Classic Television - Weekdays

Guiding Light

Original channel

NBC Radio (1937–46)

CBS Radio (1947–56)

CBS Television (1952–2009)

Original run

NBC Radio: January 25, 1937 – November 29, 1946

CBS Radio: June 2, 1947 – June 29, 1956

CBS Television: June 30, 1952 – September 18, 2009

Starring

Series cast

Guiding Light (known as The Guiding Light before 1975, abbreviated commonly as GL) is an American television soap opera that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running television drama history, broadcast from 1952 until 2009, preceded by a 15-year broadcast on radio.

Guiding Light was created by Irna Phillips, and began as an NBC Radio serial on January 25, 1937. During June 2, 1947, the series was transferred to CBS Radio, before starting on June 30, 1952, on CBS Television. It would continue to be broadcast concomitantly on radio until June 29, 1956. The series was expanded from 15 minutes to a half hour during 1968, and then to a full hour on November 7, 1977. It broadcasted its 15,000th televised episode on September 6, 2006.

On April 1, 2009, CBS canceled Guiding Light due to low ratings. The show taped its final scenes on August 11, 2009, and its final episode was broadcasted September 18, 2009. On October 5, 2009, CBS replaced Guiding Light with an hour-long revival of Let's Make a Deal, hosted by Wayne Brady.