hunk from the old crone.) I would have it that Van was bored with Matt (a woman who could go toe to toe with Alan, Alex and Roger would quickly bore of her boy toy) and increasingly spend time at work, Matt would be attracted to Beth and actually help her find her good side (Beth would not be trolling after him or cutting down Van) and maybe I would recast Kyle Sampson as he tries to take over Lewis again and Van joins in the fray but she is attracted to a mature biz guy...(end game would be Billy of course but not now.)

 

Rauch/Madd were too fixated on a boring good girl/dumb guy/evil vixen triangle that it just became so boring.

[KMan101]

 

All of this! Vanessa would have 100% grown tired of Matt. That's exactly the direction it should have gone, but somehow they were painted as soulmates and I never bought it. Rauch/MADD were trash.

 

I also love your idea for Ed/Holly/Billy.

 

Claire wrote for Deas on Ryan's Hope so I always expected her to write for Buzz. But I agree, Deas must have known enough people because ... yikes. I resent Buzz for so many reasons, lol

 

Me too. OLTL wasted her, but then again, with Ron and Frank there, they had about 1000 castmembers so ... LOL

 

I'd say DAYS too, but it would be a letdown and they'd waste her like they wasted everyone else they've brought on from another soap in recent years.

 

Y&R would be a good fit (about 10 years ago and prior) but I could also have seen her on B&B.

Edited January 10, 2020 by KMan101

[DRW50]

 

Rauch at the time blamed "Matessa" fans for the stagnancy of the couple, but the problem is even if their fans hadn't been so vocal, the story would have always been about Matt cheating on Vanessa with Dinah or some other woman. It would have been degrading. 

 

Wheeler and Kreizman did pull that trigger years later, when many of the fans were gone. I only watched a little of it - namely the Vanessa and Dinah confrontation (which was pretty good - Gina and Maeve worked well together) - but I'm so glad that I got my Vanessa and Billy endgame. 

 

Vanessa was generally written as so numbed and cookie cutter under Rauch, and dressed that way too. Ditto for Laibson's run. Say what you will about all the mistakes of Wheeler, I thought Vanessa was styled much more closely to what suited her character, and the character felt more like Vanessa to me, rather than a stand-in.

Edited January 10, 2020 by DRW50

[Gray Bunny]

 

I will say though, and I've always thought this, that the "Mattessa" fans online (two T's, not one, and yes they would correct you!) were vocal, rabid, and ridiculous. Nothing was good enough for them; nothing satisfied them. "Why are they making love on a couch? Why can't they have a bedroom?" From the big stuff (the late-in-life miracle baby junk) to the little stuff, they were always in a huff. 

 

But yes, the constant insults Beth was giving about Vanessa's age was tacky and reeked of a behind the scenes grudge (Rauch towards Maeve Kinkead). 

 

[DRW50]

 

Oh yeah, I remember. Rauch or B&E blasted them in an interview saying they got a beautiful love story but were upset it wasn't on 5 days a week. Hilarious. 

[amybrickwallace]

 

That's too funny.

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[Mitch]

I remember that...they were having a FIT about the love scene done on a couch and not on a bed...(says a lot about the Mattessas' that they thought that was the only place to have sex..) There was a distinct change right after that were you could tell they were taking out their annoyance with the Mattessa's  with the characters.  I remember the Pharley fans were that way too...(though the board gave great synopsis of the episodes and some good comments..)

 

I think the Rauch/Kinkade thing went by the wayside...she went on recurring during McLaiby (with the dumbest plot ever..) and Rauch said he asked her back when he saw her in the hallway.  Whatever you say about Rauch, I think he respected talent and was more into putting on the show then grudges...(i.e. MADD.) I agree that the Wheeler regime did best by Van..I remember she didn't even take [!@#$%^&*] from Cassie when she came back...and they even had Reva say she has "Always been a little afraid of you!" and Olivia "Oh, I think you could be the mother in law from hell if I got on your bad side!" maybe it was Hurst that put the zing back in Van but it was cool. I don't think they should have ever recast Alex..like Bert Bauer and Reva, that was unrecastable, they should have just had Van step in as the Ice Queen kicking Alan's ass.

[KMan101]

Definitely agree that Vanessa felt more like herself in her return under Wheeler. I do think Wheeler "meant well" but just ultimately sucked as a producer. I will always be low key mad we didn't get more time under Hurst. I think she got the show.

 

I feel like Maeve was ready for a break by the time Rauch came around, like it was said, she was already on recurring and he asked her back. But I do think the writers took out their resentment on the characters. However, Vanessa never quite worked as the dutiful housewife and stay at home mother, that's not her character. They also torpedoed Phillip/Harley. And agreed on their respective "stan bases". 

 

Marj could have worked had she been more restrained, IMO. They crazy bug eyes Alexandra doesn't work.

Edited January 11, 2020 by KMan101

[Mitch]

I was watching the Josh/Annie wedding scenes on You Tube where Alex crashes to let everyone know Reva is still alive..once I got over the fact that they had so MANY characters in the scenes I was just saddened to see Alex reduced to schreiking pain in the ass.  I tried to imagine Bev Alex doing that and be told by Vanessa to "go home" like she was a child, but couldn't ...(I see Bev more like the EQ on Once..walking in and "Sorry I'm late..." and everyone just shutting up!)

 

I read somewhere that Marj was a team player and she did exactley what was on the page and as directed so you can compare her hysterics in those scenes with the confrontation with FauxAnnie in the Spaulding Attic and see what might have been if she had been written correctly.)