Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

HSB was more of a soap alongside a drama, and then Miami Vice was the type of sleek, atmospheric drama that various soaps (especially DAYS and GH) saw themselves as being in the same world as.

GL and ATWT were never along those lines (although they tried at times), but I guess they still decided to build up that presence. 

I don't think GL ever really found a successful version until Harley and Mallet (successful to viewers, not me - I never wanted Harley to be a cop and similar to Margo on ATWT I wonder if that's one of the reasons the character became so dour).

Edited July 28, 2024 by DRW50

[P.J.]

I never would've considered the connection between the rise of primetime cop shows and having fulltime cops on soaps. I could understand why in a 30 minute format, with smaller casts. 

I can't believe it was a shortage of crime...lol.

[kalbir]

Remember that one of the big 1980s trends was action/adventure.

[Mitch64]

Hmmm, good point! I kind of liked Margo as a cop in the early days Colin/HBS days when Margo was strong willed, determined, and put her foot in her mouth constantly butting into things. But Harley agree, should never have been a cop but at least she was more realistic then her stupid brother being Chief of Police (wow, the other candidates must have been in comas...) 

GL during the JPF days and until Rauch had a good run of having a latter of "blue collar" life that cops typically represent on soaps. You had the Coopers running a diner and being cops, the Reardon's, running Company, the Boardinghouse and Matt being in construction, the Bauers and the Marlers representing upper middle class and the Spauldings, Chamberlains and Lewis representing the rich (and is the case of the Lewis, as BevAlex said derisively "nouveau riche") That all went away with Rauch, where even Matt was running around in a suit jacket and tie.

[DRW50]

I don't think it hurt Margo as much until Ellen Dolan just became so sour to watch in general, but with Harley it did take away a lot of the character's spark for me very quickly. And knowing now the choice was some type of JFP fetish (she did the same on AW and OLTL - a young heroine joining the police force and hooking up with an older male cop) makes it even weirder for me.

[P.J.]

*imagines Vanessa Chamberlain struggling to send Matt's cement speckled, grease encrusted jeans and wife-beaters to the dry cleaners* 

Now that I think about it, Y&R never had a strong cop presence either. Carl Williams and Brock Peters' characters were cops in the 80's, but I think Paul was always a PI. ATWT's cops might have gone the way of the dodo too, if Margo and Hal hadn't been such a consistent presence over the last 20+ years of the show.

[soapfan770]

Ahh the whole Gary/Josie story on AW, which I remember was widely panned as a blatant rip off of Mallet/Harley right down to accusations of reused dialogue LOL. Who did JFP do that to on OLTL? I was trying to think back but only thought of Antonio and Roseanne, the latter given the heave once Tomlin took over.

I think what really struck me as off kilter during Harley’s first big cop story was her being reduced to damsel in distress once Daniel St. John threw her in the root cellar. I suppose it added tension to the climax, but her needing rescued by Mallet is so JFP in hindsight. 

The Oakdale PD was probably IMO the most competent police forces I’ve seen on daytime lol tbh. Margo, Hal, and later Jack were quite the cops.

I think the Springfield PD might have done better if they invested more in the Eugene Levy character, Frank’s partner who I enjoyed seeing more than Frank. Same goes for the ill-fated Cutter. The show had David as a cop during the Tifford years but of course did absolutely nothing with him unfortunately. 
 

The less said of the later years the better lol. 

[P.J.]

Levy was Mallet's partner too. I'm one of the few who liked Cutter, I guess. I remember being shocked at his murder.

Hal, Margo and Jack were great. I miss them. 

I keep forgetting to ask---when Rick leaves to do his community service (after helping Phillip fake his death), do they say where? 

[DRW50]

I think a number of fans liked Cutter. In '94 SOD asked JFP about a Cutter/Tangie pairing, telling her they had fan support. She sidestepped (clearly not wanting to say that she thought he was beneath what she had expected Tangie to be with viewers). In a way I'm glad they didn't try to make Cutter bigger and ruin him, but he was a charismatic, believable presence.

It was Charissa Cree Chamorro's character, Sophia.

I agree Levy was a very good support character.

[j swift]

It also doesn't help that in both cases, the female cop never got to be a true partner.  The conflict was always about the man “allowing” them to do their job, which involved some sexualized danger, and then needing to be rescued by their partner.  There was always some lame excuse for the woman had to go undercover as a hooker, or in a sexy dress, which made her vulnerable.  I don't think Harley ever solved a case on her own.  And the only time she was given any agency is when Mallet was figuratively castrated by being in a wheelchair.  

[chrisml]

JFP created a lot of sexist stories. The women were always desperate for a man (the worst is when OLTL's Nora lost every brain cell because she suddenly had to give Bo a child),  or helpless and pathetic. She loved telling stories that involved women getting beaten up or raped. Happened on every show. I wonder if she blames Margaret dePriest for that happening on all the other shows since it's DePriest's fault what happened on AW according to JFP.

[Soapsuds]

I've gotten into contact with him. Hopefully he will stop by. I know @DramatistDreamer had questions for him too.

Edited July 30, 2024 by Soapsuds

[DramatistDreamer]

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I miss the WLS blog and Roger’s interviews with the soap stars and personalities.

My main question is whether we’ll see some iteration of the WLS blog/YouTube channel get going again with a new soap being launched next year.

[Soapsuds]

He's got some big news!

I'll let him tell you himself when he posts it!

Edited July 31, 2024 by Soapsuds

[DramatistDreamer]

Ooh, something to look forward to!