River Ridge Season 1 – Episode 4 – “Both Sides Of The Gun”

Lee Parks, you are wrong. I was correct in saying GL was on it’s last legs when Beth Ehlers joined in 1987. The cancellation stories started in 1985. Pam Long was a disaster. The great Robert Calhoun saved GL by firing her. Beth Ehlers was a unique force on daytime soap operas. There has never been anyone like her before or since. Beth Ehlers has no equal. That is not my opinion, it is based on history. Guiding Light’s golden years were from late summer 1990 until late summer 1993 (which is when Beth Ehlers left the show). GL’s ratings plummeted after Harley left town. Maureen Bauer was killed off in January 1993 and the rating did not go down. Every GL fan I know hated Maureen. She was boring and sanctimonious. The OJ trial had no effect on GL or any other soap’s ratings. If Beth Ehlers had not returned to GL in 1997, the show would’ve been cancelled. The writers at the time even admitted it. Bringing her back was a last ditch effort and it worked like a charm. She drove up the ratings over a full point (1.1 to be exact). I’ve never seen that happen before or since.

Had to play catch up was out of town and boy I love this series.  Well done Tyler, but you need 
to add some humor  from all the serious issues you tackle, not complaining but a suggest.   I have to respond to Mike M, being a Lighter of 40 years and reason I was so excite about this serious was Beth E. first and foremost, but also knowing Julie & Signy and love them but being a viewer of CBS lineup knowing both were equally talented.  When Beth E. joined GL it wasn’t on its last leg, t”Harley”was created by the great Pam Long when she was head-writer and GL was in a golden period and in the mid-nineties when ratings dropped was for many reasons besides the OJ trial, it was JFP and her killing off Maureen Bauer, which fans was PISSED OFF and it hurt GL because she was the next Bert.  Keep the good work up Tyler you have your figure on the pause with this web soap and wish you all the success and hope in the next year we can have 30 minutes of this cutting edge series..KUDOS!

What a complete waste of great talent!

Tyler, how in the world did you convince the great Beth Ehlers to do this? She is the biggest soap star of the past 20 years (at least!). Beth single-handedly saved Guiding Light from cancellation twice! She was so popular that at one point GL was more popular than Days of our Lives! When she joined the first time, GL was on it’s last legs. She gave it a huge boost that was desperately needed. She brought millions of viewers to GL. When she left, the show lost millions of viewers and was actually cancelled but Proctor & Gamble theatened CBS into changing their mind. When Beth returned she saved the show from definite cancellation (even P&G was giving up on it). She brought millions of viewers back and the show lasted 12 more years. Unfortunately, many bad producer and writer hirings led to Beth being pushed aside and rarely seen. Ratings plummeted, she left again and ratings fell even more. The show was cancelled as a result. She went to All My Children, but the new writer wasn’t a fan and never wrote for her. She was great, her character was great, but she sat home most of the time and when the show moved to LA, she quit. Of course that show was cancelled too. They never promoted her joining the show. Most of her fans didn’t know she was on AMC. I don’t think many of her fans know about River Ridge.  

WOW. Best episode yet! I had a feeling that Kim was Avery’s mom and not Sharon :) Can’t wait to watch the Kimberly/Sharon scenes next week!!!! PS. Matt McAbee is awesome!

River Ridge sucks big time such hype and full of self hyped bullish*t

This show emotionally encompassing! Tyler has the most amazingly gifted cast.  Drama done simply and beautiful.  This episode broke my heart!! Beth Ehlers is surely going to sweep every acting award next year.  Danielle DiLorenzo knocked it out of the park as well! Speechless and drying my eyes!!