Paul Raven

1999 Can the once highly popular `All My Children' rebound from its sagging ratings? ABC TV thinks so. But to make sure, it's brought back Agnes Nixon as the show's head writer; Nixon had been a consultant. Considered by many to be the first lady of serial dramas, ABC is hoping she'll help revive the show, which has been a network staple for 29 years. "We brought Agnes back to deliver the escape, the fantasy, romance and mystery," that soap opera fans want, says Angela Shapiro, president of ABC Daytime Television. `Agnes makes the characters come alive in a way that no one else can. It's remarkable what she brings; we're really lucky." 'All My Children' was a leading soap throughout the 1980s and during the earlier part of this decade. She created All My Children as well as ABC's `One Life to Live' and `Loving' (which later became 'The City') and 'Search for Tomorrow' She was co- creator of 'As the World Turns,' which airs on CBS, was the head writer for `Guiding Light' also on CBS, and for NBC's `Another World.' Here, Nixon talks about soap operas, where the audience has gone, what viewers want from daytime dramas and how to fix 'All My Children.' What's happened to the daytime drama audience? There has been some attrition with all the cable channels. I think that's the way of the world. But I think good stories, well told and acted by very good actors, will always be popular. I just think we have to get back to some of the basics of storytelling...the things that have always influenced and interested people. Why are soap operas appealing? Basically it's because it's the form of entertainment nearest to real life. Every day is a new episode, there's that appeal, as well as the fact that it's never repeated. I think there's something about a continued story. Charles Dickens was a serial writer; people use to wait in Boston for the boat to come from England with the next installment to see what was going to happen to Little Nell. Also, you have to have believable characters. Sometimes, soaps have gotten into characters that were not believable. The characters have to be three dimensional, someone with whom the audience can identify. Stories have to be believable, suspenseful, interesting and involving. What do you think about proposals for 24-hour soap channels on cable? I am very excited by it. I also think we'll get a truer measurement of viewership. The Nielsen ratings don't list VCRs and we know there's a vast audience that tapes and watches soaps later. I frankly think we don't have a true picture now of measurement of audience viewership. Plus there's something nice about the fact that what I do will be seen again. I am thinking particularly about the actors now. I think it brings us a little more satisfaction. Do you think daytime serials will always have a home on broadcast television? Yes, I do, I truly do. I am not saying they all will. Again, because it is a story. A good story well presented is just as movies are, it's entertainment. It's human stories and people are interested in people. What do you like most about writing daytime dramas? I am a storyteller and I like the dramatic form. To me it's just the thing I love to do. You take something in life that generates an idea and then it grows and one embellishes it. Seeing it come to life on the air by actors is just a great thrill for me. What is the hardest part of writing serials? The discipline you have to have because of the time pressure. It takes five days a week, 52 weeks a year, and that's pretty grueling. One can do a movie of the week or even a nighttime episode. A writer might stay up two nights getting it finished and then go collapse on the beach at Malibu. But a writer of daytime serials doesn't have that luxury. It's like getting in shape. You have to learn to pace yourself and to get refreshed and renewed in a much shorter time -like a weekend or a Saturday. Without giving away anything, what are you planning to do with All My Children? We're going back to what used to be one of the hallmarks of All My Children, which was young romance. I think that young romance is particularly good because we all identify with being young. We remember it so well. Through young romance we are able to see the world with what the true meaning of naïve is, which is 'fresh wonder.' I do feel that is what's needed on the show and we're getting to it very quickly.

1966 Griffin Productions Co., NewYork, is raising its sights in the TV programming field to gain representation outside of the "game show" area and into daytime serial, primetime specials and nighttime series sectors. Last March Merv Griffin, president, appointed Bob Aaron, who had been director of daytime programs for NBC -TV for six years, as executive vice president with a mandate to accelerate the company's expansion and diversification effort. In script form are two projected daytime serials. One is Keep It in the Family, described as the adventures of a "real family" and Best Things in Life (adventures of four American girls working abroad), which is aiming for a "new dimension" in daytime programming through production entirely in Europe.

1977 NBC also said it would begin running Chico and the Man next Monday (May 9, 12:30 -1 p.m.), replacing new soap opera, Lovers and Friends (with 3.0 rating and 12 share in first 64 episodes), which "will go on a summer hiatus," according to NBC.

Thanks for that. I knew there was an original title but couldn't remember/locate it. Will add it in!

1967 Producer William Dozier, whose Greenway Productions produces Batman and Green Hornet in association with 20th Century -Fox TV, is moving into daytime programing. He has formed Greentree Productions, a separate organization, also associated with Fox, to turn out a pilot for a projected soap opera for NBC -TV. Plans call for the series, Brookfield, to be a daytime strip. TV Guide reported Brookfield was set in a 'posh girls school'. 1970 Paramount Television is producing the pilot for daily half - hour daytime series, Holm Sweet Home, which is aimed for showing on ABC -TV this fall. The program, which is being written by Roy Kammerman, is described as a humorous soap opera that centers around a midwestern family's experience in the age of the atom, the pill and the miniskirt. As for 1971 -72, WB -TV reported a number of plans for series that would include segments on the drug -abuse problem. One is a daytime serial, The Woman Inside, WB -TV says has been optioned to a network it declines to identify. 1971 Universal Studio's entry into the daytime television arena will be via a drama said by its creator, George Lefferts, to be a departure from the traditional soap opera. The program is being produced for General Foods. No network has been announced. World of Women was described as an "update of the patriarchal society of the era of The Forsyte Saga with the heroine of the 'now' generation replacing the patriarch of yesterday" by Clare Simpson, vice president in charge of programing for Young and Rubicam, agency for General Foods. The half -hour show now in development, according to Universal Studios daytime programing vice president Frank O'Connor, will deal with the modern female as she confronts the problems and rewards of a contemporary existence.

I thought it might have been a promo from an independent station that picked up AW when it was dropped by an affiliate but on checking KCRA was an NBC affiliate at that time and in fact had been so for many years, so maybe it had been dropped at some point and was rejoining the lineup.

Update

Four Corners had a 2 hr debut Tues @ 9 and came in 65th with a 6.0/9 share The competition was ABC Home Improvement 14.7/21 10th place Spin City 10.7/16 22nd NYPD Blue 11.7/20 16th NBC Frasier 12.6/18 12th Just Shot Me 11.2/17 19th Dateline NBC 12.0/20 14th The following week it moved to its regular 10pm slot and landed in 84th place with a 4.8/8 ABC was 15th with NYPD Blue 11.4/20 and NBC was 14th with Dateline 12.0/21 At that point CBS yanked it.

Please feel free to add anything I may have missed, and comment if you prefer any of the 'originals' CBS The Clear Horizon... Far Horizon/ Army Wife Search for Tomorrow... Search for Happiness As The World Turns... Journey's End/As The Earth Turns The Edge of Night... The World Within The Secret Storm... The Storm Within/ Bright Star The Young and The Restless... The Innocent Years The Bold and The Beautiful ...Rags Our Private W0rld ... The Woman Lisa Falcon Crest... The Vintage Years Secrets of Midland Heights ...Heartland /Midland Heights NBC The Bennett Story... The Bennetts The Greatest Gift ... Dr Eve Our Five Daughters... Five Daughters The Doctors... House of Hope Paradise Bay... Point Paradise Bright Promise... Look To This Day/The Best Years How to Survive A Marriage... From this Moment Lovers and Friends... Into This House Sunset Beach...Never Say Goodbye Somerset... Between Two Worlds ABC The Young Marrieds... That Young Marriage General Hospital ...Emergency Hospital One Life to Live... Between Heaven and Hell Ryans Hope ...A Rage to Love /City Hospital Never Too Young ... No Time for Love Loving... Love Without End The City ... Lov NYC Port Charles ... GH2 Dynasty ...Oil The Colbys ... The Colbys of California

In the Bill Bell archives is a series proposal 'The Many Ways of Love'

thank you for alerting me to this fabulous resource. Maybe April Montgomery was the original name for Margo or Cricket?

Frank and Doris Hursley had several soap proposals in the works over the years Crossroads Clinic Hollywood Girl Lady of the Theater Richard Douglas for the Defence. South Paradise 1966 This Precious Hour As did daughter and son in law Bridget and Jerome Dobson Bodies and souls 1993 Co-Ed 1990 Couture Dangerous Liasons 1994 One World 1990 Westwood General Hospital - Sixth Floor Heritage 1973

Some GH related trivia - Sharon DuBord (Sharon Pinkham) was maid of honor at Judy Carne's(Laugh In) ill fated marriage to Burt Reynolds in 1963.

1954 NBC investigating bringing radio soap "Big Sister ' to TV. It has previously had a short experimental TV run in 1945 with Mercedes McCambridge.

Re The Brighter Day A 1954 TV Guide summary mentions a character 'Blake' You have Ted Blake listed in 1958 and Dr Blake Hamilton in 1960. Could it possibly be one of these characters or an entirely different Blake?

Millette Alexander (Sara GL) was once daughter in law to Oscar Hammerstein, famed musical theater legend (Oklahoma, Sound of Music, King and I etc)

Carolyn Conwell (Mary Y&R) in SOW talked about auditioning for Marlena on DOOL in 1976. She recalled 'They applauded at my audition, they loved it . But I'm not pretty. I have an off center face. She (DH) is just so photogenic. So that's why I didn't get the part. And I was just as happy, because this (the role of Mary0 is actually better for me.' Carolyn was 46 at the time of her audition, Deidre was 29 so perhaps they had a different concept for Marlena before DH was cast.

Re Paul Hecht His AMC role of Dr Weiss was 1999. Re Betty Henritze AMC Mrs Lamont was 1999.

My apologies for dissing Ms JFP - I had my timelines mixed up. She did kill off Bridget but later teams put older characters on recurring and then wrote them off. Mind you JFP did plenty of other stuff she could be criticized for - AW- ER/BCPD Blue...

Interesting that the CBS promos labelled the show The Guiding Light when the title officially changed to Guiding Light a few years before.

Thanks😃

When did she and Bennett divorce?

Re Rita Morley Add The Brighter Day (at least 1957)

Original cast publicity shots

For Chris B and anyone else that might be interested. Carla Borelli with George Hamilton on ABC's notorious flop 'The Survivors'