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The Guiding Light has the distinction of being the longest running soap opera on television. It began on the radio in 1937 and remained until 1956 when it made the transition to CBS Television. The show had an easy transition from radio to television and brought along their old radio listeners to the new show and gained new viewers at the same time.

The show started as a fifteen minute program originally, moved up to a half hour, and then eventually was broadcast for a full hour. It is currently in its final season and it will be ended in September 2009. The long time show has been bringing in less than ideal ratings in recent years, but that did not stop the show from winning awards for its writing.

The show took the characters and storylines to a different location in recent years and combined the storylines over the Springfield location and the Island of San Cristobel. However, eventually the show stopped the San Cristobel storylines and discontinued their mob plots.

The show began a change in the way it was filmed to get a more realistic look to the scenes. Free hand camera shots began being used in 2008 to get the new realistic feel. Shaky Cam is the style that has been used in recent years to deliver the change for the audience.

Many soaps in recent years have begun experimenting with their filming techniques to move away from the traditional look of a soap opera. This has led to some mixed feelings among fans and critics of the shows.

The show is planned to end in September 2009 with a satisfying resolution for the longtime viewers of the show. Those who have been with the show through the latest decades will have to say goodbye to their favorite characters and storylines as the show moves into the history books. As the World Turns will take the lead as the longest running soap opera when The Guiding Light ends.

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Cast & Characters of The Guiding Light

Jeff Branson plays Joshua Shayne Lewis

Grant Aleksander plays Phillip Spaulding

Murray Bartlett plays Cyrus Foley

Robert Bogue plays A.C. Mallet

E.J. Bonilla plays Rafe Rivera

Mandy Bruno plays Marina Cooper

Crystal Chappell plays Olivia Spencer

Jordan Clarke plays Billy Lewis II

Bradley Cole plays Jeffrey O’Neill

Daniel Cosgrove plays Bill Lewis III

Justin Deas plays Buzz Cooper Sr.

Bonnie Dennison plays Daisy Lemay

Frank Dicopoulos plays Frank Cooper Jr.

John Driscoll plays Henry Cooper Bradshaw

Jessica Leccia plays Natalia Rivera

Robert Newman plays Joshua Lewis

Michael O’Leary plays Rick Bauer

BethAnn Bonner plays Natasha

Beth Chamberlin plays Beth Raines Spaulding

Marj Dusay plays Alexandra Spaulding

Brian Gaskill plays Dylan Lewis

Elizabeth Keifer plays Christina Thorpe Marler

Karla Mosley plays Christina Moore Boudreau

Tom Pelphrey plays Jonathan Randall

Ron Raines plays Alan Spaulding

Marcy Rylan plays Lizzie Spaulding

Lawrence Saint playsVictor plays Remy Boudreau

Nancy St. Alban plays Michelle Bauer Santos

Peter Simon plays Dr. William Bauer Jr.

Paul Anthony Stewart plays Danny Santos

Krista Tesreau plays Mindy Lewis

Gina Tognoni plays Dinah Marler

Caitlin Van Zandt plays Ashlee Wolfe

Kim Zimmer plays Reva Shayne O’Neill

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