The Guiding Light goes out, but leaves a shining legacy

Final episodes of canceled soap filmed in Sparta , By Fran Hardy Sparta — The Lake Mohawk Country Club, boardwalk, and beach areas were transformed into the fictional town of Springfield last week as the entire cast and crew of the CBS soap opera, The Guiding Light, descended upon Sparta to film portions of their final episodes. After 72 years on the air, the longest running scripted show in broadcast history has been cancelled by CBS. When the final episode ends on Sept. 18, it will also be the end of an era. As the oldest of the soap opera genre, the show began as an NBC radio drama in 1937 and became a TV drama in 1952 after moving to CBS, cranking out a total of 15,700 episodes during its run. The Guiding Light attracted multiple generations over the years and became something of a family tradition in some cases. Owned by Proctor and Gamble, one of the first sponsors of daytime serial dramas, The Guiding Light and shows that came after, like As the World Turns, became known as ‘soap operas’ because of their many soap product commercials. A steady drop in ratings for Guiding Light led to the April 1 announcement by CBS that they would pull the grand dame of soaps from their lineup in September. Proctor and Gamble looked for another media outlet to carry the show but was unsuccessful. Fans staged rallies and calling campaigns coining the slogan, “keep The Light shining.” Despite all efforts, the show credited by The Guinness Book of World Records as “The Longest-Running Television Drama,” will soon fade to black. But the Guiding Light was still shining brightly last week at Lake Mohawk County club with 40 cast members - some of whom are 25-year veterans of the show - in costume and make-up awaiting their call to the set. That set for their two-day Sparta shoot was the boardwalk and beach area of the country club. Guiding Light producers shifted to a new production model in 2008, with 20 percent of scenes shot in outdoor locations with fully mobile digital shooting and editing capabilities, including hand held cameras. This allowed them to construct permanent four-wall sets in their New York studio instead of the traditionally used, and frequently rebuilt, three-wall sets necessary to maneuver the large pedestal studio cameras. It was both a money-saving venture and a stylistic choice. Director of Production Management Lou Grieci said the more realistic four-wall sets and the natural feel of the outdoor locations reflects Guiding Light’s recurring theme of “life happens here.” Grieci called it their “nomadic” production style. Besides hand held cameras, the crew also uses hand held microphones and lighting, and all editing is done on Mac Books. He said the real-life feeling this gives the scenes draws the audience in as if they are watching a play. Grieci said their experience at Lake Mohawk Country Club was very pleasant and the help and cooperation they received from Larry Patton and other country club staff members was outstanding. One banquet hall was completely transformed into wardrobe, hair, and make-up stations. Guiding Light has earned 69 Daytime Emmy Awards during its run, including three for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series. Lead actress Kim Zimmer, who plays Reva, has earned four Emmys for Best Actress in a Daytime Serial for her work on the show and Justin Deas, who plays Buzz, has won six Emmys for his acting. In 1966, Guiding Light was the first network soap opera to introduce regular African-American characters. The show was also the proving ground for a number of actors who went on to become major stars, such as Kevin Bacon, James Earl Jones, Calista Flockhart, Allison Janney, Hayden Panettiere, and Cicely Tyson. Throughout its storied tenure, Guiding Light has broached a variety of difficult topics such as teen pregnancy, sexual harassment, alcoholism, cancer, spousal abuse, and AIDS. Jeannie Tharrington, Director of Public Relations for the show said, “The Guiding Light has always tried to be a social lens for the audience.” But in spite of all its innovations viewers have declined steadily in the last few years. This year the show averaged a low of just 2.1 million viewers per episode, down from about 3 million per episode in 2004. The top soap on the air, The Young and the Restless, also on CBS, averages about 5.26 million viewers per episode. However, no one can deny Guiding Light’s impact and accomplishments during its seven decades. The Daytime Emmy Awards, set to air on Aug. 30, will honor the show with a special tribute and the entire cast will be in attendance. For now, fans are focused on the episodes leading up to the finale. Insiders say many surprises are in store and many former cast favorites will return to the show. Although particulars of the final episode airing in six weeks must remain hush-hush, all indications are that it will be a celebration of the show’s rich history. What went on in those lake-side scenes shot in front of Lake Mohawk Country Club last week? Unfortunately, it was a closed set, so viewers will have to tune in to see...