On this date, September 18th in 2009, the longest running soap over radio and TV ended after 72 years combined. Running on NBC radio, then CBS radio, the TV series ran on CBS from June 30, 1952 to September 18 2009. That's right another soap thread! #GuidingLight
The series began as a radio show in 1937 , broadcasting from Chicago. Created by Emmons Carlson and Irna Phillips. It ran on NBC who canceled in 1939, and brought it back because ppl wanted it back, and again in 1946 , when it moved CBS radio.
In 1952, the series made to CBS TV. They ran the same plot with the actors doing the scenes twice for the different audiences. This happened until 1956. Episodes were 15 minutes in length, as per standard at the time.
Originally, the series from the start of the 50's focused on the Bauer Family. A lower-middle class German immigrant family. The stories around the family and their daily lives.
Agnes Nixon (the future creator of All My Children and One Life to Live) became head writer for the series and wanted the show to be topical. Giving the show the first health related plotline for a daytime soap. Doing a story about a cancer scare in 1962.
In March 1967, the series started broadcasting in Color. On September 9th 1968,the series expanded to 30 minutes. They also switched from doing it live to doing on tape.
The show had for many periods a theme of having a light house in the intro because lighthouse are a guiding light, get it? Here's an intro from 1973, nice theme music. [
They did move away from the light house intro a few times, one time was in 1975. It was zoomed in tree branch instead. I like this music. The series went to 1 hour in 1977.
They were proud they won that Emmy in 1981.
Honestly, if you don't end your show with a rotating Emmy for a year after you won ,what's the point of winning?
In 1981, they decided to make the show focus on the younger characters like the ABC soaps were doing. They made a new intro music , it's very alive, kind of awesome in its own way
Guess someone thought by 1983 that it was too 1979 and made a slower theme with a little more traditional style to the intro
The 1986-1991 theme is kind of nice, it's 80's but it would be because it's the 80's
They must have missed the Lighthouse theme so they brought it back for the 1991 intro. With new music , the music sounds good.
They changed the look again in 2002, this intro has Joan Collins in, because Joan Collins was in the show. The intro keeps the light house them, and makes it colorful. The theme is nice, this intro lasted a year.
Lighthouse was killed off again in 2003, after being there since 1991.
The 2005-2007 theme exists, there's not much I can say about it , it just exists!
For the70th anniversary , Guiding Light and Marvel teamed up and made a comic book. Because of course?
They teamed up for an episode as well in 2006. Where character Harley Davidson Cooper, has an accident that gives her superpowers.
She becomes a hero named "The Guiding Light" because why not? Episode is called "She's a Marvel" it's to find
The series turned 70 in 2007, and introduced an interesting new intro, tying back to the original vision of the series.
The final intro uses a song sung by Kati Mac
Here's the full version of the song if you are interested
On April 1, 2009, (mean) CBS announced "Guiding Light" was ending. It ended on September 18, 2009.
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