Guiding Light: Year In Review - 1984

[@samanthastevens2925]

Classic soap goodness and a chance to remember what life looked like in 1984!

[@kiba4687]

This was so great I wish you had this for all the years especially in the late seventies and eighties it actually filled in a couple of the blanks I've been missing as have been trying to find all the old KZbin episodes I could find. ❤️

[@danielbryan9754]

WOW!!!! You did absolutely AMAZING work!!!!!!! I would love to see one that captures the Rita Bauer days. Thank you so very much for this!!!!!

[@paulvoorhies8821]

I somehow missed Hillary’s death by exploding music box. Carrie Nye was an absolute hoot as the wicked Susan Piper. I met someone who met her prior to her death. He said she took herself exceptionally seriously and acted as grand off the set as on. A true diva, I suppose.

[@bisnagaboy]

1984 was an AWESOME year for GUIDING LIGHT!

[@paulvoorhies8821]

‘‘Twas among their best. Years ranked: 1981 1980 1984 1979 1982

[@lillianlyons3395]

Wow I never realized what a nice piece of eye candy that Jim Reardon was.

[@lisa8817]

I just found this. Oh my goodness, this is GOLD. Thank you!!!!!!!!!

[@bisnagaboy]

LOL!!! I just love what Vanessa does to Reva at 11:22 with the powder puff! I gotta do it to some of my "friends" sometime!

[@frecklzface1]

I LOVED 1984! All of the storylines.. of course I was 11 at the time but my friends and I still talk about stuff that happened then. Thanks for the video.

[@birdy524]

Dc Barney

[@neworleansguy10]

1984 was an exceptional year for GL. In fact, I'd say that '79 through '86 was its true Golden Period. Thanks for the memories!!!

[@jandjsw]

LOVE IT-thank you!!! My vote for your next ones would be 1985 or 1986. Lot's of good drama with Kurt and Mindy's wedding.

[@stylinsue535]

Susan piper!!! This was year I started watching!! I was 13 at the time. ❤️❤️

[@wooooo726]

What a great job !!!!!!!!! You captured GL 84 PERFECT............ Thank You For The Post.

[@der22672]

1984 was one of my favorite years ever of GL.

[@karenfelder3901]

Great year for GL!!!

[@Oakdalian]

Victoria was a fool to relinquish her claim to the family fortune. As GL & ATWT wrote in their answers to Dynasty's Alexis with Alexandra & Lucinda, they missed the chance to have a Dominique.

[@MC-wc8mi]

Wow!! They packed in more story in this year than I've ever seen on any soap. And all the great characters and moving pieces. I guess this is when they had the money to do so. Wow!

[@loria7043]

This is great! Thank you!

[@Kingfamilyfavorites]

The great Chris Bernau. the true Alan Spaulding!!

[@nobillclinton]

beauteous. . .Guiding Light: one of a kind. . .

[@barihope]

My vote is 1983 phillip Beth my fave couple. Also like 1985 Kyle reva and 1991 mallet francesca. And 1993 Frank n og eleni.

[@patrickTPisces]

If anyone has the video of the Mon 11/26/84 episode I would love to see it! That one ends with Piper jumping in the quicksand (clip is in this montage, along with John falling on his sword). I have an audio recording of that episode because I had a club meeting at school that afternoon, so my mom cassette-recorded that episode for me (we got our first VCR at Christmas - four weeks later). I loved that episode so much and know some lines by heart due to have listened to it so much, but I've never actually seen the video. Thanks to anyone who can help!

[@Oakdalian]

I can't believe that Billy slapped Reva back. Then again, it's a perfect reflection of his character at the time. He really had it in for her. That Barbados ordeal has high camp echoes of Hogan Sheffer all over it. Somebody must have wanted to rip off Indiana Jones. So unintentionally funny.

[@sebastainknight]

the dacry charcter and that summer 1984 storyline was one of the best!

[@prettypinkpopsicle]

Great job as usual!

[@ytjaimth]

another great video!

[@patrickTPisces]

Thank you for this. Question for anyone who knows - why did Grant Aleksander leave at the end of this season (1984)? At the time I remember thinking the departure seemed very abrupt, and the whole “he bolted because he didn’t want to marry India” seemed more like a re-written script to deal with the sudden departure of an actor (that’s just what my perception was… I’m not claiming any facts here). I actually remember being afraid the Grant might have passed or gotten sick in real life, but in those days there was no Internet to find out. I also seem to remember him being in the opening credits for a few days/weeks before they took him out, but that too may just be my misguided memory. I believe it was January 1985 when John Bolger arrived to take over that role. I wrote to Grant Aleksander in the summer of 1985 and he sent me a very nice postcard saying he would be starring in a pilot series of ABC called *Dark Mansions*. Still, I don’t understand the circumstances of his GL 1984 departure. Planned? Abrupt? If anybody knows, please let me know. Thanks!

[@josephgraefe4886]

Guiding Light had great stories throughout 1984! Two big mistakes was GL killing off Hilary Bauer and writing out Mike Bauer. The Bauer's had always been the core family in Guiding Light. This should never have been abandoned.

[@merricat3025]

Bigger mistake making this show about Reva Shane. They should have kept Bauer family as focus instead of Lewis. I really liked Hillary.

[@Spauldingfield]

It was actually Grant Alexander. I don't think John Bolger was Phillip till either late late 1984 or 1985.

[@peachmarie6079]

Definitely! Lujack, Rick, Phillip, and Tony. Ross, Ed, and Mike weren't bad either.

[@bsheffer1]

oh yes, please let s get soapclassics to release the show. I was unable to get the money together to buy the guiding light videos this year and I missed out.

[@MrJuly1990ish]

Yeah Darcy kicked ass back in the day, she was straight up ruthless! Her attack on the Cedars hospital staff, plotting to kill Alex and Beth was epic! She could have given Roger Thorpe a run for his money, lol!! Darcy in my opinion is probably one of the most underrated and forgotten villians in GL history.

[@harlee490]

Two words....Pam Long

[@bsheffer1]

I would love a video of 1980, 81,82 or 83. I remember some of the stuff from 1984, but not all of it. Anything to do with Nola with and without Quinton.

[@ACcountryFan]

@spinnernet1: A lot of the criticisms in Soap Opera Digest are subjective. I've got my share of issues from various time periods and in my opinion the criticisms are the most harsh if a story has characters that are dramatically altered in some form or fashion or react differently than their long established 'character' would suggest. A lot of people didn't like the Beirut story in 1985 concerning Ed, Maureen, Fletcher, and Claire because of the consequences that came about. In the story, all four came under attack in a terrorist raid and were separated. Each pair thought the other pair had been killed. For the purposes of the story Ed and Claire became separated from Maureen and Fletcher. A dazed Ed mistakenly seen Claire as Maureen and in his excitement over seeing his presumed dead wife alive he slept with her. Soon, all four ended up finding one another and they returned to Springfield. Claire learned she was pregnant...and Ed admitted his mistake with Claire in Beirut. Claire ended up giving birth to Michelle...a character that had a major impact in the late '90s and most of the 2000's. I happened to like that story but I'm in the minority. I also loved the Barbados story and the Fisherman/Eli Sims story too.

[@CarlD2]

Rick married Mel Boudreaux, who arrived not too long after Vicki vanished. Vicki's only pairing was a mostly offcamera relationship with David Grant. I'm not sure if the characters stayed together, but the actors (Victoria Platt and Terrell Tilford) got together and I think they're still together today.

[@peachmarie6079]

Wasn't born til '88, but I've been watching some of the 1984 episodes here on youtube. Thus far, Lujack/Beth and Reva dubbing herself the Slut of Springfield are my favorite moments.

[@demetra612]

Do you have a 1985 year in review? With Kyle and Reva??? The best love story ever!!!

[@lorimendoza4721]

Trish was pounding the crap out of Alan

[@CarlD2]

I never understood why Brandon needed to return from the dead. This story had no fallout. They could have had Victoria come on the show but even that didn't happen (aside from her daughter coming on for a few years for backburner non-plots). And they really shouldn't have done this when Alan was gone. Alan's entire life was dominated by issues with his father.

[@tnate6004]

Very nice job, Spauldingfield. I'm in the minority - I hated what GL became in 1984 and feel it started the show on it's long slide downward slide. Mike was written out and Hillary was killed. GL was always a nice, straightforward traditional soap that didn't go in for wild plots or adventures like GH. I detested the haunted cottage/Susan Piper/Tony the ninja warrior, Brandon back from the dead and Dreaming Death stories. And, of course, Reva and the Lewises hijacking the story. The onlt thing I liked about GL 1984 was the introduction of India. IMHO the show didn't really rebound until the late 80's and "killing off" Reva in 1990.

[@CarlD2]

I didn't know Kelly was still on in 1984.

[@Robansuefarm]

Although some awful stuff (Hope leaving town, Tony-Annabelle's cottage blowing up), also lots of great stuff. If I had to pick 1 thing, I'd say Vanilly wedding, but maybe would change if I watched the year again.

[@peachmarie6079]

Thanks!

[@nathancoleman7235]

Claire and Fletcher the wonder couple 5:22

[@peachmarie6079]

Was that Grant Aleksander playing Phillip in the first few clips he was in or John Bolger?

[@patrickTPisces]

Grant Aleksander. John Bolger arrived in January or February of 1985.

[@44hilla44]

84 was a great Josh and Reva year! And Billy caught them after they made love- not only kissed ;-)

[@RitaBaumann]

The guys - SOOO HOT back then!

[@bisnagaboy]

I loved psycho Darcy!

[@beatricegarza4995]

Spaulding money was Alexandra's mom not her dad so how took Victoria get money from her dad.

[@Spauldingfield]

That was Jonathan, Reva's son.

[@abf9596]

WOW I wondered when watching this. Started watching GL in 1983 myself...

[@jefferyjones1357]

Only thing I didn't like about Guiding Light in ' 84 was they broke Phillip & Beth up ....God Damn it ! I mean after that breath taken story they did in the end of '83 in new York & Beth takes up with Brandon I'm like are you fucken kidden me and also killing Hilary Bauer off I didn't like that either

[@CarlD2]

I have to wonder if Pam Long may have wanted to do this but CBS or P&G said no. It's a shame, as GL had no black characters in any semblance of a story even as ATWT was trying to be more integrated (with Heather and Tucker). Someone once told me that GL had somewhat weak leading men until Pam Long - that Billy/Reva scene is a good reflection of her male characters.

[@CarlD2]

Many would say 1984 was the beginning of the end for GL.

[@claystevenson1821]

why would you say that? just curious

[@elviajero007]

Clay Stevenson Probably because they decimated the Bauer family and started on the campy storylines.