Paul Raven

October 2 1962 Jill is concerned about her recently crippled husband Larry's first day on his new job; Larry, unbeknownst to Jill, never got the job and tries to deceive Jill by using his gambling winnings as income; and Jill must console her mother who has just lost her baby

Article about the Christian influence on Days at the time. http://www.charismamag.com/life/242-j15/features/claiming-our-culture-for-christ/607-saints-of-our-lives They're beautiful, and they're bold--about their faith. Some of daytime drama's brightest stars shine for Jesus in the world of soap operas. Jamie-Lyn Bauer is an intercessor. Austin Peck seeks to find God's perfect will in every contour of his life. Julianne Morris has a passion for overseas missions. Kirsten Storms refuses to take the Lord's name in vain. Hunter Tylo boldly tells everyone who will listen about her relationship with Jesus. Scott Reeves views his vocation like a ministry. It is not surprising to find such spiritually focused characteristics among churchgoers, but these Christians are also stars on daytime-TV soap operas. As members of an unlikely but growing cast of believers on the Hollywood scene, their impact for the gospel is showing up both on and off the screen. They all are part of a deeper plot than what viewers see unfolding on the sets of Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless and others. Perhaps it is ironic that a deeply devoted troop of actors, writers, producers, administrators and stagehands populate this particular TV genre--famous for power-grabbing and greed- and lust-driven storylines that extol duplicity, scandal and revenge. But these believers are not debating whether or not a Christian should "run in the soaps crowd." They are on Hollywood's frontlines and in studio back lots leading co-stars and crew members to the Lord, bathing studios in prayer, and solidifying real-life blowups and heartbreaks. Charisma interviewed a number of these brave believers to hear in their words what it's like to be a Christian in Hollywood. Not surprisingly, we found that they face temptations and make mistakes--while being criticized by believers and nonbelievers alike who disagree with their stand for God in the entertainment industry. They told us God is using them right where they are. And more than ever, they believe, it is the right time to share God's love with Hollywood professionals. "Before, it was just getting people saved. Now we are equipping, encouraging and covering them," says Bauer, a former star on Days of Our Lives. "It is a very exciting time to be a Christian in Hollywood." A Christian Soap Opera? It's past midnight and the 23-hour-long shoot for a Days of Our Lives special has taken a dangerous turn. The script calls for a fire that forces Laura Spencer-Horton (played from 1990-1999 by Jamie-Lyn Bauer) to flee from the psychiatric hospital where she has been institutionalized. The scene has been carefully choreographed, and firemen stand by to guarantee safety on the set. But something goes awry. A blazing 6-foot-long beam crackles and shimmies, then suddenly, ripping from its overhead moorings, plunges downward directly toward Jamie-Lyn and her co-star. This predicament is not in the script. Instinctively, and almost audibly, Jamie-Lyn prays in tongues. "By the grace of God, we were not hit," she says. "I know that God was there. I wouldn't be surprised if the enemy was, too. Satan probably was not very happy that I was on the show." This was not the first or last time Jamie-Lyn sought God's presence while at Days' Burbank, California, studio. In fact, each day while she drove the short distance from her North Hollywood home to the TV lot, she interceded. "I would plead that His blood would be everywhere I would go," she recounts. "This was my territory, God's territory. I would pray for divine order on the set. I prayed for His manifest authority to be present." She sounds like intercessory leaders Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Pierce or Frank Damazio firing up attendees at a spiritual warfare conference, not someone who has spent most of two decades acting in soaps, movies and stage plays. But following the prodding of her spiritual mentors--who include Jacobs, Pierce and Damazio--Jamie-Lyn accepts her spiritual role in Hollywood. As a Days cast member, her dressing room became her prayer closet, and God answered in a dramatic fashion. She took spiritual authority over the psychic readings sought by co-stars and the horoscopes read each day in makeup. The activities disappeared. She fervently pleaded for the salvation of every cast and crew member and asked God to bring more Christians to the show. Some were saved. More solid believers joined the cast. She asked God to bless Days of Our Lives and its executive producer, Kenneth Corday. The show strengthened its reputation. It became known as being a good place to work, having a cast who were like family, exhibiting comparatively minimal in-fighting, and standing as America's favorite and most-watched daytime soap. Jamie-Lyn has not been God's sole representative on the program. Through the years He has placed other believers in key roles to buoy it with prayer. Notably, administrator and "show mother" Nancy Lewis and sound-man Jim Thomas have gained respect and acceptance as believers and co-workers. "At times I felt all alone [as a Christian on the program]," says Lewis, who is the assistant to the head writer and wife of film producer John Lewis. "But now it is great. There are so many Christians here. It is wonderful to be able to have someone who understands and who I can pray with." In fact, in recent years the number of regular actors on Days of Our Lives who profess Jesus as Lord has multiplied, including Austin Peck (Austin Reed), though he is leaving the show this spring; Julianne Morris (Greta Von Amburg); Melissa Reeves (Jennifer Horton); Kirsten Storms (Belle Black); Brian Ditello and Suzanne Rogers. "God has these people placed in the right places at the right time," Julianne Morris says. Don't get the wrong picture. Days of Our Lives has not become a Christian soap, nor is this likely to happen. Kidnappings, switched babies, backstabbings and the like still fill Days' daily episodes, as they have for more than 30 years. Yet many characters mention God, and miracles occur in the fictionalized Days city of Salem. Once, a baby rose from the dead. Habitat for Humanity has been worked into scripts. The character Eric Brady is part of a Bible study. "While there is a lot of other stuff that goes on, characters pray, and there is always a sense of God," Julianne says. "There is a basis on God, and that is nice." In fact, the show's name comes from Psalm 23: "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life [italics added], and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (NIV). A GQ Model Finds God In 1995 a young, brash, former GQ model and amateur boxer named Austin Peck joined the Days cast. Austin quickly rose to the top of soaps' heartthrob barometer as the jaunty, daring Austin Reed. He and co-star Christie Clark earned the Soap Digest 1997 badge for hottest romance of the year. Off-screen, Peck's life sizzled as much as any on-screen soap exploit. "I smoked pot. I did everything. I was way off-center," he says. Yet, long before the San Francisco native's network debut, God had begun the process of getting his attention. As a child, Austin heard booming warnings of an impending hell set aside for sinners. Years later, while on a modeling assignment in Zurich, Austin asked God tough questions about life and death. To his surprise, the answers came in a clear, inner voice and made sense. Later, while walking through New York's East Village, Austin talked to God about his career--even committed it to Him--yet he still spent plenty of time on the wild side living a real-life spiritual tug-of-war. God did not concede, however. Austin's sister, Casey, started reading the Bible to the young actor over the phone. When he first arrived as a cast member for Days, Jamie-Lyn, Nancy and Jim were there, rushing him to the top of their prayer lists. In September 1997, God spoke to him. "He told me, 'Austin, I see your heart, but you don't know My Son,'" he recounts. "That got my attention. I started reading the Bible. All of a sudden the words jumped off the page and became real." Almost immediately the sinner's prayer followed, and Austin's life hasn't been the same. The next day at lunch, he noticed a new actor, Paige Rowland, saying grace over her meal. On the way to makeup Austin approached her and introduced himself as a Christian. "He is phenomenal," says Paige, who attends Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. "From the moment he was saved he shamed me [as a bold believer]. He was on fire from the moment he started. Everyone on the set could see it." This spiritual passion has curried Austin some great moments--which have included leading co-star Brian Ditello to the Lord--but it also has led to some big headaches. "I became a Bible-thumping Jesus freak," he says. "All of a sudden purpose was flooded into my life, and that tornado inside my chest calmed down, and I felt like I was full. I had to tell everyone." On the set, Austin and co-star Julianne Morris have become friends. "When he messes up a line, I will lay hands on him," Julianne says. "Of course, [the other cast members] have no idea what I'm doing, but Austin and I know." Austin describes his character as a seeker who "wants to be...the best person he can be...has morals and...does not sleep around." In one episode, Reed prayed for a baby who was in a coma, and the child recovered. "The baby rose from the dead--right on Days, and then [Reed] becomes self-righteous. Isn't that just like some of us?" Austin says. Austin and his wife attend Oasis Christian Center in Los Angeles, and he says he has matured as a Christian. "I was pretty strong. I think I scared one [co-star] and once [an actor from another show] said I was all over him [sharing the gospel] when we were waiting at the airport," Austin says. "I look at how on-fire I was and see that I am just as much on-fire now, but more on the inside." In January he was given notice that his Days contract would not be renewed. "I could not imagine going through this without faith," he says. "I have had my private moments, but people keep telling me how well I am handling it. I think that is a witness to others because they know I am a Christian." Letting Her Light Shine Nilavae Morris once prayed three hours for her daughter Julianne's audition, until Julianne called to say she had gotten the part. "She is always praying for me and everyone on the show," says Julianne, who was on The Young and the Restless before she made her debut on Days of Our Lives. Julianne was raised in Windermere, Florida, near Orlando, and her father is Christian writer and former evangelist Max Morris. She grew up attending Pentecostal churches and is now active at Hollywood Presbyterian Church, where several ministries directed specifically at the entertainment industry are based. "I am a Christian first and then an actor," says Julianne, who has been active in overseas missions trips when not acting. "I feel this is the door God has opened. This is where He wants me." Julianne was a child actor and attended drama school in New York City before moving to California. Before breaking into Days she was cast in the lead of a South African TV series titled Sinbad. Christian actors often talk about what lines they can cross in their roles, and Julianne discovered hers when she was asked to lead a séance in an episode of Sinbad. "I read the script the night before and started crying. I just didn't know how I could do it," she says. "[The next day] I walked off the set and went back to my dressing room. I wasn't a diva or anything, but [shooting the scene] went against every single fiber in me." During five months of filming, Julianne had been a vibrant, kind presence on the set, befriending and helping co-stars and crew members. "I had let my light shine," she says. "So when it came to the séance, and I could not do it, they were nice about it. "Sometimes we find ourselves doing what maybe wasn't part of God's original plan or what God really wanted us to do. But even in the midst of that it is amazing how He's so gracious to stand by us and, like Scripture says in Romans 8:28, 'All things work together for good to those that love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose.'" Julianne has not had any significant problems with her character, Greta Von Amburg, on Days of Our Lives. But she, like most Christians interviewed for this article, would not take God's name in vain or act in a sex scene. "Sure, a lot of myself comes out [in Greta]," says Julianne, who is leaving the show this spring to pursue prime-time roles. "She is so sweet, but there are lots of choices Greta would make that are different than mine. That is what acting is. I hope I would be a little smarter about men." A Teen Role Model Fifteen-year-old Kirsten Storms had just been cast as Belle Black when Jamie-Lyn Bauer was seeing the close of her stint on Days of Our Lives in 1999. Kirsten was assigned to Jamie-Lyn's dressing room--and recognized immediately the presence of the Holy Spirit from the years Jamie-Lyn had used the room for prayer. "My mother and I noticed right away. There are good spirits in this dressing room," says Kirsten, who has gained fame in Disney movies, including Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century for which she won the 1998-1999 Best Performance on a TV Movie or Pilot and a Leading Young Actress award, beating out the likes of Kirsten Dunst and Tegan Moss. Kirsten grew up in Orlando, Florida, where she attended a Baptist church and later Metro Life Church, an independent charismatic congregation. Her family, including her father, Mike Storms--a NASCAR race announcer and former TV sports anchor in Orlando--moved to California in 1996 to pursue acting opportunities that had opened in Hollywood for Kirsten. They now attend a Vineyard church. "God places Christians in the entertainment business," says Kirsten, 17, and one of the most popular characters on Days. "He is going to turn lights on in dark places." Guiding Lights in Hollywood Daytime soaps trace their roots to serial fiction from the likes of Charles Dickens and radio serials of the 1930s and 1940s, acquiring their name from the advertisers who sold soap products. The first TV soap aired in the early 1950s and gained popularity in subsequent decades. Today, they are mainstays competing with talk shows and game shows. Soaps tend to focus on female characters, both bad and good. They reflect on societal issues and tend to clearly define good and evil. And, of course, the stories never end. This last element allows the scripts to explore the attitudes and emotions around touchy subjects such as AIDS, premarital sex, racial prejudice, homelessness and other real-life issues, which could include Christianity. "Why not?" Austin Peck says. "There could be a Christian character on a soap. But it would have to be an honest character [who] is allowed to struggle with his faith, stumble, fall and get up again." He's willing to play a bad character if the role is redeeming or shows the ugliness of sin. But, he adds: "[soaps] are a slice of life...you cannot take them too seriously." Soap Digest managing editor Stephanie Sloane has noticed the increasing number of actors who believe in God on the programs. "There are Christians on all of the shows, but there is a larger, more vocal contingent on Days," she says. "Soaps are not all about sex. People who say that do not watch them. They deal with poignant, ongoing stories. Yes, yes, many people have sex. But...often there are consequences." So why be a Christian on a soap? Even some of the stars themselves wrestle with the question. "The day I became a Christian I thought, Oh no, I can't work on that show anymore. I was horrified," says Hunter Tylo, a charismatic Christian who stars as Taylor Hayes Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful. "I was willing to walk away. I prayed about where God wanted me. I said: 'Lord take this career. I do not want to be a stumbling block for anyone.'" Hunter walked through the entire CBS studio anointing every room and sound stage with oil. Like Jamie-Lyn, she prayed that God would bring other Christians to the show and the network. Resolved that God indeed wanted her to stay, Hunter has been able to bring Scripture into several episodes and has shared Christ with co-stars and crew members, even leaving notes and tracts in their mailboxes. Many of the stars see God's hand at work in their careers and are careful not to cross the lines in their parts. Scott Reeves, former star with The Young and the Restless agrees that an actor's place on the soaps is a position to be taken seriously for Christ. "How can a Christian be in a soap? I don't think it is for another person to judge. It is between God and the person. You know when you are doing something you should not be doing," he says. Says Julianne Morris: "I am not on a soap to minister to other Christians. I am more concerned about the non-Christians. If I can reach one person for Christ, it is all worth it." When Life Is More Than Soap Opera Julianne Morris says abstinence iis one role she won't negociate. Julianne Morris' first role in a daytime soap was as a 16-year-old on The Young and the Restless. The storyline took a turn that challenged her faith as a Christian. It called for her character to lose her virginity. "I was mortified," Julianne says. "That is such a horrible message." She tried to reason with the producers and writers. "I did not go in like a bull in a china shop. I tried to be humble and kind and loving and backed it with facts [about teen pregnancy]," she told Charisma. But the producers had their way, and her character was unable to remain a virgin. "They were very nice about it and agreed to add several scenes--several days of me just crying and saying [the pregnancy] was the biggest mistake I'd ever made, that I wanted to wait until I was married and that I wish I had waited. "But there are a lot of situations where girls lose their virginity and then realize they made a big mistake," Julianne adds. "So there was a message in it." Julianne, who is single and is leaving Days of Our Lives this spring, clearly advocates sexual abstinence before marriage. "I am waiting. It is not always easy, but it is the right thing to do," she says. The Days star has a strong message for all singles, especially teens. "I believe marriage is ordained by God," she says. "The Bible teaches quite explicitly that the romantic attachment between a husband and a wife is a parallel to our relationship to God. There could be no stronger indication of its importance. "The idea of waiting until you are married to have sex is simply an acknowledgment of the power of sex and its unique status. Christians understand exactly how exalted and life-changing it is, which is why we don't advocate treating it as cavalier as getting a manicure." Steven Lawson is a veteran journalist based in Southern California. While he does not watch soaps, his late grandmother, Pauline Steves, was a fervent Days of Our Lives fan from the show's inception in 1965.

Was it AMC and Y&R's success in the mid 70's that began the push to more youthful stories? Also the expansion to 60 min meant there was room for them in the older shows. DOOL aged Mike and David,ATWT did the same with Annie & Dee,AW with Mike and Marianne etc DRS being set in a hospital probably found it more difficult to incorporate younger kids in major stories.

As well as Nancy,AW had potential story gold with Rachel's other half sister Pam Davis.

From TV Guide Jan 65 “The Battle of Peyton Place” by Richard Warren Lewis is the first of a two-part look at ABC’s controversial bi-weekly prime time soap opera. It’s an interesting read. Lewis reveals the complicated history of the series. The original hour-long pilot was well received by ABC (vice president Douglas Cramer called it “a brilliant hour of film, one of the best pilots ever made”) but the network hired Irna Phillips to consult on the series. She insisted the pilot be thrown out even though the network and sponsors were thrilled with it. “When I saw it–the sensational story of Selena Cross and her father–I told ABC I thought it ought to be shelved,” she explained. “I did not think that this was the kind of thing to give an American public–a father seducing his stepdaughter.” Phillips provided a treatment of her own that involved an incestuous relationship between half-siblings. Executive producer Paul Monash was furious: Any relationship between them [Allison Mackenzie and Richard Bailey] would be incest. I utterly reject this tasteless and profitless story area. It is meretricious, trite and tawdry. Are we seriously expected to film a story in which Allison and this young man play out a full romance? Isn’t this suggestion coming from the very writer who complained about a plethora of sex in the pilot?” In defense of her outline for the series Phillips suggested that Monash simply didn’t understand “the mechanics of serial drama” and declared it “could be handled delicately and in good taste.” Both the pilot and the Phillips treatment were tossed out. Phillips came up with another idea involving an unwed, pregnant girl named Betty Anderson and Dr. Michael Rossi. ABC loved it but 20th Century Fox and Monash didn’t. He told ABC “Irna Phillips is trying to impose her pattern on Peyton Place. I cannot do the series properly, expressing viewpoints which are not my own.” Negotiations continued between the studio and the network. And that’s where the article left off. Next week’s issue will pick things up with Monash signing a contract and agreeing to a murder. Finally, there is the second part of “The Battle of Peyton Place” by Richard Warren Lewis. It’s even better than the first part. The battle eventually ended with ABC winning, for the most part, but not before two production shutdowns and executive producer Paul Monash threatening to quit. The first shutdown came after just two episodes had been completed (10 additional scripts were also done) while ABC and Monash fought over how to kick off the series. Monash argued against ABC’s proposal to have Betty Anderson lose her child in an automobile accident and then quickly become pregnant again: Dramatic fireworks without a solid platform of reality would be melodramatic pap, no matter how well it is written and acted. If the audience does not feel for the people in this series, if it does not have a genuine love toward some of them, if they do not believe in the reality of our people, then the Peyton Place series,no matter what its initial rating, will go right down the drain. The second shutdown came in late November 1964 after 42 episodes had been filmed. ABC wanted murder and Monash, after initially opposing their plan and threatening to quit, eventually gave in: The hell with it. If this is what they want, and the studio orders me to do it, I’m not going to breach my contact. In this screwy business you eventually end up as a prostitute anyhow. I suppose you could say I now have the most curious success in television. It’s unfortunate that instead of basking in the success, people are grabbing for the spoils. The show is no longer a reflection of what I wanted to do. I feel like a salmon swimming upstream to die. Bizarrely, after winning the battle, ABC abruptly decided to tone down the very violence it had been asking for.

Gary Tomlin didn't know much about the character of Alice? One of the original cast members and most popular actresses/characters of the 60's and 70's? I find it incredible if true that there weren't people at P&G or the studio who could advise him. Wouldn't you as a writer want to know what went before as a source of ideas? Reading through 67 synopses when Ada was introduced,she was blackmailing Liz into paying for a private room at the hospital for her beloved Rachel.

I think Chris Robinson came on as Rick May/June 78. Was this because Michael Gregory wanted to leave or did Gloria want to recast? A few years later Gregory turned up on Days for a few eps as the man who rescued Anna Brady when she supposedly drowned.

it's interesting to watch that 77 stuff in light of what was coming up. Gloria Monty said that a lot of the scenes involved two people talking and sitting down so she tried to introduce more movement.Looking at those eps she was right. Also,in light of the ratings shooting up the following year,it's worth noting that Doug Marland/Gloria Monty didn't make huge cast changes ,rather just juiced up the stories of existing characters,added/deleted a few characters(at first) , recasted a few roles and improved the production. Really until the Luke and Laura /Ice Princess GH was still a very much traditional soap with some new elements.It's a pity Monty was allowed to run wild because in the long run soaps were the worse for it.

Never seen reference to the Allen's before. Who knows what plans were for this family although it seems unlikely that there was room in the 15min format for another family.

Alice was at first a supporting character to her sister Pat who carried the main story.She was given a boyfriend Tony Douglas in the second half of 65.Lee had her eye on Tony and Pat felt she was trying to come between Tony and Alice to get back at Pat. Tony and alice continued off an on throughout 66 when Agnes Nixon was headwriter. Alice became a student nurse in early 67 when Russ returned as an intern. Alice stayed supporting until Steve arrived in mid 68.

In the history of TD posted above,it says that the cast by 65 included Dave Davis,Althea's ex husband,so I assume they were already divorced when Althea was introduced.That seems likely considering she had two romances by 67.

Episode summary Oct 28 1968 Joe tells Anna about his feelings for her, which go beyond the boundaries of friendship. Meredith has left the hospital but nobody knows where she has gone. Nurse Martin is the only person who saw Meredith leave, and Larry is concerned since he and Meredith are supposed to be getting married tomorrow. Dr. Craig tells Dr. Trainor about a patient, Carla, who has been receiving outside treatment. Craig wants Trainor to assist him with Carla but he is unaware that Trainor is attracted to her as well.

Bill Bell used that same ,rather sexist angle when Peggy Brooks encouraged Joann to glam it up to win back Jack. The thinking seemed to be that a woman had to keep up appearances to hold onto a man. Mind you when the man is a young Tom Selleck,or Anthony Herrera maybe that's a fair point. Lanna Saunders was Betty.

Summary of a 1974 episode. Jed Andrews and Laurie Brooks discuss Jed's plans for divorcing his wife, Betty, and the alimony arrangements. After Jed leaves, Brock Reynolds arrives and tells Laurie not to destroy Jed and Betty's marriage. The following events also occur: Stewart Brooks talks to his daughter, Leslie, who is worried about Brad Eliot; Laurie invites Betty over and gives her advice about how to save her marriage with Jed; and Leslie confronts Brad about his deceptive decision to allow others to believe he is dead.

Summary of the debut episode Sept 27 1965 Joy is dropped off at the beach by her mother, a fashion designer, who is concerned about her daughter’s activities and highly suspicious of her friends. Joy, for her part, chafes under her mother’s attention and discusses it with her friend Barbara. Barbara laments that her boyfriend Tad is busy with both his college education and football, leaving her little time to see him. She likes Tad not only due to his looks but also his rich father. Joy remarks to Barbara that she’ll find her true love one day, but Barbara advises her to get “real.” Barbara’s sister Susan talks with her friend Alfy, a Liverpudlian who fancies himself an intellectual. Susan remarks to Barbara that she likes Alfy but isn’t trying to “hold him.” Alfy talks about his time playing with his band, which he claims to have detested and dismisses as plebian despite Susan’s remarks to the contrary. A new teen arrives at the beach in his van, and Jo Jo is sent to welcome him. The newcomer’s name is Chet Brandon, who lives out of his van and implies that he ran away from home. Alfy takes a liking to him almost immediately. He and Joy show Chet around. Alfy brings him into the “High Dive,” a local hangout where Alfy often brings in live entertainment. Chet tells joy he’s graduated from school and works as an auto mechanic. When she comments on it he becomes agitated and defensive before leaving. Joy calls her mother and promises to be home early; her mother insists that Tad and Barbara drive her home. That night, everyone gathers at the High Dive, but Joy and Chet seem reticent. She finally walks over and apologizes to him for her remarks, and he accepts her apology and offers to drive her home. Despite her mother’s wishes, she agrees and they walk out together.

Summary of an episode around 68? , Dr. Griffiths is opposed to Dr. Hardy's recommendation of Dr. Tracy Adams as the hospital's kidney specialist because Adams is a black woman. Dr. Brewer gets a phone call from Jessie while Polly is in the room with him. Griffiths and Hardy confront each other about Adams and her qualifications. Hardy says he'll resign if the hospital board rejects her. Meanwhile, Polly shocks Brewer with her announcement of sincere affection for him.

Here's what was happening in Bay City Fiday May 2 1964 Jim and Mary Matthews discuss their pleasant day and relax on the porch as the Memorial Day weekend draws to a close. Jim expresses his appreciation of the fact that Mary has included Liz and her family in the dinner invitations, despite her reservations. Meanwhile, Tom and Pat lounge in a secluded outdoor spot, mooning over their first meeting and dreading the end of the brief holiday respite. Tom becomes amorous and tells Pat he finds her "exciting," while she replies she only wants to be loved. By Monday November 9 Carol waits for her date, Tom Baxter, who, unbeknownst to her, lies dead from a gunshot wound; Frank arrives home where he finds Pat standing over Tom's body; Pat leaves the apartment when Frank's back is turned; Laura begs Ken not to divorce her, but her efforts are fruitless; Frank tells the police what happened; and Ken arrives at the scene of the crime and sees the dead body of his son.

Some information on the early days of The Doctors. Ian Martin and William Kendall Clarke were writing the show in May 64. When the show was using the weekly anthology format John Pickard and Frank Provo were writers. Their credits include Eps 271 - 275 Judgement of Solomon Eps 311 - 315 New Wings for Old Also eps titled No Greater Love & In His Mysterious Way Doris Frankel wrote eps 296 - 300 Gold is a Happy Color Episode that aired Friday April 19th 1963 'The Helping Hand' Circumstances force a reluctant doctor to take on a surgical procedure that he does not feel ready to perform. Dr. Frank Dickson and Dr. Bill Scott are concerned about a patient who is suffering from an ulcerated colon that requires surgery. But with a serious wrist injury, Dr. Scott is unable to perform this delicate operation. Dickson is the only other qualified physician on duty, but ever since he lost a patient in surgery, he has been too scared to operate again. Dickson, Scott, and Hayes endure a tense couple of hours, but their professionalism shines during this test of nerves.

Byron Sanders was probably on the most soaps of any male performer from the 50's thru 80's yet is relatively unknown.

The writers gave Jo a 'ward' in the form of Bruce Carson in the early 70's to keep the character relevant at that time. But Bruce was dropped in 78 and never returned. Maybe they should have had a mysterious young man come to Henderson who takes an interest in Jo and her family.It appears he is a stalker out to do her harm,only for it to be revealed that he is in fact her natural son. There was a baby swap when Duncan was born so the baby that died was not hers. Tom Bergman,Danny and Gary Walton,Laine Adamson etc should have been present in town rather than the endless supply of Kendalls.

I'm thinking that Joan was a temp replacement for Anne and if it wasn't for those few references,like many others she would have gone unreported and unnoticed. I also looked up George Wright to see if he had any connection to Ms Blackman and found out he is a highly respected musician. http://www.theatreorgans.com/artists/georgewright/

I find Patrick so annoying!! That cutesy,just stepped off the bus from Hicksville persona is wearing me down. Don't understand why those three are friends...

Genius? Ok I'll accept that! Glad I could bring us one step closer to solving this puzzle. The fact that the musical director is in the picture is somewhat random,so maybe Joan was included as she was on the set that day for some reason.

Yes, the Joan Blackman issue is a mystery. She was quite a name actress at the time,so puzzling that her role would never be listed. If it was just a guest spot,then why would she appear in a cast photo? Seeing the men all suited up with flowers in buttonholes has me thinking it must have been a wedding being taped? Maybe her character was a relative of the bride or groom?

And then for some bizarre reason,subsequent writers chose to kill off Penny.