Guiding Light Flickering Out

You would think that if a recession could be good for any industry, it would be daytime TV -- don't unemployment rates and soap ratings go hand-in-hand? Alas, daytime dramas have been flailing for a decade, and the longest-running of them -- and the one I watched religiously, every day after junior high school -- is about to walk into the light. Even a revised "reality-inspired" aesthetic and a popular lesbian-love storyline haven't resuscitated Guiding Light's abysmal ratings. Now, CBS is shopping for replacement programming for its time slot starting next fall. An official decision is expected within the next month, which would give writers time to tie up storylines -- and plan a big, fluffy lesbian wedding.

--JESSANNE COLLINS

Previously > Showtime's Coming-Out Documentary Series Now Casting