Soap was an American sitcom that ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981. Image File history File links Soap. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... Susan Harris is the producer of many television sitcoms, such as Soap, Benson, and The Golden Girls. ... Katherine Marie Helmond (July 5, 1928, Galveston, Texas) is an American film, theater and television actress. ... Robert Mandan (born February 2, 1932 in Clever, Missouri) is an American actor. ... Jimmy Baio (born March 15, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor. ... Diana Canova (born Diana Rivero on June 1, 1953 in West Palm Beach, Florida) is an American actress. ... Sal Viscuso voiced as the P.A. System Announcer, a recurring voice in the television series M*A*S*H. External links Sal Viscuso entry on Internet Movie Database Categories: People stubs ... Jennifer Salt was a lead actress in the late 1960s early 70s. ... Donnelly Rhodes (born December 4, 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian actor. ... Arthur Peterson, Jr. ... Nancy Dolman is a Canadian comic actress most notable for her recurring role on the ABC cult sitcoms Soap, Second City Television and Custard Pie. ... Cathryn Damon (September 11, 1930 _ May 4, 1987) was an American actress, best known for her roles on television sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s. ... Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 - September 26, 2000) was an American television and film actor whose career spanned 34 years. ... Robert Guillaume in 1980. ... Jay Johnson (born July 11, 1949 in Richardson, Texas) is a ventriloquist best known for his role on the television show Soap. ... Robert Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an Emmy-winning actor, best known for playing private investigators on the television series Spenser: For Hire (1985-1988) and Vega$ (1978-1981). ... Ted Wass (born on October 27, 1952 in Lakewood, Ohio) is an American actor and director. ... For the American political commentator, see William Kristol. ... Dinah Manoff (born January 25, 1958 in New York City, New York) is an American stage and film actress. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... The year 1977 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 1981 in television involved some significant events. ...

The show was a weekly half-hour long primetime comedy and its format was similar to that of a daytime soap opera. It aired for four seasons and 85 episodes, some episodes of which were one hour long. (The hour-long episodes were later split in two, yielding 93 half-hour episodes for syndication.) The show was created, written, and produced by Susan Harris. PrimeTime is a television newsmagazine from ABC News. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... Susan Harris (born in Mount Vernon, New York) is a television comedy writer and producer. ...

All episodes are currently available on region 1 DVD in 4 separate box sets. DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is one or more musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related things that are contained in a box. ...

Controversy

The show was controversial for its time, dealing openly with the topics of homosexuality, marital infidelity, impotence, interracial marriage, and gay parenting. Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... This article is about the act of adultery. ... Impotence or, more clinically, erectile dysfunction is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. ... Othello and Desdemona from William Shakespeares Othello, a play often depicted as concerning a biracial couple. ... This entire article no doubt may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Soap was among the earliest American primetime series to include a regular gay character (Jodie Dallas). Soap is commonly cited as the first series to do this, but it was preceded by at least three other such shows: 1972's The Corner Bar, 1975's Hot L Baltimore, and 1976's The Nancy Walker Show. A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... See also: 1971 in television, other events of 1972, 1973 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1972-73 American network television schedule. ... The year 1975 in television involved some significant events. ... Hot L Baltimore is a play by Lanford Wilson and a television series based on the play. ... See also: 1975 in television, other events of 1976, 1977 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1976-77 American network television schedule. ...

Much of Soap's controversy preceded its September 1977 premiere. In June of that year, a review of the show's pilot by Harry F. Waters This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

"SOAP" promises to be the most controversial network series of the coming season, a show so saturated with sex that it could replace violence as the PTA's Video Enemy No. 1." ^[1]

The review went on to pan the show, while also mischaracterizing some of its basic plot elements and offering exaggerated reports of its sexual content. A Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is a voluntary organization bringing together parents and teachers of pupils in a particular school or school district, usually for fund-raising, building parental involvement at school and other activities relating to the welfare of the school, rather than the progress of individual pupils. ...

A number of organizations then mobilized against Soap, including the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the International Union of Gay Athletes, and the National Gay Task Force. Also mobilized were the National Council of Churches, the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and the National Council of Catholic Bishops, although they asked the members of their 138,000 collective churches to watch the show first, and then inform ABC of their feelings about it. Nonetheless, the network reportedly received 32,000 letters of complaint before the show's premiere, and eight out of 195 ABC affiliates refused to air the show. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination that consists of numerous agencies including six seminaries, two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual meetings... The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) is an organization working for the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the United States. ... The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is an association of 35 Christian faith groups in the United States with 100,000 local congregations and more than 45,000,000 adherents. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the United States denomination known as United Church of Christ. ... This article is about the current Christian denomination based in the United States. ... The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (also known as the USCCB) is the official governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. ...

On Tuesday, 13 September 1977, Soap premiered to an audience of 19 million homes (39% of the national audience). Executives at ABC described initial public reaction as "mild," even though Vlasic Foods pulled their sponsorship of the program shortly after the episode aired. Vlasic may refer to: Vlasić/Vlašić, a Serbian surname. ...

Harry F. Waters' 1977 review proved prescient during the following year, when the National PTA declared Soap one of "ten worst" shows in television. A Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is a voluntary organization bringing together parents and teachers of pupils in a particular school or school district, usually for fund-raising, building parental involvement at school and other activities relating to the welfare of the school, rather than the progress of individual pupils. ...

Premise and plot

Soap was a parody of daytime soap operas presented in a primetime sitcom. Like soap operas, the show's story was presented in a serial fashion and included melodramatic plot elements such as amnesia, alien abduction, demonic possession, murder, and kidnapping. Serials in television and radio are series, often in a weekly prime time slot, that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a serial fashion, episode by episode. ... For other uses, see Amnesia (disambiguation). ... The Abduction Phenomenon is as umbrella term used to describe a number of kidnap individuals--sometimes called abductees--usually for medical testing or for sexual reproduction procedures. ... Demonic possession, in supernatural belief systems, is a form of spiritual possession whereby certain malevolent extra-dimensional entities, demons, gain control over a mortal persons body, which is then used for an evil or destructive purpose. ...

The cast included former soap opera actors. Robert Mandan (as Chester Tate) previously appeared on Search for Tomorrow as a leading man for Mary Stuart,and Donnelly Rhodes (as Dutch Leitner) who played the first husband of Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless. Robert Mandan (born February 2, 1932 in Clever, Missouri) is an American actor. ... Search for Tomorrow was a soap opera which started airing on Monday, September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS, its original broadcaster, on Friday, March 26, 1982, with NBC picking it up on the following Monday, March 29, 1982. ... Donnelly Rhodes (born December 4, 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian actor. ... For other uses, see Young and Restless. ...

Soap is set in the fictional town of Dunns River, Connecticut, and each episode begins with a shot of two women chatting over lunch as announcer Rod Roddy intones, "This is the story of two sisters: Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell". Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[3] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[2] Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... Robert Ray Rod Roddy (September 28, 1937 – October 27, 2003) was an American radio and television announcer[1], best known as the announcer for the popular game show The Price is Right from 1986 until his death. ...

In the very first opening sequence, the announcer says that the Tates live in a neighborhood known as "rich". The wealthy Tate family employs a sarcastic butler, Benson DuBois, played by Robert Guillaume, who is perhaps the only "normal" character on the series. In a long-running gag, Benson looks up lugubriously whenever the doorbell rings and, as everyone stares expectantly at him, he remarks, "You want me to get that...?" In 1979, Guillaume's character was spun off into his own series, Benson. In Soap the name DuBois is never mentioned, and there are several suggestions that Benson is his surname. This seems to have only been changed for his spin-off series, a clear example of the Fonzie syndrome. A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community located within a larger city or suburb. ... Robert Guillaume in 1980. ... The running gag is a popular hallmark of comic and serious forms of entertainment. ... Benson was an American television series which aired from 1979 to 1986 on ABC. The character of butler Benson DuBois, played by Robert Guillaume, had originally appeared on the soap opera parody Soap. ... Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzie Fonzarelli in Happy Days, one of the best-known breakout characters in television. ...

Jessica and her husband, Chester, are hardly models of fidelity, as their various love affairs result in several family mishaps, including the murder of Mary's stepson, Peter Campbell (Robert Urich). Even though everyone tells Jessica about Chester's affairs, she does not believe them until she sees his philandering with her own two eyes: while out to lunch with Mary, Jessica spots Chester necking with his secretary. Heartbroken, she sobs in her sister's arms. While Soap was a sitcom at its core, the show at times features this kind of dramatic scene that is sensitively handled and very moving. On later occasions, it becomes clear Jess has always known on some level about Chester's affairs but never allowed herself to process the information. Robert Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an Emmy-winning actor, best known for playing private investigators on the television series Spenser: For Hire (1985-1988) and Vega$ (1978-1981). ...

Mary's family, the Campbells, are more middle-class, and as the series begins, her son Danny Dallas, a product of her first marriage to Johnny Dallas, is a junior gangster-in-training. Danny is told to kill his stepfather, Burt Campbell, Mary's current husband, who, Danny is told, murdered his father Johnny. It is later revealed that Danny's father was killed by Burt in self-defense. Danny refuses to kill Burt and goes on the run from the Mob in a variety of disguises. This eventually ends when Elaine Lefkowitz (played by Dinah Manoff), the spoiled daughter of the Mob Boss, falls in love with Danny and stops her father, who then tells Danny he will have to marry Elaine or he will kill him. In the fourth season, it is revealed that Chester is, in fact, Danny's true father, the product of a secret affair between him and Mary before his marriage to Jessica.

The first season ends with Jessica convicted of the murder of Peter Campbell. The announcer concludes the season by announcing that Jessica is innocent, and that one of five characters - Burt, Chester, Jodie, Benson or Corinne - killed Peter Campbell. The interest over this cliffhanger precursed interest over the "Who shot J.R.?" cliffhanger on Dallas. Who shot J.R.? was a national obsession. ... The Southfork Ranch, home of the Ewing family The original cast of Dallas. ...

Major plots of later seasons

Other plot lines include Jessica's adopted daughter Corinne courting Father Tim Flotsky, with the two eventually marrying and having a child who is possessed by the Devil; Chester being imprisoned for Peter's murder, escaping with his prison roommate Dutch, and coming down with amnesia after a failed operation; Jessica's other daughter, Eunice, sleeping with a married congressman, and then falling in love with Dutch; Mary's stepson Chuck, a ventriloquist whose hostilities are expressed through his alter ego, a quick-witted dummy named Bob; Jessica's love affairs with several men, including Peter Campbell, a private investigator hired to find the missing presumed-dead Chester, her psychiatrist, and a Latin American revolutionary known as "El Puerco" (his friends just call him "El"); Billy Tate's confinement by a cult called the "Sunnies" (a parody of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Movement, called the "Moonies" by its critics), and then his affair with his school teacher who becomes unhinged; Danny and his romantic trials with the daughter of a mobster, a black woman, a prostitute, and Chester's second wife, Annie; and Burt's confinement to a mental institution, his abduction by aliens while being replaced with an oversexed alien look-a-like on Earth, and getting blackmailed by the Mob after becoming sheriff of their small town. This is an overview of the Devil. ... A Congressman or Congresswoman (generically, Congressperson) is a politician who is a member of a Congress. ... For the Batman villain, see Ventriloquist (comics). ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Revolutionary, when used as a noun, is a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution. ... Sun Myung Moon in 2005. ... нι уα ρєρѕ нσω я уαѕ ∂σ уα ℓкє мσιpage hpe ta do plz lve ya mssgs nuf ιη α вιzzℓє χχχχχχχχχ ... The term Moonies is a derogatory term for members of Sun Myung Moons Unification Movement. ... Mobster is a slang term for a person who participates in organized crime, which is known as belonging to the Mob. In western stories and movies, cowboys as mobsters are known as outlaws. ... This article is about the color. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... “Green people” redirects here. ... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

At the beginning of each episode, off-camera announcer Rod Roddy gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and remarks, "Confused? You won't be, after this episode of...Soap". At the end of each episode, he asks a series of life-or-death questions in a deliberately deadpan style -- "Will Jessica discover Chester's affair...? Will Benson discover Chester's affair? Will Benson care?" and concludes each episode with the trademark line, "These questions - and many others - will be answered in the next episode of Soap." Robert Ray Rod Roddy (September 28, 1937 – October 27, 2003) was an American radio and television announcer[1], best known as the announcer for the popular game show The Price is Right from 1986 until his death. ...

The series ended abruptly on April 20, 1981; the final episode contains several cliffhangers that are never resolved. These involve a suicidal Chester preparing to kill Danny and Chester's second wife after catching them in bed, Burt preparing to walk into an ambush set up by his political enemies, and Jessica about to be executed by a communist firing squad. For other uses, see Cliffhanger (disambiguation). ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... An ambush is a long established military tactic in which an ambushing force uses concealment to attack an enemy that passes its position. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ...

However, a 1983 episode of Benson mentions Jessica's disappearance, noting the Tate family is seeking to have her declared legally dead. In this episode, Jessica appears as an apparition whom only Benson can see or hear, revealing to Benson that she is not dead, but in a coma somewhere in South America. The other two cliffhangers are not referenced, leaving it to the viewers' imagination as to what might have happened.

Opening title sequence

The series consisted of two different title sequences during the first two seasons, with the leading cast members assembled together and perfectly still in an almost photographic scheme. In the first one, a fight slowly breaks out between the cast members. The second involves wooden beams and plaster from overhead, suddenly and without warning, crashing to the floor, but the cast remains still, apparently unfazed by what would be likely seen by others as catastrophic. In the later seasons, the sequences changed to just a fighting one as cast members left or were added.

Characters and actors

• Main Characters:
  • Katherine Helmond - Jessica Tate
  • Robert Mandan - Chester Tate
  • Jimmy Baio - Billy Tate
  • Diana Canova - Corinne Tate Flotsky
  • Sal Viscuso - Father Timothy Flotsky
  • Robert Guillaume - Benson DuBois
  • Roscoe Lee Browne - Saunders
  • Jennifer Salt - Eunice Tate-Leitner
  • Donnelly Rhodes - Dutch Leitner
  • Arthur Peterson, Jr. - The Major
  • Cathryn Damon - Mary Campbell
  • Richard Mulligan - Burt Campbell and X-23 (Alien Burt)
  • Jay Johnson - Chuck and Bob Campbell
  • Robert Urich - Peter Campbell
  • Ted Wass - Danny Dallas
  • Billy Crystal - Jodie Dallas
  • Dinah Manoff - Elaine Lefkowitz-Dallas

Announcer Katherine Marie Helmond (July 5, 1928, Galveston, Texas) is an American film, theater and television actress. ... Robert Mandan (born February 2, 1932 in Clever, Missouri) is an American actor. ... Jimmy Baio (born March 15, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor. ... Diana Canova (born Diana Rivero on June 1, 1953 in West Palm Beach, Florida) is an American actress. ... Sal Viscuso voiced as the P.A. System Announcer, a recurring voice in the television series M*A*S*H. External links Sal Viscuso entry on Internet Movie Database Categories: People stubs ... Robert Guillaume in 1980. ... Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1925 – April 11, 2007) was an American Emmy Award-winning actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing. ... Jennifer Salt was a lead actress in the late 1960s early 70s. ... Donnelly Rhodes (born December 4, 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian actor. ... Arthur Peterson, Jr. ... Cathryn Damon (September 11, 1930 _ May 4, 1987) was an American actress, best known for her roles on television sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s. ... Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 - September 26, 2000) was an American television and film actor whose career spanned 34 years. ... Jay Johnson (born July 11, 1949 in Richardson, Texas) is a ventriloquist best known for his role on the television show Soap. ... Robert Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an Emmy-winning actor, best known for playing private investigators on the television series Spenser: For Hire (1985-1988) and Vega$ (1978-1981). ... Ted Wass (born on October 27, 1952 in Lakewood, Ohio) is an American actor and director. ... For the American political commentator, see William Kristol. ... Dinah Manoff (born January 25, 1958 in New York City, New York) is an American stage and film actress. ...

• Rod Roddy

Recurring Characters Robert Ray Rod Roddy (September 28, 1937 – October 27, 2003) was an American radio and television announcer[1], best known as the announcer for the popular game show The Price is Right from 1986 until his death. ...

• John Byner - Detective Donahue
• Bob Seagren - Dennis Phillips
• Eugene Roche - E. Ronald Mallu, Esq.
• Richard Libertini - The Godfather
• Gordon Jump - Chief of Police Tinkler
• Edward Winter - Congressman Walter McCallum
• Charles Lane - Judge Anthony Petrillo
• Kathryn Reynolds - Claire
• Caroline McWilliams - Sally
• Lynne Moody - Polly Dawson
• Marla Pennington - Leslie Walker
• Candice Azzara - Millie
• Jesse Welles - Gwen
• Sorrell Booke - Charles Lefkowitz (Elaine's father)
• Allan Miller - Dr. Alan Posner
• Gregory Sierra - El Puerco (translation: The Pig)
• Howard Hesseman - Mr. Franklin
• Randee Heller - Alice
• Peggy Pope - Mrs. Lurleen David
• Joe Mantegna - Juan One
• Rebecca Balding - Carol David
• Nancy Dolman - Annie Selig Tate

The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Robert Bob Seagren (born October 17, 1946) was an American pole vaulter, the 1968 Olympic champion. ... Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 -July 28, 2004) was an American actor. ... Richard Libertini (Born 21 May 1933 in Cambridge, Massachusetts) is an American stage, film and television actor known for playing numerous character roles. ... Gordon Jump in 1979. ... Edward Winter as Colonel Flagg on M*A*S*H Edward Winter (June 3, 1937 in Ventura, California - March 8, 2001 in Woodland Hills, California) was an American actor perhaps most well-known for his role as the Military Intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Flagg on the television series M... Charles Lane (born as Charles Gerstle Levison January 26, 1905 – July 9, 2007[1] ) was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death was the oldest living American actor. ... Caroline McWilliams (b. ... Lynne Moody is an American actress who has made many appearances in television. ... Marla Pennington is an American actress, born in Burbank, California. ... Jesse Welles is an actress. ... Sorrell Booke, portryaing the character that made him famous, Boss Hogg. Sorrell Booke (January 4, 1930 – February 11, 1994 in Buffalo, New York) was a Jewish-American actor best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician Jefferson Davis Boss Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard. ... Allan Miller (born 14 February 1929 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor. ... Latino actor Gregory Sierra was born January 25, 1941 in New York City. ... Howard Hesseman (born February 27, 1940) is an American actor. ... Randee Heller (born Brooklyn, New York[1]) is an American television and film actress. ... Peggy Pope (born May 15, 1929) is an American actress. ... Joseph Anthony Mantegna, Jr. ... Rebecca Balding is an American actress who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. ... Nancy Dolman is a Canadian comic actress most notable for her recurring role on the ABC cult sitcoms Soap, Second City Television and Custard Pie. ...

DVD releases

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released all 4 Seasons of Soap on DVD in Region 1. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video, DVD, and UMD distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. ...

is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

1. ^ Harry F. Waters (13 June 1977). "99 and 44/100% Impure". Newsweek 90 (3). 

External links

• Soap- An ABC-TV series - a fansite
• Encyclopedia of Television
• Soap at the Internet Movie Database