''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' is an American daytime

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

that aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

from September 18, 1967, to March 23, 1973. The series was created by

Irna Phillips Irna Phillips (July 1, 1901 – December 23, 1973) was an American scriptwriter, screenwriter, casting agent, and actress who pioneered a style of daytime soap opera in the United States geared specifically toward women. Phillips created, produc ...

, who served as the first

head writer A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio ...

. She was replaced by Jane Avery and Ira Avery in 1968, who were followed by Don Ettlinger,

James Lipton Louis James Lipton (September 19, 1926 – March 2, 2020) was an American writer, actor, talk show host, and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He was the executive producer, writer, and host of ...

and finally Ann Marcus.

John Conboy John Conboy (March 1934 – January 2018) was an American soap opera producer until his death in January 2018. Life and career Conboy was born in 1934 in Binghamton, New York. After high school, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University's Colle ...

served as producer for most of the show's run.

Beginnings and controversy

The serial was a

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

from the original 1955

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Com ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, although its title omitted the hyphen found in the film's title. In turn, the film was based on the 1952 autobiographical novel '' A Many-Splendoured Thing'' by

Han Suyin Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou (; 12 September 1917 or 1916 – 2 November 2012) was a Chinese-born Eurasian physician and author better known by her pen name Han Suyin (). She wrote in English and French on modern China, set her novels in East an ...

. The show was originally a coproduction of CBS and 20th Century-Fox's television division. ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' focused on lives and loves in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Its title sequence showed the title over a picture of the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean in California, United States. The structure links San Francisco—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peni ...

, with a slightly reworked rendition of the film's signature hit theme. In a rare move for daytime serials of the era, live shots of junk boats from

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

were interspersed with pictures of the real San Francisco. In 1968, when CBS became sole producer and distributor of the show, its more well-known sequence was introduced showing just the picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. A revised version of the theme song was played by

Eddie Layton Edward M. Layton (October 10, 1925 – December 26, 2004) was an American stadium organist who played at old Yankee Stadium for nearly 40 years, earning him membership in the New York Sports Hall of Fame. Early life and education Layton was bo ...

, the long-time organist at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

and a popular recording artist. Layton played the Hammond X-66 (then owned by CBS) throughout most of his time on the program. Veteran serial writer and creator

was hired to adapt the film for television, picking up the story some years after the end of the film. In the beginning, the star of the show was Nancy Hsueh as Mia Elliott, daughter to the characters portrayed by William Holden and Jennifer Jones in the 1955 film. Mia left Hong Kong to study medicine in San Francisco, her late father's hometown, and there she became involved with two men: Vietnam War pilot Paul Bradley, and, later, Dr. Jim Abbott. However, CBS

censors Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...

balked at an interracial love story between a white man and an

Amerasian An Amerasian may refer to a person born in East or Southeast Asia to an East Asian or Southeast Asian mother and a U.S. military father. Other terms used include War babies or G.I. Babies. Several countries in East and Southeast Asia have sign ...

woman. The network was also uncomfortable with a developing subplot in which Jim Abbott was implicated in the death of a young patient, the result of a botched

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

. Unwilling to compromise her story for CBS executives, Phillips quit the series, as the character of Mia Elliott was written out of the series in March 1968, never to be mentioned again. Phillips' resignation led to the end of Fox's role as coproducer and distributor. In February 1968, Phillips was replaced by husband-and-wife writing team Jane and Ira Avery, who quickly refocused the series on two families, the Donnellys and the Elliotts. The Donnelly family was headed by widower Dr. Will Donnelly (Judson Laire), who had three adult children: Tom, a police lieutenant, Iris, a troubled college graduate and Laura, a fragile novitiate

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

. The Elliotts consisted of wealthy Phillip and Helen Elliott and their son Mark (Sam Wade), a

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

vet who was engaged to marry Iris but secretly desired her sister Laura. As with the Mia Eliott story, ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' courted controversy again as Laura tried unsuccessfully to fight off

carnal In psychology, libido (; ) is psychic drive or energy, usually conceived of as sexual in nature, but sometimes conceived of as including other forms of desire. The term ''libido'' was originally developed by Sigmund Freud, the pioneering origin ...

desires for her sister's boyfriend. A storm of controversy necessitated Laura's sudden departure from the church, and CBS dropped the storyline within weeks of Phillips' departure. However, the Averys continued to focus on the conflict between two beautiful sisters who loved the same man, a plot that would bring the series strong fan devotion as well as a spike in the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

, and would drive the plotline for the remainder of the serial's network run.

Storyline synopsis

1967: Mia Elliott, daughter of late war correspondent Mark Elliott and physician Han Suyin, arrives in San Francisco to study medicine. Mia meets Phillip and Helen Elliott, her aunt and uncle, cousin Mark Elliott, her father's namesake, and sisters Iris and Laura Donnelly. At first Mia dates pilot Paul Bradley (Nicholas Pryor), but she later develops a serious relationship with Dr. Jim Abbott (Robert Milli). Laura Donnelly, also known as Sister Cecilia (

Donna Mills Donna Mills (born Donna Jean Miller; December 11, 1940) is an American actress. She began her television career in 1966 with a recurring role on ''The Secret Storm'', and in the same year appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen's comedy '' Don't ...

), fights her attraction to Mark Elliott as she prepares to take her final vows. Iris, unsure of Mark's feelings for her and sensing Laura's attraction to him, begins to drink heavily and consort with sneering playboy Jock Porter (

John Karlen John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz; May 28, 1933 – January 22, 2020) was an American character actor who played multiple roles on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC serial ''Dark Shadows'' on and off from 1967 to 1971. In 1971, Karlen s ...

). During an argument with Mark, a drunken Iris crashes their car, but both escape serious injury. 1968 : When it is revealed that Jock Porter paid Jim Abbott to perform an illegal abortion on girlfriend Terry Andrews, who later died, a disenchanted Mia decides to return to Hong Kong. Iris becomes emotionally involved with Jim, but the scandal surrounding Terry Andrews forces him to leave San Francisco for New York. Laura decides not to take her final vows and leaves the church for Mark, who ends his relationship with Iris and begins a career as an architect. Lt. Tom Donnelly (Robert Burr) helps Helen (Grace Albertson, Gloria Hoye) overcome her grief when husband Phillip (Len Wayland) dies suddenly, and after a short courtship, the two marry. Iris finds herself attracted to Spencer Garrison (Michael Hanrahan, Ed Power) a handsome lawyer/senatorial candidate trapped in an unhappy marriage. 1969: Laura and Mark (now played by

David Birney David Edwin Birney (April 23, 1939 – April 27, 2022) was an American actor and director whose career included performances in both contemporary and classical roles in theatre, film, and television. He is noted for having played the title role ...

) marry, and shortly afterward, Laura discovers that she's pregnant. Spence leaves his insidious wife Nancy (Susan Browning) for Iris, who also becomes pregnant. During a flight to Lake Tahoe, Spence and Iris' private plane crashes, resulting in a serious brain injury that leaves Iris blinded. Mark has an extramarital affair with Jean Garrison (Jane Manning), the stepmother of Spence, that is publicly exposed after Jean's ex-husband Steve Hurley (Mark Gordon, Paul Stevens) is murdered. Mark's trial for murder causes Laura to miscarry their baby and have a nervous breakdown. Later, learning that she can never carry another child, Laura instigates divorce proceedings. After Iris learns that her brain injury will cause her death within a year, she and Spence agree that their baby would be better off with childless Laura; however, the court rejects the adoption on the grounds that Laura will be a single mother. Iris persuades Mark and Laura to reconcile for the sake of her baby, and gives birth to William Alex Garrison (Arthur Benoit, Jr.). Andy Hurley (

Don Scardino Donald Joseph Scardino (born February 17, 1949) is an American television director, producer, and retired actor. Career Acting Scardino was born in New York City, to jazz musician parents, Dorothy Denny Scardino and Charles Scardino. His first ...

, Russ Thacker) works for the 'Garrison for Senator' campaign and falls in love with Nikki Cabbott (Jody Locker), a ballerina who later is revealed to be his illegitimate sister. They plan to leave San Francisco, but she drops dead onstage while dancing. 1970: Tom (now played by Albert Stratton)'s relationship with Helen is strained by the arrival of his ex-wife Martha, an out-of-work actress now calling herself Julie Richards (

Beverlee McKinsey Beverlee McKinsey (born Beverlee Magruder; August 9, 1935 – May 2, 2008) was an American actress. She is best known for her roles on daytime serials, including Iris Cory Carrington on '' Another World'' and the spin-off series ''Texas'' from ...

). Julie threatens to sue for custody of their son Ricky (Shawn Campbell) if Tom and Helen don't pay her off. After Laura and Mark gain custody of Iris and Spence's son Billy (played by Thomas Beirne III), Iris is cured from experimental laser surgery performed by brilliant neurosurgeon Dr. Peter Chernak (

Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser; March 25, 1943) is an American actor, director, and writer whose career has spanned five decades. He made his acting debut in the television series ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' and went on ...

Michael Zaslow Michael Joel Zaslow (November 1, 1942 – December 6, 1998) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as villain Roger Thorpe on CBS's ''Guiding Light'', a role he played from 1971 to 1980 and again from 1989 to 1997, earning ...

, Vincent Baggetta). Will is smitten with Peter's mother Lily (Diana Douglas), while Peter's independent sister Dr. Betsy Chernak (

Andrea Marcovicci Andrea Louisa Marcovicci () is an American actress and singer. Life and career Marcovicci was born in Manhattan to Helen Stuart, a singer, and Eugene Marcovicci, a physician and internist of Romanian descent. In her teens she decided that sh ...

) also joins the hospital staff. When Iris demands that Laura give up custody of Billy (Thomas Beirne III), Laura goes insane and kidnaps the child, nearly killing them both in a car crash. Tom is arrested for the murder of Julie's conniving boyfriend Jim Whitman (Berkeley Harris), but eventually Julie confesses that she accidentally killed him during a violent argument, and she leaves town. 1971: A contrite Laura (now played by Veleka Gray) submits to psychiatric therapy and agrees to adopt a baby with husband Mark (now played by Michael Hawkins). Iris (now played by

Bibi Besch Bibi Besch (born Bibiana Maria Köchert; February 1, 1942 – September 7, 1996) was an Austrian-American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Dr. Carol Marcus in the science fiction film '' Star Trek II: T ...

) and Laura are delighted when their father Will marries Lily Chernak (

Diana Douglas Diana Love Webster (née Dill; formerly Douglas and Darrid; January 22, 1923 – July 3, 2015), known professionally as Diana Douglas, was a Bermudian-American actress who was married to actor Kirk Douglas from 1943 until their divorce in 1951 ...

). Peter Chernak romances sweet Angel Allison (Suzie Kay Stone) and marries her, but has an extramarital fling with Jean Garrison. During their separation Angel is dating Dr. Doug Preston (Gene Lindsey). Visiting an orphanage, Laura and Mark decide to adopt a young girl named Maria (Judy Safran), unaware that she has a very troubled past. Laura then miraculously gets pregnant again. Jealous of Mark, Maria subtly manipulates tension into the Elliott marriage, and when she's unsuccessful at separating the couple, she locks Mark in the garage and sets it on fire, but Mark is ultimately saved. Maria is quickly turned in by her best friend Tommy Hale (Chris Pape). When Laura confronts Maria about trying to kill Mark in the fire, she chases her down the steps and falls. As a result of the fall, Laura suffers her second miscarriage. She is committed to a sanitarium. Tom decides to leave the police force and pursue a law degree. 1972: Betsy Chernak begins a stormy romance with Joe Taylor (Leon Russom) who runs a children's daycare but also works for Senator Al Preston, Spence's opponent in the Senatorial primary campaign and older brother of Dr. Doug Preston. Laura (now played by Barbara Stanger) is now out of the sanitarium and despondent over being childless. She drives Mark (now played by Tom Fuccello) to drink heavily. One night in a drunken stupor, he mistakes Iris for Laura and rapes her, resulting in a pregnancy. Fearing that the scandal will harm his chances for election in the 1972 Senatorial election, Iris agrees to keep the rape a secret and pass off the baby as Spence's child. However, blackmailer Walter Travis (John Carpenter) forces Joe Taylor into recording a meeting at Spence and Iris's apartment that ends up being cancelled when instead it turns out to be a conversation between Iris and Betsy, revealing Mark as a rapist and father of Iris' baby she is carrying. Travis plans to use the tape to get Spence to drop out of the race but the plan backfires when Senator Al Preston dies in a car crash. Peter reconciles with Angel, and they settle down in wedded bliss with their baby daughter, Nicole. Joe confides to Betsy that Walter Travis is blackmailing him over the murder of Travis' wife, Joe's lover, seven years ago. Iris gives birth to a baby girl she names Maggie. Spence finally wins the election to become San Francisco, California's next state senator. 1973 : While under Betsy's care in the hospital for minor surgery, Walter Travis is murdered with an overdose of Demerol. Fearing that Joe's possible involvement in Travis' wife's murder will surface, Betsy confesses to the crime. Tom agrees to represent Betsy, who confesses the truth to him. Tom and Joe discover that Travis actually murdered his wife, not Joe, and later prove that Al Preston's secretary Celia Winters (Abigail Kellogg) killed Travis. Joe promises Iris and Mark that Laura and Spence (now played by Brett Halsey) will never hear the truth about Maggie's parentage, but before she's committed to a sanitarium, a deranged Celia reveals the truth to Laura. Iris's ex-flame Dr. Jim Abbott (Ron Hale) returns to San Francisco nearly five years later along with his fiancée, Holly McCallister (Joan McMonagle), yet he never forgot Iris and pursues her even though she's married to Spence, who is now a state senator. Joe leaves the daycare to become Spence's administrative assistant while Holly becomes his secretary. Desperate for a baby, Laura schemes with Jim to get custody of Maggie after he figures out through a medical record that Mark is her biological father; however, Tom arranges a private adoption for Laura and Mark, and Laura reconciles her differences with Iris. Laura and Mark adopt a baby boy they name Philip Elliot. Peter learns that Angel has incurable cancer and vows to make her last days the happiest of her life. In the final telecast on March 23, 1973, Joe and Betsy, surrounded by all of their friends and family, are married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. Judson Laire, as Dr. Will Donnelly, steps out of character and addresses the audience, "There go Betsy and Joe, off to a new life. I think this is probably the happiest moment for the Donnellys and the Chernaks, the Garrisons, and the Elliotts, and the Taylors. But, it's a very sad moment for those of us actors who played those characters. I think by now most of you must know that ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' is going off the air with this episode. On behalf of my fellow actors, I would like to tell you how much we enjoyed the privilege of coming into your home for these five and half years. It's not going to be easy for us; it's hard to say goodbye. But, maybe we'll live on in your memories. It now becomes my sad duty to say goodbye to you on behalf of the entire company: the cast, the crew, the production staff, the writers and the directors ... all of us. Goodbye, and God bless you."''The Soap Opera Encyclopedia''''From Ma Perkins to Mary Hartman''''The Wonderful World of Soap Operas''.

Broadcast history

''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' owed its existence to CBS daytime head

Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...

, who openly favored serials over

game shows A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating and narrating wh ...

. Its predecessor at 2:00 p.m.

Eastern time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behi ...

was the original run of ''

Password A password, sometimes called a passcode, is secret data, typically a string of characters, usually used to confirm a user's identity. Traditionally, passwords were expected to be memorized, but the large number of password-protected services t ...

'', which had run aground against NBC's serial ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'' and ABC's ''

The Newlywed Game ''The Newlywed Game'' is an American television game show. Newly married couples compete against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know or do not know each other. The program, originally created ...

.'' However, ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' struggled against its competition and could not maintain the viewers from its lead-in, the top-rated serial ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

''. On September 11, 1972, CBS moved ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' to 3:00 p.m. ET.

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

, which produced four of the network's serials, wanted its shows aired consecutively. CBS moved ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'', which had been airing at 2:30 p.m. ET since its expansion to 30 minutes in 1968, into ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'''s former 2:00pm timeslot and moved ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American mystery crime drama soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network for most of its ...

'' from its longtime 3:30 p.m. ET slot to 2:30 p.m. to complete the request; the schedules of ''As the World Turns'', which aired at 1:30 p.m., and ''

Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show f ...

'', which aired at 12:30 p.m., were unaffected and the network did not program the 30 minutes between those shows. Shortly before the time change, the show's subject matter was changed from a love story to political intrigue and blackmail. Despite having maintained fairly strong ratings throughout its run, averaging an 8.5 rating and 29% share, ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' still struggled in its new timeslot of 3:00 p.m. against two new competitors: ABC's ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'' and NBC's ''Another World'', which consistently won the timeslot. These same two soaps also competed against sister CBS soap ''The Secret Storm'' in this timeslot six years earlier. On February 12, 1973, CBS announced that ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' would end its run on March 23. The lead characters on ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' were recast multiple times. The departure of stars Charleson, Birney and Mills led to a revolving door of cast replacements, such as

. The show focused upon other characters, such as the strong-willed Betsy Chernak Taylor (

), and complex storylines involving politics and blackmail, but its ratings failed to recover quickly enough to avoid cancellation. Immediately after the cancellation, CBS moved the highly popular ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

'' into the vacant timeslot.

Legacy

The show is notable for its strong focus on young characters. Along with ABC's ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...

'', ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' particularly targeted young viewers along with soap operas' traditional audience. The show predated the premieres of ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

'' (1968) and ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...

'' (1970), two other soap operas that also attracted young audiences. Organist Eddie Layton introduced the influences of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

music to the show's score in contrast to the heavy symphonic and theatrical organ style of more established soap operas. Later soaps would continue to move away from organ music to contemporary light orchestral and

synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

-based scoring.

Surviving episodes

All 1,430 episodes of ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' were recorded on videotape at the

CBS Broadcast Center The CBS Broadcast Center is a television and radio production facility located on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is CBS's main East Coast of the United States, East Coast production hub, similar to Radford Studio Cen ...

Studio #41 in New York City. As with most soap operas of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the show's tapes were routinely

wiped Lost television broadcasts are television programs that were not preserved after their original airing, rendering them permanently unavailable for both public and private screening. Because of this, they are considered a form of lost media, par ...

for reuse. Although the master tapes were erased, some rare

kinescopes Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

of episodes remain in the possession of private collectors. Only seven videotapes of the series are confirmed to exist, archived as non-circulating copies at the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a nonpro ...

. The archived episodes were telecast on March 8, 16 and 24, 1971, April 1 and 9, 1971 and March 12 and 20, 1973. A 1967 kinescope episode in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

episode may be viewed at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

Awards and nominations

Prior to its cancellation, the show was nominated for four

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

: * 1971: Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming ** James Angerame, technical director ** Victor L. Paganuzzi, art director; John A. Wendell, set decorator * 1973: Outstanding Achievement by Individuals in Daytime Drama **

Peter Levin Peter Levin (born Daniel Henry Levin; 12 March 1932) is an American director of film, television and theatre. Career Since 1967, Levin has amassed a large number of credits directing episodic television and television films. Some of his telev ...

, director ** Victor Paganuzzi, scenic designer; John A. Wendell, set decorator

Ratings

* 1967–1968 season: #11, 7.9 rating * 1968–1969 season: #8, 9.0 rating * 1969–1970 season: #5, 9.5 rating * 1970–1971 season: #9, 9.2 rating * 1971–1972 season: #9, 8.0 rating * 1972–1973 season: #14, 7.1 rating

Cast

Nancy Hsueh Nancy Hsueh (February 25, 1941 – November 24, 1980) was an American actress. She was one of the first Asian American actresses to have a leading role in a U.S. television series, '' Love is a Many Splendored Thing'' (1967), regarded as the first ...

: Mia Elliott (9/1967-3/1968) original cast * Thomas Beirne III: Baby Billy (1970) *

Robert Milli Robert A. Milli (March 15, 1933 – July 18, 2019) was an American television actor. Early years Milli was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied theater at Catholic University and the University of Maryland. Career Milli was perhaps best kno ...

: Dr. Jim Abbott #1 (9/1967-6/1968) original cast *

Ron Hale Ronald Hale Thigpen (January 2, 1946 – August 27, 2024) was an American actor best known for his role as Roger Coleridge on the ABC soap opera ''Ryan's Hope'' for its entire run (1975–1989). He played the recurring role of Mike Corbin, the ...

: Dr. Jim Abbott #2 (1/1973-3/1973) *

Nicholas Pryor Nicholas David Pryor (born Probst; January 28, 1935 – October 7, 2024) was an American character actor. He appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions. Early life and career Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Balt ...

: Paul Bradley (9/1967-3/1968) original cast * Judson Laire : Dr. Will Donnelly (9/1967-3/1973) original cast * Grace Albertson : Helen Elliott Donnelly #1 (9/67-3/68) original cast * Gloria Hoye : Helen Elliott Donnelly #2 (3/1968-3/23/1973) *

Leslie Charleson Leslie Ann Charleson (February 22, 1945 – January 12, 2025) was an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine on the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''. Life and career Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri ...

: Iris Donnelly Garrison #1 (9/1967-12/29/1970) original cast *

: Iris Donnelly Garrison #2 (1/4/1971-3/23/1973) *

: Laura Donnelly Elliott #1 (9/1967-9/18/1970) original cast * Veleka Gray : Laura Donnelly Elliott #2 (9/21/1970-1/26/1972) * Barbara Stanger : Laura Donnelly Elliott #3 (1/28/1972-3/23/1973) * Robert Burr : Lt. Tom Donnelly #1 (9/1967-8/1969) original cast * Albert Stratton : Lt. Tom Donnelly #2 (9/1969-3/23/1973) * Shawn Campbell : Ricky Donnelly (9/1967-3/23/1973) original cast * Len Wayland : Phillip Elliott #1 (9/1967-3/1968) original cast * Sam Wade : Mark Elliott #1 (9/1967-3/1969) original cast *

: Mark Elliott #2 (3/1968-6/1970) * Michael Hawkins : Mark Elliott #3 (6/1970-11/12/1971) * Vince Cannon : Mark Elliott #4 (11/15/1971-1/26/1972) * Tom Fuccello : Mark Elliott #5 (1/28/1972-3/23/1973) *

: Jock Porter (1967–68) * Judith Searle : Dr. Dorothy Knowland(1967) *

: Andy Hurley #1 (1968) * Russ Thacker : Andy Hurley #2 (1969) * Paul Stevens : Steve Hurley #1 (1968) * Mark Gordon : Steve Hurley #2(1969) * Martin Wolfson : Chandler Garrison #1 (1968) * William Post Jr. : Chandler Garrison #2(1968–1971) * Terry Logan : Dr. John Hale (1968–1970) * Jane Manning : Jean Hurley Garrison (1968-1/31/1971; 3/23/73) * Michael Hanrahan : Spencer Garrison #1 (3/1968-4/1968) * Edward Power : Spencer Garrison #2 (5/1968-11/1972 ) *

Brett Halsey Brett Halsey (born Charles Oliver Hand; June 20, 1933) is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He appeared in B pictures and in European-made feature films. He originated the role of John Abbott on the soap opera ''T ...

: Spencer Garrison #3(12/4/1972-3/23/1973) * Susan Browning : Nancy Garrison (1968–1969) * Flora Campbell : Margaret Garrison (1969–1970) * Karl Light: Dr. Burger (1970–1973) * Robert Drew : Dr. Ellis (1969; 1971–1972) * Suzie Kaye Stone : Angel Allison Chernak (1969-3/23/73) * Jody Locker : Nikki Cabot (1969) * Beatrice Ballance : Kim Hale (1969–1970, 1973) *

: Dr. Peter Chernak #1 (12/1969-6/1970) *

: Dr. Peter Chernak #2 (6/1970) * Vincent Baggetta : Dr. Peter Chernak #3 (6/1970-3/23/1973) * Diana Douglas : Lily Chernak Donnelly (6/1970-3/1973) *

: Dr. Betsy Chernak Taylor (6/1970-3/23/1973) *

: Julie Richards (1970-3/1971) * Joseph Boley : Charlie (1970) * Carmen Maya : Elizabeth (1970) * Robert Drew : Dr. Ellis (1970; 11/71-1/28/72) * Berkeley Harris : Jim Whitman (1970-3/71, 3/1973) * Arthur Benoit Jr. : William Alex Garrison (1970) * James Burdge : Sam Watson (1970-1/28/1972) * Joseph Stern : Larry Hale (1969–70) * Stephen Joyce : Dr. Sanford Hiller (12/1971-1972; 1972–1973) * Peter White : Dr. Sanford Hiller (1972) *

Constance Towers Constance Mary Towers (born May 20, 1933) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She gained prominence for her appearances in several mainstream 1950s films before transitioning to theater, starring in numerous Broadway productions ...

: Marian Hiller (12/1971-1972) * Christopher Pape : Tommy Hale (12/1971-1/31/1972) * Fred J. Scollay : Police Chief Rame (12/1972-1/1973) * Judy Safran : Maria (1/1971 to 10/1971) * Abigail Kellogg : Celia Winter (1/1972-1/1973) * Gene Lindsey : Dr. Doug Preston (9/1971-12/1972) * Sasha von Scherler : Sarah Hanley (1/70-1972; 3/23/73) * Don Gantry: Senator Al Preston (1/1972-9/1972) *

Leon Russom Leon Russom is an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, particularly soap operas. He portrayed Admiral Toddman (in the '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode " The Die is Cast") and the Starfleet Commander-in-Chief in '' Sta ...

: Joe Taylor (1/1972-3/23/1973) *

David Groh David Lawrence Groh (May 21, 1939 – February 12, 2008)Noland, Claire (14 February 2008)"David Groh, 68; Husband on 'Rhoda'". ''Los Angeles Times''. was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Joe Gerard in the 1970s television series ...

: Simon Ventnor (1972-1/1973) * John Carpenter : Walter Travis (1972) * Andrea Grossman : Nicole Chernak (1972–1973) * P.J. Soles : Unknown (1973) * Betty Miller : Mrs. Taylor (1972-3/23/73)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Love Is A Many Splendored Thing (Tv Series) 1967 American television series debuts 1973 American television series endings 1967 controversies American television soap operas Television shows set in San Francisco Television series by CBS Studios American English-language television shows Television series created by Irna Phillips CBS soap operas Fiction about interracial romance