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Soap (TV Series)
''Soap'' is an American sitcom television series that originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC for four seasons, from September 13, 1977, until April 20, 1981. The show was created as a nighttime parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a Serial (radio and television), serial format, and featured melodramatic plotlines including alien abduction, demonic possession, extramarital affairs, murder, kidnapping, unknown diseases, amnesia, cults, organized crime, a communist revolution, and teacher-student relationships. In 2007, it was listed as one of ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''Time''", and in 2010, the Tates and the Campbells ranked at number 17 in ''TV Guide''s list of "TV's Top Families". The show was created, written, and produced by Susan Harris, and also executive produced by Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas (producer), Tony Thoma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy, which features different characters and settings in each Sketch comedy, skit, sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships. History The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners. These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term ''sitcom'' emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howard Hesseman
Howard Hesseman (February 27, 1940 – January 29, 2022) was an American actor known for his television roles as burned-out disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on '' WKRP in Cincinnati'' and the lead role of history teacher Charlie Moore on '' Head of the Class''. He appeared regularly on television and in film from the 1970s to 2010s, with his other noteworthy roles including Sam Royer (the husband of lead character Ann Romano) in the last two seasons of '' One Day at a Time'' and a supporting role as Captain Pete Lassard in the film '' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' (1985). Early life Hesseman was born in Lebanon, Oregon, on February 27, 1940. His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a police officer. He graduated from Silverton High School in 1958. Hesseman attended the University of Oregon, and was later a founding member of the San Francisco-based improvisational comedy troupe The Committee with fellow actor David O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Rhoades
Barbara Rhoades is an American actress, known primarily for her comedy and mystery roles, especially as lady bandit Penelope ("Bad Penny") Cushings in '' The Shakiest Gun in the West'' (1968) with Don Knotts. She had a recurring role on ''Soap'' as Maggie Chandler, Jodie Dallas's future wife. Early years Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, Rhoades is the daughter of Sherry Rhoades. She attended Our Lady of Lourdes High School. She began taking dancing lessons when she was 7 years old. Career Rhoades began acting in the late 1960s, appearing in guest roles on several television series, including '' It Takes a Thief'', '' Ironside'', '' Mannix'', '' McMillan & Wife'', '' Columbo'', '' Kojak'', '' Starsky & Hutch'', '' Alias Smith and Jones'', '' Love, American Style'', '' The Odd Couple'', '' The Six Million Dollar Man'', '' Sanford and Son'', '' Bewitched'', '' Maude'', '' Trapper John, M.D.'','' The Partridge Family'', '' Murder, She Wrote'', '' Cagney & ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Peterson Jr
Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Italian it is Arturo. Etymology The earliest attestation of the name Arthur is in the early 9th century Welsh-Latin text '' Historia Brittonum'', where it refers to a circa 5th century Romano-British general who fought against the invading Saxons, and who later gave rise to the famous King Arthur of medieval legend and literature. A possible earlier mention of the same man is to be found in the epic Welsh poem '' Y Gododdin'' by Aneirin, which some scholars assign to the late 6th century, though this is still a matter of debate and the poem only survives in a late 13th century manuscript entitled the Book of Aneirin. A 9th-century Breton landowner named Arthur witnessed several charters collected in the '' Cartulary of Redon''. The Iris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marla Pennington
Marla Lynn Pennington (born March 5, 1954) is an American former actress. She is best known for her role as Joan Anderson Lawson on '' Small Wonder'', her last acting role to date. Her other television credits include ''Soap'', ''Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...'', '' Magnum, P.I.'', '' Charlie's Angels'', '' Happy Days'', '' The Incredible Hulk'', and '' General Hospital''. Pennington's film credits include '' National Lampoon's Class Reunion'', and '' The Day of the Locust''. While ''Small Wonder'' was her last acting role, she appeared in a brief reunion with her co-stars on '' The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet'' on January 14, 2009. She provided commentary to the ''Small Wonder'' season 1 DVD set, released in February 2010. In 1988, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Mulligan
Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 – September 26, 2000) was an American character actor. He was known for his roles in the sitcoms ''Soap'' (1977–1981) and '' Empty Nest'' (1988–1995). Mulligan was the winner of two Emmy Awards (1980 and 1989) and one Golden Globe Award (1989). He was the younger brother of film director Robert Mulligan. Early life and career Mulligan was born on November 13, 1932, in New York City. He served in the Navy in the early 1950s during the Korean War and later studied to become a playwright at Columbia University. After college, he began working in theatre, making his debut as a stage manager and performer on Broadway in '' All the Way Home'' in 1960. Additional theatre credits included '' A Thousand Clowns'', '' Never Too Late'', '' Hogan's Goat'', and '' Thieves''. Mulligan made a brief, uncredited appearance in the 1963 film '' Love with the Proper Stranger'', which was directed by his elder brother. He starred with Marie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lynne Moody
Emmalyn Paulette Moody (born February 17, 1945), known professionally as Lynne Moody, is an American film and television actress. Beginning her career in the early 1970s, Moody is best known her roles as Tracy Curtis–Taylor in the ABC television sitcom '' That's My Mama'' (1974–1975), Irene Harvey in '' Roots'' (1977), '' Roots: The Next Generations'' (1979), and Patricia Williams in '' Knots Landing'' (1988–1990). Biography Early life and education Born in Detroit, Michigan, Moody was raised in Evanston, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Moody's mother was a social worker, her father was a physician at a Chicago-area hospital. For high school, Moody attended Evanston Township High School, graduating in 1963. Moody worked as a stewardess prior to relocating to Los Angeles for her acting career. Career In 1970, Moody moved to Los Angeles where she was initially hired to work as a playboy bunny at a Playboy Club. While working at the Playboy Club, Moody stu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allan Miller
Allan Miller (born February 14, 1929) is an American stage, film, and television actor. Biography Miller served in the U.S. Army after World War II during the occupation of Japan.Miller, Daryl H"Stages of Development" ''Los Angeles Times'' June 21, 1998. Noticing an ad in '' Stars and Stripes'' that was looking for performers, he began performing in shows to entertain the troops. In 1948, after Miller returned to the U.S., he attended Erwin Piscator's Dramatic Workshop at The New School for Social Research in New York. He then studied acting under Uta Hagen (his classmates included Geraldine Page and Charles Nelson Reilly); and under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio (his classmates included James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Paul Newman). In 1958, under Strasberg's sponsorship, he began teaching at the Dramatic Workshop. In 1960, he started teaching privately; one of his students was a teenaged Barbra Streisand. In the 1970s he taught at Yale Drama School. He is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caroline McWilliams
Caroline Margaret McWilliams (April 4, 1945 – February 11, 2010) was an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Marcy Hill in the television series '' Benson''. McWilliams had also appeared in nine episodes of its parent-series ''Soap'', as Sally. She was a regular on the CBS soap '' Guiding Light'' (as Janet Norris) for several years and appeared in a short-term role (as Tracy DeWitt) on the NBC soap '' Another World''. She also had a recurring role on '' Beverly Hills, 90210'' playing the mother of Jamie Walters' character, Ray Pruit. Early years McWilliams was born in Seattle, Washington on April 4, 1945 to Dr. Joseph G McWilliams Jr and Pattie Dwell, and grew up in Barrington, Rhode Island. She graduated in 1966 with a bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Career McWilliams's television appearances spanned every decade from the 1960s through the 2000s. She was a regular player on '' Guiding Light'' as Janet Mason Norris from 196 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinah Manoff
Dinah Manoff (born January 25, 1956) is an American stage, film, and television actress and television director. She is best known for her roles as Carol Weston on '' Empty Nest,'' Elaine Lefkowitz on ''Soap'', Marty Maraschino in the film '' Grease'', and Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of '' I Ought to Be in Pictures'', for which she won a Tony Award. Early life Manoff was born in New York City to Ashkenazi Jewish parents, the daughter of actress, director, and writer Lee Grant (born Lyova Rosenthal) and screenwriter Arnold Manoff (born Pismenoff).''New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910–1965'' Her mother was of Polish and Ukrainian Jewish descent, and her father's parents emigrated from Vilnius.''New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794–1943'' Her half-brother, Tom Manoff, is the classical music critic for NPR's '' All Things Considered'' and a notable composer. Her stepfather is producer Joseph Feury. She spent her chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Mandan
Robert Mandan (February 2, 1932 – April 29, 2018) was an American actor, best known for his roles as Sam Reynolds on '' Search for Tomorrow'' (1965–1970), Chester Tate, the philandering businessman husband of Jessica Tate ( Katherine Helmond) on the satirical sitcom ''Soap'' (1977–1981) and James Bradford on the short lived '' Three's Company'' spin off '' Three's A Crowd'' (1984–1985) that lasted for one season. Career Mandan first acted in such television serials as NBC's '' From These Roots'' (1958–1961) and businessman Sam Reynolds on '' Search for Tomorrow'' (1965–1970). He also appeared on Broadway in the 1970 musical '' Applause''. His sitcom appearances prior to ''Soap'' include an auctioneer in the 1972 premiere episode of '' Sanford and Son'', attorney Mr. Morrison in a 1973 episode of '' All in the Family'', and Maude's gay friend Barry on a 1974 episode of '' Maude''. In 1972, Mandan appeared in the first episode of the last season o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Libertini
Richard Joseph Libertini (May 21, 1933 – January 7, 2016) was an American stage, film and television actor. He was known for playing character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents. His films include '' Catch-22'' (1970), '' The In-Laws'' (1979), '' Popeye'' (1980), '' Sharky's Machine'' (1981), '' All of Me'' (1984), '' Fletch'' (1985), '' Fletch Lives'' (1989), '' Awakenings'' (1990), '' Lethal Weapon 4'' (1998), and '' Dolphin Tale'' (2011), which was his final film role. Early life Libertini was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Emerson College in Boston. During his early years, Libertini worked in New York City and in Chicago. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career during the 1960s. Career He was an original cast member of '' The Mad Show'', a 1966 Off-Broadway musical-comedy produced by '' Mad'' magazine. His first film appearances were in '' The Night They Raided Minsky's'' (1968), '' Don't Drink the Water'' (1969) and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
