‘Guiding Light’ Shut-Off After 72 Years

CBS is canceling the soap opera “Guiding Light” after 72-years and close to 16,000 episodes, that predates television. Its first episode aired on NBC radio, Jan. 25, 1937, a young Mercedes McCambridge was one of its lead voices and Franklin D. Roosevelt was five days into his second term as President. The drama’s final episode will air on Sept. 18. The Guinness Book of World Records has cited it as the longest-running television drama. It began as a 15-minute serial on NBC Radio on Jan. 25, 1937, and moved to CBS television in 1952, focusing on the fictional town of Springfield and the Spaulding, Lewis and Cooper families.

Procter & Gamble Productions, which makes the show, informed cast and crew Wednesday at separate sets in New York and New Jersey. The company isn’t giving up on the story, and will explore different ways to keep it going after September, a spokeswoman said.

“Guiding Light” had the lowest ratings of the eight daytime dramas on the air. When it leaves, CBS and ABC will have three weekday soap operas, with NBC having one.

Many successful actors got their start on “Guiding Light,” including James Earl Jones, Calista Flockhart, Hayden Panettiere, Kevin Bacon and Taye Diggs.

Source: Huffington Post