Ellen Wheeler New Guiding Light Executive Producer
Tuesday February 24, 2004
TelevisionWeek reports that Ellen Wheeler (ex-Marly, AW) has been named the new excecutive producer of "Guiding Light." I think this is great news for the show! Who better to help a soap with a long history explore its full potential than someone that has experienced all aspects of the soap genre. Ellen Wheeler has been an actress, a director and a producer and has worked within the Procter & Gamble umbrella for nearly 20 years. I think she may just be the one that can bring "Guiding Light" back to the top of the ratings.
Comments
Ellen Wheeler is the most amazing actress i have ever had the privledge to see work her craft. She will undoubtable bring the guiding Light into the top ratings slot!!
To kick off the TALK/SHOW conversations at this year’s AFI FESTIVAL, at the breathtaking rooftop Loft Village, organizers at the Philanthropy Project invited special industry guests to talk openly about “The Power of Film to Inspire Philanthropy”…
In recent months, there appears to have been a concerted effort on the part of film artists and power brokers, to educate Americans about global warming, health care, and hunger.
With that in mind, a panel was formed for a discussion on the topic, which consisted of Kevin Wall, producer of LIVE EARTH from the umbrella organization “Save Our Selfs”; Crystal Chappell, an actress on Guiding Light; Nigel Lithgoe, Executive Producer of American Idol; and Steve Golin, the producer of the feature film, Rendition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
The question put to the panel by moderator, Michael Guillen, was…can film move beyond education and enlightenment to promulgate a culture of generosity, instill ingenuity, and ultimately bring about change?
At the conclusion of the conversation the answer was obviously a resounding yes!
The first speaker up was Nigel Lithgoe, the executive producer of American Idol.
The down-to-earth producer noted that because American audiences so generously supported “IDOL”, he and his colleagues were inspired to “give back” to the community in some manner, shape, or form.
So, the FOX team conjured up the idea for - “Idol Gives Back” - which was geared to “raise awareness of the effects of poverty on children and young people in the US and Africa.”
To get the ball rolling, Scholastic, Inc. created a website for teachers and students.
Then, the following evening, several celebrities appeared on the Fox Network to promote, “Idol Gives Back.”
Americans were invited to call a toll-free number or go online to make a donation to CPEF, which would turn the money over to UNICEF, Save the Children, and several other groups.
Right off the bat, Mr. Lithgoe lamented that when he and partner Simon Cowell proceeded to organize the charity event, the duo faced a lot of resistance from Fox, and others.
The reluctance was understandable.
Because of American Idol’s unprecedented success in the ratings, the Fox Network leapt forward from 4th in the ranks, to No. 1 network on the airwaves.
So, the powers-that-be at Fox were reluctant to tinker with their success, much less beg to the American public for money, with the ultimate aim of feeding and providing shelter for the poor in underdeveloped Nations around the globe.
In fact, sponsors like COKE and FORD balked too, according to Mr. Lithgoe.
He admitted the sponsors were nervous about the images.
“Would Americans feel comfortable viewing photographs of the impoverished, starving in the slums of third world countries, while they sat comfortably in their homes?”
No, they didn’t think so.
From the get-go, the two impresarios had to push and cajole to get the charitable cause launched at Fox.
At the early inception of the project, Lithgoe understood that if the American people saw how their hard-earned dollars could make a difference, they might be inclined to support the timely concept of “giving back”.
With this foremost in his mind, “Idol Gives Back” produced a touching, heart-wrenching clip, to educate audiences about the facts.
For example, Lithgoe enlightened viewers to the fact a contribution of two dollars was capable of providing medicine for four needy patients; while ten dollars was capable of securing netting to ensure mosquitoes were unable to infest shelters, and hence, prevent deadly infections of Malaria.
Talk about ingenuity: it worked!
As this juncture, the panelists agreed that providing the opportunity to give was not sufficient; in reality, it was vital that Americans saw the fruits of their generosity, as well.
Therefore, in a follow-up segment, the activists and volunteers sensitively revealed how the recipients not only prospered from the charitable acts, but experienced a healing in the process.
Undoubtedly, due to the caring, sensitive manner in which the segments were presented, Americans were inspired to dig deeper into their pockets.
In fact, Mr. Lithgoe recalled young children dialing in, offering up anywhere from twenty-five cents to fifty cents of their allowance, so touched were they by the plight of the less-fortunate.
The panel discussions then segued into concepts about charity and philanthropy.
Panelists agreed that through charity, individuals were afforded the chance to give on the spot, and bask in a glow of satisfaction, knowing their selfless acts significantly impacted.
The panel agreed that in respect to philanthropy, there was a commitment, an act of giving, that extended over time requiring full participation.
As moderator Guillen put it succinctly,
“Philanthropy is a passionate, innovative, and long-term commitment of time, talents and treasure to pressing causes. Prime examples of this are America’s 68,000 foundations, which for more than a century have been quietly but profoundly improving our nation’s quality of life.”
The conversation now focused on the bold-faced effort by actors and staff at “Guilding Light”, the long-running Television Soap Opera, to “give back” in another way…
The producers of “Light” teamed up with the innovative volunteer group “Hands On Network” in a year-long effort to encourage volunteerism across the country.
Although Proctor & Gamble was reticent at first - like COKE and FORD at American Idol - the successful Corporate Giant eventually came on board and never looked back.
The first constructive effort included a visit to the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina, where “Light” cast and crew members helped to rebuild homes, get victims out of FEMA trailers so they’d feel comfortable in their skin again, and take part in other volunteer activities which related to day-to-day essentials.
Thereafter, the “Light team”, visited a different City each month to exhort community members to volunteer.
Ricky Paull Goldin, who plays FBI agent Gus Aitoro, noted during one interview,
“The show was created by Irna Phillips in 1937. The theme of the show was the brotherhood of man and what you can give to the world. Fans let us into their homes for 70 years. Now, this is our way of giving back.”
Ms. Chappell, a pretty, articulate woman, spoke about the “Guilding light” project with great pride, as well.
“There is a ‘hands on’ involvement,” she beamed.
Guiding light fathomed a way to get fans involved, too; at the Guiding Light site volunteers may sign up to be a part of each upcoming “giving back” project.
Info at: www.guidinglight.net
Some of the volunteer tasks include house-painting, cleaning, the tidying up neighbourhoods - you name it.
What the selfless action amounts to is a donation of time, plain skills, and an act of giving from the heart.
“You don’t need money to give,” Chappell emphasized quite eloquently.
At this juncture, Guillen summed the idea up quite nicely,
“All that is required is a desire to give the three “T’s” - time, talent, and treasure.”
“All have value,” Chappell concluded.
Then, the panel zeroed in on one great phenomenon which unfolded in July of this year; of course, the Gobal Event - LIVE EARTH - produced by Ken Wall.
When pestered to reveal how he became involved with Al Gore and Environmental issues, he chuckled.
“Well,” he laughed, “I was invited to his infamous slide show. It was boring, so I walked out of the presentation, unimpressed.”
He recalled that six months later he attended the screening of Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth”, as well.
“The same slide show,” he shrugged, in disgust.
But then, his eyes sparkled a little.
“Between the credits at the end, however, tips were offered up, suggesting how an individual could make a difference.”
That little episode got him to thinking…what can I do?
Well, the answer was obvious to Wall, “…do what I do best, throw an event.”
When he approached a handful of environmental groups - he got caught in a swirl of politics and turf wars - yes, a number of the organizations didn’t like each other.
He struggled at first to get his bearings.
One day it dawned on him that he needed to team with Al Gore, so a meeting was set up, and the ball got rollin’…
With little ado, or much convincing, the BBC offered Wall two networks: BBI and BB2.
In another Executive’s office, he managed to land a commitment for 7 networks; each promising 22 hours of airtime, for LIVE EARTH concerts.
He envisioned a “group hug”.
An auspicious date was set for the event: 07 07 07
In addition to raising awareness of global warming that day, LIVE EARTH hatched the idea to launch a…”Live Earth Call to Action”.
During the concerts, supporters were asked to agree to a seven-point pledge:
To demand that all countries join an International Treaty within the following two years that cut global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide…in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth.
To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing his or her own CO2 pollution as much as possible, thereby offsetting the rest to become ‘carbon neutral’.
To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burned coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2.
To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation.
To fight for laws and policies that expanded the use of renewable energy sources and that reduced dependence on oil and coal.
To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests.
To buy from businesses and support leaders who share the commitment to solve the climate crisis and build a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.
No small task, to be sure!
In spite of that, Ken Wall noted at the talk that LIVE EARTH has moved up the dates…and is pushing for treaties to be put in place sooner than the original game plan.
In retrospect, it is evident why Mr. Wall managed to pull off the miraculous coup.
An effective communicator, Wall was not only knowledgeable about the issues, but capable of expressing lofty, philosophical ideas to inquiring minds in one moment - but also, touch the heart of the common man, in the next, in a down-to-earth, straightforward manner.
No doubt, the LIVE EARTH celebration panned out as successfully as it did because of Wall’s own love for a concept as simple as notes on a page.
With Wall at the helm, Live Earth used the global reach of music to engage people on a mass scale to combat the climate crisis.
The last panellist, Mr. Guillen, has been focusing on the issue of “messages” in films, and noted for the record, it’s a hard sell.
“Rendition” - a feature film with an underlying theme - which he put a lot of faith in - bombed at the box office, for instance.
He opined that many Americans today are squeamish about films that focus on torture - especially when their Government is to blame - and that images that depict America in a negative, brutal way, may be a turn-off these days.
Although documentaries were cited as a way to reach an audience about serious, enlightening topics - with the aim of educating - it was noted that a survey recently revealed that only eight documentaries have made over a million dollars, ever!
Guillen astutely noted that producers must ask the question - message or commerce?
On occasion, the two work hand-in-hand; for example, one panelist noted that the classic film, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, was entertaining, yet delivered up a profound message, as well.
James Stuart’s character dedicated his whole life to the needs of his friends and neighbors, and when he landed in trouble, they repaid him in kind for his altruistic efforts over the years on their behalf.
The key is how the project is packaged, marketed, and presented.
In response to one guest’s thoughtful question about humor in film, all panelists agreed that it was a great genre to serve up a message, as well.
In final analysis, it was obvious at the discussion, that creators, on-camera artists, and behind the scenes producers, have not only found ingenuous ways to reach out and touch in meaningful - at times charitable - ways, but also give back to a loyal public with thanks.
In sum, true to the Christian tradition, it appears that there is a lot of tithing going on in America, today.
According to Acts, 20:35,
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Julian Ayrs
www.ijulian.blogspot.com