Search For Tomorrow Discussion Thread

[dc11786]

Scott was Jo's nephew via marriage. Scott was the illegitimate son of Doug Martin, the attorney who was married to Jo's sister Eunice. Doug was the biological father of Eunice's daughter, Suzi. So Scott was also Suzi's half-brother. John Wyatt later adopted Suzi when he married Eunice after Doug died. I believe Doug died as the result of a mercy killing, which may have been performed by Jennifer, or was it Scott. I thought it was Jennifer, but that would mean Jennifer killed both of Suzi's parents, which I don't think is right.

Scott was also Stu's cousin/nephew by marriage as Stu's second wife Ellie was related to Scott. I've seen Ellie listed as Scott's cousin and sometimes as his aunt. 

Kathy was introduced as a law student who I believe worked with Scott's father, Doug, or with John Wyatt, the other local attorney. It seems that she was introduced primarily as a love interest for Scott. I wonder if Kathy, the liberal feminist who aborted Scott's baby, was intended to be a long term interest or one of those socially relevant stories that "Search for Tomorrow" told during that period regarding the deaf and racism.  

Kathy was later tied to the Bergmans when she became involved with Stu's son, Tom. I believe Tom and Kathy were supposedly still living together offscreen in Washington when the show went off the air, but I don't know if they had been mentioned in ages. 

[JKG]

Always enjoy a good summary from DC

[antmunoz]

George Maharis, who played Bud Gardner, Jo’s cousin and Janet’s first husband, has died at 94. 

[DeliaIrisFan]

Thanks, DC, that is all fascinating.

How long did that window of time last when half-hour soaps expanded to an hour?  It couldn't have been much longer than 5 years, and I don't believe there were more than 1-2 shows that networks actually took a chance on expanding while they were struggling in the ratings in an effort to "save" them (GH and maybe Y&R?). 

It's interesting that Lee may have assumed an extra half hour would have solved Search's ratings problems, based on what had to be only a few examples in a very short blip of time.  Especially if the B-C characters she had lined up to fill the longer timeslots weren't strong.  Never mind that we now know that ship had already sailed - after AW's disastrous 90-minute experiment, no other soap ever expanded to a longer timeslot, right?

I feel like the main benefit some '70s soaps may have actually gotten from expansion would not have applied to Search by that point.  Arguably, some shows may have actually gotten a unique opportunity to expand their audience by suddenly having the extra time to feature the Bauers alongside the Spauldings, the Lords and the Buchanans, the Martins and the Cortlandts, etc. without shortchanging either the familiar or the new additions.  Whereas it seems like an hourlong Search would have just been a mix of the newest characters/families plus the slightly less new, no?

[dc11786]

The last show to expand @DeliaIrisFan was "The Young and the Restless." My assumption is market research suggested that the hour long shows were more successful because they could tell a wider breadth of stories at once. 

I enjoy Lee and Tomlin's run, but casting was definitely hit or miss. Phillip Brown was attractive, but rather green. He did have charisma, which helped, but given the dramatic weight his character had on the canvas (raised by Lloyd, fathered by Martin, love interest for Stephanie) a stronger actor was probably needed. Elizabeth Swankhammer was tough as Suzi. Not only had Suzi already been backburnered given the knowledge of Cynthia Gibbs' departure, but Swankhammer was suppose to rival Lisa Peluso. Cain Devore and Jennifer Gatti wouldn't have been able to carry an expanded teen scene. John Glover as Vargas was great. Olympia Dukakis as Dr. Barbara Moreno was a fine addition. Tina Johnson and Tom Sullivan did good character work in their roles, but they wouldn't be allowed to carry a frontburner story. 

If the show expanded to an hour in 1983, I don't think they would have had to add a lot. There was a lot happening in Henderson that would have just had more space to breathe. In 1984, there was a huge cast revamp anyway and that pretty much killed a lot of the momentum that had been built in the previous year under Lee. 

[Khan]

I agree.  In his defense, however, he was pretty strung out on drugs at the time.

[TVFAN1144]

Another World was the first to expand in 1975 and Young and Restless was last in 1980

I think it would have hurt Search to expand.   It definitely would have lost the focus on the main heroine 

 

CBS proposed the idea of expanding Search and ATWT to 45 minutes but affiliates did not want to give up that 1 to 1:30 Eastern time slot 

[te.]

I think the simpler reason is that it's just cheaper to produce one hour of a show as opposed to two half hour shows, hence the failed 90 minute Another World experiment.

[Matt Powers]

I am watching Jeanne Glynne’s tenure and so far I am underwhelmed. The Alec/Adair/Chase triangle is a dud—there is no chemistry between any of them. Warren’s revenge on his enemies is ridiculous and uninspired. Jo and Stu’s “murder with Merriment” could have been interesting if the ending result was not so obvious. Wendy is vastly underused, Justine is just annoying, and Louise Schaffer is woefully miscast as Stephanie. Cagney and Suzi are a good couple but their story is convoluted. The only bright spot was the Liza/Kentucky pairing, which was cut short due to Will Patton not wanting to sign a contract.   David Cherrill’s tenure while not perfect, was more watchable. I believe Paul Avila Meyer and Stephanie Braxton are next up in the wheel of writers. Hope they have better ideas..

[dc11786]

I was referring specifically to a comment Joanna Lee made in Soap Opera Digest about how "Search for Tomorrow" couldn't compete against the hour shows in terms of the types of storytelling. With that said, she probably was referring to the budget that was required which plays into what you are talking about. 

I like Alec/Adair/Chase but its a logistical nightmare. The characters are rarely all on screen at the same time. In October, Alec is presumed dead to return in November, and by the end of the month, Adair has left town. When Adair does return in February, Alec leaves in March. I was reading a newspaper column from November 1984 stating that Page Hannah was recently released and that Robert Curtis Brown was also out in the near future. I think Glynn was planning Adair/Chase/Justine. 

Jeanne Glynn's final weeks without a co-writer are stronger, in my opinion, but I find the year Glynn is there is a constant state of transition probably due to Ellen Barrett. 

Paul Avila Mayer and Stephanie Braxton tend to be hit or miss with viewers. They are either despised for the main thrusts of the story or appreciated for telling stories in a different way (for eHogan loving Liza, but Liza just kind of wanting a sexual relationship). I think there are stronger character moments under Avila Mayer and Braxton and the characterization is more fleshed out, but the overall plots leave a lot to be desired. The dynamics between characters can also be hit or miss. I won't say much more and let you watch. 

[Paul Raven]

Re Search expanding to an hour I think they just got lost in the rush. Expanding ATWT was easy as they could keep the traditional timeslot, pushing GL back a half hour. Then when GL expanded again it kept its timeslot. I think CBS wanted an afternoon of soaps. 

SFT playing traditionally at 12.30 and expanding would take the 1pm timeslot that for decades had belonged to affiliates and there was a lot of resistance. The 45 min expansion of SFT and ATWT never got of the ground because of affiliate resistance. Moving it to 12pm would have dislodged Y&R which was never going to happen as there was nowhere to move that show..

They planned a 3.30 move but it never happened. It was only when Y&R expanded that SFT got moved and did OK at 2.30.

So it was timing and scheduling that held SFT back from expanding as well as softening ratings.

[danfling]

I thought that Paul Avilla Mayer and Stephanie Braxton did a terrible job when writing Search for Tomorrow.  Stephanie Braxton was later quoted as saying that she learned that she was not suited to be a head writer.

[Matt Powers]

I believe PAV/SB introduce the whole circus crew with Bela and Ryder. Sounds bizarre to me, as does shipping Liza/Hogan instead of reuniting Sunny/Hogan. I just hope there’s  less Chase/Adair/Alec..those three are a snooze fest. Should’ve had Wendy/Chase coupling with Warren as a spoiler.

[dc11786]

Ryder is introduced in the final days of Jeanne Glynn during a story where T.R. runs away out of fear that Lloyd is going to use his power and position to have her removed from the Sentell home. Ryder is introduced with Cruiser McCulla (Joseph C. Phillips). Glynn tries to reestablish class conflict with Ryder and the McCullas (Crusier's sister Selina is a nurse played by Angela Bassett). The waterfront is being featured rather regularly and I suspect Glynn would have leaned in more to the working class status of the McClearys. Braxton and Avila Mayer have a different take on Ryder's working class roots and have him running from his family of circus performers. I felt they played up the seediness of the circus with Bela. I don't have any true interest in the circus trappings, but I like the Ryder / T.R. / Danny Walton triangle as both Ryder and Danny were friends and T.R. was trapped between the two men that she cared for in different ways. 

Regarding Liza/Hogan, I've always speculated it was an attempt to keep Sherry Mathis on the show. Liza hadn't had a lead story of weight since Travis died. The Cord Tourneur tale is barely remembered. Liza and Kentucky were well liked, but I don't think they were being featured in the type of top tier stories Liza was usually in. Jeanne Glynn introduces Liza's next (aborted) love interest before exiting, the barely remembered Sailor. Sailor appeared to be a Travis Sentell type, wealthy guy who was masquerading as poor. I imagine the original plan was Sailor/Liza/Lloyd. 

When Peter Haskell left for "Rituals," Joe Lambie was brought on as a romantic lead for Liza as well. At one point, it sounded like Sunny was going to ask Hogan to be the father of her child. Now, that situation, Hogan dating Liza, but Sunny carrying his child, would have been interesting. Even what happened with Hogan and Liza isn't terrible in my eyes, it's just how they interacted with Sunny, and how Sunny reacted that was a hard pill to swallow. Also, Lloyd became more duplicitous than he had been in the past. He had tried controlling his children, but he was actively plotting to orchestrate a situation where Liza would need him under Avila Mayer and Braxton. This wasn't a stretch, but it was certainly a new element to Lloyd's character. 

You don't have much more of Alec in general. He departs very early in Braxton and Mayer's run or before. Chase and Adair have some story, but mostly a Chase/Quinn professional rivalry. Chase and Adair get more story (briefly) under Gary Tomlin in October-November. 

There are things I like about Avila Mayer and Braxton's run and there are things I don't like. I'll be curious @Matt Powers to see where you stand once it gets going. 

[Joseph]

Look What Popped Up!!!! She was just lovely