On Sept. 18, CBS will air the last episode of Guiding Light. The show began its life on the radio in 1937 and moved to television in 1952. But what was arguably the first soap opera, one that hovered near the top of the daytime ratings through the '60s and '70s, fell on hard times in the last decade. This year, Nielsen measured the show's audience at 2.7 million viewers, down significantly from 5 million in 1999. While Wheeler, who took over Guiding Light in 2004, hoped to generate positive buzz with her new aesthetic, the results met with mixed reviews and rumbling from fans. But she had more on her mind than pleasing fans.
via MediaWeek.
WHAT PLANS DO THE ACTORS HAVE. WILL THEY APPEAR ON OTHER SOAPS, ON STAGE? IN FILM?
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THE PRODUCERS SHOULD HAVE HAD A CONTEST…FANS WRITE THE FINAL/POST SHOW STORY/IES. OPRAH AND/OR THE VIEW INTERVIEW CAST MEMBERS. THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD AN EVENING HOUR SHOW…..GOOD GRIEF ITS HARD TO LET GO!!!!!!
YOU’RE RIGHT, THEY SHOULD OF HAD A GOOD-BYE APREICIATION CONTEST TO THE FANS, THEY STILL HAD SOME FAITHFUL VIEWERS
“But she had more on her mind than pleasing fans”…..WTF? Who was she trying to please? Isn’t that the point of television, pleasing the fans who tune in pleasing the advertisers?
I agree “boy wonder”. Attracting viewers MUST be your top priority.
I haven’t been a fan of this show since extreme early 80′s although I would sample on occasion — but was still sad to see a 57 year old show end. Wheeler needs her ass kicked and be banned from daytime forever. People can disagree if they want to, but the new format of this show for the last couple of years KILLED this show — and for Wheeler to ignore the reactions to this production method (combined with extraordinarily boring stories and characters) was just idiotic on her part. Wouldn’t you hate to live the rest of your life wearing the “destruction of GUIDING LIGHT” badge on your sleeve? — the longest running TV show of all time. Think about it….