Guiding Light is Cancelled!

[Kira's Mom]

72 years? That's gonna be a really big complete series DVD box set!

Well, about 20 of those years were radio.

Wow. I can't believe GL is going off the air. Like PK said, it's an institution! It's like in airlines with Pan Am going out of business. The old guard falling.

My mom watched GL and As the World Turns during the two years she worked only part time. I'd watch with her when I was home from school.

 

[JonathonWally]

Not terribly surprising. I don't watch it, but from what I understand, it's been the lowest-rated daytime drama for awhile now.

Actually, all the daytime soap operas have lost significant viewership in the past few years -- it would appear that the genre was largely a 20th-century phenomenon. I'd imagine that with less stay-at-home wives and mothers in this day and age, the core, target audience just isn't around much during the airtime.

No...what went wrong with soaps is that they decided to aim their shows only at the teen-set. In the past, on my show GENERAL HOSPITAL for example, they would mix action and adventure...

now?? Its all gangsters and dark and dreary characters with absolutely no hope. Luke and Laura, and my name sake Robert Scorpio, brought fun and excitement to the genre. Now, when I happen to pass by General Hosptial, its like watching SORPANOS performed by a high-school acting class..

Rob

I hear ya, but I like Sonny and Jason, so I'm ok with it. I do like in the summers when Anna comes around though.

But you're right, it's not the same without Luke, Laura, Robert and Anna all going on adventures and getting in trouble.

 

[Warp Coil]

Somehow I got dragged into the ABC soaps for a point in high school. Never watched Guiding Light or the others on CBS. It's unfortunate that a series with such history is going away after 70+ years, but apparently the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Ratings across all of the daytime soaps are down significantly. There are fewer soaps on today then there were a few years ago. Guiding Light is currently the lowest-rated soap, so if one had to go, GL is it.

I'm honestly not surprised that the soap opera genre is fading. I admit to watching some of the ABC soaps in the late '90s (General Hospital, particularly). I remember getting really tired of the storylines stuck in neutral, wasted characters who never did anything useful, the endless talking and talking without much happening, the plots that were ridiculously contrived, made little sense, and went nowhere... If the writing was bad then, I can't imagine what these shows are like today.

 

[Aquehonga]

TV's losing a good source of eye-candy here In recent years Michelle Ray Johnson was their httest actress, followed by Mandy Bruno, who now has that honr, being MRJ left GL.

Nicole Forrester was another GL httie to vamoose. Their current Lizzie is another httie.

Speaking of that, despite Lizzie #2 being way hotter than Lizzie #1, I still think GL's PTB shamelessly canned Lizzie #1 to get Lizzie #2, for no other reason than she's more attractive. If so, that's really wrong & not . Shameless! Y'don't do that!

Anyway, I don't watch soaps for their long-haired high fallutin' craptacular stories. I watch them fr the wmen.

"Passions" had many now forgotten hotties. Lindsay Korman being "Passions"' Alpha hot girl.

GL could've been allowed to reach it's Silver 75th Year at least

 

[Daneel]

Is Corination Street the next longest? I still watch that one

Actually, I think the next-longest running soap is As The World Turns, but it apparently isn't doing that great in the ratings department either, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was also gone in the next year or so.

The only one I ever sometimes watch is The Young and the Restless (yeah, it's a guilty pleasure -- come on, we all have them), and considering it's been the top-rated daytime soap in America for the past two decades, I'm reasonably sure it's safe for a few years.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Somehow I got dragged into the ABC soaps for a point in high school. Never watched Guiding Light or the others on CBS. It's unfortunate that a series with such history is going away after 70+ years, but apparently the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Ratings across all of the daytime soaps are down significantly. There are fewer soaps on today then there were a few years ago. Guiding Light is currently the lowest-rated soap, so if one had to go, GL is it.

I'm honestly not surprised that the soap opera genre is fading. I admit to watching some of the ABC soaps in the late '90s (General Hospital, particularly). I remember getting really tired of the storylines stuck in neutral, wasted characters who never did anything useful, the endless talking and talking without much happening, the plots that were ridiculously contrived, made little sense, and went nowhere... If the writing was bad then, I can't imagine what these shows are like today.

Oh I so AGREE With you. General Hosptial just kept telling, and is still telling, the same stupid stories with Sonny--Carly--Jax and the other characters connected with them.

I'll take Robert Scorpio fighting aliens over that crap anyday of the week!!!

Rob

 

[Aragorn]

General Hospital has two MALE head writers who are in lust with their two main mobster characters. Smallville had the same issue with writers who thought Lana could do no wrong.

 

[RobertScorpio]

General Hospital has two MALE head writers who are in lust with their two main mobster characters. Smallville had the same issue with writers who thought Lana could do no wrong.

If I could hug you I would...YOU ARE SO RIGHT...Jason and Sonny are Gods and can not be touched...they have ran that show into the ground centering that show on them...and have tried their best to ruin Luke, and Robert...

But GH NIGHSHIFT's tribute to Robert was such a joy...don't know if you saw it...but he was in acoma and in his dreams they brought back Luke, and Sean Donnelly and Tif...it was like 1984 (aztec treasure) all over again...with anna and Robin as well...and Mac...great episode

Rob

 

[Aragorn]

I don't watch soaps anymore. They seem like a waste of time airing five times a week despite 75% of it being rehashes of what you've already seen. Plus soaps are the worst at casting so-called actors strictly for their looks, when many of them can't even read a cue card convincingly.

When Justus said Sonny gunning down Lorenzo was "entrapment" because the cops knew it was happening (never mind that Sonny was found not guilty because of his "moving speech"), that was enough for me. I'm not going to waste my time with a show that is all about praising the Muppet mobsters at the expense of other characters, with two male head writers who probably fantasize that they're every woman Sonny beds.

Sam have a daughter yet they can rapidly age so Sonny can sleep with the grandmother-daughter-granddaughter trifecta?

 

[RobertScorpio]

I don't watch soaps anymore. They seem like a waste of time airing five times a week despite 75% of it being rehashes of what you've already seen. Plus soaps are the worst at casting so-called actors strictly for their looks, when many of them can't even read a cue card convincingly.

When Justus said Sonny gunning down Lorenzo was "entrapment" because the cops knew it was happening (never mind that Sonny was found not guilty because of his "moving speech"), that was enough for me. I'm not going to waste my time with a show that is all about praising the Muppet mobsters at the expense of other characters, with two male head writers who probably fantasize that they're every woman Sonny beds.

Amen!!!
Rob

 

[carriefox]

I watched guiding Light for Five Years. Until my faverite character Gus died. I followed the actor to All my children. So i hope AMC isn't on the chopping block any time soon. But Its also badly written. The fans complain but it seems the TPTB don't listen. Its sad to see Guiding Light go. But Its still on until september. Maybe the fans can save it.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Somehow I got dragged into the ABC soaps for a point in high school. Never watched Guiding Light or the others on CBS. It's unfortunate that a series with such history is going away after 70+ years, but apparently the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Ratings across all of the daytime soaps are down significantly. There are fewer soaps on today then there were a few years ago. Guiding Light is currently the lowest-rated soap, so if one had to go, GL is it.

I'm honestly not surprised that the soap opera genre is fading. I admit to watching some of the ABC soaps in the late '90s (General Hospital, particularly). I remember getting really tired of the storylines stuck in neutral, wasted characters who never did anything useful, the endless talking and talking without much happening, the plots that were ridiculously contrived, made little sense, and went nowhere... If the writing was bad then, I can't imagine what these shows are like today.

Oh I so AGREE With you. General Hosptial just kept telling, and is still telling, the same stupid stories with Sonny--Carly--Jax and the other characters connected with them.

I'll take Robert Scorpio fighting aliens over that crap anyday of the week!!!

Rob

No, you fracking don't. That stuff and those plots were dumb as hell, and had NO BUSINESS ever being written or filmed-those were the nadir days of soaps, and they were deservedly got rid of a long time ago.

You want good soap operas? Look to England, with soaps like East Enders, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale (formerly Emmerdale Farm)-those are the real deal, about real people, real concerns, and real problems, mostly because the people are/were blue collar middle class people (farmers in Emmerdale's case),and not white collar middle class, or upper middle class people as seen in most of these American soaps. That's what the producers of General Hospital are probably aiming for storywise, but are missing the bull's eye with-they should take a look at the British soaps, and see how they do it, because last time I heard, the British ones are still going strong, with no cancellation in sight for them. It's all a matter of learning from others, which Americans only do when it suits them or when it makes a profit-or when it's bringing over cheap shit like reality shows.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Somehow I got dragged into the ABC soaps for a point in high school. Never watched Guiding Light or the others on CBS. It's unfortunate that a series with such history is going away after 70+ years, but apparently the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Ratings across all of the daytime soaps are down significantly. There are fewer soaps on today then there were a few years ago. Guiding Light is currently the lowest-rated soap, so if one had to go, GL is it.

I'm honestly not surprised that the soap opera genre is fading. I admit to watching some of the ABC soaps in the late '90s (General Hospital, particularly). I remember getting really tired of the storylines stuck in neutral, wasted characters who never did anything useful, the endless talking and talking without much happening, the plots that were ridiculously contrived, made little sense, and went nowhere... If the writing was bad then, I can't imagine what these shows are like today.

Oh I so AGREE With you. General Hosptial just kept telling, and is still telling, the same stupid stories with Sonny--Carly--Jax and the other characters connected with them.

I'll take Robert Scorpio fighting aliens over that crap anyday of the week!!!

Rob

No, you fracking don't. That stuff and those plots were dumb as hell, and had NO BUSINESS ever being written or filmed-those were the nadir days of soaps, and they were deservedly got rid of a long time ago.

You want good soap operas? Look to England, with soaps like East Enders, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale (formerly Emmerdale Farm)-those are the real deal, about real people, real concerns, and real problems, mostly because the people are/were blue collar middle class people (farmers in Emmerdale's case),and not white collar middle class, or upper middle class people as seen in most of these American soaps. That's what the producers of General Hospital are probably aiming for storywise, but are missing the bull's eye with-they should take a look at the British soaps, and see how they do it, because last time I heard, the British ones are still going strong, with no cancellation in sight for them. It's all a matter of learning from others, which Americans only do when it suits them or when it makes a profit-or when it's bringing over cheap shit like reality shows.

Umm...YES I fracking do what GH to go back to writing plots about terrorist and action packed stuff..thats why I watched that show...and, hate to tell you this, the ICE PRINCESS plot is still the highest rated storyline ever in the history of soaps...geee..i wonder why..because MEN WATCHED too..

Rob

 

[C.E. Evans]

I was never a dedicated soap opera watcher, but I did watch Guiding Light when I was a teenager for a few years back when Roger Thorpe was the big bad guy and more than half the cast was over 22. I actually started watching it again briefly last year when a new storyline caught my attention, but it eventually ended and so did my interest.

But CBS has been threatening to axe Guiding Light for at least the past ten years as far as I know. The demise of the show will probably lead to The Bold & The Beautiful being extended to a full hour--something that always been talked about--and local stations being given another half hour to program as they wish...

 

[HIj'Qa]

James Lipton, of Inside The Actor's Studio, worked as an actor on Guilding Light. Also wrote for the show for many years. I always wondered what the guy's credentials were.

 

[Vanyel]

I started watching soap operas when I was home up in bed after having cataract surgery. That was back in the early 80's, before micro laser surgery. Had it done in both eyes. Not at the same time, but one year apart. So for one moth during my Freshman and Sophomore school year (Woo Hoo!. Catholic school run by Brothers just couldn't hold me back for missing so much. But one of the Brothers and one Sister helped me catch up each time.). That's when I started watching soap operas. I watched All My Children at 11:00AM then As The World Turns at 1:00PM followed by Guiding Light. Lots of wonderful memories of these shows. Erica Kane, Dixie coming in and the whole small town origins of Palmer Cortland. There was James Stenbeck making Barbra's life hell (but she deserved it and still does), the gay guy who looked like a care bear, and the whole Lily/Dusty/Holden drama. Great stuff.

But what I'll remember most is the Sonni/Solita story line Guiding Light. That came out when I was in college. A friend of mine and I figured it out one night by going over the evidence over pizza and cokes. In fact when after Ensign Ro first came onto the 1701D I could only see her as the Sonni with multiple personalities.

I haven't seen All My Children or Guiding Light in years, except when Shayne Lewis was played by the very hot, and equally horrible actor Marty West. But I will still miss Reva, and Josh, Billy, the Bauer 4th of July Bar-B-Q, Harley, Alan, Alexandria, Phillip, Alan-Michael and all the others.

Oh well, All Good Things...