2 hours ago, jam6242 said:

Articles from May 23, 1970, and December 8, 1971.

Interesting!!!

Were they main characters? I have never heard of the swamp amnesia story. How did Kate die?

Steve and Kate were main characters, played during this time by Ron Harper and Diana Van Der Vlis. Kate didn’t die, it was Ellie.   She was murdered but I don’t know the details.  Not sure how prominent Ellie was but she was played by Zohra Lampert.  Mike Bersell played Ellie’s son, Peter.  I think Peter was killed off shortly before the show ended (burned to death). 

From April 1971.

 

7 minutes ago, jam6242 said:

From April 1971.

 

Wonderful! Thank you!!!!

 

On 11/24/2021 at 5:35 PM, jam6242 said:

From April 1971.

 

Awesome pics. 😎

How was this soap received versus DePriest's later work? It's title makes it hard to find specific information on it since so many other results come up.

On 4/12/2025 at 11:52 PM, chrisml said:

How was this soap received versus DePriest's later work? It's title makes it hard to find specific information on it since so many other results come up.

In terms of a foundation, I think the show's original storylines had some interesting elements. Judge Hathaway's death sprung forth some family drama with the return of wayward sister Allison and her husband, Roy, who had been involved with Allison's sister Kate years earlier. Kate was pursued by Steve Prescott because she had inherited land that he was interested in that was tied to mobster Arthur Saxton. Michael Hathaway pined for his young stepmother Mary, who's husband Julian talked about some deep seated isues with his father. It is my understanding the day to day wasn't always the most appealing and the mob element was well received. Lou Scofield's material for "The Secret Storm" prior to this wasn't super appealing after some of John Hess' work. 

In general, I think Pat Falken Smith's work and Labine and Mayer's work was considered much stronger. 

That's been my impression as well--DePriest's first year doesn't get much talk, but it seems to have built the reputation of Pat FS and *especially* the Labine and Mayer who then went immediately, it seems, to Love of Life.

Did DePriest have a soap background before?

Edited April 16Apr 16 by EricMontreal22

Margaret De Priest was an actress up until that point. She appeared in some of the first episodes of The Doctors on Retro from Dec 67.

I think she met Lou Scofield when they were both at Edge of Night-he a a writer and she an actress. Were they romantically involved? Can't recall off hand but someone will remember.

Scofield died in 1972. 

From what I understand, this soap was supposed to be CBS' answer to Days Of Our Lives with the focus on the sexual and psychological exploits of the Hathaway family.  

My late mom sample the show when it aired, and she said it was awkward/slow at the start and didn't pick up till later on (I assume once Depriest/Scofield stopped head-writing).  

Depriest actually got her soap writing career started at Edge of Night and wrote alongside Scofield.  That soap and this soap would explain her deep fascination with serial killer mysteries and with the psychological/sexual dynamics between men and women.. which carried over into most of the soaps she head-wrote.  Maybe she couldn't focus on just the psychological elements that CBS required for this soap so she was replaced by writers more able to write that.

Thanks @dc11786@Paul Raven@Soaplovers @EricMontreal22 for all of the information. I always like learning about a new soap and the creation/writing of the soap. I'm glad I have can come to this board and benefit from your expertise. 

The rumor was that Lou Scofield and Margaret DePriest were involved. 

I believe the criminal element being a holdover from Scofield and Depriest's time writing "The Edge of Night" makes sense. I believe Falken Smith was supposedly the one who nixed the criminal element fairly early on. The mob tried to knock off Steve Prescott which lead to him ending up living in hibernation with Ellie Jardin and her son, Peter. I think that was pretty much the end of that story. Vicky Lucas' father Ed also had mob ties, but I don't know how long that element was played. 

Pat Falken Smith was already writing scripts for Bill Bell on "Days" so the desire for more psychological sexual storytelling would make sense. I think "Love is Many A Splendored Thing" was heading in the same direction.