History Series / GuidingLight

SoapOpera [[OlderThanTelevision that began on NBC radio]] on January 25, 1937. It moved to CBS radio in 1947, then to television in 1952. Originally ''The Guiding Light'', it was shortened to ''Guiding Light'' in 1975. In April 2009, it was announced that it would end its run in [[http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/02/guiding.light.canceled/index.html September 2009]] and the show indeed ended on September 18, 2009 as scheduled -- after a mind-boggling 18,262 episodes.

The single most important thing about ''Guiding Light'' is that it may be the longest recorded narrative in the entire history of mankind. It has produced a total of about 18 continuous months' worth of narrative material (both audio and video). That is, if you listened to/watched the show, from the beginning, 24 hours a day, it would take nearly a year and a half to get through it all.

With all that said, you may be curious as to what the show's about. That isn't going to be so easy. Inspired by creator Irna Phillips' nights listening to a radio preacher, it began as a character study of Chicago-based Reverend John Ruthledge and his {{foil}}, the pessimistic Ellis Smith. Succeeding preachers, all with the Ruthledge name, have carried on the work of their progenitor. The 50s saw the families move to the L.A. area, where focus shifted to the Bauers (no relation to [[Series/TwentyFour Jack]]), a clan of German immigrants who believed staunchly in the American dream. Filling in for cranky Ellis Smith is Bertha "Bert" Miller, a materialistic harridan who opposes the Bauers' work ethic at every turn. The Bauer family would eventually become the tentpoles of the series from here on out.

The 60s brought forth a couple of minority actors (including a pre-fame Billy Dee Williams) and a host of contemporary issues. Without any fanfare, the show was teleported back the midwest, with "Los Angeles" retconned into "Springfield, U.S.A"-- your standard, all-purpose midwest locale (which should be familiar to anyone who's watched American soaps). Nothing so earth-shattering occurred over the course of the 70s, apart from the show's patriarch, Bill Bauer, being ''very'' [[DeaderThanDead thoroughly killed off]] and then mysteriously resurrected. The eighties were... more tumultuous (complete with a disco intro sequence....in 1981): The aging Bauer clan and the working-class Reardons took a backseat to a younger, hornier cast, though they would make a comeback in the 90's.

Like most soaps during that period, the storylines got [[KudzuPlot a bit more tangled and outrageous]], though nothing anywhere near the realm of ''[[Series/DaysOfOurLives Days]]''[='=] cloak-and-dagger intrigue--at least not yet (about the craziest thing to happen on GL was a multiple-personality diagnosis). The last years of the show's life were rocky, despite an extensive retool and modernization of the Springfield sets. Four of the veteran players, including the oldest living Bauer (Dr. Ed Bauer), were retconned into accessories to murder [[CerebusRetcon way back into the 1970]]s, when they were still straight-laced young men. The new millennium was now upon us, along with rapes, mobsters, psychics, and ghosts galore. Despite fan discontentment and the outright revolt of one actor, the show eventually did come back to earth and tidy everything up with a bow.

However, this being a daytime SoapOpera, not all of this narrative material is known to exist. Not much survives from the radio years, or the first 25 years or so of its TV incarnation, and what does exist is in the form of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinescope kinescopes]] and [[MissingEpisode home video recordings]] (and vinyls, in the case of the radio years).

For a more detailed look at the show's run, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiding_Light the Other Wiki has you covered.]]

!!This show provides examples of:
* ArtifactTitle: The title referred to a lamp in the preacher's study during the radio years. Over time that plot point was dropped, but the title remained.
** The title later was retooled, however, to reference the town's lighthouse, which also was featured as part of the CreditsMontage for many years (and became a plot point in a number of episodes).

The single most important thing about ''GuidingLight'' is that it may be the longest recorded narrative in the entire history of mankind. It has produced a total of about 18 continuous months' worth of narrative material (both audio and video). That is, if you listened to/watched the show, from the beginning, 24 hours a day, it would take nearly a year and a half to get through it all.

* MilestoneCelebration: For the show's 70th Anniversary on 1/25/07, the cast recreated the events that led to the show's first episode in 1937. In addition, the poem stated above was used to open every episode from 1/07-2/25/08.

** Could sometimes branch into TheyJustDidntCare, as the show once gave Alan Michael flashbacks of his childhood in the Spaulding mansion, - even though he was introduced as an eighteen-year-old man crashing a party to ''introduce'' himself to Alan.

With all that said, you may be curious as to what the show's about. That isn't going to be so easy. Inspired by creator Irna Phillips' nights listening to a radio preacher, it began as a character study of Chicago-based Reverend John Ruthledge and his {{foil}}, the pessimistic Ellis Smith. Succeeding preachers, all with the Ruthledge name, have carried on the work of their progenitor. The 50s saw the families move to the L.A. area, where focus shifted to the Bauers (no relation to Jack), a clan of German immigrants who believed staunchly in the American dream. Filling in for cranky Ellis Smith is Bertha "Bert" Miller, a materialistic harridan who opposes the Bauers' work ethic at every turn. The Bauer family would eventually become the tentpoles of the series from here on out.

Like most soaps during that period, the storylines got [[KudzuPlot a bit more tangled and outrageous]], though nothing anywhere near the realm of ''[[Series/DaysOfOurLives Days]]''[='=] cloak-and-dagger intrigue--at least not yet (about the craziest thing to happen on GL was a multiple-personality diagnosis). The last years of the show's life were rocky, despite an extensive retool and modernization of the Springfield sets. Four of the veteran players, including the oldest living Bauer (Dr. Ed Bauer), were retconned into accessories to murder way back into the 1970s, when they were still straight-laced young men. The new millennium was now upon us, along with rapes, mobsters, psychics, and ghosts galore. Despite fan discontentment and the outright revolt of one actor, the show eventually did come back to earth and tidy everything up with a bow.

* {{Retool}}: The series most drastic occurred on 2/25/08. Moving production to Peapack, New Jersey, having interior shots inside actual buildings, and utilizing hand held cameras, as well as using a RealSongThemeTune, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkwG_UJ641o "Only Love" by Kati Mac]].

The single most important thing about ''GuidingLight'' is this: '''''It may be the longest recorded narrative in the entire history of mankind'''''. It has produced a total of about 18 continuous months' worth of narrative material (both audio and video). That is, if you listened to/watched the show, from the beginning, 24 hours a day, it would take nearly a year and a half to get through it all; for comparison, if ''TheSimpsons'' wanted to break this record, it would still have to be producing new episodes in ''2062''. (The British soap ''CoronationStreet'' pronounces itself the world's longest-lasting soap on each of its major anniversaries, but it isn't even ''Britain's'' longest-lasting soap - that honour belongs to ''TheArchers'' - although it is the longest-lasting TV soap still in production... however, with just over 7000 episodes produced it has quite a way to go.)

* HappilyEverAfter: The Finale does this with some [[LastMinuteHookup last second romantic entanglements.]]

* EnfantTerrible: Cassie's youngest son, Will. He was deliberately cast with [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2089090/ Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick]], the child actor who played Damien in TheOmen remake for this purpose.

* ArchivePanic: We repeat: it is the ''longest running narrative in human history''.

* LesYay: Olivia & Natalia; started out fighting over Natalia's ex Gus, who ended up dying in a car wreck around the same time Olivia had a heart attack. Put Gus's heart in Olivia's chest, add Natalia's determination to keep a near-suicidal Olivia alive (she wanted to die so as to spite her) so in a way she could keep Gus alive, mix in an undercurrent of respect, let it blossom and you wind up with what many consider to be one of the best same-sex romances of all time.
** However, with the exception of one instance prior to their relationship where Olivia kissed Natalia to prove a point, CBS would not allow any true on screen kiss between the two, causing accusations of homophobia towards the network.

The 60s brought forth a couple of minority actors (including a pre-fame Billy Dee Williams) and a host of contemporary issues. Without any fanfare, the show was teleported back the midwest, with "Los Angeles" retconned into "Springfield, U.S.A"-- your standard, all-purpose midwest locale (which should be familiar to anyone who's watched American soaps). Nothing so earth-shattering occurred over the course of the 70s, apart from the show's patriarch, Bill Bauer, being ''very'' [[DeaderThanDead thoroughly killed off]] and then mysteriously resurrected. The eighties were more tumultuous: The aging Bauer clan and the working-class Reardons took a backseat to a younger, kinkier cast, though they would make a comeback in the 90's.

With all that said, you may be curious as to what the show's about. That isn't going to be so easy. Inspired by creator Irna Phillips' nights listening to a radio preacher, it began as a character study of Chicago-based Reverend John Ruthledge and his {{foil}}, the pessimistic Ellis Smith. Succeeding preachers, all with the Ruthledge name, have carried on the work of their progenitor. The 50s saw the families move to the L.A. area, where focus shifted to the Baeurs (no relation to Jack), a clan of German immigrants who believed staunchly in the American dream. Filling in for cranky Ellis Smith is Bertha "Bert" Miller, a materialistic harridan who opposes the Bauers' work ethic at every turn. The Bauer family would eventually become the tentpoles of the series from here on out.

The 60s brought forth a couple of minority actors (including a pre-fame Billy Dee Williams) and a host of contemporary issues. Without any fanfare, the show was teleported back the midwest, with "Los Angeles" retconned into "Springfield, U.S.A"-- your standard, all-purpose midwest locale (which should be familiar to any who's watched American soaps). Nothing so earth-shattering occurred over the course of the 70s, apart from the show's patriarch, Bill Bauer, being ''very'' [[DeaderThanDead thoroughly killed off]] and then mysteriously resurrected. The eighties were more tumultuous: The aging Bauer clan and the working-class Reardons took a backseat to a younger, kinkier cast, though they would make a comeback in the 90's.

Like most soaps during that period, the storylines got [[KudzuPlot a bit more tangled and outrageous]], though nothing anywhere near the realm of ''[[Series/DaysOfOurLives Days]]''[='=] cloak-and-dagger intrigue--at least not yer (about the craziest thing to happen on GL was a multiple-personality diagnosis). The last years of the show's life were rocky, despite an extensive retool and modernization of the Springfield sets. Four of the veteran players, including the oldest living Bauer (Dr. Ed Bauer), were retconned into accessories to murder way back into the 1970s, when they were still straight-laced young men. The new millennium was now upon us, along with rapes, mobsters, psychics, and ghosts galore. Despite fan discontentment and the outright revolt of one actor, the show eventually did come back to earth and tidy everything up with a bow.

Like most soaps during that period, the storylines got [[KudzuPlot a bit more tangled and outrageous]], though nothing anywhere near the realm of ''[[Series/DaysOfOurLives Days]]''[='=] cloak-and-dagger intrigue--at least so far (about the craziest thing to happen on GL was a multiple-personality diagnosis). The last years of the show's life were rocky, despite an extensive retool and modernization of the Springfield sets. Four of the veteran players, including the oldest living Bauer (Dr. Ed Bauer), were retconned into accessories to murder way back into the 1970s, when they were still straight-laced young men. The new millennium was now upon, along with rapes, mobsters, psychics, and ghosts galore. Despite fan discontentment and the outright revolt of one actor, the show eventually did come back to earth and tidy everything up with a bow.

With all that said, you may be curious as to what the show's about. That isn't going to be so easy. Inspired by creator Irna Phillips' nights listening to a radio preacher, it began as a character study of Chicago-based Reverend John Ruthledge and his {{foil}}, the pessimistic Ellis Smith. Succeeding preachers, all with the Ruthledge name, have carried on the work of their progenitor. The 50s saw the families move to the L.A. area, where focus shifted to the Baeurs (no relation to Jack), a clan of German immigrants who believed staunchly in the American dream. Filling in for cranky Ellis Smith is Bertha "Bert" Miller, a materialistic harridan who opposes the Bauers' work ethic at every turn. The Bauer family would eventually remain the tentpoles of the series from here on out.

With all that said, you may be curious as to what the show's about. That isn't going to be so easy. Inspired by creator Irna Phillips' nights listening to a radio preacher, it began as a character study of Chicago-based Reverend John Ruthledge and his {{foil}}, the pessimistic Ellis Smith. Succeeding preachers, all with the Ruthledge name, have carried on the work of their progenitor. The 50s saw the families move to the L.A. area, where focus shifted to the Baeurs (not relation to Jack), a clan of German immigrants who believed staunchly in the American dream. Filling in for cranky Ellis Smith is Bertha "Bert" Miller, a materialistic harridan who opposes the Bauers' work ethic at every turn.

The 60s brought forth a couple of minority actors (including a pre-fame Billy Dee Williams) and a host of contemporary issues. Without any fanfare, the show was back the midwest, with Los Angeles now retconned into a "Springfield, U.S.A"-- your standard, all-purpose midwest locale (which should be familiar to any who's watched American soaps). Nothing so earth-shattering occurred over the course of the 70, apart from the show's patriarch, Bill Bauer being ''very'' [[DeaderThanDead thoroughly killed off]] and then mysteriously resurrected. The eighties were more tumultuous: The aging Bauer clan and the working-class Reardons took a backseat to a younger case, though they would make a comeback in the 90's.

Like most soaps during that period, the storylines got [[KudzuPlot a bit more tangled and outrageous]], though nothing anywhere near the realm of ''Days''[='=] cloak-and-dagger intrigue--at least so far (about the craziest thing to happen on GL was a multiple-personality diagnosis). The last years of the show's life were rocky, despite an extensive retool and modernization of the Springfield sets. Four of the veteran players, including the oldest living Bauer, were retconned into accessories to murder back when they were young men in the seventies. The new millennium saw rapes, mobsters, psychics, and ghosts galore. Despite fan discontentment and the outright revolt of one actor, the show eventually did come back to earth and tidy everything up with a bow.

SoapOpera [[OlderThanTelevision that began on NBC radio]] on January 25, 1937. It moved to CBS radio in 1947, then to television in 1952. Originally ''The Guiding Light'', it was shortened to ''Guiding Light'' in 1975. In April 2009, it was announced that it would end its run in [[http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/02/guiding.light.canceled/index.html September 2009]] and the show indeed ended on September 18, 2009 as scheduled -- after a mind-boggling 15,762 episodes.

** Phillip Spaulding is an infamous example, he went from six months old to about seventeen years in a matter of months.

The single most important thing about ''GuidingLight'' is this: '''''It may be the longest recorded narrative in the entire history of mankind'''''. It has produced a total of about 18 continuous months' worth of narrative material (both audio and video). That is, if you listened to/watched the show, from the beginning, 24 hours a day, it would take nearly a year and a half to get through it all; for comparison, if ''TheSimpsons'' wanted to break this record, it would still have to be producing new episodes in ''2062''. (The British soap ''CoronationStreet'' pronounces itself the world's longest-lasting soap on each of its major anniversaries, but it isn't even ''Britain's'' longest-lasting soap - that honour belongs to ''The Archers'' - although it is the longest-lasting TV soap still in production... however, with just over 7000 episodes produced it has quite a way to go.)

* OlderThanTelevision: ''GuidingLight itself.''