Paul Raven

Gloria Monty,legendary GH producer,was involved in a summer soap called 'The Hamptons'.ABC Jul-Aug 83 It was about two families linked by romance and co-ownership of a department store chain.The setting was NY and of course The Hamptons. Cast:Leigh Taylor Young(SB) John Reilly (GH ATWT) Craig Sheffer (OLTL) Kate Dezina (AMC)Jada Rowland(DRS SS) Daniel Pilon(RH) I think it was shot on videotape, which would've made it cheap to produce and given it a daytime look. I forgot to mention that Executive Suite was written by Henry Slesar,who was also writing Edge of Night at the time. Kings Crossing ABC Jan-Feb 82 Sat 8-9 About a family who move to the town of Kings Crossing to make a fresh start.The focus was on the younger characters and 4 of the young actors fom Secrets of Midland Heights ,including Linda Hamilton appeared in this show. Also starring Mary Frann(DOOL) and Bradford Dillman CBS had originally planned Secrets as an 8 o'clock show but when it was scheduled at 10 the focus changed. The same producers were behind Kings Crossing so this may have been more reflective of their original premise.

The 80's saw many 'soapy' mini-series and I'd like to see some more contributions to that list.Soapnet should so be showing these mini-series and soaps in weekend timeslots. Some more for the list. Executive Suite CBS 76-77 Mondays@10 Fridays @10 up against Monday Night Football and NBC Monday Movie The lives and loves of those working for and affected bythe huge Cardway Corporation. Cast included Mitchell Ryan (AMC) Leigh McCloskey (GH,SB) Madlyn Rhue (DOOL) Mentioned earlier The Secrets of Midland Heights 80-81 CBS Sat @10 Set in a sleepy mid western college town,the emphasis was on the younger characters. Starring Lorenzo Lamas (B& Robert Hogan (AW) Bibi Besch (LIAMST)Apart from Linda Hamilton who went on to Terminator movies none of the young performers were ever heard of again. I'm going to start a mini series list as well to add to what has been mentioned Scruples Feb 1980 CBS 6hrs Based on the novel by Judith Krantz and following the lives of 3 young ambitious people. Cast - Lindsay Wagner,Barry Bostwick,Efrem Zimbalist,Connie Stevens,Robert Reed and 40's star Gene Tierney in her first role for almost 20 years. In 81 ABC showed a TV movie follow up which was a pilot for a proposed series spin off. Lots of soap people in the cast, Kale Browne(AW,OLTL) Brett Halsey(GH,Y&R) JimMcMullan(Y&R) Sandy McPeak (DOOL) Roy Thinnes (GH OLTL) NBC also got very close to putting a daytime version on the air Pat Falken Smith was the writer and I think Susan Flannery had tentatively agreed to star.There was a shake up at NBC daytime and new management pulled out.Falken Smith instigated alaw suit but what came of that is unknown

NBC tried again to hit the primetime jackpot with Bare Essence. It ran from Feb-Apr 83 first at Tuesday @9 up against Three's Company before being moved to Friday @10 against Falcon Crest. It starred Genie Francis,Jennifer O'Neill,Jessica Walter,Michael Woods(TX,GL)Jonathan Frakes (DRS) and Jamie Lyn Bauer (Y&R,DOOL). The perfume business was the setting for this show.I assume Genie met her husband Jonathon on this show. It was based on the popular CBS mini-series which starred Linda Evans and Donna Mills ,who obviously couldn't commit to the series. The Fox series Pasadena was mentioned earlier.It plated Friday @9 late 2001 and starrred Dana Delaney,Martin Donovan and Mark Valley(DOOL) Re:Falcon Crest.When the series was announced it was titled The VIntage Years and included Clu Gulager and Samantha Eggar in the roles that evolved into those played by Robert Foxworth and Susan Sullivan.CBS stated in May 81 that the show would be heavily "re-tooled"before its fall premiere.

The first true primetime soap was Peyton Place airing on ABC from 64-69. It was 1/2 hr in length and ran 2 and 3 times a week. The cast included Dorothy Malone,Mia Farrow,Ryan O'Neal,EdNelson(Cap)David Canary(AMC)Ruth Warrick(AMC)Barbara Rush(AMC)James Douglas(ATWT,AW,DRS) A few cast members played in the daytime follow up Return to Peyton Place.NBC 72-74 CBS had a short lived competitor Our Private World which spun off the ATWT character of Lisa into her own series.It ran from May-Sep 65and also included Geraldine Fitzgerald and Nicholas Coster(veteran of many soaps) Unlike the 80's, when all the networks scheduled their own soaps,there didn't seem to be any imitators in the 60's. One pilot that was produced was Della.It starred Joan Crawford and Diane Baker .The projected series was to be called Royal Bay.

Some more for the list.Seems CBS was more interested in the genre than ABC or NBC,probably due to the success of Dallas,Knots and Falcon Crest. Angel Falls CBS Sept 93 Thursdays @10 After her father passes away, Rae Dawn Snow decides to pack up and move back to Angel Falls, her home town in the woods of Montana. Coming back to her roots, she rekindles an old romance with Eli Harrison, while her 16-year-old son strikes up a relationship with Eli's daughter. Starring James Brolin,Peggy Lipton,Kim Catrall,Jean Simmons,Brian Kerwin(KL&Y/R)Grace Zabriskie (SB) Don't know much about this one.Scheduled just before the fall season premieres in the Knots Landing timeslot.Played out its 6 episodes. Emerald Point NAS CBS 83-84 Mondays@10 The interlocking worlds of the military and big business. Starring Dennis Weaver,Maud Adams,JillSt John, Susan Dey,Charles Frank(AMC)Richard Dean Anderson(GH)Robert Loggia(SFT) The ratings were OK for this one andCBS gave it a full season but they obviously didn't have enough faith in the show to try for a2nd season. Cagney & Lacey took the timeslot in the following season and was a big hit.

The thread about Lynne Marie Latham and her involvement in many nightime soaps reminded me of how popular the genre was back in the day.I'm hoping you might join me in reminiscing about some of those shows. Although more often than not they were short lived,many were well executed and given the chance could've caught on.Soaps need time for audiences to get involved in character and story but the networks didn't show a lot of patience. Many soap names appeared in these shows. Two shows I enjoyed: Berrengers-1985 NBC Sat@10 About a NY department store,it starred Sam Wanamaker,Yvette Mimieux and Ben Murphy. Also included in the cast - Jonelle Allen(Generations) Andrea Marcovicci(LIAMST) Alan Feinstein (EON) Jeff Conaway (B& Jack Scalia (AMC) Saturday at that time was not doing well for NBC and the thinking was this was not the spot for a soap as many people were out and could not commit to a weekly serial. The Yellow Rose NBC Sat @10 Set on a modern day Texas ranch,it starred Cybill Sheppard,Sam Eliot,Chuck Conors David Soul and Edward Albert(PC).Jane Russell also made some appearances. Beaten in the ratings by Fantasy Island. What other shows do you recall?