Guiding Light - NEWS ROOM

Few characters are more missed on Guiding Light than Phillip Spaulding. While there's little chance that the character will be heading back to the Springfield any time soon, you will be able to catch the actor so many viewers fell for when he returns to TV screens this Thursday. Grant Aleksander will be appearing on ABC's new series, the genre straddling, "Life on Mars." Starring Jason O'Mara, Michael Imperioli and Harvey Keitel, the gritty and clever series will be featuring Grant in the role of a soap opera doctor. (The people who make the show must have been winking when they made this, wonderfully appropriate, casting choice.)

Grant Alexksander joined the cast of Guiding Light in 1982 and played the role of the Spaulding heir and iconic 80s heartthrob for two years before leaving. He came back in 1986 for five years before taking another, longer break from the series until his return in 1996. In 2004, he was let go, inciting a great deal of controversy. Since then, the Emmy nominated actor has spent most of his time working with the animal rights charities that are close to his heart, and directing, particularly for fellow P&G soap As the World Turns.

The episode, entitled "Tuesday's Dead," will cover a hostage situation at the county hospital which is brought into strange parallel with an event in a different time period. Look for the episode to air on Thursday November 13 at 10:00 PM on your local ABC station. For a hint at what's to come, watch the preview clip below.