Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Guiding Light Canceled

NEW YORK (AP) — The soap opera “Guiding Light” is switching off after a 72-year run that predates television.

CBS says the show will have its final episode in September. Like most daytime dramas, “Guiding Light” has suffered from declining ratings and CBS is looking for a lower-cost alternative to the hour of programming.

The Guinness Book of World Records has cited it as the longest-running television drama.

It began as a 15-minute serial on NBC Radio in January 1937 and debuted on CBS television in 1952, focusing on the Bauer family of Springfield.

I know this is just a sign of the times and all that, but when I was a kid, my mom watched GL.  She never sat and watched it, but she had it on while she ironed or dusted or whatever.  I remember it being on, and I determined from watching that show what sex was.  They always showed the man sitting up in bed with the blanket at his waist, and the woman next to him, lying down with the blanket up to her chest.  As a result, I thought that sex must be the most boring thing ever because all they did was sit there. 

I turned the show on yesterday to see if I recognized anyone, and sure enough, Phillip Spaulding was on.  He looked exactly the same as he did in the early 1980s, but now he’s 50, has kids, grandkids, and wears reading glasses.  Worse, yesterday he wore Reva’s reading glasses, which was just weird.  By the way, Reva, who also has kids, grandkids, and wears reading glasses, is apparently pregnant on the show.  And that sums up why I don’t watch soaps anymore.

(6) Comments
Posted by Wendy at 1314 hrs
Culture

  1. I remember when I was younger and my mom started watching soaps (The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful), that the women had kids.  Now, I was never one for soaps but if I’m on vacation and pop over there, the shows will be on…the kids are my age and having kids and the women who bore them 10, 15 years ago look exactly the same.

    Except for Hunter Tylo.  She was so lovely, had work done, and now looks like Skeletor.  Thank goodness I don’t watch daytime TV!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 01, 2009 at 1350 hrs


  2. It’s too bad about Hunter - very pretty lady, but she must have gone to the same plastic surgeon as Meg Ryan.

    My mom watched Guiding Light as well. The other thing I remember was that it was on before Star Trek in the afternoon.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 01, 2009 at 1438 hrs


  3. As a real little squirt, I remember watching ‘The Edge of Night” in the 1950’s with my mom.

    After one scene with a female actress acting in some dastardly manner, I blurted out, “She must really be a whore!”

    During and after my beating, I figured out that ‘whore’ wasn’t really a shortened form of ‘horrible person’ as I had thought.

    Posted by Steve Burri on April 01, 2009 at 1539 hrs


  4. Having never really seen a soap. I’d imagine that they are a bit more sexually explicit these days. Better not tell Ginny. And, Steve, that’s funny.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 01, 2009 at 1824 hrs


  5. so, Steve, you’ve since realized that whore really is simply short for horrible person? otoh, if you call her a bitch…

    Back in the early days of our relationship, GL was the only thing besides my beloved that I had in common with the MIL. I’d grab a Soap Opera Digest before going there so we could talk about the ‘family’.

    Posted by tee bee on April 01, 2009 at 1957 hrs


  6. Steve, the start of The Edge of Night used to freak me out as a kid. Darkness would sweep over the cityscape, and the announcer would intone, “The Edge…..of NIGHT!”. Hey, in black & white, that was creepy.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 01, 2009 at 2042 hrs


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