CBS’s Guiding Light ends today after 72 years on the air.

Guiding Light Final Cast (Photo: CBS)

The last episode of Guiding Light airs on CBS today. The show, which has been on the air for 72 years, has weathered every change and enhancement in technology over the years. Originally starting on the radio before graduating to television, the legacy is impressive.  The show leaves the air  having won 70 Emmy awards over its broadcast tenure, including Outstanding Drama Series. Many fans will be celebrating the show’s finale with live blogs, Internet chats, and live Twitter feeds.

The show has a great history that has been passed on for generations. “It’s been reflecting American life back at America since before World War II,” said “Guiding Light” executive producer Ellen Wheeler in the Washington Post.

Their replacement is a remake of the popular game show ‘Let’s Make a Deal’  with host Wayne Brady premiering  Oct. 5.  Repeats of “The Price Is Right” will air in their time slot in the mean time.

Guiding Light was created by soap icon Irma Phillips. It debuted on NBC radio in 1937 as a 15-minute serial, then came to CBS television on June 30, 1952. In 1968, “Guiding Light” expanded to 30 minutes and, in 1977, it became a full hour.

The show was the training ground for many of today’s superstars, including Kevin Bacon, JoBeth Williams, James Earl Jones, Allison Janney, Brittany Snow, Hayden Panettiere and Melina Kanakaredes.

Guiding Light airs its final episode on September 22 on CBS.

CBS places video ad in Entetainment Weekly Magazine

CBS will place a video ad in an upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly’s print edition.

The ad looks like the standard greeting cards that play music and messages when opened.  A roughly two-inch screen starts playing automatically as the page flips open and will play an ad of some of the shows on CBS’s fall schedule as well as an ad for Pepsi. It is the first type of advertising ever in a print magazine.

The video ad will appear in some copies of the fall TV preview issue mailed to subscribers in New York and Los Angeles.

In the ad, characters from CBS’s The Big Bang Theory talk about the magazine and give instructions on how the video ad works. Additional clips in the video ad include looks at Two and a Half Men, new comedy Accidentally on Purpose and a preview of the network’s fall drama slate. There is a advertisement for Pepsi as well.

The fall season of CBS begins on Monday, September 21.

Daytime Drama Ratings Week of August 3-7, 2009

Source: SON
Ratings for the week August 3-7, 2009

(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)

Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,703,000 (-235,000/-350,000)
2. B&B 3,367,000 (-104,000/-214,000)
3. DAYS 2,531,000 (-273,000/+51,000)
4. OLTL 2,476,000 (-98,000/-44,000)
5. GH 2,442,000 (-158,000/-226,000)
6. AMC 2,410,000 (-14,000/-55,000)
7. ATWT 2,226,000 (-58,000/-401,000)
8. GL 1,995,000 (-8,000/-308,000)

HH
1. Y&R 3.4/11 (-.2/-.3)
2. B&B 2.4/8 (-.1/-.2)
3. AMC 1.9/6 (+.1/same)
3. GH 1.9/6 (same/-.2)
3. OLTL 1.9/6 (same/same)
6. DAYS 1.8/6 (-.1/-.1)
7. ATWT 1.6/5 (-.1/-.3)
8. GL 1.5/5 (same/-.1)

Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,089,000 (-12,000/+24,000)
2. GH 767,000 (-50,000/-37,000)
3. OLTL 753,000 (-12,000/-37,000)
4. B&B 749,000 (-22,000/+13,000)
5. AMC 735,000 (-6,000/-16,000)
6. DAYS 649,000 (-75,000/-9,000)
7. ATWT 532,000 (-36,000/-106,000)
8. GL 436,000 (-51,000/-154,000)

Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.6/11 (-.1/same)
2. GH 1.2/7 (same/same)
3. OLTL 1.1/8 (-.1/-.1)
3. AMC 1.1/7 (same/same)
3. B&B 1.1/7 (-.1/same)
6. DAYS 1.0/6 (-.1/same)
7. ATWT 0.8/5 (-.1/-.2)
8. GL 0.7/4 (same/-.2)

Girls 12-17 Viewers
1. GH 59,000 (+18,000/+29,000)
2. OLTL 56,000 (-7,000/+5,000)
3. DAYS 55,000 (-16,000/+10,000)
4. Y&R 37,000 (-9,000/+5,000)
5. B&B 26,000 (same/+10,000)
6. AMC 25,000 (-5,000/-26,000)
7. ATWT 17,000 (-4,000/same)
8. GL 13,000 (+1,000/-7,000)

Women 18-34 Rating
1. Y&R 1.0/11 (-.1/+.1)
2. OLTL 0.9/8 (same/+.1)
2. AMC 0.9/7 (same/+.2)
4. GH 0.8/7 (-.1/+.1)
4. DAYS 0.8/6 (-.1/+.1)
6. B&B 0.6/7 (-.1/same)
7. ATWT 0.4/5 (-.1/-.1)
7. GL 0.4/4 (same/same)

Men 18+ Viewers
1. Y&R 1,028,000 (-154,000/-202,000)
2. B&B 658,000 (-52,000/-150,000)
3. DAYS 479,000 (-85,000/-9,000)
4. AMC 444,000 (+25,000/-67,000)
5. ATWT 398,000 (-15,000/-140,000)
6. OLTL 395,000 (-20,000/-68,000)
7. GL 382,000 (+12,000/-80,000)
8. GH 349,000 (-89,000/-149,000)

————————————-

Day-To-Day Ratings – HH/Total Viewers

AMC
Monday: 1.9/2,462,000
Tuesday: 1.8/2,373,000
Wednesday: 1.8/2,407,000
Thursday: 1.9/2,322,000
Friday: 1.9/2,487,000

ATWT
Monday: 1.7/2,264,000
Tuesday: 1.6/2,170,000
Wednesday: 1.7/2,281,000
Thursday: 1.6/2,217,000
Friday: 1.6/2,197,000

B&B
Monday: 2.5/3,411,000
Tuesday: 2.4/3,289,000
Wednesday: 2.5/3,464,000
Thursday: 2.3/3,198,000
Friday: 2.4/3,472,000

DAYS
Monday: 1.7/2,406,000
Tuesday: 1.9/2,687,000
Wednesday: 1.9/2,592,000
Thursday: 1,8/2,688,000
Friday: 1.6/2,280,000

GH
Monday: 1.8/2,481,000
Tuesday: 1.8/2,309,000
Wednesday: 1.9/2,554,000
Thursday: 1.8/2,341,000
Friday: 2.0/2,525,000

GL
Monday: 1.5/2,022,000
Tuesday: 1.5/2,006,000
Wednesday: 1.5/1,972,000
Thursday: 1.5/2,026,000
Friday: 1.4/1,947,000

OLTL
Monday: 1.9/2,609,000
Tuesday: 1.8/2,325,000
Wednesday: 2.0/2,711,000
Thursday: 1.9/2,362,000
Friday: 1.8/2,374,000

Y&R
Monday: 3.4/4,619,000
Tuesday: 3.4/4,585,000
Wednesday: 3.5/4,968,000
Thursday: 3.4/4,713,000
Friday: 3.2/4,630,000

———————-

For the SEASON September 22, 2008 through August 9, 2009

HH
1. Y&R 3.7
2. B&B 2.6
3. DAYS 2.2
4. GH 2.1
5. AMC 2.0
5. OLTL 2.0
7. ATWT 1.9
8. GL 1.6

Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.8
2. GH 1.5
3. DAYS 1.4
4. B&B 1.2
4. AMC 1.2
4. OLTL 1.2
7. ATWT 1.0
8. GL 0.8

CSI to give Laurence Fishburne’s Langston a wardrobe upgrade.

Photo: CBS

Who says that television executives don’t listen to or respond to their fans comments. CBS has apparently heard and responded to fans of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation who had comments and complaints about series star Laurence Fishburne’s character, Ray Langston. As a result, the Professor will be getting a wardrobe upgrade.

“Our research and our fans said they love Fishburne; they just wanted to see him more comfortable in his clothes,” said CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler. “All those notes have been addressed.”

The new season premiere on Thursday, September 24 on CBS.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09216/988331-67.stm#ixzz0NChcETNE

Guilding Light Will End Its Run on CBS

After 72 years, “Guiding Light” is no longer be in production. TeleNext Media’s Brian T. Cahill, senior vice president and managing director, has released a statement regarding the future of the show:

“When GUIDING LIGHT was cancelled by CBS in April, we promised our fans we would do everything we could to find a new home for the show. In the ensuing months, we have engaged in serious discussions with many networks, leaving no stone unturned in our effort to place the show elsewhere. Unfortunately, despite the urgent and dedicated efforts of many people, we have not been able to secure an outlet to carry the show moving forward. We are extremely disappointed with this outcome, but we are confident we have exhausted every possible option. While it’s hard to imagine GUIDING LIGHT coming to an end, we’re so very proud of the amazing feat the show has accomplished with an unprecedented 72 years on radio and television. The show has made an indelible mark on broadcast history that likely will never be repeated. We’d like to thank all the members of the cast and crew who have brought Springfield to life for the past seven decades. The good news is we have some powerful stories planned during the show’s remaining months that will celebrate the show’s rich history. We continue to appreciate our fans around the world and are grateful for their unwavering support of the show. We hope our viewers will continue to tune in to be entertained and touched by the drama, the love and the family that is GUIDING LIGHT.”

“Let’s Make A Deal” Revisited?

Let's Make a Deal, one of the most popular television game shows
of the 1960’s and 70’s is back with new host Wayne Brady!
A pilot for the new revived show will be taped at CBS this week.
The format for the new show seems to be the same as it was
when the show first aired.
Just before taping, contestants will be randomly selected from
the studio audience for a chance to win! Contestants will be
given the choice to play for a certain prize or trade it in for
one that's hidden behind a curtain or door. The risk is either
getting a fantastic prize like a First-Class Trip to Hawaii
or a "dud" prize.
The "dud" prize reveal is usually a stunt like Wayne Brady
dressed as an old granny in a giant rocking chair?
The decision-making is exciting and suspenseful and
the audience is always in on the fun. And everyone wears costumes!
The more creative or outrageous costumes are picked for contestants.
Whether the pilot will be picked up by CBS or another network is
not known. The game shows taping fuels speculation that CBS
will be replacing long running soap opera Guiding Light,which ends in September, with a more
budget-friendly game show in it's time slot.    

Michael Jackson’s Memorial Expected To Be Watched By The World

Fans leave messages on a Michael Jackson poster outside The Staple Center. Photo: Getty

Michael Jackson’s Memorial will be held on today live at The Staples Center in Los Angeles and is expected to be the most watched event in history.

Among the stars signed on to perform in a celebration of the singer’s life and career are Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant, Smokey Robinson, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Usher and John Mayer. There is expected to be an estimated 500,000 or so outside of The Staples Center who also want to celebrate the life of the pop star.

Most of the major broadcast networks will cover the memorial live, as will the cable news nets and MTV, VH1, BET and TV One.

AEG has arraigned for the memorial to be broadcast live on 88 theaters across the country, including Mann 6 in Los Angeles and Jackson’s home state of Indiana.

E! plans to cover the service and devote a full day of programming to Jackson. MTV will have a special day called  “Michael Jackson Television” on Aug. 1, for the channel’s 28th anniversary.

Many news-based and streaming video sites will be airing the Michael Jackson memorial live at 10am PST on Tuesday.

CBSNews.com, which is owned by CNET parent CBS, plans to stream video provided by Los Angeles-based CBS station KCBS, as well as other sources. TV.com , also a CBS property, plans to stream the CBSNews.com content as well.

CNN plans to stream the memorial service with hosts Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Don Lemon, and Soledad O’Brien.

ABCNews.com plans to stream live with commentary from Charles Gibson.

Fox News‘ live stream will be hosted by Shepard Smith, with from Greta Van Susteren and Megyn Kelly providing live reports from the scene.

Video and social networking
Hulu, which by nature of being one of the most popular video Web sites may be one of the best-prepared sites to handle the load, plans to stream the Fox News feed.

MySpace members will have access to a live stream provided by entertainment company AEG, which owns the Staples Center and was underwriting the planned Jackson tour.

Facebook members will have access to CNN Live feed thanks to a partnership with the TV news channel.

All of the networks will pre-empt their regularly scheduled programming with coverage of The Michael Jackson Memorial. Most will air coverage of news and events related to Michael Jackson all day.

Wait For It…Will Neil Patrick Harris Host The Emmys?

Reports and rumors are swirling that How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris will host the Emmy Awards on September 20th on CBS. Harris, who hosted this years Tony Awards to well-received reviews, seems like the logical choice for the gig. He’s a multiple nominee himself and his hit series, How I Met Your Mother, returns for it’s fifth season on Monday, September 21st. It’s a done deal according to EW’s Michael Ausiello. An official announcement is expected next week.

NBC Cancels Lipstick Jungle, Enemy

NBC is pulling the plug on “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Lipstick Jungle,” two of its more high-profile young series, according to two network executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the decision.

The network will not order new episodes of either series when their current orders — nine in the case of “My Own Worst Enemy” and 13 for “Lipstick Jungle” — run out, the executives said.

“My Own Worst Enemy” was given a big promotional pitch by NBC. The psychological thriller starred Slater as a man who had two separate identities and lives, and was slowly coming to learn about the situation.

But it was just another new series that viewers shrugged their shoulders at in the lackluster new TV season. The series ranked No. 61 in the Nielsen Media Research season standings, averaging just under 5 million viewers each week.

Shields was one of three hard-driving Manhattan career women in “Lipstick Jungle,” one of two series that premiered last season with clear bloodlines to HBO’s “Sex and the City.” It was averaging just 4.2 million viewers for each new episode this season, according to Nielsen.

If it’s any consolation to NBC and Shields, “Lipstick Jungle” at least lasted longer than “Cashmere Mafia,” the ABC version of the New York career women story.

The executives said it was still not clear whether all the episodes that have been shot for each series will be used.

NBC isn’t the only network to say bye bye to some shows. CBS and ABC have cancelled shows after a few airings, The Ex-List and Opportunity Knocks, respectively.

CBS Looking For Actors Of Color

According to a press release, CBS Diversity Institute and Casting is undertaking a new initiative to enhance access for actors of color who are 18 years and over to the talent pool for the daytime dramas “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” As an extension of CBS Diversity’s ongoing talent showcase initiatives, candidates will be pre-screened by the network casting department in December and the casting directors of these CBS daytime dramas will read actors on a regular basis starting in January 2009.

“Diversity requires action and we see this as a very intentional way of bringing attention to actors of color and continuing to open doors to the most successful daytime franchises in history with this new and additional avenue of access,” said Josie Thomas, CBS senior vice president of diversity.

“With our daytime dramas on the air year-round, this is a remarkable opportunity for new talent to be seen by the highest number of people possible in this medium,” said Barbara Bloom, CBS senior vice president of daytime programs.

Actors of color who are 18 years and older can submit resumes and photos electronically by logging onto http://www.breakdownexpress.com under CBS Daytime Diversity Initiative.