FrenchFan

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.

Wow! Would that we could get a synopsis this detailed for all the preceding years of "SS".

All Best,

Brent.

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.

FrenchFan, thank you so much for the summary! I tried to look up other information on the characters you mentioned, but I was unable to find out more on 'Greg Wheelan'. Do you perhaps know who portrayed him? How did you come up with this summary? Is it from your own memories? Is there a place where I can read more on this show and its characters? There is so little information on this show...

I am reading all the memories with a lot of pleasure. Keep them coming, people!

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.

Thirty years ago on SFT...1980 recap

Liza tried to understand what was wrong with Renata who was pregnant. Meanwhile, Travis was given the eye by Allison, Tony’s girl. Liza wanted to convince Tony to marry Renata by proxy for her baby’s sake. Convering the terrorist story, Allison told him Liza was with Tony. Liza insisted Travis they had to rescue Tony from the terrorists. The terrorists captured Travis and the leader, Carlos set out to kill Liza but Tony was indeed killed. Travis was saved but Carlos was still out. After Carlos was shot dead, Allison admitted she tried to snare Travis and left Henderon.

Kathy learned Scott was jailed for negligent manslaughter while he was drunk. After breaking up with Renata, David was allowed to see more of Doug. Renata was very depressed. She tried to kill herself but David rescued her. Renata and David married just before she was released from the hospital. However, she could not make love to him because of Tony’s haunting memories. After therapy, they ended up having sex.

Ted assured Janet he loved her and not Stephanie. Meanwhile, Suzi told a judge she wanted to live with Jo. Stephanie received sympathy from Martin who went undercover for Lee at Beau’s club because he was organizing gambling. Stephanie quickly got in debt. Ted organized a raid on Beau’s casino, remembering the affair Beau had with his former wife. Beau had been tipped off by D.A., Don McKary and the raid is a failure.

Jo told Martin she was ready to move to New Orleans if he still wanted her and Stephanie figured it was a way to get Suzi’s custody. Beau intended to buy the inn and Stephanie encouraged him to make Jo leave town but Martin moved the company from New Orleans. Soon, Jo fretted about Martin’s gambling and asked for time to think when he proposed but they got engaged.

Sunny and Lee became engaged in January after she proved he could “function as a man”. Soon, Lee began to think Sunny was two-timing her and did not know what to do when Cissy made pass at him. In fact, Sunny was working undercover at the Boilermaker. When Beau learned the truth, he bound Sunny and shipped her to Vegas with the gambling equipment. Beau took naughty pictures of Sunny and sent them to Lee who immediately bedded Cissy. Once free, Sunny explained her story but the D.A. was in cahoots with Beau. When Beau is shot dead, Don had Sunny arrested for murder and threatened Cissy who kept mum he saw him killed Beau. Cissy got Don to confess his deed on a tape but the tape is not evidence.

Two chorus boy buddies, Spence and Brian arrived in town in May and Brian arranged for Spence to meet Stephanie because she is Brian’s long-lost mother. When Brian headed for St. Louis, Spence stayed in town with Brian’s I.D.. He sent Stephanie flowers to remind her of the birthday of the son she gave up years ago after calling Steve Emerson, Brian’s father for background information. Stephanie was shocked.

Travis hired Cliff, the man who killed Tony, to give Liza self defense lessons. After a scuffle with Don, Liza underwent surgery for internal bleeding and Travis learned she could not have children. Don was jailed and he hung himself. Kathy and David realized they only received one half of Don’s suicide letter which cleaned Sunny of Beau’s murder but Sunny was sure Don’s boss, Matthews was hiding more. Lee and Sunny reconclied. Cissy refused to testitfy against Matthews because she was afraid. Kathy ended up having Matthews convicted.

Wendy was attacked a night but Lee saved her and gave moral support. Stephanie cautioned Wendy against falling in love with Lee and the young girl began dating Spencer but he ignored he true identity. Meanwhile, Stephanie learned “Brian” was her son.

Jamie Larson, Kathy’s sister-in-law arrived for a hospital job in June. Liza reacted calmly to the news she’d never carry a child and Jamie asked her to help Don’s son, Timmy recover from his father’s death. Ted began dating Jamie to make Janet’s jealous and Janet’s dating one of her employee Jim.

Jo called off ther wedding to Martin after he went on another gambling spree. Martin’s apartment building burned and David and Renata were trapped in the blaze when she went into labor. The baby, Mia was born during the fire. David was able to save the baby but Renata was crushed to death by the falling debris. Sunny investigated fault equipment in the burned complex that was installed by Janet and Ted’s company. Jo was the only one who stood by Martin’s side who felt guilty and she convinced him not to kill himself. Meanwhile, Jim warned Claire, the janitor’s daughter to keep quiet about the fire night. Ted learned of Jim’s fire responsiblity and they fought on a bridge. Jim plunged into the water and drowned. Janet found Jamie conforting Ted. Ted broke off his engagement to Janet after Jamie convinced him to keep quiet about Jim’s death but the body was found. Soon later, Ted was elected gouvernor. Claire tells the police she suspected Ted. Fearful a mysterious past would come out if she testified against Ted, Jamie suggested they married. They did marry around Christmas. Janet was heartbroken.

David and Mia went to live with Liza and Travis but Travis warned Liza about getting too attached to Mia. A baby sitter, Delia allowed Mia to fall off the bed. Liza was relieved the baby was okay and began thinking about adopting. Travis considered black-market. Cissy, pregnant from her one-night-stand with Lee, gave up her baby without realizing he was adopted by the Sentells. She soon regretted it and tried to find her baby who had a heart-shaped birthmark on the back of his hand.

Sunny could not choose a wedding date because she was undergoing neurochirurgical tests. Dr. Max Taper believed her condition stabilized but indeed, an interd had fumbled her records. Soon lated, Max told Sunny she had a tumor which was spreading. She consulted a new doctor, Winston Kyle. A doctor advised Lee to stop Sunny from seeing Kyle, who may be a quack. Meanwhile, Winston wanted to take her out of the country for her cure. Max urged her to undergo surgery but Sunny fled country. Before New Year, Garth Taper, Max’s younger brother, an artist, became enraged at an art exhibit and slashed a portrait before Kathy came to his aid.

Before his death, Jim tried to blackmail Stephanie about Brian’s parentage but “Brian” confessed to Stephanie he wasn’t her son and she learned that Wendy had gone overboard for “Brian” who called the whole thing off. When Stephanie told him “Dawn” was Wendy and threatened to kill him unless he dropped her. She wanted him to leave town as soon as he recovered but he refused.

Here are the few last months of "Return to Peyton Place":

Steven Cord informs Greg Whelan that inasmuch as he's performing all the duties of the president of Peyton Industries, he wants the title that goes with the responsibility. Whelan confers secretly with Martin Peyton who tells him to go ahead and let Steven be appointed president, realizing that if he's able to get Steven's enabling act defeated by the state legislation, Steven will be fired from the presidency just as Rod Harrington was. D.B. Bentley, the beautiful, blond female president of Mideast Standard Oil, is pressing the Peyton Industries board for Steven's appointment as she knows he'll help her merger plans.

Betty Harrington is under pressure from Martin to effect a reconciliation with her estranged husband Rod. Betty manages to ask Rod for another try at their marriage within earshot of Martin (only Betty, Greg Whelan and Mrs. Hannah Cord, Martin's housekeeper and Steven's mother, know Martin Peyton is alive. Through Hannah and Greg, Martin's been able to keep tabs on and moderate control over the running of his empire). Betty's pleased that the conversation with Rod has led Martin to believe Rod is responsible for their split.

Elated byy their successes, Betty and Steven savor their feelings of power and triumph at his secluded cabin. Steven tells Betty he wishes Martin were still alive so he could see his illegitimate grandson is now the president of his company. When they return, they run into Rod at the Peyton house and, realizing they've been together, he accuses them of carrying on a longstanding affair and accuses Steven of sabbotaging his, Rod's, enabling act in order to pull off a power play of control of the company. Steven insists this wasn't necessary, Rod's own incompetence defeated him. Rod retorts he knows better and tells Steven he's welcome to everything, even a used company president's wife who loves only herself. As Rod walks out, he informs Betty he wants custody of their son Peyton. AS soon as Rod leaves, Steven tells Betty he wants to tell Rod the truth now - that he, not Rod, is Peyton's father. Betty finally manages to convince Steven there's a better way to do it for Peyton's sake as well as his own career. They can leak out the news so gradually that people will think they always knew it and it won't cause a scandal.

Rod then proposes to Allison and when she accepts, he asks Betty for a quickie divorce. When he promises to reduce his demand for custody to liberal visitation rights if she agress, Betty asks Steven to set up a quick Carribean divorce. Learning of Betty's plans, D.B. tells Steven a quick marriage to Betty after a fast divorce could cost him the company presidency and her merger. D.B. also makes a few pointed references to Betty's selfishness. Seeing the sense of D.B.'s comments, Steven asks Betty if patience might well be warranted. But Betty senses D.B. may just be interested in Steven herself and angrily tells Steven he can't see her again unless he does things her way.

Urged on by Betty, Selena Rossi confronts Constance Carson about the night Selena suspects Mike and Connie spent together just before Mike married Selena. During a heated exchange Selena pulls Connie's arm and she falls from the ladder upon which she was standing. Connie's rushed to the hospital unconscious and when she finally comes to, Selena begs her not to tell Mike how this accident happened. Connie then tells everyone she lost her balance and fell. Mike is stunned when Connie's tests show she's pregnant. When he confronts her she admits the child is his, a result of that one night. Learning she's scheduled an abortion in New York Mike tells her the child was injured in the fall, but if he had not been, he would insist she have the child and they would be together as soon as he could arrange it. Mike arranges for a secret imediate abortion and both Mike and Connie suffer the pain of having to go through this apart. Connie returns home to recuperate and is shocked to receive a call from her estranged husband Elliot, informing her he now realizes he was a fool to leave her and he's coming home.

Monica Bell finally forces Tom Dana to share the burden he's been carrying alone for so long. Tom explains that Ellen, a former girlfriend, contacted him unexpectedly last year and they drove to the country to talk. Ellen suddenly tried to jump from the moving car and in trying to stop her, Tom lost control and they crashed. Tom was groggy having hit the windshield on impact but, being a doctor, realized her neck was broken. He was sure he laid her flat and immobilized her neck before going off to look for help. But Ellen, who was D.B.'s cousin, was found dead, sitting up, and Tom was found two miles away. Since the home of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas was only fifty yards from the crashed car, the state, when trying Tom, felt he deliberately left her sitting up so she would die, as tests proved she was pregnant, thus a motive. Tom was found guilty on mangslaughter and received a light sentence but the medical board assumed it was malice aforethought and his licence to practice medicine was revoked. Monica solicits Allison and Dr. Mike Rossi to help investigate this more thoroughly and is hurt that both of them seem to believe the newspaper accounts rather than accept Tom's innocence on the faith of knowing him as she had.

Monica herself visits the Douglases who insist they called for help upon hearing the accident but never went out to see actually what had happened. Then, the Douglases throw Monica out, terrilby afraid she'll be back with more questions.

Rita Harrington, whose pregnancy has been complicated with the discovery that she has anemia, finally goes into labor and delivers a healthy baby boy. Her husband Norman, who had doubted the safety of his wife's trying to carry a baby to term, is incredibly happy at the realization of Rita's firm faith that this child and she would come safely through this ordeal.

Elliot Carson arrives from Paris and tells Connie he never should have left (Elliot fell under the spell of D.B. Bentley, who used her beauty and sex appeal to chain the men she needed for business reasons to her. When her need for Elliot was finished, she turned her charms on Steven. But Steven, being much like D.B., let her think he had succumbed, whereas he was actually using her instead). Elliot tells Connie he realizes she can't welcome him back with open arms as if nothing had happened but he vows he will court her and win her back somehow. Their son Matthew quickly makes it clear to his father that the hurt he suffered at his father's sudden abandonment of him hasn't healed just because his father's chosen to return. Elliot realizes his son will need time to be convinced of his love, too.

Mike comes to Connie and tells her they belong together and he's going to ask Selena for a divorce. Realizing Elliot's reappearance is no guarantee to her marriage, Selena begs Mike to take a vacation so they can go away together and recapture the happiness they had on their honeymoon but he makes evasive excuses and refuses to commit himself to any plans. But Connie, torn by what's best for her and her son, begins to see Matthew warming to his father's constant efforts to regain his love and when the child admits to her that he does love and need his father, Connie tells Mike they cannot destroy two homes and she is reconciling with Elliot. Resigned to Connie's firm commitment to her marriage, Mike tells an estatic Selena they are going on a vacation trip to St. Croix and he promises her he will try to do things her way.

Monica continues to press the Douglases, knowing they are concealing something from her. Finally she manages to break them down and they admit they did go out to see if they could help and, in an effort to help the unconscious Ellen, they lifted her to a sitting position, causing her death. With this evidence Tom is quickly cleared by the police and his medical license is reinstated. He and Monica, whom he knows would have married him no matter what the outcome had been, happily plan their wedding.

D.B. Bentley tries one last tack to keep Steven from planning a future with Betty which she feels will ruin his plans and hers in the future. She tells Steven that the only reason he wants Betty is because she's Rod's wife and he wants everything that Rod has, the illegitimate grandson wants everything the legitimate grandson has. But Steven, in the face of Betty's ultimatum - her way or not at all - chooses Betty and begins preparations for her trip to the Caribbean. Rod and Allison are delighted to hear this as they can't plan their own wedding until Rod's rid of Betty. But Martin Peyton, who slipped out of town after determining the situation would take care of itself, phones Hannah and Betty. Notifying them he dosesn't like what's happening there, he announces he's immediately returning to Peyton Place. And so it ended - January 4th, 1974.

In fact, the first issues of the daytime newsletter are only made of summaries (until mid-75. I have just found where Bryna Laub was living and I will try to reach her to get an issue of the earliest newsletters: Dec. 72 - Nov. 74 that I don't have). Later, she added some columns, pictures, interviews, coverage of the Emmys with photos (I love that) and cast changes. The last newsletter was published in Dec. 1978.

I'm also a member of newspaperarchive.com where I collec summaries written by Jon-Michael Reed or Lynda Hirsch. Hirsch's summaries tend to be longer and more detailed. When I can, I read both for the same period and make the best of it. For the moment, I have all monthly summaries from Dec. 74 to Aug. 83 even if I have not typed yet everything on my computer. It's very time-consuming but I hope building good archives.

Chris, I will post something about the end of "Return to Peyton Place" as soon as I can.

I have found it on an issue of the Daytime Serial Newsletter of Bryna Laub (I've recently purchased all issues from Dec. 74 to Dec. 78). In addition to monthly summaries, the Newsletter has a column called "we're glad you asked" in which Bryna answers questions such as "how did WTHI end?". She did the same for The Secret Storm or Return To Peyton Place for instance. I can list the diferent columns if you want and if you're interested in a column, I can type it.

Oh right, I made a sorry when I typed it. You can't even imagine how bad my handwriting is. I can't even read myself^^

I would love to see WTHI someday. I have never seen James Mitchell in another role than Palmer Cortlandt.

You're probably right, you're always right for the Head Writers thing^^ I had tons of information written of sheets of paper and of course, I always forget to write my sources.

About SFT, I really think I would have enjoyed the late 70s'-early80s' from the introduction of Stephanie to Operation Sunburst.