‘Guiding Light’ is an American daytime television drama that has been recognised as the ‘longest running drama in television’ by the Guinness Book of World Records, having run from 1937 to 2009. It was first broadcast just 5 days after the second inauguration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The title of the show refers not to a gu 10 light bulb but to the lamp that is located within the study of Reverend Dr. John Ruthledge, a principal character in the series when it first aired.

Created by Irna Phillips, Guiding Light was initially a radio broadcast serial which aired on NBC Radio and then moved onto CBS radio, before going on television. In 1968, the series expanded from 15 minutes in length to half an hour, and in 1977, it extended even further to a full hour! CBS had to cancel Guiding Light in 2009 due to its low ratings.