The Best of Everything (TV series)

The Best of Everything
Starring Geraldine Fitzgerald
Gale Sondergaard
Patty McCormack
Theme music composer James Lipton
Laurence Rosenthal
Composer(s) Mario Litwin
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 126
Production
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) 20th Century Fox Television
FMC Productions
Release
Original network ABC
Audio format Monaural
Original release March 30 (1970-03-30) – September 25, 1970 (1970-09-25)

The Best of Everything is an American daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from March 30, 1970, to September 25, 1970. The series was a spin-off of Rona Jaffe's 1958 novel The Best of Everything and the 1959 film of the same name.[1]

Plot

The show focuses upon four young secretaries and their lives in an intense publishing firm: Linda, April, Kim, and Barbara. They were tormented by their ruthless head editor, Amanda Key, and counseled by the warm and loving Violet Jordan. Although the soap opera was short-lived, there were several plotlines, including Kim being brutally attacked by a mysterious villain named Squirrel. The series also revolved around Barbara, who had become depressed since her marriage failed.

Production history

The soap opera premiered on March 30, 1970, at 12 Noon Eastern time. The Best of Everything replaced reruns of Bewitched and premiered alongside A World Apart on ABC.[2]

The series was executive produced by creator/headwriter James Lipton. Jacqueline Babbin was the producer. The production company was 20th Century Fox Television in association with the ABC Television Network. The Best of Everything was videotaped at ABC-TV Studio 17 in New York City.

The series' opening and closing credits used a video shot of sea gulls in flight over New York Harbor. Nashville artist Connie Eaton recorded a version of the series' instrumental theme, using lyrics which she sang on an episode telecast near the end of the program's network run. The single was released in 1970 by the Chart label. Both the theme song's melody and lyrics were composed by headwriter James Lipton.[3]

Cast

  • Geraldine Fitzgerald as Violet Jordan
  • Gale Sondergaard as Amanda Key
  • Patty McCormack as Linda Warren
  • Julie Mannix as April Morrison #1
  • Susan Sullivan as April Morrison #2
  • Katherine Glass as Kim Jordan
  • Rochelle Oliver as Barbara Lamont
  • Ginnie Curtis as Gwenn Mitchell
  • Gregory Rozakis as Squirrel
  • Victor Arnold as Ed Peronne
  • Barry Ford as Ken Lamont
  • Stephen Grover as Johnny Lamont
  • M'el Dowd as Kate Farrow
  • Ted LePlat as Randy Wilson
  • Diane Kagan as Anne Carter
  • James Davidson as Dexter Key
  • Bonnie Bee Buzzard as Joanna Key

Broadcast history/ratings

The 1969-70 season was the zenith of the soap opera format in the United States, as a record 19 soaps crowded the three major networks. Unfortunately, The Best of Everything was the worst in the Nielsens, coming in at the bottom with an awful 1.8 rating, one of the lowest figures ever recorded for a US soap opera. One reason for the show's failure was its time slot: 12 noon Eastern Time (11am Central), in which it competed against the original run of Jeopardy! on NBC, then at the height of its daytime popularity. (Also, "Best" was not cleared by many ABC affiliates, who preferred running local newscasts in the time slot.)

1969-1970 Season

References

  1. ↑ Schemering, Christopher (1987). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. Ballantine Books. p. 44. ISBN 0345353447.
  2. ↑ "Bing And Bill Top TV Slate" by Jack Gaver, The Sandusky Register, March 27, 1970, p.22
  3. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1970-08-22). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
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