Guiding Light discussion thread

[GL Oldtimer]

I've been enjoying reading about some of your thoughts about the storylines and characters from the 1970s. I wasn't watching the show at that time due to my age, but I have tried to see what I can via YouTube.

As someone who didn't start watching Guiding Light until 1989, I have a question about Holly and Roger's relationship in the 1970s. Was it a love story?

When the characters returned in the late 1980s, my impression was that they had this once in a lifetime love affair, which then went terribly wrong.

I'm just curious as to how their relationship was portrayed in the 1970s.

Annette

Edited yesterday at 10:42 PM by GL Oldtimer

[DRW50]

Hope seems surer of herself to me in the Dobsons material. She seems too passive and almost literally fading into the wallpaper in what I've seen of her in the Marland material.

[P.J.]

but wasn't that partly the point? That Alan was breaking her down bit by bit during the marriage? Maybe not as viciously as he did Elizabeth, but just as surely. I'm not sure he would've made her an alcoholic, but it wouldn't surprise me either.

[DRW50]

I don't think that was how Marland intended it - I think under his pen the idea was that Alan would hit bottom and then reform and want to step back. He probably would have reverted to type again even if Marland had stayed, but I don't think he intended for Hope to seem quite so wan. It's just how a lot of the women at GL under his pen felt to me.

[Soaplovers]

I did notice that Hope and Amanda came more alive once Pam Long took over as headwriter before both were written out at weird times (due to Gail Kobe sadly).