WowOWow has published some "celebrity" responses to the following question: GUIDING LIGHT is ending its 72-year run this fall. Is the soap opera passé? If so, what is taking its place?
Liz Smith: "I’m sorry, but I have never had time to watch soap operas — I never have. But I know fans will miss GUIDING LIGHT, and it’s another classic thing that I hate to see disappear."
Candice Bergen: "I am illiterate in the Soap Opera subculture (as well as so much else), as they make me feel nauseous."
Joan Ganz Cooney: "Shortly after I came to New York in the 1950s, I publicized soap operas for NBC. I couldn’t wait for the scripts to arrive so I’d know what happened next to all the characters. Then I’d summarize each day for each soap opera and send off to TV Guide and others that published such information. Even though afternoon soap operas may be fading in popularity (no, I didn’t care about the end of GUIDING LIGHT), I think we still like stories as much as ever, but told in hour-long, better-produced episodes like the SOPRANOS and many other shows, like DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, GREY'S ANATOMY, BOSTON LEGAL, etc."
Mary Wells: "I have never enjoyed soap operas. In fact, I never saw GUIDING LIGHT."
It's interesting that the question was posed but what lame responses. I would have preferred to hear from regular contributors Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin instead.
DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS
