GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project

RIP Kahlil "IVNKPLNG" Lowry 05/26/1971 - 10/31/2008

2008-11-06T17:00:00.004-05:00

I would love to thank ALL of the wonderful people who have visited Kahlil's wonderful creation, who have made Kahlil's life so worth living in an extremely difficult time. I will never forgive myself for not being there for my little brother as a Big Brother should have been. But thank God for angels like yourselves. YOU are the only reason that Kahlil" IvnKplng" Lowry kept living and pushing to keep this difficult time in his life from eating him alive. I am so very sorry to you all for not being there. I will do everything possible to keep Kahlil's creation going.
Three very special women in Kahlil's life "Wendy, Jennifer and Angela" that helped with GLMEMORIES and helped Kahlil through his other challenges, I hope will help me to carry on his legacy with this site. Please do not lose interest in IVNKPLNG's dream. I will be posting a link to the Tribute Website for Kahlil. You will be able to see the very real and wonderful brother and human that I know and that I did not know.
I Will Love You and Miss You Forever Kahlil !!!
Hasson

IVNKPLNG Rest in Peace

2008-10-31T23:47:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry to say that my brother Kahlil Lowry who is "ClassicGL" and "Ivnkplng" was hit by a car and was killed 10/31/2008 at 1:00am. I will miss him dearly. He loved this board that he put together and all of the people he interacted with. Kahlil will be missed. Love his brother Hasson

Wedding Interruptus

2008-10-30T12:58:00.007-05:00

Today's clipset, Wedding Interruptus, focuses on the mishaps involving the the wedding of GL "supercouple" Tony Reardon and Annabelle Simms. It's taken from May of 1984 and the tribulations range from the Reardon family's interference in the preparartions to the couple's disagreement over where to spend the honeymoon to Nola going into labor right in the middle of the ceremony. It's a charming, but bittersweet look at the GUIDING LIGHT of this time.

It's charming because of the undeniably magnetic chemistry of the the Tony and Annabelle characters. These are unusual, but wholly relatable people that are easy and very rewarding for an audience to give into and the love story was told with such delicacy and care under the the pen of Pam Long and her co-head writer Richard Culliton. Tony and Annabelle's story was filled with the kind of angst, obstacles, and frustrated romance that keeps an audience rooting for their eventual union.

Their patience was rewarded in May of 1984 with a quirky, humorous, romantic ceremony filled with the swirling subplots that are the hallmark of all good soap weddings. One such subplot is the reason I used the word "bittersweet" earlier in this entry.

Several times, we see Bert Bauer complaining of leg pain throughout this clipset. What you may not know is that, by this time, (Bert's portrayer) Charita Bauer's leg had already been amputated stemming from complications due to a blood clot. It had happened around Thanksgiving of 1983 and Charita asked that the development be written into her character's storyline. What we see here in Wedding Interruptus is the beginnings of that storyline. Despite the joyous and lighthearted subject matter of this set , these Bert sections cast a long, dark shadow over the procedings for me.

According to soap-news.com, Bauer continued in the role of Bert until health problems forced her to leave the show on December 10, 1984. 1984 would also see the departures of the characters of Mike Bauer, Kelly Nelson, Hillary Bauer, as well as Peter Simon in the role of Ed Bauer (Simon would be replaced by Richard Van Vleet). This on the heels of the removal of the Hope Bauer character at the end of 1983 (as well as the removal of Culliton as Long's co-head writer), would lead to a radical shift in the tone and content of GUIDING LIGHT, resulting in the virtually unrecognizable mid-80's show that is lauded by so many as the "golden era" of GL. My disagreement on this matter obviously is without measure.

Despite the sad note of this entry, enjoy Wedding Interruptus--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip10

clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18 , clip 19 , clip 20

One of Charita Bauer's final performances in September, 1984 at Hillary's funeral

Fear No Evil--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 (clips 3 and 4 are of special interest)

Party Foul

2008-10-24T08:43:00.005-05:00

Mention the name "Marina Cooper" to most fans of GUIDING LIGHT and the response you'll get is likely to be fueled by the last four years of one botched, chemistry-free romance after another with characters like Danny, Alan-Michael, Cyrus, and, perhaps worst of all, her current pairing with Mallet. Current Marina portrayer Mandy Bruno has entered into an off-screen relationship with Rob Bogue who plays Mallet and the current powers-that-be at GL seem to feel that this real life development guarantees the success of an onscreen Marina/Mallet coupling. Alas, it does not-- quite the opposite in fact, considering the fact that the Dinah/Mallet union is one of the most beloved romances that the show still has at its disposal. As a result, the Marina character's popularity is at an all-time low-- and that's really saying something taking into account the disastrous turns the show has taken with this character even before Mandy Bruno assumed the role in 2004.

It's easy to forget that Marina used to be wildly popular in 2002 and 2003 when played by Aubrey Dollar. Dollar's Marina was an audacious spitfire who remained sympathetic and vulnerable while causing trouble and cracking wise. The smartmouthed vixen who initially (and falsely) accused Gus of rape eventually won viewers' hearts through her starcrossed romance with older rich boy Ben Reade and her school girl idolatry of Olivia Spencer.

This delightful success of a character (and her Ben romance) were carefully crafted and shepherded, first by "Lucky" Gold and then by Millee Taggert and Carolyn Culliton. However, by the beginning of 2004, the infamous "WesCon" era of the show (with headwriter Ellen Weston and Executive Producer John Conboy) was in full swing, Ben was dead, and Marina was in a soap opera standard "youngster" relationship with Shayne Lewis and at the center of the convoluted and unpopular MaryAnne Carruthers mystery (a story that I actually enjoyed at the time, but that was before I became a student of GL history)-- and by March of that year, Dollar had departed the role that had, at one time, been such a joy for so many. While it might be easy to blame Mandy Bruno for Marina's current unlikability, the character was ruined even before Dollar left the show.

Today's clipset is called Party Foul. It's from the end of January of 2002 and it features a "Welcome Home" party for Marina thrown by Frank and Eleni, who learn, to their horror, that their daughter has actually been skulking around Springfield for weeks. The party guests have their own dramas going on, as this is right after Blake has discovered Ross' indiscretion with Tory, Phillip has discovered that "Lorelei" has been "impersonating" presumed-dead Beth, and Rick realizes that his bride-to-be Harley is in love with Gus. Marina's secret is blown by a loose-lipped Shayne, played here by future indie film star Billy Kay. It's a nice look at what made Dollar so special in the role and a nice reminder of Shayne and Eleni, two characters that are on their way back to Springfield as we speak.

Enjoy Party Foul---

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9

To the Limit

2008-10-16T09:51:00.013-05:00

It's mega-clipset time again, kids! Today GLMP presents a whopping 45 clips from August and September of 1998 that detail the swirling mystery surrounding the strange goings-on as the mothers of Springfield become the targets of nursery rhyme-themed acts of terrorism.

We're all aware that this storyline culminates in the regrettable and unforgivable choice to cast Holly as a mass kidnapper at the beginning of 1999 (as detailed in the Parent Trap blog entry), but what's interesting to realize is that the beginning of this storyline wasn't half bad. Obviously and unfortunately, it bears a lot of the hallmarks of the Esensten/Harmon-Brown hamfisted school of soap-writing, with characters like Beth presented as a mustache-twirling villainess most of the time for trying to assert her rights as a mother and Phillip and Harley congratulating themselves on what wonderful people they are while perpetrating one despicable act after another.

It's important to look past that in order to enjoy this clipset which boasts a lot of other really fine qualities, chief among which is a brilliantly effective performance from Maureen Garrett. Garrett's portrayal of vulnerable, fragile Holly, freshly abandoned by both Roger and Fletcher (who also absconded with her infant daughter), as she deals not only with her own anguish, but also with the increasingly boneheaded choices of daughter Blake (who, in this clipset, comes off as a screechy, needy user and tramp, but that's Esensten and Harmon-Brown for you) is truly a wonder to behold. Bear in mind that, at this time, Garrett had no idea how horribly wrong this story would go for her. She had this to say to Soap Opera Digest after the fact in 2000:

"This 'Nursery Rhyme Killer' story started, and we were all wondering who it was," Garrett laughs. "It never occurred to me that it might be me. Then, a couple of weeks before the reveal, I started hearing rumors that it was me! So I went down and said, 'Are the rumors true?' 'Yes, they are.' The actress was stunned. "It felt very unfair because as an actor, you want a chance to develop something like that, something so extreme. It's difficult with warning, but with no warning, it's worse."

So these scenes that you see playing out in To the Limit are not Garrett "playing crazy." This is still the real deal Holly: flawed, neurotic, beleaguered, not the psychopath she was forced to portray mere months later.

Another interesting feature of this set is the last days of the lovely Karen Williams in the role of Vicky Spaulding. Vicky disappears in the middle of this set and would not reappear for another month and a half played by Victoria G. Platt, the person most associated with the role and who would play Vicky until the the character's next abrupt (and permanent) disappearance from the show in 2001. For my part, I think Williams was pretty good in the role, certainly no worse than Platt and with a lot more appealing screen presence.

Other notable aspects to these clips include the presence of Mick Santos as Ben and Blake's blackmailer. People forget that Mick was the only Santos on the show for quite some time. Also, Signy Coleman's casting as Annie was, I believe, still a secret at this point. If memory serves, I think the viewing audience still assumed that "Teri" was a new character.

Additionally, the odd return of Ken Norris, played by Roger Newman, as a red herring in the stalker mystery seemed very arbitrary to me at the time these episodes initially aired, but knowing what I now do about the history of the show, I'm fascinated by the character. To make a long story short, Ken (who was a main character on the show from 1970 to 1975) married Ed Bauer's mistress, Janet, but couldn't overcome his jealousy of Ed (or Roger, whom he also thought Janet was sleeping with). As his mental state deteriorated, he plotted Ed's murder. He was finally taken away to an asylum after shooting Ed in the chest. The Ken character was swept off the canvas in the mid-70's during Jerome and Bridget Dobson's housecleaning era to "modernize" GUIDING LIGHT, a time that also saw the departures of Leslie Bauer, Joe Werner, Peggy Fletcher, and Tim Ryan (Jordan Clarke's original GL role). A more detailed history of Ken can be found in his SoapCentral profile.

Finally, if these 45 clips aren't quite enough of the story for you, you can see how Blake's passion for Ben led to the situation where Ross shot her and put her in that wheelchair in Loaded Gun, which occurs before To the Limit.
To see what happens afterward when Phillip and Harley finally get married, Alexandra meets Vicky, Annie takes control of Josh, and Holly's growing hysteria indirectly causes Jenna's death take a look at Forsaking All Others. And, of course, for the climax of Holly's kidnapping of all the children, Parent Trap is your destination.

And at long last, enjoy To the Limit---

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9

clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21 , clip 22 , clip 23 , clip 24 , clip 25 , clip 26 , clip 27

clip 28 , clip 29 , clip 30 , clip 31 , clip 32 , clip 33 , clip 34 , clip 35 , clip 36

clip 37 , clip 38 , clip 39 , clip 40 , clip 41 , clip 42 , clip 43 , clip 44 , clip 45

A Terrible Thing to Waste

2008-10-08T10:45:00.013-05:00

One of the most popular couples in the history of GUIDING LIGHT consisted of Tony Reardon and Annabelle Simms. I've been remiss in not presenting more of them as part of this project. I guess part of that is due to the difficulty I've had in really keying into this period in GL's history.

It's easy to see why audiences warmed so to this couple. Tony is the quintessential rugged, working class, alpha male with a heart of gold-- a soap staple that's often attempted but rarely rings quite true. Greg Beecroft is literally perfect in this role hitting all the right notes with Tony's outer bravado and inner depth. Soap royalty Harley Jane Kozak (most famous as doomed Mary Capwell on SANTA BARBARA) is beautifully natural as sensitive, intelligent, no-nonsense Annabelle.

Today's clipset, A Terrible Thing to Waste, finds us at the beginning of 1984 as Tony and Annabelle prepare for their wedding and contend with troublemaking new acquaintance Lujack (a character I don't think I will ever enjoy, but whose raw sexual magnetism made him a star of this era). Complicating matters is Tony's sudden health crisis, a result of a fall taken during their famous Lake Elizabeth adventure.

This is a very simple set of clips highlighting Tony's pride and fear as well as the deep friendship between him and Floyd Parker. The story is a fairly common one as one romantic partner struggles to protect the other from having to deal with a life-threatening illness, but the deft pen of Richard Culliton (one of my favorite soap writers and the last person that knew how to write ALL MY CHILDREN)) and Pam Long (before she set about destroying GL) and through the talents of these fine actors, the story feels fresh and vital.

Also, keep your eyes peeled during clip 10 for a look at controversial soap scribe Megan McTavish as Lola Fontaine.

Enjoy A Terrible Thing to Waste--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7

clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13

For a look at what happens when Annabelle finds out about Tony's condition, view these previously posted clips from the set Masquerade.

clip 2 , clip 4 , clip 6 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 16 , clip 19

Benefit of the Doubt

2008-09-30T07:13:00.009-05:00

Almost two years ago, when I first began this blog, I posted a set of clips called Outstanding Citizen. Since then, I've been literally deluged with requests to continue where that set left off, so anxious were people to learn what happened after Roger coerced Gilly into humiliating H.B. Lewis at the banquet in his honor. Today, I'm able to honor those requests and present Benefit of the Doubt. As with Outstanding Citizen, the primary players are Roger, Gilly, and H.B. as they spin out from the confrontation at the banquet that leaves most of Springfield thunderstruck. Another prominent throughline is the crumbling of Buzz Cooper's "Rex Mancini" identity as Mallet begins to put the pieces together (and try not to be creeped out by the fact that the baby in Eleni's womb will eventually become Mallet's lover!)

I've said quite a bit about what a strong show GUIDING LIGHT was during this period. This was the height (or nearly so) of all the enthusiastic press the GL was receiving around this time. The show was a critical darling at this time and it's easy to see why: seemlessly interconnected plots, a mind-blowingly agile cast, and deft, spakling dialogue that made you think (I nearly swooned with pleasure when Holly makes a snarky comment about Jenna's move to the Spaulding mansion-- in Latin!! LOL!) This was not a show for dummies or for quick-fix junkies waiting for an evil twin to return from the dead and bury someone alive. This was a beautifully written, tenderly (but pasionately) acted example of the height of the soap opera form.

I absolutely can't go without mentioning that this is also a textbook display of how to incorporate black characters into a daytime drama (which, not for nothing, shouldn't be the mind-boggler that it apparently is!). Absent is the self-consciously "urban" dialogue and passionless, islanded love stories. These characters matter to the canvas as a whole. Their actions have consequences and they are affected by the lives of those around them. Remember around 2000 when David, Vicky, and Ruth all disappeared? No goodbye, no exit storyline, no explanation (at least not until much, much later-- and none at all in Ruth's case). That couldn't happen during the period covered here because Gilly, Hamp, David, and Kat mattered to GUIDING LIGHT in an organic way as opposed to being inserted in some vulgar, incompetant gesture of tokenism. I see the show trying to accomplish the same thing now with the Boudreau family (an attempt to correct the many, many mistakes made during their awful 2001 introduction), but while the effort has been somewhat successful, they have a long way to go before they reach the mojo of the Grant/Speakes family.

This is a truly satisfying clipset and it features big moments and luxurious looks at just about every cast member from mid-1993, not the least of which is the charismatic and underrated Jean Carol as Nadine (one of my all-time favorites). Here, Nadine must cope with her deadbeat ex-husband (Buzz, played by Justin Deas sporting a bafflingly laughable "New Yawk" accent that Michael Zaslow openly mocks in one scene! LOL!) whose return has resulted in her in her being indirectly resposible for the shame of her beloved father-in-law, H.B.

There are so many plots swirling around in these clips, I can't possibly describe them all, so I will just say that you will not be sorry you watched this clipset. It's GUIDING LIGHT at one of the very best periods in its history (with the exception of the painfully lifeless Ann Hamilton as Mindy).

Enjoy, Benefit of the Doubt--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

Full Circle

2008-09-24T07:31:00.004-05:00

I decided to put this entry's set up because I was (and remain) a huge champion of Lloyd "Lucky" Gold's time as headwriter of GUIDING LIGHT. Full Circle is taken from early June of 2002 and focuses on the third wedding of Josh and Reva. It features a flood of returning characters (Trish, Mindy, Rusty, Dylan, Vanessa, Hawk) and an event that showcases the entire cast (with the exception of Lillian and the Bauers who are all dealing with Rick's failing heart, as can be seen in the clipset entitled The Heart of the Matter). This large event features criss-crossing storylines and all the cast interaction you could possibly want-- and which we modern-day viewers of the current cash-strapped show so miss.

This was a time when Tory Granger was making life hell for Blake and Ross, Bill returned to town for the wedding and realized the Beth looked mighty familiar to him, Harley was fighting Phillip to be with Gus, Marah was embracing a life with Tony, and poor doomed Richard was inching ever closer to his fatal car accident. All of these stories are featured here, but the focus is obviously Reva and Josh (which, if you've ever watched GUIDING LIGHT, you know means "a whole lotta Reva with snippets of Josh") and their elaborate, yet somehow simple and warm, wedding ceremony.

This is a wonderful, strong, vital GUIDING LIGHT-- one which I really adored and which I pray that Gold is able to hearken back to now that he is part of the current headwriting team.

It's interesting to note though that this wonderful, diverse event would not have taken place if Kim Zimmer had been in charge.

From Soap Opera Weekly:

Zimmer confides she "was very nervous. Robert and I had

gone in awhile ago and pitched to have it just be family and a

justice of the peace at Cross Creek. Of course, when the

scripts started coming in and it turned into [something bigger],

I was a little... It didn't fit well."

Obviously, I disagree completely. I think this is a beautiful example of a soap wedding and it's a testament to that fact that I can enjoy this event even though I'm not a fan of this couple or the Reva character. Since this was contract time, Zimmer followed this (in the same article) with a threat to leave if her coming story wasn't adequately beefy, so I guess viewers were given a wedding event that the entire viewership could enjoy and Zimmer got her beefy story with killing Richard without Cassie's consent.

Enjoy Full Circle--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21

If you like, you can take a look at Vanessa's visit with Ed right before the party that opens Full Circle. It's a mini-set that I posted a couple of years ago called Long Lost.

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3

Love and Anger

2008-09-15T08:22:00.013-05:00

1960's GUIDING LIGHT is a tough nut to crack-- not because it isn't good. It's actually quite good. It's just that it's so far removed from everything most of us have experienced as GL viewers, that (with exception of Bert, Ed, and a few others) it seems like a completely different show.

I'm lucky in that I've been immersed in the history of the show for several years now. Even before I started this video preservation project, I voraciously consumed all the printed material I could find about the history of GUIDING LIGHT. Consequently, I know that when we see Robin (Meta's step granddaughter, played by Gillian Spencer, best known as ALL MY CHILDREN's Daisy) falling further apart over her miscarriage, that she is on a slippery slope toward her eventual suicide. (Bizarrely, Bauer girls were killing themselves left and right in the 1960's. Julie Bauer had committed suicide just a few years prior.) I know that the tumultuous marriage of Maggie and Ben and its effects on Peggy are especially resonant since both parents would also be dead within a couple of years.

Luckily, this clipset is very enjoyable even without an encyclopedic, obsessive knowledge of GL lore. That's due to the exqusite writing of soap legend Agnes Nixon (at the tail end of her GL tenure) and the amazing cast. The set is called Love and Anger and it comes from mid-1966. It actually falls squarely in the middle of a previous set, Shadows of the Past.

As of this set, I've added a new favorite to my stable of preferred GL characters: Maggie Scott. Played by Broadway veteran June Graham, Peggy's mother Maggie is a real force to be reckoned with and absolutely fascinating to watch. I find myself extremely interested in the story of independant, fiery Maggie recovering from her disastrous affair with Bill Bauer and coping with her forced bond with emotionally abusive, controlling husband Ben. Maggie delivers a hilariously classic line when, in response to Ben asking "Where are you going?," she snipes, "The only place where I don't have to see you. My room!"

Of course, the Bauers are front and center in these clips. Prominent stories include Bert and Papa attempting to clean up Bill's many, many messes (Wow, I do not like Bill Bauer!) and Ed navigating hospital politics and struggling to return Leslie Jackson's affections. Speaking of Leslie, Lynne Adams is just wonderful in these clips and now I really understand why the character became such an important part of GL and why Adams became soap royalty. Less effective is the teen romance of Peggy and Johnny, but that's mostly because of Don Scardino's grating munchkin voice. It's easy to see why he was replaced a year later.

Also of note here is the appearance of Mr. Billy Dee Williams as the first Jim Frazier. It's neat to see him so young and especially ironic, considering his recent return to soaps in GH: NIGHT SHIFT.

I urge readers of this blog who may be put off by "old time-y" black-and-white television or the grainy images to give this a try. It's wonderful soap opera and hugely entertaining. For a little context, this set falls between clips 24 and 25 of Shadows of the Past

Enjoy Love and Anger--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7
clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14

The Cost of Silence

2008-09-07T09:11:00.016-05:00

As I struggled to come up with an "angle" for this blog entry, I thought about the reasons why I love the 1979-82 time period of GUIDING LIGHT so much. I wasn't a viewer during that time, having only discovered my great love for it in the (nearly) two and a half years of managing this Project.

I remember the day I actually got this GL. I was watching the scenes of the party that Jennifer threw the night before Kelly and Morgan's wedding (which can be seen in the You Needed Me blog entry). I remarked in that entry that I finally understood the simplicity and sincerity of this era while viewing those clips. And "sincerity" is the perfect word to describe the soap opera form of this time period. These people mean it-- the actors, the characters, the writers. They mean what they're saying and there's a genuine attempt to really give these characters life.

Completely absent is the wry cynicism of modern day soap opera. Would the soap form have survived to 2008 had it retained this unapologetic sincerity? Was GENERAL HOSPITAL's Gloria Monty right to take the form and wrap it in adventure and lipstick? History would seem to answer "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second, but I'm not so sure the answers are that easy.

Daytime is in trouble now as 2008 winds down to it's final months. The top rated show, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, has a rating of of 3.7-- and that's for a strong week where that show posted gains. Everyone has their own pet reasons why soap opera is in freefall (and the entire genre most certainly is in freefall!), but I can't help but wonder-- Did daytime carve out its own heart long before we commonly think it did? Did we trade in a soap opera form with genuine value for Luke and Laura on the cover of Newsweek?

In general, GUIDING LIGHT has not fallen quite as far (or as continuously) down this rabbit hole, the first half of the 1990's being a notable hearkening to a more sincere style, but even GL has been irrevocably affected by what occurred in daytime in the 1980's. It's a different game now and I'm just not sure it's a game that can be won.

Today's clipset is called The Cost of Silence and it comes from April of 1979, as Springfield prepares for Roger's trial for the rape of Holly. A focal character is Rita Bauer (the always luminous Lenore Kasdorf), who struggles with the knowledge that her own rape by Roger is information that would help Holly's case immeasurably. Her anguish over whether or not to come forward is part of what drives this sequence, as is Roger's blackmail of Alan Spaulding.

This set of clips is filled to bursting with stellar performances by each and every actor-- not just the "leads," but also Charita Bauer as Bert, powerhouse Barbara Berjer as Barbara, and Marsha Clark as Hillary, among others. The writing by Jerome and Bridget Dobson is pitch perfect. It's exciting, heart-tugging, natural, and of course, it is sincere.

It should be noted that this set falls in the middle of Certain Rights (which can be viewed in the blog entry for The Usual Suspects). These episodes come between clips 13 and 14 of Certain Rights, so if you want to know what happens next after The Cost of Silence, then jump to clip 14 of Certain Rights.

Enjoy The Cost of Silence--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

Buried

2008-08-30T11:13:00.009-05:00

Today's clipset is called Buried and it comes from the early part of 1985, while Reva is still married to H.B. The set is actually just one full episode, February 12, 1985, and it's very accurate taste of GL during this period, complete with the requisite "Cavalcade of Regional Dialects" in every scene. H.B., Reva, and Lewises are just as southern as southern can be while Lujack sounds like he wandered away from the set of WELCOME BACK, KOTTER.

Aside from that, the drama here is very effective as Reva deals with losing her and H.B.'s baby after being run over by a drugged-out Vanessa. There are other storylines visited too as Lujack and Beth plan to over come the Spauldings (He's got a plan, man!) and Fletcher and Claire journey to Beirut to examine Fletcher's past (On a side note, with apologies his fans, I have never been able to get past Jay Hammer's self-consciously "actor-y" portrayal of Fletcher. It just doesn't ring true to me. Just my opinion.)

The really striking thing about this episode for me is the sad, sad state of the Katie character. It's so disappointing for me to witness how the brilliant, vivacious Denise Pence was squandered as Katie languished as barely more than an extra (albeit an extra in the sleekest, most flattering nurses' unform I've ever seen! LOL!) during her last months on the show. It's frustrating to see her reduced to bit player status this way as the glam/adventure wave swept over this once achingly human show.

As many know, I tend not to be a huge fan of this period. Headwriter Pam Long really hacked away at what the show had been for its entire life (most notably ditching most of the Bauers, including Mike, Hillary, and Kelly), transforming GL into something completely different and, to my mind, not in keeping with the show's historical tone. Having said that, these years are considered by quite a few to be the best in the show's history. I may not agree, but what went on then is, in essence, not so different from what's happening now. It might not be meeting the public's taste in quite the same way, but the effect on the show is about the same. Just something to think about.

Meanwhile, enjoy Buried--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9

Note: parts 2 and 5 were posted two years ago as a two-part set, also under the title Buried.

Never Happier

2008-08-17T20:05:00.010-05:00

1994 was a very special year in my GUIDING LIGHT history. It was my first full year as a viewer of the show, having begun watching in November of 1993. My memories of this time period are almost uniformly fond ones. The show was riding high on a crest of artistic success and recognition which began earlier in the decade and which (after a time) drew me to the show. I kept reading in the soap press about how amazing GUIDING LIGHT was, but I was exclusively an ABC boy (since the cancellation of my NBC soaps, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW and SANTA BARBARA) and unwilling to step across the aisle to try another network. As I've said before it was the casting of two stars from SB, Marj Dusay and Marcy Walker, that finally got me to "turn on the Light." As I've also said before, it was the enormous wealth of talented actors and the gripping storylines that got me to stay.

The clipset, I present today, Never Happier, is taken from June of 1994 and features the wedding of Blake and Ross. These clips are chock full of the faces that drew me into GUIDING LIGHT: Hilary Edson as "Eve Guthrie", Amelia Marshall as "Gilly Grant", Jean Carol as "Nadine Cooper" and many, many more. The primary players are (of course) Ross and Blake, but there is also much focus given to Roger and Holly, Ed and Michelle (played by the best child actor GL has ever seen, Rachel Miner), Jenna and Buzz, and the surprise return of Roger's father, Adam Thorpe (in the person of 70's GL stalwart Robert Milli).

Even as someone who was never that big a fan of the Ross/Blake couple, the wedding itself is actually very moving and all the cast interaction before and after is great fun and quite involving. There's lots of Alexandra and Tangie (the woefully misused Marcy Walker-- but y'know what? Her casting was the final straw that got me to watch GL, so she served a purpose even if Tangie fizzled.)and there's also a great look at one my favorite characters ever on this show: Detective Patrick Cutter, played by the dashing Scott Hoxby. I loved him with Tangie. I loved him with Jenna. I even eventually loved him with Marion Crane (but, alas, that final coupling proved to be his undoing). Hoxby's face in these clips brings me back so vividly to my early days with GL.

I really don't have a lot more to say about this clipset and I apologize for the lack of in-depth dramaturgical analysis. I just got so lost in nostalgia watching it. This is my original GUIDING LIGHT.

One tidbit that is interesting is that the show, at this time, had a large team of head writers, just as it does now. All the naysayers who go on about how such a situation is inherently bad in 2008 need only take a look at the lovely soap opera created by Stephen Demorest, Patrick Mulcahey, Nancy Williams Watt, Millee Taggert, and Sheri Anderson from 1993 to 1995. Five head writers seems extreme, but they put on a helluva show!

And so, enjoy Never Happier---

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clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17

The Harder They Fall

2008-08-06T08:29:00.008-05:00

I'm back! My apologies for the prolonged absence, but life can be a strange and terrible thing and it sometimes prevents us from focusing on the things we love most. Rest assured the GLMP is back on track and I've got lots of great goodies coming up for those of you still on board! Now, on with the show!

Beth Raines is a very unlucky woman. Even by the alarmingly harrowing standards of beleaguered soap heroines, Beth Raines is an extremely unlucky woman-- like, Lily Snyder (ATWT) or Viki Lord (OLTL) unlucky! In 2001, following the death of Beth's husband Jim, Beth decided to take charge and start being a more driven, take-no-mess kind of lady. It goes without saying that this ended badly. :(

Beth was folded into the pre-existing San Cristobel storyline via a surprisingly effective and involving romance with Edmund Winslow, "evil" brother to "heroic" Prince Richard. Played by the tremendously magnetic and talented David Andrew MacDonald, Edmund became the kind of "villain" that elicited equal parts sympathy and fury from viewers and characters alike, much like classic GL scoundrel Roger Thorpe. As Beth begins to fall prey to Edmund's horrific actions, an interesting dynamic begins to emerge that very successfully recalls the tortured push-pull-love-hate struggle of quintessential GL "super couple" Roger and Holly.

In the press and in fan circles, we hear so little about the work of Beth Chamberlin and that fact never ceases to amaze me. Chamberlin is passionately, brilliantly believable as a woman who thinks she's finally found the strength she's lacked all her life only to have the entire thing collapse around her. The chemistry (apologies for employing that overused, ill-defined term) between Chamberlin and MacDonald is literally breathtaking, especially in the searing hospital scenes in clips 34 through 36.

What's less effective (especially in hindsight) is the royal intrigue storyline with Dax and the control the monarchy of San Cristobel. This mileu was created by the (in my not-that-humble opinion) worst head writing team in the history of the show Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown in 1999 and inherited by subsequent writers after they left. This clipset occurs at the tail end of Claire Labine's term as head writer in late June/early July of 2001, after the Richard/Cassie pairing had achieved considerable popularity. Labine wisely highlights the love story of Richard and Cassie and the gothic brother relationship of Edmund and Richard, but the political machinations of San Cristobel and the (frankly laughable) scenes of Phillip and Noah in combat fatigues, holed up in bunkers, and leading troops through the forest to storm the palace(!) do not age well at all. Having said that, the central event (which yields the title of this clipset) with Beth falling from the tower as Edmund and Phillip watch helplessly is very exciting.

This clipset is a great look at a time in GL's history which feels strangely distant to us now even though it was only seven years ago. I think part of this is because "the San Cristobel era" was relatively short and was abandoned so completely afterward due to a very understandable viewer backlash.

The Harder They Fall provides a great look at the Beth/Edmund (one of the most underrated romances in soap history) and Edmund/Richard relationships as well as some very touching Richard/Cassie moments. The San Cristobel intrigue sections are interesting as well, even if only in a time capsule, "classic misstep" kind of way and they provide a nice glimpse of soap legend Thom Christopher's time on the show as Colonel Dax. For those who don't know, Christopher is best known for his work on ONE LIFE TO LIVE as Carlo Hesser, one of that show's premier villains.

And so, enjoy The Harder They Fall.

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clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12
clip 13, clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18
clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21 , clip 22 , clip 23 , clip 24
clip 25 , clip 26 , clip 27 , clip 28 , clip 29 , clip 30
clip 31 , clip 32 , clip 33 , clip 34 , clip 35 , clip 36
clip 37 , clip 38

It should be noted that this clipset immediately follow the events of The Head That Wears the Crown which features Edmund's coronation and his wedding to Beth.

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7

I'll see you all here very soon for more goodness from the rich history of GUIDING LIGHT!!

take care,
---ivnkplng

The Storm After

2008-03-07T12:38:00.011-05:00

A funny thing happened as I was putting up this clipset. I actually started to enjoy it. As some of you may know, I am not a great lover of mid-80's GUIDING LIGHT. Considered by many to be the "golden age" of the show, I tend to find it severely overblown, stilted, and too derivitive of the glitzy primetime entertainments that were so successful at the time, like DALLAS and DYNASTY. Those aspects of this time period are very evident as this clipset begins, but a sincerity begins to peek through as it goes on that I had perhaps not really appreciated before.

The Storm After is taken from November of 1985. It's 24 clips that present the vast majority of three consecutive episodes that immediately follow the shootout at Mindy and Kurt's wedding and reception, which can be seen in From Here to Infinity. It begins with Mindy and Billy being hauled into jail and moves through Maureen's decision to allow Ed to operate on a critically injured Maeve and also provides a good look at Reva's struggle to deal with Kyle's lingering feelings for Maeve-- a task made all the more difficult because of Miss Sally, who takes no small pleasure in throwing those feelings in Reva's face. We also see the beginnings of the India/Simon romance toward the end of the set as well as some truly moving work from Frances Fisher as Suzette and the always delightful Mary Kay Adams as India.

Having said all that, by way of demonstrating one of the things I really dislike about this period, I propose a drinking game to be played while watching the first nine clips of this set. Take a drink every time H.B., Billy, or Kurt calls somebody "darlin'" or Lujack calls somebody "man."
Darlin', I have no doubt that you will be trashed by the end of Clip 9-- because they say it a lot, man!

Finally, I'd like to let everyone know that we will be coming back to the storylines in this set every couple of months or so with several consecutive and mostly complete episodes. We'll pick up right where this set leaves off sometime in the Spring.

Enjoy The Storm After--

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clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12
clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18
clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21 , clip 22 , clip 23 , clip 24

Falling Down

2008-02-26T12:59:00.007-05:00

So, I had intended to go back to the mid-80's this week for Tony and Annabelle's wedding or perhaps cover Gilly and Hamp's 1992 wedding to cap off Black History Month, but as I was going through our video files, nothing pleased me. I even looked at some other material and I just could not get excited. Days went by and, for various reasons (some personal and some relating to the travails of the GL online community), I had lost my lust for this project.

I knew I just need a jolt and I knew there was one source I could count on to get that spark of life: Beth Chamberlin. My love for Beth Chamberlin and the character of Beth is well-documented, so I won't go into more detail about my feelings there, except to say that I feel refreshed and ready to tackle any of life's challenges head-on ("Head On! Apply Beth directly to the Project!")

Falling Down finds us at the very beginning of 1998, mid-January to be exact, shortly after Severance and right before Alan & Annie's wedding. The title of this clipset is, in part, a direct reference to the danger in which young Lizzie (played by a brand-spanking-new Hayden Panettiere) finds herself as she reacts to the tumult caused by Phillip's relationship with Harley and seeming abandonment of Beth.

This is typical Esensten and Harmon-Brown scripting with Harley presented (on the surface at least) as impossibly good and noble and heroic and Beth presented (again, on paper only) as impossibly evil and calculating and needy. Such paper-thin, two-dimensional rivalries were the staple of Esensten and Harmon-Brown's reign as headwriters: think Reva vs. Annie, Jenna vs. Nola, Cassie vs. Dinah. In each case one character commits despicable acts and is considered "bad" and the other does the same kinds of things (or worse!) and is inexplicably meant to be thought of as a "heroine."

That frustrating aspect aside, there's lots to enjoy about Falling Down, not the least of which is a glimpse of the early star quality of HEROES star Hayden Panettiere as adorable, put-upon Lizzie. Especially effective are the scenes where Super-Harley rescues Lizzie from the well in which she finds herself and the Harley/Beth confrontation toward the end of the clipset. These clips also feature Alan, Buzz, Eleni (Jennifer Roszell, not Melina Kanakaredes), Jenna, and the always delightful Cynthia Watros as Annie.

Enjoy Falling Down--

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clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

Full Deck

2008-02-13T13:30:00.005-05:00

Various recent writing/production teams, in their efforts to come up with sensationalistic stories to boost GUIDING LIGHT's ratings, have made changes in some longstanding relationships between the characters on the show. Some of the time, this has made for great drama, but more often it has left fans scratching their heads and severely and permanently damaged important characters on the show. Examples of this kind of thing would include Holly kidnapping all the children of Springfield, Edmund stealing Michelle's baby and leaving her to die, and Phillip kidnapping half the children of Springfield. Also, eligible for inclusion on this list is about 90% of what's been done with the character of Alexandra since her 2002 return.

Full Deck finds us in the early part of 2003, about three months after Joan Collins' abrupt departure from the role and Marj Dusay's return. For my part, while I love Collins for who she is, I'm not sure I would say that she was ever a great fit for Alexandra. Dusay, as expected is in fine form as she plays out the regrettably outrageous story of Alexandra drugging Alan into an ever-intensifying state of dementia. Olivia also factors into the story quite heavily, roped in by Alexandra as part of a plan to get Phillip back into the family.

This clipset is also of note because of the way it gives little glimpses of other stories that were going on during the Conboy/Weston era. We get a look at the beginnings of Edmund/Cassie, a brief foray into the aftermath of Harley's shooting and Gus learning that he is a Spaulding. Also, this is another look at HEROES star Sendhil Ramamurthy's time on GL as Alexandra's aide Lloyd.

Enjoy Full Deck--

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clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

For a little back story, take a look at the Phillip's Ex-Wives Club clipset from the end of 2002. It features Joan Collins as Alexandra and deals with Alan and Alexandra's ramped up war for control of Spaulding.

In the Balance

2008-02-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

In Christopher Schemering's book, GUIDING LIGHT: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (1987, Ballantine Books), Agnes Nixon is quoted thusly: "When I was writing Bert, I tried to make her Everywoman in the sense that every woman could see a part of herself in Bert. Now Bert sometimes went overboard in butting into her children's lives, but she always meant well. Papa Bauer used to say, 'Bertha, liebling, you shouldn't get involved, you should leave them alone.' People didn't dislike her. The audiences wrote in letters, 'God, Bert, why don't you leave it alone?' So when women watched Bert, they might have said to themselves, 'there but for the grace of God go I.'"

Charita Bauer, who played Bert has been cited many times as having been the most satisfied during Nixon's term (1958-1966) as headwriter at THE GUIDING LIGHT and it's very easy to see why. In the Balance is comprised of just one fifteen-minute episode from September 20, 1963, but even in just these brief minutes, the raw, immediate quality of Nixon's writing is strikingly evident. This episode focuses on the difficult birth of a child who would become known as Hope Bauer (a front burner heroine of the show in the 70's and early 80's) and all of the trauma surrounding it.

In three riveting scenes, three separate sets of characters experience the event: Bert, Meta, and Papa Bauer at the Bauer home, Mike Bauer and George Hayes in the hospital waiting room, and finally Bruce Banning (Meta's husband), as he executes the precariously dangerous delivery of the baby from unconscious accident victim Julie Bauer (Julie had crashed her car after overhearung Mike tell Robin that he only married Julie because of the baby). Each of the three scenes has a different tone, but they all string together to form a truly exquisite whole. It's difficult to choose a favorite scene because eacj of the three has its own special power, from the restrained yet incredibly potent family scenes, to the raw angst of the Mike/George conversation, to the palpable, edge-of-your-seat tension of the operating scenes (featuring probably the best use of "old school" soap opera musical underscoring that I've ever witnessed).

It's my hope to one day have a lot more of this period to present and after viewing this episode, I suspect many of you will share that hope.

Enjoy In the Balance--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3

She's Come Undone

2008-01-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

I remember an article from a soap magazine from 1997 (probably Soap Opera Digest) in which the character of Annie was described as "She's not just front burner. She's the whole damn stove!" That's a fairly accurate assessment of the way that GL used the character as a story engine to drive several different plots and affect most of the other characters on the canvas.

Her biggest involvement was obviously with Josh and Reva, since Annie had been turned into a scheming, lurking, raving madwoman to accomodate the return of Reva. I felt at the time and still feel now that this was a great shame. It would have been far more interesting to have Josh find his way back to Reva (if that's absolutely what the show felt it had to do) while keeping Annie as a sane, if troubled, character. Alas, GL took the same route it always does by making the alternative to Reva into the most horrible woman on the face of the planet. The amazing Cynthia Watros, however, never let Annie lapse into caricature and held tightly onto the essential humanity and complexity of the character.

For her efforts, Watros won a Lead Actress Emmy in 1998 in recognition of her work in 1997. Probably her best remembered performance came during '97 when Annie's plot to frame Reva for causing Annie to miscarry fell apart. Watros is literally mesmerizing in the scenes where Ross manipulates Annie into confessing her scheme, in large part because she keeps the character so real and sympathetic. Wisely, the scripts provide ample opportunity for Annie's point of view to come across and Watros takes full advantage of this as she plays the anguish of losing the love of her life to someone like Reva.

Having said all of that, my favorite moments in this set come in clip 10, where Annie corners Reva in the elevator. For my part, this scene goes a long way toward demonstrating why Watros won her Emmy and why Kim Zimmer felt so threatened by her. Watros' work is especially miraculous considering the hostile environment that had been created for her on the set, including, but not limited to Zimmer's abuse of Watros in the media, referring to her by names like "Wicked Watros."

From Wikipedia: "Watros has had a complicated history with Guiding Light co-star Kim Zimmer. Zimmer and Watros met and became friends when they co-starred in an off-Broadway show Four Dogs and a Bone by John Patrick Shanley. Although there is no long-standing rivalry, working in close quarters apparently caused a serious rift between them when they both appeared on Guiding Light. In particular, a physical altercation between the two actors was captured on tape during filming of a Guiding Light episode."

I actually wasn't aware of these specifics until I started researching this blog entry, but I have to say that I definitely see a tension that goes beyond their characters in clip 10.

In addition to Annie, Reva, and Josh, She's Come Undone also features substantial appearances of Ross, Blake, Alan, Marah, and others. Also, please note the outrageous sideshow plotting and self-consciously gothic dialogue from hack writers Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown.

Enjoy!

She's Come Undone--

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clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21 , clip 22

For a bit of background on how Annie, Reva, and Josh got to this point, check out GLMP's Shine the Light clipset, which is taken from January of 1997 and features the show's celebration of its 60th anniversary. Annie's involvement in the lives of Reva, Josh, Alan, and Blake gets lots and lots of attention in this 35-part set.

GUIDING LIGHT celebrates 71 years!

2008-01-25T01:57:00.000-05:00

71 years. That's a very long time, boys and girls. Superman has only been around for 70.

GUIDING LIGHT celebrates 71 years on the air on January 25 and I think that's incredibly significant. I think that every year that's added to GL's unparalleled, lengthy run is a meaningful milestone and I mean to take note of this year's milestone in this blog entry by taking a look at the opening sequences that have heralded the beginning of the show throughout the course of the its long history

First though, I want to bring readers of this blog into a better understanding just how far back the history of the show goes by presenting a full 15-minute radio episode of THE GUIDING LIGHT from 1950. In this episode a friendly card game at the Bauer house turns sour as long unspoken tensions bubble to the surface. The characters in this episode are Papa Bauer, his children, Meta, Trudy, and Bill, and Bill's wife Bertha (also called Bert). These characters had all been introduced in 1948, eleven years into the show's run, and quickly became the focus of most of the action.

THE GUIDING LIGHT, 1950 radio episode
*

In 1952, the show made the leap to television and each episode began with a drawing of a lighthouse with the announcer saying, "The new Duz brings you The Guiding Light," just as he did on the radio shows.

By 1953, they had developed a more standard television opening.

1953 opening

The 1955 opening features the beginning of the lighthouse image.

1955 opening

This opening, begun in 1956, remains the second longest lived in the show's history and was used until 1967.

1956 opening

While no video record of the 1967-68 opening is available, I did find this description online:

The Guiding Light changed its opening logo and theme music when it went from
black and white to color on Monday, March 13, 1967. From
March 1967 to September 1968, according to soap opera historian John Kelly
Genovese, GL opened with a shot of a major character posed in the mood of that
day's episode. One fan of GL e-mailed me with the following memories of
the 1967/68 opening:
. . .The program opened on a close-up of one of the
character's faces against a black background. . .the announcer proclaimed the
title, and the music swelled, as the camera remained fixed in a very tight shot of an actor or actress' face (normally with a very intense expression--I particularly recall Ed Bauer), after which the title was superimposed.
Also, the title of the show appeared in small cursive lettering in the lower right
corner of the screen.

It should also be noted that THE GUIDING LIGHT expanded from 15 minutes to 30 in 1968.
*

There also seems to be some debate over what the exact opening was between 1968 and 1970. I'm sure someone somewhere must know, but I don't have the information available

The 1970-74 opening (which some seem to feel was used in that 68-70 period) is known but, to my knowledge, unrecorded. However, there is an image available. This time period falls in the "Great Collector Blackout". There seems to be no one at all with any videographic evidence of THE GUIDING LIGHT (except for the briefest snippets here and there) from 1967 through the beginning of 1979.

As you can imagine, this is unbelievably frustrating for me and for a great many others. Even the most cursory perusal of the history of this period makes it clear that we're really missing out on some of the best storylines in GL's history.

Only this audio recording of the closing from this period is available.

1970 closing audio

1974 brought a new opening and while no recoding of that is available, this video of the closing sequence is probably very similar to the opening.

1974 closing

Here is an audio recording of the opening: 1974 opening audio

It was in 1975 that the name of the show changed to just "GUIDING LIGHT", although CBS and even the show's announcer continued to call it "THE GUIDING LIGHT" until 1981. Also, in '75, a new opening sequence debuted, which I have here in a slightly altered version that began in 1977 and which, I should note, is my favorite opening from the history of GL. Also, GL expanded to an hour in 1977.

1975 opening (1977 version)

The disco era gave us this memorable opening at the end of 1981, featuring dancing Katie and Floyd!

1981 opening

A more sweeping, "romantic" theme was instituted in 1983...

1983 opening

...and drastically revamped in 1985

1985 theme

1986 brought a very bouncy, "twinkly" new intro...

1986 opening

...of which there were many versions.

1986 opening (1989 version)

Then came the 1991 opening, which lasted (through many iterations) longer than any other in the history of the show.

1991 opening

Various versions of it include (but are not limited to):

1991 opening (1995 version)

1991 opening (1997 version)

... and the final version without the cast, which aired unaltered for five years.

1997 opening (still basically the '91)

The show celebrated 50 years on television with this unjustly maligned opening, which I really like.

2002 opening

A new, "modern" wave of production took over in the form of EP John Conboy, who whooshed the old opening away and whooshed this one in its place. It went through many changes as cast came and went before ending up in this final version. (The "whoosh" references are an in-joke that you will not understand unless you were a viewer during the Conboy era. Sorry.)

2003 opening (2005 version)

Incoming EP Ellen Wheeler spruced things up at the end of '05 with a duo of new openings. In hindsight, these are actually really amazing.

2005 opening (Harley version)

2005 opening (Reva version)

Which brings us to where we are today, with the opening that debuted in January of 2007.

2007 opening

********

And finally, since this is an anniversary, I thought it only fitting to pay tribute to GUIDING LIGHT's longest running (even to this day) cast member: Charita Bauer, who played Bert from 1950 until her death in 1984. This tributed is taken from the 50th anniversary celebration in 1987 and is hosted by Ed Bryce (Bill Bauer #2). It's a really lovely set of clips (6 minutes total) that show just what a presence she'd been on the show.

Charita Bauer tribute

Additionally, here's a tribute to another of GL's great ladies, Mary Stuart, who assumed the role of Meta in 1996. This aired in 2002, the same year she died.

Mary Stuart tribute

********

And so, Happy 71st Anniversary, GUIDING LIGHT! To paraphrase Ed Bryce, here's to 71 more!!

On February 29 of this year, the show will enter a new phase-- a new way of filming, a new feel and look for GUIDING LIGHT. A lot of people are panicking about this, but as I composed this blog entry, I became more sure than ever that GUIDING LIGHT is now, as it has always been, a force for change and for forward thinking. That spirit continues today and we viewers are in a similar position to radio listeners in 1952 who had to change the way they appreciated the show. I know I'll be along for the ride and I hope all of you are too.

Happy viewing!

---ivnkplng

___________________

Research for this blog entry was done at http://members.fortunecity.com/drjtv/gl.html and at Wikipedia.

A Friend Indeed

2008-01-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

The early part of 1979, was tortured time on GUIDING LIGHT. The canvas was arrayed in a variety of complicated situations, courtesy of outgoing headwriters, Jerome and Bridget Dobson. The Holly/Roger rape case was getting started, including Rita's conflicted involvement in the proceedings. Jackie Marler's painful struggle to keep her motherhood of Phillip a secret was affecting many lives. Ben and Eve's marriage was rocked to its core by Amanda Middleton and her controlling mother Lucille. The Bauers were just getting their equilbrium back after the reveal of Bill's secret daughter Hillary, who was involved an affair with the married rapist Roger Thorpe.

But Hillary had a friend. And, oh what a friend! The character of Katie Parker was an oasis of light on the show. Played by the highly charismatic Denise Pence, Katie's sly wit and matter-of-fact way of dealing with life was a beautiful counterpoint to the mountains of anguish that surrounded her-- most notably, sad sack Hillary. The show wisely featured Katie in relatively light-hearted storylines that capitalized on Pence's comedic talents, but positioned her in the activity hub of Cedars nurses' station so as not to isolate her from the rest of the town.

A Friend Indeed is a lovely look at Katie as she deals with the arrival of her ne'er-do-well brother Floyd (played by the hilarious Tom Nielsen) as well as her back and forth pursuit/avoidance of stiff-as-a-board Dr. Mark Hamilton. This set also features nice glimpses of Charita Bauer as Bert counsels Hillary on her many, many, many woes.

Enjoy A Friend Indeed--

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clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

GL 2007: A Year In Review

2008-01-05T02:29:00.000-05:00

I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with an angle for this blog entry. I didn't want it to just be a rehash of the four quarterly reports, nor did I want it to just be a collection of "Best Of..." lists. What is it that I want to say about GUIDING LIGHT in 2007? What was the overarching theme of the year?

Well... supposedly, it was "Find Your Light." The first ITL of the year boldly proclaimed that '07 would be a year of "Find Your Light" and I suppose that was true off-screen as the cast (well, most of the cast) participated in a nationwide community outreach program. The Hands On project that sent actors from the show to various cities to literally do manual labor to build houses, repair schools, and other worthy projects all year long was nothing short of a marvel. I think it was a wonderful way to celebrate the show's 70th year and it really speaks to Ellen Wheeler's inherent generosity of spirit that she devised such an endeavor. People are really quick to slough that off on their way to tearing down GL's (and Wheeler's in particular) onscreen output, but I feel that the show and Wheeler deserve a lot more credit than they are getting for this effort.

Having said that, I do agree that there were a lot of rough patches on the show this year, primarily due to the writing. Before I launch into my own criticisms of the year on GL, I'd like to remind readers that I devoted four (quite long) blog entries to spotlighting the good things about GL.

GL Quarterly Reports:

I just want to be as clear as I can be that I am not part of the crowd that takes pleasure in bashing the show into the ground and insisting that it is an awful travesty that should be canceled at once. I'm quite firm in my stance that GL is a viable enterprise that still provides much quality entetainment to those who aren't so wrapped up in their smug adherence to fanbase agendas that they can't see the show for the trees.

Having said all of that, I do have some criticisms to levy--

David Kreizman has displayed a remarkable gift for repitition this year. Troublemaker Daisy's affections were spurned by Gus and so she spitefully and quite magically was able to immediately find Gus' old high school lover to bust up Gus' relationship with Harley. Then, a few months later, troublemaker Blake's affections were spurned by Mallet and so she spitefully and quite magically was able to find the man who used to employ Mallet as a hitman (!) to bust up Mallet's relationship with Dinah. Not content to leave it at that, troublemaker Ava's affections were spurned by Coop and so she spitefully and quite magically found Ashlee's high school guidance counseler to... well, he didn't actually do much of anything, but still, are you seeing a pattern here? I sure did.

Let's talk about the performer of the year. I tried to toss around several possibilities for this, but there's just no way to select anyone else for this honor other than Beth Ehlers. I want to be clear that I began 2007 as I have every other year that I've been watching GL: hating Harley and not being especially crazy about Ehlers' work in the role. That changed on January 25th, GL's anniversary episode. Ehlers was given the unenviable task of portraying show creator Irna Phillips. It would've been easy to just sort of rest on caricature and "act like Irna" in a general way, but Ehlers instead chose to create a beautifully nuanced, breathtakingly detailed, pitch perfect portrayal of this historical character. I didn't know it at the time, but this amazing performance was the starting bell for a marathon that Ehlers would run throughout 2007, leaving behind her a string of blockbuster performances from her searing Harley/Reva confrontation on 4/11 to the beautifully understated 5/22 performance where Harley barely spoke at all as Dylan explained to Daisy how hard it was for Harley to give her up to the anguished Harley/Natalia blowout on 8/6 when Harley discovered that Gus and been with his ex. The fallout from her ordeal in the collapsed church as she deals with the after effects of the trauma has been nothing short of transcendant. It was "stick in your finger and pull out a plum" with this actor throughout 2007 as she experienced what I unreservedly identify as the year of her career.

But, I'll tell you what: It's a damn good thing that Ehlers had such a great year because we saw a lot of Harley-- I mean a whooole lot of Harley. Part of that is a function of the tight focus that Kreizman has chosen to employ on the Coopers and the Lewis/Shaynes. Almost nothing was done independantly of these two families, despite ample opportunity and story potential. There was a half-hearted attempt at a Dinah/Mallet story, which thankfully, yielded Gina Tognoni's jaw-dropping portrayal of Dinah as she lay bleeding on the docks after being shot in the head, but that story really didn't go anywhere. There were good performances from Tognoni and Rob Bogue and Maeve Kinkead and Kurt McKinney, but the story wasn't pursued with any consistency. Viewers went for weeks at a time without seeing the characters and the story shifted radically and repeatedly in its direction and tone.

What we did get was a lot of emphatic pounding away on the "Cassie bad! Reva good!" drum as the show sucked every last ounce of charm, spark, and lustre that Josh and Cassie had in '06 and replaced it with misery and boredom (with the exception of their beautiful wedding which inexplicably featured yet another bizarre crime committed by Reva for which she hasn't paid, but I'll get back to that in a minute) and a religious story for Josh that I'm sure looked good on someone's paper, but tanked in execution. Meanwhile, Mel was yanked out of her budding triangle with Jeffrey and Olivia, so that Reva could be featured in her place (because Reva is so underexposed, dontcha know!) and then Olivia was dropped from the story as well (although the common understanding is that this was due to negative reaction from fans who couldn't deal with the complicated underpinnings of the Olivia/Jeffrey story). So what we were left with is week after excruciating week of Reva and Jeffrey giggling and drinking and cracking wise and committing an alarming and truly horrific string of crimes, including (but certainly not limited to) the elaborate, calculated assault and kidnapping of Lizzie.

Before this overview gets too long, let's give out some awards!

Best storyline: The destruction of Gus and Harley. Beth Ehlers, Ricky Paull Goldin, Jessica Leccia, and Bonnie Dennison formed an impenetrable unit of brilliant work all year long and they benefitted from the best writing on the show until the incongruous Olivia element was introduced.

Worst storyline: Jonathan/Reva/Alan book tie-in. 'Nuff said...

Best single episode: January 25. The anniversary show was pure joy from top to bottom. Clever writing, inventive direction, perfect performances from (almost) the entire cast. Add to that the sentimental factor and all the historical nuggets for us hard-core soap geeks and you have a truly lovely and enthralling hour of television.

Worst coma: (tie) Blake, Alan, Alexandra, Griggs, Edmund. That's just too many comas in one year, even for a soap.

Best Guest Performer: (tie) Darnell Williams (Griggs) and Allison Fischer (Megan). The vicious kidnapper and the juvie hall "mean girl" knocked it out of the park every single time!

Best Feature for a Veteran: Marj Dusay made delicious lemonade from the questionable lemons of Alexandra's marriage story.
Worst Return: The show trying to get us to think good thoughts about Jonathan returning over the Summer to make sure his theft of Lizzie's baby would remain a secret by violently threatening to kill Olivia. Umm... not such a good thing.

Best Killer Kid: No winner. This is an invalid category because killer kids are not good stories for soaps!

Biggest Waste of Talent: Hmmm... this is a tough one, but I think I'll go with Beth Chamberlin simply because she was responsible for so many of the best moments of 2006 and was used as little more than set dressing in '07.

Best Storyline We Never Saw: So many to choose from in this category, but I think I'll go with the off-screen dissolution of Vanessa and Matt's marriage.

Worst Roc Hoover: Mark Schlereth. I can't begin to imagine a worse one.

Best Comedy Scene: Ashlee singing at Doris and Alan's wedding. I don't think a soap has ever intentionally caused me to laugh so hard as I did on February 16 when Ashlee serenaded the "happy" couple. Caitlin VanZandt's hysterical performance coupled with the reactions of Marj Dusay, Marcy Rylan, Beth Chamberlin, and Michael O'Leary were pure comedy gold!

Best Rivalry: Harley and Reva. These two titans repeatedly clashed this year in scenes that were thrilling and soapy, but realistic and completely character-driven.

Worst Rivalry: Tammy and Beth. Tammy cold cocks Beth on Main Street and Beth just takes it. Tammy slams the door in Beth's face and Beth just takes it. Are you kidding me with this?? Beth would eat Tammy alive and stil have room left over for a big lunch.

Best Newcomer: (tie) Bonnie Dennison and Jessica Leccia showed over and over that they are perfect fits for GUIDING LIGHT with month after month of beautiful work portraying well-defined characters.

Best Recast: Bonnie Dennison, because she is an amazing, inventive actor who made Daisy/Susan her own from the get-go.

Worst Recast: Bonnie Dennison, because the show perpetrated an unforgivable affront by erasing the history created by Brittany Snow as our beloved Susan.

Best "GREAT BIG" Performance: Tom Pelphrey in the scenes of Tammy's death. Pelphrey went all the way there and, for once, it was justified and totally worked.

Worst Character Suddenly Becoming Evil: I wouldn't even know where to begin... Take your pick. Rick drugged everyone in sight. Mallet was a hitman. Josh arranged a murder and then played dumb. Colin participated in Reva's torture of Lizzie. Alan-Michael was just generally evil. The list goes on and on and on...

********

I could probably double the length of this overview and still not be finished saying everything I have to say, so let me just quit while I am (presumably) ahead. 2007 was a very up and down year for the show. Lots of good to report and a whole lot of bad as well. 2008 promises to be a year of change for GL. Here's to a better year for the show. Let's pray that Kreizman tempers his edgy experimentalism (which has yielded equal parts splendor and trash) with a better understanding of why soap operas are soap operas.

Happy watching and join us here next week as we return our attention to classic GL from years past!

---ivnkplng

Quarterly Report: Best of October to December, 2007

2007-12-30T04:22:00.000-05:00

The final quarter of 2007 was (to put it mildly) inconsistent. The long awaited return of the amazing David Andrew MacDonald as Edmund was a bitter disappointment-- not in the acting, but in the story. The Reva/Jeffrey gigglefest continued to gloss over important hanging plot threads for each character: his quest to connect with the daughter he just found out about and her unpunished victimization of Lizzie. Dinah's journey back from brain damage was sabotaged by truly lousy event-driven plotting, when it was shown at all. The front burner story of the secret paternity of Beth's baby inexplicably featured very little Beth. Most unfortunately, GUIDING LIGHT apparently joined AS THE WORLD TURNS and GENERAL HOSPITAL in the "killer kid" club as Will Winslow was revealed as Alonzo's murderer and Edmund's assailant, although this is something that can still potentially be reversed (as GH did) and really should be reversed since no soap has ever made this "killer kid" device" work the way they imagined it would.

A lot of these things combined to create a feeling of disjointedness and aimlessness throughout the quarter, which is why I'm always glad to undertake the documentation of the things the show gets right. So what was good about the last three months of 2007 on GL? As I am every time, I was surprised by the sheer volume of truly affecting and involving material that GL put out, so without further ado, let's get on with the best!________________________________________

10/8/07: It's always a pleasure when Justin Deas is put to good use. I tend to run very hot and cold on his work because he too often goes for the "BIG MOMENT" instead of just playing the scene. As the seeds began to be sown for the Buzz/Doris connection, Deas demonstrated admirable restraint and took full advatage of the rich chemistry he shares with the amazing Orlagh Cassidy. For her part, Cassidy fairly glows with all the right kinds of intensity as she brings her Doris to living, breathing, scraping life. Her interactions with Caitlin VanZandt as Ashlee vibrate with the secrets and subtext of a real dysfunctional family.

Protection-- clip 1, clip 2

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10/10/07: Marj Dusay. I almost don't want to say anymore than those two words because she very nearly defies description, but I'm a wordy guy, so here goes! The scenes depicting Alexandra's awakening from her coma (taken from one of the myriad Cyrus ITL's this year) were immensely satisfying, coming as they did at the peak of Dusay's first front burner storyline in years. It was wonderful to watch as this consumate actor known so well for her outrageous characterizations careened from emotion to emotion, all played with realism and subtlety. She shatters every preconception that people have about her, playing each and every moment with such precision and and detail, cutting loose with the abandon of a child and the control of an artist with decades of experience. In these five minutes alone, she moves from the funniest of truly humorous comedy to riveting intrigue (with the woefully misused Darnell Williams as Griggs) to heartbreaking human drama-- all without skipping a beat and all at the highest level of quality. This is Marj Dusay at her finest and it's pretty damn fine.

Alive and Kicking

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10/15/07: Daisy's abortion storyine was a "social issue" (a catch-all term that's less helpful than you might think) plot that provided a wonderful showcase for the unstoppable Bonnie Dennison. This scene from the day of the actual abortion is a truly lovely exchange between Daisy and Kim Zimmer's Reva. Dennison does her usual amazing, true-to-life work in this scene and I think it's to her credit that even Zimmer dials down her standard pathos to become a participating partner in the material.

A Girl In Trouble Is a Temporary Thing

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10/16/07: Very little about the most recent months of Dinah's brain damage storyline has not been botched beyond repair. Too much of it has been played for laughs and too much of it has been overdressed with unecessary plot points. The day Mallet and Vanessa had Dinah committed stood out because it went right to the heart of the characters and gave viewers the insight we so desperately need into what these characters are actually feeling. Gina Tognoni gives a standout performance here, her trademark bloody vigor bringing Dinah's fear, horror, and disappointment right up to the viewers face with no opportunity to look away. Sadly, the ball was dropped on this scenario and these characters were not featured for almost two weeks after this scene.

Abandonment

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10/17/07: People still decry the ITL's (the "special Wednesday episodes") as the coming of the apocalypse, but I still maintain that a fair portion of them are among the best whole episodes that GL offers, primarily because David Kreizman seems to be more inspired by the tighter focus.

This particular ITL, dealing with the reveal of Daisy's abortion was a masterwork, pure and simple. The acting, writing, and direction were all of the highest calibre. Bonnie Dennison, Beth Ehlers, Kim Zimmer, E.J. Bonilla, Jessica Leccia, Brian Gaskill, and Justin Deas are all flawless here as they play scene after gripping scene as the information ripples through the lives of their characters. From Harley, Reva, and Natalia all going at each other variously like tigers, to Rafe's horror and fury over the decision, to Harley, Natalia, and Dylan's feelings of helplessness, to (most affectingly) Daisy's anguish over the whole situation. Not one one false note, not one word or gesture out of place-- just several perfectly placed pieces combined to form a beautiful, crystalline whole.

Choices-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

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10/29/07: The creation of genuine tension on a soap opera is a very difficult thing to do these days in this age of spoilers and ultra-jaded viewers. The collapse of the church where Harley and Cyrus were being held was a unique event in that, even though we all knew they were both alive, GL managed to create a very desolated, forlorn atmosphere in the wake of the disaster. As Alexandra learns from Griggs that Cyrus is "dead" but keeps the truth from an increasingly fearful Marina while Gus and Natalia wander the wreckage of the church unaware that Harley and Cyrus are trapped just beneath them, there's an ominous, palpable, and almost inexplicable feeling of dread that grows despite the fact that we viewers know that they're going to be okay. This a really nice bit of storytelling from the show. Also, special recognition must go to the transition between Harley and Cyrus' horror as the church "explodes" to Ava popping a balloon and erupting into peels of screaming laughter, a moment that caused more than a few of us to jump in our seats.

All Fall Down-- clip 1 , clip 2
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10/31/07: GL's Halloween episode centered on multiple sets of characters jetting off to an island psychiatric clinic to visit either Edmund or Dinah, both of whom were being treated there at the time. Eerie music played and a convenient power outage left our merry band wandering variously around the mostly abandoned, red-lit halls of what suddenly seemed like a gothic "Home for the Homicidally Deranged" as they experienced a series of frightening scenarios, not the least of which was a reminder of the worst of the San Cristobel storylines in the person of Jim Davidson's Alonzo (yikes!). The episode is generously peppered with comedy (courtesy of Dinah, Lizzie, and Marina), romance (Dinah and Mallet's almost-reconnection), and spooks (Cassie's run-in with a knife-wielding psychopath and Alonzo's grisly death). It works on a number of levels in that it forwards several plots and also succeeds as a stylized bit of Kreizman-era experimentalism. This episode is actually a great deal of fun, mainly because of winking nods to the holiday and to the horror movie genre. This is also probably the best day of David Andrew MacDonald's return as Edmund.

Trick or Treat-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
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11/2, 11/5, and 11/9/07: Beth Ehlers did some truly brilliant work as the fallout from Harley and Cyrus' ordeal in the collapsed church impacted the dissolution of her marriage to Gus. Ricky Paull Goldin matched her perfectly in the quiet, mournful scenes that marked the end of "GusH", but these episodes belonged to Ehlers as she played the hollowness, numbness, and complete rudderlessness that followed her near death experience. In this year of absolutely transcendent performances from this actor, these three episodes stood near the top of her already astoundingly impressive pile. The delicacy, humanity, and specificity of what she does, especially in the "spinning" speech in clip 3, is nothing short of breathtaking. Goldin's work, as previously stated is also quite good as is that of the always exquisite Jessica Leccia as Natalia.

Sign My Name-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
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11/20/07: Some episodes are noteworthy for their climactic events or explosive performances or bold stylistic choices. In fact, in this age of spectacle and BIG EVENTS, it seems that a lot of viewers are bored very quickly with shows that don't contain some jaw-dropping element to them. I'm as much a sucker for that kind of thing as anybody else, but what should never be forgotten is that soaps are a day-to-day medium and shows that try to provide a "shocker" every single day are missing the point. The 11/20 episode of GL was glorious in that it was nothing more than a series of beautifully rendered conversations. Sure, Alexandra made a startling accusation to Harley and Beth and Daisy were trapped in an elevator, but there was nothing especially earth-shattering about any of this. The episode served no more spectacular purpose than than to just let us in a little bit more into these characters' lives through well-written scenes and meticulously (but always naturally) rendered performances. This is absolutely one of the very best episodes of the year by simple virtue of the fact that it is the pinnacle of what soap opera should have at its core: not cliffhangers or catfights (although those are great too!), but simple, interesting conversations between people we care about.
Conversations-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

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11/28/07: The story of Olivia's heart condition could have been an incredible journey with a character and an actor both of which have nearly limitless potential. Crystal Chappell has proven again and again (even as recently as this past Spring) what a valuable asset she is to GL. In a grievous and nearly unforgivable misstep, the show has chosen to use Olivia's condition as nothing more than a half-baked excuse to shoehorn her into an ill-conceived and baffling romance with Gus. These gorgeous and powerful scenes from the ITL where her condition is revealed demonstrate the opportunity that has been missed by not allowing this story to stand on its own two feet.

Heart Racing

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11/30/07: Beth Chamberlin has been badly misused and largely ignored in 2007 (much like the character of Beth) which is very unfortunate, but we saw a brief glimpse of the spitfire that provided us with so many of the show's best moments in 2006. Most of this year has seen Beth reduced to set dressing for the barely there Alan/Rick rivalry or off-screen topic of conversation for the front burner Reva/Cassie grouping to tussle over. The watered down Beth Bauer was nowhere in evidence on the 30th of November as Beth Chamberlin was allowed to cut loose in hilarious scenes with Murray Bartlett and David Andrew MacDonald. Chamberlin is electric as she treats viewers to the mischievous, naughty, spicy Beth that has been too long absent from our screens.
Bite

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12/11, 12/13, 12/14, 12/20, and 12/28/07: GL's second run at a mayoral election storyline (and we're all still smarting from last year's still unresolved debacle) has turned out very nicely indeed. Anchored by deeply committed work from Justin Deas and Orlagh Cassidy, this story is interesting and fun with just the right amounts of intrigue and romance and backstabbing and bed-hopping to make it soapy yet still fresh. Cassidy, especially, is a fireball in this story, going for broke every single time with fearless performances that continually stretch the boundaries of what a soap character can be and still be sympathetic. Always good for a deep belly laugh until she unexpectedly exposes a layer of Doris that will break your heart, Cassidy is becoming one of GL's most satisfying pleasures.
This story is also noteworthy for terrific performances from Daniel Cosgrove, Caitlin VanZandt, and a newly invigorated Michelle Ray Smith as Ava.

Mayor Elect-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9

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12/19 and 12/20/07: While I do not support the decision to break up Dinah and Mallet, whom I maintain are the show's most interesting and viable couple by far, the scenes that led up to the decision to file for divorce were beautifully played by Gina Tognoni and Rob Bogue. Tognoni was allowed to take a break from the weeks of screaming that Dinah was cast into prior to this and Bogue turned in a tender, heartfelt performance as a man exhausted from being an onlooker as the person he loves most in the world self destructs. These scenes offer lovely glimpses of the humor and passion that made this couple so unique before dissolving into a wordless, gut-wrenching farewell.

Giving Is Better-- clip 1 , clip 2

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The final offering for this report is an "mvid" created by me for the storyline involving Daisy's abortion. The song is "All For Believing" by Missy Higgins.
All For Believing
___________________________

Thanks for reading (if you still are! LOL!) and come right back here in just a couple of days for GLMP's year end retrospective for 2007!

Happy New Year!

---ivnkplng

Happy Birthday to Me

2007-12-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

There are some periods in GL's history that are named over and over as "the golden years" by various people. Agnes Nixon's term as headwriter in the mid-60's (from what little I've seen, this was a magnificent era), Doug Marland's run from '79 to '82 (my personal choice), and the Pam Long regime of the mid-80's (I couldn't disagree more!) are among the the most frequently offered choices. One period that just about everyone agrees belongs near (or at) the top of the pile is the early 90's, specifically '92-'93.

As I've written before, I started watching GL in part because of the casting of Marj Dusay and Marcy Walker in 1993. One other reason I started watching was because of the prolonged, steady stream of wildly enthusiastic press that the show was getting during 1992 and 1993. GL was recognized on a regular basis in the most complimentary terms available for the intelligence and intricacy of its writing and the abundant and well positioned talent of its cast. Every word of the praise was well deserved, as can be seen here in Happy Birthday to Me.

Taken from the very end of 1992, this clipset deals with the fallout from the reveal of Ross and Blake's affair and its effects on Holly. It opens with the run-up to a searing blowout between Holly and Blake that is executed with glorious precision and passion by Maureen Garrett and Elizabeth Keifer. Garrett especially at the very top of her game as Holly becomes drunker and drunker as her birthday "celebration" flies progressively further off the rails.

The astoundingly high quality of virtually every aspect of these scenes is a true pleasure to behold. In addition to the aforementioned Garrett and Keifer, Happy Birthday to Me offers generous portions of the amazing and legendary work of Michael Zaslow, Jerry verDorn, Peter Simon, and Ellen Parker, adding more proof to the pile to that this time in GL's history remains among its very highest points.

And so, enjoy Happy Birthday to Me--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

____________________________________

Join us here in two weeks for the Best of the 4th Quarter of 2007 wrap-up, as well as a look back at all of 2007. Two big blog entries comin' atcha in just two short weeks!

Meanwhile, Happy Holidays from GLMP! Stay warm and keep watching the show!

---ivnkplng

Hide and Seek

2007-12-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love best about my involvement in this Project is getting to know parts of GL history in intimate detail. It's certainly very enjoyable to read to published histories or to hear stories from other fans, but there really is no substitute for hands-on, first hand experience with the storylines from the past.

It's been very easy for me to dive headlong into eras or plots that interest me right away, but there's a different (and in some ways more fulfilling) satisfaction in taking a look at parts of the past that I've avoided for one reason or another. Taken from the end of 1990, Hide and Seek was intended to be a quick glimpse at India Von Halkein, but as I went through the clips (which I've had for over a year and never watched), I became engrossed in the story of Phillip's struggle to clear his name in the murder of Neil Everest and its effects on the people close to him. As the focus swung from Phillip to Rick to India to Beth and over to include Alan-Michael and Roger and Alexandra and Mallet, the clipset grew to an unanticipated length.

Hide and Seek does serve its intended purpose as a great document of the electrifying work of Mary Kay Adams as India, but it's also a great look at the (admittedly underepresented in this Project) '89-'91 era of GL's history. The show is a rich, vital, smart tapestry at this point, with far more charm, style, and heart than I had given it credit for. I think part of what it is is that I had a knee-jerk repulsion to a time in the show's history that gave birth to the Coopers-- the saccharine blob that would go on to eat Springfield in the coming decades. Also, I've tended to want nothing to do with Mark Derwin's interpretation of Mallet, but strangely, the character and the actor (whose work I so despised during his time as Ben on ONE LIFE TO LIVE) are used to great effect here and Mallet comes off as a fascinating and substantial quasi-anti-hero, with Derwin displaying remarkable and potent chemistry with Beth Chamberlin's Beth and Kimberly Simms' Mindy.

This clipset is also a nice look at the evolution of the legendary "Four Musketeers" as the various relationships within are put to the test and the young adults have difficulty coping with their changing lives and shifting needs. It features massive doses of Phillip, Rick, and Beth, as well as a fair bit of Mindy. It's worth mentioning here that Beth Chamberlin's early work as Beth is really something to behold, being as it is lightyears away from where it ended up in the late 90's or certainly today. For my part, I prefer the spicier 21st century Beth, but this look at the early years of her work with the character is certainly absorbing from an archaeological standpoint.

Also featured in this set is Gloria Biegler, an accomplished stage actor who played Beth for only two days when Chamberlin was unable to work. She's actually not bad and I wouldn't mind seeing more of her work in another role. In addition to Biegler and the other actors listed, Hide and Seek boasts a vast array of compelling performances from Beverlee McKinsey, Peter Simon, Michael Zaslow, Rick Hearst, and William Bell Sullivan as Gary Swanson.

I should also mention how strange it is watching Christopher Pennock from DARK SHADOWS playing Justin Marler. I can't even see him as Justin and I just hear the DARK SHADOWS theme playing in my head during all of his scenes.

This is a long clipset, perfect for a cold winter indoors, so grab a cup of hot chocolate, settle in, and enjoy Hide and Seek--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7

clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14

clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18 , clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21

clip 22 , clip 23 , clip 24 , clip 25 , clip 26 , clip 27 , clip 28

clip 29 , clip 30 , clip 31 , clip 32 , clip 33 , clip 34 , clip 35

clip 36 , clip 37 , clip 38 , clip 39 , clip 40 , clip 41 , clip 42

As a sort of epilogue, here's a previously posted mini-set from about three weeks after the end of Hide and Seek

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A Very Spaulding Christmas

clip 1 , clip 2

Sacrifice

2007-11-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

One of the great things that has occurred on GL in 2007 has been the resurgence of Vanessa and Matt and the story of their marriage. In a strangely ironic twist, the characters and the actors are more interesting now than they have ever been, but the effort exerted by the show to play their story is meager at best with most of the major events of their lives going on off-screen.

I have never been what you would call a Vanessa/Matt fan, but I must admit to looking back on their past a bit more more fondly now than I did before mainly because Maeve Kinkead and Kurt McKinney are doing such boffo work in the present. That's one of the reasons that I've chosen to present Sacrifice in this, the first entry of the second year of the GLMP blog.

Sacrifice occurs in February of 1999 and covers the events that spill out from Dinah's shooting of Hart and Vanessa's subsequent spiriting of Dinah out of Springfield. Wendy Moniz (still the definitive Dinah for many viewers) gives a blockbuster performance in the early section of this clipset, both in her tearful goodbye with Kinkead's Vanessa and in the montage that recalls Dinah's entire relationship with Hart.

The central event of this set though is the effect of Matt's perceived betrayal of Vanessa when he exposes to the police her complicity in Dinah's escape, an act which lands Vanessa in jail. This sets up a series of emotionally brutal fights that sweeps Beth, Ross, Lillian, and others up into their drama. Beth especially does not come off especially well in this set, being as she was one of the characters that suffered the worst under the barely coherent regime of Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown.

One final exciting feature of this clipset is that it features some of the earliest appearances of Orlagh Cassidy as Doris Wolfe. Even in these early scenes, Cassidy displays a glimmer of the potent characterization that she would bring to Doris years later.

Less effective is the hospital drama surrounding Hart's fight for life as he combats the influence an actual Angel of Death (thank you Esensten and Brown!), but Sacrifice remains an interesting look at Vanessa, Matt, Dinah, and the characters that surround them.

Sacrifice--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

If It Isn't Love

2007-11-04T12:54:00.000-05:00

This week, we step back into the life of Amanda Spaulding, this time in 1982. If It Isn't Love deals with treacherous Mark Evans (played by Mark Pinter who would return to GL in 2003 as Brad Green) as he toys with the affections of Jennifer Richards and her daughter Amanda.
There's a scene a little more than halfway through this clipset that shows Amanda in control at the Spaulding offices, giving instructions to her secretary over the phone and being quite the commanding presence at work. It occurred to me what a radical change that was from the frightened, artistic girl that Amanda was in her first years in Springfield (see the Mountains blog entry for example).

I can't help but wonder how that change was received by viewers at the time, especially in this age of vociferous outcry whenever a character does something or changes in a way that displeases his or her fans. Obviously, in the hands of Doug Marland, these changes were handled more gradually and were explained better, but still this is a very different Amanda than the one viewers first met in 1978 and grew to love in the ensuing years.

It's also worth mentioning that headwriter Marland's work on the show ends abruptly in the middle of this set. As many GL historians are aware, Marland quit GL after his friend Jane Elliot was fired from the show and her character, Carrie Marler, was taken off the canvas. Maybe it's because I know this that the post-Marland scenes seem so different to me. Certainly the tone of the Amanda/Mark/Jennifer triangle seems to become more overt and pedestrian and the plot is suddenly very convoluted. I don't know exactly how many (if any) of Marland's plans were retained after he quit, but I do see a change in the quality of the storytelling after his departure.

That said, this is still a very entertaining and, at times, heartbreaking set, especially the section that deals with Amanda's discovery of Jennifer and Mark's marriage, juxtaposed with Morgan's joy at the event and Carrie's (or rather one of Carrie's alters') pleasure at Amanda's suffering. As with any storyline involving Amanda, the work of Kathleen Cullen in the role makes the entire thing worthwhile and this is a very interesting look at the evolution of the character.

Also of note is the presence of early-going versions of Josh, Ross, and Vanessa.

And so, enjoy If It Isn't Love--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10
clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14
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Please join us next week as we celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the GLMP blog!

Touché

2007-10-20T08:49:00.000-05:00

"O San Cristobel! Our home and native land!

True patriot love and all thy sons command!"
---
One of the most controversial developments in the history of GUIDING LIGHT has been the 1999 creation of the island nation of San Cristobel, home to the royal Winslows, the ambitious Spencers, and a cavalcade of other characters. Introduced to provide story for Reva after her second marriage to Josh, San Cristobel would go on to be a setting for front-burner story for years to come, much to the consternation of many a viewer. The dominance of this non-Springfield setting for so much of GL's action was even more distressing in light of the fact that what was occurring in Springfield was being overrun by the brand new Santos mob family. These two creations brought with them a host of popular new characters that enjoyed massive amounts of airtime and entwined pre-existing characters in their stories. As a result, this era of GL is most memorable (and only sometimes in a good way) for characters like Richard, Edmund, Olivia, Danny, Tony, and Carmen and the relationships they shared with Springfield's populace.

It's at the beginning of the San Cristobel era that we find ourselves today in these episodes from August of 1999. It's highly revelatory and more than a little alarming to see the early versions of characters that would go on to such prominence the show. The prim Olivia and the desperate Richard that we see here bear almost no relation to what the characters would become even two years later. In Olivia's case, the character is practically unrecognizable in comparison to today's Liv. By contrast, David Andrew MacDonald's Edmund hits the ground running, already flashing the electrifying and mesmerizing presence and persona that he's best remembered for.

Springing from the minds of notorious show-wreckers Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown, this plotline features all the overblown dialogue and baffling story development that we've come to expect from these two. At the time, it didn't seem so outrageous (at least to me), but looking back, it's easier to see how horrifying and egregious this scenario was for long time viewers, especially in light of the prolonged dominance of the San Cristobel setting.

This clipset is also a very interesting look at the beginnings of the (unseen) Jonathan character. It's quite interesting to listen to the tender reminiscences of Richard and Reva in contrast with the shrieking caveboy whose path of destruction GL is still reeling from.

And so, as we prepare for the much anticipated 2007 return of Edmund, enjoy his beginnings in Touché--

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clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

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Quarterly Report: Best of July to September, 2007

2007-10-01T07:23:00.000-05:00

The third quarter of 2007 was an interesting time for the show. It featured quite a prolonged lull where there was very little to cheer about, especially at the very beginning of the period, when it became clear that the lovely Olivia/Jeffrey/Mel triangle had been completely scrapped in order to foist the grating, screechy, self-indulgent Reva/Jeffrey "romance" on viewers. This distressing, depressing development threw a sizable portion of the show into a tailspin as GL frantically catered to the demands of one vocal fanbase at the expense of the rest of the canvas.

Also complicating matters was the waning quality of the Coop/Ashlee romance as the writing staff fell further and further down the rabbit hole of trying to make Ava into the devil incarnate (paralleling similar attempts to do the same to Olivia as the Reva/Jeffrey storyline appreared to gain popularity). Seemingly failing to realize that the three characters were interesting enough as it was (especially with the incredibly realistic, but rarely seen on television, aspects of their particular triangle) , the show pushed poor Michelle Ray Smith and her character toward the outer reaches of "spurned lover" caricature in order to create story for Coop and Ashlee.
But what was good about the third quarter of 2007? As always, quite a bit, actually. Constructing these reports is always a great way of reminding myself (and hopefully others) why I still love GUIDING LIGHT and there really was a lot to love in this quarter, especially as it drew to a close.
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7/2/07: One of the best things to come from GUIDING LIGHT in 2007 has undoubtedly been Bonnie Dennison's deceptively simple, disarmingly honest portrayal of Daisy. For the record, I remain saddened and horrified that headwriter David Kreizman chose to completely obliterate the beloved character of Susan in order to reinvent her as "Daisy," but that has nothing to do with Dennison or her sublime work in the role. What has always struck me about what Dennison does is that she really makes Daisy into a real human being. She so perfectly encapsulates her character with such naturalism and honesty that it often seems like CBS is just filming a teenaged girl for a documentary, as opposed to filming an actor playing a part.
This clip from the beginning of July contains no explosions, no nervous breakdowns, no screaming fights or births or deaths or evil twins. It's just Daisy being Daisy-- and Dennison being alternately hilarious, tender, romantic, goofy... and human.
When She Was Good

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7/4/07: This year's Bauer Barbecue was a mixed bag. It was one of a (too) long string of events held on GL's Main Street set and came with the announcement that the show's set for the Bauer home would likely not be seen again. This was not good news for a lot of fans who were (a) growing frustrated with the lack of variety in sets and (b) aghast that the Bauer home and the potential for its future use were being eradicated from GUIDING LIGHT.
Having said that, the day was not without merit and featured a pair of truly lovely performances from Nicole Forester and Beth Chamberlin as Cassie sought comfort from Buzz over the loss of Tammy and Beth poured her heart out to Rick during their impromptu wedding ceremony. These two performances made the day worthwhile and still stand out among the best from the third quarter.
Beginnings
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7/10/07: The immediate fallout from Dinah's shooting in June was unquestionably superb. Her coma carried through into July and when she woke up, it was a changed Dinah that greeted the world. Gina Tognoni was a revelation playing Dinah's confusion, fear, and frustration as her own mind seemed to fail her. The first day of Dinah's recovery seemed to promise a truly heartbreaking and beautifully human story of physical and spitual redemption. That's not what viewers ended up getting unfortunately, but the beginnings of this story were definitely some of the most compelling watching of the third quarter. The sensitive writing combined with Tognoni's stunning performance to form pure GL gold.

Everything-- clip 1 , clip 2

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7/26/07: The story of Alexandra coming between Cyrus and Marina had a lot of things wrong with it, not the least of which being that the Alexandra/Cyrus half of the triangle was far, far more interesting than the primary, "rooting value" couple of Cyrus and Marina. Criticisms have been leveled at how desperate and stupid this story makes Alexandra look and I don't necessarily completely disagree with that, but what I cannot overlook is the gusto and passion that Marj Dusay has injected into her portrayal of a lonely woman with an agenda and the means to fulfill it. Dusay has consistently made this questionable plot into riveting television by keeping the viewer guessing about Alexandra's feelings and motives. Her work over the last three months is the textbook definition of "making lemonade from lemons" because she's made what was a disaster on paper into one of the best things GL has offered all year by simple virtue of being Marj Dusay.

The wedding of Alexandra and Cyrus was involving, humorous, and truly fascinating. It's also noteworthy for featuring some of the only Cyrus/Marina moments that have actually worked and making (atypically) great use of Mandy Bruno's Marina. This episode also features some wonderfully tender and lively scenes between Alexandra and Buzz and demonstrates the still-potent chemistry between Dusay and Justin Deas.

Here Comes the Bride-- clip 1 , clip 2

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7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/27/07: This particular quarterly report features an avalanche of Gus/Harley material, not because I belong to the GusH fanbase (I don't), but because their story has been very heavily featured on the show (perhaps too much) and because it has benefitted from some of the best writing as well a quartet of stunning performances from Beth Ehlers (still riding the wonderful wave of naturalism that she began during January's anniversary episode) and Ricky Paull Goldin, as well as Bonnie Dennison and the continually brilliant Jessica Leccia. Every combination of actors and characters works like a dream and the passion and soul in the writing of this story has made every single relationship vitally important and frought with complication. These four episodes from July and August deal with Gus and Natalia making love and the fallout therefrom, culminating with Gus, Harley, and Natalia confronting Alan about his role in the indisrection. Powerhouse scene follows powerhouse scene as the events play out, not just in shouting and arm flailing, but far more often with a look, a touch, a whisper.

The crowning jewel, not just of this set, but of the entire report, comes in part 2 where Harley confronts Natalia about being with Gus. We read quite a bit about the "chemistry" of romantic couples, but that sort of electricity that leaps off the screen can occur in any type of pairing and Ehlers and Leccia have it in spades, as evidenced by the astoundingly good second clip in this series, which is probably the best scene of the entire third quarter. The scene contains its fair share of raised voices, but is more notable for the rock solid relatability of the material, the clear positioning of the characters, and the pitch perfect acting of Ehlers and Leccia.

Heart's Desire-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8

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8/14/07: Another lovely day from the Alexandra story came in mid-August when GL showcased two (or is it three?) sides of the character as she dealt with her Cyrus situation. Dusay is fun and funny and warm as she catches up with old friend Lillian (in a return to a friendship that is as welcome to viewers as it is to the characters) and alternately vulnerable and manipulating in dealings with Cyrus. This episode is more evidence that, for all its problems, the Alexandra/Cyrus/Marina story is worthwhile if only for the heaping helpings of Alexandra (and Dusay's exciting work) that viewers are treated to.

Rules of Engagement

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8/15/07: GL finally allowed hard luck couple Josh and Cassie to wed... almost. Of course, the ceremony took place on Main Street and could not be completed due to Reva's simultaneous victimization of Cassie, Josh, and Olivia (and Reva's the "heroine" of the show why again?), but what we did get, especially in the vows section, was really beautiful. Robert Newman and Nicole Forester gave outstanding performances as their characters declared their love. Cassie's vows were especially touching in light of the traumatic year that the character has experienced and Forester informed her work in that section with all the loss and hope and love that Cassie was feeling at that moment. These vows are filled with the sweeping romance and genuine love that soap weddings should all be made of.

I Tell You Now

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9/12/07: The best whole show of the entire quarter was the INSIDE THE LIGHT episode surrounding sex. Gus, Harley, Natalia, Dylan, Daisy, and Rafe each were featured in interview-style segments giving their feelings about sex, specifically the first sexual experience, as Gus and Harley careened toward a "final" break-up and Daisy and Rafe prepared for their first time together. The dialogue was expertly crafted and the performances were of the high quality that we've come to rely on from this group. The episode as a whole flowed beautifully from start to finish and was emotional and entertaining throughout. The interview framing device was a stroke of genius and the advancements in the story were given all the weight that they deserved and presented in an inventive and highly appealing package.

First Time's the Charm-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4

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9/17/07: So much of what the show creates these days for the character of Reva is nearly unwatchable due to the unmistakable reek of fanbase pandering as well as the comfort that informs Kim Zimmer's work as her position with the show becomes progressively cushier. For these reasons, I'm always pleasantly surprised to catch moments of true honesty and involvement in Reva material.

GUIDING LIGHT published a book about Jonathan's "adventures" (Our "hero" has sex with a ghost and then kills someone with a hammer! What a great guy!) and dovetailed that story into events on the show as Reva and Alan cover up their involvement in the murder. As expected, this scenario has quickly found comfy spot on the garbage heap, but there was one scene at the beginning featuring Zimmer and Ron Raines (Alan) that exploded with palpable tension and power. If only this quality had been maintained...

Impervious

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9/21, 9/24, 9/25: The third quarter ended on a very high note as GL finally gave viewers a large group event of the sort fans have been clamoring for all year. In this era of disappearing sets and small cast lists for each episode, it was thrilling to see so many Springfielders in the same place at the same time. The characters interacted variously, plots interwove, events dominoed! All the things that make soaps interesting were included as the show advanced several stories while bringing the Alexandra/Cyrus/Marina/Griggs scenario to a furious boil. Virtually the entire cast is used here and the list of great moments is long and varied. Over the course of three episodes packed to bursting with drama and intrigue dealing with Alexandra's diabetes fundraising gala, the show repositioned itself a real town again filled with people who know one another and have long histories together. It's been longer than I can say since GL did something like this or had three episodes in a row that were so good.

By Invitation Only-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16

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9/26/07: The final noteworthy moment from this quarter came during Dinah's ITL. In this clip Vanessa confronts Dinah about her indiscretion with Matt. It's wonderful to see Maeve Kinkead sink her teeth into really emotional material again and she seizes this opportunity and plays it for all it's worth. This is a blazing reminder of who Vanessa is and of what Kinkead could still be contributing to this show.

A Good Life

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And that's my report on the third quarter of 2007. I apologize that it's a bit late, but I, of course, don't apologize for my opinions. I call 'em like I see 'em and my feelings come from love for the whole show.

Come right back here for the next entry as GLMP continues its exploration of historical GL!

Cheers and happy watching!

---ivnkplng

The Light and the Dark

2007-09-23T07:36:00.000-05:00

Where was your favorite GL character when the lights went out in Springfield in 1992? In the dark, of course!

The Springfield Blackout is one of the most famous events in the history of GUIDING LIGHT. With the entire city plunged into darkness, partly as a result of Bridget Reardon's irresponsible consumption of electricity, GL was able to kick all of its already potent stories into high gear by placing all the players into perilous (or at the very least, stressful) situations. The blackout was the event that saw consumations (one physical and one emotional) of Blake & Ross and Ed & Lillian's forbidden attractions. It was the night that Nick finally learned that Alexandra was his mother and got left at the altar (sort of) by Mindy. It was a week of episodes that featured great fistfuls of meaty interactions between a wide array of GL characters, including new combinations, creating several bonds that persisted for years.

This event is a perfect time capsule of the GUIDING LIGHT of this period and features (arguably) GL's best ever acting ensemble and as well some beautiful, grown up writing. It reveals a soap at the very top of its game, creating story that affects Springfield even today. The blackout is one of the most famous and respected "big events" in the history of daytime and this clipset shows exactly why: brilliantly crafted, interweaving story, top notch acting from top to bottom, and all the heart, soul, warmth, wit, and intelligence that soap opera should have.

And so, enjoy The Light and the Dark--

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clip 29 , clip 30 , clip 31 , clip 32 , clip 33 , clip 34 , clip 35

clip 36 , clip 37 , clip 38

________________________________

See you back here on October 1 when GLMP presents the 3rd Quarterly Report of 2007, covering the best of the show for July, August, and September of this year!

Happy watching,

---ivnkplng

The Homecoming

2007-09-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

In previous blog entries, I've talked about the history, evolution, and reception of the Rita Bauer character. This endlessly fascinating creation was brought to life by the limitlessly talented Lenore Kasdorf and GLMP followers have had the opportunity to observe her in a variety of situations. The Homecoming provides yet another dimension to this character as we experience some of Rita's less sympathetic aspects.

Taken from the very end of 1979, we get a good look at Rita's claws and deeper flaws as she returns to town pregnant with what she (and others) are fairly certain is Greg Fairbanks' child. Rita's exchanges with Greg, Sara, Bert, and even Ed are indicative of the painting of the character as someone who is absolutely not a "heroine." She is complicated, conflicted, deeply flawed, and sometimes unpleasant.

This clipset includes one of the legendary clashes between Rita and Barbara (played by the always spot on Barbara Berjer) and it's easy to see why these encounters have attained the reputation for for electricity and entertainment value that they still possess. Kasdorf and Berjer have such command of their characters and play so well together. The history and chemistry crackling between them is supported by the rock solid writing of Douglas Marland, cementing my view of this period as the best in GUIDING LIGHT's 70 year history.

The other major event in this set is the return of Roger Thorpe (the other "homecomer"), presumed dead after being shot by Holly. There is a palpable tension as Ed begins to realize the significance of the strange events going on at Christina's school and Alan begins to anticipate the consequences of his aid to Roger. Michael Zaslow is, of course, a coiled spring, making even the small Roger vignettes in this set into riveting viewing.

Two other interesting realizations came to me while putting this set up:

1) I now think of Mart Hulswit as "Ed." He hasn't replaced Peter Simon in my mind as the definitive Ed, but I now instantly think of the character when I see him just as surely as if I'd been a daily viewer during this period.

2) I can't, for the life of me, imagine that anyone took the Peter Chapman character (or his lifeless relationship with Holly) seriously. Everything about this character is so unbelievably dull and it's actually a bit of a surprise that Marland didn't think to create someone who was a more viable alternative to Roger and Ed.

Just to pinpoint the events of this set on the GL timeline, The Homecoming occurs three months after the events of Satisfaction and two months before Enough Is Enough.

And so, enjoy The Homecoming--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

_____________________________

Lastly, I've created a new mvid spotlighting the middle four months of 2007. I Want It All features a song by the band Kosheen and covers many of the major events of May, June, July, and August

I Want It All

Total Trust

2007-08-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

I sometimes have a hard time coming up with names for these clipsets. There have been times where I've banged my head against a wall for an hour or more trying to figure what turn of phrase captures the theme and mood of a particular series best. I want something that will ring in the viewer's ear and inspire interest in the set and will make sense upon viewing. Some efforts have been more successful than others and sometimes I end up surprised with how well a particular title works.

Such was the case with Total Trust. I mainly chose the title because I love the way Petronia Paley uses her voice in the role of Vivian and when she said "total trust" in the media awards scenes, it stuck in my brain and I thought it would be as good a title as any. As I began putting the individual clips up, I was struck by how well the title applied to the relationships between Gilly and Sid, Gilly and Nick, Gilly and David, Ross and Blake, David and Bridget, Vanessa and Bill, and others. It also serves as an interesting counterpoint to the interactions between David and Vivian and Roger and Holly.

Taken from the beginning of 1995, Total Trust mainly follows several weeks in the life of Gilly Grant, a character never really used to her full potential and played by the underrated Amelia Marshall. It spins out to include great looks at Gilly's brother David, as well as Ross & Blake, Roger & Holly, Vanessa & "little" Bill, Bridget, Lucy, Nick, Fletcher, and one of my all time favorites Det. Patrick Cutter.

This set is also of note because it prominently features Sid Dickerson, a character I hated while he was on the show, but who I actually enjoy quite a lot in this set. I think what it was was that I was still very bitter about GL not electing to pusue the Gilly/Alan-Michael connection which I found so intriguing when I first began with GL. That is still, to me, one of the great missteps in the show's history.

This is a great time in the show's history, falling as it does before the "Onslaught of the Returnees", during which the show would be handed-- lock, stock, and barrel-- to Reva, Phillip, and Harley. This is a GL that vanished mere months later, never to be seen again.

Total Trust--

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clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18

clip 19 , clip 20 , clip 21 , clip 22 , clip 23

From Here to Infinity

2007-08-15T20:47:00.000-05:00

The mid-80's were a time of big things: big spending, big hair, big shoulder pads, etc. GUIDING LIGHT, during this time, tended to do things in a big way as well and they were quite successful for their efforts. Many viewers see this time in the show's history as the "glory years" and it was the last time that GL held the number one position in the Neilsen ratings.

The 1985 wedding of Mindy Lewis and Kurt Corday is an example of the lavish production values that went into the show at this time. The outdoor location shoot boasts hordes of extras, animals, carriages of various types, and gorgeous costumes (well... most of them are gorgeous) and set pieces. This event is also an example of the appropriate usage of this kind of excess. It's overblown and larger than life, but in a way that is exciting and otherwise stimulating and doesn't detract from the real emotions of the situation at hand.

The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for the reception which features a convoluted (to the point of unintelligibilty) intrigue plot involving Billy's mind being controlled via an image in Lujack's music video. Improbably, no fewer than three separate shootings occur at this time, one of them wounding Maeve Stoddard (played by the always luminous and watchable Leslie Denniston). The more I see of this character and of Denniston's work, the more I wish I had more material featuring her. It's also worth mentioning that the moment where Reva realizes that a wounded Maeve is pregnant with Kyle's child is the point that resonates the best in this set.

This clipset also confirms a suspicion that I've had for awhile, which is that John Bolger was actually really good as Phillip. I've never quite been able to buy into popular opinion about this character, but Bolger adds a level of charm and sympathy to Phillip that makes me want to view the character the way most other viewers do... and he looks hella good in his Prince Charming pants! LOL!

So, when all is said and done, if you can ignore the Infinity nonsense at the reception, this is a very enjoyable set of clips: romantic and fun and suspenseful.

Enjoy From Here to Infinity--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

Also, here is a previously presented short set dealing with the aftermath of this event.

The Woman You Love--

clip 1 , clip 2

Finally, for the fate of Kurt and more of the Maeve/Kyle/Reva triangle, refer to the Dearly Beloved blog entry.

Sins of the Father

2007-08-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

During the last part of 2004, GUIDING LIGHT was said to be "on fire." This was due mainly to the "Reva meets Jonathan" and the "Phillip is shot" plots. These two high profile storylines had the press and fans alike in a lather about a GL renaissance and did much to create a very positive feeling about the show in most sectors.

There was a third major storyline going on at that time and while I did enjoy the Jonathan and Phillip stories very much, my favorite thing going at that time was the Holly scenario. After Maureen Garrett was dropped from her contract status in 2003 and then from the show entirely in early 2004, I despaired of ever seeing her again. You can well imagine my surprise and pleasure when it was announced that Holly would be receiving a front-burner storyline featuring closure for her past with Roger. The initial reception was good, but then a lot of public sentiment seemed to turn against it as viewers focused on the flaws in the story rather than on the continuing brilliant work being turned in day after day from Garrett.

For my part, I loved the story of Holly being forced to look head on at the deepest, darkest parts of herself and her past. I loved being able to luxuriate in heaping helpings of Garrett's magic and it was for that reason that I was able to overlook some of the potholes in the story and Doug Hutchison's excessive acting choices in his portrayal of Sebastian. The good parts of this storyline far outweighed the bad as far as I was concerned and I was heartbroken when Holly abruptly vanished early on in 2005.

For those of you that may remember not enjoying this storyline, I urge you to take another look. There's a lot here that is worthy of reevaluation. When I started this Project in April of 2006, this story was one of the things that I wanted to revisit. It's taken me over a year to get the materials, but I'm now very pleased to present Sins of the Father.

Sins of the Father--

(clips A through D were previously presented under the title He Is Just Away)

clip A , clip B , clip C , clip D , clip 1 , clip 2

clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8

clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14

clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18 , clip 19 , clip 20

clip 21 , clip 22 , clip 23 , clip 24 , clip 25 , clip 26

clip 27 , clip 28

To Tell the Truth

2007-07-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to think that I've been giving the GUIDING LIGHT of the late 80's a bad rap. My very negative feelings about mid-80's GL remain as they've always been, but the more I see from 1988 and beyond, the more I realize that I may have unfairly lumped together the entire decade beyond Douglas Marland's departure in one heap.

Today's blog entry finds us once again 1988, this time at the tension-filled wedding of Rick and (Fletcher's sister) Meredith. This is a really great clipset for quite a few reasons, not the least of which is the first good look I've been able to provide at Nicolette Goulet's portrayal of Meredith. My first experience with Goulet was a few years ago when SOAPnet reran her tenure as Mary Ryan on RYAN'S HOPE. Goulet is always compared (and always unfavorably) to the original and definitive Mary, Kate Mulgrew (best known as Captain Janeway on STAR TREK: VOYAGER), but I enjoyed Goulet's work on RH quite a lot and I don't think that she was evaluated fairly for what she contributed to the role.

So coming to this clipset as a big fan of Goulet's work, I was thrilled to see how much she'd grown as an actor by the time she got to GL. She sets a really wonderful tone for this story and is incredibly watchable and sympathetic as Meredith hopes against hope that her world isn't crumbling down around her.

This series is also notable for the most vital and interesting use of the Rick Bauer character that I've ever seen (although I suppose the final days of Phillip from 2004 would be in roughly the same league). It's great to see Rick (and Michael O'Leary) really driving story in a meaningful and dramatic way.

To Tell the Truth is a lovely look at the Springfield of this time. Peter Simon shines as always in the role of Ed. Elizabeth Dennehy provides a fascinating glimpse at the beginnings of Blake, including some intriguing hints at the impending reveltion of her Bauerhood. Krista Tesreau is charming and pixieish as Mindy. Maureen, Phillip, Fletcher, Alan-Michael, and many others are all there, as well as Kassie Wesley (before she became a DePaiva) as Chelsea, making this a thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful set of clips.

To Tell the Truth--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6
clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11

The Wedding Guest

2007-07-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

In 1996, GUIDING LIGHT was changing. But isn't it always? Well, yes, but this was a time of significant, sweeping change. In 1996 alone, there were three different sets of writers.

The show was in the middle of of a quartet of "fan favorite" returns. Rick and Reva had already made themselves at home again. Phillip's return is presented here today in this clipset, while Harley's comeback was just a little over half a year down the road at this time.

As "fan favorites," these characters were awarded lots and lots of airtime and prominent storylines. Also, the changes in headwriters meant that the literate, sophisticated style that had defined the show earlier in the decade was gone, replaced by a more pedestrian brand of dialogue and storytelling.

All these changes were so profound and so consuming, that the show that I fell in love with in 1993 was an almost completely different product by the end of 1997. Reva, Phillip, and Harley very much ruled the day and the fans were thrilled-- well, except for me. This period of change also signaled the beginning of a ratings bleed-out from which the show has yet to recover.

But onto the main event: The wedding of Alan-Michael and Lucy! This event was marked with a lavish location shoot at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and featured the long awaited joyous union of (literally) tortured Lucy Cooper and her hero, reformed bad boy Alan-Michael Spaulding. Having survived cross-dressing rapist Brent Lawrence as well as their feuding families, the couple had certainly earned their right to a moment in the sun. Fittingly, the Sunshine State of Florida was selected as the place to cast some much needed light into the lives of the beleaguered couple and they wed atop the marquee of the Pantages Theatre with friends and family gazing up from below.

For all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the wedding, the bride and groom end up with second billing, upstaged by The Wedding Guest: prodigal son Phillip Spaulding. It's Phillip's return (complete with a chip of epic proportions on his shoulder) and the spectacle of Alan and Buzz competing for the right to drool over Reva that end up taking center stage in this clipset.

For my money, the the bickering between Alexandra and Amanda is the best thing going here. I've spent a lot of time getting to know Kathleen Cullen's portrayal of Amanda in the last year and really fallen in love with her, but this set reminds me just how much I loved Toby Poser in the role. Her brassy, luxurious, cigar-smoking Amanda, while worlds away from Cullen's characterization, is truly a joy and seeing her here again is great fun.

And so, enjoy The Wedding Guest--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6
clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12
clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17

For a look at some of Alan-Michael and Lucy's troubles with Brent Lawrence, take a look at the Cracked blog entry. As Brent material comes in, I will be presenting a better look at this storyline, hopefully within 2007.

Loaded Gun

2007-07-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in recent entry that Rita Bauer is a character that still comes up fairly often in online conversations between GUIDING LIGHT fans. Another such unforgettable figure who is still the subject of devotion and remembrance is Ben Warren, brother of Ross Marler.

A controversial storyline in 1998 found Blake almost completely unable to resist her powerful and growing attraction to her brother-in-law. Ben initially began his conquest of Blake out of a desire to punish Ross, but almost immediately developed real feelings for her. This set, Loaded Gun, focuses on the disastrous consequences that come when Ross walks in on the two after Blake has finally given in to her tortured lust.

Ross' accidental shooting of Blake came as a great surprise at the time, marred though it was by the heavy, overwrought style of Esensten and Harmon-Brown's writing. (Not for nothing, these two just this week slammed GUIDING LIGHT and rewrote history when they announced in Soap Opera Digest that their new appointment as headwriters of ALL MY CHILDREN was the first time they'd assumed control of a show "that wasn't on life support"-- a mighty brazen assertion, considering the shameful amount of damage they did to GL!)

This clipset also gives a good picture of the friendship between Ben and Beth as well as showing just how very snide, petty, and vicious Harley was when it came to Beth. It features a classic set-up of Phillip needing to maintain total control of Beth's life, Harley feeling threatened by Phillip's obvious feelings, and then attacking Beth for it. Also on display is a rapidly declining Holly as she sneaks secret nips from her flask and marches ever closer to her fateful "Nursery Rhyme Stalker" story.

All the characters collect at Cedars in the wake of the shooting and become involved another shocking confrontation as Ross, consumed with grief and rage, holds Ben, Beth, Holly, and Hart (Frank Grillo in his last months on the show) at gunpoint. I really enjoy group events like this that bring together a variety of characters, so this is my favorite part of the set. It's also the part that (I think) does the best job of ramping up the drama quotient without lurching too far into the land of hamfisted melodrama.

This really is a great set of clips and a good look at one of the more successful stories of this time period. With Hunt Block and Jerry verDorn front and center, it's nearly impossible to go wrong and this storyline really did make great use of them both, for the most part.

So, enjoy Loaded Gun

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12

clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17

******

For another look at the attraction between Ben and Blake, refer to the Irresistible blog entry.

Meanwhile, I'll see you all right here next week!

---ivnkplng

Quarterly Report: Best of April to June, 2007

2007-06-30T05:39:00.000-05:00

So much to say this time around...
Let's start with today's date: June 30. Today is the 55th anniversary of GUIDING LIGHT's television debut. It was on this day in 1952 that GUIDING LIGHT began the visual continuation of its story. It broadcast the same episode twice a day, once on radio and then again on television, for four years, discontinuing the radio component in 1956.
In deciding how best to mark the event, occurring as it does simultaneously with the second quarterly report of 2007, it dawned on me that there's no better way to observe this anniversary than to celebrate the best of GL's current television output.(How very Ellen Wheeler of me! I know!) But in all seriousness, the timing of this status report is just perfect as far as I'm concerned, especially since the GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project, as a concept, is one big celebration of the show on television anyway.

One big event that occurred this quarter was this year's Emmy ceremony, at which GL was awarded the Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing Team statues. In a humiliating and infuriating turn, large numbers of GL viewers immediately turned out online to decry the awards and credit everything but the actual quality of the show itself for the recognition bestowed by the Emmy voters. I'm the very last person to assert that everything is roses and sausages on the current show, but GL had more than enough episodes to win the awards they received. My Best of 2006 blog entries (all four of them!) made that abundantly clear and I'm not going to waste space here trying to respond to people whose aim is nothing more than to pour acid on the whole show because their favorite character isn't resting in perfect splendor.

With that out of the way, on to the second quarter of 2007!
Before anything else is said, it must be pointed out that these last three months were generously adorned with a quartet of nearly flawless performances. Ricky Paull Goldin, Jessica Leccia, Beth Ehlers, and Bonnie Dennison rendered gorgeous, stunningly natural portrayals of their characters, day in and day out, in what was undeniably the very, very best storyline on the show. Even in the leanest of times (and there were some really lean times this quarter!), this group could consistently be counted on to present grounded, believable, entertaining, affecting drama at every turn, literally without fail. Regardless what single scenes, performances, or episodes are spotlighted in this writing, it must be noted that the day-to-day work of these four made GL a very healthy enterprise even when the show populated by other diseased elements.

Unfortunate storylines like the excruciating Beth-tries-to-get-pregnant plot (an inexcusable insult to the brilliant Beth Chamberlin!) and the Blake-wakes-up-with-no connection-to-her-life-and-no-one-notices plot (an inexcusable insult to... well... everybody!) really hampered GL's watchability as did the disjointed, poorly founded Marina/Cyrus coupling, which is only just now as I write this beginning to enter the realm of watchability (possibly too late). The Reva/Josh/Cassie triangle has been overexposed to the point of irrelevance and written into an incredibly unpleasant hole, but the absolute worst has got to be the morally bankrupt, jaw-droppingly rotten tale of Reva victimizing Lizzie. The show is doing quite the little tap dance to justify Reva's actions and Kim Zimmer is busting out all the choked back tears and cleavage that a television screen will contain and none of it is making Reva's actions seem like anything but despicable acts that they most certainly are. The show is banking on Zimmer's significant fanbase to buy the whitewash that this story is dishing out and I'm certain that they will, but I am definitely not.

But what was the best of the best? What lit up the screen like a Friendship Lamp in the window of our televisions?

4/6/07: GUIDING LIGHT had a long, uphill battle filling the hole that was left when the character they had given the show completely over to left. After Tom Pelphrey (and Jonathan's) departure in early February, it was very nearly two months before the show was able to reclaim its identity.
This episode from April 6 sees Springfield getting its groove back and racing headlong into new territory. Anchored by Caitlin Van Zandt's heartbreakingly real performance as Ashlee struggles beneath her guilt over shooting Alan, the show moves Ashlee from one riveting, emotional interaction to another, from her plaintive dealings with a suspiciously forgiving Alan to her connection with comforting lifeline Frank (an uncharacteristically interesting and effective Frank Dicopoulos), finally to her dysfunctional and passionate relationship with Doris (in one of the criminally infrequent occasions where firecracker Orlagh Cassidy gets the writing she deserves). The Harley/Daisy and Cassie/Josh sections are both rock solid and extremely moving as well and this episode flows beautifully and works perfectly as a unit.
Leave a Bruise-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
----------
4/11/07: Kim Zimmer is a big talent, to be sure, but my biggest complaint with her is that I very often don't feel her participating in her scenes with other people. It often seems as though Reva is in a completely different reality than the people she's interacting with, so you can well imagine my surprise and pleasure during Reva and Harley's emotionally violent blowout on April 11. Zimmer and Beth Ehlers (whose work since the anniversary episode has been nothing short of miraculous!) blew the doors off the darkened car that served as their set and both actors were unbelievably good. Zimmer was present and listening and (here's the important part) giving-- really participating cooperatively in the scene instead of just presenting "REVA."
This is an amazing, unforgettable two and a half minutes of television, unfortunate only for its scarcity in the Zimmer ouvre.
Go There
-----------
4/18 and 4/19/07: My disappointment with the underuse and misuse of Maeve Kinkead since her return to the role of Vanessa could fill up several blog entries. For some reason, GL decided to give us a good taste of what we were (and still are) missing when they devoted an uncharacteristic amount of screentime to the break-up of Vanessa and Matt's marriage. Kinkead roars back like a lioness, both as an actor and as Vanessa, diving fearlessly and headlong into the emotionally rich opportunity presented by the material, all the while maintaining her trademark steel spine.
People You Love
-----------
5/10/07: The coupling of Buzz and Olivia was almost always an excruciating chore to watch, but their break-up was searing to the bone. Crystal Chappell and Justin Deas gave pitch-perfect, psychologically brutal performances that left the viewer (like the characters) exhausted and (unlike the characters) satisfied.
Off the Rails-- clip 1 , clip 2
-----------
5/11/07-- A veritable masterstroke of episodic construction, this show was, without question, the best whole hour of television from the second quarter. Strung together by the sights and sounds of an approaching storm, the episode flashes into the reality(ies) of each character grouping, the lightning seeming to momentarily illuminate the dark corners they'd prefer were hidden. From Beth and Lizzie's eerie conversations about preparations for Beth's baby, to Josh's (mostly) unsuccessful attempts to inspire jaded Remy, to Ava's futile efforts to reconcile Buzz and Olivia, the episode moves along like a storm cloud in a blackened sky, eventually pouring forth a genuinely disturbing encounter between lost, bitter Cassie and frightened, defensive Beth.
The jewel in the crown of this episode though is the anguished scenes bewteen Crystal Chappell and Bradley Cole as Olivia rails at Jeffrey over the damage she still feels from his long-ago sexual misconduct. Chappell is bloody and visceral as she spits her fury and desperation at Jeffrey. I could go on trying to describe the astoundingly real performance of Crystal Chappell, but austex, one of the posters on the GLMP message board, really boiled it down best when she said, "You feel she is Olivia and that this happened to her." And that's exactly what Chappell did for the audience. She made Olivia's pain blaze into life.
Thunder and Lightning-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
-----------
5/22/07: The casting of Brian Gaskill as Dylan is not something that I support. Aside from being a poor visual match for Beth Ehlers, the show has hobbled any connection between this Dylan and the Dylan we all remember by keeping him largely isolated from the his parents and other family. Having said that, Gaskill has made some impressive strides toward making the role his own, most notably this gorgeous scene from May 22 with Ehlers and the always watchable Bonnie Dennison. Ehlers' non-verbal work in these scenes is especially impressive.
Taking Back
-----------
5/23/07-- There aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe how completely blown away I am with the work of Jessica Leccia as Natalia. There has not been even one false note in anything she's done, so wholly natural, believable, sympathetic, and always, always, always interesting. Her stunning physical beauty and the uncompromising honesty of her acting made Natalia instantly and completely real and utterly captivating from her very first scenes, only increasing in substance as time has gone on. Never was Leccia's jaw-droppingly powerful, effortlessly subtle command of her character on better display than in the scenes featuring Natalia asking Gus whether he could ever leave Harley. Not since Peter Simon and Jerry verDorn graced the stages of GUIDING LIGHT have I seen this level of naturalism. I really cannot say enough good things about this amazing performer, so I will simply let her work speak for me.
If
-----------
5/25/07: The incredibly unfortunate, poorly conceived Cassie/Josh/Reva triangle has resulted in a few truly good moments-- not enough to save the story, mind you, but enough to justify my "no fast forwarding" policy. One such moment went beyond "good" all the way to "great" and it came courtesy of Nicole Forester in the scenes where Cassie confronted Josh about sleeping with Reva. This has been a really productive year for Forester, generating so much fantastic work. These scenes rank near the top of her impressive body of work in '07.
The Three of Us
-----------
5/31/07: I've spoken before about the immensely satisfying leap in quality Yvonna Wright's work took in 2006. It really is a shame that the powers-that-be at GL haven't seemed to take adequate notice of it because Wright has made Mel into more viable a commodity than she's ever been. These scenes from May 31 spotlight Wright's truly vital energy, charisma, and depth. I only wish that the immensely entertaining storyline that seemed to be forthcoming had materialized beyond this episode. Alas, it did not, which is a shame because this Mel/Jeffrey/Olivia tango was one of the best events of the three month period.
The Perfectionist
-----------
6/8/07: This brief scene from June 8 is one of the funniest things I've seen on GL all year. Ron Raines, Michael O'Leary, and Yvonna Wright are pure gold as Alan badgers Rick and Mel from across the room at Company. I can't see this scene often enough and I laugh out loud all the way through every time.
The Heckler
-----------
6/20 and 6/21/07: The story of Mallet and Dinah dealing with the reappearance of Mallet's former employer, Griggs (played by the gallingly misused Darnell Williams), was mostly a confusing mess. The good news is that the climax played out brilliantly as Dinah faced off alone with Griggs and ended up taking a bullet meant for Mallet. I took a little poll at the GLMP message board to see who people felt gave the best performance from the second quarter of '07 and the majority voted for Gina Tognoni for her work on 6/21. I happen to agree with this. The scene before the shooting is quite effective, but what really strikes me is the physical work that Tognoni does as Dinah lays bleeding from her head and reacting to her circumstances. I thought I had pretty much seen all the acting cards in Tognoni's mightily impressive deck, but the hand she played that day was a new one for me.
Blood Red-- clip 1 , clip 2
----------
6/22/07: The scene featuring grieving mothers Cassie and Lizzie exchanging complicated emotions on Main Street was shocking for a few different reasons. The excellent dialogue exposed the raw emotion that people in the characters' positions would be carrying around and both actors ran with it. Forrester has proven time and again that that she is an acting force to be reckoned with, but Rylan hadn't really knocked anything out of the park at quite this level before. Rylan is amazing in this scene and this is a very encouraging sign of things to come.
Dealing
****
The final presentation in this quarterly report is three "mvids" spotlighting the three storylines that worked the best during the period.
The first is for the amazingly well-constructed, consistently good Gus/Harley/Natalia scenario.
I'll Be There

The second features the complicted tortured connection between Olivia and Jeffrey.
Cellophane

The final mvid spotlights the action as Daisy and Ashlee are incarcerated at "Juvie." It features both girls, plus Coop, Rafe, and Megan (played by the delightful Allison Fischer).
Rehab

Satisfaction

2007-06-23T16:08:00.001-05:00

One of the most electrifying and polarizing presences on the GUIDING LIGHT canvas in the last 30 years was Rita Bauer. Played by the stunningly beautiful Lenore Kasdorf, Rita inspired legions of loyal fans and ardent detractors and the name still pops up fairly frequently on message boards to this day.

In his book Taking Soaps Seriously: The World of Guiding Light (1984, Praeger Publishers), Michael James Intintoli quotes from an interview with then-executive producer Allen Potter:

"One example of the influence of the audience in relation to character development was recounted by the executive producer of Guiding Light. Asked which letters had an impact, he stated, 'Letters that surprise you,' and gave the following example.
'Rita (a character who had been continually unfaithful to her husband) had a past in Texas. Someone was killed and a finger was pointed at Rita. She didn't really do it. What happened was we were trying to clean up Rita a little bit--she was getting to be a whore really. We tried to clean her up. The letters, they hated her. They said, "How can you tell us she is so good when she killed that man in Texas? She lied about this:" That wasn't what we said at all; we said she didn't kill this person. But they didn't want to believe this, they wanted to believe she did (kill this person). We got so much mail with nobody believing what we were trying to do with this character we ended up throwing our hands in the air saying it was useless to try to clean up this woman because they don't see her that way. So we went with it.'

Satisfaction finds us in the summer of 1979, probably about a year after the decision had been made to "give up" on reforming Rita. Unlike today's soaps, this didn't mean writing stories that cast Rita as a deranged "villainess," but rather it meant that Rita would be deeply flawed, gripped by a profound restlessness and yearning for more than her present circumstances offered. It's in this state that we find Rita as she and husband Ed grapple with the fallout from Rita's tragically belated admission of her rape by Roger. Rita's struggles against the loneliness and distance of what she sees as her crumbling marriage, seeking advice from Sara McIntyre on her unsatisfactory sexual relationship with Ed.

In addition to Kasdorf's surprisingly effective and powerful work in these clips, Satisfaction also features great performances by Mart Hulswit as Ed, the incomparable Charita Bauer as Bert, Millette Alexander as Sara, as well as a brief snippet of Anna Maria Horsford as Clara. Horsford would go on to sitcom fame as Thelma in AMEN and silver screen immortality as Naomi the Hooker in St. Elmo's Fire ("You wanna date?" LOL!!)

As I say everytime I present a clipset from this era, I love, love, love this period of GL. Satisfaction is very "low key." Nobody explodes or gets stabbed or even screams. The viewer really gets to know these characters (every single one of them) as people-- well defined, beautifully human people. Very satisfying, if you ask me.

Satisfaction--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

The Prisoner

2007-06-18T09:52:00.000-05:00

Well, the 2007 Daytime Emmy's have come and gone and the good news is that GUIDING LIGHT was awarded statues for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing Team. Congratulations GL!

The bad news is that the ceremony itself was a rushed, slapped together, wholly unentertaining assembly line. In CBS' hurry to get the show over with in the allotted time, they revealed their lack of any genuine intention to celebrate the industry of daytime. This was most obvious in the complete lack of any sort of acknowlegement of the passing away of daytime professionals in the last year. Unmentioned were the deaths of Darlene Conley (ex-Sally, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL) and Benjamin Hendrickson (ex-Hal, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Silas, GL; et al). I'm sure there must be other deaths that I can't think of right now or simply don't know about. This outrageous slight exemplified the workmanlike, passionless tone of this year's ceremony.

I'm very lucky to have been a part of an online Emmy-watching party at the GLMP message board. We gave ourselves the good time that CBS was unable or unwilling to provide, but the GLMP community remains disappointed that daytime as a whole didn't receive more honor at a function meant to honor daytime.

I can't do much about the Emmy's, but I can use this blog and this project to recall the work of a daytime legend who generously shared his work with soap viewers. Benjamin Hendrickson dazzled and touched daytime audiences for 25 years across four P&G soaps, beginning in 1981 on TEXAS and most notably including a 20-year run as AS THE WORLD TURNS' Hal. What some of you may not know is that he's also responsible for one of GL's most famous villain characterizations: Silas Crocker, dastardly foe of super-couple Quint & Nola.

The Prisoner provides a wonderful look at Hendrickson's time on GL. Taken from 1982, this clipset shows Silas at his most unremittingly evil as he holds Nola captive on a rat-infested boat, torturing her physically and mentally. Hendrickson is brilliant and utterly convincing in this role (and, not for nothing, he looks damn good too!)

I have to confess to not being a huge fan of the Quint character or Michael Tylo's work in the role. This character (and the characterization) just seem so alien to what GL is (or should be) about. The storyline feels like a desperate attempt to ape what Gloria Monty was doing at ratings giant GENERAL HOSPITAL at the time, generously peppered as it is with grand guignol themes and lively (if unconvincing) action sequences. The unfortunate circumstances surrounding headwriter Doug Marland's departure (early in '82) appear to have left the show all too susceptible to this kind of derivative storytelling. It is the grounded work of Hendrickson and the always believable and sublime Lisa Brown as Nola that keep this scenario from drifting completely off into the far-fetched ethers of shrill fantasy.

And now that you've read that ringing endorsement (LOL!), enjoy The Prisoner.

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14

BONUS FEATURE!****

An interview with Mary Stuart (then Jo on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, later Meta on GL) from the 1st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1974! Barbara Walters does a Q&A with Staurt and Mary Fickett (ex-Ruth, AMC).-- clip

Secret Admirers/The Heart of the Matter

2007-06-08T02:04:00.000-05:00

I've written quite a bit about how much I love the late 70's/early 80's period as well as the early 90's period. Another favorite of mine is the early 00's. The head writing tenures of Claire Labine, "Lucky" Gold, and Millee Taggert & Carolyn Culliton were (for the most part) filled with such tenderness, intelligence, and vibrance. Dud storylines like Alonso & Camille and Reva's time travel painting aside, this was a truly magical (in a good way!) time, with GL really recapturing its identity as "the human show."

Today's entry features a new smallish clipset that sets up a previously posted set which hasn't been featured in the blog yet, but which is one of my favorite collections ever put forth as part of the GLMP. Secret Admirers is the new set, taken from the end of 2001. It deals with the frustrated courtship of Rick and Mel and the beginnings of Gus' full-on pursuit of Harley. Both these developments are hampered by the fact that Rick and Harley have committed to raising their newborn son together. This set is a very nice look at two of the iconic faces of this time period: Ricky Paull Goldin as Gus and Yvonna Kopacz-Wright as Mel.

Facile, silver-tongued Goldin hit the ground running when he arrived on the Sprinfield canvas as an edgier version of Gus, but it was this storyline that really made the character into someone viewers could love, taking full advantage of Goldin's considerable powers of comedy and ultra-magnetic charm.

Kopacz (these storylines occurred before she married and became a Wright) is a little tougher nut to crack. Certainly not as able a performer as Goldin during this time, she had yet to display the power and gravitas that her 2006 Bauer/Spaulding storyline would showcase, but what is readily available here is a very generous and appealing screen presence. Even for her obvious inexperience, she remains sympathetic and very watchable, which I think is why so many viewers were so pleased to see her eventually blossom into the engaging and vibrant (if woefully underused) actor that she is today.

Secret Admirers is also a nice look at the historical beginnings of two GUIDING LIGHT couples whose lives are still reflected on the show today. My favorite scenes from this set are the lovely Gus/Mel conversations. Strangely enough, Kopacz-Wright seems far more comfortable and alive in those exchanges than she does in the Rick scenes, which gives me the feeling that an opportunity was missed there.

At any rate, enjoy Secret Admirers--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4

clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8

The other set is called The Heart of the Matter. I posted it in August of last year and, as I said above, it's one of the best clipsets ever put together as part of the GLMP. It spans the mid-2002 wedding of Rick and Mel as Rick is hospitalized with a deadly heart condition and it goes through the truly gorgeous scenes of Ed's return, through a 21st century reunion of all four Musketeers, and all the way through to the families of Rick and Richard agonizing over their dying loved ones as Reva pulls the plug on Richard, but Mel is implicated in the crime. This set is an ocean of stunning performances, but none so much as the incomparable Peter Simon as Ed. I can scarcely think of adequate words to describe the heartbreaking perfection he brings to each and every one of Ed's scenes. There's a solo scene with just Ed and a water faucet in clip 8 that has got to be one of the most breathtaking moments of acting I've ever seen anywhere.

Other noteworthy performances are turned in by Michael O'Leary, Maureen Garrett, and Grant Aleksander, but as I said, pretty much everyone is wonderful.

The Heart of the Matter--

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18 , clip 19 , clip 20

Forsaking All Others

2007-06-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

The 1998 wedding of Phillip and Harley was quite the event on GL. Not only because it united a very popular couple in holy matrimony, but because the "uniting" was done by none other than Rudy Giuliani himself, who was mayor of New York City at the time.

I wasn't actually a fan of this couple, but I do realize that they were wildly popular with a lot of fans and they certainly made a good match, sharing as they did a great passion for insulting, humiliating, and controlling Beth. LOL! In all seriousness, The Phillip/Harley pairing is significant for being very much an emblematic icon of this particular era of GL. They, along with Danny and Michelle, are the unions people think of most when recalling this era. The four of them (along with Reva, of course) were the prime movers and shakers of the canvas, definitively and finally bringing the show out of the '91 to '96 period. (Remember when I characterized 1997 as a conspicuous year of change in the Kaleidoscope blog entry?)

And speaking of Reva, Forsaking All Others gives us a nice look at Annie's (quite successful!) plot to take control of Josh's mind through the power of fragrance as Reva interrupts a secret meeting between "Teri DeMarco" (Annie's new guise) and Sit-Down-Josh! Poor Robert Newman must have been in hell playing this ridiculous story, which was the work of myth-makers Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown. This the team that was responsible for Reva being cloned, Hart's boxing match with Death, worst of all, Holly kidnapping the children of Springfield. For those who don't know, these people have just now in 2007 been hired at ALL MY CHILDREN as the new headwriting team, so good luck to anyone who still watches AMC! (Yikes!)
This set features two other events: Alexandra's intial clash with Vicky and the death of Jenna. As such, this clipset provides another very nice panoramic view of GL at this time. Combined with Parent Trap (Holly kidnapping the children) and Welcome to the Family (beginnings of Michelle and Danny), you get a pretty clear picture of this period.

And so, enjoy Forsaking All Others--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10
clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14

The Usual Suspects

2007-05-25T16:34:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are again in one of my favorite periods of GL history: the late 70's/very early 80's. Today's blog entry presents the continuation of two previously posted sets, one short new set, and a request for ayone reading this.

First, the new stuff: The Usual Suspects comes at us from 1981 and concerns the stalking of Eve Stapleton McFarren and features a character I had only heard about before seeing these clips earlier this month, but who is now one of my all-time favorite soap creations ever. That character is Amanda's uncle Chet Stafford, played by Bill Herndon, and WOW, is he a firecracker! This quick-tempered, irrational koo-koo bird spends the majority of this clipset biting the head off of pretty much everyone he comes into contact with in the surliest, most foul-tempered manner possible (everyone except his darling Amanda, of course!). It goes on so long and to such extremes that it crosses the line into a sort of absurdity that has to be seen to be believed. Needless to say, the entertainment value is quite high here. LOL! It's the absurdist streak in me that makes me love characters like Lucille Wexler, Caroline Carruthers, and R.J. Winslow, but Chet Stafford is their king, to be sure!
The Usual Suspects is filled with plenty of great moments, including a jaw-dropping shouting match between Vanessa and Eve that takes place through a door and is the best use yet that I've seen of Maeve Kinkead's very early (and very large) characterization of Vanessa.
Here's where the request of you readers comes in-- If anyone out there has video material from this storyline, I absolutely have to have it. I can't pay for it, but I could potentially arrange some sort of trade for you or you could donate to GLMP out of the goodness of your heart. :)
Meanwhile, enjoy The Usual Suspects. This clipset is just fantastic!--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

For background on the complicated history of Amanda, Ben, and Eve see the previously posted (but never blogged) Wanted Man clipset from 1979 , which deals with the same triangle.
Wanted Man--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6
clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11
The Mountains clipset follows several months after Wanted Man, still in 1979.

*******************************
Back in October of last year, before the inception of this blog, I posted a set called Certain Rights from 1979, dealing with the fallout from Roger's rape of Holly and Holly's pursuit of a marital rape conviction. Most of the set came from actual episodes, but the section of the actual rape episode was taken from a copy of Roger Thorpe: The Scandal Years and so was heavily edited and (obviously) not the complete episode. Now in possesion of the full show, I'm able to share not so much more of the attack, but rather more of the immediate reaction of Holly, including her harrowing drive away from the house.
It should also be noted that Certain Rights contains what are probably Jerry verDorn's first episodes as Ross. The full set is listed below with the newly added clips marked with an asterisk*.

Certain Rights--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 2a* , clip 2b* , clip 2c* , clip 2d*
clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8
clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14
clip 15 , clip 16 , clip 17 , clip 18 , clip 19

******************************
In August of last year, I put up a clipset from 1980 called Enough Is Enough which showcased Roger's famous pursuit of Rita Bauer through the Hall of Mirrors at the Cedars Charity Bazaar after she recognized him as he was trying to lure Christina (now known as Blake) away in order to kidnap her. At the end of the set, Roger took Rita prisoner instead of Christina, but now I have the following episode with Rita's captivity. Interestingly, Lenore Kasdorf was apparently unable to film this episode and Rita is played by someone called Sarah Daley (sp?). This new material also picks up on the date that Katie mentioned to Hillary previously in the clipset. Denise Pence is her usual lively, charming self here as she plays Katie's reactions to the veritable army of women vying for Mark's attention.

Enough Is Enough--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5
clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10
clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15
clip 16 , clip 17* , clip 18* , clip 19* , clip 20*

Well, that's all for now. Happy viewing and I'll see you here next week.
---ivnkplng

Dearly Beloved

2007-05-19T01:50:00.000-05:00

1986 falls right in the middle of what I have many times identified as my least favorite period in GL history. I know very well that this runs directly contrary to popular opinion. As far as most people are concerned, these are GL's "golden years." I don't feel that way for a variety of reasons, most of which I've made fairly public, but this project exists to serve all GL viewers, including lovers of the mid-80's and so this week finds us in that twangy, colorful era of GL.

Dearly Beloved focuses on the aborted wedding of Kyle Sampson and Reva Shayne, called to a screeching halt by Maeve Stoddard. The other central event is Mindy discovering that her husband, Kurt, has been killed. The two events intertwine, linked by the fact the they both involve the same family. Very little, in fact, occurred on GL that didn't involve the Lewis/Shayne family during this period.

Leslie Denniston gives a really terrific performance as Maeve. The naturalistic, "classic soap" feel of what she does acts as a refreshing contrast to a lot of what goes on around her and the scenes that she shares with Larkin Malloy as Kyle (who also gives a standout performance) are among my favorite parts of this set.

This event also features the return of Robert Newman to GL and the role of Josh after an absence of about a year, thus solidifying it as a doubly important event in the long and storied chronicles of Reva, who, in this set alone, is left at the altar, hit by a car, and treated to a lovely outdoor musical montage.

I can't finish this blog entry without mentioning that it was next to impossible to concentrate on Jay Hammer's performance as Fletcher after having recently seen for the first time his stint as Tom and Helen's son, Alan, on THE JEFFERSONS. The memory of Hammer "jive talking" and rolling his neck as he argued with the white father he just couldn't relate to is burned indelibly into my brain. Those of you who've had the pleasure of seeing it will know what I mean and those of you haven't... be very glad!

Dearly Beloved--
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_____________________________________
This previously posted mini-set from late 1985 shows Kyle telling Maeve about his intention to marry Reva. The events Kyle describes in his speech to Maeve in clip 1 are an example of one reason why I'm not overly fond of this period.
The Woman You Love--
clip 1 , clip 2

Kaleidoscope

2007-05-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

1997 was an interesting time in the history of GL. In previous entries for this blog, I've described various points as " transition periods" for the show and it now occurs to me that, the ever-changing soap animal being what it is, virtually any era of the show can be described as a "transition period." Maybe it's just easier to apply the term to periods for which the transition was difficult or conspicuous.

Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown held the headwriting reins at GL from 1997 to 2000. This was between writing THE CITY into its cancelation and writing PORT CHARLES into its cancelation-- not the most inspiring track record in the world, but not automatically cause for damnation.

Kaleidoscope, taken from December of 1997, falls within this period and is marked by an off-putting lack of gray areas in the characters (the proof in the Esensten/Brown pudding!). You'll see "bad guys" Annie, Dinah, and Beth costumed in tight black clothing. You'll see "good guys" Harley, Reva, Blake, and Cassie perpetrating all manner of affronts against the "bad guys" just because they can and because the writing tells us that we're supposed to root for the appointed "white hats," regardless what heinous acts they commit (What Harley does to Nola toward the end of this set had my blood boiling!).

Kaleidoscope is so named because of its changing focus. It presents a nearly panoramic view of the Springfield of 1997. The featured storylines are Jenna's pregnancy by Jeffrey Morgan and it's effect on Nola's pursuit of amnesiac Buzz; Harley's out of control jealousy and insecurity over newly returned Beth's connection to Phillip; Dinah's frantic attempts to hold onto waffling, fickle Hart; and Annie's pursuit of a new life to replace the one that Reva destroyed.

I especially like the look that this clipset provides at Annie. Cynthia Watros provides delight upon delight as we remember Annie separately from her more famous and angst-filled moments and see more of the day-to-day Annie that Watros made into a constant source of comedic pleasure. The way Watros leaps into a scene (or even a small moment) and devours it whole with a greedy and very Annie-like voracity is quite stunning and very simply Annie!

Kaleidoscope segues nicely into two clipsets which I put up prior to the inception of this blog and I include them here to provide viewers with a continuation of the stories.

Kaleidoscope--

clip 1a (previously posted) , clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6

clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14

____________________________________________________

Severance--

(this comes right out of Kaleidoscope and takes Phillip, Beth, Harley, and Annie from Christmas to New Year's)

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8

Alan & Annie's wedding day--

(from January of 1998: Reva, Cassie, and Harley decide it might be fun to destroy another wedding. Remember these are the "good guys"!)

clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

That's all for now. Be here next week for trip back to 1986 and wedding of Reva and Kyle!

---ivnkplng

You Needed Me

2007-05-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

In February of this year, I received a message at YouTube from "NewMamaBear." It seems that "NewMamaBear" had appeared on GL while in high school as a singer at the wedding of Kelly and Morgan in 1981 and she wondered if perhaps I had clips of the episode that I could post. I didn't at the time, but now at long last, "NewMamaBear" can revisit her time in the light after decades of trying to track it down.

It's interesting that I was contacted by someone who was involved with the music of this storyline because music is a huge part of the events covered in the You Needed Me clipset. These fifteen clips are generously peppered with people bursting into song. Looked at with 21st century eyes, these musical expressions could be considered "corny" or dated, but what they are is a perfect example of how genuine, how sincere, how astonishingly earnest this period in daytime was. We modern soap viewers are quite used to a genre that's become very sophisticated and jaded and ironic. The knowing wink to the viewers is pretty standard now, but these clips, taken from just before Gloria Monty at GENERAL HOSPITAL decided that what "soap opera" had been it should no longer be, represent the sunset of a long bygone era of simplicity and forthrightness in soaps.

Having said that, this is still GUIDING LIGHT, so "simple" is not a synonym for "stupid" here-- and not just any GUIDING LIGHT, but Douglas Marland's GUIDING LIGHT: intelligent, passionate, grounded, and exquisitely crafted. This is such a lovely time in the show's history and one that I can't visit often enough.

You Needed Me is the title not just of this clipset, but also of Kelly and Morgan's oft-heard theme song by Anne Murray. Without question, one of the most popular couples in the history of the show, Morgan and Kelly's love story struck a chord with viewers and swept them away into a passionate and tortured, yet still very sweet romance that culminated (after more than a year) in this beautiful, down-to-earth wedding, with the Bauer family (back when they were a whole family, before the Lewises edged most of them off the canvas) and Alan Spaulding among the attendees... and "NewMamaBear."

You Needed Me

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And for those who'd like a little background, here's a previously posted clipset from 1980 dealing with the beginnings of the Morgan/Kelly relationship, as well as the hijinks of their zany friends. Look for Kevin Bacon as Tim, lots of Nola, and lots of John Wesley Shipp (Kelly) in a speedo (What a mighty, mighty good man!)

Summer School

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clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

________________________________________________

Lastly, I present an mvid that I created recently, spotlighting the first four months of 2007 on GL. The song is "Ballad of Behaviour" by Baxter.

Ballad of Behaviour

Enjoy these clips. See you right here next week!

---ivnkplng

GLMP: Follow the Light backward in time and forward into the future...

Happy Anniversary GLMP! / Beth Through the Looking Glass

2007-04-30T02:08:00.000-05:00

In April of 2006, I became aware of some 90's GL clips posted to a video-hosting site that I'd never heard of called YouTube. I liked what I saw and immediately began searching the site for more. There were a few that were really exciting, but about 99% of what I came across were clips of Reva & Josh, Gus & Harley, Jon & Tammy, and Michelle & Danny. I was frustrated that so few characters from GL's long history were represented on the web. I remembered that I had a few clips already on my computer that had been made available for public download by a former GL watcher sometime in 2005 and there was one Holly clip in particular that I was very anxious to share with people. And so I did... on April 30, 2006. That was the day I posted the clip to YouTube and started a thread about it on the message board that I'd considered my online home for years (this was before that board became the pit that it is today.)
I immediately went in search of more video material and it was less than a month before I made the acquaintance of raven1970a who'd begun a lower profile but more extensive project of her own. Recognizing two great tastes that taste great together when I see them, I worked out a deal with Raven whereby I obtained the exclusive rights to YouTube posting of her ever-expanding collection of clips. By June, various procedural kinks had been worked out and Raven's clips had their own specially named section in the (still not formally titled) project: "classicGL".
By November, the stormy (and often unpleasant) climate of the GL online posting community created a situation where it was no longer workable keep my project going at the rapidly declining message board where I'd been and so the GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project blog was created and later in the same month, the GLMP message board.
Today, GLMP is host to over 1000 (yes, one thousand!) GL clips, the vast majority of which come from Raven. YouTube viewership for our clips numbers in the many, many hundreds of viewers. The GLMP message board has become a safe haven to dozens of people shell shocked by the violence and decay of most of the other GL message boards on the web. The GLMP blog has been visited and complimented by no lesser person than Ms. Marj Dusay herself who sent a lovely message to me via her fan club in response to the Woman of Mystery blog entry.
What started as a defiant mission to increase the presence of Holly and Beth on YouTube became a consuming passion to document and share as much of the 70 year history of GUIDING LIGHT as I could and to make being an online fan of the show into the edifying and joyful experience that I know it should be. It's been a strange year for a lot of reasons and I've been very surprised, both positively and negatively, by many things I've experienced as this project has progressed. I wish I could say I've enjoyed every minute of it, but I will say that every minute has taught me something. And it all began with one clip called No Love.
The project is far from over and I'm just bursting with anticipation over some of the fantastic clipsets we have coming up over the course of the next several months. If the preceding paragraphs sound like I was breaking my arm patting myself on the back, so be it. I'm very proud of what I've done, but I'm also grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement I've received along the way.
But enough about everybody else and back to me: I decided that the very best way to celebrate the one year anniversary of this project would be with a really nice present for me (LOL!)-- a monster of a clipset commemorating one of my favorite GL storylines ever: Beth's time as Lorelei Hills.

And thus, I present to you Beth Through the Looking Glass, a mega-clipset detailing the entire Lorelei story in unprecedented detail with 60 clips. This 2001/2002 storyline brought Beth Chamberlin to brand new level of performance, challenging her as it did with its requirements of three completely separate characters: fun-loving, sassy Lorelei; sensitive, conflicted Beth; and (perhaps most astounding) Lorelei pretending to be Beth.

Chamberlin is magnificent in this storyline, but it also features amazing work by Grant Aleksander and especially the truly brilliant David Andrew MacDonald as Lorelei's partner in crime (the "Eddie Ivories" clips alone are a magnificent treat in and of themselves!). Watching Edmund and Lorelei slowly fall in love in the midst of this dangerous yet madcap adventure was one of the best experiences I've ever had as a GL viewer and I love being able to use this king-sized record of it to celebrate a full year of paying tribute to this very special show.

Beth Through the Looking Glass

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__________________________________________________

To you readers and viewers and supporters, thank you for coming on this journey with me. It's not over, as I said, but this date is significant for me and it's as good a time as any to ponder the enormity of this undertaking. It only gets better from here.

GLMP: Follow the Light backward in time and forward into the future...

---ivnkplng

Shots In the Dark

2007-04-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know, April 30th will mark the one year anniversary of the very beginning of this Memory Project. It was on that day in 2006 that I posted my first historical GL clip at YouTube. I've been using April of 2007 to celebrate the anniversary by making a few changes at the GLMP message board as well as by posting clipsets here at the blog that hold special significance of one sort or another for me.

This week, I'd like to take you to the GUIDING LIGHT that I stepped into-- the GL I initially fell in love with toward the end of 1993 when I started watching the show. The GL that I came to love had no Reva, no Harley, and no Phillip , yet somehow managed to be a brilliant, incredibly satisfying hour of television five days a week even without them. "Blasphemy!" Yes I know. "Such a thing is utterly impossible!" Well, not really.

Shots in the Dark is taken from a pair of episodes in December of 1993 that marked a party thrown by Billy and Vanessa to celebrate the engagement of Mindy Lewis and Nick Spaulding. A confrontation between surprise guest Alexandra (Marj Dusay in some of her first days on the show) and gatecrasher Roger (the always explosive Michael Zaslow) turns the party into a horrific barroom brawl of unrivaled proportions.

This unbelievably thrilling group event, studded with literally dozens of electrifying performances, is one of the most unforgettablly involving moments in the history of the show. Impossibly, there's more in store after the fight when Roger is shot by an (at the time) unknown assailant and Alexandra is unable (unwilling!) to mask her contempt for bride-to-be Mindy.

This clipset also boasts wonderful performances by (among many others) Melissa Hayden as Bridget and Geoffrey Scott as Billy. Also, you'll note the presence of Marcy Walker as Tangie Hill. Loyal readers of this blog are aware that the casting of Walker is is one of the reasons I started watching GL, so you can expect to see more of Tangie at some point during GLMP's second year of bringing you the best from GL's 70-year history.

Shots In the Dark--

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clip 6 , clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10

Be here next week for a gargantuan tribute to one of my absolute favorite storylines of all time to celebrate GLMP's milestone anniversary! :)

---ivnkplng

The Gift

2007-04-14T19:46:00.000-05:00

Internet message boards for GUIDING LIGHT were in full swing by late 2003, during the tenure of John Conboy as Executive producer and Ellen Weston as head writer, so I remember well the general discontent that the viewership felt over the work they did on the show. I wasn't terribly happy with them either (mainly because they took a lot of my favorites off contract), but my negative feelings never quite reached the level of outright hatred that I witnessed on the boards. I bring this up because a new trend that I'm seeing lately is threads about how much more preferable that era was to what David Kreizman is doing to the show now. Oh, the irony...

Today's entry lands us toward the end of that era. The Gift takes us through about three months in the lives of Jeffrey O'Neill and Marah Lewis, from late 2003 to early 2004, as she pursues and eventually beds the randy D.A./Richard-lookalike. The hallmarks of this time are all over the place: the "swiiiisshh" between scenes, Reva's psychic powers, the overt sexuality of the love scenes, Sandy as Marah's brother/crush (eewww!). What I think this clipset tells us is that this team wasn't all bad and the show had a lot to recommend it at that time.

I remember, right before this storyline started (I was living in New York at the time), CBS' THE EARLY SHOW had several GL couples on each morning of this one particular week and Friday's pair was Lindsey McKeon and Bradley Cole. I remember thinking "Why are they on together?"

Then the spoilers started coming and it didn't sound very good to me. Surprisingly, this couple really worked-- at least from where I sat. The storyline made sense and the chemistry between the actors was absolutely electric. Lindsey McKeon is luminous here and so wonderfully believable and sympathetic as a girl with a broken spirit, too young to be so battered by life. It's Jeffrey's recognition of Marah's state that brings out the best in Bradley Cole's portrayal of Jeffrey, which up to this point had been a hard (and loud) pill to swallow.

This clipset also reminds me that poor Scott Bailey never really did have a hold on the Sandy character. You get a cookie if you can get through clip 13 of this set without laughing.

The Gift

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clip 11 , clip 12 , clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15

All She Wanted

2007-04-08T13:31:00.000-05:00

Blake and Ross are one of the most beloved couples in the history of GUIDING LIGHT with a legion of loyal followers. For my own part, I could take them or leave them as a couple, but their historical and iconic value can't be underestimated. It's well known that Blake "stole" Ross from Holly out of spite, but that's not quite accurate for a few different reasons.

Taken from 1992, All She Wanted takes us through a tumultuous couple of weeks for Blake Thorpe as she employs every tactic under the sun to win Alan-Michael away from his wife, Eleni. This is a crucial turning point for Blake because it is at this time that her last remaining aspirations to once again become Mrs. Spaulding are crushed. It is the death of this dream and the part that Holly plays in it that causes Blake to focus on taking what her mother most values: Ross Marler. That's the point where I've chosen to end this clipset-- at the very moment that Blake makes her decision to destroy Holly's happiness. I should say "Holly's hopes for happiness" because it's worth mentioning that Holly and Ross are not actually together at this point. As big of a Holly-head as I am, even I have to acknowledge that Ross doesn't really seem to be moving back toward Holly at all, although Holly clearly wants a reconciliation.

That's one of the things I really like about this set is that it takes you step by step through the genesis of one GL's most famous storylines. Another great thing about this set is that it features fantastic performances by everyone concerned, including Sherry Stringfield (who would later achieve primetime fame on NYPD BLUE and E/R), Beverlee McKinsey, Jerry verDorn, Rick Hearst, Melina Kanakaredes (later of PROVIDENCE and CSI: NY), and of course, Maureen Garrett.

This was such a wonderful time in the history of the show. It was really clicking on all cylanders and excelling in every area. It's my pleasure to continue the one year anniversary celebration of the GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project with this set.
Enjoy!
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6
clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11 , clip 12
clip 13 , clip 14 , clip 15 , clip 16

GL Quarterly Report: Best of January to March, 2007

2007-04-01T03:39:00.000-05:00

So, with the first three months of 2007 out of the way, what can we say about the state of GUIDING LIGHT? In discussing this with the posters at the GLMP message board, most of us agreed that the show was in a lot better shape this time last year (Isn't that saying something?) If you ask one segment of the viewership, they'll tell you that GL is a mess without Jon and Tammy and that's pretty much true, but not for the reasons some fans might think.

It was pretty obvious that headwriter David Kreizman was deeply, deeply in love with his custom-made supercouple and he wrote very heavily for them... and he wrote and wrote and wrote for them. And when he wasn't writing for them, he wrote for Reva. There were some other plots going on in 2006, but they were sandwiched in, when time permitted, between luxurious Reva and "Jammy" featurettes and seemed very much like tacked-on afterthoughts or halfhearted, begrudging concessions. By 2007, he had given up even the pretense of writing for anyone else and devoted the show almost entirely to his chosen three characters. The worst of it came right at the beginning of the year, when the show decided that it would be a capital idea to feature three solid weeks of nothing but Jon, Reva, their stories, and their problems, with only one day set aside to celebrate the on-air history of GUIDING LIGHT for the anniversary. The anniversary must surely have been seen by Kreizman as a great inconvenience, falling as it did right at the climax of his long goodbye kiss to Jon and Tammy.

Once the young couple departed, we were left with the story of the fallout from their departure and the introduction plot for the criminally de-SORAS-ed Daisy/Susan. Aside from those two stories, everything else was just a slapped-together game of "catch up" as the Kreizman feebly flailed about trying to write for a canvas of characters that had largely been ignored to the point where decomposition had set in.

But what was good about the first quarter of 2007? That's the weird thing: plenty, actually. Not enough, mind you, to say that it was a rousing success, but there were more than few high points during the last three months, including the genuinely inspirational humanitarian efforts of the show's Find Your Light Program.

1/15/07: Oddly enough (given everything I've said so far), the first full episode that I want to single out is the very first day of the aforementioned three-week marathon of Jon and Reva. This Monday episode featured a very small cast and dealt (surpise!) with only one storyline. However, the script was filled with reveletory, lyrical dialogue and the episode maintained an eerie, gothically looming tone. Tension-filled, dramatically potent encounters between Reva and Alan, Beth and Tammy, and Tammy and Remy (yes, Remy!), and other pairs all played together to create a genuinely creepy "oncoming train" feel. Unfortunately, the story and the group of characters were, over the course of the following three weeks, pounded and overplayed to the point that they became little more than white noise, but that first day was incredibly effective.
Forboding-- clip1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4

1/24/07: The story actually did regain quite a bit of punch and relevance at the point of Tammy's death, no small feat, considering the imposing amount of damage done to the character over the last year. The death scene was enormously moving, despite the fact that Tom Pelphrey's large, emotional performance lost any uniqueness due to the fact that his character offered similar reactions, over the course of two and a half years, to everything from the death of his father to breaking a nail and everything in between.
Death In the Family

1/25/07: While I'm not at all happy that only one episode was set aside to look back at the on-air history of GUIDING LIGHT for its milestone 70th anniversary, I take comfort from the fact that the one episode we did get was nothing short of a masterpiece! The narrative device of having the current cast play the actors (and other participants) who put the show on the map was a stroke of genius. I'm just as pleased as can be that GL sent out this wonderful love letter to fans interested in the history of the show. I could go on and on with a very long list of the many, many virtues of this episode, but instead I'll sing the praises of the central performance given by Beth Ehlers as show creator, Irna Phillips. I haven't tended to be a huge fan of Ehlers' work, so you can well imagine my profound shock at her brilliant, restrained, detailed, intelligent portrayal of this woman so very different from herself and from Harley. The rich, complicated inner life that Ehlers communicated in every scene was captivating and left me wishing that we could have Ehlers play Irna from now on instead of Harley.
The episode boasted a sea of immensely entertaining and wonderful performances, but Ehlers' was the crown jewel.
Happy Anniversary-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

2/16/07: The introduction of Doris Wolfe into the Spaulding family had all the earmarks of a terrific story and should've been nigh unto impossible to screw up. Alas, Kreizman's powers of destruction and sabotage should never be underestimated. The story played out as a bad joke by reducing everyone involved to insulting, one-dimensional cartoons. (Yes, you read that right. Alan somehow became more of a cartoon.) The actual wedding of Alan and Doris however, was a truly great day of viewing, mainly because of two performance that (in a stroke of genius) were placed end-to-end in a truly jarring and riveting juxtaposition.
Caitlin Van Zandt was gut-bustingly hilarious as Ashlee serenaded the couple before the wedding with musical stylings representing the worst aspects of the THE GONG SHOW and AMERICAN IDOL. What makes Van Zandt's performance here comedy gold is that she makes sure that Ashlee is very sincere in everything she does. In this way, Ashlee is never a buffoon because her actions come from a real place. Van Zandt (who has a very lovely singing voice) plays Ashlee's very enthusiastic approach to a very bad song perfectly. This would be funny enough on it's own, but the camera makes sure to give us copious lingering shots of the stunned, vaguely nauseated reactions of the Spaulding family and the other guests. Marcy Rylan, Marj Dusay, Michael O'Leary, Beth Chamberlin, and Tina Sloan wordlessly ratchet up the comedy ante far past any level I've ever experienced watching a soap. I can't recall ever having laughed that much, for that long in my nearly two and a half decades of soap viewing.
Brilliantly, the comical mood is immediately and violently shattered as Nicole Forester's Cassie charges into the scene, breaking glass and brandishing a picture of her murdered daughter. Forester is a blood red force of nature, sending Cassie's pain, rage, sadness, and frustration out in waves and torrents of feeling as she excoriates those she holds responsible for the death. Forester's visceral, palpably wounded performance in this scene obliterates any trace of the humor that filled the room prior to her entrance, grabbing and holding the viewer by the throat as surely and tightly as she grasps the picture of Tammy. Her work in this scene is a revelation of the like that is hard to describe and it stands out as the best performance so far this year.
Oh and Alan got shot....
Til Death Do Us Part-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

2/23/07: The show has done truly rotten job of giving Lizzie's grief over the loss of her baby its due. I think this is largely because of the unwanted attention that would then be drawn to the horrific, inexcusable, utterly unjustifiable act committed by show darlings Reva and Jon in making Lizzie believe that her child was killed in a fiery car crash. As a result, we tend (and especially lately) only to see Lizzie express any sadness on this matter when she's about to do something all evil and "Spaulding-like" (The Spauldings are now all completely evil, in case you didn't get Kreizman's many, many memos.) For this reason, the Lizzie/Cassie scenes on Main Street bonding over the loss of their daughters was truly welcome and exceptionally well done.
Marcy Rylan is a tough nut to crack, artistically. Comedy is obviously a comfort zone for her, but she's repeatedly (though not consistently) demonstrated a genuine aptitude for heavier material. Her understated, natural performance here is really lovely, matching well with that of Forester, who had hit a really nice stride that was benefitted by some of the only decent writing going at this point.
A Shared Loss

3/13/07: As the first quarter wore on, there was increasingly less and less to cheer about. The Spaulding section of the "Who Shot Alan?" mystery was little more than a bad, PASSIONS-style sex joke with Beth reduced to running around town trying to get pregnant by a variety of men. This painful and unsavory turn did result in a really nice couple of scenes between Rick and Mel, whose marriage had to end so that Rick could play amoral patsy to Beth. Kreizman devoted a whopping half an episode (not the whole half, mind you. that would be overkill.) to taking down the Bauer marriage. Yvonna Wright and Michael O'Leary are terrific in these scenes. On display here is further evidence of the quantum leap in quality Wright's work took last year during the Bauer/Spaulding quadrangle story, which is actually kind of a shame since we'll undoubtedly now see even less of her than the nothing we were already seeing.

Since Those Days

3/28/07: As March dwindled away toward its end, I was quite certain that the month would be devoid of any full episodes worth presenting in a quarterly report. Then the show finally came through with a magnificent showcase for the best romance it has going when Dinah and Mallet finally (and barely) got married. Gina Tognoni and Rob Bogue just sparkled together and separately in every one of their scenes. Tognoni, especially, turned in a real tour-de-force performance, but both of them were just smashing. What I just can't get enough of with this couple is that they do all playing styles so well and the show is not afraid to run them through a wide gamut of emotions and situations in their ITL's. This episode is also remarkable for the inclusion and substantial use of Maeve Kinkead and Kurt McKinney, both of whom have had very little to do since Vanessa and Matt returned.

I love sitting through an entire episode invested in everything and being expertly taken through comedy, drama, and romance. Even though there was inadequate set-up (both in quantity and quality), the ITL itself was pure joy to watch.

A Matter Of When-- clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5

_____________________________________________________________

My final presentation in this quarterly report consists of two "mvids" spotlighting two elements of the first part of this year that I feel worked the best. The first is the "Haunting of Cassie" storyline that came out of Tammy's death. Nicole Forester's gorgeous work in the gothic psychodrama plot was consistently well presented and extremely effective.

Colorblind

The second video bears a bit of explaining. It spotlights the Daisy character, played by the amazingly charismatic Bonnie Dennison. I love Daisy, but I hate the disregard for the character of Susan more than I can say. Kreizman's trampling on that beloved historical character and her history is unforgivable on every level, but Dennison has won me over completely and I'm choosing to think of Daisy as a brand new character. Dennison is a fantastic find and this mvid showcases the infectiously energetic work she's doing as Daisy bulldozes her way through Springfield and Harley and Gus' marriage.

Little Sister

Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Our next entry will see a return to vintage GUIDING LIGHT as we spend the month of April celebrating the one year anniversary of my historical clip project!

See you next week!

---ivnkplng

Machinations

2007-03-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

Anyone with even a passing familiarity with the history of GUIDING LIGHT has heard the name "Diane Ballard" and probably more than once. We hear of the famous "Who Killed Diane Ballard?" mystery. We hear of her legendary and years-long pining for Alan. But if you're like me, you've never had a chance to see anything more than the episode in which she dies unless you were an actual viewer during that time period.

Machinations spans most of the month before Diane's murder and gives a fascinating picture of who this woman was in her final days in Springfield. Examined in special depth are her fiery relationship with Joe Bradley, her easy comraderie with Carrie Todd (new in Springfield, but not new to Diane), and of course her single-minded fixation on Alan Spaulding, which verges on a weird sort of obsessive tenderness. Ross, Henry, Vanessa, Jackie, and Mike also appear prominently in this clipset.

Sofia Landon (now known as Sofia Landon Geier and writing for DAYS OF OUR LIVES) displays an incredible screen presence and command of the script as Diane. Watching her in these nearly 26-year-old clips makes me really sad that her character was killed. Diane and Sofia are both extraordinary.

Some of you may know that Geier experienced a great personal tragedy in 2004 when her daughter, Hallie, was accidentally run over by an SUV (I am not a fan of the SUV anyway.) The following comes from lovehallie.org :

"Daytime Unites for Africa was developed and coordinated by LOVE, HALLIE Foundation. LOVE, HALLIE was founded by soap opera writer and actress Sofia Landon Geier and her husband Ted Geier after their eleven year-old daughter Hallie died in 2004 after being accidentally run over by an SUV. LOVE, HALLIE and its youth division – Hal’s Angels – chaired by Hallie’s 16 year-old sister M.J. – encourages kindness, respect, and positive action among young people. Hallie had been saving money to help children affected by AIDS in Africa and had written extensively on the subject. LOVE, HALLIE takes it’s name from the words Hallie wrote on the first page of her kindergarten notebook: “People, be nice to each other. Love, Hallie”

I knew about this foundation and had heard this story before, but that was before I was familiar with Geier's performances on GL. She organized an industry-wide recognition of the AIDS crisis in Africa during which all nine soaps recognized the emergency on air in order to raise awareness. Some of you may remember this clip from late 2005 (click here) in which Dinah came into Harley's office at Spaulding with a plan to cut back on the coffee spending at the company and donate the money to AIDS prevention in Africa. That was part of Geier's project, as was ONE LIFE TO LIVE's AIDS relief album that came out last year.

But I digress! From late Summer of 1981, here's Machinations. And one last note: this series, occurring as it does as Maeve Kinkead goes on maternity leave, contains two Vanessas. Kinkead appears through most of the set, with Anna Stuart (ex-Donna, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Mary Smythe, AMC) taking over toward the end.

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Loyalty

2007-03-12T08:38:00.000-05:00

In my last entry, I identified 1988 as a "year of recovery" for GUIDING LIGHT. Similarly, 2001 saw the show emerging from a few years of rather sketchy storytelling. Beginning in the last part of 2000, headwriter (and RYAN'S HOPE creator) Claire Labine brought the show back to more realistic, earth-based stories such as the death of Jim Lemay and the break-up of Harley and Phillip.

"Much-acclaimed writer Claire Labine took over as head writer in 2000, but her stories focused on character development and clashed with (EP Paul) Rauch's plot-heavy style. Labine's team lasted barely a year amidst rumors that she was being sabotaged backstage."--- from The Guiding Light Encyclopedia at cristobel.org

Taken from May and June of 2001, Loyalty comes from this period. It deals with how the lives of Claire Ramsey and (to a lesser extent) Meta Bauer are affected by Harley Cooper and new-in-town crooked cop Gus Aitoro's investigation into the supposed death of Carmen Santos. The primary performance here comes from Susan Pratt as Claire. Pratt is a 12 course meal in her portayal of the misunderstood Mom of Steel to mob wife Michelle. Always thrilling, vigorous, and strangely sympathetic, Pratt's work is a joy to behold as Gus slowly tightens the noose around squirmy Claire's neck.

This clipset also heavily features one of my all time favorite actors ever on GL: Mary Stuart. Stuart, who acted on GL right up until her death in February of 2002, never fails to imbue her scenes with the accumulated experience of 50 years in daytime. She makes Meta good and strong without ever being boring or sickenly sweet. She plays her character in such a way that holds the viewer's interest without stealing focus from the younger actors to whom she was always playing second fiddle. She was a consumate professional and a brillant actor in general, but also the quintessential soap opera actor-- and when done the way she did it, that term is no insult at all. Stuart hits the mark here (as she did every single time she was on camera) playing Meta's outpouring of support for Harley until the waffling cop's buck-passing betrayals pile too high.

I could write several entries every day for the rest of my life praising Mary Stuart and still not finish telling you how wonderful I think she is, so I will stop there. Here is Loyalty (which, by the way is also notable for the debut of Michael "Mr. Crystal Chappel" Sabatino as Vince Russo.)

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One thing Loyalty lacks is a sample of the explosive chemistry shared between Pratt and Stuart. Never fear though. I've got you covered with this short, previously posted set of Michelle going into labor from early 2001. There are two fantastic blowouts between Meta and Claire as well as some wonderfully tender scenes with Claire/Michelle and Meta/Danny.

Robbie's birth

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King of the Mountain

2007-03-08T06:18:00.000-05:00

1988 was a year of recovery for GUIDING LIGHT. Former Miss Alabama, Pam Long, the woman primarlily responsible for making the show into the larger-than-life cartoon that it became in the mid-80's apparently realized the error of her ways upon her return to the headwriter position toward the end of the decade. 1988 saw the beginnings of a reclamation of the core of humanity and realism that had been GL's hallmark for most of its life.

King of the Mountain is a terrific example of this shift. Dealing with Phillip's obligatory family grab for Spaulding Enterprises and hollow victory over Alan, this clipset is a welcome look at the show as it grounds itself back in reality. Phillip fans should get a real thrill out of these clips, heavy as they are with the work of Grant Aleksander as he and his character really come into their own as grown-up forces to be reckoned with. This set is also interesting for its portrayal of the genuine feelings that existed between Reva and Alan.

Finally, this episode is among Chris Bernau's last as Alan Spaulding. Bernau continued to appear on GL until AIDS left him unable to do so. Bernau would pass on in 1989, leaving a legacy of work as Alan that has yet to be equalled.

So, here is King of the Mountain.

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And here's a dose of previously posted Spaulding goodness. It's a rollicking set from 2002 featuring Joan Collins as Alexandra. The subject of Phillip's Ex-Wives' Club is, of course a bid for control of Spaulding Enterprises. Alexandra collects all of the women Phillip has been married to in order to take advantage of their voting power as a new CEO of Spaulding is determined. Fun for so many reasons, not the least of which is blazing face-off between Beth and Olivia, this set is a great trip to the recent past.

Phillip's Ex-Wives' Club

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Parent Trap

2007-02-28T12:33:00.000-05:00

A little while ago, in the Small Steps blog entry, I referenced a story about Holly kidnapping the children of Springfield. Commonly regarded as one of the biggest missteps in GUIDING LIGHT's history, it's that event which serves as the axis of today's presentation, Parent Trap, which spans the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999.

Initially, I was going to confine the clipset to that event, but I decided that it might be best best to broaden the scope a little bit to include some the drama surrounding Holly's activity as the Nursery Rhyme Stalker beforehand, the Beth/Matt/Vanessa triangle, and the Thanksgiving celebration.

There are a lot of things to criticize about this period. To say that the late 90's were a rough patch in GL's history is putting it mildly. We're talking about the era that boasted the Reva clone and Hart's boxing match with Death, among other travesties. The damage done to the character of Holly definitely falls into this category. Always complicated, conflicted, and neurotic, Holly was never the out and out lunatic that this story made her out to be.

Subsequent writers would claim that this story rendered the character unusable, which is, of course, lazy, small-minded hogwash. I can almost understand why it might be difficult to bring a character back from being turned into the perpetrator of your key demographic's worst nightmare, but it's certainly been done elsewhere.

I could certainly go on about how wrong this development in Holly is, but I'd like to instead talk about some of the good things about Parent Trap. In putting this clipset together, I'm astounded at how many stories there are playing at one time. In contrast with the narrow focus of the current show, this period seems like a veritable ocean of viewing choices. I think that's one thing that really makes this clipset a "must view" (aside from the "can't-look-away-from-the-car-crash" value of watching Holly's character assassinated) is the expansive panoramic look at the show of this era. In the 28 clips, I think you get to see pretty much everybody and every story that was on the show at this time, including the disastrous return of Roger Newman as Holly's brother Ken Norriss. (I can't help but wonder how he must've felt, returning to the show after 24 years away, only to be plopped into this nightmare of a story.)

Another interesting thing about this set is getting see the young adult characters of today relating to one another as children. Watching Lizzie, Tammy, and Marina (and, to a lesser extent, Shayne and Coop) and thinking about the paths their lives would take. And don't get me started on the fact that Susan is now younger than all of them.

Anyway, if I haven't scared every single one of you off, here's Parent Trap:

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Masquerade

2007-02-23T13:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, kids. Don't say ivnkplng never gave you anything!

As many people know, I have a lot of very unpopular opinions about GUIDING LIGHT. One of those opinions is that the show really lost its way and became something it should never have been between 1983 and 1989. Yes, I know. This time period is, far and away, the most popular in fan circles. Yes, I know. This time period was the most commercially successful in the show's history.

What I also know is that during this time, the show turned into a very different animal than it had been in the decades before or the decades after. To many, that's a good thing and this time period is regarded as GL's "glory days." By my reckoning, nothing could be further from the truth. It lacks the warm sincerity of the radio and early television days, the psychological complexity of the late 60's, 70's, and early 80's, the dazzling intelligence of the early and mid-90's, or even the pioneering irreverence of post-milennial 00's GL.

I know I'm speaking blasphemy about one of the most beloved eras in daytime, but it's how I feel. I've immersed myself in the history of the show and I'm a viewer of GL today. I feel that I know quite a bit (not everything, obviously) about what GL has offered over the course of the last 70 years and this mid-to-late 80's era remains my least favorite, coming across as a parodic ripoff of other television shows and genres.

This is the reason that I've generally sidestepped this period of time in my Memory Project, but today I present to you, gentle readers, a veritable smörgåsbord of mid-80's delights. Reardons and Lewises everywhere! All the Four Musketeers you can eat! Maeve Kinkead before she learned to act!

I want to be clear that Masquerade is not totally without merit. There are some really effective sequences with Tony and Annabelle (played the always worthwhile Harley Jane Kozak) pertaining to Tony's deteriorating medical condition, as well as the debut of the delicious Beverlee McKinsey as Alexandra Spaulding. And then there's Lisa Brown's costume, which must be seen to be believed! This long clipset from 1984 culminating in the wedding of Billy and Vanessa is my way of spreading the wealth as far as representing the different eras of the show.

I hope people don't take offense to the sharing of my opinion and I encourage those with dissenting views to express them here at the blog or at the GLMP message board.

So 80's fans, strap in and enjoy Masquerade.
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Perchance to Dream

2007-02-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

In 1992, GUIDING LIGHT really was at the height of its powers. An absolutely top notch acting ensemble and a truly gifted team of writers made the show into a glistening gem, unafraid of its own sensitivity and intelligence. This was a time of raw emotions and complicated themes, genuinely funny comedy and heartwrenching drama-- passion, pain, tenderness, cruelty, and all the thrill of living presented on a platter of razor-sharp dialogue and edge-of-your-seat plotting.

It was this GUIDING LIGHT that chose, on election day 1992, to present a fantasy episode centered on Ross' senate bid and its effects on his personal relationships, specifically his tortured relationship with Blake. Stuck in traffic with Fletcher, Ross falls asleep and enters a gilt, hazy dreamworld peopled by outrageous parody/caricatures of the Springfield residents closest (in one way or another) to him.

This show boasts brilliantly effective and kinetic camera work, as well as bold set and costume designs that are very nearly characters unto themselves. The actors approach every moment in the script with delicious gusto, with standouts being Jerry verDorn as the beleaguered Ross, Jean Carol as a delightfully airy dream version of Nadine, and Michael Zaslow as Macchiavellian dreammaster Roger. Maureen Garrett is a revelation as the dream version of Holly, beautifully distilling all of the best and worst elements of her character into a creation that is at once wildly entertaining and profoundly disturbing.

The last thing I'll say about this episode is that Rick Hearst looks really good by the hot tub. You'll see what I mean... ;)

So, enter GUIDING LIGHT's dream world and enjoy Perchance to Dream

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In the Interests of the Child

2007-02-02T22:18:00.000-05:00

The late 70's were a GUIDING LIGHT period filled with struggles over children. An interesting thing about the two main conflicts is that their subjects both became major GL characters in the 80's, 90's, and 00's, even marrying one another briefly. I refer, of course, to Phillip and Blake.

The battle for Blake (who was then called Christina) was a bit more straightforward. Holly had a baby by Roger, but married Ed. Roger eventually got both Holly and Christina, but it all ended very famously and badly after that.

The Girl Is Mine is a brief "snapshot" of the middle of the battle. It's 1977 and Ed is raising Christina as his own daughter, a situation that does not please Roger at all.

The Girl Is Mine

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Far more complicated was the custody battle for Phillip Spaulding. It seems that Alan had "bought" Phillip from a shady doctor who convinced Jackie Marler to give him up at birth when her marriage to Justin crumbled. Alan then presented the boy to his then-wife, Elizabeth, as a replacement for the baby that she lost without actually telling her that her actual baby had died! Alan and Elizabeth's marriage eventualy failed and a custody battle began. Jackie was the only one who knew that she was was the boy's birth mother and married Alan to be close to Phillip, only to be disappointed when Elizabeth won custody with the help of her new lover (and Alan's hated enemy) Mike Bauer. Got that?

Picking up in early 1979, as the custody verdict is announced, In the Interests of the Child focuses on Jackie's internal struggle and her unique relationships with Phillip and Alan. Jackie is beautifully played here by Cindy Pickett who would go on to a very long a successful television and film career which continues to this day.

In the Interests of the Child

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Shadows of the Past

2007-01-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

1966 was a important year for THE GUIDING LIGHT.
It was the year that the show's location was switched from Selby Flats, CA to "Springfield, USA." It was the year the show introduced daytime's first "major" black characters ("major" clearly being a subjective term here). There were a lot of cast shifts including quite a few recasts of important characters. Under Agnes Nixon's eloquent pen, the characters were living, breathing humans keeping the show vital as it approached it's 30th anniversary. Nixon would soon leave though to create ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE (in that order, despite premiere dates) for ABC.

Never in a million years did I imagine that I would luck into any clips at all from this period much less a cache of 16 complete 15-minute episodes. I've researched the show's history extensively and am pretty well versed in its mythology, but until now, names like Robin Lang Fletcher and Peggy Scott were just names and photographs in my GL history tomes. Thanks to a generous donation to the GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project from a member called Alexandra, I'm now able to present Shadows of the Past. Coming in at a staggering 46 parts, it is composed of every single frame from all 16 episodes and it's a really wonderful time capsule of the state of the show (and soaps in general) at the time. These live episodes with their dramatic, atmospheric organ accompaniment and luxurious pace are a completely different animal from the daytime we know today. Absent is the frantic pursuit of shock and spectacle. These shows demonstrate a desire to chronicle the complexities of ordinary human living rather than bounce the characters from one "adventure" to another. In daytime's pre-Gloria "Isn't rape romantic?" Monty years, it seems that an actual attention span was required to enjoy (and create) soaps.

Now to set the stage (for those without my encyclopedic knowledge of GL history):
Bert Bauer has recently discovered her husband Bill's affair with Maggie Scott. Conflicted Bauer son Ed also knows and his disgust over the situation is complicating his budding relationship with lovely young Leslie Jackson (future mother of Rick Bauer). Bill's former mistress Maggie Scott has been blackmailed by husband Ben into remarrying him in order to create a happy home for sensitive daughter Peggy (the future first Mrs. Roger Thorpe!). Ben disapproves of Peggy's relationship with troubled Johnny Fletcher. Johnny's father, Paul, is married to Bauer pseudo-granddaughter, Robin (played by Gillian Spencer, the original Viki on OLTL and later, Daisy Cortlandt on AMC) who secretly blames Johnny for her recent miscarriage. The major stories here are Bill's drinking and the Johnny/Peggy romance, which, since Peggy is the daughter of Bill's mistress, collide toward the end of the clipset in a really intense and surprising way.

So, get comfortable, relax, lose the expectations created by modern soap, and enjoy Shadows of the Past.

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Goodbye My Friend

2007-01-11T23:28:00.000-05:00

"I was shocked, I kept expecting it to be a dream sequence. Or a nightmare that Ed had. Heck even a fantasy of Lillian's. To me, all I remember is disbelief. I couldn't believe that tptb would kill off such an important and well liked character. (I loved Maureen.) ...Afterwards, I remember the tears that were shed by members of the entire town because I was crying with them. I was devastated by Maureen's death. It was so sudden and unexpected."
-- oopsie82, GLMP message board poster

They don't make events much more "watershed" than the death of Maureen Bauer. I had a hard time coming up with material for this blog entry at first, not because my feelings were so deep, but because they weren't. You see I started watching GL in 1993, but at the end of '93. I missed Maureen entirely and by just a hair. This normally wouldn't be a problem for me in composing an analytical piece or even in describing my own belated emotional reaction, but the death of this character seems to defy critical analysis and demand the immediacy of eyewitness accounting, so deep are the feelings of loss and anger that are aroused to this day by the mere mention of the event.

"First, this didn't seem like a typical soap "death". Because there was a current of realism running through everything that Maureen Bauer did, her death didn't take on the cartoonish aspect of say Roger (falling off the cliff) or Reva (driving off the bridge). It felt more like real loss.
...I have never heard any fans of the show say they didn't miss Maureen Bauer or lament the fact that she was killed off so permanently. I for one miss the character's humor, intelligence, strength, and compassion. She was everywoman, but she was also one of a kind."
---Alexandra, GLMP message board poster

It's events like this, so broadly and so clearly defining eras of the show, that really bring home to me that I'm still a baby viewer of GL. It's different than hearing sories about Robin Lang or Lucille Wexler from the (relatively) distant past. Maureen was a character that was on the show in my adult years, but before I became "part of the family." She feels less like history and more like a missed opportunity, despite the fact that I've gotten to know her somewhat through my Memory Project. Reading the reactions of viewers who loved Maureen gives me a better insight into the "sacrilege" I commit when I announce that Ed and Eve are one of my all-time favorite GL couples.

"This is a difficult storyline for me to discuss since Maureen Reardon-Bauer was my favorite GL character of all-time and I was stunned when she was killed off. Despite my shock and the fact that I believe that killing her off was a huge mistake, long term, the events surrounding her death were beautifully done. The writing and acting of this story was some of the best material of modern soaps"

--- RoseVioletDaisy, GLMP message board poster

It goes without saying (or it should) that the script, the acting, and the direction for every part of Goodbye My Friend is very nearly without flaw. I won't sully it with a rundown of the "highpoints" and "standout performances," except to say that Ellen Parker definitely goes out on a high note.

"I was devastated by Maureen's death. I simply loved her dearly."

---rmw, GLMP message board moderator

Goodbye My Friend

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