Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[vetsoapfan]

 

JE acknowledged the "exposure" incident was true in a long-ago SOD interview. 

[Soapsuds]

JE will, always be Beth to me. I could never get use to BC as Beth until very late in her run as the character.

[John]

I dont think jE would have left AW for GL but once  AW ended,, I could have seen her back as GL's Beth. Chamberlin was good but Judi had more emotional range imho

[BetterForgotten]

I found JE largely terrible and insufferable as Paulina (Cali Timmins forever!), and I never found Adrienne to be much of a character on DAYS. I was shocked (in a good way) when I got around to seeing her as Beth.

Though, strangely, I did enjoy her as Bonnie, lol.

Edited April 26, 2020 by BetterForgotten

[MichaelGL]

It would've been a powder keg of sorts if in 2002 GL did bring back Rita and her  now adult son, in addition to Hope/Alan Michael for the war at Spaulding. Such arrivals would have caused ripple affects across the canvas. Rita's arrival wouldn't have only affected the Spauldings but the Bauers too, which I believe Ed and Holly were starting to grow close at the time. 

 

Re: Ken Norris

With Roger absent from Springfield I think Ken would've been a nice way to keep Ed/Holly on the front burner in the late 90s. In addition  we could have the arrival of Janet and their daughter. This would've been so much better than what we actually got. 

[antmunoz]

I think you’re right, but I also don’t think JE could’ve played what BC played.  JE couldn’t even play Paulina, the role she assumed on AW, as she was intended, a sexpot schemer. I preferred Cali Timmons. Paulina became Beth/Adrienne (DAYS). 
 

BC was dynamite and could play anything given her—and she was given ALOT. In many ways, she was a successor to Holly, a troubled neurotic mother who’d been done wrong by men (Bradley, Phillip, Carl). 
 

I liked Judi as young victim Beth but I don’t see her as the adult Beth. 
 

I’m not defending Lorelei or Kidnapper Beth or Cougar Beth, BTW.  But BC played the hell outta that $h!+. 

[KMan101]

 

That's a shame she was treated that way. There sounds like lots of drama BTS on most soaps back in the 80s. Alcohol, drugs, egos, I'm sure ...

 

I had always wondered why she gave up Beth to play Adrienne, cut from similar cloths. She does well in that kind of role but it felt a little redundant. It makes sense now, of course, why she left GL.

 

Meanwhile, I'm watching June 1992 of GL.

 

Lots of it I've seen, some it's new to me.

 

Had no idea they paired Fletcher and Vanessa? I had to of known that. Did I block it out? They have like 0 chemistry and they ALWAYS tried too hard with Fletcher, IMO. Meh. (I also feel like they try too hard with Eve and Hillary Edson and way too much Vincent Irizarry as much as I love him). 

 

Also imagine Kinkead was getting frustrated playing mother hen to "poor Melinda".

 

I can see why McKinsey was over the show. Alexandra's "power" was stripped away over time, IMO.

 

I'm growing to like Mallet and Harley. I hated watching him in the wheelchair for whatever reason. 

 

I notice a lot of Reilly-isms (like Alan-Michael laser focused on Eleni and nothing but, etc), but it's nice to have it more layered, more depth, and I credit the rest of the writers for that. 

 

Blake and Ross is hot as hell. It's a shame they became so boring once Liz Keifer came onboard.

 

They seemed to want to neuter the 'bad girls'. Jenna in her return 1996-1998 was like a different character. I LOVE early Jenna. So much fun. The humor. Eddie Mekka. Her exchange with Nadine at the non-wedding was hilarious and getting stuck with Michelle then adds layers to her. I miss that kind of writing.

 

Not a popular opinion but I think Ed and Lillian had great chemistry. I LOVE Maureen with Roger. It's a real shame they didn't go there. I love the dialogue they have about Holly and how Ross and Ed coddle her. Roger also pointed out Maureen wanted to kill the woman but not the man and wondered why. Love it.

 

1993 doesn't do the show any favors. I really like a lot of what's going on in 1992.

Edited April 26, 2020 by KMan101

[DRW50]

Some Marland-era episodes, sadly, dubbed, have been uploaded.

 

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[Soapsuds]

No excuses but both GA and MO were very young and immature. MO said in the chat with Alan that he looked up to GA even though he was older. I can see him doing everything his "older" brother did since he loved him like one(brother).

Edited April 26, 2020 by Soapsuds

[KMan101]

 

Yep, I can see it too. Agreed, no excuses, but there's likely a lot of factors for their behavior. I can only hope they learned from it. I mean, even Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso had issues with each other on DAYS. Young, arrogant, etc. budding stars with lots of pressures to succeed. Sometimes when someone lashes out it's a reflection of themselves.

[robbwolff]

 

Cool find! I believe images from the Hillary/Tony scene were later used in the disco opening credits circa 1982-83.

[titan1978]

Funny you should mention Vanessa/Fletcher!  I was reading on online bio of Vanessa as I was planning to dive back into watching GL, and I was shocked to read about her with Fletcher.  He really got around!  And I also don’t love him.  Ed was sanctimonious enough, I don’t need someone else like that.  Although that may just be his relationship with Alexandra, I haven’t watched enough of him to know if it carries over to others.

 

He doesn’t really do a lot for me, but when he is in scenes with Alex and they play the longing they both have for each other, it sells me on him.

I love Hillary.  I loved her as Tania on GH when I was a kid, and I like her as Eve.

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by titan1978

[antmunoz]

You’re right!  Although I preferred the first opening which seemed to consist of scenes filmed solely for the opening. The second featured more cast members tho. 
 

I wish I could watch all of this in English. I really love this era of the show and especially Jennifer Cooke as Morgan. 

[rlj]

This makes me sad as I am a die hard og Philip/Beth fan, but it def explains the sudden shift to Lujack for Beth!

[Khan]

 

Thanks, @vetsoapfan. 

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