Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

CBS Sunday Morning opened its Passages package with Michael Tylo today.

[Nicholas Blair]

I never saw Barbara Berjer's Claire on ATWT, but I seem to recall reading that Irna said because Claire had committed adultery, TPTB wouldn't allow a divorce and remarriage, which Irna had wanted, so Irna either had to make Claire suffer or kill her off, and chose to kill her off. It would make sense to use a more popular actress on GL.

If GL wanted to give Barbara Norris a romantic interest--which they would do, with Robert Milli as Adam Thorpe--perhaps they thought Barbara Berjer projected a less matronly and more appealing image than Augusta Dabney. That's how I would see the two.

So this appears to be another double switch like Lynne Adams to TSS and Barbara Rodell to GL?

 

[DeliaIrisFan]

I love the discussion of the Alex/Mindy dynamic.  FWIW, I will say that, before Nick came to town, especially, Alex seemed to me to have a sense of perspective with Roger and Mindy both.  When Alex blackmailed Mindy into coming to her showdown at the country club, for example, it seemed primarily to help further unnerve Roger as she moved in for the kill.  I thought it was very clear that taking down Roger was Alex's job but making Mindy's life hell was more of a hobby.

For me, the (first) point of no return was when Alex actually recruited Roger to break up Nick and Mindy.  It led to some memorable scenes/stories but, from then on, Alex clearly had it in for Mindy more than she cared about keeping her family safe from Roger.  In hindsight, that damaged the character and strained credibility, for sure.

Perhaps not coincidentally, I remember from rewatching all those 1991-92 episodes on YouTube a few years ago (RIP) that plot twist happened right after Nancy Curlee's name had just disappeared from the credits, when she went on maternity leave.  I recalled that McKinsey had drawn a line in the sand at Curlee's departure in her exit interview, and I actually thought of that again when Curlee was describing her process for pitching stories in her recent YouTube interview: how she would say, "You'll never guess what happens next," and someone would try to guess, and she would respond, "No, because..." and then Curlee would reveal her actual idea.  I can't help but wonder if that would have been a "No Because" moment had she been in the building.

Edited October 4, 2021 by DeliaIrisFan

[Bill Bauer]

I think you're confusing Claire with her husband Jim. Jim was having an affair with Edith Hughes and Irna wanted to have Jim leave Claire for Edith but the censors wouldn't have it. So, Irna decided to kill off Jim Lowell in a boating accident. Claire never committed adultery. She just had husbands cheat on her (Jim with Edith, Michael with Lisa). 

[Nicholas Blair]

Thanks, Bill.

[amybrickwallace]

What a nice gesture.

[DramatistDreamer]

And likely to be the highest profile gesture. Most of the soap blogs gave very little to no acknowledgement.

[amybrickwallace]

Now that's a shame.

[DRW50]

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This scene really sums up much of what was pushing me  away from GL at this time - shrillness,  unpleasantness, a slew of bad recasts, etc. Thank goodness for Michael  Zaslow  and for Maeve Kinkead and Maureen Garrett bringing some heart to the last minute or so. A world away  from that lousy Billy recast cracking me up as he walks on tables. 

Much as I generally l liked Dylan, there was also something satisfying about the  show remembering that given  his many years of training, Roger could whoop his ass.

Edited October 9, 2021 by DRW50

[Franko]

Oh my. I don't know who was responsible for deciding Marj should furiously mug like that, but I hope that afterwards, they thought long and hard about what they did.

[SFK]

Marj said in an exit interview that she loved that scene, slapping Roger, and Roger slapping her back. She felt like things were still exciting for Alexandra at that point and unfortunately that slowly faded.

[soapfan770]

For me that was one of the last storylines I thoroughly enjoyed leading right up into Who Shot Roger? which I enjoyed as well despite Mark Jennings from Dynasty playing Billy Lewis at the time ugh. After that story ended I felt the show kind of went off the rails as 1994 progressed.
 

I don’t recall having much of a problem with Dusay’s Alex until the Nick & Mindy 1994 wedding garbage occurred. I mean I always like Marj but of course she was no Beverlee and the putrid writing for Alex certainly did her no favors at all. 

[amybrickwallace]

Especially when you are trying to make an established character your own.

[soapfan770]

Bingo! I always try not to be so harsh on both Ron Raines and Marj Dusay because I do feel they gave it all they could but somewhere better writing really could’ve helped both of them out. The crap stories about “Who is A. Spaulding?” and that clusterfuck about   Amanda’s true paternity were really dreadful. 
 

But I enjoyed their moments and accepted them both in the long run, probably because I was more forgiving of GL than I should have been. 

[amybrickwallace]

They both were/are engaging performers who would have flourished in the right roles.