GUIDING LIGHT: GUIDING LIGHT TURNS SEVENTY (TV)
Summary
One in this long-running daytime serial about the residents of the midwestern town of Springfield. This special episode marks the seventieth anniversary of the show, with current cast members portraying the actors and crew from the past. The show begins by recreating a show broadcast from 1937, when "Guiding Light" was a radio program coming out of Chicago. Irna Phillips -- the creator of "Guiding Light," if not the entire soap opera genre -- is shown blasting her actors, trying to get them to flawlessly portray her vision. Next, Irna is shown "acting" out a new story to her sidekick and transcriber Rose, who valiantly tries to keep up and get all of Irna's words down on paper. Afterward, the radio actors perform the script -- as well as Save-All soap advertisements. Later, Irna arrives at set, where Jack, a CBS corporate executive, tries to change the creative direction of "Guiding Light." Soon, Irna is working on a storyline between Ned and Mary in which Ned -- though in love with Mary -- has married another woman. In 1948, Irna created new characters, a German immigrant carpenter, "Papa" Frederick Bauer, and his family, son Bill, daughter-in-law Bert, and troublemaking daughter Meta. Irna is soon crafting "gasp"-inducing storylines and letting the at-home audience be her show's "jury" when Meta commits murder. Eventually, Irna tries to convince Jack that it's time for "Guiding Light" to become the first televised soap opera. Immediately, the cast members are somewhat scared of appearing on the air, though anxious to connect with the audience in a whole new way. Now it is 1952 and "Guiding Light" makes it television debut in black and white -- with the radio show still running. By 1956, the show has become an exclusive television broadcast and Irna is thinking about leaving the show for other ventures. However, Irna decides to write the show a few juicy storylines before she leaves. One involved the death of a beloved character, Kathy Roberts Holden, that brings in a deluge of protest mail, and proves the extent of the show's popularity. Next, the episode segues to the present-day storyline involving another tragedy, the death of Tammy Winslow. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: January 25, 2007 Thursday 10:00 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:37:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:91247
- GENRE: Drama, daytime serial
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Claire Labine)
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1952-2009
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Tom Pelphrey … Cast, Jonathan Randall
- Stephanie Gatschet … Cast, Tammy Winslow
- Nicole Forester … Cast, Cassie Winslow
- Orlagh Cassidy … Cast, Doris Wolfe Spaulding
- Yvonna Wright … Cast, Listener of Radio Show
- Bonnie Dennison … Cast, Listener of Radio Show
- Mandy Bruno … Cast, Listener of Radio Show
- Robert Newman … Cast, John Rutledge, Arthur Peterman, Joshua Lewis
- Marj Dusay … Cast, Radio Show Organist
- Ron Raines … Cast, Hugh Downs
- St. Victor, Lawrence … Cast, Foley Artist
- John Driscoll … Cast, Ned Holden, Ed Prentiss
- Michelle Ray Smith … Cast, Mary Rutledge, Mercedes McCambrdige
- Bradley Cole … Cast, Ellis Smith, Raymond Edward Johnson
- Frank Dicopoulos … Cast, Stage Manager, Director
- Beth Ehlers … Cast, Irna Phillips
- Michael O'Leary … Cast, Radio Commercial Performer
- Beth Chamberlin … Cast, Radio and TV commercial Performer
- Rob Bogue … Cast, Jack the CBS Executive
- Ricky Paull Goldin … Cast, On-set Gofer
- Elizabeth Keifer … Cast, Rose
- Justin Deas … Cast, Papa Bauer, Theodore von Eltz, Theo Goetz
- Jordan Clarke … Cast, Bill Bauer, Lyle Sudrow
- Crystal Chappell … Cast, Meta Bauer White, Jone Allison
- Kim Zimmer … Cast, Bertha "Bert" Miller Bauer, Charita Bauer
- Tina Sloan … Cast, TV Commercial Performer
- Curt McKinney … Cast, Cop
- Gina Tognoni … Cast, Kathy Roberts Holden, Susan Douglas
- Gil Rogers … Cast, TV Show Grip, Cameraman
- Marcy Rylan … Cast, Robin Lang, Zina Bethune
- George Alvarez … Cast, Postman
- Michael Dempsey … Cast, Ted White, Bert Cowlan
- Dennie Hughes … Cast, 1956 USA Weekend Reporter