Paul Raven

Re the incest story.I read that ABC was premiering the TV movie Something About Amelia starring Ted Danson,which was being touted as a breakthrough in dealing with this topic. ABC daytime got the word to drop the story as primetime wanted the movie to be hailed as a landmark and not some low rated daytime soap.

Ann had played Eunice for 10 years,in which time she had been through 2 marriages and a lot of story,so I could understand the decision to get rid of the character as the show was only 30 mins and casts were kept quite small in those days. Budget wise it was probably a good move also,as it allowed for newer,younger and cheaper characters to be introduced. However,long term I question the wisdom of writing off the character as she was Jo's only sibling.Patti was dropped not long after and it made it harder to keep Jo in the story. It might have been interesting had Jo and Eunice been involved in a triangle.Maybe she divorced John and he turned to Jo.Or one of Jo's later romances turned into a triangle with Eunice. As for the serial killer story,I think Sarah,Jo's never before mentioned grandaughter was a victim also.Louise Shaffer had not been well received as Stephanie,and like Eunice before her had been around for a decade and an older vet character was probably seen as expendable. Serial killer stories were done to death in the 80's.Who was the Henderson killer?

From The Soap Opera Book (The scenes of Jennifer shooting eunice are on YouTube,courtesy of Ann William's children.) Eunice and John Wyatt's marriage was going through some bad times as a result of Eunice's sexual problems. John turned to Jennifer Pace, a beautiful younger woman, for comfort. He and Jennifer had an affair, which Eunice eventually discovered. John was determined to save his marriage and broke off his relationship with Jennifer. But Jennifer, an extremely insecure and clinging young woman, wouldn't let go. She was constantly visiting John's office, begging him to come back. Eunice usually walked in when they were together and no amount of explaining could convince her that the affair had ended. Finally, Jennifer called John, told him that someone had tried to rape her in her apartment and begged him to come over and protect her. John consequently spent the night on her couch. Eunice found out about it and didn't believe his version of the story. John moved out. Eunice soon realized that she was wrong and was going to try for a reconciliation—until she found out that John had moved in with Jennifer. Eunice filed for divorce, even though she still loved John. John, meanwhile, found out that Jennifer had lied, and that no one had attacked her on that fateful night. Again he packed his bags. He and Eunice patched up their marriage and were back to being like newlyweds. Jennifer attempted suicide; she survived, but as a result went slightly crazy. She kept hearing John talking to her, telling her he loved her, and that he wanted her to kill Eunice so they could marry. All in Jennifer's head, of course. Still Jennifer stole a gun and shot and killed Eunice! Viewer sympathy lies with Eunice, in the grave.

Trouble was that writers following the Corringtons relied on Travis and Liza at the expense of everything else. They were constantly put in jeopardy in plot driven stories,relying on action and locations for interest.The worst was the incomprehensible Operation Sunburst story. There was talk of the show going to an hour around 78/79 when the Sentells and Tourneurs were introduced but CBS wanted Y&R to expand also and there simply wasn't room on the schedule.

Jennifer Gatti played Angela Moreno,daughter of Barbara Moreno(Olympia Dukakis) I think they were brought on in the Joanna Lee era.Lee wanted the show to be more reality based and to get away from the action/adventure stuff. Unfortunately,the producers/writers never stayed around long enough to fully implement their vision.There were way too many story and cast changes. The show should have focused on Jo,Patti and her two kids Chris and Tracey,along with Stu,his son Tom and grandkids Liza,Garry and Danny. But all the writers in the 80's wanted to ignore the history for no good reason.

Jack Parrish,who played Brad Garrick in 1980, passed away in October at age 56.

<h1 id="fir"> </h1> "The Eerie Truth Behind Search’s Occult Phenomenon!" by Diana Whitley Rona Barrett’s Daytimers August 1979 Search For Tomorrow has introduced the world of the occult to daytime viewers. Dark Shadows came close but in a highly stylized, Gothic manner complete with vampires and eerie effects. However, Search is treating it in a realistic manner, devoid of anything sensational or "gimmicky." The writers and producers painstakingly researched their material, and have a psychic, Alexander Murray, to advise them. "The intent is to realistically show the kinds of things that do happen, and to work them out in a story in a metaphysically correct way," Alex explained. Alex is a gentle, cheerful young man with a good sense of humor. Nonetheless. He is one of New York’s foremost people in the field, and his credentials include over 30 trance sessions at the United Nations, an extensive international clientele, and a busy schedule as a lecturer, teacher, and seminar reader. He has also been the subject of research projects for the American Society for Psychical Research, successfully demonstrating clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences, psychokinesis, and the banishing of poltergeist phenomenon. Finding Mr. Murray was production coordinator Bonnie Bogand’s job. She was to locate someone who was well versed in all aspects of the occult to be a consultant on the staff. "I started at the occult bookstores. I went to the two biggest ones in New York, and spent a couple of hours at each. I was so intrigued by all the reading material there is on the subject I surrounded myself on the floor with books and read them until the manager finally came over and said I couldn’t read them there! "The big problem was to find someone that was serious," she continued. "There are rip offs in every field, and the occult is certainly no exception. We wanted to treat this very seriously, and not as a gimmick to get more viewers, so we didn’t want any sensationalism," she explained. "The second problem was to find someone articulate, possibly with a flair for drama, who could relate well to the writers, directors, and actors, because this person was going to be involved every step of the way. He would help with the specifics, such as the technique that a psychic would use in reading tarot cards or giving a séance—gestures, incantations, whether or not her eyes would be closed. He would be involved in anything to do with the physicality of what happens, such as lighting or costuming. "He would also have a series of meetings with the writers, going over the story line, telling them whether or not they were being far-fetched, exploring the possibilities of voodoo. When we decided to have a fire caused by lightning, we did it in a way that the audience could decide for themselves whether or not Tante Helene started the fire, but we determined that there is a basis in occult truth for a power to do this." …After Bonnie secured a directory listing everyone in the country who is involved in the occult, she called organizations like Foundation Faith, the Parapsychology Institute of America, and the American Society for Psychical Research. It is illegal for these institutions to recommend anyone, but if she gave them names, they would indicate their opinion. The only problem was that none of them seem to agree on any one person. Like most other fields, the occult tends to have specialists, and Search needed someone who was well versed in all aspects from séances to tarot, so many people were immediately eliminated. Finally, it was narrowed down to Alexander Murray, so Bonnie made an appointment for a séance, without telling him who she was or why she was interested. "I didn’t want to go alone, so my boyfriend went with me. It wasn’t at all what I expected. I thought it would be pitch black, with special effects like a fan blowing the curtains and a black cat. It was just a group of people sitting around the room in chairs-not even holding hands around a table. Alex conducted the session, opening it with some incantations and prayers. Then his mind left his body and he became about seven different people, with different accents and sometimes even different languages. He basically spoke about love and a philosophy of life. There was nothing ugly or scary. "One thing happened that was very exciting. He has a spirit guide, who allows the other spirits to some and go out of his body without becoming possessed by an evil spirit. She (his spirit guide is a woman) went around the room and told everyone something about their vibrations and auras. When she came to me she said she saw someone in my aura, and that it was an aunt named Helen. I told everyone at the office and they were all really excited." After the séance, Mary Ellis Bunim, the producer, also went to see Alex, and she was unequivocably chosen as the show’s consultant. One of the things Alex has done is to give Jane White, the actress who plays the central occult figure "Tante Helene," a shibboleth to protect herself and the rest of the staff from evil visitations. "A shibboleth is a protection that you may do in the form of a mantra. Even when you play act, you are touching upon the real thing. There is a tradition that every time the play Macbeth is done there is a curse on it and something goes wrong. There are a lot of magical incantations in that play, and the actors may not know it, but every time they say them they can release a lot of energy. "I explained to Jane that even though she is only acting, there is power in words, and she should make a clear distinction between herself and "Tante Helene," so I gave her something to protect herself and the cast, so that the spirit world would understand it was just a play. We didn’t want any weird happenings, like tapes being erased or flats falling over, and that kind of thing has been known to happen." In a similar vein, Alex explained that the other characters in Henderson are going to be affected by their contact with the occult world, even though they may not believe in it or be aware of it. "They come into contact with ‘Tante Helene’ on a casual basis, but once they make the contact it is like opening Pandora’s box. They’re involved whether they know it or not. Once exposed, it is like radiation, and the outcome will be worked out in the story."

Eric,thanks for starting this thread.This show and Hidden Faces have always interested me as they were both very short lived,yet launched at a time when soaps were pretty strong. The ratings for TBOE were appalling. I wonder what ABC's expectations were at the time. It replaced Bewitched which moved to 11.30 as lead-in.The competition was Jeopardy on NBC and Where The Heart Is on CBS. It boasted a good cast and name recognition,band ABC obviously wanted it to succeed but perhaps clearances were poor.In those days,some areas still did not have an ABC affiliate. Incidentally,I met Patty McCormack at a film festival for her classic movie The Bad Seed.She was very approachable and charming.I mentioned Best of Everything and she said she had a great time on that show and made a best friend in Julie Mannix and that they are still friends today.

The crazy thing is that these returns were part of 'giving fans what they want' for the finale. So TPTB knew fans would like to see these characters/actors. So why not bring them back in the final years,not weeks.Maybe a return to what made the show popular would have saved it.

April 76 After Mike's stormy session with Mike, he has all the symptoms of a heart attack and is rushed to the hospital by the trauma unit. Fortunately, he is found to be suffering only from stress. Maggie is relieved, but Nick still wants to examine Matt thoroughly and Hank urges Matt to stay home for a few days. Martha's friend, Ernie, had been suggesting to Mike that he consider working in the police lab, when Maggie called to tell Mike that Matt was in the hospital. She insisted that under no circumstances should Mike join her, but has kept her previous promise to keep him posted on Matt's condition. When Mike relays the stress diagnosis to Martha, she suggests that perhaps Matt is going through male menopause. Eleanor is continuing to have her problems. No matter what womanly wiles she tries on Scott, he will have no part of her, sexually. She complains to Althea that both Wendy and Scott are merely doing their duty with absolutely no love involved. Althea rages at Eleanor for burdening her with her problems. Althea has also advised Eleanor to forget the past and go on with the future. Scott shows up at the height of Althea's outburst and takes Eleanor away as Althea apologizes for behaving rudely. Dr. McIntyre had run into Eleanor as she was on her way to visit Althea. McIntyre is at the hospital for an interview with Matt. The meeting goes very well and Matt tells McIntyre a decision will be reached in a few days. Matt showed up at the hospital in spite of Hank's advice to the contrary, as Hank knew he would. M.J. tries to talk Steve into calling in the police again to find Carolee. Mona, at Ann's contrivance, interrupts M.J.'s meeting with Steve. Mona asks Steve to come home and help prepare for Erich's birthday party. Ann takes it upon herself to call a booking office and hire an entertainer for the party, but wishes to do so anonymously. Jerry has told Penny an unbelievable story about his mother. After saying his mother dreams of someday having a five room apartment, he tries to locate her in Switzerland where she's skiing. Erich's birthday party ends in disaster. The only thing Erich really wanted was Carolee's return. He's convinced himself she's on her way. Erich even implored Billy to check flight arrivals of planes from New York. Jeremy, the clown, arrives and for awhile manages to bring some brightness to the party, but gloom descends when Jeremy admits that Dr. Ann Lorimer hired and sent him to entertain. Erich is deeply hurt and Billy races off to have it out with Ann. His anger has been heightened by Mona's taking Ann's side and telling everyone how grateful they should be that Ann sent Jeremy. Billy Warns Ann At Ann's office, Billy explodes, will accept none of her explanations, and rushes out after threatening to keep an eye on Ann and make certain that she will never worm her way into Steve's household. Eleanor might just as well not be in Scott's household, either. Scott treats her so perfunctorily correct, while ignoring her sexually, that Eleanor is beside herself. Wendy suggests Eleanor take one day at a time. Eleanor is curious to learn if Scott is interested in another woman, but is afraid to find out. Wendy has told Penny that Scott is becoming ragged around the edges and thinks Althea should see and be with Scott. Penny, coming down with something, says Althea is too moral to see Scott while Eleanor is in the picture. Scott has visited Althea earlier to plead his own case, only to find Althea having dizzy spells. Nick comes to look her over, can find nothing wrong, but insists that Althea have a full time nurse. Until she does, Nick will stay with her. Earlier, Penny had refused to move back home after Althea turned down Penny's request for a loan. Penny had hoped to use the money to transfer to another school for the summer. Dr. McIntyre is getting settled in when Stacy enters looking for Dr. Wilson and mistakes Dr. McIntyre for a cleaning man. He offers his services to Stacy after he introduces himself, but Stacy says she's crazy and no one can help her. No one can help Joan Dancy, either, but her mother reads about her in the paper and books a flight home. Mrs. Dancy tries desperately to awaken Joan. She refuses to believe her daughter cannot be saved. She berates Jerry for not having told her the truth about Joan's drug addiction. Jerry shows his mother a plane ticket he bought for Joan two years ago. He'd begged Joan to use it, fly to New York and enter a rehabilitation center. Jerry insists that no one could have saved Joan; that all he would have accomplished by telling Mrs. Dancy the truth would have been his mother's death as well as his sister's. Matt runs into Mike and Toni in the hospital cafeteria. Matt and Mike each make an effort to break through the barrier that separates them. Matt is Mending Fences in several directions. He's calmer now and is even agreeable to taking a vacation. Maggie is ecstatic. Matt amuses her further by his sudden compassion for the love between Greta and Billy, though he does admit his concern over where that love might lead. Billy has turned to Greta for comfort after delivering an ultimatum to Steve. Billy, upset at finding Ann again in the house with Mona, has demanded that Steve must choose between An and the kids. Now Billy, aware that he's only a foster child, feels he may have gone too far. He fears that by forcing Ann out of the house, he may have achieved getting himself pushed out, instead. Ann is determined to change Billy's mind about her. She is also determined to help Steve finish an uncompleted manuscript. Steve wasn't even aware that Mona had given his rough draft to Ann. Rico, unhappy in his relationship with Stacy, has turned to Penny for consolation. Penny is recuperating from a minor illness at Matt and Maggie's. She's refused to stay in the hospital as she now refuses to be a substitute for Stacy. Penny does agree to consider future dates with Rico. Nick finds it necessary to baby sit with Althea in order to keep her at home. He verbally paddles her for having driven alone to the hospital. Stacy Moves In Stacy is moving in with her grandmother and Uncle Steve. As she unpacks, Mona sees a sculpture Stacy has done. She is ecstatic as she places the piece on the mantle. She thinks the piece is absolutely marvelous! Stacy begins to look at it again. She approaches it with an almost breathless awe, as if seeing it for the first time. "It's nice," she says. The words seem like such an understatement. Althea is concerned that she has recurring headaches and blurred vision. She looks at her x-rays with Dr. Iverson and they both concur: the x-rays show nothing. Why then, the blurred vision? Althea decides to talk with Dr. McIntyre. Maggie is very worried about Matt. He's obviously in a weakened condition. Steve Confronts Ann Billy's ultimatum has struck home. Steve tells Ann that they can no longer see each other. Ann, a true diehard, agrees to stay away from the house, but not from Steve. Toni, unaware that Steve has gone to Ann, goes to Steve to tell him that she intends to keep a close eye on his actions towards Billy. Penny goes to Althea to apologize for her past behavior and declare a truce. While there, she encounters Scott. Scott had arrived a few minutes before to declare his love for Althea and ask her if she would marry him. Althea had admitted that she would, but reminded him that he has a wife at home. Mrs. Dancy has been told by the doctors that even in Joanie were to regain consciousness, chances are she would be little more than a vegetable. Mrs. Dancy, however, has put all her faith in God, and continues to fervently pray for a miracle. The doctors agree that nothing short of a miracle would bring about Joanie's recovery. Penny and Althea are on the way to a hamburger lunch when Althea abruptly stops the car. She admits to Penny that, for minute, she didn't see the car in front of her. Is her vision problem a physical one or is it, as Dr. McIntyre suggested, her way of blocking out an agony she doesn't want to see??

From around April 76 Barbara looks at Adam. His eyes are boring into her, searching for the answer to his question: "I want to know what's bothering you. I don't want any more excuses or evasive answers; I want the truth, now." Barbara feels a headache coming on, she steadies herself on a nearby chair to stop the dizziness. "I'm waiting, Barbara." She sees the confusion and concern on her husband's face, she knows, despite her promise to Holly, that she has to tell Adam the whole sordid story. Barbara hesitates for a second then blurts out what she has discovered about his son. At first Adam doubts the veracity of her story, but when the shock dies down he realizes she's telling the truth. Adam says he'll talk to Roger when he and Peggy return from their European honeymoon. Love does strange things to a man. It distorts his vision and deafens his hearing. It creates false hopes to soothe the cravings within his body and soul. Tim's in love and he's experiencing all these things. The object of his affections, Rita Stapleton, tells him over and over she wants things free and easy. She cares for him but she doesn't love him. She begs Tim to heed her words, but she knows he's deluding himself with dreams of walking into the sunset with her. Rita's right. Despite all she's said, Tim asks her to live with him. He says it'll be a trial marriage. "Let's live for the moment (with Tim anyway)" Rita ponders over how to handle this lovesick young man. Before heading back to Springfield, Mike has one final meeting with Clint Pearson. It's a very profitable one, since Clint's parting words hint at a man who's got something to hide. This burly gent tells Mike he's making a mistake looking for Spence Jeffers around here; people who interfere in other people's lives are only hunting for trouble. When Mike tells Ann what he's learned, her eyes sparkle like a child who has just been given her favorite toy for Christmas. She tells Mike she's sure Clint is Spencer and she wants to go to Redding to see for herself. Mike warns her not to, saying Clint is a dangerous character. Ann is too excited to listen to his warning. There was a time when Tim's career was all that mattered to him, but with the advent of Rita, his work seems to be taking a back seat to his love -- and it hasn't gone unnoticed! Steve comments to Joe that he has observed a change in Tim's surgical technique; it seems to be much slower. "If he doesn't pick up," Steve warns, "we'll have to take back the recommendation to make him Senior Resident." Meanwhile the love of his life -- the fire of his heart -- has her own fires ignited by receiving a letter from Ed. Ed tells Rita he's decided to go into neurology. These written words bring a smile to Rita's lips. Trouble at the Bauers Mike's total involvement with Ann's case is causing Leslie great distress. Leslie feels there's more there than meets the eye -- or when Mike and Ann's eyes meet. It's bad enough that Mike has already taken two long business trips for this woman, but now he's going to accompany her to Redding, California. Ann is determined to go and Mike feels it's too dangerous for her to go alone. Leslie expresses her fears, telling Mike she feels that Ann is very much attracted to him, even though he may not reciprocate her feelings. She's afraid if they go off to California together something might happen. Mike assures his wife that he loves no one but her and she should have no worries in that direction. Leslie half-heartedly accepts Mike's explanation and lets him go on the trip. Refreshed, rejuvenated and full of love and gifts -- the Thorpes (Peggy and Roger) have returned to Springfield. The hard cold dawn of reality that Roger's soon to be faced with, will be quite a change from the warm and serene dawns of Europe. Roger gets a glimpse of the future when he stops by his father's house to bring him, Barbara, and Christina, some presents. He's surprised that Barbara won't come out of her room to see him. He's also perplexed by his father's strange behavior. Adam's Anguish It took a long time for Adam to trust his son and now with the heavy dose of truth Adam just consumed, it seems as though this trust has been destroyed. Roger tries to make his father see why it happened ("we were just two lonely people reaching out towards one another") and why he never told him the truth ("too many people would have been hurt if they knew I was Christina's father") but Adam just stares at his son coldly. From looking at his son's eyes, Adam knows Roger's really hurting by this rift between them but he feels there's little he can do at the moment to relieve Roger's pain, Roger leaves; and Adam replays their meeting in his mind. He wants desperately to believe his son but the truth is a bitter pill to swallow. Adam's mind twists and turns with indecision. Ed's New Life Ed's the picture of health and confidence as he walks through the halls of Cedars Hospital. He tells Joe and Sarah that he's decided to go into neurology. Later over a home cooked meal in Rita's apartment, he tells this beautiful young nurse -- and new friend about his new medical specialization. He also says she's greatly responsible for this change in him and he's quite thankful. Rita wants more than thanks from Ed (and she makes subtle hints in that direction) but Ed says he won't be ready for an involvement for quite a while yet. Ann's Ordeal: Is It Now Over? Ann and Mike wait for Clint, Ann's quite nervous; Mike asks her to wait in Clint's office. He says he wants a chance to prepare Clint for what's about to happen. Clint arrives and Mike tells him the real reason for his visits to Redding. Clint replies Mike is crazy and walks into his office. His mouth goes slack with recognition when he sees Ann standing there. Ann utters a questioning "Spence?" Ann's Little Boy Lost for Good? Spencer is not exactly overjoyed to see Ann. Her appearance places him in quite an agitated, nervous state. What he doesn't need is a part of his past showing up in Redding. Ann says she doesn't want to harm him, all she wants to know is where Jimmy is. At first, Spencer is quite evasive, but Ann keeps pumping him for information. Spencer can feel the noose tightening around his neck, he finally blurts out that it's too late, Jimmy is dead. He dies in a drowning accident in Alaska. Ann is completely shattered. Mike tells Spence that he's not through with him yet. He's going to check out every last detail of that story. When Mike arrives back in Springfield, Leslie is distressed to learn her husband is still involved with Ann's case. She thought he'd be finished once he got back from this last trip. Peggy Talks to Adam Peggy has a heart-to-heart with Adam. She begs her father-in-law to accept the situation. She has and she's going to stand right by Roger. Peggy says Roger so needs Adam's love and respect. Adam finds it very hard to resist Peggy's heart-felt words. He tells his son he forgives him. He's not going to turn away from him again. Peggy fares less well with Barbara. Barbara still blames Roger totally for the situation. She refuses to place any of the blame on her daughter's shoulders (something which Holly now does readily). Holly is going to be Steve's new secretary. At Ed's suggestion, Steve interviews, then hires her for the job. Ed tells Holly they're both starting new lives now. Tim Gives Rita a Gift Rita opens the small, beautifully wrapped box. Inside she sees an antique brooch. Tim says the pin belonged to his grandmother and she gave it to him in the hopes that someday, he would give it to the girl he loves. Rita tells Tim it's lovely, but she can't accept it. She would feel very wrong about it. He's the best friend she has in Springfield, but she doesn't love him. She tells Tim it may be best if they stopped seeing each other. Things have just gotten too heavy.

Among the many dumb decisions made on the show in the final years,not bringing on Kevin and Jason Marler ranks with the best of them. Two brothers,different personalities,constantly trying to one up each other,fighting for the same girl etc. With Blake caught in the middle.

Two performers from the Dobson/Marland era have died recently. Rita Lloyd (Lucille Wexler) Tom O'Rourke (Justin Marler)

Virginia Vestoff was there for a year 1969-70.Unfortunately,that is before my time,so I can't comment on her performance. She died young,age 42.

Meta came in just as Laibson and McTavish were ousted.Wasn't there some story that Meta recognised Zachary 'the angel' from years gone by or some such crap?It was quickly dropped. I always thought Meta should have come to town at the time of Bert's death,to take over as matriach,rather than all those years later. Keeping the Bauers alive and active on the show should have been a priority,not an afterthought. i forgot about Kasdorf on SB.The Dobsons obviously liked her,although the character never amounted to much.

I think it was Lenore's choice to leave,to give Hollywood a try.She was also a new mother and her husband was an actor also. Possibly,GL didn't pressure her too much to stay as Marland may have been more interested in his own characters at that point,and Rita had had a lot of story in her time on the show. She showed up on DOOL in 83 as Veronica-a non contract role.It was hinted that it would become contract,but Veronica simply vanished. Rita could have returned to Springfield at some point,but succeeding writers showed little interest in the past-a big mistake. The fact that the Bauers didn't really have a next generation was a problem. Mike,after 4 marriages only had Hope.It would have been smart to have Leslie give Mike a child.Ed only had Rick and later Michelle,despite numerous marriages also.

GL now joins some illustrious company in the cancelled soap thread. Let's share memories and ask questions here.

Janet Margolin played Betty in MIPP. The Encyclopedia of Daytime TV lists Susan Oliver as appearing in 73

Some other tidbits... Don Matheson (Cam GH)was also in the Peyton Place 79 pilot. One problem with continuing the PP legacy was that,as we can see,each version made changes. Selena Rossi was never a part of the nightime versions and they pretty much ignored the daytime developments in subsequent nightime shows. I wonder how many primetime cast members were approached when RTPP was being developed? Only Frank Ferguson, Pat Morrow,Evelyn Scott and Susan Oliver appeared in both. Also worth noting that in Jan 73 a nightime episode played where Alison was found guilty of murder.This would be the first time a daytime soap had a primetime airing.

I think Peyton Place 79 was a syndicated offering that was aimed at a late night audience.Adam West was Batman in the 60's tv show. There was also a TV movie in 77 Murder in Peyton Place which re-united many of the original cast.In the story Rodney and Allison are in a car crash,but murder is suspected. In 85 NBC piloted Peyton Place:The Next Generation as a possible primetime soap.Dorothy Malone,Tim O'Connor,Barbara Parkins and other originals were there along with a new young cast.

Thanks for sharing,French Fan. Interesting that Connie had an abortion on the show.I never knew of this. Along with AMC and SFT,abortions were starting to happen in storylines in the 70's,but then it seemed the plug was pulled and it pretty much wasn't used as a plot point.

Wayne Tippit,who played Ted Adamson,has died age 76. Ted was the father of Laine and Sunny and grandfather of Gary Walton's son by Laine. He was involved with Stephanie,Janet and married Jaime(played by Patricia Arrants,then wife of Rod Arrants(Travis)

NBC 4/3/72 - 1/4/74. Replaced Bright Promise.Replaced by How To Survive A Marriage. Up against One Life To Live on ABC and Edge of Night/Secret Storm/Match Game on CBS.

Under Pam Long,the show was in much better shape,storywise than it had been in years.But it was too late. Thanks French Fan for the list of writers. For whatever reason,the show went through so many writers.Especially in the 70's.Despite the constant changes,the ratings stayed high until about 77,when the show dropped from the top 5.Ryan's Hope was the first show to challenge it's dominance at 12.30. The last time the show made rating gains was under the Corringtons who introduced Travis,Sunny etc.Despite their success,they were replaced and Linda Grover destroyed all they had put in place. I'll have to check,but I think the Corringtons left earlier than May of 1980.

In honor of Search debuting this week 58 years ago,I thought I'd start an official thread for this sometime neglected soap, Search seems to have a reputation as a failed soap based on the ratings and stories of the NBC years,but during it's CBS run was amazingly successful - throughout the 50's and 60's,always placing in the top 5 shows. Let the memories and questions begin....