The Light Has Gone Out

The longest running scripted show in broadcast history aired it's last episode on Friday 18th September 2009. It's hard to think that something has lasted for the amount of time that this show has clocked up. 72 years, which includes its birth on radio.

Let's start with CBS pimping out their new daytime schedule without Guiding Light straight after airing As The World Turns. I found it in poor taste to do it before the final nail was even on the casket.
They didn't even show a full set of credits, seeing as it was the last broadcast. To fully list those that worked on the show would have been great.

Lots of people have commented on it was great that certain characters got to have their happy ending but I'm going to comment a couple of things that really got to me. Did there have to be so many weddings in such a short space of time?

Though I think Remy and Christina are cute, but why did they have to waste precious time with them having to get married for the third (fourth, I've lost count) time in less than a year. This time could could have been used to develop/finish other story lines. With scenes being short they seriously didn't need to add in this extra element to the couple. They should have just had them announce their pregnancy to Mel and be done. It perplexed me even more when having read the preview of an episode from CBS' site that there was to be a Doris and Olivia scene, I tuned in to see that the scene wasn't even aired.

Another point was why did everything seem so rushed in the last couple of weeks. The cancellation news came on April 1st and according to an interview with Jordan Clarke (Billy Lewis) they were told in May that there was a 1% chance of the show being picked up by another network and filming ended in August. I'm not a maths genius but there was a little bit of time to sort some stories out properly. This then moves to my next point.

What the hell was with the Jeffrey and Edmund storyline and are they still playing a game of cat and mouse in the one year jump. What was the point of this storyline again other than to keep Jeffrey away from Reva and Dinah away from Shayne. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Jeffrey or Reva fan but I did liked Dinah and Shayne. Plus didn't the scene with Shayne and Marina in the jump scream awkward.

The next thing I'm only gonna touch on briefly, the non Otalia kiss. Yes they should have kissed when everybody else was doing it but this is the thing that bugged me even more. Olivia was allowed to give Doris and Reva a platonic kiss on the cheek but two scenes of Olivia kissing Natalia on the cheek were cut. CBS and P&G have allowed Luke and Noah to kiss on As The World Turns (apparently there was a kissing ban but I won't comment on as I don't know the facts). So why wasn't Otalia allowed - something doesn't quite add up.

I don't know the full Guiding Light history or even past the last few years but it would have been great to see some of the historic characters coming back a little earlier and have more than a couple of minutes on the canvass.

I'm not normally a fan of soaps but this year I became a fan of this show. There was something different about this over the other US soaps that are currently airing. Maybe because it felt more like the soaps produced in the UK or maybe it was the build up of certain story lines and characters (loved Bill, Lizzie and Phillip). It was definitely a sad day for this historic soap and I felt it was fitting for the scene involving Reva and Josh did feature a lighthouse in the background.

So long and farewell. It's a good thing some episodes are online to relive.

The End of The Light

I just wanted to make a quick mention to the news that Guiding Light hasn't managed to find a new home and will definitely come to its broadcasting end on September 18th. It's hard to think of anything lasting over 70 years but this show has. I haven't grown up with it like other viewers have but over the past few months, this show has come to be a huge part of my television viewing.

I will never learn the full history of the show and some of that history is making appearances as the show counts down to its last broadcast.

People have complained about the "production model" which seems alien to me as I'm used to this way being prominent in British soaps. It gives it the realism that you can't get in a studio. Sometimes the outside can be a distraction, like flying aeroplanes but sometimes filming outside can help produce and enhance beautiful scenes.

I didn't get the chance to see the transition that the show had to make but having seen a couple months worth of episodes from 2005, I can say that I prefer how its being shot now.

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been a couple of things have made me wonder about where they were going with things like Who killed Edmund or whoever that body is and how does one kill with a baby stroller.

Saying that some story lines have shown the talents of people that I was never aware of until now - Kim Zimmer, Crystal Chappell, Jeff Branson, Robert Newman, Gina Tognoni, Jessica Leccia and Grant Aleksander. The only person that I knew of before watching Guiding Light was Daniel Cosgrove from his time on Beverly Hills 90210 and the film Van Wilder. What I do know is that I shall remember them and they might even make me watch other soaps, if they, like Crystal Chappell find another soap to work on.

A Daytime Emmy Performance for 2010

I'm not going to go too much into anything about the Daytime Emmy's as I'm no expert on it and this year will be the first time I shall have any interest in it. I do however want to talk about one nominee and that's EJ Bonilla. I have not seen that much of his work so I can't comment on his nomination for this year but I do want to throw him into the hat for a nomination for next year.

I would also throw in Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia for nominations too (not sure why they aren't this year though the former made the prenoms).

The whole Otalia storyline has brought out some brilliant performances but Bonilla's performance on Monday 15th recently had me enthralled. The way he played Rafe's reaction, to finding out his mother is in a relationship with a woman, stole this episode for me.



I'm sure his reaction is true to life and one of many ways the writers could have taken it. It's a real truth to what many people face everyday and Bonilla did a fine job in this episode, bringing that to light.

Keeping The Light

I am recent fan of Guiding Light. The first time I saw anything about it was when I walked past my mother watching a clip on YouTube regarding the Ava/Bill/Remy and baby Max story. I didn't really think about it much until a few months later I came across two interest clips, also on YouTube. One was Buzz and Alan fighting, leading up to them both having a heart attack and the other was the famous "Two Mommies" presentation. Both had me in complete stitches and I knew I had to watch more and I have been hooked every since.

Like every other network and lets be frank, most businesses, CBS has made some cuts and shows like Without A Trace and Guiding Light have been axed. There is no comparison to Guiding Light as its been broadcast for decades, but having watched both British and American soaps, whether once or for years, Guiding Light is the only one I'm watching and I'm excited to watch. In fact it has me more excited then some of the dramas or comedies out there.




I never realised how many people that I like or watch on things today have passed through GL, including the legend that is Joan Collins.

I will continue to watch it up till its run ends on CBS on Friday 18th September and I shall keep following if it gets picked up by another network; hoping they make it more accessible to international followers.