Search For Tomorrow Discussion Thread

[amybrickwallace]

Cynthia Gibb, Susan Scannell and Lisa Peluso, circa 1982:

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[Paul Raven]

Broadcasting magazine May 25th 1964

'Search' didn't switch

EDITOR: Your good profile on Bill Craig (BROADCASTING, May 11) garbled one detail: Guiding Light may may have been transferred to TV from radio in 1952, but Search for Tomorrow was a TV original, created by Roy Winsor at the Biow Agency, went on CBS-TV at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, Sept. 2, 1951, and stills runs there more than 3,300 performances later.

-Richard Krolik, Time -Life Broadcast Inc., New York.

 

Richard Krolik was Mary Stuart's husband at that time. 

[SoapDope]

Robert Mandan ( ex Sam) in an episode of the 1980's ABC daytime version of The New Love American Style with Florence Henderson. 

 

 

[Paul Raven]

First reference I've come across dealing with Harding Lemays's short stint as SFT headwriter (from Lynda Hirsch's syndicated column Jan 82)

 

Fired writer strikes back at Procter and Gamble By Lynda Hirsch

Harding LeMay, whose last major soap assignment was as head writer for "Search for Tomorrow," recently stated that Procter & Gamble does not know how to produce a soap any longer. He was especially caustic about their desire for rape scenes. LeMay claims the final straw on ' Search for Tomorrow" occurred when he did not want to do a rape storyline. He also says was the reason he was fired right after the Writers' Guild strike had to do with the book he wrote, "Eight Years in Another World," where he was very open about P&G's soap-opera procedures and took many of the company's executives to task. "Not true," claims one-time "Search for Tomorrow" producer Mary Ellen Bunin, who is now producing "As the World Turns."

According to Bunin, Harding had little respect for the art form and was not very successful at it. She did not dispute that he was powerful at one time, as head writer for "Another World," but does think his last few years as "Another World" head scripter were anything but successful.  very aware of the book and his feelings about soap operas before he was hired to head-write "SFT." In fact, Bunin says it was very hard for P&G to hire LeMay knowing about the book, but did feel he might do a credible job for "Search." Bunin, as the one who fired LeMay, said that obviously their decision to hire him was wrong and that she has little respect for him as a soap opera writer.

 

[j swift]

Shout out to Lynda Hirsh.  I still read her weekly, only now she is online https://www.creators.com/read/lynda-hirsch-on-soaps

 

If you've never watched her on midwest morning TV, it is worth the YT search

 

Edited May 27, 2019 by j swift

[Khan]

 

This, from a woman who made it her top priority to banish all the vets on ATWT to the sidelines.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Right. MEB decimated the soaps she "produced," whereas at least Lemay did have one major hit in his earlier AW days. MEB is mainly known for axing beloved veterans and dumbing down the once-great shows she worked on. I'm team Lemay in this battle. The writer may have been arrogant and condescending, and he admittedly derided the soaps, but his writing on AW between 1972 and 1975, in particular, speaks for itself.

[danfling]

On the New Love: American Style, another performer who had appeared on both Search for Tomorrow and that show (as well as The Edge of Night) was John Driver.

Edited July 12, 2019 by danfling

[DRW50]

I'm surprised Bunin was willing to be as personal as she was in that interview. Weren't there rumors that some people on her soaps did not care for her? 

[Khan]

 

It was more than rumors.  But, as Bunim and her producing partner, Jonathan Murray, learned from "The Real World," the best way to keep your cast on your good side, is to keep them [!@#$%^&*]-faced.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Khan

[vetsoapfan]

 

A lot of people did not care for her. In one of Eileen Fulton's later autobiographies, the actress also made her disdain for Bunin known.

[Paul Raven]

Mary Stuart spoke well of her in her book,but this was during the 70's when Bunim was working her way up.

Maybe once she was in a position of power she forgot some of the niceties...a common story.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Yes, ironically, Stuart seemed fine with Bunim, and yet loathed Ann Marcus, a writer whose work reinvigorated the show.

[danfling]

Actress Denise Nickerson, who created the role of Liza Walton, has passed away.   Her brother, Shane, appeared on The Guiding Light as Billy, the son of Peggy and Marty who was later adopted by Dr. Johnny Fletcher.

 

I am attaching the following, courtesy of CBS Los Angeles.
AURORA, Colorado (CBSLA) — Denise Nickerson, best known for her role as Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” has died.

Nickerson was 62.

Denise Nickerson, who played Violet Beauregarde in the original film, attends the 40th Anniversary of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory at Jacques Torres Chocolates on October 18, 2011 in New York City. (Getty Images)

Her son and daughter-in-law — who had been her caretakers — made the announcement on Facebook with a post that read, “She’s gone.”

Nickerson suffered a severe stroke in June 2018.

Violet will always be remembered in the classic film for being spoiled and obsessed with chewing gum.

In addition to being remembered for “Wonka,” Nickerson was also known for being a member of the Short Circus on the kids show “The Electric Company.”

The New York-born Nickerson left acting in 1978 to become a nurse and that’s how she’s made a living the past 40 years.

Her other credits include “Search for Tomorrow,” “Dark Shadows,” “The Brady Bunch,” and the TV movie “The Dark Side of Innocence.”

Her son and daughter-in-law set up a GoFundMe to help cover end-of-life expenses. The fundraiser has garnered more than $10,000.

 

[Khan]

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