Well, I had always heard that Edge of Night, or EON, was different from other soaps, what with the focus on mysteries and its popularity with males. So I've been checking it out, and I am truly hooked. I usually watch two or three an evening, as they only run for twenty minutes. Right now, Draper Scott/Kirk Michaels has amnesia and is recovering in the bed of Emily Gault while back in town, Raven Swift is trying desperately to get her child back. From what I understand, what I'm watching first aired in the spring of 1980. Although there is a little too much repetition for my liking (which I probably wouldn't mind if I weren't watching back-to-back, but day-to-day), I have thoroughly enjoyed the Mansion of the Damned and the train wreck. Looking forward to what I think will be something about a carousel, as Crazy-Dream April (as I've come to know her) has been tossing and turning in her sleep again.

@slick jones Was Ellis Garrison the sister in law of Michael?  Was the character imbued with Mitzi's charm?

 

Also any info on the character of Larry on Falcon Crest played by Ernie Pysher?  He was an actor so filled with charisma that it is a shame he didn't find greater success.  Up thread someone had an update on him, but he is great one to play "who could've played it better" with.    

I believe Ellie was a cousin before the name changed to "Hudson".  Other relatives were mentioned but not cast.

 

I'm pretty sure Larry was one of Terry Hartford's johns, I'd have to find my FC papers to confirm, though.

ABC's Edge of Night will have final broadcast Friday, Dec. 28. Daytime serial drama airs 4 -4:30 (NYT) and is produced and owned by Procter & Gamble Productions. It has been on television for 28 years. ABC said it is "exploring other programing alternatives" and hopes to return to full complement of 11 daytime half -hours by end of 1985. (Network didn't specify it would seek to fill 4 -4:30 slot or schedule half -hour in other daypart.) Until that time, ABC said it would hand over period to affiliates.

 

Edge of Night has steadily been falling in daytime ratings over past several years. During first quarter of 1984, Edge of Night averaged 3.5 rating and 10 share compared to 5.5/16 for comparable period in 1980.

During recent third quarter, series slipped to average 2.7/9 and in October was cleared by 106 of ABC's 214 affiliates, representing 62% coverage.

Edge of Night premiered on CBS April 2, 1956, then moved to ABC on Dec. 1, 1975. Sources say that without Edge of Night on schedule weighting down daytime household ratings averages, ABC could boost daytime averages three to four tenths of rating point (CBS's season to date daytime lead has been five tenths of rating point). However, critics say it's hocus -pocus because getting rid of Edge of Night does not necessarily boost ratings of programs in rest of daytime schedule

Our local ABC affiliate never carried EON. Only one of two smaller adjacent markets did, and that one finally started tape delaying it to 9:30 am the next morning during EON’s last year. That’s when I knew it was over.

I'm not sure about the last years but in the late 70's and early 80's, many of the affiliates that ran Edge at 4pm after GH did well in the ratings.

It was the time period. Homes using television traditionally increase as the afternoon wears on. It’s generally more lucrative to air syndicated programs in the late afternoon, because local stations can keep more or all of the commercial time, depending on the shows they run. So EON had an uphill battle just to gain clearances. And of the clearances they did have, many stations were tape-delaying and running in the morning, which also hurt ratings.

Came across this article that mentioned Teal Ames. I think they may have been sensationalizing the cult aspect but it's the first time I have ever read this reason for Teal departing Edge.

Life Goes On for Nuclear Escapist Cult

Thursday, Oct. 5, 1972

THE SUN A.U

CHICO (AP) - Fifteen years ago when fallout shelters were popular, a group of New Yorkers abandoned their careers and fled what they thought would be a nuclear catastrophe. 'There were 34 of them -men, women and children -including four bigtime trumpet players, a television soap opera star, a painter, a sculptor, an economist, an engineer, a wood carver, a social worker and a wealthy concert pianist.

They headed west, caravanstyle, in October, 1961, They settled in this community In north-central California because its weather, they said, would ease the hardships of fallout survival. Where are they now? 'Many are alive and doing well in Northern California. Two have died. Only one has defected back to the East Coast, so far as members of the group know.

The informal leader was Albin Bauman, then 43, a concert pianist and member of the music faculties of Columbia University and Queens College. Today Bauman lives with his wife, Nina, and two teenage daughters in a converted paint factory In San Francisco's Potrero Hill district. There, he presides over Synanon, a pioneer drug addict and alcoholic rehabilitatlon program. "There has been no nuclear attack. And in the meantime, explains Bauman, "We've just changed with the times. "Things were different then" Bauman says. "They have changed. That was a real concern in those days, but people are directing their energies toward other things today."

Bauman said the deceased include William Salant, a wealthy Harvard-educated economist killed in an auto crash. His widow, Dorothy, went to work with Synanon, and later married its attorney, Dan Garrett. Lou Oles also died about five years ago, said Bauman. He had been a trumpeter with Benny Goodman. He became president of the George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation in San Francisco.

 lt was Ohsawa, a Zen Buddhist philosopher who brought the group together In the first place. They shared a belief in his teachings, a yen for health foods, and a fear of nuclear disaster.

 The only one who returned is Irv Hirsh, now of Atlantic City. On arrival in Chico, the group chipped in and formed a small organic food operation, Chico San, now known in the health food business. Its president is Robert Kennedy, once a trumpeter in a studio orchestra. The vice president is Richard Smith, another trumpet player.

Another refugee, Teal Ames, was written up in a soap opera fan magazine last year under the headline, Solved - The Mystery of the  Missing Teal Ames," star of the daytime serial "Edge of Night" She married a Chico merchant, is bringing up 3 children and studying to be a family counselor.

The painter, Jane Andrews,lives in Berkeley and teaches reading at a nearby high school in Richmond. The adjustment hasn't been easy, said Smith, whose wife Florence was a hatcheck girl at Lindy's. after we'd been here a year or so one of the kids commented they never saw $100 bills anymore. There used to be a lot of them in New York," he said.

Wow, I never knew that. Thanks for sharing.

Honestly this isn't very good, but if you want to see the wonderful Kim Hunter with a script penned by longtime soap writers Mel and Ethel Brez:

 

I was a huge fan of Anthony Call (Herb Callison) on OLTL.  Did anyone see EON when he played Senator Colin Whitney?  I'd love to know his storyline.

2 hours ago, Jermsie said:

I was a huge fan of Anthony Call (Herb Callison) on OLTL.  Did anyone see EON when he played Senator Colin Whitney?  I'd love to know his storyline.

I didn't even know he was on EDGE. I do know he was on GL before OLTL, but that's about all I know.

Here are Peaches and Herb ("Shake Your Groove Thing", "Reunited") on the show in 1981:

On 8/10/2021 at 2:51 PM, Jermsie said:

I was a huge fan of Anthony Call (Herb Callison) on OLTL.  Did anyone see EON when he played Senator Colin Whitney?  I'd love to know his storyline.

I did see Anthony on Edge of Night.  I mostly remember Colin running for the Senate (and winning).  His wife, Tiffany (the delightful Lucy Martin) had an affair with his campaign manager during that time.  Then, his brother Keith (aka Jonah Lockwood) turned out to be a serial killer.  I believe Colin and his father were murdered off-screen (their boat was blown up).

Wow!  Thank you so much for that information!  I watched OLTL on YouTube and surmised that he was introduced during the Marco Dane murrer trial since he was prosecuting Viki.  

On 8/10/2021 at 2:51 PM, Jermsie said:

I was a huge fan of Anthony Call (Herb Callison) on OLTL.  Did anyone see EON when he played Senator Colin Whitney?  I'd love to know his storyline.

When the Whitney family was first introduced to TEON, Colin was the first member of the clan we saw. He was in a television studio preparing for a broadcast, with his pushy wife Tiffany giving orders.

As we got to know the other members of the Whitney family, the skeleton in their closet was that Colin's murderous brother Keith was hiding out in the disguise of a a hippy type named Jonah Lockwood. The sociopathic Jonah Lockwood terrorized Monticello for many months but eventually fell to his death while he was trying to murder Laurie Ann Karr in a deserted area out in the country.

The Whitney left town to escape the bad memories, but matriarch Geraldine Whitney and Colin's wife Tiffany later returned after both their husbands died tragically.

To me, the Jonah Lockwood/Whitney family saga was a masterpiece; the most suspenseful and terrifying story ever told on daytime TV. Kudos to writer Henry Slesar for weaving a long, deliciously complex and mesmerizing tale.