GUIDING LIGHT Honored at the Paley Center

We Love Soaps was on hand at the "Good-bye to GUIDING LIGHT, 72 Years Young" event at the Paley Center in New York on Wednesday night. The event kicked off with a video about the show which was followed by a Q&A session with a panel from the show which included Kim Zimmer, Grant Aleksander, Michael O'Leary, Elizabeth Keifer, Bradley Coley, Jill Lorie Hurst and Ellen Wheeler. The moderator asked questions and then fans were allowed to ask questions. The presentation ended with a glimpse at the GUIDING LIGHT finale. After a huge standing ovation, we all headed upstairs for a reception and a good time seemed to be had by all. I even got to talk football with Ms. Zimmer.

Here are some of the memorable quotes and exchanges I jotted down during the Q&A.

When asked about the 80s:
Kim Zimmer: Big hair, big earrings, big shoulder pads...
Grant Aleksanger: And then there were the ladies.

On Otalia:
Jill Lorie Hurst: "That story came from the head and heart of Ellen Wheeler." (Note: This was during the writer's strike).

On Rick Bauer:
Michael O'Leary: "[Rick has been] rejected by a rainbow coalition of ladies."

What did she like about the new production model:
Ellen Wheeler: "It kept us on the air and bought ourselves a year and a half."

On the strength of the show:
Michael O'Leary: "[GUIDING LIGHT told] multi-generational stories better than anyone else."

One fan asked about GUIDING LIGHT being released on DVD and Brian Cahill used the opportunity to survey the audience on how many bought the "Reva: VHS tape several years ago. The fans clapped loudly at the mention of a possible DVD.

Ellen Wheeler spoke about how on the last day of taping there were 170 people on set - all the directors directed, all the actors acted, all the lighting people held lights in scenes, etc. They all worked.

Also in attendance were Tina Sloan, Gina Tognoni, Maeve Kinkead, Orlagh Cassidy, Kurt McKinney, Ellen Dolan and Frank Dicopoulos.