DC #453: Top 5 Guiding Light Characters

Hi All....Great episode folks. Brings back so many memories that are so bittersweet considering how GL has been destroyed in the past 10 years. Here are my 5, but I have a tie too since y'all did too...

5. (tie) Vanessa Chamberlin & Maureen Bauer. I loved their friendship and each individually. Vanessa's romance with Matt is one of my favorite ever. The show NEVER recovered from Maureen's death. It would have been SOOOOO easy to bring her back. Roger could have shipped her off to the same nunnery that he shipped Vanessa too for her to recover. That was going to be my first fix if I ever became GL HW.

4. Roger Thorpe. I wasn't around for the Roger glory days of the 70's and 80's, but caught the tail end of his marriage to Alex, the infamous country club scenes, and the triangle with Hart and Dinah (played by MY Dinah, Wendy Moniz). One of the greatest characters ever.

3. Annie Dutton Lewis. C'mon, how can we not LOVE Annie and her brilliant performer, Cynthia Watros. Annie on the witness stand is one of the most powerful scenes in GL history.

2. Alexandra Spaulding. Any newcomer soap opera leading actress should be required to watch the country club scenes for a true lesson from Beverlee McKinnsey in how to command and perform. The fact that we can just say "country club" and immediately EVERYONE knows exactly what that means tells alot. She would come close to tying for #1 had JFP had not pushed Beverlee to bolt. Granted, Marj Dusay is great, but I wish I would have been able to see more years of Beverlee's Alex.

1. Reva Shayne. My favorite soap character and actress, hands down. The fountain scenes, performing Proud Mary at Towers, the first wedding to Josh, "I'm Coming Bud!", reuniting with Josh, the rivalry with Annie, unplugging Richard, everything with Jonathan, and the cancer storyline. We've been through so much with Reva and I so wish it could keep going.

OMG!!! I loved this podcast! So bittersweet!

Let me preface my list with I watched GL from birth up until about 2004. Here are my top 5.

5. Alexandra Spaulding-I loved Beverlee McKinsey and Marj Dusay. Loved this character. A strong female and she would take no prisoners. Loved when she would fight for control of Spaulding Enterprises.

4. Dinah Marler -Played by Wendy Moniz. Jamey I'm with you on this one. I loved this version of Dinah. Have only seen a few episodes with Gina Tognoi (sp?). This was the Dinah talk about being a bitch on wheels. She was fierce and I loved her and Vanessa going at it. I loved her with Hart and then that heifer Cassie got in the mix. I couldn't stand Cassie. never liked her and never understood why folks liked her. I so wished she would have had better aim and killed Cassie LOL.

3. Vanessa Chamberlin-Lewis - Maeve Kincaid...gosh she was a find. I loved her. I liked her romance with Matt but I always wanted her to be with Billy though. I remember when her and Billy adopted little Peter.

2. Reva Shayne, Annie Dutton, & Josh Lewis- This storyline with these three characters had me rushing home from school EVERYDAY during the 90s to see what was going to happen. Gosh I loved this storyline. Annie was a great villain and I always wanted her to keep coming inbetween Josh and Reva. I liked Josh and Reva but I liked them fighting to get back together. A great lovestory.

1. Ross Marler, Blake Marler, Roger Thorpe- Gosh everything that you all said on the podcast about Roger and Blake. I am surprised no one mentioned Ross in there top 5. I loved Ross. he was the heart and soul of this show once they killed off Maureen. I saw him as the patriarch growing up. He was the good guy lawyer who loved the bad girl Blake. I remember Blake stealing Ross from Holly. I remember Sherry Stringfield's Blake but my favorite is Liz Kiefers. I remember when they changed Blake's and in a couple weeks after LK came on I didn't even remember SS's version anymore. Roger Thorpe is the bomb. I don't have to say much but that is how a villian is done.

Honorable Mentions- Alan-Michael Spaulding (Ric Hearst), Maureen Bauer, Kat Sparkes (Nia Long), David Grant (Monti Sharp), Gilly Grant (Amelia Marshal), Holly Norris-Reade (Maureen Garrett), Mindy Lewis (Barbra Crampton), Nick McHenry, Alan Spaulding, Ed Bauer, Buzz Cooper, Nadine Cooper

Let me say I hated when they killed Nadine. Gosh that dang Brent Lawrence. I loved Nadine. I always wanted them to bring her back. Gosh I missed her on the show. I always count that as one of the 10 reasons that Guiding Light died.

I'm so glad you did this! I haven't listened to the episode yet but I was really hoping you would do a top five characters before the end.
Without putting to much thought into it, here are the 5 main ones that come to mind:

5. Maureen Bauer

4. Nadine Cooper

3. Reva Shayne

2. Annie Dutton

1. Brent Lawrence & Harley Cooper. I know, weird choices but those are the two I like the most. Brent was just creepy and I was so very much drawn to the screen when he was on. He really did crazy well. As for Harley, towards the end the love for Harley disappeared but for most of my years watching the show, she was the one I liked most. I liked her most when she was snooping around and trying to solve cases. The first story that got me to like her was when she was in cadet school and trying to solve the Jean Weatherall murder. I still remember the scene when she find the blunt heavy object used to kill Jean.

Honorable Mentions: Bridgett Reardon, Eve Guthrie, Lucy Cooper, Dinah Marler, Vanessa Reardon, Jonathan Randell, Sandy Foster, Jenna Bradshaw, Ben Reade.

5. Dinah Marler
4. Phillip Spaulding
3. Alexander Spaulding
2. Annie Dutton & Roger Thorpe
1. Reva Shayne Lewis.

Honorable Mentions: Beth Spaulding, Josh Lewis, Lizzie Spaulding, Jonathon, Olivia, Gilly Grant, Maureen Bauer, Jenna Bradshaw, Harley Cooper, Buzz Cooper, Alan Michael Spaulding, Cassie Winslow(Laura Wrights version), Edmund Winslow, Danny Santos, Michelle Bauer, Rick Spaulding, Bill Lewis.

Ohh, this ones a tough one!
5, Vanessa Chamberlain - I love her classiness and that she's an elegant pillar of the community. It's great how we've been able to see her transformation to this from who she once was. To me she should be to the show what Maureen Bauer once was.
4, Blake Marler - a sassy, manipulative, damaged schemer with major daddy issues who really did have a loving heart. It just hurts how Blake has been treated in the last few years, this is not the real Blake freaking Thorpe Marler on the show!
3, Maureen Bauer - it's criminal that this character was killed off! Maureen was the heart of the show and her death left a hole in everyone's lives.
2, Roger Thorpe - he wasn't immoral he was amoral. Roger loved his children and Holly but that was about it, however having Roger's love could be just as ruinous as his hate. Roger was damaged and didn't know how to express his feelings but he wanted what he wanted and he didn't care what had to happen for him to get it. God I loved Roger with Holly, their relationship was passionate in love and hate, dysfunctional and obsessional, they could crave one another and despise each other at the same time, they were just intelligently, smokingly hot. which brings me to...
1, ... Holly Norris - sigh, I love Holly. Holly was flighty and neurotic, extremely intelligent with a sharp wit and a cutting tongue. She was empowered, sexy and a delight to watch and she went after what she wanted. At her core Holly was a good person but she didn't always know how to or want to express this softer side of herself or her emotions.

5. Vanessa revamping her appearance in the mirror listening
to Gladys Knight's "My Imagination"
4. India Von Halkein Spaulding- Just the way she purred
Pheeeelip's name.
3. Rick Bauer- Always playing second to Phillip Spaulding.
2. Reva Shayne Lewis Lewis Spaulding Lewis Cooper Lewis
O'neil- The self-proclaimed "Slut of Springfield"
1. Alexandra Spaulding(Beverlee Mckinsey)-Tearing Roger a
new one at the Country Club. That alone was worth the price of admission.

I couldn't make the podcast due to prior commitments, but if I had, my Top 5 GL characters (by way of cheating) would have been:

5. Nola Reardon and Jim & Martha Frazier

4. Ed Bauer & Holly Norris

3. Alan & Alexandra Spaulding

2. Roger Thorpe & Reva Shayne

1. Bert Bauer

5)Harley Cooper-Before she had all them damn kids,she was a force to be reckon with.One of my favorite scenes was when she pulled a piece of Beth's hair out cause that heifer was trying to tell her to stay away from Philip.

4)Gus Aitoro-He was funny,dangerous and sexy all wrapped into one.It's a shame he didn't go out in a blaze of glory instead of like a chump.

3)Buzz Cooper-The Batman to Jenna's Catwoman.His and Jenna's relationship was one of the best love stories ever!

2)Jenna Bradshaw-GL's answer to Catwoman.I loved her friendships with a young Michelle Bauer,Harley and Vanessa.I still hate Holly for kidnapping all them kids and getting my Jenna killed.Yes I know she's fictional,but still.

1)Annie Dutton-Who knew that the sweet nurse who's biggest secret was that she was once married to Rick Bauer would lose her damn mind and become one of the best villains in daytime?Annie kept a dead fetus in her stomache and framed Reva for killing it.You don't see craziness like that anymore.

D.C. Gang,

Thank you for another AWESOME podcast. I look forward to your podcasts because of not only your great critiques but your incredible chemistry and humor. You always bring a smile or three to my face.

Thanks!

P.S.

1. Phillip
2. Alexandra (Bev Mckinsey)
3. Reva
4. India
5. Roger Thorpe & Holly

Honorable mention....

Prince Edmund Winslow! My favorite sociopath.

Great lists all around and excellent commentary. I missed a lot of the glory days of GL (thank God for YouTube), and have only watched consistently for the last ten years or so, but I still remember enough of the good times to be supremely depressed by what happened to GL. For the heck of it, my list:

5. Roger Thorpe: Enough said.
4. Dinah Marler: I didn't give two flips about Dinah until Tognoni was cast in the role, but other than my number 1, she's been the only thing keeping me watching these last few years.
3. Phillip Spaulding: THE prototypical wounded golden boy.
2. Holly Norris: Again, enough said.
1. Olivia Spencer: I began watching right as Olivia came on the scene, having loved Chappell on OLTL, and she's been my favorite ever since and my favorite anti-heroine in daytime, period. Even though they've largely de-clawed her recently, I still feel like she's one of the last of a dying breed--they don't make characters like her (or Holly, or Blake) anymore.

Honorable mentions to Jonathan Randall, Sam Spencer, Matt Reardon, Bill Lewis, and Blake Marler.

Jamey!!!! Why did you have to go and make me tear up singing that theme song! The image of Beth Ehlers dancing will be forever burned in my brain. Like many of you, I started watching soaps when I was a little girl because my mother and grandmother watched them. Guiding Light was my mother's favorite, and so it's the one I remember best. I have always considered Guiding Light to be "my soap".

5. Annie Dutton- Like Mel, I will never forget the day she threw herself down the stairs! She was the goody good nurse who became evil through and through and I loved to hate her. I was about the same age as Marah was at that time and I remember her reactions and that memorable trial. I hated that mess when they had her have plastic surgery, but other than that, she was awesome.

4. Susan Lemay (not this Daisy mess we have now)- Brittany Snow and I are the same age, and so I remember very clearly when she first came on the show looking for her biological mother (Harley) after her adoptive mother died. The actress was amazing and she was truly Harley's daughter and Reva's grandchild. I'll never forget when Holly kidnapped her and all of the other kids in town and I'll always remember her speech at Jim's (her adoptive father's) funeral. She had me in tears through that whole ordeal. I refuse to believe that she ever would have gone back to being called Daisy as she made such a point to say that she considered her adoptive parents to be her parents because they were there for her when Harley couldn't be. I even liked her relationship with Edmund (don't hurt me Jamey), toward the end of her time on the show when she started to go to a dark place in her life after Jim died in the fire.

3. Michelle Bauer (as portrayed by Bethany Joie Lenz)- I'll never forget the day she replaced Rebecca Budig (although Greenlee my favorite AMC character, Rebecca was never Michelle to me). She was so amazing as clone Reva and then when she took over the role of Michelle, everything just clicked. She and Danny were awesome, back when mob stories could be powerful and not overdone. Her struggle to be with Danny and her battles with Carmen showed how strong she was and I loved her for it. She was a true Bauer I loved her connection with her family (especially Rick).

2. Reva Shayne- The running joke around our house used to be what can't happen to Reva, because it seemed like she's lived 15 lives during her time on this show. I remember the clone, when she walked through the painting, and when she went to San Cristobel the first time to find out what happened to her during her amnesia (when she married Richard and had Jonathan). For me, the image that we always stick in my mind is when she with the Amish. I will never forget the day that she popped up with that outfit wearing that bonnet. I thought my mother was going to die of laughter that day. It was hilarious.

1. Harley Davidson Cooper- Harley was and will always be my favorite GL character of all time. She came on the show around the time I was born (when she had Susan). She was a kick-butt and take names kind of character but with spunk and a huge heart. She could make anything work and could sell any storyline to me. I loved her with everyone she was paired with (Mallet, Philip, Gus) up until she and Gus broke up (sorry Jamey but I l loved her with Gus). Even though I hated the storyline because it broke up my beloved Pharley, I loved loved loved her reaction to finding out that Beth was pregnant with James. She looked like someone had punched her in the stomach and just ripped her heart out and then she and Jim had to go and sit by Lizzie's bedside to pray for her to overcome her leukemia. I cried so hard that day.

Honorable Mentions-
Olivia Spencer- She was so awesome when she first came on and seduced Josh! I remember when she and Reva would battle it out over him I would scream at my television because both actresses were such powerhouses. I even liked her brother Sam for a time just because she could make me like anybody. She was bitch on heels and she was fantastic.

Roger Thorpe- I was very young when he was in his prime and I remember being terrified of him because he was just that good of a villain. He was mother's favorite and such an iconic character, the template by which all good villains should be measured.

Prince Richard and Cassie (Laura Wright's version)- They had the classic fairytale storybook romance and I just ate it up. I was around 13 or 14 at the time and it was the ultimate fantasy for me. Their wedding was one of my favorite soap weddings ever. Loved when she took those tranquilizers and Reva, Blake, and Harley had to try to get her dress on for her! They were the best! Loved when he faked his death and Cassie mourned (Laura Wright was so awesome in those scenes). Loved Cassie's friendship with Harley and Blake. Hated that they killed off Richard and brought on Jeffrey, neva should have happened.

Marina (Aubrey Dollar's version)- Sorry Mel, but Aubrey Dollar was my favorite Marina. I'll always remember when she threw those plates at company after she found out about Ben being a killer and when she got in Gus' bed to make everyone think they'd been together. She was that annoying teenager who acted out to get attention but was still able to make you fall in love with her.

Gus Aitoro- Hated that they made him Alan's son, but loved his early relationship with Harley. He tried to show her that a man could be there for her and only for her when every man in her life up until that point had cheated on her or left her. He tried to heal her daddy issues and their early scenes were so fiery and awesome. He was such a jerk when he came on the show but he quickly became one of my favorites. Plus, he was so hot and I had a major crush on him.

Philip Spaulding- He and Harley ROCKED early one before Beth had to come back and mess it all up. I loved the way he gritted his teeth at everyone and wouldn't take crap from anyone. Unfortunately he was dead to me for a time because he slept with Beth in that plane, but he redeemed himself with his hot affair with Olivia. Those two were smoking.

1. olivia spencer...hell yeah!
2.natalia rivera...hell yeah!!
3. reva shayne
4. josh lewis
5. phillip spaulding

1. India Von Halkein
2. Reva Shayne
3. Olivia Spencer
4. Maureen Bauer
5. Jenna Bradshaw

The worst character has got to be Jeffery (aka Ellen Wheeler's fantasy-A bad boy that will ravish her horribly to the point she'll love him).

I'm thinking Bert has got to be the number one, if you look at it in a less personal way.

5. Buzz Cooper
4. Maureen Bauer
3. Josh Lewis
2. Holly Norris
1. Olivia Spencer

In no particular order
Roger Thorpe
Billy Lewis
Vanessa Chamberlin
Phillip Spaulding
Reva Shayne Lewis

Honorable mentions; Alan Spaulding, Lizzie Spaulding, Bill Lewis, Dinah Marler, Olivia Spencer, Edmund Winslow, Henry Chamberlin, H.B Lewis, Josh Lewis, Michelle Bauer, Beth Raines, Mindy Lewis

5. Reva
4. Josh
3. Jonathan
2. Natalia
1. Olivia

!!

Jamey you are my favorite. YOu just cracked me up in this podcast so much. I agree with all of your choices including your worst characters: Marina! Ellen Wheeler! Jamey I love your Ellen Wheeler jags. You sold my mom on listening to the GL themed podcasts now ! I say all of this on my own. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. Here's my top5 list:

5. Josh Lewis
4. Holly Lindsay/Rodger Thorpe
3. Ross Marler
2. Annie Dutton
1. Reva Shane Lewis Lewis Lewis Lewis O'Neil

5. Buzz and Jenna
4. Annie
3. Reva
2. Holly
1. Roger

I stopped watching GL eons ago, but those were always my favorite. Sad that I started to watch this last week because it's over. It's just so sad.

Picking 5 is very hard because so many of them feel like family.

5. Harley (before Cryus Foley), Blake and Mel as Harleys Angels. I just loved it when those three smart ladies worked together.

4. Buzz. A passionate man with a heart of gold who took his second chance and returned to his family. Plus the recent scenes with Buzz and Lillian are just a hoot.

3. Roger was the man I loved to hate when he was ruthless and scheming, but something always made me want to like him when Michael Zaslow played the part.

2. Lillian Raines RN. I love watching Lillian stand up to Alan and Beth, dote on her grandkids and get sexy with Buzz. I want to be Lillian if I ever grow up.

1. Reva Shayne Lewis Spaulding Lewis Cooper Lewis Oneil,
Hello Talk about a firecracker that makes a show fun to watch and she got to make out with all the hot men!

*This last one was not a character played by an actor, but I always loved it when people gathered at the Lighthouse and found ways to work together. I will miss it all.

5 - Roger Thorpe - Handsome, sexy and so damaged.
4 - Holly Norris - never boring.
3 - Bertha Bauer - loved her when I watched as a child - so motherly.
2 - Reva Shayne - always fun to watch no matter how crazy the SL got.
1- Olivia Spencer - She'd have chemistry with "Whistler's Mother"

#5-Josh
#4-Blake
#3-Doris
#2-Natalia
#1-Olivia

Nola was the only one for me. Her fantasies, her romances, and her craziness made her one of the greatest characters.

The scene when Kelly confronted Nola about lying that he was the father of her child is one of the most brilliant scenes in soap history. I know everyone thinks of Reva in the fountain. However, I dare you to look at the clip of Kelly and Nola and not find that you are holding your breath with anticipation.

One other note, Roger Thorpe was incredible because we knew him from the time he was in his 20's trying to get his father
Adam's approval to his 50's when he tricked Alexandra. I can't think of another character besides Erica who had that kind of arc over time.

#5 Reva Shayne
#4 Alan Spaulding
#3 Phillip Spaulding
#2 NATALIA RIVERA
#1 OLIVIA SPENCER

I've been a GL fan for 25 years. Lots of characters have come and gone, these are some of my favourites.

5. Alan-Michael Spaulding (Rick Hearst but I also LOVED Carl T. Evans he was amazing with Harley). A-M was not he golden boy like his brother but much more damaged. Luckily he was half Bauer and I loved his talks with his Uncle Ed. Still can't understand how Eleni choose Frankie over him.

4. The 4 Musketeers (Phillip, Beth, Rick and Mindy). I loved them. I loved the friendship and in my opinion the friendship of Rick and Phillip is the greatest of all daytime. When Meredith lost the baby and Rick found out that Phillip was the father. Well that broke my freaking heart.

3. Melinda Su Lewis, I can't believe more people don't have her on their list. Spoiled little girl, the apple of her daddy and granddaddy's eye. Melinda Su was brillant. I loved her with Kurt (BEAUTIFUL WEDDING), Russel (Rusty Reva's brother...they never ever slept together and that killed me), Will Jefferies (the wonderful Joesph Breen (I loved the Sonni/Solita storyline)), Rick and my favourite Nick McHenry. Their chemistry was undeniable. I loved Krista but Kimberly Simms won me over and I still miss her version of a more grown-up Mindy.

2. Can I have a tie between Roger, Harley, Alex (Bev's version) and Blake (Sherry's version)? I could add Vanessa and Holly to that list and Buzz.

1. Reva and Joshua because for me they are what made me fall in love with Guiding LIght. They made it rain. She made him walk. It didn't matter that she married his brother and daddy (my first GL scene was Reva telling Joshua she had married H.B. and he went rushing out). I waited when he left through that awful Kyle Sampson storyline. I rejoiced when she ran out of the wedding and Josh saved her from the speeding car. I loved and worshiped them through Sonni and Alan and when we learned Marah was Josh's daughter (I still have it on tape). The first wedding was a week of pure joy. I was devastated when Reva died, but I loved Josh and Harley. I have watched them for 25 years and the idea that Jeffery O'Neil is even close to the "love of Reva's life" is idiotic and insulting. He is a blip on the screen just like Alan, Kyle, Buzz, Sonni, Annie, Olivia before him. Joshua and Reva are always. I will be devastated next Friday if Reva and Josh are not together but that's what I think will happen sadly.

number one--------OLIVIA SPENCER
number two--------Natalia Rivera
number three------reva shayne
number four-------josh lewis
number five-------holly reed

My favorite Characters are in this order

Roger Thorpe

Olivia Spencer

Reva Shayne

I love these characters not because they where good or bad characters but for their tenacious spirits and big hearts nothing could ever get these folks down and I love that in my soap characters.

1. Olivia
2. Holly
3. Reva
4. Dinah
5. Josh

This is a tough one. So many great characters since I started watching over 35 years ago. I'm sure I'll think of others as soon as I complete this.

#1 Bert Bauer
#2 Olivia Spencer
#3 Amanda Wexler
#4 Rita Stapleton Bauer & Holly Lindsay (tie)
#5 Blake Marler & Bridget Reardon (tie)

Honorable Mentions: Jenna Bradshaw, Nurse Katie Parker, Morgan Richards, Hilary Bauer, Roxie Shayne, Maureen Reardon Bauer, Jackie & Justin Marler (Phillips's biological parents), Dr. Sarah McIntyre, Nola Reardon, Henry Chamberlin, Vanessa Chamberlin, and the list goes on and on...

Does anyone else feel like they're about to lose members of their family?

I loved this podcast guys, I've not been watching GL for very long, but I really felt for each of you when you talked about your favourites. Makes me wish I'd been watvhing longer [as usual.] I don't know wethier I should really be making a top 5 but I'll do it anyway.
Hope I don't offend anyone:
5. Alexandra Spaulding
4. Phillip Spaulding
3. Dinah Marler
2. Olivia Spencer
1. Natalia Ruvera
Honourable Mentions: Lizzie Spaulding, Alan Spaulding, Reva Shane, Josh Lewis, Buzz Cooper.