How to Survive a Marriage (NBC; 1974-75) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

catlover79 · 07-08-2010, 04:49 PM

This short-lived soap is mainly remembered for being the brainchild of then-NBC Daytime VP Lin Bolen (who is hated to this day by many classic game show fans). For years, I thought Beverlee McKinsey of Texas was the first to receive star billing on a soap - but Rosemary Prinz beat her out, as seen below.

I can't get enough of this melodramatic, haunting theme music!!! Enjoy!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WA-SB2lzGM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeNj-LmkoKY&NR=1

Mr. Television · 07-08-2010, 08:54 PM

I actually remember this soap.

catlover79 · 07-08-2010, 09:42 PM

It was on before my time - I don't remember it. I wasn't even born yet!

JT · 07-13-2010, 02:17 PM

Rosemary wasn't the first to receive star billing for a soap. A lotta people think that that stuff started with the 70s, but there was a short-lived soap in the 60s called "Paradise Bay," and its leading man and woman were credited at the beginning of each episode. The leading woman was (believe it or not) Marion Ross!

But even before then, "Love of Life" in the 50s credited some of each episode's cast members and crew members in its opening sequence. You can find several episode with that online at YT and the Archive.

There's a very short clip of HTSAM at YT. So, so short, but really intriguing. It was supposedly very ahead of its time because it was the first soap to really talk frankly and at depth about matters of sex and its place in society. DAYS was doing similar stuff, but not as much as HTSAM. I think I read that HTSAM had the first real love scene in daytime.

The creator of the show was Anne Howard Bailey, who went on to GH, DAYS, and Santa Barbara.

catlover79 · 07-13-2010, 02:24 PM

I never even knew that Marion Ross was on a soap, much less that she got starring billing!! I guess you really do learn something new every day!!

JT · 07-13-2010, 02:43 PM

Yep! There was an episode posted at the World of Soap Themes site years ago. I still had dial-up then, so I only watched the first part. I don't really remember much of it, but she was in that episode.

I'm sure you knew Tony Dow was on a soap, right? He was on Never Too Young, which was one of ABC's early soaps in the mid-60s. It was all about teens on the beach and was basically a soapy version of Gidget. The first episode's up at YouTube, and Tony's character is pretty much the center of it. It's a nice little show! But it didn't last, though, and of course it was replaced by Dark Shadows the next year.

catlover79 · 07-13-2010, 02:48 PM

Yep, and so were other former child stars such as Tommy Retting (Lassie) and Dack Rambo (The Loretta Young Show, who would go on to Dallas and then Another World). Sounds like an interesting show!

JT · 07-13-2010, 02:55 PM

Yeah. And you know, I'm pretty sure that it escaped the whole wiping process that all of the other soaps were subjected to in the 60s and 70s. I've come across too many "odd" episodes out there to not believe that the whole run it sitting out there. All of GH from '63 to '70 is out there, so it's very possible.

catlover79 · 07-13-2010, 03:02 PM

When Rosemary Prinz was on AMC for its first 6 months in 1970, she got star billing there, too. Her photo was the only one scene as the hand opened up the book, and underneath it said "Rosemary Prinz as Amy".

07-08-2010, 04:49 PM	#1
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	How to Survive a Marriage (NBC; 1974-75) This short-lived soap is mainly remembered for being the brainchild of then-NBC Daytime VP Lin Bolen (who is hated to this day by many classic game show fans). For years, I thought Beverlee McKinsey of Texas was the first to receive star billing on a soap - but Rosemary Prinz beat her out, as seen below. I can't get enough of this melodramatic, haunting theme music!!! Enjoy!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WA-SB2lzGM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeNj-LmkoKY&NR=1
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

07-08-2010, 08:54 PM	#2
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	I actually remember this soap.
	__________________ Sonny

07-13-2010, 02:17 PM	#4
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,219	Rosemary wasn't the first to receive star billing for a soap. A lotta people think that that stuff started with the 70s, but there was a short-lived soap in the 60s called "Paradise Bay," and its leading man and woman were credited at the beginning of each episode. The leading woman was (believe it or not) Marion Ross! But even before then, "Love of Life" in the 50s credited some of each episode's cast members and crew members in its opening sequence. You can find several episode with that online at YT and the Archive. There's a very short clip of HTSAM at YT. So, so short, but really intriguing. It was supposedly very ahead of its time because it was the first soap to really talk frankly and at depth about matters of sex and its place in society. DAYS was doing similar stuff, but not as much as HTSAM. I think I read that HTSAM had the first real love scene in daytime. The creator of the show was Anne Howard Bailey, who went on to GH, DAYS, and Santa Barbara.
	__________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrEbJBFWIPk

07-08-2010, 09:42 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	It was on before my time - I don't remember it. I wasn't even born yet!

07-13-2010, 02:24 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I never even knew that Marion Ross was on a soap, much less that she got starring billing!! I guess you really do learn something new every day!!

07-13-2010, 02:43 PM	#6
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,219	Yep! There was an episode posted at the World of Soap Themes site years ago. I still had dial-up then, so I only watched the first part. I don't really remember much of it, but she was in that episode. I'm sure you knew Tony Dow was on a soap, right? He was on Never Too Young, which was one of ABC's early soaps in the mid-60s. It was all about teens on the beach and was basically a soapy version of Gidget. The first episode's up at YouTube, and Tony's character is pretty much the center of it. It's a nice little show! But it didn't last, though, and of course it was replaced by Dark Shadows the next year.

07-13-2010, 02:48 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Yep, and so were other former child stars such as Tommy Retting (Lassie) and Dack Rambo (The Loretta Young Show, who would go on to Dallas and then Another World). Sounds like an interesting show!

07-13-2010, 02:55 PM	#8
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,219	Yeah. And you know, I'm pretty sure that it escaped the whole wiping process that all of the other soaps were subjected to in the 60s and 70s. I've come across too many "odd" episodes out there to not believe that the whole run it sitting out there. All of GH from '63 to '70 is out there, so it's very possible.

07-13-2010, 03:02 PM	#9
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	When Rosemary Prinz was on AMC for its first 6 months in 1970, she got star billing there, too. Her photo was the only one scene as the hand opened up the book, and underneath it said "Rosemary Prinz as Amy".