Guiding Light (2000–2009)

The Guiding Light (GL) is the longest-running American soap opera.

Show development

Much-acclaimed writer Claire Labine took over as head writer in 2000, but her stories focused on character development and clashed with Rauch's plot-heavy style. Labine's team lasted barely a year amidst rumors that she was being sabotaged backstage. She was replaced briefly by Lloyd Gold.

Millee Taggart took the writing reins in 2002, and Taggart's run had some critical acclaim, breaking away from the organized crime and royalty which had dominated Guiding Light over the past few years. Taggart tried to focus on more traditional story lines, including Reva pulling the plug on a critically injured Richard. During this time, Guiding Light also tried to reinvigorate the role of Alexandra Spaulding by casting Dynasty star Joan Collins in the role.

Not all of Taggart's stories were a hit; she also wrote a sequence in which Marah Lewis (Lindsey McKeon), reacting to a rape attempt from boyfriend Tony Santos (Jordi Vilasuso), stripped to her underwear and taunted him to force himself on her.

In early 2003, veteran producer John Conboy and Ellen Weston took charge of the show. Weston had acted on Guiding Light as a teenager, and was a writer with several prime-time movie credits as well as a brief writing stint on Capitol (TV series), but had never been a head writer for a soap. Conboy's first move was to relegate several veteran performers to recurring status, including Maureen Garrett, Beth Chamberlin and Elizabeth Keifer.

As a result of many missteps in the show's production and writing, Conboy and Weston were eventually fired after only a year. Ellen Wheeler of Another World and All My Children fame became executive producer in the spring of 2004. Her regime addressed unresolved plots. Wheeler and writer David Kreizman won praise from viewers and critics at first. The serial won the Writers Guild of America Award for best written daytime serial in 2005 and the show was the only one nominated. But the show still seemed unfocused at times, ratings continued to stagnate and in early 2005, it was revealed that Procter & Gamble had ordered Guiding Light to take a large budget cut. The actors themselves would also see a reduction in salary, and long-time stars Michael O'Leary, Jerry ver Dorn, and Marj Dusay were taken off contract.

Nancy St. Alban, Doug Hutchinson, Paul Anthony Stewart and David Andrew MacDonald were fired as a result of the budget cuts. Stephen Martines asked for and was granted a release from his contract. Daniel Cosgrove, who played Bill Lewis since 2002 opted not to renew his contract and also left the show, but would return again in 2007 with a new three-year contract. As a result of being dropped to recurring, Jerry ver Dorn, the longest running actor and character (Ross Marler) on the show, quit and joined ABC's One Life to Live. The show also learned that it would be moving to the old As The World Turns studios on the West Side of Manhattan (as opposed to their more lavish current studio on the East Side of the city).

On November 14 2005, Guiding Light had a show "make-over". In the new opening sequence, the first few scenes are presented in widescreen and then followed by a new opening theme song with new video clips, a new logo, and a new musical tune. Also, the show has gone into the 21st century by being downloadable at CBS.com later in the day as a podcast that can be listened to on iPods and other (portable) media players. This feature was promoted at the end of each show by various cast members who urge viewers to "take the Light" with them. Around this time, Guiding Light's sets also changed considerably. Longtime sets such as Company, Josh and Reva Lewis's House, and Cedars Hospital received makeovers, and the Beacon Hotel lobby set was scrapped. Characters also started to live in the Beacon Hotel, rather than houses or apartments, even though they have been on the show for some time. In addition, Guiding Light also debuted new sets as well. The show added a new "Main Street" set which features an outdoor coffee bar (CO2 or Company 2) and a new theater. The Main Street set is being used quite frequently. Guiding Light also made over the Cross Creek cabin set and moved the cabin to Springfield for Josh and Reva.

In March 2006, the producers had attempted to get Michael O'Leary, Beth Chamberlin, and Elizabeth Keifer to return to contract status. All three turned the offer down, after they were only guaranteed one appearance each week. In June 2006, following his Emmy win, Jordan Clarke was upgraded to contract status. Around this same time, O'Leary ended up changing his mind and signed his own new contract with the show.

In 2007, the show celebrated its 70th anniversary with two special episodes. The first episode aired on January 25, depicting the actors portraying many of the actors from the radio show and the early years of the television show. The second appeared on February 14, depicting the actor's trip to Biloxi, Mississippi to aid in rebuilding three homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The theme for the 70th anniversary is "Find Your Light" and will help to return the show to its roots of giving back to the community.

Starting in January 2008, Guiding Light moved from the traditional multi-camera style of filming to hand-held digital cameras. All of the show's current sets were scuttled and new four-wall sets were erected in their place, as well as two new permanent outdoor filming locations in New Jersey. Executive producer Ellen Wheeler had been quoted in the New York Post as saying that the show didn't feel real, and that the show will have a completely different and more realistic look. All My Children used these also but stopped following complaints from viewers and fans.

Major characters

The Bauer Family

Character	Actor	Status
Dr. Rick Bauer	Michael O'Leary	1983-1986, 1987-1991, 1995-

The Boudreau Family

Character	Actor	Status
Remy Boudreau	Lawrence Saint-Victor	2006-
Dr. Mel Boudreau	Yvonna Kopacz-Wright	2001- Recurring
Clayton Boudreau	Montel Williams	2008- Recurring
Dr. Felicia Boudreau	Kim Brockington	2002-Recurring

The Cooper Family

Character	Actor	Status
Buzz Cooper	Justin Deas	1993-
Frank Cooper	Frank Dicopoulos	1987-
Henry "Coop" Cooper Bradshaw	John Driscoll	2004-
Marina Cooper	Mandy Bruno	2004-
Daisy Lemay	Bonnie Dennison	2007-
Eleni Andros Cooper	Jennifer Rozell	1995 - 2002, 2006, 2008-

The Lewis/Shayne Family

Character	Actor	Status
Bill Lewis	Daniel Cosgrove	2002-2005, 2007-
Billy Lewis	Jordan Clarke	1983-1987, 1989-1993, 1996-1998, 1999-
Joshua Lewis	Robert Newman	1981-1984, 1986-1991, 1993-
Shayne Lewis	Jeff Branson	2008 -
Reva Shayne O'Neill	Kim Zimmer	1983-1990, 1995-
Dylan Lewis	Brian Gaskill	2007-

The Marler Family

Character	Actor	Status
Blake Marler	Elizabeth Keifer	1992- Recurring
Clarissa Marler	Naelee Rae	2008- Recurring
Dinah Marler	Gina Tognoni	2004-

The Reardon Family

Character	Actor	Status
Matt Reardon	Kurt McKinney	1994-2000, 2006- Recurring
Maureen Reardon	Olivia Dicopoulos	2007- Recurring
Vanessa Chamberlain Reardon	Maeve Kinkead	1980-1981, 1982-1987, 1989-2000, 2006- Recurring

The Rivera Family

Character	Actor	Status
Natalia Rivera	Jessica Leccia	2007-
Rafe Rivera	E.J. Bonilla	2007, 2008-

The Spaulding Family

Character	Actor	Status
Alan Spaulding	Ron Raines	1994-
Alexandra Spaulding	Marj Dusay	1993-1997, 1998-1999, 2002- Recurring
Lizzie Spaulding	Marcy Rylan	2006-
Phillip Spaulding	Grant Aleksander	1982-1984, 1986-1991, 1996-2004, 2009-

The Spencer Family

Character	Actor	Status
Olivia Spencer	Crystal Chappell	1999-
Emma Spencer	Jacqueline Tsirkin	2007- Recurring

The Wolfe Family

Character	Actor	Status
Ashlee Wolfe	Caitlin Van Zandt	2006-
Doris Wolfe	Orlagh Cassidy	1999- Recurring

Other Characters

Character	Actor	Status
Lawrence Decker	Tom Wiggin	2008- Recurring
Cyrus Foley	Murray Bartlett	2007-
Grady Foley	Kane Manera	2007, 2008-
A.C. Mallet	Robert Bogue	2005-
Christina Moore	Karla Mosley	2008-
Jeffrey O'Neill	Bradley Cole	2003-
Beth Raines	Beth Chamberlin	1989-1991, 1997- Recurring
Lillian Raines	Tina Sloan	1983- Recurring
Vince Russo	Michael Sabatino	2000-2002, 2008- Recurring

Comings and goings

Actor	Character	Status
Grant Aleksander	Phillip Spaulding	Returns January 2009
Jeff Branson	Shayne Lewis	Debuts December 1
Jennifer Roszell	Eleni Andros Cooper	Temp. returns December 1

Plot development

At the turn of the century, a large segment of the show revolved around San Cristobel, as Cassie married Richard and Richard's evil brother Edmund plotted to keep them apart. Richard abdicated his throne after discovering that he was illegitimate. Democratic elections held a few weeks later to decide San Cristobel's political fate were halted in a coup by Edmund, who had himself crowned prince and ruler. After his coronation, he married Springfielder Beth Raines. Edmund was later deposed by Richard using an army of mercenaries paid for by Beth's ex-husband, Phillip Spaulding. Edmund escaped the island to avoid a trial and the island eventually became a democracy with Richard as the elected president. Another election was held less than a year later after a heretofore unknown Winslow son, Prince William aka Alonzo Baptiste, was discovered. This time the people voted to have the monarchy restored under Alonzo.

The second plot line focused on the Santoses and the Mob, specifically Michelle Bauer's mobster husband Danny, his sister Pilar and cousin Tony, and his sociopathic mother, Carmen. Much of Danny and Michelle's story was fighting against the evil Carmen, and this story repeated several times until the character of Carmen was injured during a fight with Michelle in 2002, and went into a coma and was later transferred to a Switzerland Clinic. Most of the veteran characters, save Reva, had few if any story lines, and ratings went on a gentle decline.

Other developments included: Beth developing a split personality, Lorelei Hills, after she narrowly survived being kidnapped by her estranged husband, Edmund Winslow, while she was in Mexico attempting to procure a divorce.

Harley Cooper becoming partners, first professional and then personal, with former FBI agent Gus Aitoro, who was later revealed to be Alan Spaulding's son. Gus's biological mother turned out to be Phillip's former nanny, Lucia Rinaldi, with whom Alan had had an affair before he arrived in Springfield. (Many longtime fans had been hoping Gus's mother would be turn out to be Rita Bauer, thus ending decades of speculation as to whether Rita had been pregnant when she left Springfield in 1981.)

Reva became embroiled in a story that involved her traveling through time via a painting of her ex-husband Josh's new wife Olivia dressed as a Civil War era southern belle, Regina Robechaux. Her first stop was an upscale Civil War era home in New Orleans where she was presumed to be the new nurse for the master of the house, Jack Robechaux, who'd been wounded fighting for the Confederacy. Jack was the spitting image of her beloved Josh and she seemed to connect with "Jack". Next, she "visited" Edwardian England as a governess where she again saw "Josh". This time he was in the guise of farmhand John MacGregor. Finally Reva ended up in World War II Paris, this time meeting up with the real Josh who went through the painting himself. The overall story proved unpopular with many viewers even though longtime "supercouple" Josh and Reva reconciled as a direct result of it.

In 2002 Hawk Shayne would return for Reva and Josh's third wedding, mentioning that Roxie(no longer with Johnny Bauer ) had improved health wise. Meta Bauer would also depart because of her portrayer Mary Stuart's real life death. Meta was to have broken a hip in Nova Scotia, staying there for an undetermined amount of time while recovering presumably to have recovered at some point and went to live with her younger sister Trudy Bauer in New York City.

In 2003, history was re-written when the characters of Billy, Josh, Ed, Alan, and Buzz were revealed to have been the cause of the death of a young girl, Maryanne Caruthers, when they were young men in 1977. The story line was roundly criticized for its plot-holes, most notably that only two of the characters, Ed and Alan, were even on the show in 1977, and even Alan was not introduced until a month after the story supposedly took place. The storyline( widely considered by many fan's to have taken place in a alternate realty)was also substantially similar to 1983's Annabelle Sims story line, which featured H.B. Lewis (father of Billy and Josh), Bill Bauer (father of Ed), and Brandon Spaulding (father of Alan) in a murder mystery similar to the one their sons were involved in, which was also met with backlash due to its rewriting of character histories. The goings-on so annoyed longtime actor Peter Simon (who played Ed Bauer for much of the 1980s, left in 1996, and returned in 2002) that he quit the show and refused to return. Also in 2003 David Grant(though never shown on screen) was now a private investigator in Paris France and the long absence of David's mother Vivian Grant(who had not been seen on screen since 1999) was finally explained. At some point prior, Vivian and her husband Dr.Charles Grant divorced(offcsreen) and Vivian left Springfield.Dr.Charles Grant stopped appearing on screen in 2006 and was last mentioned having been ask a favor by Alan Spaulding in 2008. Other stories featured during the "WesCon" regime included Cassie falling in love with a "reformed" Edmund, Reva discovering her psychic abilities, and her daughter Marah falling in love with Sandy, a loner who talked to a sock puppet, who was initially thought to be Reva's son and Marah's half-brother. A particularly unpopular story featured the return of the now-20-something Ben Reade (Matthew Bomer), last seen as a teenager in 1997.Brief mentioning of Ben's grandmother Julia Stoddard who died offscreen and then Ben eventually being revealed as a serial killer (of non-contract, incidental players on the show) and a victim of child molestation, and the story culminated with his suicide -- a surprising ending for a previously well-liked character. Noticeably absent from this plot was Ben's adopted father, Flecther Reade now married to Ross and Justin's younger sister Lainie Marler,was presumably contacted offscreen but never returned to town for Ben's funeral.

In 2005 Guiding Light found itself in a bit of controversy when half-cousins Johnathan Randall and Tammy Winslow became involved as a couple.Viewers would see the exit of much beloved couple Danny and Michelle Santos.Danny's mother Carmen Santos still comatose was transfered to a Switzerland clinic.Blakes half-brother Sebastion Hulce and Bill Lewis would also leave town.

By 2006 Guiding Light continued to end up near the bottom of the ratings.The longest running character Ross Marler was presumed dead in a plane crash.Phillip Spaulding was still lingering in a state of confusion somewhere out of town. The Disappearing Holly Norris would make a cameo appearance before retreating back offscreen.Her daughter Blake became the Springfield blogger,was poisoned and fell into a coma for months.Blake's half-brother Sebastion Hulce was briefly mentioned.This would be the last on screen appearance of the character of Dr.Charles Grant who would be mentioned briefly in 2008 .Reva was diagnosed with breast cancer and though initially hesitant to accept her illness, underwent treatment. Her husband, Josh Lewis, was in the dark, however, along with the rest of Springfield, until Reva was on her deathbed at the end of October 2006, when Billy Lewis revealed the truth. Reva appeared to be dead at the end of the November 3, 2006 show, but the next episode had Josh hear a noise from Reva, she was resuscitated and brought back to life. Shortly after the Lewises were told she was going into remission, it was also revealed that the bone marrow transplant she underwent in Minnesota did in fact work so Reva is now free of cancer. She did have a scare in early 2007 when she found a lump under her arm, although it turned out to be benign.

In 2007 Guiding Light still continued to alienate viewers with ludicrous storylines.Josh Lewis Marrying his ex-sister-in-law Cassie Layne was the worse of the lot.Controversy still abounded on the show when half-cousins Johnathan Randall and Tammy Winslow married one another.Not long after Tammy would be hit by a car pushing Johnathan out of harms way.The Vehicle was driven by Tammy's cousin Daisy's boy friend G who was hired by Alan Spaulding to kill Johnathan who would eventually fake his and his daughter Sarah's death and leave town.In one of soap opera historys first de-aging of a character Susan Lemay now calling herself Daisy was still a Teenager who caused problems for her mom Harley and Step-Dad Gus Aitoro.Daisy's schemes would cause Gus to discover he had a long lost son Rafe with his ex-lover Natalia Riveria who eventually moved to Springfield.Long time Guiding Light Character Margaret Sedwick was said to have retired and left town(offscreen) .The last of the Santos family members Father Ray Santos was finally written out when Ray joined his cousin Danny and left for Louisiana.The character of Holly Norris would never appear on screen again and was said to have been traveling Europe with her grandchildren Kevin, Jason and Clarissa and visiting her mother Barbara Norris.Holly returned prior to her daughter Blake emerging from her coma with grandchildren Kevin ,Jason and Clarissa. Kevin and Jason would return to Lincoln prep and later transfer to a boarding school in Europe.Holly would leave Springfield again(Offcsreen)selling her house and moving back to Europe with her mother Barbara who would die not long after.Holly would then leave Europe to live closer to her daughter Meg Reade.

Guiding Light ratings: 2000-present

1999-2000 Season (HH Ratings)

• 1. The Young And The Restless (**6.8)
• 8. Guiding Light

2000-2001 Season

• 1. The Young And The Restless (**6.7**)
• 8. Guiding Light

2001-2002 Season

• 1. The Young And The Restless (**6.3**)
• 8. Guiding Light

2002-2003 Season

• 1. The Young And The Restless
• 8. Guiding Light

2003-2004 Season

• 1. The Young And The Restless
• 8. Guiding Light

2004-2005 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless
• 8. Guiding Light

2005-2006 Season HH Ratings

• 1. The Young And The Restless
• 8. Guiding Light

Week of May 19-May 23 2008 (total viewers - millions)

• 1. The Young And The Restless - 4.646
• 8. Guiding Light - 2.245