Proposed Soaps Over The Years

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for compiling that list. I had intended to go back over all the pages of this thread and compile a master list , so thanks for saving me the trouble!

I still intend to go back as there are a few entries you have overlooked.

Not soaps but soap related...

Several syndicated soap oriented magazine shows were prop0sed for Fall 82

Soap World was a 30 minute strip hosted by John Gabriel (Seneca RH)

Soap Opera Digest 30 min strip hosted by Bill and Susan Hayes

Daytime - The World of Soaps 30 min strip hosted by Robert Woods and Colleen Zenk

Alan Thicke's Soap Talk Show 30 min strip hosted by Mr Thicke

30 min once a week Soap Opera Recap with Lou Bedford and Carol Pfander as hosts

None of these were picked up.

[Paul Raven]

Together Again, the proposed soap taped in Mexico with John McCook and Jaime Lyn Bauer was advertised in Jan 84 for a Fall 84 start. Western World Television was behind it and the tag in the advert was

"Do You Remember Your First Love?'

Of course you remember your first love. We all do.We spend our whole life trying to recapture the special passions, pains and pleasures of that love, yet we never really can. Or can we?

Together Again is the sweeping international love story of Scott and Victoria... two people with the money and power to have anything they desire-except each other.

For them, it's exquisite torture. For us, it's engrossing entertainment. And it's available from Western World Television for Fall 84. Together Again brings together a world class team of producers, distributors,directors, actors and writers to create a syndicated daily drama that packs a primetime punch. With state of the art production values. A star studded international cast.Lush location shooting.Truly sumptuous programming at an affordable price.

[Paul Raven]

January 84

Lorimar Productions proposes a soap opera strip tentatively titled 'Fortunate Few' designed for late night with more sex and violence than permissible in earlier time periods with a focus on the wealthy and privileged. No pilot had been shot.

[slick jones]

From April 26, 1983, SOD Late Breaking News:

"Word has it that ABC is planning a new soap called "Lifeguards." due out in 1985[not to be confused with the Agnes Nixon-Douglas Marland ABC soap, Loving, airing June 26th]. The 30 minute drama will be set in Southern California, centering on the real-life situations, problems and loves of lifeguards. The show, head-written by Ronnie Konner[former writer for The Doctors], and produced by Rick Rosner, who created "CHiPS," will devote 30 minutes each week to live action. According to sources, that action will include disasters, rescue missions, and the other everyday problems lifeguards encounter . The soap intends to depict lifeguards, not as beefcake boys, we learned, but rather in the same light as policemen and firemen. "Lifeguards" intends to have all the heat and "hotness of the sun, beaches and youthful actors, combined with action-packed, good stories. According to our sources, "Lifeguards" will be a one of a kind soap, shot on location in Hollywood and Malibu....."

[Paul Raven]

Among Fox pilots for 90-91 was 'The Legacy' from Esther and Richard Shapiro, creators of Dynasty. The saga takes place in a close knit community with a dark supernatural secret to protect.

Later known AS 'Blood Ties'.

[Paul Raven]

Variety Oct 16th 1969

Proposed daytime soap (no network attached) 'The Establishment' by Harold Shumate. Shumate had been writing movies and Tv shows since the 30's.

[Paul Raven]

Variety Sept 15th 1954

CBS prepping new daytime soap opera 'Haven House' for actress Joan Bennett.

So Ms Bennett was prepared to do a soap over a decade before Dark Shadows.

[Paul Raven]

Variety March 31st 1975

Proposed NBC soaper 'An Affair to Remember'.

[dc11786]

Harold Shumate later published a book with another writer titled "The Establishment." I'm not sure how far it veered from the original proposal.

"An Affair to Remember" was from Rita Lakin. The proposal is available for sale on ebay.

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for the extra details

[DRW50]

April 1972 Daytime TV

Sam Hall (Grayson Hall's husband), who co-wrote the Dark Shadows series and movies, wrote the script for the projected daytime serial based on the comic strip, Mary Worth, The cast of the serial pilot film consists of Larry Kert, Nancy Wickwire, Rita McLaughlin, Shane Nickerson, Robert Pickering, Noel Craig. Nancy Wickwire will play Mary Worth.

There's another new serial cooking: General Hospital has been doing so well in audience ratings that ABC network is plotting to do a spin-off show, just as Somerset is a spinoff from Another World. The spin-off will follow immediately after General Hospital and use some of the same cast.

A few more names to add to the cast list.

I didn't know Sam Hall was involved in this. Another article mentioned Ann Marcus being involved. I wonder just how many people worked on this.

[cassadine1991]

A Somerset-like spin-off of GH?? Would to hear about it

[Paul Raven]

Grand Hotel,piloted for the 64-65 season was not picked up but it seems the pilot did air,judging by these NBC publicity shots which oddly talk of it as aseries.

Barry Sullivan and Chad Everett were proposed as regulars and Jack Lord,Edmond O' Brien and Gena Rowlands guest starred in the pilot.

Like Hotel many years later it used the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel as the setting.

[DRW50]

summer 1970 Afternoon TV

Paramount Television is about to enter the soap opera field. Mathilde Ferro, who has written such popular TV soaps in the past as General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and The Guiding Light, telling friends that she and her husband Ted have been commissioned to develop an as yet untitled daytime dramatic series for Paramount. A lot of big-name Hollywood stars expected to be cast once the series gets off the ground.

[Paul Raven]

Interesting.Can't match that one with any proposed show from that time period.