Never Too Young

[saynotoursoap]

Thank you. I always forget about Full Circle!

[Max]

This is really fascinating.

I think that NTY is an historically underrated soap, because it really was the first soap ever devoted to targeting a youth audience. This is a distinction that Y&R incorrectly receives. (I believe that going after a younger audience was not embraced by network executives in 1965-66, so NTY was ahead of its time.)

[saynotoursoap]

I agree, Max. It was also the first soap to use extensive "location" shooting. Although the beach set was on the studio lot rather than a true location, it was nevertheless an exterior set. Until the Peapack disaster of Guiding Light, I cannot think of any other American soap to utilize exterior shots practically every day. This even preceded the extensive use of interior/lot shooting on British soaps such as Coronation Street.

NTY also incorporated popular music more than any other soap. I heard once, unverified, that all of Never Too Young still exists, having allegedly been saved by its producer Conson Studios. Even if it was, the music would prohibit it from ever being released because the show had pop music in nearly every show, and all of it by the original artists. Certainly a world apart from today's dramas.

[Paul Raven]

Patrice Wymore,who played Rhoda has died at age 87 in Jamaica, which was her home for many years. She inherited a property from Errol Flynn,who was her husband at the time of his death 55 years ago.

[DRW50]

I'm sorry to hear that. Was she in any of the available episodes?

[dc11786]

Isn't she in the first and last episodes? I know she is in an early episode in the dress shop. I thought she was featured at the end married to one of the fathers of another young character. TV Guide did an article on Wymore during the show's brief run.

[Paul Raven]

ABC Publicity shot for Jaclyn Carmichael, who played Joy. She was also in another failed soap Paradise Bay.

[Avatar610]

Some years back, someone who is connected to the TV/film industry told me that all the episodes exist in a tape/film vault in LA (probably in kinescope form). I wonder if there is any interest out there for a relatively failed soap, unlike the soap that replaced NTY on the ABC schedule: Dark Shadows!

[jam6242]

David Watson, who played Alfy, the owner of the diner/club where the kids hung out on this show, has died. I remember my sister had a huge crush on him way back when. The write-up doesn't mention "Never Too Young," though.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-watson-dead-cornelius-planet-748385

[Bright Eyes]

The article gives a passing mention of the show near its end.

[jam6242]

Thanks, I overlooked it!

[Paul Raven]

Summary of the debut episode Sept 27 1965

Joy is dropped off at the beach by her mother, a fashion designer, who is concerned about her daughter’s activities and highly suspicious of her friends. Joy, for her part, chafes under her mother’s attention and discusses it with her friend Barbara. Barbara laments that her boyfriend Tad is busy with both his college education and football, leaving her little time to see him. She likes Tad not only due to his looks but also his rich father. Joy remarks to Barbara that she’ll find her true love one day, but Barbara advises her to get “real.” Barbara’s sister Susan talks with her friend Alfy, a Liverpudlian who fancies himself an intellectual. Susan remarks to Barbara that she likes Alfy but isn’t trying to “hold him.” Alfy talks about his time playing with his band, which he claims to have detested and dismisses as plebian despite Susan’s remarks to the contrary. A new teen arrives at the beach in his van, and Jo Jo is sent to welcome him. The newcomer’s name is Chet Brandon, who lives out of his van and implies that he ran away from home. Alfy takes a liking to him almost immediately. He and Joy show Chet around. Alfy brings him into the “High Dive,” a local hangout where Alfy often brings in live entertainment. Chet tells joy he’s graduated from school and works as an auto mechanic. When she comments on it he becomes agitated and defensive before leaving. Joy calls her mother and promises to be home early; her mother insists that Tad and Barbara drive her home. That night, everyone gathers at the High Dive, but Joy and Chet seem reticent. She finally walks over and apologizes to him for her remarks, and he accepts her apology and offers to drive her home. Despite her mother’s wishes, she agrees and they walk out together.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Paul Raven

[SoapDope]

Today I watched Gidget Goes To Rome (1963) with Cindy Carol (aka...Carol Sydes). I know she had a role on this soap and was married to Christopher Connelly of Peyton Place fame. I did some research on her and found out she is a school teacher going by the name of Carol Connelly. I can't find a recent pic of her though.

Carol also did episodes of LITB with her NTY co-star Tony Dow.

[danfling]

The late Cindy Carol, who played Susan on Never Too Young, was married to and later divorced from actor Christopher Connelly (Norman on the primetime serial Peyton Place).

[jam6242]