My Light is Going Out

I'm in mourning.

My favorite soap opera, Guiding Light, the one I've watched since I can remember, is going off the air on Sept 18th. No more Josh and Reva . . .

. . . no more Coopers . . .

. . . no more Lewis's . . .

and no more Spauldings (that's a good thing). There's always one family that you love to hate.

Only on a soap would people have that look on their faces during a wedding. (hehe) I think this is the instance that Beth's (the bride) x-husband who everyone thought was dead walked in. Well, the guy on the right, Rick (which is also the bride's x-husband), and the guy next to him knew that he was alive. They, however, didn't know he was coming back to Springfield. (So soap opera-ish.)

Guiding Light is the longest running show in broadcast history. GL started on radio in 1937 and continued operating on radio and television for a couple of years so people who didn't own a TV yet could still listen to their soap.

GL was the first soap opera to have African-Americans in leading roles. It raised awareness for several issues, such as discrimination against women (in the 40s), teen alcoholism and drug abuse, uterine cancer, postpartum depression, AIDS, Down syndrome, leukemia and breast cancer. I could name most of the characters that were portrayed in those roles. Well except for in the 40s. (hehe)

GL's Find Your Light campaign served many people. The actors went to New Orleans and other city is need to help rebuild houses. The show also encouraged others to participate in their Find Your Light campaign and highlighted, during commercial breaks, some of the things the viewers had done.

Kevin Bacon , Calista Flockhart , James Earl Jones , Cicely Tyson , and Hayden Panettiere were all on GL before they made it big.

GL was not renewed for 2009/2010 by CBS after 57 years on that network. The production company is trying to find GL a new home. (Did that sound like an obituary? I didn't mean for it to, but it seems fitting.)

I already TiVo my soap each day but only keep one episode. It's not hard to catch up with what you missed on a soap. I think I'm going to start recording all episodes now. They'll probably have some good story lines in the meantime though.

I got some of this information from http://www.myglcommunity.net/. Most of it I already knew but wanted to confirm some things.

I sure hope the find a new home!!!

Blessings,

I just proofread this and I can sure see the tech writer in me coming out when I'm writing about facts. Say what you need to, get to the point and say it quick. (hehe)