Robert Newman

TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco posted his Suds Report a little early this week because of Independence Day. One juicy bit from the online column  has As The World Turns brass interested in absorbing one of Guiding Light's most iconic couples.

Word from Brooklyn is that World Turns wants Kim Zimmer and Robert Newman to crossover their popular super-couple pairing, Reva and Josh, to their show. That sound you hear? Me screaming, “Run, Kim and Robert, run!”

Hmm, wonder if all powers concerned will allow one of daytime's favorite couples to finally reunite on this show?

I got so excited reminiscing about Santa Barbara,  television's best soap opera EVER, on Twitter that I decided to share these soaptastic clips here on DC. They are from SB's infamous Aqua Land remote, where the dastardly Kirk Cranston (Robert Newman) planned to finally do away with our starcrossed lovers Cruz Castillo (A Martinez) and Eden Capwell (Marcy Walker) once and for all! For fans who have only seen Newman as the heroic, straight-laced Josh Lewis on Guiding Light, seeing him as Eden's psychotic ex might be a bit of a shock. I say it's high time SOAPnet assembled 10-15 of Santa Barbara's key players, and produced a splashy two-part miniseries! Thanks Katieeee9999 for the MVIDs. READ MORE

The End of an Era.  On August 19, 2009 The Paley Center for Media will be hosting an event to say goodbye to broadcasting's longest running program, Guiding Light. Attending the evening, will be GL executive producer Ellen Wheeler, head writer Jill Lorie Hurst, and actors Kim Zimmer, Robert Newman and Grant Aleksander, with other panelists to be announced. A clip from the finale will be shown as part of the planned activities. For more information visit the Paley Center online here. Thanks Daisy Clover for the tip!

Hot on the heels of my admittedly scathing review of Friday's ultra-campy, Scooby Doo meets The Munsters inspired episode of All My Children which culminated in the murder of Stuart (Not Adam) Chandler, I finally had the opportunity to catch up with Guiding Light, which had its own less heralded "Who Killed Edmund Winslow?" whodunit kick off.

Since I received a little bit of blow back for my harsh (and well-deserved) criticism of AMC, I'd like to take the opportunity to explain why Springfield's simultaneous murder mystery is infinitely superior to Pine Valley's. READ MORE

For weeks now, we at Daytime Confidential have caught flack and been accused of spreading "rumors" concerning Guiding Light's alleged talks with such cable channels as Lifetime and Oxygen. Lifetime reps have been denying talks to readers who visit their site, meanwhile sources have maintained to our Melodie Aikels, and myself that talks are in fact taking place. This past weekend, news broke that GL leading man Robert Newman mentioned the alleged talks with Lifetime at a GL fan event in Pittsburgh (with an "h"), and also mentioned he had heard similar discussions with TV Land were taking place. Today, TeleNext representatives emailed Daytime Confidential the following statement from Brian T. Cahill, Senior Vice-President of TeleNext  Media, Inc.

We continue to explore all our options to find a new home for Guiding Light. At this point, we are not able to comment or speculate about any potential partnerships. Our conversations are ongoing and, in the interest of keeping them moving forward, we cannot offer any additional perspective. We will certainly communicate broadly if and when a decision is made about the future of the show. We thank all our loyal fans for their continued outpouring of support.” READ MORE

In the online article that went along with CBS Pittsburgh affiliate KDKA's coverage of a recent Guiding Light fan event, the reporter attributed quotes about Guiding Light's future prospects to Grant Aleksander. The statements were actually given by Robert Newman.

"Procter and Gamble is very much working toward the show going elsewhere, finding another form. It might be something on cable, I think there is a possibility with Lifetime, TV Land - so it may continue on - we will see," he said."

Click here for the video.

She'd been teased and mocked for years, no more so than in her competition with other, younger and, some would say, prettier hopefuls. Her appearance had been derided as "downmarket." She obviously couldn't afford fancy stylists and didn't have the finesse of her peers, but when she revealed the depths of her talents she left viewers and critics quaking in their boots.

I'm not talking about Susan Boyle, the YouTube and Britain's Got Talent overnight sensation. I'm talking about the magnificent week of high octane, balls to the wall drama that has been Guiding Light.

I'm glad I waited before posting anything about the extraordinary week that has transpired on GL as the Olivia/Natalia love story played out before my astonished eyes. Temptation tested me in the aftermath of Olivia's shattering graveyard soliloqy to her heart donor Gus and, later, her heartstopping confession of love to Natalia, in what is quite possibly destined to become remembered as one of the greatest performances in daytime of the last decade. My fingers fidgeted over my keyboard during one of the most gloriously tortured daytime weddings in recent memory. My mind raced with superlatives about Natalia's struggle at the altar and her tearful confession of love for Olivia mixed with guilt about Frank. While the week belonged to Otalia (which I will get to in a moment), the entire show was, to borrow a phrase, a towering inferno of greatness. Let us count the ways: READ MORE

The cast of Guiding Light recently spent some fun in the sun at Universal Orlando, filming on location episodes to air later this spring. Robert Newman took time out of his busy schedule to visit with me about Guiding Light, the investment of the network in the show, the impact of the new production model and what the future might hold for one of daytime’s legendary couples, Josh and Reva (Kim Zimmer).

Daytime Confidential: Now I understand you aren't filming here?

Robert Newman: No. I'm just here for the PR part of it.  

DC: How have you adjusted to the new production style?

RN: Well, it took me a while. I'm not gonna lie about that. I've been in this game for a long time and I've been through a zillion changes. This one by far has been the most extreme. I think it was hard. I've heard Alan say before that one of the most difficult things was that we had to go through these changes in front of the audience. We couldn't just shut down for 6 months and figure out how to do this. It was a lot of growing pains, adjustment, and difficulty.

For a while I felt really kind of out of sorts with it. I couldn't figure it out. One of the biggest changes for us as actors was zero rehearsal. I mean we had no rehearsal whatsoever. There's something that's kind of exciting about that and then there's something kind of really scary as hell about that. You just don't know. I mean you start a scene and you really don't know where it's going to go. READ MORE

Okay, I can't take it anymore! Guiding Light is doing SO much better, but if I have to sit through just one more episode where that Prince Richard lookalike (Bradley Cole) who banged a pubescent Marah, speaks the lines to Reva Shayne (Kim Zimmer) that Joshua (extra on the uah) Lewis (Robert Newman) should be saying to her, why I might just raise more sand than an Oklahoma twister!
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Now what in the world could Edmund (David Andrew MacDonald) and Josh (Robert Newman) have left to say to one another after all these years? Take your best Caption This shot.