A hybrid between a daytime soap (shot on video), a prime time soap and a telenovela, this 65-episode show apparently only aired in Europe.

With Jaime Lyn Bauer, David Birney, Sherilyn Wolter, Timothy Gibbs, and penned by Bob Guza, Patrick Mulcahey, Sally Sussman Morina, and produced by Jon Conboy. Check out the closing credits. It was New World Television, which didn't surprise me because it seemed kind of "Santa Barbara-ish" in places.

Jaime Lyn Bauer has three clips of it on her website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEaP46RBDQE

Why did we never see this in the US? It boggles the mind....

wow... When did this air? It screams John Conboy. Was this after Santa Barbara? If so, it's rather interesting that Patrick Mulcahey would work with Conboy again, considering he quite Santa Barbara when Conboy joined as EP and wanted to change a lot of stuff around.

wow... When did this air? It screams John Conboy. Was this after Santa Barbara? If so, it's rather interesting that Patrick Mulcahey would work with Conboy again, considering he quite Santa Barbara when Conboy joined as EP and wanted to change a lot of stuff around.

Some historian here must know the answers. I don't think it ever showed in the US (much like Canada's Family Passions). Don't quote me, but I thought I saw 1994.

According to IMDB, it was done in 1992. It must have been produced simultaneously when Conboy was producing Santa Barbara in 1991 or soon after he was fired there in 1991.

Lots of old Santa Barbara crew worked on it, you'll also see Steve Kent and Charlotte Savitz (yuck!) in the credits...

Edited July 26, 200917 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

According to IMDB, it was done in 1992. It must have been produced simultaneously when Conboy was producing Santa Barbara in 1991 or soon after he was fired there in 1991.

Lots of old Santa Barbara crew worked on it, you'll also see Steve Kent and Charlotte Savits (yuck!) in the credits...

Charlotte Savitz can suck it. LOL. She practically ruined AW with her JFP wannabe-ness,

unimaginative story approval and cost cuts, and pro-NBC agenda.

Charlotte Savitz can suck it. LOL. She practically ruined AW with her JFP wannabe-ness,

unimaginative story approval and cost cuts, and pro-NBC agenda.

Why would they put all this firepower (good or bad) behind this show, make it in English...and then never release it in the US?

Even now, it seems to me that could be cheap filler programming (65 eps!!) on some cable channel.

If I recall correctly it also aired here in New Zealand in 1994.

Wow -- this would be perfect for Soapnet!

I do like the opening visuals lol

ETA: Ellen Weston was listed after Guza. YUCK!

Edited July 26, 200917 yr by CSF

Wow -- this would be perfect for Soapnet!

Yeah. Too bad Frons gave up on soaps for Soapnet. This (should be) right up its alley.

Secrets was a John Conboy Production in association with Steve Krantz productions and NEW WORLD International TOP N1, RAI DUE, RTL Plus .

Basically an Italian/German co-production and fully financed by these networks.

I think there was big demand for these type of shows in Europe at this time as the channels in many countries were broadening their programming(adding stations,broadcasting for longer etc)

New World had much success with Santa Barbara.I think they were also behind Valley of the Dolls.

Europe audiences were accustomed to watching dubbed programming and obviously they were hoping for a US sale as icing on the cake A group of stations would have had to buy the show and that didn't happen(unlike VOTD)

It would have been interesting had,say NBC programmed it at 12.30 for 13 weeks.

Here's a summary of some of the story.

A famous Hollywood actress Olivia Owens (Peggy Lipton) comes in Monte-Carlo. She gets acquainted with Tomas Strickland (David Birney), the owner and the head of the company, one of which developments 'A Flower of desert' - a power-plant for converting salt water to pure drinking water using solar power. Olivia and Tom fall in love each other and it annoys the Strickland's family. Especially of his son, Tomas Strickland-junior, Jag (Jim O'Connor), who quarrels to the father and moves to the Len Creighton's company, the competitor of Tom Strickland. On exhibiting of 'A Flower of desert' Jag steals the remote control and brings it Len Creighton (Sky du Mont).

Olivia accidentally meets Paul Rodier (Derek de Lint) in a charity evening. They were in love each other long ago. Paul Rodier was also the director and the writer of the first Olivia's movie. Now he is the owner and the main editor of the popular magazine of gossips "The Eye". He has the son Claude (Timothy Gibbs), who is an officer of Interpol.

After having seen Olivia, Paul attempts to adjust the relations with her. But Olivia shows he hates him. When the pushful contributor Siggy Vandenhoff gives Paul a note about Tom Strickland and Olivia Owens want to get married, Paul calls Olivia to verify this convergence. Olivia comes and declares that she doesn't give a damn about it.

Claude informs the father of an arrest of an employee of the Strickland's company. Paul decides to use this information to publish an article in his magazine, which would discredit the Strickland's company. Paul also decides to invite Strickland to signal him, that an arrested employee of the company had told, what he realized illegal operations by a Strickland's order. Paul wants to force Tom to leave Olivia. But Tom laughs to Paul's face only.

Olivia having learned Paul prepares an article against the Strickland's company. She comes to Paul and asks a favor not to print it. Paul concedes not to print the article and convinces her, that he will not rise on her ways. He admits he hated her earlier. He remembered as he returned home to their flat in Paris, and found Olivia had left him. Then she did not answer his calls, sent back his letters. Little by little he began to hate Olivia. But now he has understood she is not a monster, she is able to love. Olivia says in an irritation, that both of them have reasons to take offence. Paul is shocked. Olivia talks to him he forgot to tell, that he was married. Paul convinces her he wanted to get a divorce. His wife agreed. But Olivia tells that Paul's wife came to her to pay Olivia off. Olivia refused and this day she left. Paul, understanding, that there was a terrible mistake, attempts to persuade Olivia to forget that took place, but she answers, that the past will not return. Siggy interrupts their conversation, and Olivia leaves.

Someone continually threatens to Tomas Strickland, his car was blown up, someone kidnapped his daughter Justine (Sherilyn Wolter) who was rescued by Claude. Tom engages Claude to protect Justine. The relations between Claude and Justin quickly become romantic. Actually Interpol sent Claude to Tom Strickland's house to find out, whether his company sells illegally the weapon in the third countries. Having fallen in love, Claude decides to tell to Justin, who is actually, but he did not time to do it. After unpleasant incident in a hotel Jug gets in police, where accidentally he sees the Claude's report left careless by the inspector Matan. The report is described as an agent has come in contact with the daughter of object. Jug tells to Justin about it. She comes in fury and breaks off with Claude. Claude admits to Tom Strickland he is sent by Interpol to investigate illegal trade of weapon in Strickland's company. At the same time he informs he is Paul Rodier's son.

Claude suffers from Justin left him. He comes in a bar, where sees Justin, who is one over the eight. A man gets acquainted with her and they go away. A man seems suspicious. Claude follows to Justin and a man. And two foreigners kidnap Justin, but she decides Claude again has arranged all to beg for her pardon. Kidnappers chained Justin and Claude but she managed to escape. Then Claude was able to escape as well. And Justin begins to understand Claude loves her actually. The relations between Claude and Justin are gradually adjusted.

In the meantime, the relations between Olivia and Tom Strickland become more romantic and, eventually, Tom proposes marriage to Olivia. In spite of Olivia knows Paul loves her, and her feelings to Paul do not died finally, she accepts the Tom's proposal. But on wedding someone shots at Olivia and Tom. They were wounded. In hospital the doctors have found out that Olivia not only was wounded by shot, but also was poisoned by curare. Tom Strickland is transported in Paris on plane. But a bit later his family is informed that he has died. Then Olivia receives a letter forced her to smile. The Strickland's family is distraught with grief. But Elisabeth Alsop (Jaime Lyn Bauer) suffers stronger than rest. Elisabeth loved Tom many years and poisoned by curare her sister Janet, Tom Strickland's wife. She has brought up Tom's children. Elisabeth is out of spirit. Roy Alsop, her husband, is dosing her with drugs. He knows that Elisabeth also poisoned Olivia.

Claude accidentally finds out, that Katherine, who he knows as his mother, could not have children. He attempts to find out from the father, who his real mother was. Paul informs him, that Katherine and he adopted Claude, and he does not know who the real Claude's parents were. Claude has longing for finding of his real parents. Claude learns that in his birthday in a maternity hospital in Paris, where he was born, three children were born: two girls and boy, Michel Smith, who died right away. Claude goes in Paris, finds the Michel Smith's tomb and reads an epitaph: 'Michel Rodier'. Suddenly he sees a woman in dark clothes comes in a cemetery. He is hidden between trees and sees, that the woman is Olivia Owens. She lays the bunch of flowers on the Michel Rodier's tomb. After that Claude informs Olivia he sort of investigates events of kidnapping of new-born children. He brings Olivia in a cemetery. Here the Michel Rodier's tomb is opened, the coffin is empty. And Claude admits Olivia, he is her son, who she believed he died.

Claude says to the father that he has found out that he is Olivia's son. Unexpectedly Katherine, who is in psychiatric hospital, comes to the senses and tells to Paul what she made that Olivia left him. Olivia comes to Paul and accuses him of he hid many years, that their child does not died. Paul explains he has believed Olivia refused from their child. Actually Olivia was told her child died. After unexpected Olivia's escape Paul rushed to look for her, and even he asked for Katherine's help. She agreed. In 5-6 months an engaged detective found the Olivia's child, from who she refused. Paul and Katherine adopted the child. Olivia blames Paul he told nothing, but he explains to her, he sent to her a lot of the letters about it, but Olivia read no letter.

Jag decides to leave the Len Creighton's company. Creighton demands from his daughter Lisa to put stealthily Jag a remote control by means of which the shot had been made at Tom Strickland. But Lisa does not do it and tells to Jag about it. Jag addresses in police and Creighton arrests. But after he calls someone in the Strickland's house, Len Creighton is found hung up in his prison cell. Lisa is sure, that this is murder instead of suicide and swears to find the assassin of the father.

Olivia goes in Marseilles. There, in a hotel accommodation, she meets Tom Strickland, living and safe. He specially had decided to tell everyone, that he had died to find out, who was interested in his death. Siggy Vandenhoff informs to Strickland's children that Olivia was seen in Marseilles. They go there and find his father is living at the Olivia's hotel accommodation. They are very happy.

Olivia often was receiving the letters from her mad fan, who subscribed by a name "Derek". Olivia had given Claude a Derek's letter that he found out about this fan. And Claude gave back to the letter the father, who promised to compare it to the letters of those Olivia's fans, who sent letters about Olivia in Paul's magazine. One day Olivia secretly made the way in the Paul's house and found this Derek's letter there. Then she decided Paul was 'Derek'. She ceased to be afraid of him. But actually this imperceptible fan was Dan Dawson (William Bumiller), a doctor and a masseur. He offered Olivia to go to hospital to make a session of massage. And actually he took away Olivia in small house prepared for them. A bit later Olivia was possible to run away. After that Claude found the house with Dan and shot him.

Eventually Claude finds out that Roy Alsop, the Elisabeth's husband, was the main person who wished to kill Tom Strickland. Roy killed the Tom's wife. Then he killed his wife, because she knew Roy was the customer of Tom's murder. Roy together with Victor Sabachelli (Michael Durrell) and Len Creighton in an underhand way bought up 20 % of the shares of the Strickland's company and wishes only to become chairman of the Strickland's company. Roy also sold illegally the weapon in the third countries.

Paul is writing a movie script, he remembers, as he got acquainted with Olivia, as they sat on an old sofa in small Parisian flat many years ago. Young Olivia appears in front of his eyes. Finishing the script, Paul decides to send it to Olivia. But in this moment Claude comes. He found out, that the father had handed over the administration of 'The Eye' to Siggy Vandenhoff. Paul admits to him that he wants to travel. After he had found out Tom Strickland survived and Olivia remained with Tom, he had understood, that he was the odd man out. Claude offers to give Olivia the script.

Tom is the first to find the movie script on a coffee table in the house. He is reading it, wants to burn out in a fireplace, but something prevents to do it. He leaves the script on a coffee table and goes away. When he returns, he sees Olivia in tears, she holds the script. It causes jealousy in Tom. Though Olivia tries to convince him of she loves him and she is his wife, he finds it hard to believe. He hurls an accusation if he did not survived, now Olivia would be in bed with Paul. Olivia comes in the Paul's house and sees, how his secretary collects things. She finds out from her Paul left to travel. Olivia reads the farewell Paul's letter left for her. In the meantime Paul sits in a carriage, a train was off and suddenly Paul takes notice of Olivia on a platform. When the train leaves the station, Olivia sees Paul on other side of platform with a suitcase. Tom Strickland watches to meet Paul and Olivia.

Yeah. Too bad Frons gave up on soaps for Soapnet. This (should be) right up its alley.

The SOAPnet we grew to love was all Deborah Blackwell. :-( That lady should be running a daytime lineup.

The bigger question is -- why isn't Judith Krantz hired by the networks to save Daytime? Her books are (were!) huge sellers. She had a readership of millions and the mini-series adaptions were almost as popular. True, it wasn't Shakespeare but the books were a glam, raunchy, soapy 80s read. I know that she and her husband (now departed) had some tennous link to Daytime back in the lucrative 80s. Maybe they expressed some interest in starting a soap and it never really got off the ground (witness Secrets). Or maybe by the time 1992 rolled around, the 80s mega-soap was relegated to the past and NBC wanted nothing to do with the Secrets project anymore.

NBC did have a deal with Krantz to turn Scruples into a 30 min daytime soap.

Pat Falken Smith was the writer,Doris Quinlan the producer and Susan Flannery the star.

I think the show was tossed at the last minute due to a change in NBC management.As a result,Santa Barbara got the green light.

Does anyone know the timeline of NBC daytime chiefs in the 80's?

There was a lawsuit as a result.Either Flannery or Smith were involved.

The bigger question is -- why isn't Judith Krantz hired by the networks to save Daytime?

Because she died?

But I get what you mean, novelists like her.