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Home > Blogs > Women's Life > Archives > 2009 > April > 01 > Entry
Guiding Light canceled
The soap opera that gave the television world Reva Shayne is canceled.
“Guiding Light” has been canceled after a 72-year-run. CBS says the show will have its final episode in September. Like most daytime dramas, “Guiding Light” has suffered from declining ratings and CBS is looking for a lower-cost alternative to the hour of programming.
Guiding Light focused on the Bauer family of Springfield and the mercurial Reva Shayne, who has died, been cloned and been Amish over the years. For her efforts, the actress, Kim Zimmer has won multiple Emmy awards.
Soap operas on all networks are in trouble, with many stars taking large pay cuts, or worse. This year, Days of Our Lives released two of its biggest stars, Deirdre Hall and Drake Hogestyn. NBC canceled Another World last year.
The Guinness Book of World Records cites Guiding Light as longest-running television drama. It started on radio in 1937 and debuted on television in 1952.
Kevin Bacon, Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Melina Kanakaredes, and Hayden Panettiere all appeared on”Guiding Light early in their careers.
The cancellation comes at a rough time for viewers as Phillip recently returned from the dead.
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment | Categories: celebrities
Comments
By beth
April 1, 2009 3:03 PM | Link to this
Phillip died ?
By Danny
April 1, 2009 3:15 PM | Link to this
Give me an all-American WTF Break here! The economy is in the toilet, unemployment is at an all time high, people are being thrown from their homes and ‘Veiwers are having a rough times as Phillip recently returned from the dead”. This is worthy of a news story? Talk about misalligned priorities!
By Monica
April 1, 2009 3:44 PM | Link to this
I really can’t believe they are cancelling one of the most popular soaps….. I’ve watched this for over 30 years… yes, I know some of the story lines are stupid - but really I watched this with my grandparents that aren’t alive anymore! What next?????????
By rene
April 1, 2009 3:50 PM | Link to this
Soaps are all kinda dumb, but you know what? They can be great fun to watch, and many “stars” get their start on such programming.Too bad that the networks are losing these kinds of shows,it’s the last breath of radio and early television.
By Elizabeth
April 1, 2009 3:54 PM | Link to this
I cannot believe that they are cancelling Guiding Light, I have watched this show since I was in junior high school, both my daughters watch this show and now my granddaughter has started watching this show with us.
By Scott
April 1, 2009 3:58 PM | Link to this
My wife watches these shows so that’s going to cause problems there. Thanks CBS! Yeah Phillip “died”, supposedly at the hands of Alan but I never did figure out what happened exactly. I’m usually “just in the room” (reading a book, checking e-mail, etc) when my wife watches these shows. It’s a good thing imho that it’s gone, but a bad one too as she’ll be mad.
By Scott
April 1, 2009 4:01 PM | Link to this
I will say their production is kind of second-hand-ish lately. Their scenes they shoot outside look like other vidoes shot for YouTube. Maybe this caused a decline?
By null and void
April 1, 2009 4:29 PM | Link to this
By beth April 1, 2009 3:03 PM Phillip died? Ummmmm…there was a Phillip?
By Hillary
April 1, 2009 4:29 PM | Link to this
Is this some sort of April Fools joke?
By Pharrell
April 1, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this
Yeah, Danny, there should no reporting of anything whatsoever that’s not directly tied to the economy. No sports, no entertainment, no lifestyle section, no GO! section - nothing but economy, economy, economy. Since you clicked on the Women’s Life blog I assume you came here to see how women are dealing with the economy today?
By null and void
April 1, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this
There was a Phillip?
By Lisa
April 1, 2009 4:42 PM | Link to this
What I liked about Guidling Light, was simply you could go years without watching it, then be home sick one day, and pick right back off where you left it years ago. Sad to see it end.
By Stacey
April 1, 2009 5:22 PM | Link to this
If this is an April fool’s joke it’s not funny!!This show has been on all my life.I DVR it every day. What are we going to do without the light in Springfield.I will say the story lines have been some what boring over the last year.Maybe the network should just rerun from the start of guilding light..I will miss The light.
By Carrie
April 1, 2009 5:25 PM | Link to this
“NBC canceled Another World last year.” WOW! That’s some kind of time warp. Another World ran from 1964-1999.
By soaps are dumb
April 1, 2009 6:05 PM | Link to this
Soaps are so stupid. they do not represent life at all. Where else can people die and come back. My wife watches them and I tell her they will dull your brain. From what i saw of the ones she watches all the character ars rich. No normal people are represented. I wish they all would be cancelled and replaced with football, baseball or somthing way more interesting.
By John
April 1, 2009 6:07 PM | Link to this
I havent watched it regularly for 20 years….but see it every now and again…sad to see it go. Pharrell….I didnt come by this story in the “womens section” on the website; it is fron page. BUT as for that Dan guy…..Why the he** do people like you moan and complain about human interest stories not being news…..why the hell would you even read the story if it doesnt interest you? And the take the time to post? Some people (like that Dan guy) just want to b***h about something…must be missing something in thier lives.
By Ashley
April 1, 2009 6:41 PM | Link to this
that’s a bummer. That is like the coolest soap opera I have ever watched. WJy would they have to cancel such a good show?talking about bad decisions.
By Michelle
April 1, 2009 7:38 PM | Link to this
I sure hope this is an april’s fool joke. maybe tv should cut some of these so called reality shows that are just plain stupid and useless!
By April
April 1, 2009 8:10 PM | Link to this
It’s April 1st - I’m guessing this is a joke.
By Beth
April 1, 2009 8:14 PM | Link to this
What?? Another talk show to replace Guiding Light??
By Kandie Lewis
April 1, 2009 9:28 PM | Link to this
This is the worst thing EVER!! OMG..This has been apart of my life since I can remeber and I am 39 years old. This totally sucks buttcrack!!! Screw this COUNTRY..it does nothing but SUCK
By Tracey Arrington
April 1, 2009 9:57 PM | Link to this
Reva is one of yhe “baddest”women in the soap industry. She has so much talent, it will be alright for her and her castmates. Thanks Reva for all the love you gave us, and GOD bless!
By HELP
April 1, 2009 10:10 PM | Link to this
Everyone go to cbs.com and send in your complaints. I did!!!
By ticked off GL fan
April 1, 2009 10:15 PM | Link to this
First of all, this blows!!! I have been watching GL since I was in elementary school. It is a good show with good actors. I guess on CBS if you are not a “Bell” soap, then you don’t matter. If they want to cancel a show, cancel The Bold & the Beautiful. Second of all, NBC cancelled Another World YEARS ago!!!!! They cancelled Passions last year. The least the DDN could do is hire a fact checker!
By SC
April 1, 2009 10:21 PM | Link to this
This is sad… although yes we all know that soaps at times can have the LAMEST of story lines…. like when Reva found her long lost sister the stripper… but at time’s they can take your mind off of the little things. The guiding light to me was what my husbands PS 360 after a long day at work during football season…
By Gram
April 1, 2009 10:28 PM | Link to this
I am 70 yrs old and remember listening to it on the radio, then it was on TV. I will miss it. Take some of the stupid reality shows off, I know there are other shows that you could cancel.
By Pharrell
April 2, 2009 9:28 AM | Link to this
Its doesn’t matter how good the show may be. It’s a business decision. Low ratings and expensive to produce = cancellation. Back when you had four channels to choose from the ratings for sudsers were high. It’s a sign of the times just like the decline in the newspaper industry. No one’s going to cancel a high-rated reality show that’s cheap to produce just to save GL or any other long running show. A TV executive that made decisions like that would find themselves without a job very quickly.
By Kim
April 4, 2009 11:53 PM | Link to this
I have no idea what year I was living in! Of course Another World was canceled YEARS AGO! I think my bias for the ABC Soaps was showing. Sorry!