Search For Tomorrow Discussion Thread

[Mona Kane Croft]

One of the things that i found unique about Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life was, both shows had a relatively small group of "permanent" legacy characters.  So if the show got into a bad (or boring) period, a new head-writer could turn the show(s) around extremely quickly -- sometimes within one or two episodes.   I remember when Claire Labine took over at LOL.  The show became compelling immediately.  And when the Corrington's arrived at SFT, I could tell something intriguing was happening during their first or second credited episode.  Other soaps (ATWT, AMC, GL, DOOL, etc.) could sometimes take weeks or months before a new head-writer's influence could really be recognized by the viewers.  And that is at least partially because most soaps had too many legacy characters that were more-or-less untouchable.  

I am a big fan of legacy characters, but I have often felt many soaps had legacy "permanent" casts that were too large and inflexible.  This often restrained new head-writers from shifting the show in a new direction quickly enough to effect the ratings at the speed production companies and sponsors expected.   

On the other hand, everything I just wrote only works if the new head-writer is good, and knows how to write compelling material.  If the new head-writer is an idiot, then nothing they do will work.  

But my real point was the uniqueness of SFT and LOL.  Their small group of legacy characters, and the flexibility of both shows that really lasted until the end for both of them.  I would not want all soaps to be that flexible, but that trait was refreshing when there were 14 soaps on the air.   

Edited July 21, 2024 by Mona Kane Croft

[NothinButAttitude]

Yes! I stumble upon and watch this clip all the time when I am fishing for classic SFT stuff. This was around the time Sunny came on, right? 

And was Ted Adamson's company just a construction company? And I assume Janet worked for him? But I could've sworn I read somewhere that she was rich in her own right. 

[Mona Kane Croft]

Yes, I believe Janet's former husband, Wade Collins, came from a very wealthy family.  So Janet's children grew up in wealth.  Can anyone confirm that I am correct?

[dc11786]

I think Ted Adamson bought into or took over the Collins Corporation, which was the company belonging to Janet's late husband, Dr. Wade Collins, through his affluent family. I believe Stephanie Wyatt as the widow of Wade's brother Clay Collins may have also had a percentage. Or maybe Stephanie sold her part to Ted? 

Given that Natalie Schaefer played the mother, Helen Collins, I always assumed the Collins clan was suppose to be old money. 

[dc11786]

Well said!

I do think some of that dynamic is the result of the smaller cast size of a half-hour show as well as the typically limited storytelling scope. Though clearly this didn't work for all half hour shows such as "Ryan's Hope." 

Shows use to be better about resting legacy characters so they could revive them later. Janet was one of those characters who was gone for some of the 1960s only to return in the 1970s. It seems like SFT in the 1970s chose too often to kill off the characters for the ratings bump. For instance, I think it would have been more practical to have Jennifer shoot at Eunice, but have John save her taking the bullet and dying instead. Eunice could be sent out of town to mourn possibly leaving Suzi in the care of Jo, which would annoy her flavor of the moment who didn't want children and had a secret reason from his backstory for it. When Eunice returned to reclaim her daughter, Suzi could want to stay with Jo and Eunice and Jo's love interest could be in cahoots to help Eunice get the child back. Let Eunice revert back to a villainess to get more mileage out of the character.

And, if in the custody battle, Eunice was required to see a psychiatrist to deal with her grief, then she is working with Dr. Wade Collins and you could propel a situation where Eunice and Wade are drawn to one another paralleling the Jennifer / John situation allowing Eunice to recognize her behavior while allowing some trouble to brew between Wade and Janet over Eunice's closeness to Wade leaving Janet to confide in Jo, who gently confronts Eunice, who of course explodes over the situation. You could even have childless Eunice reach out to Chuck Gardner, her cousin's son  by Janet, and have Chuck reconnect with Janet on sly so Wade suspects Chuck is Janet's younger lover. 

 

[TVFAN1144]

Watching August 22, 1975 episode Liza and Steve's wedding.  Great storylines.  What is the deal with this patient of Wade's--Karen I think?   She kissed him.  How did that storyline play out.  She also seemed to be connected to a Clay

[NothinButAttitude]

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[Khan]

Meg Bennett looked so young and pretty as Liza, I almost can't stand it, lol!

But - thank God - we didn't have to hear them play "You Can Love Again," or does that treacle come later in their storyline?

[DRW50]

I think that's the Sherry Mathis era, although I may be wrong.

I didn't even remember until a few days ago that there was a Liza between Meg and Sherry.

[Paul Raven]

Steve wrote You Van Love again but it was probably used in the Hope Busby era as Steve was dying and then when Sherry came on to play Liza the widow.

Funny that the Steve/Liza story centered on Steve wanting to devote himself to music and Liza was modelling but when Sherry took over they used her musical talents to turn Liza into a singer. Wonder if they ever dealt with the fact she showed no inclination for music when Meg played the role and never revealed she was a great singer?

There is a glimpse of Hope Busby in the Xmas 77 clip where Jo is singing and the camera pans over the cast. 

[DRW50]

Sherry was there for a bit at least while Steve was still alive, although I'm not sure for how long.

Thanks. I'll have to watch that clip.

Steve had another song too, which didn't get as much use from the show as You Can Love Again.

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[Paul Raven]

From what I can find it seems Michael Nouri left in August 78, the same month Sherry joined. 

That was a bit awkward having a new Liza briefly with Steve to play his death scenes.

Or maybe that was the idea- to have Sherry's Liza  be seen with Steve, even briefly- to establish that connection with the audience.

[Chris 2]

A few years ago, I saw a clip of Sherry and Michael and was shocked because I never knew they overlapped. I always thought that Sherry came in after Steve was killed off.

Oh, and there’s the clip above.

Meg Bennett was gorgeous. Just breathtaking, and I don’t say that lightly.

[DRW50]

Given what a mainstay Liza was in the show's last decade, and popular with multiple actresses, it's all the more bizarre just how much they threw Liza to the wolves after Sherry left (and maybe even while she was still there). I wonder how longtime fans felt about Liza and to a lesser degree Sunny being downgraded the way they were, especially as I'd imagine many of the newer fans had no interest in Patti. It must have felt especially bittersweet for Liza and Travis fans to see Rod Arrants briefly return when Sherry wasn't there. 

Edited July 25, 2024 by DRW50

[Mona Kane Croft]

Who was head-writing SFT when Sherry was hired?  Was it his/her idea to kill off Steve, or was the character already ill when that head-writer took over?