Today in Peapack New Jersey marks the final shoot day for the cast and crew of Guiding Light. After 72 years of broadcast this American icon will close its doors. I still feel shell shocked that CBS actually canceled the longest running soap in history that has been such a big piece of the culture in the lives of generations of American families. In this day and age it is near impossible to find a show that you can honestly say you’ve watched since you were a kid with your family. I myself grew up watching soaps and Guiding Light was one of the big ones. If I was home sick from school I’d spend the day with my grandmother and little Italian immigrant great grandmother who would often yell at the TV in broken English whenever Reva Shayne would fly off into one of her crazy antics.
Over the years Guiding Light has come to mean so many different things to so many different people. It’s a multi-generational American experience. So today they shoot their final scenes and bring a conclusion to a 72 year tradition. I hope you will watch the show today and everyday through September when they air the final show keeping the cast and crew in your thoughts. If you see someone from the show stop them and tell them thanks, if you’re on Twitter send out a tweet to your favorite cast members or camera guy and let them know you’re thinking of them today or an email letting them know just how much they and Guiding Light as a whole has meant to you over the years.
According to his Twitter page, Frank Dicopoulos (Frank Cooper) has the final scene of the day along with co-stars Tina Sloan (Lillian Raines) and Jordan Clarke (Billy Lewis). I wish them all luck on their final shoot and a thank you for the many years of entertainment!
If you’re on Twitter, the following people from the show are out there:
@Beth_Chamberlin @eakcik @FrankDicopoulos @Michael_OLeary @BradleyCole1 @paulanthonystew @CrystalChappell @TinaSloan @EVILMOMENTS (Keith the camera man)