REACT: CBS TURNS OUT THE 'GUIDING LIGHT'

It was no April Fool's joke: CBS, citing declining ratings and today's economic climate, announced on April 1 that it will complete its final season of "Guiding Light."  The final episode airs on September 18th. 

The longest-running program in broadcast history, "Guiding Light" began on radio in 1937 and made the move to CBS television in 1952, and brought viewers such legendary daytime stars as Justin Deas and Kim Zimmer, along with such famous Hollywood faces as Kevin Bacon, Calista Flockhart, Allison Janney, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Taye Diggs, Hayden Panettiere and Brittany Snow.  Find out more.

Do you agree with CBS's decision to cancel "Guiding Light"?  Why or why not?

Would you follow "Guiding Light" to another network, if one could be found that would continue to air the series?

What are some of your all-time favorite 'Guiding Light' memories?

Click 'REPLY' below to share your thoughts on CBS's decision to turn out the 'Light,' then click on any of the Related Links below to share your thoughts on other 'Guiding Light'-related topics:

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TALK ABOUT YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITES: Actor, Actress, Character, Couple, Moment, Storyline, Villain/Villainess

TELL US: Which Character Will You Miss Most?

DISCUSS: What's Next for 'GL' Stars?

I voted "No way!" not because I believe it to be the best soap but because it has been the longest running and is an institution where the soaps are concerned.  It was so sad when Another World was cancelled but they replaced it with another soap. (One I would never have watched since I boycotted that one for my AW fan friends)  I didn't miss much with Passions, but GL is another story altogether. It won't be replaced with any soap, will it? We'll get either reality shows or talk shows...boring! It will be the beginning of the end for all our soaps.  It seems the writers have a lot to do with the decline IMHO.  I think CBS has made a big mistake.  I see ATWT has a year left on it's contract.  Do you think they'll renew that one?

I still say quality writing and good acting is what the soaps are all about.  If they have that, they shouldn't cancel them!

D.

Hi Ashley!

The way it was going, no story, no cameras, no plot it was obvious. Only Ihave been watching since 1960 , it feels like a friend died!

Still keep hoping it is an April Fool's Prank!

from Salem, Oregon!

I hated to read the news that GL was cancelled. I'm not surprised but disappointed. I started watching GL because it was a real "soap opera". Many soaps have changed and trying to bring in more younger viewers. More young people drinking, sex, etc. GL stayed true to itself until a couple of years ago. They too tried to gear their show to bring in more young people. The writing became a mumble jumble of this and that with too many loose ends. It had no core couple to surround the story line around. More young actors were coming aboard, which meant more sex, drinking and bed hopping. I understood, because of financial difficulties that they had to change to hand held cameras and more on-site filming but instead of helping it just became more confusing.

If the show ER, which ends its 15 year run tonight, ends with a BANG - I hope the writers of GL get the idea to end GL in the same way. Another World, which ended a few years ago, tied up all the loose ends rather nicely. Again, I hope the GL does the same. Maybe I'll start another post where we can give the writers some good ideas how to do it.  Here's the first good idea - Give Frank a woman. Poor guy, after all these years PLEASE give him someone that will love him! Bring Darcy back!

Mtgrl

I like you started watching in 1960. I was just starting College and was going home to eat lunch. The show was on at noon.Previously, when I was sick and had to stay home I watched it when it was black and white. I knew Roger and Holy, Mike, and Ed, and their mother, and all the characters when they were very young. When I got my degree, in Chemistry, again I worked close to home and again I watched. As a young mother and now and empty nester GL relaxed me after intense projects and serious reading.GL started being a habit and even though people pooh pooed at soaps I thought it was intelligent and its stories very good.

Over the years it had ups and downs but lately just down> down> down! I was afraid that it was dying and many times I was very vocal, wrote letters and tried to get the powers to be to see what they were doing.I know the people here probably did not understand my anguish that was driving me to make very hard comments always hoping some one would see and take care.

It would be very egotistical if I only wanted the old characters because the people watching now probably were young as I was when I started.Yet, the old characters are not exactly mummies and they are very deep and interesting. One day, at UCLA I met the actress that played Cassie ( the one before the last one, ) and complained about the horrible "None-story". She laughed and said that the actors also were puzzled and from day to day they did not know what they were doing it was like improvising. She advised me to start watching the soap she was at now.

The story line was so bad that many times I felt there were no authors ,or that the authors were brain damaged. It would be so easy to weave a beautiful story based on the old! Instead my favorite soap became an advertisement for Victoria's Secret underwear and every actor had to show his bare behind . Hoping from bed to bed became the central idea and no story ever got a satisfactory solution. I feel like I lost a friend. One that I loved, who had gotten very sick was almost senile and yet you do love friends that are in that condition. Forty nine whole years it was a companion !! How do we say goodbye now?

Perhaps we can philosophize and say that everything gets born, matures and dies and this was the time for GL to do so. Too bad I had to witness it! I guess that is the price one has to pay when one gets to live long; old friends sometimes leave first.

I am thankful I found it one day in the late fifties when as a high school girl I stayed home sick, and I will always remember it fondly.

Sandy dear,

I miss you how are you? Send an email!