"Guiding Light" ending after 72 years - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 03-30-2009, 09:53 AM

CBS may soon decide to pull the plug on “Guiding Light,” the longest-running daytime drama in television history.

While no final decision has been made, the network’s deal for the Procter & Gamble-produced drama—the least watched of the eight daytime serials currently on the air—ends in September. But if CBS does drop “Guiding Light,” it likely would lock in a decision within the next month, people familiar with the matter said. That would give writers a chance to tie up storylines.

CBS also would need to finalize new programming for the daytime hour that “Guiding Light” would be vacating.

In the most significant indication that the network is seriously pondering life without “Guiding Light,” CBS has been talking to outside studios about potential replacement programming for the show, sources said.

Possibilities under discussion include both game shows and talk shows. CBS could easily cut its programming costs for the hour in half by switching away from a scripted drama.
Representatives for CBS and P&G declined comment.

In addition to contracting with an outside studio for programming to replace “Light,” CBS daytime chief Barbara Bloom has been developing possible in-house candidates for the soap opera’s slot.

CBS executives are taking their time deciding the fate of “Light,” which has survived more than 70 years on radio and television. P&G also produces the CBS soap “As the World Turns.”

Nonetheless, a decision by CBS to end “Light’s” run on the network wouldn’t be a surprise.

The serial has been the subject of cancellation rumors for the better part of a decade. Those rumors became particularly intense within the past 18 months, but P&G threw something of a Hail Mary pass last year when it implemented a radical reworking of “Light’s” production model.

On Feb. 29, 2008, the show ditched its traditional storytelling style in favor of a lower-cost model that also was intended to give the show a more realistic, less staged feel. Around the same time, CBS renewed “Light” for the current season, retaining an option for an additional season.

Ratings for the show haven’t improved since the switch. “Light” is averaging a 0.9 rating among women 18-49 and a 1.6 household rating, according to Nielsen. Season-to-date, it’s averaging 2.17 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in women 18-49; season-to-season, it’s down 18% in viewers and down 25% in the demographic.

“Light” began life as a radio soap opera, moving to CBS television.

Moving to the Web?

It’s possible P&G or CBS could attempt to keep the show alive in some form on the Internet, though doing so likely would require another radical reinvention of its production model.

Much of the daytime drama business is struggling, with ratings for most soaps down significantly over the past decade. NBC is down to one soap, “Days of Our Lives,” following the decision to dump “Passions” in 2007 (the show survived one more season on DirecTV).

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/03/c...ht_replace.php

ThomasE · 03-30-2009, 09:56 AM

Another one may bite the dust. Wow...

Mr. Television · 03-30-2009, 10:41 AM

very sad. I used to be a big fan of this show. I remember watching it with my Mom when I was younger and I continued watching up until around 1998. It premiered on radio the same year my Mom was born. It really is an institution.

MickeyMac · 03-30-2009, 12:49 PM

Because of its long history it would be sad if CBS cancelled GL, but for the last two years the show has been a shadow of its former self. Its barely watchable and everything they have done has not worked.

dakert · 03-30-2009, 01:28 PM

One of my favorite storylines was Kelly Nelson/Morgan Richards back in the summer of 1980. Good show--sorry to see it go but it is even sorrier to see it now--looks awful!

catlover79 · 03-30-2009, 01:29 PM

Just sad it had to come to this...

MickeyMac · 03-31-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dakert

One of my favorite storylines was Kelly Nelson/Morgan Richards back in the summer of 1980. Good show--sorry to see it go but it is even sorrier to see it now--looks awful!

It is, and at one time this was such a great soap. At least Michael Zaslow isnt alive to see how far down GL has gone.

Mr. Television · 03-31-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

It is, and at one time this was such a great soap. At least Michael Zaslow isnt alive to see how far down GL has gone.

He was one of my favorite actors. I stopped watching GL after they fired him.

Scoobiedoo30 · 03-31-2009, 07:15 PM

I know fans would be upset if CBS Pulls The Plug on Guiding Light.

browneyes106 · 04-01-2009, 10:29 AM

I don't think GL is that bad. It is a bit better than Days of Our Lives.

Zoneboy · 04-01-2009, 02:44 PM

Long-running serial ends run on Sept. 18

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryId=14&cs=1

After 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes, “Guiding Light” will shine no more.
CBS informed the show’s cast and crew Wednesday that the long-running serial will be broadcast for the last time on Friday, Sept. 18.

Show’s demise reps the latest downsize to hit the once-vibrant daytime soap genre. “Guiding” consistently ranks at the bottom of the daytime ratings, and its demise itsn’t a complete surprise.

In a last-ditch effort to bolster the show’s sagging viewership, CBS and producer TeleNext Media completely changed “Guiding Light’s” look and feel last year - taking the show outdoors, and using guerilla-style filmmaking (hand-held cameras, simultaneous digital editing and on-location shoots in Peapack, N.J.) to set the show apart.

The alterations only upset “Guiding Light’s” loyal but dwindling stable of fans. The show this season reps the smallest numbers on broadcast in daytime, averaging 2.2 million viewers, as well as a 1.1 rating/6 share with women 25-54 and a 0.9 rating/5 share with women 18-49.

CBS hasn’t announced how it will fill the “GL” spot, but TVWeek reported this week that fare such as game shows or talk shows are being considered. With one less sudser, that means only seven now remain on the nets: Three on ABC and CBS, and one on NBC.

“‘Guiding Light’ has achieved a piece of television history that will never be matched,” said Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group. “It has crossed mediums, adapted its stories to decades of social change and woven its way through generations of audiences like no other.”

Sudser, created by Irna Phillips, launched on NBC radio as a 15-minute daily serial in January 1937; it moved to CBS Television as a 15-minute series in 1952. The radio show continued concurrently until 1956, while the TV version was expanded to 30 minutes in 1968 and a full hour in 1977.

“Guiding Light” has won 69 Daytime Emmys through the years - including three for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series. The Guinness Book of World Records calls it the longest-running TV drama - a designation that will now fall to “As the World Turns” beginning next fall.

“Being on the air for more than seven decades is truly remarkable, and it will be difficult for all of us at the show to say goodbye,” said exec producer Ellen Wheeler.

David Kreizman, Christopher Dunn, Lloyd Gold and Jill Lorie Hurst serve as head writers on the show.

“No show in daytime or prime time, or anytime, has touched so many millions of viewers across so many years as Guiding Light,” said Barbara Bloom, senior vice president of daytime programs at CBS.

Scoobiedoo30 · 04-01-2009, 02:45 PM

I wonder what could take Guidiung Light Time Period at 2:00 pm CT Time on CBS

HuntingtonM15 · 04-01-2009, 02:59 PM

That's awful, but not shocking. I just wish it would have happened to Days first. I know GL took a huge hit losing Beth Ehlers and Ricky Paull Goldin, but I didn't think things were this bad. I'm sure all soaps will be gone within 5-10 years, and that's being generous.

Scoobiedoo30 · 04-01-2009, 03:05 PM

I bet CBS does what NBC did when NBC cancelled Sunset Beach NBC gave the 2:00 pm CT Time Time to Local Station's for example WDSU airs The Doctors at 2:00 pm CT Time

Mr. Television · 04-01-2009, 03:10 PM

Very sad.

Like I said, GL holds alot of great memories for me. At one time during the '80's and '90's, I was really addicted to the show. They lost a lot of great characters through the years though and these younger actors couldn't replace the older ones. I remember when H.B. and Henry died. Those two were really the guiding Light of the show. And the Bauers were slowly written out...I don't understand that. Rick was the only one left. As I said the biggest loss in my opinion was Michael Zaslow. GL could not find a good villian to replace Roger Thorpe and replacing him with another actor never worked. Maybe it's best that it does end before it falls any further.

03-30-2009, 09:53 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	"Guiding Light" ending after 72 years CBS may soon decide to pull the plug on “Guiding Light,” the longest-running daytime drama in television history. While no final decision has been made, the network’s deal for the Procter & Gamble-produced drama—the least watched of the eight daytime serials currently on the air—ends in September. But if CBS does drop “Guiding Light,” it likely would lock in a decision within the next month, people familiar with the matter said. That would give writers a chance to tie up storylines. CBS also would need to finalize new programming for the daytime hour that “Guiding Light” would be vacating. In the most significant indication that the network is seriously pondering life without “Guiding Light,” CBS has been talking to outside studios about potential replacement programming for the show, sources said. Possibilities under discussion include both game shows and talk shows. CBS could easily cut its programming costs for the hour in half by switching away from a scripted drama. Representatives for CBS and P&G declined comment. In addition to contracting with an outside studio for programming to replace “Light,” CBS daytime chief Barbara Bloom has been developing possible in-house candidates for the soap opera’s slot. CBS executives are taking their time deciding the fate of “Light,” which has survived more than 70 years on radio and television. P&G also produces the CBS soap “As the World Turns.” Nonetheless, a decision by CBS to end “Light’s” run on the network wouldn’t be a surprise. The serial has been the subject of cancellation rumors for the better part of a decade. Those rumors became particularly intense within the past 18 months, but P&G threw something of a Hail Mary pass last year when it implemented a radical reworking of “Light’s” production model. On Feb. 29, 2008, the show ditched its traditional storytelling style in favor of a lower-cost model that also was intended to give the show a more realistic, less staged feel. Around the same time, CBS renewed “Light” for the current season, retaining an option for an additional season. Ratings for the show haven’t improved since the switch. “Light” is averaging a 0.9 rating among women 18-49 and a 1.6 household rating, according to Nielsen. Season-to-date, it’s averaging 2.17 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in women 18-49; season-to-season, it’s down 18% in viewers and down 25% in the demographic. “Light” began life as a radio soap opera, moving to CBS television. Moving to the Web? It’s possible P&G or CBS could attempt to keep the show alive in some form on the Internet, though doing so likely would require another radical reinvention of its production model. Much of the daytime drama business is struggling, with ratings for most soaps down significantly over the past decade. NBC is down to one soap, “Days of Our Lives,” following the decision to dump “Passions” in 2007 (the show survived one more season on DirecTV). http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/03/c...ht_replace.php
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03-30-2009, 09:56 AM	#2
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	Another one may bite the dust. Wow...
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03-30-2009, 10:41 AM	#3
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	very sad. I used to be a big fan of this show. I remember watching it with my Mom when I was younger and I continued watching up until around 1998. It premiered on radio the same year my Mom was born. It really is an institution.
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03-30-2009, 01:29 PM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Just sad it had to come to this...
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03-31-2009, 07:15 PM	#9
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I know fans would be upset if CBS Pulls The Plug on Guiding Light.
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03-30-2009, 12:49 PM	#4
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	Because of its long history it would be sad if CBS cancelled GL, but for the last two years the show has been a shadow of its former self. Its barely watchable and everything they have done has not worked.

03-30-2009, 01:28 PM	#5
dakert Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 10, 2007 Location: Altoona PA Posts: 3,410	One of my favorite storylines was Kelly Nelson/Morgan Richards back in the summer of 1980. Good show--sorry to see it go but it is even sorrier to see it now--looks awful!

04-01-2009, 10:29 AM	#10
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I don't think GL is that bad. It is a bit better than Days of Our Lives.

04-01-2009, 02:44 PM	#11
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338	CBS pulls plug on 'Guiding Light' Long-running serial ends run on Sept. 18 http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryId=14&cs=1 After 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes, “Guiding Light” will shine no more. CBS informed the show’s cast and crew Wednesday that the long-running serial will be broadcast for the last time on Friday, Sept. 18. Show’s demise reps the latest downsize to hit the once-vibrant daytime soap genre. “Guiding” consistently ranks at the bottom of the daytime ratings, and its demise itsn’t a complete surprise. In a last-ditch effort to bolster the show’s sagging viewership, CBS and producer TeleNext Media completely changed “Guiding Light’s” look and feel last year - taking the show outdoors, and using guerilla-style filmmaking (hand-held cameras, simultaneous digital editing and on-location shoots in Peapack, N.J.) to set the show apart. The alterations only upset “Guiding Light’s” loyal but dwindling stable of fans. The show this season reps the smallest numbers on broadcast in daytime, averaging 2.2 million viewers, as well as a 1.1 rating/6 share with women 25-54 and a 0.9 rating/5 share with women 18-49. CBS hasn’t announced how it will fill the “GL” spot, but TVWeek reported this week that fare such as game shows or talk shows are being considered. With one less sudser, that means only seven now remain on the nets: Three on ABC and CBS, and one on NBC. “‘Guiding Light’ has achieved a piece of television history that will never be matched,” said Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group. “It has crossed mediums, adapted its stories to decades of social change and woven its way through generations of audiences like no other.” Sudser, created by Irna Phillips, launched on NBC radio as a 15-minute daily serial in January 1937; it moved to CBS Television as a 15-minute series in 1952. The radio show continued concurrently until 1956, while the TV version was expanded to 30 minutes in 1968 and a full hour in 1977. “Guiding Light” has won 69 Daytime Emmys through the years - including three for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series. The Guinness Book of World Records calls it the longest-running TV drama - a designation that will now fall to “As the World Turns” beginning next fall. “Being on the air for more than seven decades is truly remarkable, and it will be difficult for all of us at the show to say goodbye,” said exec producer Ellen Wheeler. David Kreizman, Christopher Dunn, Lloyd Gold and Jill Lorie Hurst serve as head writers on the show. “No show in daytime or prime time, or anytime, has touched so many millions of viewers across so many years as Guiding Light,” said Barbara Bloom, senior vice president of daytime programs at CBS.
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04-01-2009, 02:45 PM	#12
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I wonder what could take Guidiung Light Time Period at 2:00 pm CT Time on CBS

04-01-2009, 02:59 PM	#13
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,059	That's awful, but not shocking. I just wish it would have happened to Days first. I know GL took a huge hit losing Beth Ehlers and Ricky Paull Goldin, but I didn't think things were this bad. I'm sure all soaps will be gone within 5-10 years, and that's being generous.

04-01-2009, 03:05 PM	#14
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I bet CBS does what NBC did when NBC cancelled Sunset Beach NBC gave the 2:00 pm CT Time Time to Local Station's for example WDSU airs The Doctors at 2:00 pm CT Time

04-01-2009, 03:10 PM	#15
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	Very sad. Like I said, GL holds alot of great memories for me. At one time during the '80's and '90's, I was really addicted to the show. They lost a lot of great characters through the years though and these younger actors couldn't replace the older ones. I remember when H.B. and Henry died. Those two were really the guiding Light of the show. And the Bauers were slowly written out...I don't understand that. Rick was the only one left. As I said the biggest loss in my opinion was Michael Zaslow. GL could not find a good villian to replace Roger Thorpe and replacing him with another actor never worked. Maybe it's best that it does end before it falls any further.