"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?"
— Joni Mitchell, "Big Yellow Taxi"

As GUIDING LIGHT's final month, after more than seven decades, continues, I have a message to viewers of the seven remaining daytime soaps: Do not wish for your show to be canceled (which I've read that some people might be doing).

To switch off from discussing GUIDING LIGHT's dimming, here's a look at two up-and-coming guys in the entertainment world, both of whom have intriguing soap opera connections (and dreams).

You might remember Isaak James as a top 10 finalist on the second season of SOAPnet's reality series I WANNA BE A SOAP STAR, in which he tried out for an ALL MY CHILDREN role. Since then, the successful movie actor, writer, director and singer has been everything but a soap star...and has even worked with a well-known one.

Now that TeleNext has confirmed that GUIDING LIGHT's television era will definitely end on September 18, I have a few comments to make on my favorite TV series of all time. A lot of people hold to the tenet that it's just a show, and that's understandable, but to me, it's much more than that. GL has inspired me in many ways.

I recently spoke with Robert Newman about his other world, the off-Broadway show Sessions (see my review in the previous blog entry, and please note that he won't appear in Wednesday matinees), and about one reason why soap viewers might attend the show: his years as Josh on GUIDING LIGHT.

Fellow LIGHT-lovers, I recently caught a performance of Robert Newman's Sessions; here's my review.

NEWMAN'S "HUMAN" SESSIONS

The charming, heartwarming, often brilliant Sessions, starring GUIDING LIGHT's Robert Newman, holds more surprises than just several rarely seen sides of Josh's portrayer; it's a powerful, memorable theatre experience. The show, at Manhattan's Algonquin Theater, is not perfect — but its imperfections add to its charm, and its foundation of humanity makes it amazing.

People have been discussing, wondering and predicting how GUIDING LIGHT should end on CBS. While I'm still quite optimistic that GL will live on in some form past September 18, here are my thoughts. These plotlines are all my personal hopes or wishes, and cover a large number of the characters (including a few of my longtime favorites). I'm not mentioning Jeffrey, as his future's up in the air, and I'm leaving the Jeva story a little open.

How did you find out about GUIDING LIGHT ending? A friend informed me, "It's over." I knew right away what that person meant, and was saddened, to say the least.

But people should stop saying it's over. The soap is still airing, and inarguably better than it has been in several years. As Victoria Platt (ex-Vicky) told me at June 6's Brooklyn softball game (and this was quite fitting because baseball player Yogi Berra once said it), "It ain't over till it's over."

If you ask a car full of Manhattan subway commuters what's on their minds, it's probably keeping their hands clean and headphones on, and reaching their destination on time. Few if any of the hundred or so people standing, sitting and shoving in the car would be concerned about the state of daytime television or that GUIDING LIGHT's ride on CBS is ending in September.

As a loyal, 29-year GUIDING LIGHT viewer and Soap Opera Weekly's point person for the show, I have quite a bit to say about it. Practically everyone is blogging these days (Would Rain Man blog? He'd love it!), so here I go. You can expect me to voice my thoughts on my favorite soap (GL, natch) and many other daytime and prime-time offerings.