Paul Raven

Sybil Trent Hilltop House 1939

Irna Phillips Tests Her Video Ideas on Radio Audience Billboard July 29 1944 CHICAGO. July teel.-Theories which she hopes will eventually give her the secret to a successful daytime television serial of tomorrow are now being put into practice here by !rna Phillips on her three NBC dramatic shows, Today's Children, Woman in White, and Guiding Light (I to 1:45 p.m. CWT). Irna's theories, worked out with the collaboration of Carl Wester. co-owner of the shows, are built upon the premise that tomorrow's housewives ate not going to be able to watch television shows constantly and still keep a family happy. So for the past two months, during which time a studio audience was allowed to watch a murder trial plot, unfold, she hes been trying to make her shows entertaining to hear and to see. Worth this writing and production plan used successfully for television. Miss Phillips believes she can keep an audience which would only hear a show for a while and see and hear it for another while, and thus everyone-sponsor, net, audience, and husband-would be happy. Audience, 15,000 in 2 Mouths During there two months the serials have been geared to please the 15,000 who have attended the shows In NBC's studios and the listening audience, too. She has written sequences requiring action on the part of the cast. She has had the cast work without scripts part of the time. She has used simple sets. The plan has worked perfectly. Contrary to many prevailing expectations the cast required only the usual dally hour of rehearsal, even when they didn't use scripts all the time. The studio audience has been pleased. The actors have been stimulated by the demands of the technique and the presence of a studio audience and have been giving better than usual performances. Letters from listeners have attested to the last fact. Commercials are often meant for visual as well as audio Impact and demonstrations of the sponsors products have been carried out during the reading of commercials. Ed Prentiss, Master of Ceremonies weaving the three shows together, has had this task, and, according to Miss Phillips, the sponsor (General Mills) has been more than pleased with results. Three -Act Play Daily In the days of television eltsa Phillips believes her plan will give the home audience a three -act play daily. To do this she Intends to have her characters used more Interchangeably In the three shows. Therein will Ile the principal similarity to a three -act play, and In this case it will be a three -set play using a small, inexpensive cast but losing no dramatic content. Thls fall, it Is planned that the three series will be broadcast before an audience in one of Chicago's theaters. Then Miss Phillips plans to put her plans to a more stringent test. Very interesting that Irna was already preparing for television years before it became a reality.

Jim Backus Society Girl Dexter Hayes 'millionaire aviator' David Harum ?? (replacing Barry Sullivan) 1942 Big Sister 1945 Stella Dallas TV Matinee Theater ' A Family Affair'

Very cool find. also Backstage Wife 1941 Richard Janaver Thunder Over Paradise Gilbert Mcauley 1939 Mystery Man 1942 (replaced Alan Hewitt) Our Gal Sunday 1943 David Harum 1947 Lorenzo Jones 1951 Front Page Farrell 1951 Stella Dallas 1946/1952 My True Story 1955 Whispering Streets 1955

The Road of Life 1942 happenings JAMES BRENT, M.D., has never lost the high ideals of service with which he entered the study of medicine, but he has learned that fulfilling them in practice isn't as easy as discussing them in theory. Jim's brilliant work as an intern at City Hospital brought him to the post of surgical assistant to Dr. Reginald Parsons, Chief of Staff. Then his career suffered a temporary setback when he was shot through the hand in a quarrel with his brother. Thinking his injury was permanent, he went to Pine Cone Ridge, where he met Dr. Thompson and Sylvia Bertram, who were instrumental in curing his obsession that he would never operate again. Eventually he returned to City Hospital to become Parsons' successor as Chief. Jim once planned to marry Mary Holt, but they were unsuited to each other. Later he was engaged to Carol Evans, and although they quarreled and broke the engagement, they are still deeply in love. (Played by Ken Griffin) DR. REGINALD PARSONS, former Chief of Staff at City Hospital, is a proud, arrogant man. It was this arrogance that led to his resignation from the hospital. Parsons, years ago, was the husband of Helen Gowan. Later, he married Sylvia Bertram, but that marriage, too, ended in divorce. He is a brilliant surgeon but in any crisis it always happens that he is his own worst enemy. It was his jealousy of Dr. Brent which lost him his position as Chief of City Hospital. After Jim's return to the hospital, when Parsons was proved wrong in his prophecy that Jim's hand was permanently injured, the relations between the two were never quite as friendly as before, and slowly grew worse until Parsons took issue with Jim on a matter of hospital policy, was defeated by the governing board, and resigned, leaving the post of chief of staff open for Jim. He is now only a wreck of his former self since he has permitted his innate craving for liquor to get the better of hint. (Played by Reese Taylor) CLAUDIA WILSON was brought to City Hospital suffering from a ruptured appendix. From the very first there were puzzling aspects to her case, and Dr. Brent and Doc Thompson became suspicious of her aunt and uncle, her only relatives. When Claudia showed, during convalescence, no desire to leave the hospital, Jim lost no time in investigating, and discovered that she was a wealthy girl whose parents had been killed eight years before. Since then she had been kept . in strictest seclusion by her aunt and uncle, while they squandered her money. As a result of her treatment, Claudia has become timid and mentally immature. Thus Dr. Jim's problem of bringing her back to health is partly a psychological one. (Played by Sarajane Wells) SYLVIA BERTRAM -cold, calculating, with a subtle and clever mind -is day supervisor of nurses on the third floor at City Hospital. She first entered Jim Brent's life when he fled to Pine Cone Ridge, convinced that he would never operate again. She chose to marry Dr. Parsons because she thought he would be more successful than Dr. Brent. But this union was terminated by divorce. Since then, Sylvia has worked at City Hospital, devoting herself to attempts to dominate Dr. Brent. It was she who per- suaded Jim to pursue the dispute which led to Dr. Parsons' resignation. If Sylvia had her way she would destroy all of Jim's fine humanity and send him ruthlessly on his way to the top of his profession. Unfortunately for her, Jim is not always easily led away from what he knows is right. (Played by Lois Zarley) HELEN GOWAN STEPHENSON was a nurse in City Hospital when Dr. Brent interned there. She has had a tragic life. Her first mariage, to Dr. Parsons, ended in divorce after the birth of a son whom Parsons turned over to friends, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Stephenson, to raise, refusing to tell Helen where the baby was. It was only when the boy was brought to City Hospital as a patient that Helen saw him again. Later, Mrs. Stephenson having died, she married Tom and they were ideally happy until his death in a motor accident. Now Helen. lives entirely for the boy, although he refuses to recognize her as his mother. She is constantly sending gifts to him at his school. (Played by Muriel Bremner) CAROL EVANS first met Dr. Jim Brent through her brother Bill, also a doctor. She was then the wife of Sam Martin, whom she had never loved. As Carol's feeling for Jim grew stronger she realized that a divorce was the only solution. After this divorce she resumed her maiden name. Most of her life Carol has been used to wealth and luxury, but they have fostered her naturally sweet disposition and now, a mature woman, she is more interested in seeing Jim keep his ideals than win worldly success. This, more than mere jealousy, is why she so bitterly resents Sylvia Bertram 's efforts to advise Jim. (Played by Louise Fitch) SALLY BARNETT, night super- visor of nurses on the third floor of City Hospital, is as unlike her daytime colleague, Sylvia Bertram, as possible. She's gay, friendly and forthright in all her dealings with others. Naturally, she is very popular and everyone, from doctors to other nurses, likes to drop in and chat with her when she's on duty. It's never been any secret that Sally's feelings for Doc Thompson went deeper than mere friendship, and everyone was glad when he overcame his shyness and proposed. Now that they're married, they should make a very happy couple. (Played by Viola Berwick) DR. RALPH THOMPSON, usually known simply as "Doc," has none of the polished suavity you'd expect to find in the resident physician of a great hospital. He's homespun, quietly humorous, and the possessor of a salty, realistic philosophy. Doc became Jim Brent's fast friend when the latter was in Pine Cone Ridge, and when Jim had the opportunity to install Doc at the hospital as resident, he lost no time in doing so. Now Doc has become a valued member of the staff. Very little gets past his shrewd and knowing eyes, and he has pretty accurately taken the measure of everyone with whom he has come in contact. He is completely loyal to Dr. Jim, although there are times when he cannot entirely approve of his actions. (Played by Sidney Breeze)

Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison) on Days. Neil came on in 1974 and outlasted many characters including many of the Horton family. He didn't have any real ties and I guess this worked in his favor. He could have easily been dropped in the cast purge of 1980 and further along when vets eg Don, Marie, Maggie, Doug, Julie were dropped but had the advantage of being in a popular pairing with Liz. When Gloria Loring left in 86, the writers could have sent them off into the sunset but instead Neil managed to hang into the 90's when he finally was dropped w/o explanation.

So Abby leaves her baby with Devon, even though both grandmas and a nanny with with whom he would presumably have bonded with are present in his life and willing to look after him.

Geraldine Kay Second Husband Those Websters Mrs Boyd Masquerade Arnold Grimm's Daughter Taffy Wade 1942 Rita Ascot The Guiding Light 1945 Road of Life Judith Evand 1944 Guilia Adams Trouble With Marriage 1939 Caroline's Golden store Mrs Crowley

Slick, I believe that the radio roles for Edie Adams are a different actress than the one you have listed. Edie was born in 1927 which would make her way too young to the mother in 'Those Happy Gilmans' for example. That Edith Adams had a role in Girl Alone Mrs Bates 1936

Muriel Starr Just Plain Bill 1942 Perry Mason Peggy Wall Romance of Helen Trent Margaret 'Peggy' Fuller Married to Bob Griffin Lorna Lynn Heart of Juliet Jones Eve Jones Big Sister My True Story Mary Jason 1953 David Harum 1949 Whispering Streets Hilda 1953

Great post - much food for thought. So you changed Luan to an old affair with John and made Keemo Jacks half brother? Definitely think that would have worked better. Luan needed to be more than stereotyped maiden who died a noble death. That story had zero consequences apart from having Jack notch up another marriage and gain a son that never returned. Dina returning also would be a great addition to the mix. You're right, Blade was a terrible character. At the very least, there was no need for him to marry Ashley as that was third time for her in 10 years. The obsession with marriage was ruinous in the long term. Blade could have been a serious relationship w/o marriage. It would have been quite natural for Ashley to be a little reluctant to wed after two trips to the altar already. When Brenda left, maybe that was the time to rest Ashley rather than hiring Shari. Wait until Eileen returned and give the character a rest as the Cole/Ashley marriage was a dud. Around mid 90's maybe was a good time for Patty to return. A lot of possibilities there. She could want revenge on Jack and fall in love again. Danny could become involved with her again. That would give the Williams family more prominence. How about Steve Williams returning? He had been involved with Jill and that could be explored. Or he could hook up with Ashley and re-ignite the Williams/Abbott grudges. Matt Miller coming back could provide lots of drama for the Newmans as he was enamored of Nikki and had been close to Ashley. I wonder why Bill didn't make use of those characters and the history that was there instead of trying to new characters that didn't work.

Thanks Slick! Morgan Brittany Pilots/Proposals Delta County USA Doris Ann 1977

Some requests Guilia Adams Morgan Brittany Rita Ascot Jim Backus Rene Gekiere Geraldine Kaye

These discussions about the storylines for the Abbotts and others in the mid 90's speak to the difficulty that writers (Bill Bell obviously included) have in providing satisfying stories for frontburner characters after about 10-15 years. Bill never really faced this problem before as he was gone from ATWT by its 9th anni (did he start in 58?) and Days by 76? after 10 years. He didn't have to deal with the aftermath resolution of the Bill/Laura/Mickey and Doug/Julie stories or the challenge of bringing equally compelling stories to the forefront. As we saw succeeding writers had difficulty with that. And at Y&R, by eliminating the Brooks and Fosters , he didn't have to follow through with writing those characters for another decade or more. Even Irna Phillips departed ATWT after 14 years and when she returned she eliminated the Stewart family as obviously she felt constricted and more inspired by other characters. The only main character that had any longevity at that point were Bob and Lisa. Agnes Nixon did pretty much the same thing at AMC after 10 years or so.The Martin children, Phil,Linc and Kelly were all dropped. Only Chuck and Erica remained from the original concept. So maybe Bill should have made some hard decisions around this time... What story/character decisions might have benefitted the show moving forward??

Charme Allen The High Places 1944 Aunt Jenny temp for Florence Malone 1938 Edgar Stelhi The High Places 1944 Humphrey Davis The High Places 1944 My True Story 1947 Tennesee Jed Sheriff Jackson John Gibson The High Places 1944 David Harum 1943 1948 Young Widder Brown 1943 Just Plain Bill Arthur Britton 1946 Right to Happiness My True Story Rose of My Dreams 1948 Ethel Owen The High Places 1944 Margot of Castlewood 1938 Kitty Keene Lady Gertie 1938 Big Sister David Harum The Guiding Light Jane Gordon Ellis Katie's Daughter 1948 Joan Tetzel The High Places 1844 Snow Village

The real life and unexpected deaths of Brenda Benet (Lee DOOL) and Douglass Watson (Mac AW) obviously altered planned storylines.

Thanks for that. I was a bit hazy (and lazy) MJ on The Doctors Jenny on OLTL?

Yes it was very odd that Vanessa never had a child of her own. She had various'surrogate' children over the years. Nick Bellini was on The Doctors for years w/o any children conceived or popping up from the past. Ed and Carla on One Life to Live.

Lauralee always claimed she had no influence with her dad re Cricket, but maybe she didn't want to play pregnant and a mom, before she'd done it herself. Or she knew being a mom would limit her story possibilities. OR Bill didn't want to give her a child until his little girl experienced it herself.

Decided to post this here as Irna was most associated with ATWT. It's from Variety, early 1970. Irna Phillips, grand dame of daytime serials has terminated her exclusive agreement with P&G. The prolific writer of daytime strips gave up a pact that committed her services through 1976. She has been exclusively under contract to P&G for the past six years- her release means she has departed ATWT which has ranked as the highest rated daytime program for the past 12 years. Miss Philips, in from her Chicago home disclosed her change of status at a press conference set up by ABC TV to promote the webs new serial 'A World Apart' created and written by Miss Phillips daughter Katherine which debuts March 30. Irna Phillips will be story editor for the series on a non-exclusive basis. Miss Phillips said she asked for her release for three basic reasons. "First I want to help my daughter. A World Apart is the first series created by Katherine who has previously worked as a writer on ATWT. Secondly I wanted time to write my autobiography which will called 'The Ivory Tower' or 'Its A Mans World -And Should Be', she said, noting she favored the latter title. And lastly I wanted to be free! Miss Phillips interpretation of free translates to non exclusive. She expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the restraints the exclusive contract had put upon her creative efforts in the recent past, 'I'm a terribly self disciplined writer'', she said and in 40 years of experience I think I've learned what can and should be put on the air. I resented the continual tinkering and script conferences that were part of the exclusive pact. Its a rapidly changing world and daytime serials have to keep abreast or ahead of the times. There were things I wanted to do and couldn't so I got out. She has much enthusiasm for the new strip. 'Its indeed a world apart that we live in. Race is separated from race, parents are alienated from children and we hope to sew it up a little in A World Apart.' Asked if she had any control over the casting of her serials she said,' This is the first time-producer director Tom Donovan and I have some say in the matter and it helps. You tend to write for the actor or actress who plays the role and its nice to cast the part with someone whose work you actually like. All of which sounds like a writer rather than a story editor talking but Miss Phillips insists her daughter is the creative force behind the serial. She originated the radio serial concept in Chicago 40 years ago.Her 'Todays Children'was a long time staple on network radio, and was followed by The Guiding Light which marked her transition from radio to tv writer. She also originated the first half hour serial ATWT and created or co created Another World and Days of Our Lives. Interesting that she only lasted a year at A World Apart. I wonder if she and Katherine clashed? That exclusive P&G contract must have come about after she signed as aconsultant with ABC in 64 for a year. P&G musn't have liked her working for the opposition. Irna probably got top dollar from both of those deals. By early 72 she was back at ATWT. Maybe she insisted on more control as ATWT slipped from the top in her absence and CBS wanted her back. Anyway,always fascinating to read an interview and try to get a fix on where she stood. Someone needs to do a documentary on her, It's a pity her children were never interviewed.

On the production side, soaps never found away to incorporate regular outdoor scenes into the weekly mix. British and Australian shows have always done this but the US shows stuck to the indoor format even when there had been technological advances that made it cheaper and easier. Days had Salem Mall on the lot for a while and of course GL had Peapack, but we never got to see a park, outdoor cafe etc. I recall at one point in the early 80's P&G were going to move to a production center in New York for all their shows.Maybe that complex could have included an outdoor taping facility?

EON Nancy Mike had a child with first wife Sara, so why not Nancy. I believe Ann Flood was pregnant during her time on Edge but it was never written in. I know EON wasn't a family type show but at least one child for the Karrs would have been nice.

Delta Burke Pilots/Proposals Charleston Stella Farrell 1979

Barabara Ryan ATWT She was brought back in 78 after a brief stint years before. She was Kim's niece and Bob's stepdaughter but considering Bob's own daughter Frannie was finally dropped her longevity was impressive. So many other major characters came and went in that time.

Imagine if we didn't have this ridiculous SORASING. Chance would be early to mid 30's. Abby would be early to mid 20's.