A Celebration Of Guiding Light: Part Two

During last Wednesday’s celebration of “Guiding Light” at the Paley Center for Media, the panel conversation eventually turned to some of the more outrageous plot twists unique to the soap genre.

Bradley Cole (Jeffrey) signing autographs

“Where else can you get away with playing a prince on a white horse but on a soap opera?” quipped Bradley Cole (Jeffrey), who went from being a prince in his first GL incarnation to a district attorney in his second.

Michael O’Leary (Rick) laughed about his character’s overnight development as a doctor.

“I went from being an orderly one day to doing brain surgery the next.”

Cast members and executive producer Ellen Wheeler alike spoke with great affection for the strong work ethic and closeness on the “Guiding Light” set.

“It gets passed down from generation to generation,” Wheeler said, adding that the show’s cancellation won’t diminish what cast, crew and audience have experienced together.

“No one can take that shared moment away from us.”

During the Q&A portion of the evening, many GL fans in the audience articulated that same sentiment, sharing personal stories about how they’ve been affected by the show. A recently widowed woman moved Kim Zimmer (Reva) to tears when she said the character of Reva has taught her that it’s okay to grieve in a big way.

Kim Zimmer and me: The GL veteran was as bubbly and charming as she’s been every other time I’ve met her through the years

Fans swarmed the charming Miss Zimmer at the post-panel cocktail reception. One of daytime’s greatest and most gracious stars, she made time for everyone who approached her, thanking everyone for their good wishes and support.

Naysayers and poor ratings be damned, GL’s exec producer says the future of soaps may not be so bleak after all.

“There’s something uniting about serial storytelling,” Wheeler said. “And there are plenty of fans who want to see stories.”

If the outpouring of love at this celebration is any indication, she’s absolutely right.

Coming up…a new chapter in my love life begins and a look at what happens when work gets in the way of romance.

A Celebration of Guiding Light: Part One

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a soap opera buff. I’ve joined soap fan clubs (and even started one) and attended the Daytime Emmy Awards many times.

Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of attending “Good-bye to Guiding Light, 72 Years Young” at the Paley Center for Media.

Still Shining: "Guiding Light" cast members Ellen Dolan, Grant Aleksander, Liz Keifer and Kurt McKinney at Wednesday night’s tribute

The longest-running program in broadcast history, “Guiding Light” takes its final bow on September 18th. Several GL cast members and 100+ fans were on hand for an engaging panel discussion about the show and its lasting contribution to television.

Participating in the conversation were four-time Emmy winner Kim Zimmer (Reva), Grant Aleksander (Phillip), Bradley Cole (Jeffrey), Elizabeth Keifer (Blake), Michael O’Leary (Rick), head writer Jill Lorie Hurst and executive producer Ellen Wheeler.

GL exec producer Ellen Wheeler and me

After a retrospective video montage, moderator and Paley Center curator Ron Simon asked the panelists about their experiences on GL. Everyone spoke with great candor and heartfelt feeling, expressing what it’s meant to be part of such a beloved show.

“I’ve always bragged that I’ve met five generations of Guiding Light viewers. This is our little heirloom that gets passed down from generation to generation,” said Zimmer, who’s played Reva on and off for 26 years.

GL’s multi-generational appeal and unparalleled knack for integrating cast members of all ages was one of the main topics of the night.

Head writer Hurst shared that she came to "Guiding Light" as someone who’d watched the show from the age of 3 with her mother and grandmothers.

When asked about the 80’s -- widely considered to be the heyday of soaps -- everyone agreed it was a magical time.

“It was great--big hair, big earrings, big shoulder pads,” Zimmer quipped. “There was nothing they wouldn’t spend money on,” she added, speaking fondly of lavish location shoots that were a lot less common during the 90’s.

“We didn’t know we were arriving for the pinnacle,” said Aleksander, who joined GL in the 80’s. “It was the Great Gatsby of our medium.”

Up next…mingling with the GL cast and a look at the role of fate in romance.