Behind the Screen (TV series)

Last updated
Behind the Screen
BTS-CastChapelSabatinoTurner.jpg
Cast of Behind The Screen
Created by David Jacobs
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseOctober 9, 1981 (1981-10-09) 
January 8, 1982 (1982-01-08)

Behind the Screen is an American late-night weekly serial which aired on CBS (Fridays, 11:30 PM EST) from October 9, 1981 to January 8, 1982.

Contents

Series overview

Behind the Screen was created by David Jacobs ( Dallas , Knots Landing ) for CBS, which wanted a late night counterpoint to ABC and NBC's more successful efforts in that timeslot. Drawing upon his experience with the prime-time serials, Behind the Screen was a dramatization of the goings-on at a fictional TV soap opera called Generations. This was not the first attempt to explore the concept of a "soap within a soap" as radio soaps had used the idea as far as back as the 1940s (A Woman To Remember). Ryan's Hope had also done a similar storyline in the early 1980s. [1]

The show premiered as an hour-long special, and regular episodes were 30 minutes. It revolved around the beautiful young star of Generations, Janie-Claire Willow (Janine Turner), who was a pawn in a power struggle between her wheelchair-using mother Zina (Joanne Linville), her powerful agent Evan (Mel Ferrer) and her show's leading man, Brian (Michael Sabatino).

The show's early pacing was described as "a bit meandering" [1] and it had problems finding an audience. Eventually the show was canceled after only 3 months on the air. The last episode concerned a backstage party where starlet Joyce Daniels was poisoned. Suspicion quickly fell on Lynette Porter (Debbi Morgan). In a bit of levity, Michele Lee (a star on Jacobs' Knots Landing) appeared as herself, playing a guest at the party; when questioned by police, she was mistakenly identified by the cops as Mary Tyler Moore. [1] [2]

Cast and characters

The cast included Generations creator and producer Gerry Holmby (Joshua Bryant); his screenwriter wife Dory Ranfield (Loyita Chapel); his son, Brian Michael Sabatino, a cast member on Generations; Brian's lover Janie-Claire Willow, star of Generations; Janie-Claire's brother Jordan (Scott Mulhern); Janie-Claire's invalid mother Zina (Joanne Linville); her actress roommate Lynette Porter (Debbi Morgan); Janie-Claire and Lynette's conniving manager Evan Hammer (Mel Ferrer); movie mogul Merritt Madison (Warren Stevens); Merritt's son Karl (Mark Pinter), who is Dory's former lover; and Bobby Danzig (Bruce Fairbairn), a married lawyer who is struggling with his homosexuality.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"William E. GlennDavid JacobsOctober 9, 1981 (1981-10-09)7.4 [3]
2"Episode 2"William E. GlennRonnie Wenker-KonnerOctober 16, 1981 (1981-10-16)5.8
3"Episode 3"William E. GlennPeggy SchibiOctober 23, 1981 (1981-10-23)6.7
4"Episode 4"William E. GlennMargaret DePriestNovember 6, 1981 (1981-11-06)5.1
5"Episode 5"William E. GlennPeggy SchibiNovember 13, 1981 (1981-11-13)5.7
6"Episode 6"William E. GlennRonnie Wenker-KonnerNovember 20, 1981 (1981-11-20)6.2
7"Episode 7"William E. GlennMargaret DePriestNovember 27, 1981 (1981-11-27)5.8
8"Episode 8"William E. GlennPeggy SchibiDecember 4, 1981 (1981-12-04)5.4
9"Episode 9"William E. GlennPeggy SchibiDecember 11, 1981 (1981-12-11)5.1
10"Episode 10"William E. GlennPeggy SchibiDecember 18, 1981 (1981-12-18)5.5
11"Episode 11"William E. GlennRonnie Wenker-KonnerDecember 25, 1981 (1981-12-25)4.4
12"Episode 12"William E. GlennPeggy SchibiJanuary 1, 1982 (1982-01-01)6.8
13"Episode 13"William E. GlennRonnie Wenker-KonnerJanuary 8, 1982 (1982-01-08)5.8

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Christopher Schemering (1985). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. Ballantine Books. ISBN   0345324595.
  2. Mary Ann Copeland (1991). Soap Opera History. Mallard Press. ISBN   0792454510.
  3. Bruce B. Morris, Prime Time Network Serials: Episode Guides, Casts and Credits for 37 Continuing Television Dramas, 1964-1993, McFarland and Company, 1997.