Search For Tomorrow Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Oh I didn't know that. Thanks. I knew she was paralyzed but I thought this was before the 1960 episode. 

[Paul Raven]

According to Robert LaGuardia

In 1960 Patti left for Arizona where she  lived with Irene Barron, her grandmother. Whilst there she had a destructive affair with an older married man.

Patti was involved in a car crash in 1961 that left her in a wheelchair. When Jo's life was threatened, Patti leapt out of the wheelchair and saved her mom.

Not sure how much of Patti in Arizona was seen onscreen.Perhaps Lynn Loring had some time away from the show. In a photo of Patti in the wheelchair,Lynn is still in the role.

All of this seems to confirm that the episode recently posted is not 1960. Most likely 58.

[will81]

H everyone. I have some details to share for Search that you may find interesting. Not sure if these have been shared before so my apologies if so

The 4,940th episode of SFT aired Sep 03, 1970. If there were no pre-emptions and if the show wasn't pre-empted Thanksgiving day then the 5,000th would have aired Nov 26, 1970

The 6,000th aired Oct 31, 1974

The 7,000th aired Sep 12, 1978

The 8,000th aired Aug 16, 1982

I also located some HW info based on newspaper articles and script archive catalogue's for the writers.

Irving Vendig's scripts start Sep 03, 1951 and end Nov 26, 1956

I found a writer named Milton Geiger who apparently wrote for the show in the 50's and may have bridged the gap between Vendig and the Hursley's or it could have been Charles Gussman, but I could find no info on him. 

Frank & Doris Hursley Dec 30, 1957 - Jun 05, 1964

Julian Funt & David Lesan I could only find one month from Jul 1967 from Lesan's archive. The first mention of the pair as HW of the show is Jul 1966, however general consensus would place them directly after the Hursley's in 1964. The last mention is from Feb 1968. I am pretty sure they took over from Irna Phillips on GL from May 68 (though not sure)

Leonard Kanter and Doris Frankel - Only one mention of them from Sep 1970. Maybe or likely they took over from Lesan & Funt

Lou Scofield - Mentioned as HW in an article from Nov 1970, based on below he probably finished Feb 16, 1971

Robert Soderberg & Edith Sommer - In an early June 1971 article it is mentioned they write both SFT and GL. They are mentioned again along with Eugenie Hunt and Ralph Ellis as writers in Sep 1971. Thanks to @RavenWhitney for Ralph Ellis' script archive. It does seem Robert,Edith, Raph and Eugenie were headwriting the show from Feb 17, 1971 - Sep 17, 1971. This still lines up with the September mention since that was written Sep 03, 1971. 

Eugenie Hunt & Ralph Ellis - Based on new info I will suggest they began Sep 20, 1971 as a solo pair. Possibly their end date was Christmas 1973. Maybe Theo took over from there but it isn't reflected in his script archive.

Theodore Apstein - His script archive catalogue is sparse but mentions Jan 15, 1974 - May 24, 1974. There could be more not housed in the archive

Gabriel Upton is mentioned as bridging the gap between Apstein and Marcus. If so she would have been there one month

Ann Marcus - (June 24, 1974 - Nov 18, 1975) She began with episode #5913. Since we know the 6,000th ep aired Oct 31, 1974. I counted backwards and adjusted for at least three pre-emptions I know occured in July 1974 and it landed me at the week of June 24, 1974. Her last episode is #6274. I counted forward from ep 6,000 and it landed me on Nov 18, 1975. However there may have been one or two pre-emptions so at the very least her last episode would have been that week.

Peggy O'Shea (Approx Nov 19, 1975 - Dec 10, 1976) Information based solely on Irving Ellman and Ann Marcus info

Irving Elman & Tex Avery (Dec 13, 1976 - Aug 05, 1977) Irving's script archive mentions these start and end dates 

Robert Shaw - If he followed Elman and Avery then he most likely started Aug 08, 1977 and went to very early March 1978

Henry Slesar - March 1978 - Approx Sep 08, 1978 - John-Michael Reed announced Slesar as HW in a Mar 26, 1978 article. He stated Slesar's first move was to axe three characters Evelyn Reedy and Margaret & Greg Hartford. These characters were gone the week of March 20, 1978. So his start date is no later than that week.

Joyce & John William Corrington - Sep 11, 1978  - May 09, 1980 article states the Corringtons were hired and began writing from Aug 14, 1978. it also mentions it takes roughly a month for their scripts to air. Since they are both mentioned as HW from Sep 15, 1978 I would assume they started airing that week, which is one month after they were hired. The week of Sep 25 they axed Slesar's first addition to the show Chance Holliday

Linda Grover & John Porterfield - May 12, 1980 - October 03, 1980 Lynda Hirsch announced their first air date

Gabriel Upton - October 06, 1980 - Mar 27, 1981 She was announced as taking over temporarily around Sep 09, 1980 by Jon-Michael Reed, and again by Lynda Hirsch Oct 06, 1980. I assume that was her approx start date. NY Daily News announced her end date

Harding Lemay - Mar 30, 1981 - Until strike. The strike started Apr 12, so an approx end date would be May 15, 1981

Don Chastain - May 18, 1981 - Mid December 1981 (approx Dec 11, 1981) Don stated he was writing the show for seven months before he was let go, so he most likely was writing during the strike, and he was fired the day after he handed in his first long term story projection. He had been working from a previous story projection (Harding Lemay??)

John Burnett & Millie Taggart - Mid Dec 1981 - Mid Jan 1982 Both were announced in Nov as new HW and Mary Stuart held a party for them. Sorry she threw the party for new producer Fred Bartholomew

Ralph Ellis & Eugenie Hunt - Mid Jan 1982 - Mar 26, 1982 Announced around Dec 11 as taking over with Millie Taggart, Courtney Sherman Simon and Nancy Ford as dialogue writers. They were still there when the show left CBS

 

This is all I have done so far. At least the 1970's is mostly covered. Once I get more I will post. 

ETA: For the record the three pre-emptions I am sure happened in July 1974 were

July 02, 1974 - CBS News Special: Nixon in Moscow

July 24, 1974 - CBS News Special: Impeachment - The Court and the Committee

July 25, 1974 - CBS News Special: House Committee Debate on Impeachment

There are other possible pre-emptions which affected Y&R and may have affected SFT as well. This would change Ann Marcus' start date. So her general date still stands at the week of June 24, 1974 (Maybe June 27, 1974) but all depends on how many July pre-emptions actually affected the show.

Edited September 10, 2021 by will81

[danfling]

Mr. Geiger has a long list of writing for numerous shows.

 

He wrote for radio in 1945.

He directed a television program in 1949.

He wrote at least twenty-three primetime series or anthology programs.

 

[RavenWhitney]

Have you reviewed Ralph Ellis script archives at the below link. You might find useful date ranges for SFT as he donated years worth of story projections and breakdowns arranged by date.

And here's a lovely obit for wife, Eugenie Hunt, that mentions their writing careers:

https://www.theridgefieldpress.com/past_obituaries/article/Obituary-Gene-H-Ellis-82-actress-and-writer-14003844.phphttps://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/e/ellis_search_for_tom.htm

Edited September 3, 2021 by RavenWhitney

[will81]

Thank you for that. It is a great resource, though it does raise more questions, haha. Still very appreciated, thank you

[danfling]

That obituary above does not mention that her husband Ralph Ellis wrote briefly for Dark Shadows.

[RavenWhitney]

I believe Ralph only wrote 2 freelance scripts for Dark Shadows but wasn't hired on staff.

 

[amybrickwallace]

I came across these wonderful photos of SFT's early days on the Getty Images site:

Please register in order to view this content

[will81]

I have updated the writing list to the end of the CBS run with the additional information below

Joyce & John William Corrington - Sep 11, 1978  - May 09, 1980 article states the Corringtons were hired and began writing from Aug 14, 1978. it also mentions it takes roughly a month for their scripts to air. Since they are both mentioned as HW from Sep 15, 1978 I would assume they started airing that week, which is one month after they were hired. The week of Sep 25 they axed Slesar's first addition to the show Chance Holliday

Linda Grover & John Porterfield - May 12, 1980 - October 03, 1980 Lynda Hirsch announced their first air date

Gabriel Upton - October 06, 1980 - Mar 27, 1981 She was announced as taking over temporarily around Sep 09, 1980 by Jon-Michael Reed, and again by Lynda Hirsch Oct 06, 1980. I assume that was her approx start date. NY Daily News announced her end date

Harding Lemay - Mar 30, 1981 - Until strike. The strike started Apr 12, so an approx end date would be May 15, 1981

Don Chastain - May 18, 1981 - Mid December 1981 (approx Dec 11, 1981) Don stated he was writing the show for seven months before he was let go, so he most likely was writing during the strike, and he was fired the day after he handed in his first long term story projection. He had been working from a previous story projection (Harding Lemay??) Apparently his Hong Kong material was still airing when John and Millie's shows began.

John Burnett & Millie Taggart - Mid Dec 1981 - Mid Jan 1982 Both were announced in Nov as new HW and Mary Stuart held a party for new producer Fred Bartholomew, they were in attendance

Ralph Ellis & Eugenie Hunt - Mid Jan 1982 - Mar 26, 1982 Announced around Dec 11 as taking over with Millie Taggart, Courtney Sherman Simon and Nancy Ford as dialogue writers. They were still there when the show left CBS

Edited September 10, 2021 by will81

[TEdgeofNight]

thank you Will81. I watched Search. I never realized how many writers they had. Some didn't last for very long. 

[will81]

No worries. Mary Stuart once said every writer in town wrote for the show at some point. Yes it is unfortunate as that ultimately led to its demise I think. In the 50's and 60's there were not that many HW's, but during the 70's the show changed hands so many times.

Though the shows ratings were losing ground in the late 60's/early 70's it rebounded in 1974 when Ann Marcus took over, but she left to do Mary Hartman and the show began sinking again. Then when the Corringtons took over they managed to at least stabilise the ratings, but then they left to create Texas.

Apparently Linda Grover and John Porterfield are the ones that did the most damage in the shortest amount of time, and it seems the show never really recovered before CBS cancelled it. NBC was hardly the place for the show to flourish either. 

[Paul Raven]

Linda Grover had already written for The Doctors and failed to lift the ratings. Wonder how these writers get chosen? Doesn't seem from what happened onscreen that she had a bunch of story plans that dazzled the execs.

[will81]

Well the claim was Don Chastain's story projection was so off the rails they fired him, but Linda Grover was killing people every week from synopsis I was reading. So I can't imagine what Don had come up with. 

[amybrickwallace]

Did she ever write for soaps again after SFT?