Eric,thanks for starting these posts about long ago,much lamented soaps.
Some more WTHI info:
As previously posted,the show was sandwiched between Love of Life and Search for Tomorrow-in fact it replaced LOL at 12.00,where it had been scheduled since 58,when it expanded to 30 min.
The competition on ABC was Bewitched reruns from 68-70,the short lived flop soap The Best of Everything in early 70,That Girl reruns 70-72 and the game show Password till 73
NBC aired Jeopardy for all of WTHI run.
Here is some stuff that i found on the net years ago and saved.
Created by Margaret DePriest and Lou Scofield, this wonderfully bizarre daytime serial was innovative (i.e. kinky) for 1969 with its theme of sexual entanglements within and around members of the same family, the wealthy Hathaways (who were originally introduced on Love of Life). Uncomfortably nestled between two long-running conservative soaps, Love of Life and Search for Tomorrow, Where the Heart Is upset many with its steamy storylines. Some affiliates in the South refused to air it, while CBS received thousands of angry letters from viewers who claimed they were offended by the unwholesome soap--but, of course, continued to watch. And if this wasn't enough for a brand new show to endure, the network put it up against NBC's Jeopardy, one of daytime's most popular game shows.
Our Story Begins: 1969
In the first episode, Kate Hathaway was mourning the recent death of her tyrant father, Judge Daniel Hathaway. However, her brother, Julian Hathaway, a widowed English professor, was rejoicing over the old man's death, which he had fantasized about since boyhood. The black sheep of the Hathaway family--shallow younger sister Allison--returned home to the suburban town of Northcross, Connecticut, for their father's funeral. She was accompanied by her weak-willed husband, Roy Archer, who had jilted Kate years ago to run off with Allison on the eve of his and Kate's wedding. And now, much to Kate's chagrin, her baby sister decided to stay in town after the funeral.
Meanwhile, Julian was worried about his new wife, Mary, who was much younger--and attracted to his college-age son, Michael! The young man blamed his father for his mother's suicide years ago and had now fallen in love with his stepmother--who returned his feelings. But before this sordid little romance could bloom, along came Vicky Lucas, the spoiled daughter of hoodlum Ed Lucas (who worked for the Hathaways).
The Vicky Lucas Years: 1969-71
Michael felt sorry for the pretty blonde Vicky, whose mother was also deceased, and the lonely, desperate girl was convinced that she could make him love her by becoming a lady (with helpful lessons from Allison). Discovering that Michael and Mary were in love, Vicky schemed to break them up, and one night she finally succeeded in seducing the young man. Their lovemaking, of course, resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. Michael then did the honorable thing and married her for the sake of the child, despite his continued feelings for Mary.
After Roy was killed in a car accident, Allison married Dr. Hugh Jessup in 1970, but he soon had an affair with dark-haired Christine Cameron, who liked married men (she was having an affair with Ruth Monroe's husband, Tony, when the show began). When his young mistress became pregnant, Hugh left Allison and moved in with Christine, who gave birth to his illegimate daughter, Katina. Hugh's mother, Harriet Jessup, was shocked by her son's embarrassing behavior, but she told her husband, Ben, that she still planned to be a grandmother to the innocent baby. A betrayed Allison was comforted by her friend, Laura Blackburn, and she was enraged when Harriet took a liking to Christine (whom Allison had dubbed the "Hester Prynne" of Northcross).
Kate fell in love with wealthy businessman Steve Prescott, and they planned to marry. But then a crooked politician, who had been exposed by Steve years ago, had the man beaten up, and he developed amnesia, forgetting he loved Kate. Ellie Jardin took Steve in and fell in love with him, and they became romantically involved. He eventually regained his memory, but poor Ellie was murdered by thugs in 1971. Meanwhile, Steve's younger brother, Terry Prescott, dated Lois Snowden and wanted to move in with her, but she made up excuses to avoid living with him. Nan and Joe Prescott were Steve and Terry's parents.
When Christine began to receive harassing phone calls and nasty, anonymous letters (calling her a filthy whore and Jezebel), Allison was the prime suspect. She was very upset when even Hugh and Kate thought she attacking Christine for revenge. Poor Christine finally had to be hospitalized as the harassment caused her to pass out from high blood pressure. She was eventually kidnapped and nearly murdered by her true tormentor--her deranged babysitter, Will Watts, who had spent time in a mental institution after he had killed his wife for leaving him for another man. After this horrible experience, Christine was devastated to learn that a bored Hugh was sneaking around with his estranged wife, Allison (of all people)! Allison was quite amused by this unlikely scenario of a man cheating on his mistress with his wife. Christine then ended her relationship with Dr. Jessup.
After hearing Michael profess his love to Mary, a devastated Vicky drove off into a snowstorm and crashed her car. She lost the baby and was paralyzed in the accident. Now Michael couldn't leave her because of her condition. However, Ed Lucas soon discovered that his daughter could really walk and threatened to tell Michael that she was faking her paralysis to keep him by her side (he had never thought the young man was the right guy for her). Vicky then blackmailed him by threatening to reveal that he hadn't reported all his earnings from the club/restaurant he owned to the IRS. She knew about his connection to organized crime--a numbers racket with sleazy businessman, Arthur Saxton. The girl vowed to destroy her father if he ruined her marriage to Michael. Meanwhile, Mary, who was now pregnant by Julian, felt guilty about the accident and Vicky losing her baby. As her punishment, she decided to take care of the "paralyzed" girl. Then one day Mary discovered that Vicky had been lying about her condition and vowed to tell Michael about his wife's many months of deception. As Mary tried to leave to go to Michael, Vicky accused her of being pregnant by him--not Julian--and said she was going to let everyone know it. She then vindictively pushed Mary down a flight of stairs. Poor Mary suffered her own miscarriage, and Vicky, who had gone off the deep end, was committed to a mental institution (1971).
The Liz Rainey Years: 1971-73
After breaking up with Hugh, Christine Cameron met the debonair John Rainey. Upset when he revealed that he was married, she refused to let herself get involved with another married man and ended their relationship, even though he insisted that his marriage had ended a long time ago. A miserable Christine missed John terribly, and he refused to give up on their relationship. His estranged wife, Adrienne, was holding up their divorce because her social position was very important to her. After she began seeing John again, Christine hated herself and decided to see a therapist about her addiction to married men. She went into counseling with Adrienne Harris, not realizing that the woman was actually John's wife!
Meanwhile, Adrienne's bitchy daughter, Elizabeth Harris Rainey (who was raised by her mother until she married John), began dating Michael, who was now divorced from Vicky and a lab technician. She then had a secret affair with Michael's father, Julian, who was now estranged from Mary and suffering a mid-life crisis. He believed her story that she had broken up with his son. When Julian decided to end their affair, Liz got pregnant on purpose, but this plan backfired when he now refused to have anything else to do with her or the unborn child. The girl now cried crocodile tears to Michael, whom she had moved in with. The young man was extremely understanding when she revealed that her pregnancy was the result of an affair with an older married man who had dumped her (before she began seeing Michael). Unaware that this man was his own father, nice guy Michael agreed to marry her and claim the baby as his own.
Middle-aged sisters Loretta and Margaret Jardin (relatives of the late Ellie) lived with their younger brother, Robert Jardin, who managed the family fortune. Margaret frequently taunted her sweet and mentally slow sister about her lack of intelligence. When Robert began dating Kate Hathaway, money-hungry Margaret became quite concerned about the couple's budding relationship since she was afraid that she and Loretta would be kicked out on to the street if he married the woman. She then convinced Loretta to be rude to Kate in hopes that she would reconsider her romance with Robert. When Robert eventually learned that Margaret was trying to destroy his relationship with Kate, he did kick her out of the house. A hysterical Margaret--who also had some incestuous feelings for her brother--chased after him, pleading for another chance. She then "accidentally" ran over Robert with a car, killing him (1972). The crazy woman was quickly sent away to an institution. Kate then finally married Steve Prescott, and they adopted Peter, the mute son of the late Ellie Jardin.
Liz was quite suspicious when she saw Christine coming out of her mother's office, but Adrienne denied that she was counseling her estranged husband's mistress, which would be highly inappropriate. Liz didn't believe her mother and suspected that Adrienne was encouraging Christine to end her relationship with John (which she was). After Liz discovered Adrienne's file on Christine, she blackmailed her own mother, who desperately wanted to reconcile with John. Adrienne was thrilled as her devious plan seemed to work when Christine suffered a nervous breakdown due to her psychological problems. She now pretended to be the girl's friend by offering to help her get baby Katina back from Hugh, who wanted custody. She then gave Hugh's lawyer questions that caused Christine to suffer a relapse and get put back in the sanitarium, far away from John. When Adrienne learned of her daughter's pregnancy, she used the information to plead for a reconciliation with John--for Liz's sake! But he was reluctant since he still loved Christine. Adrienne then went to visit Christine in a mental hospital, where she cleverly manipulated the poor girl into suffering a complete emotional collapse. John then reconciled with his estranged wife, but their reunion didn't last long as he soon learned all about her scheming ways.
Michael brought Liz home to meet the family and introduced her to a shocked Julian. She later told her ex-lover that her baby was a Hathaway and that a Hathaway man was going to be a father to the child. After her marriage to Michael, the nasty Liz tortured Julian with threats that she would spill the beans to a clueless Mary (whom Julian had reconciled with) about the baby's true parentage. Poor Julian began having violent stomach pains and developed an ulcer, causing him to turn his English lit class over to Loretta Jardin, a recovering alcoholic high school teacher who had studied literature (Robert Browning) under Julian. Continuing to seek revenge on her former lover, Liz now started spreading rumors that Julian was having a torrid love affair with Loretta. When Michael started to turn to his ex-wife Vicky (who had recovered from her breakdown and become a much nicer person), Liz escalated the rumors at Northcross University by implying that Julian was engaged in a scandalous menage a trois with Loretta and Mary! After Adrienne finally spilled the beans to Michael that Julian was the father of Liz's child, the furious young man felt betrayed by both his wife and his father. Michael threatened to tell Mary (who had given birth to Julian's son Daniel) the truth if Julian didn't.
Behind the Scenes: 1972-73
An interesting casting choice that brought much attention to the show in 1972 was Despo--the Andy Warhol star--who played Athena Stefanopolis for two weeks. Also that year, original cast member Bibi Osterwald decided to leave the show to star in the short-lived sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie, so her character, Stella O'Brien--the Hathaways' longtime housekeeper--suddenly moved to upstate New York to care for an ill aunt.
Although the show's ratings were quite respectable when it was officially cancelled on February 12, 1973, CBS felt that the cult audience the soap was attracting was not what the advertisers wanted: younger viewers. News of the unexpected cancellation inspired 35,000 viewers to write passionate letters protesting CBS's action. Ending its run the same day as Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Where the Heart Is was replaced by the more contemporary The Young and the Restless, which succeeded in beating Jeopardy in the ratings to become one of daytime's most popular soaps.
The End: 1973
After her adopted son Peter died in a fire (1973), the usually stalwart Kate Prescott, who had always been the good daughter trying to please her father, suffered a nervous breakdown, causing a split personality named Betty to emerge. She began having blackouts and bizarre mood swings in which she'd become the nasty tramp, Betty, who wore revealing lingerie and tight miniskirts and danced lewdly in front of children. The poor woman mistakenly thought she was dying of the same brain aneurysm that killed her mother.
In the show's last episode, Steve took Kate away on an extended vacation to the Caribbean after she realized that her alter ego, Betty, was taking over because of the neglect she had felt from her parents. John confronted his stepdaughter, Liz, and accused her of being a liar--and every bit as bad as her mother. He then begged Christine for another chance, and they reconciled. Adrienne and Liz decided to move in together and stop their lying ways, and Adrienne promised her daughter that she would help her raise her baby alone. Mary forgave Julian for having an affair with Liz and knocking her up. Julian went to visit Michael at Back To Nature, Vicky's millhouse, and assured his son that he never intended to hurt him (since he didn't sleep with Liz until after she claimed she had broken up with Michael). Michael never wanted to see his father again, but he was persuaded to forgive him. The final scene ended with the two men embracing after they realized there was hope for the future of the Hathaway family.
Critique
Having never seen Where the Heart Is, I can only give my opinion on what I've read about the show--and it sounds totally addictive. A father and son in love with the same woman! A man cheating on his mistress with his wife! A woman running her brother over with a car! Split personalities! Deranged babysitters! Sounds like juicy drama to me. And what a cast--James Mitchell, Priscilla Pointer, Barbara Baxley, Rue McClanahan, Louise Shaffer, Joseph Mascolo and Marsha Mason! I definitely would've tuned in to watch. However, I do believe the show was ahead of its time. Trapped between two far more conservative soaps and up against Jeopardy, I doubt that many housewives were prepared for such a racy show in 1969. It's unfortunate that it didn't catch on with the masses, but if it had been a great success, then we might not have The Young and the Restless today. And that's the way of the world, folks--but Where the Heart Is should be fondly remembered as a daring drama for its day.
Scorecard
Births: (2) Katina Cameron, Daniel Hathaway
Marriages: (4) Michael & Vicky, Allison & Hugh, Kate & Steve, Michael & Liz
Murders: (2) Ellie Jardin (killers: thugs); Robert Jardin (killer: his sister, Margaret Jardin)
The Cast
Roy Archer: Stephen Joyce (1969-70)
Laura Blackburn: Marsha Mason (1971)
Christine Cameron: Terry O'Connor (1969), Delphi Harrington (1969-73)
Baby Katina Cameron: Kara Fleming
Adrienne Harris: Priscilla Pointer (1972-73)
Daniel Hathaway: Joseph Dolen (1972-73)
Julian Hathaway: James Mitchell (1969-73)
Liz Rainey Hathaway: Tracy Brooks Swope (1971-73)
Mary Hathaway: Diana Walker (1969-73)
Michael Hathaway: Gregory Abels (1969-73)
Vicky Lucas Hathaway: Robyn Millan (1969-71), Lisa Richards (1972)
Ellie Jardin: Zohra Lampert (1970-71)
Loretta Jardin: Alice Drummond (1971-73)
Margaret Jardin: Barbara Baxley (1971), Rue McClanahan (1971-72)
Peter Jardin: Michael Bersell (1970-73)
Robert Jardin: Keith Charles (1972)
Allison Archer Jessup: Louise Shaffer (1969-73)
Ben Jessup: Daniel Keyes (1969-72)
Dr. Hugh Jessup: Rex Robbins (1970), David Cryer (1970-73)
Ed Lucas: Mark Gordon (1969), Charles Cioffi (1969-70), Joseph Mascolo (1970-72)
Ruth Monroe: Nancy Franklin (1969-70)
Tony Monroe: David Bailey (1969-70)
Stella O'Brien: Bibi Osterwald (1969-72)
Dr. Joe Prescott: William Post, Jr. (1970-73)
Kate Hathaway Prescott: Diana van der Vlis (1969-73)
Nan Prescott: Katherine Meskill (1970-72)
Steve Prescott: Laurence Luckinbill (1969-70), Ron Harper (1970-73)
Terry Prescott: Douglas Ross (1970-71), Ted LePlat (1971-72)
John Rainey: Peter MacLean (1971-73)
Arthur Saxton: Bernard Kates (1969-71)
Lois Snowden: Jeanne Ruskin (1970-72)
Will Watts: Robert Symonds