FrenchFan

Harding Lemay only took over for two months from Dec. 1981 to Feb. 1982 when Elizabeth Levin (whom he had taken the reigns over) came back before being replaced by Barbara Morgenroth & Leonard Kantor in June 1982.

No Nancy and Chris as this is the cast photo from 1983-1984. Helen Wagner left the show between 1981 and 1985.

Thanks Carl

Melba Rae died three months later

Thanks a lot for this and everything you post Carl. Even if I don't reply a lot because I don't have enough time but I very often read carefully what you post. It's always a pleasure.

R.I.P. Matt & Maggie Powers are together again in heaven.

No, Liz Hubbard left in July 1977 when Althea moved to Japan with Penny and Jerry. She would come back on early February 1981 after Penny had died. Gordon had left "The Doctors" in July 1976 when Althea and Nick couldn't agree about having babies or not. In August, he joined the cast of "General Hospital" as Dr. Mark Dante until July 1978. Gordon did not come back to "The Doctors" in 1977.

I see your point but if "The Doctors" were still on the air today, you can be sure the show would not be like it used to be.

Thanks a lot for this

So Eunice was killed in fall 1976. The ratings for 1975-1976 were 8.3 and 8.6 for 1976-1977. It cleary declined the next season with 7.5.

If I'm not wrong, it was Irving and Tex Elman.

Thanks a lot

The Doctors or Search For Tomorrow would be great. Is The Secret Storm available too?

Is it an extract from a book by La Guardia?

Reading my summaries from 1982, I don't find any mention of James of his family. Weird.

Thanks saynotoursoap, you should write an history book about soaps, I would certainly buy it Carl, Tom Carroll was M.J.'s husband. He was the guy who molested M.J.'s nephew she was taking care of after her relatives died on her wedding day.

I did not know that. How do you know about the plans the show had? Did you read it somewhere?

The show was really in need of fresh blood. The Pollocks were successful on "The Doctors" but when their run ended, Robert Cenedella and Margaret De Priest turned out to be very bad fits for the show. Ratings went from 9.5 before the Pollocks left to 7.3 when Marland took over only a little more than a year later. He introduced the Dancys as he did with the Snyders 10 years later on ATWT but it seems like he made them appear more quickly.

Yes, this is Marland's work. He left "The Doctors" in December 1977 when ABC gave him a few weeks to watch "General Hospital" before becoming the new headwriter.

Thanks Brent, I wish I could find more too. I love classic soaps.

Here are the last few months of "The Secret Storm" as they were chronicled by Bryna Laub in her newsletter. Surprisingly, she did not mention Stace and Mark's mother's death. When racing car drivers Robert Landers arrived in Woodbridge, nobody suspected he was there on a personal mission of vengeance against Dan Kincaid, former political titan whose empire and political future collapsed when underworld connections were established and he was sent to jail. Robert was Dan’s illegitimate son, a fact only Robert knew, and he decided to take his vengeance upon Dan by having an affair with Dan’s beautitul but heartless wife Bell. It mattered not at all to Robert that Dan had no idea of his existence and was therefore not responsible for his growing up without a father. Robert’s mother was Naomi, the nurse Dan hired for his young son Kevin when his wife died. Naomi became pregnant but left town and raised her child alone. Dan was indeed crushed to discover Belle had been unfaithful. Complicating the situation was the fact that Robert was now living with Joanna Morrison, a young girl, who had heroworshipped Dan and was devastated to discover her idol had feet of clay. Joanna fully understood Robert’s assessment of their relationship meant no strings and when she found herself pregnant, she feared she’d lose him. Robert had been taking money from Bell for the race car he was building and took satisfaction from the knowledge that she thought their association was as important to him as it was to her. She was later shattered when Robert made it clear to her that he loved Joanna and wasn’t at all interested in a long term commitment to Belle. Dan tried to but Robert out of town in order to get him away from Joanna and was favorably impressed when this young man, whom he felt was totally without human feelings, refused the money which he badly needed having cut Belle off, claiming Joanna came first. When Belle and Dan finally brought her relationship with Robert out in the open, Belle managed to convince Dan that her infidelity wasn’t a result of her not loving him but rather her desperate need to have excitement and fun in her life. Dan then admitted to himself that despite everything he still loved her and they reconcilied. Robert aided in this by facing his responsibility and admitting to Dan that the affair was his fault. Robert couldn’t, however, to his own surprise, tell Dan as he’d intended about his being his son. In fact, Robert came away from the meeting realizing he may have been wrong about Dan’s guilt in the whole matter. Robert was upset to learn of Joanna’s pregnancy and immediately suggested abortion. When Joanna refused, Robert found himself emotionally torn between the upcoming Grand Prix race and Joanna. Realizing that Robert would stay if she wanted him to proved to Joanna that she should trust in his love and she insisted that he go as planned. Dan, however, furious that Robert wasn’t marrying Joanna first, accused him of being unfit to be a father, tempting Robert to fling the truth back at Dan. Belle with her shaky marriage secure once more, was delighted to discover that her stepson Kevin’s marriage to Amy was in bad trouble. Amy and Belle were in the past both married to Paul Britton and there was still no love lost between them. Having learned that their new daughter, Danielle, was in fact not his own child, Kevin had separated from Amy and made it clear reconciliation was impossible. Actually, Kevin understood the compassionate reason behind Danielle’s conception and was only using this as an excuse to free Amy for a marriage with a whole man (Kevin had been badly injured in a fight and was paralyzed from the waist down). The only thing that gave him the will to live during the precarious weeks after the accident was the belief that Amy was pregnant. She discovered soon after the accident that it had been a false alarm and, in her need to sustain Kevin, persuade Dr. Brian Neeves to artificially inseminate her so Kevin could have the child he so desperately wanted and needed. Realizing her welfare might be Kevin’s real reason for the separation, Amy tried to break through his defenses even though she and Danielle were now living at he stepmother, Valerie Ames Northcote’s home. To prevent his, Kevin hired Stace Reddin as a companion, providing another barrier to Amy’s attempts to reach him. Dr. Neeves, now a family friend, tried to hide his pleasure at the split between Amy and Kevin. No one knew he was the artificial insemination donor but the result had been an inevitable growing love for Amy who was unknowingly carrying his child. Realizing Brian was in love with Amy, Kevin told him he approved and started divorce proceedings. Amy was furious at this but Kevin continuer to push her at Brian and they gradually began seeing each other frequently. Amy had originally agreed to these dates to make Kevin jealous but soon had to admit to herself that she found Brian very attractive. Kevin meanwhile, having succeeded at his plan, found his jealousy unbearable and decided to take a very risky chance. A doctor in England had developed an experimental surgical procedure for cases similar to Kevin’s and he made secret arrangements to fly there and undergo the surgery that would either cure him or kill him. He now knew he’d rather be dead that see Amy with another man. Brian meanwhile had declared his love for Amy and had given her a ring. Ironically, Kevin and Stace’s flight to England was the same flight Robert booked in his way to the Grand Prix. Stumbling upon Kevin’s ex-rays Robert figured out the real reason for Kevin’s trip and decided to help Kevin, his half-brother, through this ordeal. To give him support for the ordeal ahead Robert told Kevin the story of his parentage. In order to be there for Kevin, Robert forfeits his first heat in the Grand Prix race. Having guessed what Kevin’s up to, Brian stepped up his campaign to rush Amy into a quickie divorce and remarriage. But Neile Neeves, Brian’s sister, who was as jealous of Amy as she was of Brian’s first wife, foiled his plans by suggesting to Amy the possibility of Kevin’s being in Europe for corrective surgery. Amy immediately tried to reach Kevin but he had covered his tracks too well. To regain ground, Brian then played his trump card – he told Amy he was the artificial insemination donor – the natural father of her daughter. Now torn by the news and Brian’s threat to leave town if she turned him down, Amy agreed to marry him. Belle, meanwhile, had pressured Dan into investing in a film company which is shooting a movie in Woodbridge. They discovered that Naomi Russell is on the film company board of directors – the same Naomi who worked for Dan 25 years ago. Mark Reddin had been drinking excessively since his decision to leave the priesthood and marry Lori. He avoided learning whether his leicization (return to status as a lay person) had been approved from Rome and found it impossible to follow the advice of another ex-priest to cut himself off completely from the church to avoid being torn apart by divided loyalties. Then, when the leicization finally came through, Mark informed Msgr. Quinn he had decided against remarrying Lori within the church. Mrs. Post, the secretary at the church, was very upset to discover Lori and Mark were planning to but the Old Orchard Road house which had been on the market for the past five years. She seemed obviously afraid of the house and refused to come there to babysit for Lori’s son Clay. In fact, she asked Msgr. Quinn to exhorcise the house but refused to explain why. Young Doreen Post, having learned Mark was a priest, confided to him her unhappiness at being deposited by her father into Mrs. Post’s care. She felt Mrs. Post pried too much and was even reading her mail. Doreen didn’t realize that Mrs. Post was using any method she could to find out about Doreen’s father, Malcolm, who was her missing husband. Stace, Mark’s younger brother, had been dating Doreen and was angry at the preoccupation Doreen had developed over Mark. Possibly she was seeing him as a father replacement but Stace resented it very much. When Doreen offered to move in with the Reddins as a live-in babysitter, Stace became openly jealouse. And seeing that Stace’s jealousy was so apparent, Doreen used it to her best advantage – she would push Stace with her attention to Mark, then appeal to Mark for advice and help with her problem with Stace. Mrs. Post grew increasingly afraid that somehow Lori was in danger of being possessed by the spirit of Georgina, the previous occupant of the house. Mark, now a parole officer and still drinking heavily, made an attempt to find out about Georgina but no one could or would fill him in. Now obsessed with being close to Mark, Doreen brought matters to a head by deliberately provoking fights with Mrs. Post, thus virtually forcing the Reddins to let her come and live with them. Lori, lonely as Mark’s time was spent drinking, allowed herself to be convinced that Doreen’s presence would be a diversion. Mark realized that Doreen knew how bad his drinking problem had become but allowed Doreen to move in as he, as well as Val Northcote and her husband Ian, were increasingly concerned about the way Lori’s life lately seemed increasingly dominated by hallucinations and fantasies about Georgina. As this preocuppation with Georgina continued to become Lori’s escape from her problems, she tried harder to find out about Georgina but still no one would volunteer information. When she found the phone number of Eric, Georgina’s handyman, in a cabinet, Lori called him. He was visibly shaken to arrive and find the house was Georgina’s but reconvered and returned out of curiosity. He tend pretended he didn’t even know who Georgina was when Lori began to question him. However, Mrs. Post, upon learning that Eric was at Lori’s, frantically tired to warn them of great danger. Georgina was her sister and she and ther children were murdered by Eric. But Eric intercepted her on her way to the Reddin house and frightened her into silence. Mark, meanwhile, finally had to face the truth about his drinking when his latest bender ended in a barroom brawl. Realizing he was unable to help himself he made an appointment with psychiatrist Ian Northcote. Ian explained both Mark and Lori were escaping to avoid facing their problems – Mark was drinking and Lori was retreating into a fantasy world about Georgina. Facing his conflict head on Mark finally visited Msgr. Quinn to admit he didn’t know which way to turn. When Msgr. Quinn visited Lori to discuss Mark, Lori had to admit to him and to herself that deep inside she already knew that he husband hadn’t given up the church and his vocation deep in his heart. Suddenly, however, Lori’s fantasy world erupted into terrifying and brutal reality when Eric, revealing his insanity, accused Lori of being like Georgina, an unfaithful wife, and he attempted to kill her too. Mark arrived in time to save her and it was Eric, who died, falling through a glass mirror. Jolted back into reality, Mark and Lori faced their situation, squarely and both agreed that Mark had to go back to the priesthood. They parted with love and respect for each other. Kevin, meanwhile, having undergone successful restorative surgery, was now starting to walk. He called his father with good news and Dan advised him to return immediately unless he wanted to find Amy married to Brian. Robert, despite his late start, managed to make a good showing in the Grand Prix unaware that Joanna, back in Woodbridge, had found a lump on her leg and was nervously awaiting biopsy results knowing that if the lump turned out to be malignant, the cobalt treatments she would have to undergo would destroy her unborn child. But her prayers were answered and by the time Robert returned ready to build a future with her, the tests proved the lump benign. Robert then explained the facts of his birth to Dan who replied he and his son ave a great deal to talk about. Despite Amy’s promise to marry him, Brian also decided to face facts and admitted to himself that Amy really didn’t love him the way she should love the man she was going to marry. He therefore realeased her from her promise and when Kevin returned and greeted her on his feet with open arms, they joyfully and tearfully reunited.

Yes Douglas Marland wrote this year until leaving for GH and being replaced by Mel and Ethel Brez.

Don't forget "The Doctors". Here is a yearly summary from 1977: Paul and Stacy announced their secret wedding and her pregnancy and he made it look as though Althea was negligent at work. Stacy advised Paul to confess. After learning his son had died retarded, Paul began fearing Stacy’s baby would be handicapped. Jason learned that a photographed had been tipped off by Paul that something was going to happen at the hospital when Joan died. He figured out that Stacy pulled Joan’s plug. Paul rushed to Canada where Stacy miscarried and died. He promised her to tell the truth just before she died. After an overdose of booze and drugs, Paul confessed his sins to Matt and was jailed. Matt was freed of suspicions. The Dancy father Barney arrived in town with hepatitis while Eleanor kept giving Luke money for his art school. Luke was ready to leave with money but had a crisis of guilt and begged Eleanor for forgiveness. They reconcilied but she asked him to move out for a few weeks while her daughter Wendy visited. When Wendy learned the truth she was shocked and said Luke was a gigolo. Steve began divorce proceedings while Ann told Carolee’s doctor that nobody in Madison remembered his patient whose name was Maryellen Smithfield. M.J.’s brother, Darren arrived in town and tried to convince her sister she had to fight for Steve. Stephanie developped rhumatic fever and Steve asked Ann to marry him after she saved the little girl’s life. Carolee ended up remembering her home and ran away to hop a bus for Madison but Dr. Brandt found her. He called Althea to talk about Maryellen which Althea remembered was the name of Paul’s first wife. M.J. recognized Carolee that Dr. Brandt brought to Madison but she could not stop Steve and Ann’s wedding in times. Steve learned about Carolee who reverted to catatonia after overhearing Steve and Ann were married. Maggie noticed Nola was neglicting her baby-sitting chores to flirt with Matt. She was consoled by an architect who just moved, Kyle Wilson. Kyle had a wife Janet who used her handicap to keep him. However, Maggie and he shared a time of passion. Jason began investigating the mysterious Mrs. Lomax who told Dr. Brandt about Carolee. Feeling better, Carolee moved in with M.J. and resumed her job. Steve decided to ask for a divorce but she learned she was pregnant. He promised Carolee he would divorce after the baby was born. Dr. Brandt finally identified Ann as Mrs. Lomax. Ann skipped town. She was found by Jason and Steve in South America. She convinced Jason that she had micarried even though she hadn’t. She signed the divorce papers on the condition she didn’t have to face Steve. After Matt, Nola began flirting with Jason but Jason’s estranger wife, Doreen arrived in town. She made plans with Kyle to build a children’s wing dedicated to her late daughter Stacy. Luke took an interest in Doreen and her money and two-timed Eleanor with her. Nola went to Europe with Jason for a romantic holiday. Through Wendy, Eleanor’s lawyers stalled approving financing of Luke’s club venture and Doreen volunteered to be his money woman. Barney found out what was going on. Luke became the new owner of Andre’s but Doreen began wielding her controlling interest power. Eleanor began having suspicions. Luke hired Nola for the club but Doreen did not like the idea. Wendy noticed her mother was hitting the pill bottle. Luke fired Nola and Doreen instigated a plan to get Nola out-of-own singing engagements. Jason learned Doreen made a financial agreement with talent agent Earl Rodgers to lure Nola to New York. He decided to divorce Doreen and proposed to Nola. Wendy found out Luke was living with Doreen but Eleanor refused to believe it and took more pills. When Eleanor tried to kill herself, Luke skipped town. She recovered but told Wendy to butt out of her life. Sarah brought her brother back to Madison and he offered his interest in Andre’s to Doreen in order to repay Eleanor’s money he used. Penny and Jerry had an argument over their finances and she left for Japan to join her father. Althea and Jerry joined her in July. Meanwhile, M.J. began dating newcomer Tom Caroll. After a short courting, he proposed to her. He admitted that he may have a hereditary nervous disease and was afraid to have children. He had nightmared about his first wife, Doris. He also told M.J. his mother was dead but it was a lie. After the wedding, M.J.’s sister died in a car accident and she promised to take care of her son Ricky. Tom was reluctant and began having nightmare about striking a Vietnamese orphan. M.J. fretted when Tom hit Ricky on two occasions. He moved out after M.J. caught him as he was about to pitch boiling water onto Ricky. He attended Parents Anonymous meetings and M.J. realized her attitude drove Tom to his abuse of Ricky. They agreed to live together again. Mike was devastated when he learned Toni died in a plane crash. Matt urged his son to return to his medical career. He began dating Sarah. Meanwhile, Greta began spending time alone with Billy and Matt did not like this idea. They got it on despite parental disapproval. Greta overhead Maggie and Kyle discuss their brief affair. Matt finally learned of the affair thanks to Greta and Maggie moved out. Mona did not like the idea of her son marrying Nola and sided with Doreen. She said Virginia she could not stay an employee once Nola and Jason are married. Doreen finally signed the divorce papers. Barney tried to acquire more money for Nola’s wedding but lost what he took from Virginia on a bad bet. Doreen tried to convince her father Evan that Nole was repsonsible for her marriage failure but Mona confirmed Doreen slept her way around and Evan disinherited her. To revenge, Doreen blabbed that Jason took part in breaking up Nola’s singing career and Nola broke her engagement. Carolee and Steve planned to remarry but realized Erich did not adjust to their plans. They reassured the young boy before tying the knot before Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, Erich was still disturbed and wanter to stay living at Mona’s. Carolee was worried.

The summary is from Bryna Laub's daytime newsletter. It is very very hard to find. It can't be my memories because I was only born in 1987 but I still tend to be a good soap historian I have no idea who played Greg Wheelan. I will try to check it this weekend.

Thanks Paul, I guess I should buy this one.