Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[BetterForgotten]

The last episode where Nancy Curlee and Stepehen Demorest are listed together as HWs. In early '94, Patrick Mulcahey is now listed as their third Co-HW. Demorest would return again later in '94, but was fired for good by the end of that year. Patrick Mulcahey is listed as HW by himself in the next set of credited episodes, but hated that experience after Curlee/Demorest left. 

 

I know Curlee was very unhappy at this point as she felt the show and her work had been "taken away" from her. It is basically a JFP/corporate vanity production at this point with so many of her worst habits that were later noticible at other shows she produced. 

 

It's not surprising that the bubbling Bridget/Vanessa custody battle over Peter is the major/central story in Curlee's last credited episode. That's the one story that really felt like her work at this point and the type of complicated material she excelled at. And that beautiful conversation between Blake and Michelle in the Bauer kitchen (20:50 in) where they discuss the situation over Peter is also so thoughtful and a trademark of her work. 

 

Curlee may have had a quick HW-ing stint, but who knew that her work would still be remembered/discussed over 25 years later? And who knew that GL would never have a HW that thoughtful again?

 

 

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Edited May 8, 2020 by BetterForgotten

[Soaplovers]

I forgot about the Julie/Frank/Eleni story...it had a slow build and potential...but was quickly dropped (due to writer changes probably).

 

GL had several strong years (1975 to 1984, and 1989 to 1993...1988 was an interesting year..the rebuilding year) that I think we all took for granted.  And it looked like 1997 and 2002 were going to be the start of another strong series of years...but alas no.

 

[Mitch]

 

 

I like how they include Blake in the Bauer family dynamics.  I know people LOVE SS as Blake but I like LK as a grown up more mature version, raised really as a Bauer. LK is so big sister maternal here (while still being a bit nervous with the whole domestic thing)  that I still think that Ross and Blake should have transitioned to tentpoles and moved into the Bauer house, and I would have moved Rick to the lighthouse on his own and just had him as doctor and best friend to everyone.

 

The show is starting to show signs of being "The Buzz Cooper Show, starring..JUSTIN DEAS" but isnt there yet. I loved Julie the bitch (Wright had a similar vibe, beautiful woman everyone thinks is perfect but a bitch underneath it) and I am sorry, Eleni's accent is so bad! The actress truly brought the star power to that couple and they should have had them move out of town and maybe brought Frank D back as support in a couple of years (God knows he would not ahve another acting job.)

 

I don' t understand why Long or Curlee werent brought back as consultants after JFP.  No stress, big money, they take your ideas or dont.

[Aback]

 

Me too! And I think Nancy Curlee was equally young at the time she was head writing the show.

 

Has anyone ever thought about contacting Long or Curlee on social media for an interview?

[Forever8]

I would love to hear from both too!!!

[DRW50]

 

I still wonder what might have been in 2002 - I was disappointed by most of what was on display. The idiot plotting in the Harley/Philip custody battle was shocking - I still can't get over those loltastic scenes where Harley broke into the Spaulding mansion to kidnap their son; the Richard mercy-killing/Rick heart story lacked so much emotion and felt rushed and cliched; the Michelle/Bill pairing was dull and I disliked NSA's Michelle enough to where I was rooting for a mobster to get sole custody of a Bauer child.

 

Once we got into later fall things began to impress me more, with Danny/Cassie, Alexandra's return, the Ed/Holly pairing amidst Michelle not wanting her around the baby, etc. but sadly Conboy and Weston (ick) were on the way.  

[Mitch]

Taggert was hittiing her stride then, and I would say the lack of emotion on the eariler episodes were more then likely Rauch's fault as I heard Taggert was fighting him tooth and nail, after getting the edict to make "GL..GL again" for the anniversary.  How quickly Joan/Alex's confident, sly Alex turned into a schreeching shrew drugging por little Alan under Conboy/Weston.

[DRW50]

 

You have a good point.

 

I'm still not sure how Conboy did wrong by Marj after he let her shine at Capitol. At least he kept her on and she was styled well (I think), so compared to some GL producers I guess that was not bad for her.

[KMan101]

 

Me too and he does ruin it. He fanbois out. I get it but let them talk. I'd love more one on one interviews/discussions. It may end up going in that direction, he did with Susan Lucci.

[VanessaReardon]

No. No one ever thought about that. 
They are not hard to find on social media. 

The funniest thing would be to get an actual interview with Nancy Curlee where she would probably dispute everything said on here. She left because she was unhappy. #Yeahright

Edited May 9, 2020 by VanessaReardon

[BetterForgotten]

It's documented from Nancy herself in the 2009 interview Toups, Dan, and I conducted with her.

 

https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2009/04/an-interview-with-nancy-curlee

 

Toups: How did you come up with three years worth of storylines without feeling burnt out?

 

Curlee: By the end of my time there, frankly, I was burned out. More to do with endless meetings defending our work and pitching and justifying, than with the writing itself. But it is hard, under any circumstances, to maintain that kind of quality. I probably should have relinquished more control of it, in hindsight. I felt very protective of the material and the actors, and had a hard time saying okay, that’s good enough if I didn’t think it really was.

 

Where's your proof contradicting Nancy's own words, @VanessaReardon? She's definitely honest here that at the end of her tenure, it wasn't an environment that promoted creativity. She could have other reasons as well for leaving (like I believe she had gotten pregnant again by this time), but she definitely wasn't happy with the working environment when she left. 

Edited May 9, 2020 by BetterForgotten

[Aback]

 

Thanks! I'm sure I read the interview at the time but then completely forgot about it over the years. I also think that with the amount of content that was added on YT in the last decade, Curlee's tenure has obtained renovated visibility and recognition.

[vetsoapfan]

 

It was the last time that TGL was at its peak, quality-wise (although Taggart managed to produce some good material as well, and helped make the show feel right again).

 

Am I the only one who imagines how *I*, personally, would have restructured and repaired the show during its decimated final years, in hopes of returning The Light to its former glory?

 

Sigh. I miss Springfield. And Oakdale. And Bay City. And Monticello.

 

Blessed are the generous souls who upload episodes to youtube.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Nope, I find myself doing this constantly with ATWT. I just want to redo and fix that last 10-15 years!

[vetsoapfan]

 

I did it with many soaps, including ATWT, but I must give some credit to World Turns for keeping several of its vets on canvas. Even through its dreadful, final years, I always had Nancy, Dr. Bob, Kim, Lisa (rarely, alas) and others to give me an incentive to tune into Oakdale. I'd FF through the excruciatingly bad plots and revolting newbies, but stop and watch my old "friends."

 

I think the entire fabric of TGL had been obliterated, so that's probably why I spent so much time figuring out ways to fix it.

 

I FIRMLY believe that many knowledgeable and creative viewers would have been better suited to fix and guide the shows back to health than the actual PTB, most/all of whom were woefully ignorant and incompetent.