Paul Raven
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Secrets of Midland Heights. (Series; Drama; CBS; 1980–1981). A prime-time serial that explores the dreams, frustrations, hidden secrets and shames of the people who live and work in Midland Heights, a small Midwestern college town. Margaret Millington is a descendant of the town’s founder; Dorothy Wheeler is her friend; Guy Millington is Margaret’s son; Holly Wheeler is Dorothy’s daughter; Ann Dulles is Margaret’s niece; Professor Nathan Welsh is Dorothy’s romantic interest; Teddy and Danny Welsh are Nathan’s sons; Burt Carroll is the football star; Lisa Rogers is Burt’s girlfriend; Micki Carroll is Burt’s sister; John Grey is Burt’s friend; Calvin Richardson is a teacher at Midland Heights College; Sue is Ann’s friend; Lucy Dexter is the diner owner; Mrs. Grey is John’s mother. Cast: Martha Scott (Margaret Millington), Bibi Besch (Dorothy Wheeler), Jordan Christopher (Guy Millington), Linda Grover (Holly Wheeler), Doran Clark (Ann Dulles), Robert Hogan (Nathan Welsh), Daniel Zippi (Teddy Welsh), Stephen Manley (Danny Welsh), Lorenzo Lamas (Burt Carroll), Linda Hamilton (Lisa Rogers), Melora Hardin (Micki Carroll), Jim Youngs (John Grey), Mark Pinter (Calvin Richardson),Irene Arranga (Sue), Jenny O’Hara (Lucy Dexter), Arlene Golonka (Mrs. Grey).
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Don Hastings won parts on both ATWT and TEON in 1956. Benton & Bowles,the ad agency for P&G decided to cast him as Jack Lane on Edge.Otherwise he would have been Don Hughes on ATWT.
Thinking of Irna's departure in 1970, I wonder how that all went down? Did she give a lot of notice or was her departure one of those mercurial Irna moves? Did any of the mags mention it at the time? She had been at ATWT 13 years and I wonder if she was getting a little frustrated with the constraints of writing those particular characters? She had tried with Another World to oversee a new show,but never seemed to get a handle on it. Now she and her daughter were working on 'A World Apart' and she probably had free reign to write for a fresh set of characters. Her stint there also proved to be short lived. Anyway,ATWT went with Joel Kane as her replacement.He had some primetime experience but had never worked in daytime. I imagine CBS and P&G were very protective of their #1 rating show that was a huge moneyspinner. Was Joel Kane expected to reproduce Irna's style? I'm not sure how long he lasted but at some point Winifred Wolfe took over before Irna returned. Hope other posters have some insights about this time in ATWT history.
Exact dates are hard to come by but Irna left the first time around January 1970 and returned January 72.She was writing up till a writers strike in mid 73 and did not return.
Cute CBS trade magazine ad January 1966 A Picture of Chris and Nancy Hughes (THE LIVING ROOM OF CHRIS AND NANCY HUGHES. THEY HAVE JUST FINISHED DINNER) NANCY You seem distracted, dear. Is anything troubling you? CHRIS: Not really. (PAUSING) Nancy, wouldn't you say we've been pretty honest with each other all these years? NANCY: A S honest as the day is long. CHRIS: There's something I've been wanting to tell you for along time, but I haven't known exactly how. It's pretty complicated. NANCY: Just say it, dear...I'll understand. CHRIS Nancy, we're on the most popular daytime program in all television. NANCY: How marvelous! CHRIS: There's even more to it than that. The CBS daytime programs are now delivering 64 per cent larger average audiences than the next closest network, and 119 per cent larger audiences than the third network. And in each case it's a bigger lead than a year ago. NANCY: (EXCITEDLY) It's too good to be true! CHRIS: It is true. CBS daytime programs reach almost as many households as the other two networks combined. As a matter of tact, our programs have averaged the biggest daytime audiences for 8 years. We've been first in every one of Art Nielsen's last 74 reports. NANCY: He must be a very busy man! CHRIS: Yes, and there's even more: CBS has 5 of the Top Five daytime programs, 10 of the Top Ten, and 13 of the Top Fifteen. NANCY: Why, Chris, we have just about everything! CHRIS: You can say that again. In fact, that's the reason why the nation's leading daytime advertisers spend almost as much money on the CBS Television Network alone as on the other two networks combined. And they've been doing it for years. NANCY : (DRAWING CLOSE) They've been wonderful years, Chris, haven't they? CHRIS; The best—and there are many more to come.
I dont believe ATWT was taped 3 months ahead at that time.3 weeks ahead,yes. DM might have been 3months ahead in outlines,which gave the new writers clear indications of where to go with story.
Frankie Michaels,who played Tom Hughes as a child in the mid 60's has died aged 60. Frankie Michaels, the youngest person to win a Tony Award — which he earned in 1966, at 11, for his featured role in theBroadway musical “Mame” — died on March 30 at his home in Chittenango, N.Y. He was 60. The cause was a heart attack, said a friend, Steven Clark. Mr. Michaels, who was known in private life as Frankie Chernesky, was 11 years, 1 month and 11 days old when he received the Tony for playing the young Patrick Dennis, the nephew drawn into Auntie Mame’s irrepressible gravitational field. (Daisy Eagan, the youngest actress to receive a Tony, was about 11½ when she won in 1991 for “The Secret Garden.”) “Mame,” with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, also garnered Tonys for Angela Lansbury, who played the title role, and Beatrice Arthur as Mame’s friend Vera Charles. Though Mr. Michaels had been trained as a performer from the age of 3½, “Mame” was his only Broadway credit. After leaving the show at 12, he had a brief adolescent career as a nightclub singer, sharing bills in Las Vegas with the likes of Dean Martin and Danny Thomas. As an adult, Mr. Michaels worked as a lounge singer, voice and piano teacher and electronics repairman. Francis Michael Chernesky was born in Bridgeport, Conn., on May 5, 1955, the youngest of five children of Michael Chernesky, a lieutenant in the Bridgeport Fire Department, and the former Mary Bissett. As a young child he was able to pick out tunes by ear on the piano, and before long he was taking lessons in singing, dancing, piano, drums, vibraphone and acting. At 5, he played a piano duet in Bridgeport with a visiting Liberace. Frankie was already a veteran of “As the World Turns,” the CBS soap opera on which he had a regular role, when he was cast in “Mame.” For his work in the musical, he was paid $400 a week — about $3,000 in today’s money. He was so gifted, Mr. Herman later said, that he learned all his numbers, among them “My Best Girl” and “We Need a Little Christmas,” in a single day. Reviewing “Mame” in The New York Times, Stanley Kauffmann wrote: “The hazard with young performers is that either they look coached or, if they are gifted, are show-offs. Young Mr. Michaels is neither.” But Mr. Michaels found that the market for a child singer, especially one whose voice is changing, was limited, and by the time he was out of his teens he was more or less out of the profession. For two decades, until his retirement about eight years ago, Mr. Michaels serviced radios for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Until shortly before his death, he sang on weekends at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. Mr. Michaels was married and divorced three times. His survivors include his companion, Lucille Bort; a son, Michael Lloyd Chernesky; a stepdaughter, Desiree Medlin; and a sister, Felicia Hreschak. About two years ago, Mr. Clark said, Mr. Michaels overcame an addiction to alcohol and cocaine that he had battled for some five years. In November, Mr. Michaels underwent quadruple-bypass surgery. In January, fearing that his time was limited, Mr. Clark said, he sold his Tony Award at auction for $18,750. The sale, Mr. Clark said, paid for Mr. Michaels’s funeral.
Joan Anderson filled in for 3 weeks on SFT when Ann Williams(Eunice) was having pregnancy issues.
SPW May 2 2000 reported that GL/ Paul Rauch has decided not to recast Jesse when Paolo Benedetti leaves. Joshua Annex had been tapped for the role but Rauch says he will be given another role. He had already been on GL as mob boss Bernards son Nino.
Jane Elliot revealed that she originally tested for Gina Dante on GH (replacing Anna Stuart). She also was set to play Stephanie on B&B before Bill Bell went with Susan Flannery.
Totally agree re Cecile.I wonder why they bothered bringing her back.
I recall Jane signed a 1 year contract and obviously Marland was sure she would continue but Potter used it as a way to dump her.Maybe budget had something to do with it as P&G were starting their cutbacks and ridding themselves of pricey vets. Jane probably had a raise in pay if she signed to a second year.
Rick Ryan was such a wasted character. I was surprised it took the writers so long to bring Barbara back and then when recast Rick did hit town,he had no impact and was dropped.
What was the point of stretching out the days for so many episodes?IMO it was ridiculous and any dramatic tension was completely lost.It was just a pointless gimmick.
Considering Ellen Demming stayed around for years without much story, it would have made sense to use her more effectively. Maybe Bruce could have had children for Meta to mother. Maybe Ben and Maggie Scott could have been related to Bruce in some way and Peggy could have turned to Meta as a mother figure?
Of the P&G shows, only GL seemed to go to any effort to bring back former castmates for the finale. In a way,that almost became the final insult to faithful viewers.I remember Ellen Wheeler saying various people were back because they had a place in people's hearts etc yet in saying that they hadn't bothered with these characters previously. If that's who viewers wanted to see then why weren't they already onscreen?
Peyton Place made James Douglas a TV star but I think he was typecast after that,He next turned up on AW and spent the rest of his career on NY soaps.
Frank Latimore and Diana Van Der Vlis August 20, 1975. VLIS August 20, 1975| Credit: ABC Photo Archives EMBED LICENCE
Maggie Hayes as she appeared as Roxanne Reynolds
Tony Geary and Anne Jeffreys Anthony Geary as David Lockhart, Anne Jeffreys as Sylvia Bancroft -- May 25, 1971| Credit: NBC LICENCE
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