Somerset Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

August 1972 Daytime TV casting news.

On April 27th Harriet Hall joined as Andrea Moore, a love interest for David Grant (Ron Martin) and Gene Fanning began as Leo Kurtz, brother of Stan Kurtz (Michael Lipton) on April 20th. Kurtz was originally played by George Coe.

[DRW50]

November 1973 Daytime TV

Starting in July were Holland Taylor (Sgt. Ruth Winter), James L. O'Neill (Dennis McGuire), Michael Ebert (Dr. John Hollman) and Joe Sirola (Rudy Aloris)

[DRW50]

From Daytime TV, December 1971

Mid-July, Melinda Plank joined the cast in the role of Danny (Daniele) Cotsworth.

[danfling]

It has been posted that the final years of Somerset were the best, but I disagree. I think that the beginning was the best when Robert Cenadella wrote the show - then when Henry Slesar became the headwriter. Roy Winsor also did a good job, but his work on this show did not match the quality of his work on The Secret Storm and other earlier shows. Winsor did a good job, though, in writing for the seasoned characters rather than concentrating on the younger characters.

[DRW50]

The show always sounds like a mixed bag, but the Slesar material is what I most want to see, especially the Jingles the Clown storyline.

[danfling]

I have a question about the character of Scooter MacKenzie. This was a boy who was dying. His father, I beleive, was played the same man who had played Hugh Claiborn on The Secret Storm. The father and the widowed Ellen were attracted to each other. The second actor to play Scooter was Glen Zachar, who had previously played Michael Randolph on Another World. I am trying to find out the name of the first actor who played the role. He had darker hair than Glen Zachar, and he seemed older.

[danfling]

A poster asked earlier about the plots of Missy and Ricky Matthews and Lahoma and Sam Reynolds.

Missy had moved to Somerset to get away from the memory of her desceased husband Bill and his sometimes overwhelming mother-in-law Liz Matthews. Of course, each day with Ricky reminded her of Ricky's father.

When she arrived in Somerset, she became involved with Peter Delaney, a teacher at Somerset High School. Peter was a member of the powerful, sometimes larger-than-life Delaney family. Jasper Delaney, owner of the Delaney Brands cannery was an Asa Buchanan-type character who tried to rule the town and, especially, his family. Jasper had three children: Robert, Laura, and Peter. Robert and Laura were weaker characters than Peter was. Robert worked at the company and was married to India Bishop Delaney (sister of Ellen Bishop Grant). He had wanted to be a archetech, not to work for Jasper. He was unhappy in his marriage, and he fell in love with a singer at the Riverboat (co-owned by Walter Davis, father of Rachel and first husband of Ada from Bay City). Robert desparately wanted to divorce India to marry Jessica, but Jasper and India conspired to keep the marriage. (Although India too had outside romantic interests). Jasper's daughter, Laura Delaney Cooper, was an unhappy, weak character. I don't know if she had already become an alcholic, but she did become one eventually. Laura was married to Rex Cooper, another employee of Delaney Brands, and they had one son named Tony (who dated Jill Martin). Laura and Rex were also unhappy. Rex tried to have a successful marriage to Laura, but her drinking and Jasper's interference made that almost impossible. Laura was unhappy because Tony was not the biological son of Rex. She had been in love with Harry Wilson, and it was Wilson who had fathered Tony. Laura was guilty that she had ruined Rex's life and unhappy that Jasper had forced her to marry Rex (as Rex never approved of Harry or his social class). Peter Delaney was different from Robert or Laura. He was a high school teacher, and his life did not revolve around either Delaney Brands or Jasper Delaney. It bothered Jasper that he could not control Peter, a somewhat non-conformist who wore a beard. He saw Missy, but he also dated other women as well. One of them was played by Nancy Pinkerton (from Seach for Tomorrow and The Edge of Night, and who would later create the character of Dr. Dorian Lord on One Life to Live). One reason that Peter saw other women may have been the inability of Missy to commit to another man following the death of Bill Matthews.

After the show premiered, Missy also met physician Stan Kurtz (played by Michael Lipton, who had also played a doctor on As the World Turns).

The only event that I can remember is that either Peter or Stan took Missy and Ricky to a carnival. After that, she became very ill. The source of her sickness was a mystery. Eventually, either Peter or Stan (I think that it was Stan) determined that it was from some milk she had drunk at the carnival.

As for Lahoma and Sam, the early stories revolved around their getting situated in Somerset. Sam was the law partner of Dick Martin (brother-in-law of India Delaney). When Henry Slesar became the headwriter, Dick and Sam were in a relationship very similar to Mike Karr and Adam Drake on The Edge of Night. Both Dick and Mike were older attorneys, and Adam and Sam were the younger partners who usually solved the on-screen mysteries.

Sam and Lahoma eventually had marital problems. Lahoma was jealous of a character named Crystal Ames. I believe that Lahoma became pregnant but lost the baby. Sam and Lahoma decided to divorce. Lahoma left town, and Sam returned to Bay City.

I am sure that they had additional storylines, but those are the ones that I can remember. Hopefully, other posters will remember what I have forgotten right now!

[danfling]

Oh yes, after Missy left town, Peter eventually was written off. Jasper died, and I think that it was after this that Peter was dropped from the show. Dr. Stan Kurtz remained a character. His brother and niece came to town, and the niece eventually married Tony Cooper. Stan later married another doctor named Terri (whose maiden name I cannot recall).

[DRW50]

Thanks!! I had no idea Missy had that much story since she wasn't around long. The Delaneys sound so complex. I wonder why they were written out.

[DRW50]

From Daytime TV

Dick Shoberg and Ernest Thompson joined in November (1971) in the roles of Mitch and Tony.

Edited May 17, 2012 by CarlD2

[sungrey]

Danfling: Teri's maiden name was Martin. And Lahoma actually had the baby, and they named it Susannah.

I believe Ann Wedgeworth wanted to leave the show to try her luck again on Broadway or in movies, so they sent Lahoma out of town with Susannah and eventually had Lahoma say she wanted a divorce; that was when they sent Sam back to Bay City (and to Another World for about a year).

In the version of Somerset I write for OnTV, Susannah is the central character and Sam and Lahoma make infrequent appearances.

[danfling]

Yes, you are right about Ann Wedgeworth wanting to leave soap operas to work in California. I had forgotten everything about the pregancy until I was reminded about it several years ago.

[danfling]

The question was asked earlier about Ike Harding. Ike Harding was actually Harry Wilson, the biological father of Tony Cooper. Jasper Delaney had not approved of him or his relationship with daughter Laura. He left town while Laura was pregnant, and she married Rex Cooper (at the direction of Jasper). Sam, who was defending Robert Delaney of the murder of Jasper, was invited to speak at Somerset High School. He arrived early, and was looking at the chalkboard. On it were the names of U. S. Presidents. Suddenly it came to him that Harry Wilson could possibly be Ike Harding. Ike had moved to Somerset to work with Gerald and Marsha on the Riverboat. No one had recognized him as Harry. He went to see Jasper, and he killed him. I cannot remember if Marsha had married Ike, but I think so (making Ike the step-father of Pammy).

[danfling]

Concerning Ernest Thompson and Dick Shoberg: Ernest Thompson wrote the play West Side Waltz starring Katherine Hepburn. In the Broadway and National Touring Company was Julia Barr (who played the wife of Richard Shoberg on All My Children).

[Paul Raven]

Variety Jan 30th 74

Polly Rowles, Jane Rose, Bibi Besch and Audrey Landers into NBC-TV soaper "Somerset" cast.