THE EA8T HAMPTON STAR, EAST HAMPTON, N.Y., JULY 8, 1976
When Peggy O'Shea took over last November as head writer on the soap opera "Search for Tomorrow," she found the leading man dying of mylocetic leukemia (on tv), and a barrage of audience mail threatening permanent desertion if he were allowed to succumb. With a skill worthy of the Mayo brothers, she effected a speedy and miraculous cure. He's been free to face other misadventures since. Miss O'Shea, who lives on Hand Lane with her actor husband, David Opatoshu, works long and hard to plot the course of lives on the long-running (25 years) show. "I used to work ten days a week," she said last week, "but I've cut back to seven since I've had a collaborator." He is James Lipton, who lives on Marine Boulevard. Two other writers work in New York under Miss O'Shea's direction. The plot, like others of its genre, leans heavily on human afflictions for material. Miss O'Shea, a veteran tv writer, says she is rated on the basis of "one, two or three teardrops." The series brings forth a considerable amount of mail, "some of it extremely literate." "Invariably," she added, "the letters start with the disclaimer, 'I don't usually watch soap operas, but when I was home [or in the hospital] sick I began watching "Search for Tomorrow" and now I'm hooked.. .One member of the cast, Michael Nouri, lives on Indian Wells Highway. Mary Stuart, who has played the leading female role of Joanne Vincent for the duration, does not live in Amagansett.
THE EAST HAMPTON STAB, EAST HAMPTON, N.Y., SEPTEMBER 9, 1976
Last week's party to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the daytime television soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" was attended by Amagansett residents Peggy O'Shea of Hand Lane, head writer on the show, and James Lipton of Marine Boulevard, her collaborator. Despite their relatively recent participation in the production—its leading lady, Mary Stuart, has been in the cast since the beginning—Miss O'Shea and Mr. Lipton have found a certain seniority in omnipotence. When Miss O'Shea took over writing the show almost a year ago, her first task was to see the leading man through a near-fatal bout of mylocetic leukemia. Now she and Mr. Lipton, who joined her later, have in their hands the fate of Joanne Barron Tate Vincente (the role played by Miss Stuart), who recently has had surgery to avert permanent paralysis. In mock menace, Miss O'Shea noted last week that only the writers know the outcome. "We are totally powerful," she said, giggling. "No one but us knows who's going to get what next.
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Paul Raven ·
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