Apr 1, 2009 3:30 pm US/Eastern
After 72 Years, TV's 'Guiding Light' Switching Off
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Actress Beverlee McKinsey starred as Alexandra Spaulding in the CBS daytime drama "The Guiding Light."
CBS Television/PGP
The soap opera "Guiding Light" is switching off after a 72-year run that predates television.
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.
The Guinness Book of World Records has cited it as the longest-running television drama, with more than 15,700 episodes airing.
Created by Irna Phillips, the show debuted on NBC radio on January 25, 1937 as the 15-minute radio serial "The Guiding Light." It made the switch to 15-minute episodes on CBS Television on June 30, 1952, although it continued to air concurrently on radio with the actors playing parts on both shows until 1956, when the radio show ended.
In 1967, the series first started being broadcast in color, and a year later, the show expanded from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. In November 1977, the show expanded to a full hour.
"Guiding Light has achieved a piece of television history that will never be matched; it has crossed mediums, adapted its stories to decades of social change and woven its way through generations of audiences like no other," said Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group.
"This daytime icon will always be an indelible part of CBS's history, with a legacy of innovation and reputation for quality and excellence at every step of the way. While its presence will be missed, its contributions will always be celebrated and never be forgotten."
The radio show's original storyline centered on a minister named Rev. John Ruthledge, and all the people of a fictional suburb in Chicago called Five Points. Today's show takes place in the fictional town of Springfield, and revolves around the Spaulding, Lewis and Cooper families.
Throughout its historic tenure on the Network, "Guiding Light" has been the recipient of 69 Daytime Emmy Awards, including three for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series.
The show has broken ground with stories such as cancer, teen pregnancy, sexual harassment, alcoholism, abuse, AIDS and post-partum depression and, in 2008, premiered a brand-new daytime production model, featuring permanent sets inside its New York City studio and approximately 20% of the production shot in exterior scenes in the town of Peapack, N.J.
In addition, directing and editing were changed to be done digitally and almost simultaneously, giving the sets a more realistic feeling and eliminating the need for production suites."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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