ALL: Errors, Myths, Omissions & Firsts that weren't

[Paul Raven]

A few things I have read repeatedly re Irna and ATWT

That she wanted Liz Stewart to burn to death on her honeymoon. 

Does anyone have written confirmation of this?

That she fired Jane House because she was appearing nude in Lenny on Broadway.

Jane was fired in June 71.Irna returned to ATWT in Jan 72

That when she returned she quickly killed Liz and Paul  and wrote off Dan.

As stated Irna returned Jan 72. Paul was killed of in Nov 72 and Liz and Dan written out in 73. So hardly a quick decision.

[soapfan770]

What a mess of an era, I’m not sure we’ll ever learn the truth or clear up any misinformation from that period, much like the long persistent rumor that Liz died “falling up the stairs” which I recall someone cleared that rumor up in this very thread.

It was also stated Irna found the whole Dan/Susan/Paul/Liz stuff offensive and tawdry…but for her to turnaround and give the audience the whole Jennifer/Bob/Kim story seems rather strange and contradictory. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Recently, elsewhere, this was discussed & some new light was shed. 

In 1970s Ratings topic, 1-10-25 will81 said:

(in reply to JoeCool who thought like most everyone did because it's what all the press said, that in 1973 Erica had a legal/Roe abortion.) 

I literally have the scripts. It was May 1971

I have almost every script from 1970 - 1984.

Jeff and Erica married Dec 1970. She found out she was pregnant soon after. Jeff seemed somewhat agreeable to an abortion but then talked it over with his father Joe and changed his mind. Erica told him she would get the abortion whether he agreed or not.

She went to New York and lied about having her husband's approval (it was legal but only with a husband consenting) then ended up with septicaemia. Which is how Jeff found out. Mary Kenicott was introduced around this time.

https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/41800-ratings-from-the-70s/page/75/#comments

To summarize:

We continue to know that on Y&R Ashley Abbott's abortion was irrelevant in this regard & their stating it was a first was in error.

We continue to know that Pat Randolph on AW had the earliest abortion on daytime but it was definitely before any legality of abortion had been established anywhere.

On AMC in May 1971 Erica had a legal abortion by going to New York state where it was legal and there was no residency requirement.

We continue to know that on SFT Kathy Phillips went to New York state & had a legal abortion there. The date is as yet unknown but thought to be either 1970 or 1971 & we are attempting to learn a more specific date.

If anyone has anything to add, please have at it.

Now, also in 1970s Ratings topic:

Jason47 provided this resource link: (below)

  On 1/11/2025 at 12:08 PM, Contessa Donatella said:

It's been an interesting journey but also something of a beast. P&G, in their way, did no publicity about the SFT abortion. AMC, in their way, did loads but it was in error because it claimed to be a Roe abortion meaning 1973 which turned out to be wrong. We still do not have a close date for the SFT one like Will's script & the articles Jason47 just provided for the AMC one. There's a soap publication that confirms its existence but the possible date range is unfortunately long. 

Here is your best bet to help find the date, so if anyone wants to check that database, it can probably be found through there:  https://library.syracuse.edu/digital/guides/e/ellis_search_for_tom.htm

From <https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/41800-ratings-from-the-70s/page/76/#comments>

IN RE: Ralph Ellis Search for Tomorrow Collection at Syracuse University Libraries

Update: rec'd email reply 1-22. They have 7 large boxes of scripts, arranged in order by date & episode #. They will spend an hour looking for something for you. For anything more it needs someone to go in person or you can hire an independent researcher to act on your behalf & they have a list.

My impression: Frankly, I'm favorably impressed. 1. Their email reply & its timeframe. 2. They seem accustomed to dealing with people remotely who have different questions about Search for Tomorrow. 

BTW, is any one of us from Syracuse?

Also, as to topicality, sorry. I know this isn't about ratings but it came up here. After this, I'm going to move it to the "Errors" topic so it won't continue being off-topic here.

 

 

 

Edited January 23 by Contessa Donatella
new info from ratings topic

[Contessa Donatella]

Before I write back to Syracuse, I wanted to take a stab at narrowing down a date. 

So this is what we know.

 We know that Scott proposed to Kathy & she told him she'd had an abortion the day before. Information tells me that he proposed on Feb. 13, 1970. Is there any way anyone here can confirm or deny? The date I mean.

And, thanks.

This information is going to be checked against the script at Syracuse.

[Paul Raven]

As stated in the SFT thread, Kathy wasn't even on the show in Feb 1970, yet alone accepting Scott's proposal. He was married to Lauri at that time.

This is from Page 5 of this thread, so I don't know why you are now contradicting yourself.

[Contessa Donatella]

The reason is simple & it's because "unknown date in 1972" is not at all useful to me when I can ask these people in Syracuse to search through 3 folders of scripts. I need to narrow that down substantially which is why I asked the question from the perspective of the marriage proposal.

[Paul Raven]

 

Ok...the marriage proposal you give for some reason as Feb 1970 with the abortion the day before then say the abortion was in 72. Am I missing something?

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, and I thought that this was already clear. but if not, the missing factor is ERROR on info from Internet sources. Plainly Feb 70 is WRONG. 

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm afraid my question got derailed. At any rate. I remain very interested in anyone with information about when, even approximately, Scott proposed to Kathy. I hope to make the best use possible of the Syracuse resources. "Unknown date in 1972" sadly is too broad. 

[allmc2008]

Give up with @Contessa Donatella

For a month Donna and I argued on Facebook Messenger over the Erica abortion situation. She insisted that Erica had her abortion in Pine Valley and that it was illegal because it wasn't legal in PA at the time.

She felt that because Courtney Simon told her that her character on SFT was the first to get one and it was in NYC. I then discovered, right after Donna told me, on another board she reiterated the same thing but said to take what Simon said with a grain of salt because Simon herself said she couldn't remember the details on the dates.

But Donna was telling ME to take her word for it.

 

I showed Donna the AMC scripts which proved she was wrong. I posted images of them on this thread, by the way.

 

Donna insisted the scripts were wrong and rewritten at the last minute. When asked why Agnes would rewrite such a major detail at the last minute, she replied "You tell me". I also informed her that it was a written and tape date and doing a rewrite wouldn't have been feasible with the time frame.

Finally, she told me that the only way to know for FACT is to watch the episode that aired

....months later....

She is now going by what I said.

I'm convinced that @Contessa Donatella suffers from the condition Mythomania. Also known as a Pathological Lying. I'm not saying this to be cute, as an insult, or to jab her in anyway. I'm saying this as someone who, frankly, is somewhat scared of her. I regularly chatted with her for months last year. Donna CAN NOT admit she can be wrong. And she lies but CAN NOT admit she does lie and make things up.

[TEdgeofNight]

Donna is constantly WRONG. She has to be corrected on a daily basis. Cringe. 

[allmc2008]

She mentioned to Paul Raven in the SFT thread that the internet is filled with errors on soap opera. I'm convinced that all the errors she finds are actually the truth and all the truth she finds are actually errors she promoted/created.

[Maxim]

There is this myth that Bold was called "Caroline" in Greece for the first few years. Can someone confirm or not?  

[Liberty City]

Oh? Do you remember when? I'd love to see them!

Ah yes, found them, thanks to the side panel! Brilliant.

[Contessa Donatella]

So, to update: I have replied to Syracuse & set them to search, describing the scene, the only scene of interest, with only Scott & Kathy, his proposal of marriage & her telling him of her abortion the day before.  And, I noted, of course, that what we're after, is the date. And, thanks again both to @will81who was the one who came up with the script showing that Erica went to New York state & to @JAS0N47for the Syracuse Ralph Ellis collection resource.