Daytime Emmys Salutes Guiding Light (Updated)
Betty White introduced the tribute to Guiding Light and its 72 record-breaking years on radio and television. I watched this segment with great anticipation because as everyone knows, Guiding Light is my heart. When the tribute started with one of the old Guiding Light Logos and the lighthouse, a smile flashed across my face. Memories of watching this show with my grandmother came flooding back. However, as the tribute went on, my smile and memories quickly faded into disappointment, hurt, and anger.
Why did most of the tribute feature clips from the new production model? I'm sorry but when I think of My Guiding Light, I don't think of this new production model and all it's stories. I think of the Guiding Light of the past. The Guiding Light that was lush, glamour, and characters I truly cared about. I know Kim Zimmer's famous Slut of Springfield scene was included in the package, but where was Beverlee McKinsey's famous Country Club scene of Alex ripping Roger Thorpe a new one? Hell, where was Roger Thorpe? There were so many crucial scenes missing from that package, it was shameful. However, for what it was worth the video tribute wasn't all bad but it could have been much better.
After the video tribute finished, the entire cast of Guiding Light appeared on stage. At this point in the broadcast, I'm about to tear up because the cancellation of my grandmother's show start to set in. However, just as I was really about to get into seeing the full cast on stage, they were gone! The CW went to commercial in what seemed like the middle of the Guiding Light tribute! I went through the roof and started screaming obscenities at the television. Why didn't somebody from the cast, preferably Kim Zimmer or Robert Newman, say something to the audience about the show. Why didn't we get a close up of the Guiding Light cast? We saw them come out, and then the camera pulled out. I would have loved to have seen their faces. Most of all, Why didn't the longest running television drama EVER get enough time to say a proper goodbye to the industry that served them for72 years?
Overall, I was disappointed in the Guiding Light tribute on The Daytime Emmys. It is a sin and a shame that Sesame Street recevied a longer tribute than Guiding Light! I just hope that the finale of Guiding Light can bring justice to the show I've watched my entire life.
RELATED: Frank Dicopoulos on Guiding Light's Emmy Tribute " Well, They Cut Us Off...Great"
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Comments
17 February 2009
6 hours 24 min
It was funny and touching but bittersweet. I loved how the cast took their final curtain call...it seemed appropriate but I found myself wondering if they can do that to a soap with that kind of history then how much longer do the rest of them have.
30 August 2009
2 years 37 weeks
I thought the tribute ws very well done and fitting of a show with such a great history. Betty White was funny, and they ,ade great use of the clips.
28 November 2008
2 weeks 2 days
I'll miss my Springfield friends. TOuching, sweet tribute. Kim looked emotional.
2 April 2009
2 years 35 weeks
i thought it was a nice tribute...loved Betty White & the cast looked good
14 April 2009
1 year 11 weeks
I was disappointed in the tribute. GL has been on the air for 72 years and all we got was a couple of minutes. Looked like it was cut short to me. The show deserved better.
ETA: I have no beef with the tribute video itself. Michael Fairman did a great job. Just wish more respect was given to the show and the actors while on stage...Sesame Street got a much better tribute.
14 July 2008
1 year 29 weeks
Michael Fairman produced the tribute I believe. It was nicely done. I wish it was a bit longer and that someone could have at least given a short speech on behalf of the cast. Kim and Robert should've been able to give a short speech and pay tribute to Irma Phillips.
23 July 2008
27 weeks 3 days
Kim Zimmer just screams class and beauty. Look at her. Rather emotional for me. But then it was cut short. Wtf? Oh my. This shit is so bittersweet.
2 August 2009
2 years 34 weeks
This show has been on for SEVENTY TWO YEARS Sesame street had a longer dedication then GL which was not fair. They should have more flashback clips. And have a bigger send off than the that.
2 April 2009
11 hours 29 min
I agree, I loved the montage but imo they didnt devote enough time to the show that has been on the air 72 years heck they barely showed them standing up there a few seconds before they went to commercial and GL wasnt included in the modeling segment it was as if they were second tier and nobody wanted to spend time on then its a shame thats why soaps are going down the tubes. Is GL eligible for the emmys next year? People keep saying that Jeff Branson won GL's last emmy.
5 November 2007
14 hours 33 min
While I loved what little we got, WTH? GL was ROBBED of a decent tribute. The video was great, but there should've been a few words from some of the actors that have been on there for the last 20+ years. I'm extremely disappointed!
28 August 2009
2 years 24 weeks
I loved the montage but think that it deserved something a little longer. I actually had to tell my husband that he couldn't tease me if i started crying.... And trust me, it came close.
1 July 2009
6 hours 12 min
I agree I mean it was on for 72 years and that's all they got. Boy, tells you that the awards were on the wrong network this year.
5 June 2008
18 weeks 6 days
I have never watched GL, but cried during their tribute. Also cried during the SS 40th year Lifetime Achievement award. Cried for GL because I don't want soaps to go away and SS because I was 2 when it first aired and I have such fond memories of watching it and watching it again with my kids. I feel really old right now!!!
5 June 2008
18 weeks 6 days
Oh and on the whole show, WTH way to rushed should have been at least 3 hours!!
20 December 2008
1 year 42 weeks
This emmy show was horrible at best and Vanessa Williams was the worst host in history .....GL was robbed again from getting their proper tribute...oh Well piss on um all I say !!!!!!!!
30 August 2009
2 years 37 weeks
What a disappointment the GL Tribute was. I've been waiting for weeks to see it and it was SO short! The camera didn't even pan across the stage to show all the actors and then it cut to commercial. I hope there will be a photo, somewhere, of the actors on the stage. Sesame Street's 40 years were given a much better tribute. And I agree, that Vanessa's second number could have been dropped to allow more GL time and to show B&B's acceptance speech. I appreciate CW for broadcasting the awards but it seems that none of the networks care about daytime t.v. anymore. We daytime fans could produce a far superior awards show than any of the networks. I wonder if CBS's GL tribute on Sixty Minutes will amount to anything...
14 July 2008
1 year 29 weeks
Speaking of GL, there is at least one cast member that has a new job. Tom Pelphrey is now going to ATWT.
3 December 2008
4 weeks 4 days
That was less a salute and more a middle finger.
They should have been given more than 2 minutes. Hell, it was shorter than Vanessa's second dance/song routine. I was disappointed but not surprised.
19 April 2009
17 weeks 3 days
The GL Tribute was sad and lame. The montage contained way too much of recent clips and not nearly enough of the 50+ years it was on television. Failing to pan across the cast and cutting them off for a commercial was disrespectful and truly evidence of how soaps in general are viewed, even on a soap-related awards show. Just sad.
23 April 2008
1 day 16 hours
The video was well done. It was all done right, from the intro to the video the curtain call. The BEST part was "THE REAL Guiding Light Theme" that played. That made it. A+ beautiful.
18 November 2007
3 days 10 hours
it was not long enought... for a show that is ending and being that it is the longest running daytime sopa.. i figureed that there would have been more... a bit dispointed i am!
3 July 2009
48 weeks 1 day
I haven't gotten to watch, but I can't say I'm surprised. This is a new network that's never aired a daytime soap. What do they know about long-term fans and history?? This is not much better than how AW was treated -- no Daytime Emmy tribute and then have to wait till the following March at the Soap Opera Awards, just to see a 2-minute 'tribute', crammed together with Sunset Beach. **ugh** Hopefully the '60 Minutes' special will be better for you guys.
1 April 2009
16 weeks 2 days
I couldn't have said it better myself Melodie!! I just posted a rant over at Sweetest Sparks about this tribute..Here's what it said,
"Now to the GL tribute -- If we should even call it that. I was for-warned that the tribute was less than mediocre but not in my wildest dreams did I imagine it to be that terrible. I mean it was awful!! I loved Betty White's introduction to the show and although I thought the montage was crappy I still cried my eyes out seeing the clips and then having the curtain open to show us the entire cast. But then it was all abruptly ruined when they immediately went to a commercial break. We didn't even get to hear any of the cast members speak. This show has been on for 72 YEARS and that is all they can give us. I'm sorry but that is totally unacceptable to the fans. We've all grown up with this show and our grandmothers watched this show and thats ALL they can give us? A 30 second montage ...thats it? I get that they're crunched for time but Sesame Street got like a 5 minute if not more tribute and they're not even going off the air they're just celebrating an anniversary. This just goes to show how little the industry thinks of Guiding Light and the soap genre in general."
I'm still VERY ANGRY!
23 July 2008
8 weeks 3 days
I didn't watch the show last night but from the look of the pictures it looks like they decorated the church in Peapack and shot the Emmy's there.
25 December 2008
9 weeks 5 days
the tribute was AWFUL!!! There are plenty of fanmade tributes on youtube that blew this one out of the water. I'm still pissed about it and what was with the clips they chose? It was almost all from the new production model and some of them just didn't make sense.
What a dissapointment
3 March 2009
5 hours 33 min
Pretty fucked up, but what do you expect from an awards show that is on the CW! Hell, they gave B&B award for best show and Tyra Banks the best talk show LOL!!!!!!
One good thing is we won't have to be disappointed in the Emmys anymore as far as a fan of GL!
11 April 2009
12 hours 59 min
Jamey/Luke: Full GL Tribute Available!!
http://www.michaelfairmansoaps.com/news/newsItem.cfm?cms_news_id=595
Michael Fairman's full 4 minute tribute video is available at the aforementioned link!!!!