2 hours ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

Neil I posed this to a friend who is very knowledgeable about SFT & about organ music & composers, etc. and he said that to his knowledge the original SFT theme by Chet Kingsbury was never orchestrated. Hope it helps. 

Thank you!  I thought that might be the case, but wanted to see if anyone had more information.  Again, thanks.

On 9/22/2023 at 7:06 AM, Neil Johnson said:

What year was Harding Lemay head-writer at SFT?  Wasn't it around 1981?  So I assume Travis was still alive, and the Kendalls had not yet arrived in Henderson.  Is that correct?  I've read one of Lemay's plans was to bring Mignon back to the canvas. That makes sense, because she was the type of neurotic controlling character that Lemay loved to write.  It would be interesting to know what other plans Lemay had for SFT.  He liked to write for troubled characters who, to a large degree, created their own problems. He also enjoyed writing for characters who had historical conflicts that he could exploit for future plots/scenes (Jo and Stephanie, for example) For those of you who were watching, did you see any sense of Lemay taking the show in that direction?  

According to Mary Ann Cooper's column, Harding Lemay's first script aired on March 30, 1981. Gabrielle Upton's last script aired March 27, 1981. This was announced in a February 28, 1981 column. The Writer's Strike of 1981 began on April 11, 1981. So assuming that Lemay had already written the first script he probably only had on air scripts through about early May, which was about the time frame that the credits began to disappear on the episodes on "Ryan's Hope" that aired on SoapNet from that period.

Lemay seems to set up the return of Mignon as well as the return of the real Brian Emerson (and I wouldn´t be surprised if his long story involved the return of the aged Suzi Wyatt as his romantic interest). He quickly nixes Sunny´s brain tumor story (it´s cured) and wraps up the Jamie Adamson tale (like the tumor, she disappears). He also writes out David Sutton during the height of the custody trial. Lewis Artl´s departure seems to take a lot of the conflict out of the situation involving Garth and Kathy´s sudden marriage. The custody trial seems to continue focusing on the relationships between the characters and the reaction to the events in the story. Elements of the Richard Kent story seem to be a bit Lemay-esque (the emphasis on artists), but I cannot imagine this was what Lemay originally planned unless this was his middle ground with Mary Ellis Bunim. I suspect this might be the infamous rape story he refused to write.   

Also, Don Chastain claims that he was fired after submitting his first set of story projections in the fall of 1981. Prior to that, he claims he was writing ¨someone else´s stories and characters.¨ He had plotted a story, which he claimed had been approved and had been launched, that would have sent Travis Sentell into outer space. This was most likely the Project Goliath story that seems to start in October and is quickly forgotten only to be replaced by Operation Sunburst. It seems possible that Chastain was writing off Lemay´s projections for much of the strike. Until about late July, the show remains relatively normal until deep diving into the jade caper which devolves into some sorta mess involving spy networks and secret cartels or something.

Chastain´s scripts get some praise from at least one columnists, while there is also mentions of how bizarre some of his material was. The infamous ¨Ellie runs off with the cook¨ wasn´t a strike story. It happens in October, 1981, well after the end of the strike. Also, this story led to an insane moment where a drunken Stu Bergman ends up seeing a life size rabbit on Halloween. Chastain´s proposed outer space story projection would be something to behold. Given the mess the show is in November/December 1981, I think Chastain´s departure was a smart move. 

These are from the "Daytime Dial" and ¨Tune in Tomorrow¨ columns covering the weeks leading up Lemay's arrival into the Writer's Strike covering Mignon's return, the murder mystery, and the conclusion of the year. 

March 2 - March 6, 1981: Martin Tourneur, planning a business trip to Miami, asks Joanne Tourneur to go along. At first, she agrees, but then decides it's unfair to drop all business problems in Stu and Ellie Bergman's lap. Stephanie Wyatt, planning a trip to South America, says goodbye to Max Taper and the two are obviously growign close. Stephanie, on her way to Miami to catch her South American crusise ship, is delighted when she finds Martin is a fellow airplane passenger. Dr. Jamie Larsen Adamson was hospitalized after falling from a train during an argument with Janet Collins about Ted Adamson. JAmie remains in critical confition and Ted and Janet both feel guilty. Stu is surprised when he discovers Wendy Wilkins is living with Spence Langley. Wendy complains about the cockroaches in the space she is sharing with Spence. Brian is going back to law school.  Garth Taper lured Kathy Phillips to Jamaica under false pretenses, then proceeded to charm her. Travis and Liza Sentell learned that Cissie Mitchell was pregnant when Stephanie Wyatt first met her.

March 9 - March 13, 1981: Cissie Mitchell is shattered when she realizes the Sentells may take Roger Lee to Europe for two months. She decides it is time to tell Travis and Liza that she is the baby´s mother, and tells Travis. Travis knows this is true, but emotionally cannot accept it. Cissie tells Travis either he takes her to Europe with them or he must leave the baby in Henderson with her. An upset Travis fires Cissie and orders her out of the house. Dr. Jamie Adamson regained consciousness, but believes she is in the 1960s. Jamie is reliving the horrors of her early life and Ted Adamson realizes that is will be a long time before he can divorce his emotionally unstable wife. The press intimates  that Jamie´s fall from the train may not have been an accident. Janet Collins realizes that Ted must stay with Jamie for the time being. Sunny Adamson is wondering if it is right to marry Lee Sentell. Kathy Phillips and Garth Taper are married in Jamaica. Spence Langley missed Wendy Wilkins´ birthday party in order to assure Cissie he would help her in her fight with the Sentells for Roger Lee´s custody. Sunny Adamson admits to Jo Tourneur she is not yet ready to marry Lee. 

March 16 - March 20, 1981: When Kathy Phillips Taper fails to return home from Jamaica, her son Doug Phillips is upset, but turns happy when he learns Kathy and Garth Taper are married and Garth is his new father. Upset over Doug´s future with irresponsible Garth, David Sutton asks Kathy to tell Garth that David is the father. Travis Sentell explains Cissie Mitchell´s firing to his wife Liza Sentell. Travis does not think Cissy can take Roger Lee away from him and Liza. Cissy turned away at attempt to visit Liza. After Travis tells Lee Sentell of Cissie´s claim, Lee feels the baby may be his too, but Spence Langley comes to Cissie´s defense and tell Lee he is the father. Wendy Wilkin´s jealousy of Spence and Cissie´s secret meetings abates when she realizes she is the only woman in Spence´s life. Cissie filing lawsuit against the Sentells, which Kathy feels she won´t win. It seems that Martin Tourneur and Stephanie Wyatt were not only in Miami at the same time, but resided at the same motel. After Sunny Adamson tells Lee she´s not ready to get married, they postpone the wedding. 

March 23 - March 27, 1981: (Gabrielle Upton´s final week) After Kathy Taper tells Garth Taper that David Sutton is her son Doug Phillip´s father, Garth is angry and admits his jealousy of David and his visits. Visiting Jamie Adamson at the hospital, Kathy meets Garth´s brother, Dr. Max Taper, whom Garth refuses to talk about. Kathy tries to reunite the brothers. Kathy agrees to take Cissie Mitchell´s case. Suspecting Spence Langley is Roger Lee Sentell´s father and is in love with Cissie, Wendy Wilkins moves out on him. Fearing Cissie will do something rash, Travis and Liza Sentell plan an early departure with Roger Lee to Europe, but receive a summons to appear at a preliminary hearing. When Jamie, who is faking her amnesia, leads Janet Collins into believing Ted and Jamie consummated their marriage, a very upset Janet goes to San Francisco to stay with her son Gary Walton. Sunny Adamson and Lee Sentell to marry in May. Because Kathy was unfaithful to him once, Garth feels he cannot trust her. Experimental treatment being given to the unremembering Jamie. Cissie goes to the pediatrician´s office when she finds out Roger Lee is there. 

March 30, 1981 - April 3, 1981: (Harding Lemay´s first week) Liza and Travis Sentell are disappointed and angry because Kathy Taper is handling Cissie Mitchell´s custody suit. In response, the Sentells hire David Sutton as their attorney. Lee Sentell agreed to be a character witness against Cissie. Refusing to tell everyone that Lee is the father of her baby, and fearing Lee will tell the court they slept together, Cissie asks Spence Langley to marry her, but he refuses. In spite of Kathy´s attempts, Garth Taper still refuses to see his brother, Max Taper, but Kathy finds out Max bought Garth´s painting for $5, 000. Garth informs Cissie he loved a girl who had had a stillborn baby. Convincing Jo Tourneur there´s nothing between him and Stephanie Wyatt, Martin Tourneur and Jo make up. Jo agrees to curb her jealous nature. Jamie Adamson´s amnesia is apparently undiminished. When Ted Adamson and Janet Collins get back together, Ted and Janet both suspect Jamie is faking amnesia. After Wendy Wilkins gets a job at Steve´s (Stu´s?)  restaurant she is offered Suzy´s old room by Martin. Wendy thinks Spence is Roger Lee´s brother (father?).

April 6, 1981 - April 10, 1981: In court, Cissie Mitchell refuses to let Kathy Taper question Lee Sentell. Later, Cissie plots to to kidnap her son, Roger Lee Sentell. Cissie promises to lift her demands on Spence Langley once he agrees to be a character witness for her at the custody trial. Because Kathy´s representing Cissie in custody suit, Lee and Travis Sentell consider her an enemy. Stu Bergman is unhappy with Spence Langley´s relationship with Cissie and is taking time off from work. Garth Taper making sculpture called ¨Brother Love," which he refuses to sell. Kathy convinces Wendy Wilkins that Spence really loves her. When Kathy finds Dee she refuses to testify on Cissie´s behalf. Cissie still refuses to let Spence tell that he is Roger Lee´s father. Ted Adamson fails to convince Dr. Max Taper that his wife Dr. Jamie Adamson is faking her illness. While Ted fails, his daughter Sunny Adamson succeeds in catching a faking Jamie in a lie, thus proving to Sunny that Jamie´s amnesia is not real. Sunny is told by Max her brain tumor is completely cured. Sunny set out to reunite Max and his brother Garth. 

April 13, 1981 - April 17, 1981: Refusing to tell Kathy Taper that Lee Sentell is the natural father of her baby Roger Lee Sentell, Cissie Mitchell plans to use the tape she made to her unborn child at trial. At hearing, Spence Langley states he met Cissie Mitchell after she was pregnant. To everyone´s dismay, Kathy Taper reveals Liza Sentell and Travis´ mother, Mignon Sentell, were under psychiatric care. Liza successfully challengea Cathy´s insintuations about Liza´s mental state. Liza catches Cissie in nursery clothing her baby. When Ted Adamson tries to throw a cured Jamie Adamson from his house, she threatens to charge Janet Collins with attempted murder if Ted files for annulment. Because Jamie refuses to leave, Sunny Adamson and David Sutton investigate her leading to Sunny´s offers to go to Washington, D.C., to track down Jamie´s FBI file. Garth Taper refuses to have Sunny do a documentary on local artists. Sunny invites both Garth and his brother, Dr. Max Taper, to her wedding. Even after Spence and Wendy Wilkins make up, she prefers to stay at her mother´s house. Jo Tourneur dissuaded Stu Bergman from firing Spence. 

April 20, 1981 - April 24, 1981: Not believing Jamie Adamson when she claims the FBI has a file on her because she was indirectly responsible for her aunt and uncle´s death, Sunny Adamson decides to go to Washington, D.C., to check on Jamie´s story. This leads to Sunny´s discovery that Jamie is wanted by the FBI for instigating riots. Lee Sentell gets Sunny to move their wedding date up to May 2. Wanting to see her baby again, Cissie Mitchell sneaks into Roger Lee Sentell´s bedroom, but is discovered, and Liza Sentell thinks she´s trying to kidnap the child. As a result, David Sutton secures a court order barring Cissie from the Sentell home. Garth Taper bolts after running into his brother Max Taper. Garth agrees to be a subject for Sunny´s documentary about artists. Stu Bergman wants to fire Spence Langley because he is friends with Cissie. Ted Adamson warns Janet Collins not to have any contact with Jamie. Jamie, vowing revenge on Janet, takes a bottle of acid and spills it on a picture of Janet´s face. Liza gets judge to believe her emotional problems were all natural reactions to stressful situations. 

April 27, 1981 - May 1, 1981: When Sunny Adamson discovers her stepmother Jamie Adamson is wanted by the FBI, Jamie admits her marriage to Ted Adamson was never consummated and agrees to annulment. A disgraced Jamie donned a disguise after Sunny confronted her about her criminal past. Hating Janet Collins so much, Jamie tries unsuccessfully to throw acid in her face. On TV, Ted Adamson announces his resignation as governor. Ted´s action leads to admiration from Stu Bergman, the father of Ted´s paramour Janet Collins. Unless new evidence is presented, Judge McNair cannot say Cissie Mitchell can get her baby back. Kathy Taper gets Cissy to admit that Lee Sentell is really the babyś father. Cissie plays the audio tape made before the baby was born for a stunned Sunny to show she is really Roger Lee Sentell´s mother. Liza Sentell will not leave her home. David Sutton, still unhappy about losing his son Doug Phillips to Garth Taper, plans to move to state capitol separating them even further. Returning to Henderson, Stephanie Wyatt calls Martin Tourneur. During their conversation, Martin agrees to help Stephanie reunite wiht her daughter Wendy Wilkins.  When Stephanie goes home, she finds Wendy dining with Spence Langley and seems resigned to their relationship. Even though it´s the first time in 12 years, Garth refuses to talk to his brother Max Taper when they run into each other. 

May 4, 1981 - May 8, 1981: Learning her future husband Lee Sentell sired Cissie Mitchell´s baby, Sunny Adamson is stunned. When Sunny plays the tape for Lee that Cissie left, he refuses to believe it and wants the wedding to go ahead. After a few drinks, Lee visits Cissie and demands more proof or she won´t get the baby back. Lee then tells Martin Tourneur he might be Roger Lee Sentell´s father. Martin suggests postponing the weddding and taking antibody test to determine parentage. Sunny agrees to postpone the wedding. Leaving Henderson for good, David Sutton says goodbye to Kathy Taper. Jamie Adamson disappears from Henderson. Joanne Tourneur tells Stephanie Wyatt she´s onto the game she´s playing with Martin. Stephanie pumped Spence Langley for information about her son Brian Emerson, but Spence didn´t know Brian´s whereabouts. 

May 11, 1981 - May 15, 1981:  (about a month after the strike starts so Lemay´s scripts should be almost out) Although Jamie Adamson has disappeared, Janet Collins fears that she will return. David Sutton says goodbye to Kathy Taper and asks that Doug be allowed to visit him in Washington. Garth Taper upset when he catches his wife Cathy and David in emotional goodbye hug. When Lee Sentell tells Liza Sentell he may be Roger Lee Sentell´s father, she falls apart and insists there will be no paternity blood tests. When Travis Sentell says tests need to be taken, Liza feels he too is against her. Travis leaves for a Mideast business trip. Stephanie Wyatt and Max Taper become closer even though Stephanie still has a yen for Martin Tourneur. Stephanie befriended Cissie Mitchell and encouraged her to fight for her child. Later, Cissie applies, and secures, a position as Max´s receptionist. 

May 18, 1981 - May 22, 1981: (Max Taper´s story starts to pick up. Don Chastain most likely has started as scab headwriter mostly working on scripts from ¨other people´s stories¨) Kathy Taper orders the court to have Lee Sentell submit to a paternity test for Roger Lee. Stu Bergman harangued Martin Tourneur for suggesting the paternity test. Fearing her son will be taken from her if tests show Lee is really her baby´s father, Liza Sentell takes baby Roger Lee and heads for New Orleans under assumed name. Returning from Europe, Travis Sentell begins search for Liza and the baby. Max Taper goes to Garth Taper and they hash out their past problems. Twelve years ago, Garth was in love with Tessa, who became pregnant by another man. The 16-year-old girl claimed the child was Max´s, although Max was happily married to Jennifer. Garth believed the story and decided to help raise her child. When the baby was stillborn, Tessa disappeared and Garth left his family. At first Garth refuses to beleive Max´s contention that the baby wasn´t his, but a letter Tessa sent Max a year ago proves his story. Garth feels a fool who lost 12 years of his life, but couldn´t promise a reconcilliation with his brother. Kathy Taper having trouble communicating with Garth. Garth and Sunny Adamson lean on each other. 

May 25, 1981 - May 29, 1981: (Mignon returns.) Sunny Adamson is upset when Lee Sentell says he wants to adopt Roger Lee Sentell if the child is his. Stu Bergman considers Lee the enemy. Travis Sentell slapped Lee for telling Cissie´s attorney Kathy Taper about the paternity test. Stephanie Wyatt asks Cissy Mitchell to move in with her and vows to help win the battle with the Sentells. Stephanie´s daughter Wendy disapproved of Stephanie´s actions. Stephanie encouraged Cissie to fight for Lee. Doug Phillips misses Cissie as his baby sitter. Martin Tourneur goes to the sanitarium where his sister Mignon Sentell has been a patient and learns she is totally recovered and must be treated as a normal, capable human being. He also discovers that Mignon was released from the sanitarium. Garth Taper still unable to be close to Max Taper because he feels he´s been made a fool of by Tessa, the firl he loved when he was younger. 

June 1, 1981 - June 5, 1981: Tests prove that Roger Lee Sentell is Lee Sentell´s biological son. Liza Sentell is hysterical suspecting that Cissie Mitchell had tampered with the results. Martin Tourneur is stunned that Mignon Sentell, his once-emotionally- ill sister, seems to be well-balanced. Travis Sentell brings his wife Liza and his mother Mignon back to Henderson. Jo Tourneur invites Mignon to stay at the Henderson Inn, but Mignon begged off in order to stay with Liza and Travis during the custody battle. Lee feels that perhaps by joining forces with Cissie Mitcehll he can once again see his son. Kathy Taper jealous of the so-called housekeeper Vicki Curtis since she spends more time modeling for her husband Garth Taper than cleaning the house or watching her son Dougie Phillips. Garth tells Sunny Adamson the documentary she´s doing on his life is causing problems in his marriage. Stephanie Wyatt asked Spence Langley to find her son Brian Emerson. 

June 8, 1981 - June 12, 1981: (The brutal attack may give us a clue to the rape story that Lemay has stated he had conflict with Mary-Ellis Bunim over. I wonder if Richard was intended to eventually rape Sunny) Liza Sentell crushed when tests show Lee Sentell is Roger Lee Sentell´s natural father. Following argument with his wife Kathy Taper over Vicki Curtis´s lack of attention to household chores, Garth Taper spends the night at his friend Richard Kent´s apartment. Vicki tags along. When Vicki passes on message to Garth that his brother Max Taper wants to see him, Garth leaves in a rage. While Vicky is on phone to Max to discuss Garth´s temper flare ups, someone comes in and brutally attacks her. Kathy Taper and Max think Garth may have done it after Kathy discovers Garth has a history of assault. The child custody hearing begins. Travis and Liza Sentell´s attorney, Giles, brings out that Stephanie Wyatt once had a child out of wedlock and this is why she has taken Cissie Mitchell into her home. Kathy forces Sunny to appear as a character witness for Cissie, but Giles gets Sunny to admit that Cissie may be using her child to get Lee Sentell back. In court, Cissie announces her love for Lee. On the witness stand, Kathy damages Liza´s credibility when Liza breaks down and court must adjourn. When Travis tries to talk to Liza, she tells him to get away, blaming him for their return to Henderson. Mignon Sentell blames Liza for the conflict between her son Travis and his cousin Lee. Mignon asks Lee for a visit while she is taking care of little Roger Lee Sentell, and Lee gets to be with his son for the first time. Travis and Liza return home unexpectedly and are shocked when they see Lee holding the baby. Ellie Bergman overhears Mignon tell little Roger Lee he´ll soon be living in New Orleans. 

June 15, 1981 - June 19, 1981: As the custody suit continues rift between Liza and Travis Sentell, Travis promises his cousin Lee Sentell unlimited visitation of Roger Lee Sentell if he and Liza retain custody of the baby, while Cissie Mitchell makes Lee same promise. Liza fears she´s losing control. Mignon Sentell is becoming obsessed with her adopted grandson Roger Lee Sentell. Vicki Curtis is unable to recall who attacked her. Kathy Taper feels Garth Taper only person responsible for Vicki´s attack. When Garth arrested by the police, Cathy gets trial recessed so she can see him in prison. Garth refuses to see Cathy because he senses she feels he´s guilty. After Max gets Garth out on bail, the two renew their brotherly feeling they had for each other years ago and Max tells Garth he knows Garth did not attack Vicki. The police also grilled Richard Kent, an artist, about Vicki´s beating. Sunny Adamson considered breaking things off with Lee, while Cissie dreamed of marrying Lee. At Stephanie Wyatt´s urging, Martin Tourneur asks Spencer Langley about her illegitimate son, Brian, and Spencer claims Brian wants nothing to do with his natural mother. 

June 22, 1981 - June 26, 1981: (In his exit interview, Chastain claims he received accolades for writing the conclusion of the custody trial so Chastain is writing scripts for sure by this point) Travis and Liza Sentell stunned when judge gives Cissie Mitchell and Lee Sentell joint custody of their son, Roger Lee Sentell. Seeing it is impossible for Cissie to take care of baby part time, Lee suggests Cissie quit job and take care of baby full time and he will pay all her expenses. Mignon Sentell and Travis tell Lee never enter their home again. Stu Bergman orders Lee to move out of the Inn, since he blames him for Cissie winning custody suit. Sunny Adamson refuses to grant him room and board either. With Cathy believing Garth´s story that he did not attack Vicki Curtis, he returns home to Cathy. Ted Adamson balmes Stephanie Wyatt for Sunny and Lee´s split. Martin Tourneur and Spence Langley both attempt, and failed, to convince Stephanie to halt her search for her son Brian Emerson. Ted and Martin have business disagreements.  

June 29, 1981 - July 3, 1981: Richard Kent, thinking Sunny Adamson is his ex-wife Alice, attacks her. Sunny floored Richard and realized he was the one who had attacked Vicki Curtis. Kent admits to Sunny that he was behind the attack, so Garth Taper is cleared. Kathy and Garth Taper reconcilled. Lee Sentell neglected Sunny to help Cissie purchase goodies for their son Roger Lee Sentell. Stephanie Wyatt tells Cissie Mitchell she´ll think of way to split Sunny Adamson and Lee Sentell. Stu Bergman is overjoyed when son Tom Bergman comes home to Henderson. Liza Sentell, unable to face loss of Roger Lee´s custody, becomes more reclusive and buries herself in her music. 

July 6, 1981 - July 10, 1981: Hoping to end his wife Liza Sentell´s depression, Travis Sentell has his friend Dane Taylor agree to be her vocal coach. Liza and Dane hit it off immediately as Dane reminded Liza of her first husband, Steve Kaslo. Liza turns further away from Travis. Lee Sentell takes his son Roger Lee for the weekend. Cissie Mitchell considers taking an apartment in the same building as Lee, which led to Wendy admitting her distrust of Cissie. Lee is jealous of Tom Bergman and Sunny Adamsonś new friendship. Stephanie Wyatt learns her son Brian Emerson is in Oklahoma City after speaking with Paul Emerson, Brian´s father. Sunny Adamson accepts an out of town assignment.

July 13, 1981 - July 17, 1981: When Cissie Mitchell takes apartment and leaves building, Lee Sentell suspects it was Stephanie Wyatt´s doing. Lee offers to hire a nurse for their son Roger Lee, but Cissie insists on watching the child herself. Lee grew jealous when he discovered Sunny Adamson was dating Tom ¨Trip¨ Bergman. Feeling she needs time alone, Liza Sentell goes to New York to study with Dane Taylor. When Dane is out of town, she decides to take a cruise. Travis fumes that Liza has run off on him. Stephanie Wyatt finds her son Brian Emerson boxing in a ring. He wins the match after he is told to take a dive. His failure to do so has led to jeopardy from the fight fixers. When Stephanie introduces herself to Brian, he refuses to acknowledge her. Garth Taper feels he is living off his wife Kathy Taper´s money and feels further rebuffed when she says she is too tired to make love. Vicky returned to being Garth´s model and pursurer.  

July 20, 1981 - July 24, 1981: Brian Emerson decides to leave town quickly to avoid his fight manager because he did not take a dive when he was supposed to. Wendy Wilkins is upset about her mother Stephanie Wyatt and Dr. Max Taper having an intimate relationship. Stephanie sought Trip Bergman´s help in investigating her son Brian Emerson´s boxing enemies. Stu disapproved of Trip´s investigation. Jo Tourneur encourages Trip and Sunny Adamson to renew old ties. Alone on a cruise, Liza Sentell is very unhappy and is curious when several gifts come from a mysterious cruisemate. She then learns that the flowers and jewelry are from her husband, Travis Sentell. Travis buys a pair of interesting jade earrings for Liza, which led Liza to blow a gasket. Singer Zach Anders and his cohort, Sylvie Descartes (it says Zoe, but I think that´s wrong) are also on the ship in search of the jade. Garth Taper and his model Vicki Curtis began a steamy affair. Dane Taylor left town. 

July 27, 1981 - July 31, 1981: Travis and Liza Sentell made up on the Queen Elizabeth II. Travid tells Liza there is an operation which will allow her to become pregnant. She agrees to the procedure. Travis refuses to sell the jade to Sylvie. Brian Emerson, who ran from his gun-blasting tormentors, called his mother Stephanie Wyatt´s house, but hung up. Trip Bergman finds Brian in Oklahoma and makes arrangements for him to come to Henderson. The FBI finds Jamie Adamson in San Francisco when the car she is riding in is stopped by state patrol. Ted Adamson assures Janet Collins that the imprisoned Jamie will not hurt them, but Janet is fearful. Jo and Martin Tourneur vacationed in New Orleans, where Mignon Sentell is planning a boutique.

August 3, 1981 - August 7, 1981: To get annulment from Jamie Adamson, Ted Adamson offers to pay for an expensive lawyer to get his wife off for terrorist and murder charges. Jamie agrees and Ted is free. When Stephanie Wyatt´s son Brian Emerson appears at the house, Stephanie questions the boy. Brian flees and moves to the Inn. Wendy Wilkins senses her brother Brian is in hot water. When Stephanie goes to visit him there, she learns Brian has disappeared. Sunny Adamson and Trip Bergman are growing closer, while Lee Sentell seems to be getting closer to Cissie Mitchell. Roger Lee consumes pills which Sunny had dropped. Undergoing surgery to help her conceive in Vienna, Liza Sentell is discovered to have a tumor. Both doctors assure her husband Travis Sentell that Liza will be able to conceive, but they wihthold the fact that she might not carry the child to term. Lee Sentell was summoned to Bellville.  

August 10, 1981 - August 14, 1981: (about a month since strike ended. At some point in near future, Don Chastain is credited even though he worked the strike). Jo and Martin Tourneur find Martin´s sister Mignon Sentell hanging from a noose. Henderson is stunned when Mignon Sentell is found murdered. Suzi Wyatt returns to Henderson. Garth Taper reveals to his brother Dr. Max Taper that his life, both personally and professionally, is in shambles. Spence Langley, preparing to go to law school, is looking for a clerkship and considers moving out of town. Things change when Kathy Taper hires Spence to work in her law office. Roger Lee Sentell unaffected by the aspirin he consumed. Sunny Adamson tells her former fiance Lee Sentell she´s considering overseas assignment for a while. Zach Anders and Sylvie Descartes arrive at the Henderson Inn. Wendy Wilkins disapproed of her mother Stephanie Wyatt´s steamy relationship with Max. Stu Bergman hired Wendy and Zach for his new nightclub room, the Terrace. 

August 17, 1981 - August 21, 1981: Sylvie Descartes decides that Zack Anders´ job as singer at Hendeson House is a good way to get near the jade. Travis Sentell attends his mother´s funeral. Liza and Travis returned from New Orleans leading Lee Sentell to press for family unity. Duke, a goon working for the fight fixers, breaks into Stephanie Wyatt´s home in order to get her son Brian Emerson. Dr. Max Taper arrives on the scene and saves Stephanie. Brian returned and warned his sister Wendy Wilkins against Zach Anders, who enraptured both Wendy and her stepsister Suzi Wyatt. Sylvie orders Zach to get close to both girls in order to get info on Travis. 

August 24, 1981 - August 28, 1981: Stephanie Wyatt is confused when her daughter Wendy Wilkins switches from dating Spence Langley and goes over to Zack Anders. Spence also bristled at Wendy and Zach´s closeness. Brian Emerson punches his former friend Spence when Spence admits he once impersonated Brian. Brian, who is now a bouncer at Henderson Inn, almost gets in trouble when the first person he bounces is a state senator. Brian warmed up to his mother, Stephanie Wyatt. Ted Adamson gets his annulment from Jamie, but Janet is fearful that there will still be trouble galore ahead. Cissie Mitchell and Lee Sentell are growing closer as Sunny Adamson is becoming more enamored of Tom Bergman. Sylvie Descartes pressures Zach to charm Liza and lift the jade. Liza mellowed towards Lee.   

August 31, 1981 - September 4, 1981: Zach Anders and Sylvie Descartes get Liza Sentell to sing at the Henderson House so that Sylvie can get in and get pieces of the jade. Zach spots the jade on Liza´s finger. Sylvie´s mysterious adversary arrives. When she discovers Hemmings at the Sentell mansion, Sylvie kills him, searches for the jade pieces, but cannot find them. Wendy Wilkins is growing farther away from Spence Langley and closer to Zach Anders. Garth Taper feels guilty after his wife Kathy Taper almost caught him in the bushes with his lover Vicki Curtis. Lee Sentell resents Trip Bergman dating Cissie. Suzi Wyatt becomes buddies with her former stepmother Stephanie Wyatt and Cissie Mitchell. Brian Emerson and Zach clashed over Wendy.  The police informed Travis Sentell that his mother Mignon Sentell´s death was a murder, not a suicide. Sylvie replaced Zach´s scarf which was found near Mignon´s body.

September 7, 1981 - September 11, 1981: Vicki Curtis reveals her affair with Garth Taper to Garth´s wife, Kathy. In the aftermath, Garth was involved in a fatal car accident. Dr. Max Taper rushes to the hospital to try and save his brother Garth Taper, but it is too late. Garth succumbs to his injuries he sustained in the car crash. Garth´s passing stuns his wife Cathy Taper and Vicki Curtis. Sylvie Descartes used Zach´s scarf to strangle Mr. Billings, her enemy, and nixed telling Zach where she is concealing the corpse. Travis Sentell is beginning to think that his mother Mignon Sentell´s death which has been ruled a murder and not a suicide may be tied up with the break-in of their apartment and Hemming´s death. Spence Langley tells Wendy Wilkins he´s leaving for law school. While saddened, Wendy continues to grow closer to Zach Anders. After catching Zach kissing Wendy, Sylvie warned Zach to steer clear of Wendy if he wanted Wendy to live. 

September 14, 1981 - September 18, 1981: Garth Taper´s funeral is held. Liza Sentell and Cathy Taper renew their friendship when Liza tells her she knows how she feels because she remembers Steve Kaslo´s death. Stu Bergman also buried the hatchet with Kathy.  Wendy Wilkins taken aback when Sylvia Descartes warns her to stay away from Zack Anders, but Stephanie Wyatt steps in and takes care of Sylvie. Ellie Bergman distrusts Sylvie. With Spence Langley leaving town, Wendy grows closer to Zack Anders. A mysterious man (Bobby Stuart) snooped in Mignon Sentellś home and fondles a picture of Mignon. Brian Emerson and Suzi Wyatt hit it off. Sunny Adamson confided in Trip Bergman that she feels shut out by Lee Sentell, who has been distracted by Cissie´s bed. 

September 21, 1981 - September 25, 1981: Sunny Adamson is taken aback when her father Ted Adamson says she seems to revel in her myriad problems. When Cissie Mitchell becomes ill, Lee Sentell runs to her side, making Sunny wonder if she even wants to marry Lee. Bobby Stuart, who has returned to help investigate Mignon Sentell´s death, tells Travis Sentell a flower-peddler saw Mignon standing in the window of her apartment hours after the coroner said she must have been dead- so Bobby and Travis come to the conclusion that it was the murderer standing in the window and the murderer was a woman. Jo Tourneur upset by her niece Suzi Wyatt dating Brian Emerson because Jo felt Suzi was abandoning her dance studies to chase Brian. Sylvie Descartes copied the inscription from Liza Sentell´s jade, but a jeweler failed to translate it becasue the inscription is incomplete.  

September 28, 1981 - October 2, 1981: Dane Taylor is livid when Zack Anders misses Liza Sentell´s opening at the club because he and Wendy Wilkins are stuck in a cabin during a rainstorm. Stephanie Wyatt distrusts Zach. Stu Bergman angered Suzi Wyatt by firing Brian Emerson. Brian wants to resume his boxing career and goes to Martin Tourneur and Ted Adamson for funding. Martin agrees to sponsor Brian´s return to the ring.  Cissie Mitchell plans to open a dance studio in order to make money. Lee Sentell is growing closer to Cissie and further away from Sunny Adamson as Lee feels he is playing second fiddle to Sunny´s work. Cathy Taper is struggling with her son Dougie Phillips, who misses the late Garth Taper terribly and cannot understand why he has again been deserted by a father figure. Bobby Stuart learned that a strange woman was seen in Mignon´s house.  

October 5 , 1981 - October 9, 1981: Dane Taylor receives mysterious phone calls. It is revealed Dane Taylor was involved in the black market while in Vietnam and also is interested in the jade pieces Liza and Travis Sentell own. Sylvie studied Liza´s jade inscription. Cissie Mitchell makes sure she shows up at a restaurant where Lee Sentell is dining alone. Sunny Adamson catches Cissie merrily dining with Lee. When Sunny sees the twosome she is openly agitated, but Lee blames Sunny for being too busy to ever spend time with him. On their way back to Henderson, Zack Anders and Wendy Wilkins are involved in a car accident. Lost in the woods, Zack is unable to find way out for them and returns to Wendy, who is seriously ill from an insect bite.  Stephanie Wyatt tells the police she thinks Sylvie Descartes may have kidnapped Wendy and Zach. The cops grilled Sylvie about the missing young people. Ted Adamson helped Martin Tourneur manage Brian Emerson´s career. Both men publically announced they are backing Brianś boxing career.   

October 12, 1981 - October 16, 1981: Lee Sentell and Cissie Mitchell went to bed together. Travis Sentell swore Martin Tourneur to secrecy about a top secret project, code-named Goliath, that is in the works at Tourneur Instruments. Dane Taylor makes a mysterious call. Unbenownst to Travis and his wife Liza Sentell, Dane is a spy who´s following their activities. In the woods, Wendy Wilkins has knee trouble again and feels dizzy with a fever. Stephanie Wyatt tells Kathy Taper and Trip Bergman she thinks Sylvie Descartes and Zach Anders are kidnappers. Wendy calls Stephanie saying she´s fine, and Zack returns to the Inn. Stephanie is relieved when Zach and Wendy return, but Stephanie disapproves of the couple. Brian Emerson receives boxing coaching from Kid Granite. Sylvie tries to explain the delay in getting the jade to her boss. 

October 19, 1981 - October 23, 1981: (Ellie Bergman departs. Chastain most definitely would be credited by this point despite this supposedly happening during the strike) Ellie Bergman dumped her husband Stu Bergman and split with Armand, the Henderson Inn´s chef. News of Ellie´s decision depresses Stu. The mysterious Mr. Woo informed Travis Sentell that his father, Rusty Sentell, may be alive in Hong Kong. Travis and Liza head to Hong Kong to follow the lead. Lee Sentell joined Travis' secret agricultural project. Zach Anders agreed to help Sylvie Descartes. When Sylvie hears that Travis and Liza are heading to Hong Kong, they follow. Sylvie wants the jade. Jo Tourneur disapproved of Suzi Wyatt and Brian Emerson´s romance. Martin Tourneur and Ted Adamson hire Kid Granite to be Brian´s trainer. Sunny Adamson´s uncertainy about her future with Lee has Lee upset, but gives Cissie Mitchell hope.  Wendy Wilkins wants to leave home. Zack asks her to think twice about it and promises if he has to leave town he´ll be back for her. 

October 26, 1981 - October 30, 1981: Sylvie Descartes and Zach Anders followed Liza and Travis Sentell to Hong Kong, where Sunny Adamson did a story on Travis´ search for his father. Hired by Sylvie to get the jade, a stranger mugs Liza and Travis, but does not get the goods. Sylvie´s boss monitored Liza and Travis. Wendy Wilkins is upset by Zack´s sudden disappearance. Lee Sentell and Sunny parted company. Martin Tourneur and Trip Bergman helped Stu Bergman shake the blues over losing his wife Ellie. Stephanie Wyatt and Martin Tourneur are disappointed because they are given little opportunity to see Brian train for the big fight. 

November 2, 1981 - November 6, 1981: In Hong Kong, Sylvie Descartes and Zach Anders abduct Travis Sentell. Sylvie´s henchmen kill Mr. Woo. Liza Sentell manages to escape from Sylvie and flees to a Chinese theatre where she receives a call from Sylvie, who demands the jade. Travis snatches teh phone and tells Liza not to listen to the demands, but is kidnapped by another couple who were hired to find the jade. Sunny Adamson discovers that Dane Taylor is also interested in the jade. Stephanie Wyatt discovers the drowned corpse of Sylvie´s enemy. Brian Emerson to fight Mad Dog Evans in a three-round bout. Duke, one of the fight fixers from Oklahoma, comes to Henderson and Wendy Wilkins tells him Brian is at the gym. Ted Adamson fixes the fight for Brian. Dane Taylor arrives in Hong Kong and tries to rescue both Liza and Travis. Dane nixes Sunny Adamson´s pleas to call the cops. Stu Bergman attempts a youthful image. Stephanie Wyatt and Kathy Taper discover Hemmings´ body in the lake and the investigation hangs around the red scarf on his neck. 

November 9, 1981 - November 13, 1981 : Liza Sentell frees herself from her jade-hungry captors. Sylvie Descartes, who drugged Travis Sentell, is threatened by her rivals. Travis escapes his kidnapper, but is later recapture and taken on a Chinese junk. Liza Sentell gets jade from the bank and tries to contact Sylvie. Brian Emerson wins his first fight, unaware Ted Adamson engineered his victory. Duke shows up and hits Brian in the head. Hospitalized, Brian is told by Kid Granite he is a good fighter, but not a champion, and Granite resigns as his manager. Trip Bergman investigates the the drowning of Sylvie´s enemy, whose connection to Sylvie is yet unknown. Sylvie summoned Liza.  

November 16, 1981 - November 20, 1981: (In early November, it is announced that Don Chastain was released both from his writing and acting roles. It would be safe to say that ¨Jackson Chase¨ has taken over by this week) Kid Granite convinced Brian Emerson to trade in his boxing gloves. Sunny Adamson was arrested for suspicion of robbing the jade from a museum. Dane Taylor´s boss ordered him to get the jade. Liza has not yet caught up with her husband Travis Sentell, Sylvie Descartes, and Zach Anders, but has found the the other half of the jade inscription. As the bomb ticks away, Liza is able to get the jade out of the safe, but Sylvie discovers a piece of the jade is missing - hence she cannot figure out the code. Sylvie tells Liza  that Travis is dead. In Henderson, Martin Tourneur beleives that Hemmings´ and Mignon´s murders are connected. Wendy Wilkins is still upset becasue Zach has disappeared. Stephanie Wyatt promoted a match between her daughter Wendy and Trip Bergman. Brian Emerson recuperates in the hospital after his beating from Duke. Dr. Max Taper left Henderson.

November 23, 1981 - November 27, 1981: Sylvie Descartes grabs the jade and held Liza Sentell hostage. A jade expert informed Sylvie that the jade is still incomplete. Sylvie lied to Liza saying that her husband Travis Sentell is dead. Dane Taylor rescues Travis before the ship blows up. Travis learns Dane doesn know where Liza is. Sylvie threatens to kill Liza. Released by the police after questioning concerning the jade theft, Sunny Adamson is given a source who can provide code to the jade´s secret message. Brian Emerson is heartbroken, with no job, no fighting career, and no money. He doesn´t know where to turn until Suzi Wyatt comes around. Jo Tourneur and her niece Suzi sparred over Suzi´s boyfriend, Brian. Stephanie Wyatt and her daughter Wendy Wilkins bonded over becoming losers at love. 

November 30, 1981 - December 4, 1981: After Dane Taylor rescued Travis Sentell, the two men took off in pursuit of Travis´ wife Liza Sentell. Sylvie Descartes lifted the missing part of the jade from a museum and goes to the fort tower. Escaping from prison, Sunny Adamson also learned the riddle of the jade and goes looking for Sylvie, who is with her accomplice Zach Anders.  Martin Tourneur learns Zach killed somebody. Wendy Wilkins, Zach´s girlfirend, is stunned by the news and will talk to no one. Martin concluded that Billings was connect with Sylvie. Brian Emerson cooled his relationship with Suzi Wyatt because he feels like a failure. 

December 7, 1981 - December 11, 1981: Sylvie Descartes and Zach Anders discover an empty carton and a cannister of film instead of the treatsure. An angry Sylvie vows to kill them all and point a gun at Liza Sentell, but Zach steps in and takes the fatal bullet. After Zack´s death, Sylvie continues to prepare to kill everyone else, when suddenly a shot rings out from behind and Sylvie is exterminated by an unseen sniper. Dane Taylor rushes to the film cannister and seemingly destroys the film. Dane helped Travis Sentell rescue Travis´ wife Liza Sentell, then split under orders from his bosses. Mysterious criminals knew that Dane grabbed the microfilm that Sylvie sought. At the hospital, Travis wonders what Dane is doing. Dane takes the film, which he hasn really destroyed, and looks thought it, but learns almost all of the frames were destroyed. Travis discovered Sylvie´s organization lured him to Hong Kong on the pretext that his father was alive. Stephanie Wyatt tries to console her daughter Wendy WIlkins ove Zack´s death. 

December 14, 1981 - December 18, 1981: (Ralph Ellis and Eugenie Hunt depart in December 1982 around this time. Suspecitng they may have started this week or the one after. Next week, there is mention of Project Sunburst, which drags out for most of Hunt-Ellis´ run) Dane Taylor admits to Travis Sentell he´s a counterespionage agent. Dane believes Travis can help him with the damaged film. On a postcard, Travis spots the name Sentell and a blurry figure, feeling it may be his father. Dane decides to quit the government post but changes his mind when Bones is murdered just before he is going to reveal the secret of the film. Travis discovers that Sylvie murdered his mother Mignon Sentell and carried his father´s picture on microfilm. Ted Adamson was intrigued by Travis´ top-secret company project. Ted offers Brian Emerson a job at his company. Cissie Mitchell is jealous over Lee Sentell´s concern about Sunny Adamson. Travis tells Sunny the only story with the jade is that Sylvie and Zack were after treasure, but Sunny doesn´t believe him. Sunny correctly sensed that Travis is keeping mum about Dane´s purpose in going to Hong Kong.

December 21, 1981 - December 25, 1981: Bones, Dane Taylor´s boss, was snuffed out by his enemies before he could tell Dane of his discovery of the film, but says something that Travis Sentell stated told him the answer. The criminals tailed Dane. After they returned from Hong Kong, Sunny Adamson grilled Travis about his secret project, Operation Sunburst, which is still going strong. Sunny also investigates Dane Taylor. A renowned scientist Kent Benson arrives on teh scene. Kent´s name was also on the microfilm. When Sunny discovers Lee Sentell is involved in the project she becomes friendly toward him.  Cissie decides not to crowd Lee, but is delighted when Lee opts to spend Christmas with her and the baby. Travis wants nothing to do with Dane. 

December 28, 1981 -  January 1, 1982: Dane Taylor learns Bones called Washingotn the day he was murdered. Dane resists handing film to Clark until he gets the information about the film. Wendy Wilkins still unable to get over Zack Anders' death. Cissie Mitchell is uspet when she goes to Lee Sentell´s apartment and finds Sunny Adamson there. Sunny surprised when her editor says an investigation into Dane´s past shows he is a vocal coach and musician, nothing more. 

10 hours ago, dc11786 said:

Lemay seems to set up the return of Mignon as well as the return of the real Brian Emerson (and I wouldn´t be surprised if his long story involved the return of the aged Suzi Wyatt as his romantic interest). He quickly nixes Sunny´s brain tumor story (it´s cured) and wraps up the Jamie Adamson tale (like the tumor, she disappears). He also writes out David Sutton during the height of the custody trial. Lewis Artl´s departure seems to take a lot of the conflict out of the situation involving Garth and Kathy´s sudden marriage. The custody trial seems to continue focusing on the relationships between the characters and the reaction to the events in the story. Elements of the Richard Kent story seem to be a bit Lemay-esque (the emphasis on artists), but I cannot imagine this was what Lemay originally planned unless this was his middle ground with Mary Ellis Bunim. I suspect this might be the infamous rape story he refused to write.   

Wow.  Thank you for all this detailed information.  I was not aware that Mignon actually did return.  I only heard that had been Lemay's plan.  I also did not know she was murdered.  I assume Lemay would have used Mignon as a long-term "Iris Carrington" type character -- using her money and influence to interfere in the lives of Travis and Liza for years to come.  I doubt it was Lemay's plan to kill off Mignon.   

Loved reading the synopsis, thank you for sharing it @dc11786!

1981 Search seems far more interesting before becoming an adventure soap.

10 hours ago, Neil Johnson said:

Wow.  Thank you for all this detailed information.  I was not aware that Mignon actually did return.  I only heard that had been Lemay's plan.  I also did not know she was murdered.  I assume Lemay would have used Mignon as a long-term "Iris Carrington" type character -- using her money and influence to interfere in the lives of Travis and Liza for years to come.  I doubt it was Lemay's plan to kill off Mignon.   

I agree. It doesn´t seem likely that Lemay´s plan was to bring her back to murder her off. I´d speculate that storywise most of the show through about late July, 1981, follows elements of Lemay´s plans. The custody trial was a nice umbrella story set up by Gabrielle Upton, which Lemay runs with and brings even more parties into. I love all the reactionary fallout with characters choosing sides. I would also doubt that there would be no residue from the story in the months to come had Lemay stayed. Travis and Liza move on fairly quickly into a brief Dane Taylor as a potential romantic spoiler arc before deep diving into the murky labrynith that is the jade treasure plot. 

I found the idea of Mignon Sentell becoming emotionally attached to baby Roger Lee an interesting dynamic that could have given the Liza/Mignon rivalry a different story to play rather than the redux of Mignon interfering simply in Travis and Liza´s marriage. I could see Lemay wanting Liza to embrace her artistic passion (music) and it coming between her and Travis as music was key to her relationship with her late first husband Steve Kaslo. I don´t think Dane Taylor was initially conceived as a spy. 

The one story I feel that never gets off the ground, though Lemay seems to be laying some groundwork is a relationship between tempermental Garth Taper and loser in love Sunny Adamson. Sunny´s documentary on local artists seems to be the starting point. Given the Garth´s volatile marriage to Kathy, I cannot see that marriage lasting long. Garth´s backstory with Tessa (the other man´s baby) would have given Garth very real insight into the situation that Sunny was experiencing with Lee, Cissie, and Roger Lee. I could see that relationship leading to a quasi-rape situation between Sunny and Garth where Garth thinking it was consensual and Sunny claiming he forced her. Soaps, however, have never done those stories well. 

I am curious what, if any, plans Lemay had for Ted Adamson and Janet Collins. There seems to be almost no suggestion of what would happen after Jamie leaves town except for Janet´s paranoia over the omnious threat of Jamie returning at some point to extract her revenge. Though I do wonder if the plan wouldn´t have been to bring Gary Walton (not Tom Bergman) back to the fold as their would be obvious tension to resume regarding Gary raising (or not raising) his child with Ted´s daughter, Laine. 

9 hours ago, Sapounopera said:

Loved reading the synopsis, thank you for sharing it @dc11786!

1981 Search seems far more interesting before becoming an adventure soap.

The early stuff written by Gabrielle Upton is a mixed bag. Garth Taper doesn´t feel like the sort of character that could lead as much story as he was given. His connections to the canvas were limited (a brother he wouldn´t talk to and a relationship with a fairly islanded character in Kathy), though this feels very much in line with the kind of material Upton wrote on ¨Love of Life.¨ The Jamie Adamson stuff seems absurd with the terrorist connections. The falling off the train and the amnesia plot seems very plot heavy and intentionally built obstacles without the long lasting ramifications. The one story that really works is the Roger Lee story. The story involving Sunny´s brain tumor and the quack Winston Kyle on the island is another unnecessarily extravagant plot.  

Lemay seems to start to ground the story again and it works for me based on the synopses. I think most of the material from early April through late July seems highly enjoyable. There is stuff after that has potential (Brian´s arrival with the boxing story and Suzi´s arrival with her interest in Brian), but already the jade storyline seems to be taking up too much story space. In August, the show starts to hack away at itself by murdering Mignon, deciding to ship off Spence Langley after bring back Brian Emerson because they had Zach Anders (who could never have been played longterm effectively), and callously writing off Ellie Bergman by having her run off with the chef. It just doesn´t feel like a show with much energy despite the constant plot movement. 

Chastain´s work is hard to judge because if what he claims is true, he worked off projections of someone else, than he might not be to blame for the horrid jade story, but also might not be responsible for the boxing storyline either. The adventure stories aren´t effective.

Actually, really looking at how bad the show gets by December, 1981, it´s actually impressive what Ellis and Hunt did manage to do even if they wrote out a bunch of older cast members in the process for the NBC run. 

to soapfave06:

The show was being written at the time in the 1950s by the late Irving Vendig, who followed Agnes Nixon as the second writer.    Mr. Vendig also wrote and created Three Steps to Heaven, The Edge of Night and Hidden Faces.  He had also written or was writing the Perry Mason radio program.

Could someone who'd know explain Brian Emerson's backstory to me?  Reading these latest synopses, I get the impression that Stephanie gave birth to him in Oklahoma City.  Yet, whenever I've seen the character, he speaks with a thick "Noo Yawk" accent.  Was Brian adopted out of Oklahoma and raised in NY?

8 hours ago, Khan said:

Could someone who'd know explain Brian Emerson's backstory to me?  Reading these latest synopses, I get the impression that Stephanie gave birth to him in Oklahoma City.  Yet, whenever I've seen the character, he speaks with a thick "Noo Yawk" accent.  Was Brian adopted out of Oklahoma and raised in NY?

Could it be that one of the more notable actors who played him had a New York accent and then the character just kind of got given it? With the show filming in New York I'd assume the actors might've have a natural New York accent.

From the Ryan's Hope thread

Louise Shaffer was fired, her Emmy hadn't even been engraved yet! Louise didn't get an exit scene like Karen. Joe didn't like Louise as much---someone thought Louise asked too many questions and Joe didn't like being questioned. Joe wanted to put his own stamp on the show. Ellen Barrett was now working at Search For Tomorrow and knew Louise needed a job and hired her to replace Marie Cheatman. Louise was very grateful to Ellen.

This to me is an example of personal overriding professional.

When Maree Cheatham left after 10 years,Stephanie should have been written out. She didn't really have any ties to the canvas. Sure Wendy was still around, but she could function w/o her mother in town.

From what I have read Louise played Stephanie as Rae 2.0 and was killed off anyway.

Maybe Louise could have worked as a  new character.

I believe Cheatham was fired or she was in heated contract talks that ended with Louise Shaffer taking over. Shaffer temporarily plays Stephanie in late May or early June 1984. Then Cheatham comes back for a few episodes, and then she is gone again with Shaffer permanently in the role by the end of June (I believe). 

Stephanie had mileage as a character left, but a lot of her connections were definitely offcanvas, leaving the show, or about to leave the show when Shaffer arrives. The bigger issue is that June, 1984, is when the show takes a heavy youth romance angle with the introduction of Adair McCleary, Justine Calvery, Alec Kendall, and Chase Kendall all introduced within a couple of months. Stephanie as the station manager became her primary role rather than her domestic and romantic conflicts, which had been Stephanie´s function under previous regimes. There was a Lloyd / Stephanie romantic thread that had been developed before Cheatham left that was played on occasion when Cheatham was in the role. It could have worked (Lloyd / Stephanie) especially with Martin and Steve in place. Furthermore, Wendy was often paired with the Kendall boys (first, Chase, and later, Alec) so there was more mileage to get out of the Lloyd/Stephanie relationship. It´s just that was never played. I find much of 1984 odd, while others adore it so to each their own. 

On the otherhand, I think it is possible that it might have worked if Shaffer came on as Estelle Kendall. With that said, you would have needed Martin and Steve in the picture (and truthfully, Stephanie) to get all the drama you could out of Estelle´s return.  

Always appreciate your comments DC - very thought provoking.

I just felt that Maree was hard to replace and they were better off letting the character go rather than diminishing Stephanie.

Kinda contradicting myself here as the show also needed stability at least with characters if not actors.

Reading that 1981 summary is sad and frustrating. The awful Jade story, then the boxing backdrop-really was the target audience interested?

Giving Stephanie a son-I get that it was a way to bring new life to the character and connect her to a new younger male, but it always annoys me when characters we've seen for years suddenly remember a long lost child. Stephanie, with all that she had been through never thought of, or mentioned a son?

And what is with 'Trip' Bergman-seriously??

They never seemed to get the casting right for Tom after John James and ended up forgetting about him. Same with Gary Walton. Two important characters that were neglected.

My idea to shake things up would have been for Jo's son Duncan to be revealed as alive! A hospital mix up. So many possibilities would stem from that and give Mary Stuart a spotlight.

20 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Always appreciate your comments DC - very thought provoking.

I just felt that Maree was hard to replace and they were better off letting the character go rather than diminishing Stephanie.

Kinda contradicting myself here as the show also needed stability at least with characters if not actors.

Reading that 1981 summary is sad and frustrating. The awful Jade story, then the boxing backdrop-really was the target audience interested?

Giving Stephanie a son-I get that it was a way to bring new life to the character and connect her to a new younger male, but it always annoys me when characters we've seen for years suddenly remember a long lost child. Stephanie, with all that she had been through never thought of, or mentioned a son?

And what is with 'Trip' Bergman-seriously??

They never seemed to get the casting right for Tom after John James and ended up forgetting about him. Same with Gary Walton. Two important characters that were neglected.

My idea to shake things up would have been for Jo's son Duncan to be revealed as alive! A hospital mix up. So many possibilities would stem from that and give Mary Stuart a spotlight.

I get what you mean about Maree Cheatham being a big personality and hard to replace. If Cheatham had stayed as Stephanie, I think the character was still have been diminished. She wasn going to win in the romantic rivalry with Liza over Lloyd and a Liza/Lloyd pairing ultimately would have been the impetus for a Travis return from the dead plot. NBC casted everyone else in the story with much younger actors (Joe Lambie and Louan Gideon). The show had made Stephanie always appear older. I´m not sure what Shaffer or Cheatham would have looked like opposite Lambie. Shaffer didn´t evoke Cheatham´s Stephanie sexuality, but I don´t think there was much attempt to explore that side of Stephanie once Gary Tomlin left. 

On that note, when Stephanie´s romantic life does reemerge, it is in the that very odd romance with Bela which definitely made Stephanie come off as past her prime and desperate. The only way Louise Shaffer´s Stephanie was able to seduce Bela was through her wealth and position.  

1981 is disappointing. I think there are hints of what could be an interesting show from about April - July, 1981. The jade story is bad. It is half-baked Luke and Laura without the network of connections and relationships that ¨General Hospital¨ developed. The boxing story was well received in the press. I think it´s an interesting concept and I´d prefer that over the plane crash story I watched from 1982 in the jungles. I do feel that Brian and Suzi may have been attempting to cash in on the success of ¨Rocky¨ and ¨Fame.¨ 

Part of the issue with the plot involving Stephanie´s son is it goes through so many writers. Linda Grover and John Porterfield start it in May/June, 1980 when Brian Emerson comes looking for his biological mother with his buddy, Spence Langley. Then, Brian just decides he wants nothing to do with her before meeting her and Spence decides to claim to be Brian in order to cash in on the success. Spence impersonates Brian for a few months while romanicng ¨Dawn," a waitress at a diner who is really Wendy looking to escape her own issues with her mother. Around this time, Gabrielle Upton picks up the story and plays the reveal that Spence is just a con artist. Upton weaves Spence into the Cissie Mitchell story towards the end. Then, Harding Lemay comes in and uses the trial to have Stephanie befriend Cissie and support her in her fight for custody. This is what reignites Stephanie´s interest. By the time that Brian comes in, Don Chastain is writing the scripts. And Brian is on and Spence is written out when the dynamic between the two could have easily fueled story for a year or so.   

In the interviews I´ve read by Don Chastain from the newspaper columns of the time, Chastain seems like someone who was from the Hogan Sheffer camp of wanting men to be men and not being neutered by female charaters. I think it was an attempt to be edgy, but obviously lacking of any actual substance. Part of the issue is there doesn´t seem to be much idea of what to do with Tom. He returns as a shoulder for Sunny Adamson to cry on as I think they had been involved the last time Tom was in Henderson. They also try him with Cissie and Wendy before landing on Kathy. I suspect Tom was in Lemay´s projections, but I don´t know where he would have been storywise.  

I haven´t seen any material with Gary, but I´ve seen Stephen Burleigh in other roles and find him suitable. 

So many choices made sidelined Jo. I know a lot of people liked the Murder with Mayhem plot, but I don´t like Jo in the Jessica Fletcher role. Though, I would have been interested to see what could have happened if the show had tried doing a ¨Golden Girls¨ setup post flood with Jo and Estelle sharing a space at Liberty House with Wilma Holliday. Three different personalities sharing the space. I´m not sure how successful it would have been, but at least it would have been something different. 

So who was playing Brian when he and Spence turned up in town? Was it just a couple of days thing?

Dropping Spence seemed a mistake as Tim Patrick Murphy was appealing.

Having Jo marry Martin was a dead end, especially when all the Tourneur/Sentells apart from Travis were dropped.

Paul Joynt (Greg Huddleston, OLTL) was the first Brian. He appeared for a few days or weeks in either May or June 1980. Not long at all. 

Spence Langley seems like a very appealing character. An ambitious young man who wasn´t afraid to scheme to get what he wanted. The real heir to Stephanie´s throne in some ways. The relationships in early 1981 with Wendy and Cissie are intriguing. Add in his desire to become a lawyer and it connected him to another part of the canvas. His immediate successor was Zach Anders, but ultimately the role went to Warren Carter. 

Not bringing Spence back when they wrote out Warren in either 1984 or 1985 seems like a mistake. I think Wendy retaining Spence (Jeffrey Meek) as her lawyer in the custody trial (which was truncated by the change in writers) would have been a smart way to reintroduce him. Add in a returning Kristen (played by Susan Carey Lamm) as someone also vying for her nephew with her husband/ex-husband Brian supporting Suzi.  Brian the noble cop vs. Spence the ambitious and morally corrupt lawyer would have been a good way to continue the rivalry between Wendy and Suzi. 

On paper, I wasn´t too interested in Martin and Jo, but watching the tailend of it, I think it was more effective than it sounds. It probably was more of two strong actors making the most out of the material rather than strong story potential. I´m not sure who I would have liked to see Jo paired with. In the end, I don´t mind Martin and Jo. 

If there were to introduce someone new, I think a senior newsman who worked at either the television station or for the newspaper who could clash with Jo in terms of her city council position might be interesting. Overtime, they could have introduced some family members for him to interact with other parts of the canvas.  I haven´t been sold on Dr. David Glenn (Jack Betts), but he was such a low key interest that I only recently learned that they tried pairing the two in the final year. 

On 10/30/2023 at 10:13 PM, dc11786 said:

I get what you mean about Maree Cheatham being a big personality and hard to replace. If Cheatham had stayed as Stephanie, I think the character was still have been diminished. She wasn going to win in the romantic rivalry with Liza over Lloyd and a Liza/Lloyd pairing ultimately would have been the impetus for a Travis return from the dead plot. NBC casted everyone else in the story with much younger actors (Joe Lambie and Louan Gideon). The show had made Stephanie always appear older. I´m not sure what Shaffer or Cheatham would have looked like opposite Lambie. Shaffer didn´t evoke Cheatham´s Stephanie sexuality, but I don´t think there was much attempt to explore that side of Stephanie once Gary Tomlin left. 

On that note, when Stephanie´s romantic life does reemerge, it is in the that very odd romance with Bela which definitely made Stephanie come off as past her prime and desperate. The only way Louise Shaffer´s Stephanie was able to seduce Bela was through her wealth and position.  

1981 is disappointing. I think there are hints of what could be an interesting show from about April - July, 1981. The jade story is bad. It is half-baked Luke and Laura without the network of connections and relationships that ¨General Hospital¨ developed. The boxing story was well received in the press. I think it´s an interesting concept and I´d prefer that over the plane crash story I watched from 1982 in the jungles. I do feel that Brian and Suzi may have been attempting to cash in on the success of ¨Rocky¨ and ¨Fame.¨ 

Part of the issue with the plot involving Stephanie´s son is it goes through so many writers. Linda Grover and John Porterfield start it in May/June, 1980 when Brian Emerson comes looking for his biological mother with his buddy, Spence Langley. Then, Brian just decides he wants nothing to do with her before meeting her and Spence decides to claim to be Brian in order to cash in on the success. Spence impersonates Brian for a few months while romanicng ¨Dawn," a waitress at a diner who is really Wendy looking to escape her own issues with her mother. Around this time, Gabrielle Upton picks up the story and plays the reveal that Spence is just a con artist. Upton weaves Spence into the Cissie Mitchell story towards the end. Then, Harding Lemay comes in and uses the trial to have Stephanie befriend Cissie and support her in her fight for custody. This is what reignites Stephanie´s interest. By the time that Brian comes in, Don Chastain is writing the scripts. And Brian is on and Spence is written out when the dynamic between the two could have easily fueled story for a year or so.   

In the interviews I´ve read by Don Chastain from the newspaper columns of the time, Chastain seems like someone who was from the Hogan Sheffer camp of wanting men to be men and not being neutered by female charaters. I think it was an attempt to be edgy, but obviously lacking of any actual substance. Part of the issue is there doesn´t seem to be much idea of what to do with Tom. He returns as a shoulder for Sunny Adamson to cry on as I think they had been involved the last time Tom was in Henderson. They also try him with Cissie and Wendy before landing on Kathy. I suspect Tom was in Lemay´s projections, but I don´t know where he would have been storywise.  

I haven´t seen any material with Gary, but I´ve seen Stephen Burleigh in other roles and find him suitable. 

So many choices made sidelined Jo. I know a lot of people liked the Murder with Mayhem plot, but I don´t like Jo in the Jessica Fletcher role. Though, I would have been interested to see what could have happened if the show had tried doing a ¨Golden Girls¨ setup post flood with Jo and Estelle sharing a space at Liberty House with Wilma Holliday. Three different personalities sharing the space. I´m not sure how successful it would have been, but at least it would have been something different. 

I know Louise Shaffer in her Locher Room interview said her taking the part of Stephanie was a huge mistake, but that she needed the money.  She said that having her take over what after Cheatam left was a huge mistake because it didn't give the audience time to mourn/adjust.

She also did say that Cheatam infused Stephanie with a playfulness/a sexiness that she herself did not have... and mentioned that the big wigs just assumed Rae and Stephanie were rich bitch characters without realizing that both characters were a lot more naunced then just being a rich bitch.