10 Reasons To Tune Back In To Guiding Light
By Jamey Giddens on April 15, 2008
My grandmother always said if you don't have anything nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all. But then she also yelled the occasional obscenity at drivers who cut her off in traffic and at bill collectors who called a second time after she had already told them they would get their money on payday, I digress.
In the spirit of my late grandmother, as well as CBS Vice-President for Daytime Barbara Bloom-who recently said critics of GL's new production style should "lighten up" in an interview with TV Guide's Michael Logan-I will try my best to make this particular blog post about Guiding Light as positive as I possibly can without turning into a wooden little boy whose nose has a penchant for growing. All I ask is that you just don't cut out in front of me or ask me when I'm gonna pay the balance on my Sprint bill. After all, I am my grandmother's grandson. So here goes, the following are 10 good reasons for viewers to turn the 'Light back on.
1.) Kim Zimmer: This woman is hands down the best actress in daytime. I'm sure this statement will cause a huge amount of debate, but someone please name another actress who has consistently brought it even through the most ridiculous of storylines and unbelievable of scenarios. Guiding Light has killed Reva, made her a ghost, an Amish amnesiac, a clone, a princess, a time traveling Nazi slayer and most asinine of all, a woman who decides to keep her breast cancer from the man she's loved since she was a little girl because it might mess up the project he was working on. Other actresses in daytime have been handed stories that were stinkers, no doubt, but usually their boredom and lack of commitment to the work can be readily noted on screen. That's never been the case with Zimmer. She never shortchanges the fans, even when she herself thinks the story she's playing is a turkey. And that is what makes her daytime's ultimate actress extraordinaire and a good reason to keep braving bad lighting and alarmingly intimate close ups set to elevator music. Okay, back to being positive!
2.) Dinah taking down Alan: After months in Storyline Siberia, Guiding Light's second best actress Gina Tognoni has been given a front burner storyline that allows fans to live vicariously through her as she does what we've all wanted to do for years-kick Alan Spaulding where it hurts. I am loving Dinah's vicious assault on the Spaulding coffers and hope this storyline has major legs. I don't want Alan to somehow figure it all out and get the best of Dinah in time for May Sweeps. No, I want to see the snarky Miss Marler rule Springfield for quite some time. And how great is it to see Mallet (Rob Bogue) and Dinah back together? Of course we know the eventual revelation that Dinah pretended to be Philip in order to steal Alan's fortune will probably cause a bit of tension between the do-gooder cop and his slightly sociopathic lady love, but that's what makes this couple so great. Tognoni is one of the best actresses of her generation. It's a smart move for GL to finally give her something to do before she decided to bolt to ABC like Ricky Paull Goldin.
3.) Ashlee and Coop: This has to be the most realistic and touching couple on daytime right now. Coop's provision of the unconditional love that Ashlee was never able to get from her cruel and overly critical mother Doris is what gave the young woman the strength to go forward with her lap band surgery. Caitlin Van Zandt (Ashlee) is a courageous young woman to allow this story to be told, and the love scene between Coop and Ashlee this week was everything a good soap love scene should be, sweet, tender and yes, hot. I also like Coop's excitement over his first book deal. It is very authentic and consistent with the character's throughline. It would be nice if he could spot Harley some of that advance cash, you know, so she and her Aussie boytoy don't have to keep eating Ramen noodles. Come on Coop, hook your sista up!
4.) Rafe, Natalia and Remy: Wow, who knew all it would take was Gus dying for me to feel empathy for his insta-family? I am totally buying Rafe's anger and Natalia's sorrow over losing Gus. Stepping outside of the fact that these people came between one of the show's top couples, it is easy to understand the loss this woman must feel after managing to reunite with her childhood sweetheart and the father of her son, only to lose him while he was trying to play Captain Save-a-Ho for Olivia. Jessica Leccia's quiet performance is in perfect contrast to E.J. Bonilla's intensity and regret. I am also finding myself intrigued by the addition of Lawrence St. Victor's Remy to the mix. If there has been any character on GL that has been without an anchor for years, it's been Remy. For the first time I am seeing potential for the character. I could totally get on board with a Natalia/Remy pairing, especially if they bring back his meddlesome parents to disapprove of his relationship with an older, widowed mother.
5.) Bill and Lizzie: I'm sure a lot of people (Luke) are perplexed by how far down this couple is on my list, and while I do definitely consider them a reason to tune in, I just don't like how this couple is currently being written. It is no slam to the couple's popularity or the actors. Marcy Rylan and Daniel Cosgrove drip with chemistry from their every pore, but who really wants to see them lie around in a dishelved bed all day talking about how some of their body parts don't get clean when they shower together? Can you say a little too much reality? Bizzie could electrify this soap if they drop the dopey Ava as a distraction and bring on a valid foil for the couple. Since Tom Pelphrey can't commit to a long time contract, why not recast Jonathan with Chad Brannon(ex-Zander, General Hospital)? Or bring Brannon on as the son of the man Lizzie killed in defense of Beth when she was just a kid. He could come to town to settle the score and ultimately fall for the heiress, causing Bill to really have to step up to the plate.
6.) Crystal Chappell: If there is an actress in daytime other than Kim Zimmer who can make poop into pools of gold it is Crystal Chappell. TPTB ruined her excellent pairings with Grant Aleksander's Philip and Daniel Cosgrove's Bill before they even got started good. Then they stuck her in the most boring storyline featuring the brilliant Justin Deas ever, when they had Buzz and Frank battling it out over Liv. And while there is ready chemistry between Olivia and Jeffrey they had to go and write that he had raped her when they were kids. Can I just say ENOUGH with reforming rapists on daytime. I will admit some of my favorite characters have raped before (Luke Spencer, Todd Manning, Jack Deveraux, Roger Thorpe) but that doesn't mean this trend should continue. Soaps are a genre aimed primarily at women so stop romanticizing violence against your core demo! Olivia's botched pairing with Gus was the latest in a long line of stinkers for the beautiful Chappell. Here's hoping the awesome scenes she's been getting with former leading man Robert Newman (Josh) and rival for his affections Reva Shayne will lead to a redux of those characters mixing it up, with Jeffrey thrown in for good measure. It just might happen with Cassie currently trying to challenge her sister for the Slut of Springfield crown. Which brings me to my next reason to tune in...
7.) Cassie is effing up royally: There are three female characters on daytime who annoy me to no end. General Hospital's Sam McCall, Young and the Restless' Gloria Fisher and that sanctimonious, former pole twister-turned-princess-turned-inn keeper Cassie Winslow on Guiding Light! Reva was determined to find the child her mother put up for adoption, so that poor dead Sarah Shayne could rest in peace knowing her girls were reunited. I bet Reva wishes she had just bought her Mama a nice wreath and had left that ungrateful wench Cassie dropping it like it was hot at the Sugar Shack. Cassie digusts me to no end and always has, so this isn't about Nicole Forester, although I admit my ability to tolerate the character's screen time has diminished since original Cassie Laura Wright left town to dodge stray bullets in Port Charles. Cassie just had to have Reva's husband Josh (much like she had to have Dinah's fiance Hart and Reva's ex-husband Prince Richard) and now that she has him, what does she do? She goes off to bars all day to flirt with random men and drink like a prize fish at the County Bait and Tackle Fair! I am so glad for this turn of events though. Hopefully it means that Josh will quickly find out what a neurotic, skanky mess he's married to and kick her to the curb en route to returning to Cross Creek: The Springfield Edition to reunite with Reva Darlin'! I even don't mind that Cryus (see later on the list), one of the show's best new characters in years, is being sacrificed to make it happen by sleeping with Spazzie. Here's hoping Cassie's latest stunt results in her taking RJ and catching a one-way flight back to San Cristobel, pronto!
8.) Cyrus and Harley: I know I am treading on dangerous ground here because Gus and Harley were so special to so many fans, including me. But I'm sorry, negating the heat between Cryus (Murray Bartlett) and Harley (Beth Ehlers) just because Gus is gone would be like denying that Kirstie Alley rocked on Cheers when she replaced Shelley Long. I can admit it, I Jamey Giddens like Cyrus and Harley. I also love their storyline. Harley is a woman come undone. She's knock, knock, knocking on 40's door, her marriage had just gone kerplooey and here comes this randy, unkempt, sorta dirty guy, complete with an accent who wants to tie her to the bed 24/7. Okay, so she's missed a few of Little Philip's (Isn't that one of the kid's names?) T-ball games and forgot to make brownies for Little Rick's Cub Scout troop, give the woman a break!
9.) Justin Deas: Hands down Justin Deas is one of the top actors in soaps, if not all of entertainment. I hate that GL has domesticated him and basically made him a modern day Papa Bauer. Deas needs a smoldering romance and I'm sorry his current bridge games with Lillian aren't exactly what I am talking about. Why can't GL bring back Fiona Hutchison's Jenna? I know she died on screen but really, who cares at this point? Jenna's death could have been faked by some ruthless diamond smuggler who wanted to utilize her talents for stealing precious gems. Then somehow she escapes and makes her way back to Springfield and Buzz. And if not Jenna, why not have Buzz throw Blake off Coop's scent by having him seduce Harley's best friend himself? Blake and Harley as stepmother and stepdaughter would be almost as good as Jenna and Harley were.
10.) At least its not on NBC: My final reason for tuning back into Guiding Light is that even with the shoddy camera work, bad lighting, dismally cheesy theme song and frustratingly separated supercouples, the show is still much, much better than Another World was during its last six months to a year on air. Unlike when NBC soaps head into trouble, Guiding Light appears to still have the support of its network and not in the form of overzealous execs forcing them to tell outlandish stories and mimic the supernatural tomfoolery that once managed to provide a temporary ratings boon for Days of Our Lives. Barbara Bloom is at least still speaking about GL in the press. When was the last time you heard an NBC exec speak about Days? Oh yeah...that time. Even with Days currently on an upswing, NBC execs are mum on the show's future. At least on GL there has been no mention of the words "Lumina" or the admission that CBS wants out of the soap game, so there's still hope. Let's just hope Wheeler can fix the kinks in the new production model and starts insisting on storylines the fans will enjoy and who knows, the 'Light may stay on for years to come.
- Login or register to post comments
-
- Email this page
Comments
13 March 2008
35 weeks 6 days
Harley and Cyrus stink as a couple. I am still waiting to see this "heat" that others seem to see between the two of them.
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
Different people find different couples hot I've found. I never bought Philip and Beth as a supercouple, he was much more entertaining with Harley to me, but most fans see Beth as his one true love.
28 December 2007
5 weeks 3 days
Rafe/Natalia/Remy are useless characters that I would gladly trade for some familiar faces any day.
Cassie and all of her drama is played out and I can't wait until she is shipped off to the mental ward.
Dinah taking down Alan is too absurd for words. I would expect a storyline like this from Passions but not GL.
I liked Cyrus and Harley at first but the writing for them took a turn for the disgusting and I cannot stomach either character now.
The writers need to use Kim Zimmer more and less of the newbies.
18 November 2007
7 weeks 3 days
Wow I never thought you were a HYRUS fan they are so disgusting IMO I liked your list minus that but Harley is so slutty I can't stand it. ahhh I am a cyrina fan until the end sorry jay
22 March 2008
1 day 30 min
That was a beautifully written post, Jamey! It's nice to have someone say something positive about good ol' GL
I always enjoy reading your eloquent and insightful posts. You truly have a gift for writing.
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
LOL I can't help it Jammylove, they are hot together! Besides I can't exactly feel sorry for Marina when she dated Alan Michael, who had been married to both of her aunts AND at one time her mother! AM once thought he was Marina's father, she knew all that back history and still went there. Plus seeing Frank and Gus spit hypocrisy at Harley had my eyes stuck on roll. They just got finished butting heads over Olivia. How was Harley any different?
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
Oh wow! Thanks Soapscribe. I did that post in the spirit of going forward. We as soap fans can only mourn the loss of our soap's "glory days" for so long, so I am trying to find as many positive things to say about the current state of the soap opera as I can.
1 December 2007
17 hours 31 min
I'm surprised that Cyrus and Harley are on this list. But I agree, they do have heat. I liked them for a while. Fans call them Charley. But I can't handle them anymore because I don't want Cyrus to be Harley's future. I had hope Harley would ultimately reunite with Gus, but that's impossible now. Even though I don't like Cyrus and Harley, I can still see how likable they are. And they still got heat.
---Katie
Gus & Harley lover!
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
Gus and Harley are really special to me and always will be because they were one of the last big couples my late gran and soap bud got hooked on, but I can't but find Cryus and Harley alluring. It's like when Roscoe Born came between Cruz and Eden on Santa Barbara. It was so wrong, but...SO right! LOL
18 November 2007
7 weeks 3 days
Yes Marina dated Alan Michael, I was a huge fan of them but it wasn't like Harley was dating Alan Michael at the time. If Cyrus wasn't so in love with Marina at the time of this disgusting pair and they have been seperated for 3 years or so I could have gone for it but this was too fast you get in a terrible accident and you automatically fall in love!
23 January 2008
2 hours 59 min
I'll never ever understand why there is this need to put Jonathan and Lizzie together? Yuck!! After everything that b!tch did to Tammy? And no, I don't think Daniel Cosgrove and Marcy Rylan have chemistry. And like so many couples on the show, Bill and Lizzie don't make sense.
30 November 2007
2 weeks 2 days
I have also seen the crazy-hot chemistry between Harley and Cyrus, although I doubt that they'll ever be a real couple. But he's one heck of a boytoy. And Ashley/Coop & Bill/Lizzie are great. I just wish that they would 1) light the sets better and 2) improve the audio. Also, I am tired of everyone being poor and depressed. I see that all day at work, I don't need to spend an hour of TV watching it.
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
I think Marina dating the man who could have possibly been her father (Alan Michael) is a lot skeevier than Harley dating a guy who had slept with her niece. Plus AM was the love of Lucy's life. Marina knew all of this and she forged right ahead. That was wrong, just like what Harley is doing is wrong, but you were able to look past that and like AM and Marina as a couple. That's how I feel about Cyrus and Harley. Of course sleeping with your niece's man is wrong, but I like the couple, so I'll allow it, so goes the rules of soapland, we'll basically allow anything if the couple works for us! LOL
2 January 2008
11 min 17 sec
Jamey i yhink my screen name speaks volumes of my devotion to a certain couple.Ienjoyed your piece on my favorite soap.I know gl has gone through changes but im sticking with this show.I have to say when laura wright vacated the role of cassie winslow,the writers said lets recast her with an unknown and really play with her.Yes mr kreizman you really destroyed a great characther with such potential.Fans dont blame the characther blame the writer
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
They should have brought on a name like Jensen Buchanan to play Cassie or simply have written the character off the canvas. It was a big mistake to kill off Tammy also. Without Tammy, Cassie was rudderless.
27 March 2008
1 year 3 weeks
Jamey!
Hear! Hear!
Thank you, at long last, for speaking up about GL's positives in a fair and honest (and at times hysterical) way. And I personally thank you for your Number One!
I have been one of GL's defender's for a long time. I agree with the critics about the various shortcomings in the new production model, but unlike the overheated bitching and moaning of those who have jumped aboard the fashionable bandwagon of decrying about the camera angles, sound quality and lighting I think I and a few others have chosen to see these new developments for what they are: a new production model that is IN PROGRESS. I see many improvements almost every day like fewer tight close ups, steadier cameras, more medium shots, fewer "stalker" shots, better outdoor sound quality, among others. And this new model has only been on air for a little over 3 weeks. I agree with Bloom on this score.
But story is still king and GL is finally providing some really solid writing. The fallout from Gus' death has been spot on and Dinah's take down of Alan is fantastic. But here are 5 other reasons I'm liking GL these days:
5. More Vets: GL's current roster of veteran actors may be supporting or recurring, but it's a pleasure to see Maeve Kincaid, Kurt McKinney, and Tina Sloane get screen time. Even Elizabeth Keifer is making appearances again! Kincaid's "Vanessa" is a genuine treat given the awful way Paul Rauch (?) let her and the character go. Now, if only Wheeler and Kreizman could find a way to get Maureen Garret back in on the action...
4. The outdoor scenes: As far as location sequences go they might not match the polish of those currently being aired on As he World Turns, but these scenes are really great to look at (even if they don't always make sense within the context of the day's action).
3. Ron Raines: While his obsession of babies has been increasingly and irritatingly one-note the last couple of years, the twin losses of Gus and the Spaulding empire have re-energized the actor and the character. Raines has somehow managed to maintain Alan's public haughtiness while brilliantly conveying his current situation as a man beaten down. The scenes between Raines and Deas have been great, as Buzz has offered compassion to his bitter enemy as Alan has been humbled by Buzz's generosity. The character deserves everything that has come to him financially and there is no doubt Alan hasn't learned very much, but right now Ron Raines is doing excellent, excellent work.
2. History: Every soap seems to be nodding to their respective histories more and more these days, some (All My Children) better than others. But ever since David Kreizman took over the writing, he's tried to regularly reference various aspects of the history of Guiding Light often with simple but effective lines or in conversations. For example, a couple of months ago Alan mentioned his half-sister Amanda. Marina's verbal bitch slap to Harley was a non-subtle nod to Harley's history, as well as providing additional insight into Harley as a character. Lillian's own battle with breast cancer has been acknowledged, not forgotten. And most recently, Lillian and Vanessa spoke about the memory of "her": the late, much missed Maureen Bauer. While I do not fetishize "history" the way some soap fans do, I very much appreciate these simple acknowledgements to a very rich past.
1. The Future of Soaps Is RIght Before Your Eyes: Step back from the criticisms of the new production model of GL and think about it objectively. There is a growing consensus that the future of daytime is on the internet. And if that is true, then GL is leading the way. As was recently pointed out in the Daytime Confidential podcast -- and, well, everywhere else -- GL's new production model was created basically to save a buck. And if soaps as a genre eventually make the full transition to the web, whether GL new model works or not for them specifically, this is more or less what they will look like. You can already see some of it with NBC's rather dismal "California Dreams" online. But GL's ambitious model is how soaps online will work: location shooting, no expensive studios, non-union camera crews, a more realistic look. And that's not a bad thing because these production models will by their very nature force writers to tell more realistic, down to earth, emotional and character driven stories instead of relying on totally unbelievable fake tropical islands, underground laboratories and impossibly small faux castles. To me (and this is personal) it is an exciting development that -- if successful -- is not only currently saving just GL, but could save the entire genre in the future.
Oh, one more thing: I happen to love the new theme song, which is called "Of the Center" by Kati Mac, not "Only Love."
14 November 2007
1 day 8 hours
Wow, great post and comments! ITA w/ what you wrote about Justin Deas. He went from being one of the most praised actors in daytime to now being the most underrated
I started watching GL 15 years ago when Justin Deas came on (my FAV soap actor of all-time!!) I soon fell in love with the show and the cast. But in the last year (maybe longer?) I've stopped watching. Lately though I've been tempted to start watching again. These are the things that have me considering coming back to the Light:
1. I miss Deas and Ron Raines (right on DS9Sisko!!)
2. YouTube clips of Marina and Cyrus (I know they broke up but still...) I just found them so charming...and even in brief clips I could see chemistry.
3. Cassie meltdown. She is a character I have absolutely despised since day one. Too much screentime, breaking up a couple I loved (Dinah & Hart), holier than thou attitude, making every man she's paired with into an uninteresting wimp, etc... So to see her fall from grace would be FAB! Plus there was a YouTube clip w/ Reva and Cassie that I thought was so funny it intrigued me.
4. Ashlee & Coop look so darn cute together!
5. The realization that I've been a BAD soap fan for deserting soaps when they need fans the most.
And just two more things. I actually hated Laura Wright's Cassie even MORE than NF's Cassie. I would say LW's Cassie would be in my Top 5 Most Hated Characters of all-time and I've been watching soaps for a zillion years.
And...I can't believe you lumped my girl Sam with those two cretins!
That is HARSH Jay, LOL!!
18 November 2007
7 weeks 3 days
Jay I can see where your coming from but Lucy is not on the canvas and hasnt been however Marina still is in a front burner storyline. Its just bad. and another thing a recast JONATHAN ! AHHHHHHHHH the horror. boooo
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
This generation of soap fans makes me giggle when it comes to recasting. Some of the best actors and actresses ever have been recast. Terry Lester, Anne Heche, Robin Strasser, Wendy Moniz, Judi Evans. Tom Pelphrey is a good actor, but he is replaceable in my opinion.
14 November 2007
1 day 8 hours
Hey I never got over Wendy Moniz being recast, lol
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
Oh I did, quickly! LOL And I LOVED Moniz as Dinah,but Gina Tognoni is fierce in the role. I am so okay with recasts, especially if they are done well. Especially when it is the actor or actress who chooses to leave the show.
14 November 2007
1 day 8 hours
I admit, Gina is a great recast of Dinah... There's only a couple of roles I consider un-recastable (is that a word, lol?) If they can successfully recast Bo Brady, which I thought was impossible, they can pretty much recast anyone, imo
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
I worshipped at the altar of Anne Heche on Another World, but after a good six months with Jensen Buchanan as Vicky and Marley, I was just as hooked on her. As long as they don't destroy the character's throughline and write him or her as unrecognizable then I am okay.
18 November 2007
7 weeks 3 days
well being nominated every single year (and winning once) that they played the role of a character is kinda hard to recast.....
12 February 2008
9 hours 44 min
I agree with all of your opinions, Jamey, but the production & writing still sucks and they need to change that ASAP! If ATWT can keep their sets and use more outdoor scenes to save money, then GL can do the same. I actually loved LW as Cassie. Once NF got in the role, it was completely destroyed! Even LW said herself that she couldn't have done the whole Cassie/Josh pairing because it would've destroyed the character, which it did.
***///Living In The World Of Soaps Since 1985\\\***
14 November 2007
1 day 8 hours
Yup, poor NF got stuck with the Cassie/Josh pairing, which I think contributed greatly to the show's decline and amplified people's dislike for Cassie.
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
When LW was in the role I still hated Cassie, but it was more of a love to hate than a simple hate to see her on my screen. I was a big Dinah and Hart fan, so I couldn't stand Cassie for coming between them and driving poor Dinah crazy! She didn't mean to kill Hart, it was the stripper she was gunning for! Then Cassie had to get all up in Reva's business with Prince Richard. Reva didn't even have a chance to sort out her feelings for the guy before her skank sister got in the way. LOL
14 November 2007
1 day 8 hours
Remember when GL toyed with the idea of putting Cassie and Danny together? That was painful for me... I was like, "Get that $!*#$ ways from my Danny!!"
And she's some kind of black widow...the men she ends up with either die or become gravely injured: Hart, Richard, Edmund...didn't her first husband die too?
28 December 2007
5 weeks 3 days
When they tried to put Cassie with Danny that was one of the few times that I actually enjoyed the character.
22 January 2008
2 hours 53 min
I think Rob Lane is still breathing, not sure. They only tried with Cassie and Danny because the actors were a hit on Loving. I didn't like it either, Danny belonged with Michelle. Wheeler should REALLY be calling Stewart and St. Alban right about now.