Guiding Light Ends 57-Year Run on CBS

NEW YORK: The daytime drama Guiding Light, the longest running show in broadcast history, has not been renewed by CBS Television Network for the 2009-2010 season, ending its 57 years on the channel in September.

The series debuted as a 15-minute radio show in 1937 and moved to television in 1952. It expanded to a half-hour format in 1968, just one year after beginning to broadcast in color, and moved to a full hour in 1977. Last year, the show revolutionized its entire production model, representing an end-to-end transformation in the way the show is created, from direction to editing to scenic design, making it completely portable.

Winner of 69 Daytime Emmy awards, Guiding Light has launched the careers of several Hollywood personalities and has featured now-famous-faces such as Kevin Bacon, Calista Flockhart, Allison Janney, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Taye Diggs, Hayden Panettiere and Brittany Snow.  The series also led daytime and prime-time drama programming in covering a range of topical and timeless issues, such as discrimination against women in the 1940s and teen alcoholism and drug abuse in the 1980s.

"Being on the air for more than seven decades is truly remarkable, and it will be difficult for all of us at the show to say goodbye," said executive producer Ellen Wheeler. "I’m proud of everything we’ve been able to do, including outstanding storytelling, our community service around the country with Find Your Light and the launch of our new production model. This show has such a rich history, wonderful fans, and I’m honored to have been a part of the GL legacy."
 
"We are honored to have been welcomed into the homes of multiple generations of Guiding Light viewers," added Brian T. Cahill, the senior VP and managing director of TeleNext Media. "We are working hard to find the show a new home, and we are exploring all our options to continue to bring loyal fans the characters and stories they love."