Guiding Light

The Guiding Light (known as Guiding Light since 1975) is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as being the longest soap opera ever told, as well as the longest running drama in broadcast history (its 15,000th televised episode is slated to air in the autumn of 2005). The program began as an NBC radio serial on January 25, 1937 before moving to CBS on June 30, 1952, as a televised serial.

The 1980's

The Dobsons were moved to ATWT in 1980 and replaced by Douglas Marland. Marland concentrated on the teen angst between Speedo-clad Kelly (John Wesley Shipp), naive Morgan (Kristen Vigard), and conniving Nola Reardon (Lisa Brown). Brown played the role with such gusto that she received more hate mail than any CBS actor since Eileen Fulton some twenty years earlier. Ultimately, Nola reformed, and had a popular romance with Quint (Michael Tylo), who was revealed to be the half-brother of spoiled brat Vanessa (Maeve Kinkead). While not focusing on the Reardon family he so loved, Marland brought in a disco set with many guest stars (B-52's, Judy Collins, etc.), as well as a complex storyline in which the shy, confused Amanda Wexler discovered her real father was Alan Spaulding (Amanda learned in 1997 that her father was Brandon Spaulding, and Alan was her brother - a storyline move that was unpopular with viewers). These storylines sent GL 's ratings on an uptick, but Marland quit in 1982 due to a dispute over treatment of his friend Jane Elliot, who was fired by then-executive producer Allen Potter.

Related Topics:
Douglas Marland - Speedo - John Wesley Shipp - Kristen Vigard - Lisa Brown - Eileen Fulton - Michael Tylo - Maeve Kinkead - B-52's - Judy Collins - 1997 - 1982 - Jane Elliot - Allen Potter

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After a few years of meandering, a permanent replacement was found in Pam Long, an actress who had appeared on the recently cancelled P&G soap "Texas" and, in an unusual move, was given the headwriter reins in its last months. Along with executive producer Gail Kobe, she refocused the show around a SORASed Rick Bauer (Michael O'Leary) and Phillip Spaulding. With Dallas in vogue at the time, many soaps brought in oil-rich Southern families, and GLs answer was the Lewises. Siblings Trish and Josh (Robert Newman) had already been on the show for several years, but upon the arrival of estranged patriarch HB, brother Billy, and Billy's vivacious daughter Mindy, Trish was phased out and Josh went from a cad to an brooding young hero. Billy "tamed" Vanessa and in retaliation, a jealous Alan brought Billy's ex-wife Reva (Kim Zimmer) to town to break them up. Reva soon fell back into the arms of her true love Josh ("Bud"), but along the way managed to marry or sleep with a variety of men, including Josh's own father! Long also created the regal Alexandra Spaulding, and the show scored a casting coup by landing Beverlee McKinsey, who had a memorable run as Iris on Another World. Another important new face was abused, dewy heroine Beth Raines (Judi Evans, Beth Chamberlin), who fell in love with Phillip and was raped by her evil stepfather Bradley as punishment. Beth, Phillip, Rick and Mindy went on the run, a storyline so popular that GL managed to dethrone then-powerhouse General Hospital from the top ratings spot. That success was short-lived, as Long chose to write out or kill off nearly every Bauer (Hillary, Mike, Hope) and replace them with yet more new creations. When Charita Bauer died in 1985, the show had never seemed more out of touch with its own roots.

Related Topics:
Pam Long - Texas - Gail Kobe - SORAS - Michael O'Leary - Dallas - Robert Newman - Kim Zimmer - Beverlee McKinsey - Another World - Judi Evans - Beth Chamberlin - General Hospital - Charita Bauer - 1985

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Long left the show for a time, and the show went through a number of writers (and uneven stories such as the "Sampson Girl" pageant and the "Infinity" brainwashing story) until she returned in 1987. She created several more substantial stories for GL, including the dramatic story of Josh's wife Sonni (Michelle Forbes) and her alternate personality Solita. The story featured a strong performance by Forbes, although the 1988 writer's strike caused the plot to go wildly off course. During this time, the character of Blake Lindsey was introduced, and eventually revealed to be Christina Thorpe. Holly returned to Springfield, followed by the resurrection, in 1989, of Roger Thorpe. Long penned Reva's assumed death (she drove her car into the Florida Keys in a postpartum depression after delivering son Shayne) but had a clash with CBS and P&G executives who resisted the introduction of the Weiss family, a Jewish family she had hoped to introduced by mixing fashion designer Matt Weiss with the characters of Harley Cooper and Mindy Lewis. Long left the show in early 1991 and was replaced by a triumverate of writers, including James Reilly, who would go on to write Days of Our Lives and create Passions.

Related Topics:
Michelle Forbes - 1988 - 1989 - 1991 - James Reilly - Days of Our Lives - Passions

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