ALL: Proposed Soaps Over The Years

[DRW50]

Thanks. That could have been a good soap.

[Contessa Donatella]

I can't help but wonder why Ann Marcus would be creating it but not then being its HW.

 

[Chris B]

It could be similar to Bill Bell with Y&R and maybe NBC didn't want to let her out of her contract at DAYS.

[Paul Raven]

Ann Marcus would have created the bible and Goldstone and Perry would oversee the day to day story development.

Marcus might function as consultant.

[Contessa Donatella]

But, Bill Bell created Y&R (with Lee as co-) and then HW it, too. He jumped through a fair amount of hoops to get to HW it, since he was under contract with Corday/Tri-Star as HW of DOOL. Gave 1% of Y&R to Corday & HW both shows for 2 yrs before he was free to *just* HW his own baby. It's still amazing to me that he HW two competing shows for 2 yrs! Whoa, who could do that? Well, he could. I am sure it helped that he had Pat Falken Smith on his team at DOOL.

Yes, it could have played out that way, sure.

[Paul Raven]

CBS pilot for the 80-81 season

Our Shining Moment

Four women whose husbands, brothers, fathers and lovers are overseas fighting in WW2. Stories will deal with the women's interactions and how they survive the war on the homefront. Rita Lakin was the writer for Charles Fries Productions.

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, Bill Bell did make a deal that enabled him to go ahead & start writing Y&R even though Corday was against it. Still, it was crazy that he had to write both DOOL and Y&R for two years! So, I take your point. It could have been a conflict like that. Love Ann Marcus. Love her memoir WHISTLING GIRL.

[Paul Raven]

variety May 1980

ABC proposes GH spinoff dealing with the young doctors of the hospital. That is the earliest mention I have seen of that project.

Also ABC is developing a serial out of 'Bell, Book and Candle' a play and Kim Novak/James Stewart movie of the 50's. That project later turned up as an NBC proposal.

[Paul Raven]

Variety Dec 1980

Rodeo Drive NBC . Produced by Don Ohlmeyer exec producer at NBC Sports, who was expanding into other fields.

Described as a Dallas like serial about a Beverly Hills patriach who runs a major studio. One son is an actor, one a studio exec and the third a lawyer. 4th child is a daughter who runs a Rodeo Drive boutique.

NBC put up development money for a script but it didn't seem to go any further.

[SteelCity]

That sounds like an interesting concept, but we know how much NBC hates soaps.

[Contessa Donatella]

Is it the prevailing opinion that NBC hates soaps? I don't think I've ever heard that. They sure did their fair share of starting new ones if they hated them all along!

[SteelCity]

I just always seemed that they were looking for reasons to get rid of them, especially when it came to primetime. I still think Titans would have probably worked out better on FOX.

[Contessa Donatella]

Okay, I don't really have an opinion on NBC & primetime soaps. I was really speaking of day part. When I think about primetime soaps I think I usually think about CBS being good to them.

[SteelCity]

NBC is the only one to make no effort to save their soaps. Aside from moving Heaven and Hell to make a place for Passions and giving them carte blanche.

[Contessa Donatella]

There was a time when NBC was very high on AW & down on DOOL. But, later, NBC actively tried to get rid of and/or to kill AW! P&G had to battle them at some points along the way. I think after they decided they liked DOOL that they made efforts to support them. They started out very high on GEN but they had personnel changes & the new people didn't get what it was even & they canceled it when technically it had had another full year to its contract.