A New Day in Eden

[DRW50]

Thank you both so much for all of this detail. I feel like I have seen the show now, thanks to both of you. I have to admit the stories sound a bit cliched, but it's all in the execution.

I'm sorry that it was such a horrible experience. What other soaps was Jaffe involved in? I read in an early 70's Daytime TV that he wanted to do a soap called Three for Justice.

The Hud story sounds very creepy. Francie seems to be in the middle of one trauma after another. That story reminds me of the one about the man who made his lover's corpse into a wax figure and kept it in his home for years and years.

Who played the professor?

[Paul Raven]

This is the only article I could find - mostly face shots but at least one shot of the set.

[DRW50]

Thanks for finding this. What a treat!

I wonder if all the emphasis on nudity in the press drove away some potential viewers, both those who didn't want to see nudity, and those who did, and were let down by the end product.

[Mitch]

Its just funny that Marland, who was so uptight about writing sex on ATWT (even while subliminely showing off some of his, uh own sexuality) would be tapped to write a sex soap.

I wonder if he had a lot of beefy guys in jeans running around?

[dc11786]

Wow! Catherine Hickland was in this. I thought someone had told me that once, but I had dismissed it because I never saw it listed anywhere else. My apologies. I wonder who she played.

Regarding the nudity, I know some of the actors had problems with it. In an interview about Battlestar Galatica, Anne Lockhart talked about why she left the show. She was in the pilot and producers wanted her to have a continuing role in the serial, but Lockhart was uncomfortable about the nudity. So Anne's character was offed by the serial killer in the show's early episodes. I always thought this was bizarre because you'd think going into the soap the actors knew there was going to be racier material, but maybe they didn't. Maggie Sullivan said in the People's Magazine article on 'Eden' that it took some time to get adjusted to it.

Concerning the audience, I'm not sure whether or not they would be turned off by it. I think the bigger issue was 'Eden' was initially airing at 10 PM opposite network programming like 'Hart to Hart', 'St. Elsewhere,' and 'Hill Street Blues.' While 'Eden' could be considered interesting counterprogramming, I'm not sure if it was really going to be able to compete. Then again, I think it shows Showtime was invested in the series enough to place it against this type of programming.

Rereading the final script again, a couple of things stuck out. I'm wondering when the audience learned Laurel and Greg were siblings. Throughout the final episode, Biff keeps leering at Laurel even though they've all but said Laurel is Bryan's daughter. At first, this is used to get Betty to make her confession. Kevin Wallace, the professor who raped Betty, calls Betty to taunt her about the incident earlier that night and mentions how Laurel is with one of the Lewis boys. This continues though throughout the episode. I understand Greg and Laurel truly love one another, but Biff's fascination with his unknown half-sister seems worse for some reason.

Pals Greg and Clint resolving their issues was a nice conclusion, but I suspect had the show continued there would have been issues. Clint was hiding something about Pam, presumably her affair with Miranda, from Greg and the insinuation was Laurel knew Clint's secret as well. Once this came out, I'm sure more drama would have ensued.

There is mention in the script of the Claybournes having a sauna and a personal gym. Biff Lewis, the playboy son, mentions the possibility of getting high and using the sauna. I assume the sauna was used in earlier episodes for a steamy encounter (no pun intended).

It's a shame no episodes have popped up because I can only imagine this being a very dark series especially with the serial killer plot. Bryan Lewis references the town being in a state of terror since Susan Walsh died and each part ended with Francie in peril. On two occassions, Logan Claybourne refers to the family home as a tomb or maseoleum and the references to the lighting in the articles seems to add to this darkness. Unfortunately, I'm probably reading too much into this.

[DRW50]

Thanks again for all this information and speculation.

[Paul Raven]

Does anyone know who these performers are>

[dc11786]

Slide one is labelled Wendy Barry on eBay. I think this is accurate. People's Magazine has there back issues available for download and Barry is featured in the cast shot along with Steve Carlson, Ann Wilkinson, Jim McMullan, Maggie Sullivan, and Jack Wagner. Barry had dark hair and similar facial features to the actress in the shot. This appears to be the same actress and actor pictured in the March Showtime promo Carl posted in the March 1983 cable article thread. I assume this means the pair is Grant Wilson and Wendy Barry. IMDb states Barry played Shelley Novack and Wilson played Biff Lewis. I'm pretty sure Grant Wilson is the blonde even though we cannot see his face.

However, since information is so scarce and the People's picture doesn't give a good look of Wendy Barry's face, I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't Biff and Francie since Francie / Biff were a couple. IMDb lists Dana Halstad as playing Francie.

In the second slide, eBay says it is Jane Elliott and Wendy Barry. I think this is wrong. I suspect this set is Cronies, the bar where the younger characters hung out. Based on the article you posted, I would say Ann Wilkinson is the blonde. This is labelled Nov 1982, which is when it premiered on Showtime. I think this might be Anne Lockhart. I've tried to find pictures of her from this period and there is a bit of a resemblance. If that's the case, the first slide was used to preview the first set of episodes as Lockhart was quickly killed off.

[EricMontreal22]

Here is the People article mentioned http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20084224,00.html

How did I miss this thread? I've wondered about this soap for AGES. A cable soap from Marland with tons of familiar soap faces, that has almost completely vanished? (speaking of didn't Falken Smith have a showtime soap set in a Country Music Bar? The Soap Encyclopedia mentions it in passing but doesn't even have a heading for it... Anyone know?)

It is interesting he went from this immediately to Loving (like the same year).

[Paul Raven]

Eric,you are referring to Lone Star Bar and Grill.Carl posted an article about it ,NDIE and others further down in the thread.

[DRW50]

And I posted a promo for it. Eric please don't avoid my threads

Thanks dc for filling in more blanks.

Edited July 16, 2011 by CarlD2

[Paul Raven]

The People Mag article

There's Hardly a Fig Leaf Left in Eden, and It's Paradise for Cable Soap Fans

By Hollis Evans

The scenario sounds as if it were written for a Roman orgy, or perhaps a tale from the Decameron. Most of the principal male characters are having illicit affairs and looking lasciviously over their partners' shoulders at other women. One lady is raped in the course of the story, another is deflowered in a barn, another roughed up in a shower, and yet another takes vengeance on her unfaithful lover by seducing his new love in a lesbian scene. There is, moreover, a madman abroad on the local college campus who is raping, maiming and murdering coeds. If all this makes A New Day in Eden seem racier than any network TV soap opera in history, there is a good reason. The program airs mostly late at night on Showtime, Oak Media and Prism systems, which together have four and a half million subscribers. And as the first long-running soap produced especially for cable, Eden has leeway that makes its broadcast cousins green with envy: Because it doesn't use public airwaves, it isn't regulated by the FCC—so anything goes.

The surprising fact about Eden is that it seems almost prim in a medium that is steamy with X-rated "midnight films" and stag shows familiar to travelers from the closed-circuit fare at many hotels. Eden features nudity, to be sure, but it is discreet nakedness. There are no frontal shots below the waist, and the nude scenes are brief, dimly lit and filmed in profile for the most part. "We don't have a model to turn to," says executive producer Michael Jaffe, 38, "so all you can do is follow some rules for yourself. First, the story has to be good and the actors have to be good. Second, less is more. If the audience wants to see more, we're safe. If you leave everything out in the open, the audience becomes jaded."

Without the odd moment of titillation, cable viewers might not be interested, even though Eden's plot line compares favorably with daytime soaps. Set in a once slumbering Midwestern ghost town named (natch) Eden, the show portrays the changes wrought by the giant electronics empire of Bryan Lewis (played by Jim McMullan). Lewis' enterprises revived Eden's economy and attracted the interest of the arrogant, abrasive Josh Collier (Steve Carlson), a troubleshooter evaluating the village's urban renewal. As this drama unfolds, Bryan Lewis' sons, Greg and Biff, along with a half-dozen other local studs, are attempting to bed every woman in the community. "We wanted to compete at every level with network quality, despite the fact that we operate with 50 to 60 percent of network budgets," says producer Jaffe. On the level of plot, Jaffe certainly has fulfilled his wish.

The creative force behind Eden is Douglas Marland, 48, a two-time Emmy winner who wrote for CBS' Guiding Light and ABC's General Hospital. Most of the cast has also been in network soaps and prime-time shows—but none had any prior experience in the buff. Maggie Sullivan, 34, a General Hospital veteran who plays Eden's top femme fatale, found the first undress rehearsals an ordeal. "In the beginning it took a lot of guts and trust. You don't get that intimacy in a network situation, because you don't get that close."

Producer Jaffe has a track record of serious network TV shows, often about high-minded subjects. (Example: A Woman Called Moses, the story of Harriet Tubman, the former slave who helped run the Underground Railroad.) Just how well his newest venture is doing is hard to assess. He has wrapped 33 episodes, but only 10 have aired, and he is uncertain whether the show will be renewed.

Meanwhile Marland is determined to use every trick in the book to attract and hold an audience, including a Dallas-like season-ender in which the identity of that mad rapist is left undisclosed. By season's end, in fact, only patriarch Bryan Lewis will have kept his clothes on in every episode, a fact that disgruntles the actor who plays him. "I just wish he would get out of the office," grumbles McMullan. "I'm tired of sitting behind that desk and staring at that green carpet. When I finally do get into bed, it'll probably be with my tie on."

[DRW50]

Thanks for finding this. The concept sounds fascinating.

I wonder if Steve Carlson had any nudity. I remember the old soap magazines of him in the jogging shorts....not a bad sight.

[dc11786]

I posted an earlier version of this in the 'A New Day in Eden' EricMontreal started several years ago, but I've found more information since then. Below is a BRIEF episode guide I've put together for 'Eden.' These were the listings Showtime provided in the television section of the newspaper. Showtime aired 'A New Day in Eden' on Tuesdays and Thursdays for about five to eight episodes before taking a week off to rerun the previous set of episodes on nightly basis. I haven't been able to find any description for parts 3-6 other than 'A powerful family turns a small town into a model rejuvenation project.'

In labelling the episodes, I started with the part label that was listed in the newspaper and then included the script. I know there was some confusion once so, to clarify, thirty-scripts were written, each written with two parts, and they were aired separately. In total, there were 66 half-hour parts aired and 33 hour long scripts written.

Part One (Episode 101, Part 1)

A powerful family turns a small town into a model rejuvenation project.

a: November 2, 1982

n: premiered @ 10 PM

Part Two (Episode 101, Part 2)

a: November 2, 1982

n: aired back to back with part one as an hour long premier

Part Three (Episode 102, Part 1)

a: November 9, 1982

Part Four (Episode 102, Part 2)

a: November 11, 1982

n: first first run episode to air on Thursdays at 10:00

Part Five (Episode 103, Part 1)

a: November 16, 1982

Part Six (Episode 103, Part 2)

a: November 18, 1982

Part Seven (Episode 104, Part 1)

Miranda inspires Pam.

a: November 23, 1982

Part Eight (Episode 104, Part 2)

Pam seduces Greg.

a: December 7, 1982

Part Nine (Episode 105, Part 1)

A deal with a tramp.

a: December 9, 1982

Part 10 (Episode 105, Part 2)

Biff fights back.

a: December 14, 1982

Part 11 (Episode 106, Part 1)

A loaded invitation.

a: December 16, 1982

Part 12 (Episode 106, Part 2)

Emmett's fantasy.

a: December 21, 1982

Part 13 (Episode 107, Part 1)

An uncomfortable dinner.

a: December 23, 1982

Part 14 (Episode 107, Part 2)

Clint declares his love.

a: January 4, 1983

n: First first-run episode airing at 10:30 on Tuesday.

Part 15 (Episode 108, Part 1)

Another murder in Eden.

a: January 6, 1983

n: First first-run episode airing at 10:30 on Thursday.

Part 16 (Episode 108, Part 2)

A black proposal.

a: January 11, 1983

Part 17 (Episode 109, Part 1)

The first pay off.

a: January 13, 1983

Part 18 (Episode 109, Part 2)

Double blackmail.

a: January 18, 1983

Part 19 (Episode 110, Part 1)

Jealous lovers.

a: January 20, 1983

Part 20 (Episode 110, Part 2)

Betty's dark secret.

a: February 1, 1983

n: First first-run episode airing at 11:30 on Tuesday.

Part 21 (Episode 111, Part 1)

Clint confesses.

a: February 3, 1983

n: First first-run episode airing at 11:30 on Thursday.

Part 22 (Episode 111, Part 2)

Biff gets the cash.

a: February 8, 1983

Part 23 (Episode 112, Part 1)

Pam's new lover.

a: February 10, 1983

Part 24 (Episode 112, Part 2)

A surprise for Miranda.

a February 15, 1983

Part 25 (Episode 113, Part 1)

Shelley raped.

a: February 17, 1983

Part 26 (Episode 113, Part 2)

Shelley's revenge.

a: March 1, 1983

Part 27 (Episode 114, Part 1)

Miranda threatens murder.

a: March 3, 1983

Part 28 (Episode 114, Part 2)

Lovers for the first time.

a: March 8, 1983

Part 29 (Episode 115, Part 1)

The rapist confesses.

a: March 10, 1983

Part 30 (Episode 115, Part 2)

Biff's pay off backfires.

a: March 15, 1983

Part 31 (Episode 116, Part 1)

Shelley's new lover.

a: March 17, 1983

Part 32 (Episode 116, Part 2)

Miranda loses Clint.

a: March 22, 1983

Part 33 (Episode 117, Part 1)

Emmett's secret visitor.

a: March 24, 1983

Part 34 (Episode 117, Part 2)

An explosion at Lewis Electronics.

a: April 7, 1983

Part 35 (Episode 118, Part 1)

The factory in chaos.

a: April 12, 1983

Part 36 (Episode 118, Part 2)

Shelley in critical condition

a: April 14, 1983

Part 37 (Episode 119, Part 1).

Biff spies on Pam and Clint.

a: April 19, 1983

Part 38 (Episode 119, Part 2)

Tragic news for Betty.

a: April 21, 1983

Part 39 (Episode 120, Part 1)

Another surprise for Josh.

a: May 3, 1983

Part 40 (Episode 120, Part 2)

Biff's personal maid.

a: May 5, 1983

Part 41 (Episode 121, Part 1)

The arsonist revealed.

a: May 10, 1983

Part 42 (Episode 121, Part 2)

Betty's loss.

a: May 12, 1983

Part 43 (Episode 122, Part 1)

Hud's bizarre fantasy.

a: May 17, 183

Part 44 (Episode 122, Part 2)

A confession to murder.

a: May 19, 1983

n: The final week long marathon aired the following week.

Part 45 (Episode 123, Part 1)

Emmett threatens Cynthia.

a: May 31, 1983

Part 46 (Episode 123, Part 2)

Miranda targets a victim.

a: June 2, 1983

Part 47 (Episode 124, Part 1)

Biff's roadside romance.

a: June 7, 1983

Part 48 (Episode 124, Part 2)

Miranda seduces Pam.

a: June 9, 1983

Part 49 (Episode 125, Part 1)

Bryan's surprise houseguest.

a: June 14, 1983

Part 50 (Episode 125, Part 2)

Emmett runs from Eden.

a: June 16, 1983

Part 51 (Episode 126, Part 1)

A hitchhiker comes to Eden.

a: June 21, 1983

Part 52 (Episode 126, Part 2)

Bryan's romance grows.

a: June 23, 1983

Part 53 (Episode 127, Part 1)

Biff gets punched.

a: June 28, 1983

Part 54 (Episode 127, Part 2)

Sweet Honey.

a: June 30, 1983

Part 55 (Episode 128, Part 1)

The big party.

a: July 5, 1983

Part 56 (Episode 128, Part 2)

An embarrassed Josh.

a: July 7, 1983

Part 57 (Episode 129, Part 1)

Greg and Lauren plan marriage.

a: July 12, 1983

Part 58 (Episode 129, Part 2)

A proposal for Francie.

a: July 14, 1983

Part 59 (Episode 130, Part 1)

A fair warning to Miranda.

a: July 26, 1983

n: Final week airing at Tuesdays at 11:30 PM.

Part 60 (Episode 130, Part 2)

Shelley finds love.

a: July 28, 1983

n: Final week airing on Thursdays at 11:30 PM.

Part 61 (Episode 131, Part 1)

Biff discovers Greg's lover.

a: August 3, 1983

n: Aired Wednesday @ 1:00 AM

Part 62 (Episode 131, Part 2)

Betty in jeopardy.

a: August 5, 1983

n: Aired Friday @ 1:30 AM

Part 63 (Episode 132, Part 1)

Miranda and Biff become allies.

a: August 10, 1983

n: Aired Wednesday @ 1:30 AM

Part 64 (Episode 132, Part 2)

Betty raped.

a: August 12, 1983

n: Aired Friday @ 1:30 AM

Part 65 (Episode 133, Part 1)

Francie uncovers Hud's secret.

a: August 17, 1983

n: Aired Wednesday @ 1:30 AM

Part 66 (Episode 133, Part 2)

Eden's sin is revealed.

a: August 19, 1983

n: Aired Friday @ 1:00 AM

[DRW50]

Wow! This is quite a find. I don't know what we'd do without your efforts to dig up more info on this show.

You're right, this does seem like a very dark program. It's also weird to see a character named "Biff" in so many double-crossing and money stories.

Did Betty lose a baby?