The American sitcom television series Soap originally aired 85 episodes over four seasons from September 13, 1977, to April 20, 1981. The series is a parody of soap operas and features a large ensemble cast.
The show ran for 85 episodes in its original ABC broadcasts, but its syndication package included 93 episodes (several one-hour ABC episodes, mostly from the condensed Season 4, were split into half-hour syndication episodes).
There was also four Soap retrospective specials, which were clip shows designed to catch viewers up with the previous seasons' storylines. The first of these was broadcast on December 20, 1977, after the first 13 shows had aired. The other three were shown at the beginning of each new season (on August 31, 1978, just before Season 2; on August 30, 1979, just before Season 3; and on October 29, 1980, just before the shortened Season 4.)
The 93-episode version of the episode list is shown here, with an indication of what the episode numbers would have been in the show's original run displayed in the last column. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
No. | Focal characters introduced in the episode | Original air date | Or. |
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1 | Benson (Robert Guillaume), Chester Tate (Robert Mandan), Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond), Corinne Tate (Diana Canova), Eunice Tate (Jennifer Salt), Billy Tate (Jimmy Baio), The Major (Arthur Peterson Jr.), Burt Campbell (Richard Mulligan), Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon), Danny Dallas (Ted Wass), Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal), Peter Campbell (Robert Urich). | September 13, 1977 | 1 |
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2 | Claire (Kathryn Reynolds), The Godfather (Richard Libertini). | September 20, 1977 | 2 |
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3 | None. | September 27, 1977 | 3 |
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4 | Dennis Phillips (Bob Seagren), Pigeon (Marianne Bunch), Molly (Olivia Barash). | October 4, 1977 | 4 |
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5 | Father Tim Flotsky (Sal Viscuso), Congressman McCallum (Edward Winter), Mrs. Fein (Nita Talbot). | October 13, 1977 | 5 |
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6 | None. | October 25, 1977 | 6 |
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7 | Chuck and Bob Campbell (Jay Johnson). | November 1, 1977 | 7 |
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8 | None. | November 8, 1977 | 8 |
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9 | Barney Gerber (Harold Gould), Nurse Nancy Darwin (Udana Power), Johnny Dallas (Eric Mason). | November 15, 1977 | 9 |
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10 | None. | November 22, 1977 | 10 |
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11 | None. | November 29, 1977 | 11 |
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12 | None. | December 6, 1977 | 12 |
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13 | Chief of Police Tinkler (Gordon Jump). | December 13, 1977 | 13 |
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14 | Marilyn McCallum (Judith-Marie Bergan). | December 27, 1977 | 14 |
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15 | Babette (Susan Harris), Ingrid Svenson (Inga Swenson), Randolph (Bernard Fox), Elaine Lefkowitz (Dinah Manoff), Charles Lefkowitz (Sorrell Booke). | January 3, 1978 | 15 |
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16 | Heinrich Himmel (William Daniels). | January 10, 1978 | 16 |
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17 | Mr. Franklin #1 (Howard Hesseman). | January 17, 1978 | 17 |
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18 | E. Ronald Mallu (Eugene Roche). | January 24, 1978 | 18 |
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19 | None. | February 7, 1978 | 19 |
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20 | Mr. Franklin #2 (Howard Hesseman), Judge Anthony Petrillo (Charles Lane). | February 14, 1978 | 20 |
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21 | Carol David (Rebecca Balding). | February 21, 1978 | 21 |
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22 | None. | February 28, 1978 | 22 |
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23 | Flo Flotsky (Doris Roberts) | March 14, 1978 | 23 |
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24 | None. | March 21, 1978 | 24 |
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25 | None. | March 28, 1978 | 25 |
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No. | Focal characters introduced in the episode | Original air date | Or. |
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1 | None. | September 14, 1978 | 26 (first half) |
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2 | Dutch Leitner (Donnelly Rhodes). | September 14, 1978 | 26 (second half) |
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3 | Aunt Esther (Florence Halop). | September 21, 1978 | 27 |
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4 | None. | September 28, 1978 | 28 |
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5 | None. | October 5, 1978 | 29 |
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6 | Sally (Caroline McWilliams), Dr. Kanter (Ron Rifkin). | October 12, 1978 | 30 |
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7 | Professor Anatole Martins (Lee Bergere). | October 19, 1978 | 31 |
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8 | "Boomer" David (Michael Conrad). | November 2, 1978 | 32 |
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9 | None. | November 9, 1978 | 33 |
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10 | None. | November 23, 1978 | 34 |
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11 | None. | November 30, 1978 | 35 |
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12 | Detective George Donohue (John Byner). | December 7, 1978 | 36 |
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13 | None. | December 14, 1978 | 37 |
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14 | None. | December 21, 1978 | 38 |
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15 | None. | January 4, 1979 | 39 |
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16 | Lurleen David (Peggy Pope). | January 11, 1979 | 40 |
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17 | Alice (Randee Heller). | January 18, 1979 | 41 |
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18 | None. | February 1, 1979 | 42 |
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19 | None. | February 8, 1979 | 43 |
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20 | Lisa (Ruth Cox), the Devil's Voice (Tim McIntire). | February 15, 1979 | 44 |
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21 | Mel (Frank Coppola), Dave (Greg Antonacci). | March 1, 1979 | 45 |
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22 | None. | March 8, 1979 | 46 |
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23 | Millie (Candice Azzara), Reverend Sung (Michael DeLano). | March 15, 1979 | 47 |
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No. | Focal characters introduced in the episode | Original air date | Or. |
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1 | None. | September 13, 1979 | 48 |
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2 | Saul (Jack Gilford) | September 20, 1979 | 49 |
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3 | None. | September 27, 1979 | 50 |
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4 | Leslie Walker (Marla Pennington). | October 4, 1979 | 51 |
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5 | None. | October 11, 1979 | 52 |
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6 | None. | November 1, 1979 | 53 |
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7 | None. | November 8, 1979 | 54 |
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8 | None. | November 22, 1979 | 55 |
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9 | Polly Dawson (Lynne Moody). | December 6, 1979 | 56 |
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10 | None. | December 13, 1979 | 57 |
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11 | None. | December 27, 1979 | 58 |
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12 | Gloria (Colleen Riley). | January 3, 1980 | 59 |
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13 | None. | January 10, 1980 | 60 |
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14 | None. | January 17, 1980 | 61 |
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15 | None. | January 24, 1980 | 62 |
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16 | Dr. Alan Posner (Allan Miller). | January 31, 1980 | 63 |
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17 | R.C. (Ted Shackelford). | February 7, 1980 | 64 |
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18 | None. | February 28, 1980 | 65 |
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19 | Saunders (Roscoe Lee Browne). | March 6, 1980 | 66 |
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20 | Dr. Hill (Granville Van Dusen), Judge Betty Small (Rae Allen), F. Peter Haversham (Michael Durrell). | March 13, 1980 | 67 |
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21 | None. | March 20, 1980 | 68 |
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22 | None | March 27, 1980 | 69 (first half) |
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23 | Elmore Tibbs (Hamilton Camp). | March 27, 1980 | 69 (second half) |
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This season was originally shown as 16 episodes, of which six were one hour in length. When the one-hour episodes were standardized into half-hour episodes this yielded 22 episodes.
No. | Focal characters introduced in the episode | Original air date | Or. |
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1 | None. | November 12, 1980 | 70 (first half) |
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2 | None. | November 12, 1980 | 70 (second half) |
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3 | None. | November 19, 1980 | 71 |
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4 | None. | November 26, 1980 | 72 |
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5 | Annie Selig (Nancy Dolman), Carlos "El Puerco" Valdez (Gregory Sierra). | December 3, 1980 | 73 |
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6 | Maggie Chandler (Barbara Rhoades). | December 10, 1980 | 74 |
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7 | Gwen (Jesse Welles). | December 17, 1980 | 75 |
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8 | Juan One (Joe Mantegna). | December 31, 1980 | 76 |
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9 | None. | January 7, 1981 | 77 |
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10 | None. | January 14, 1981 | 78 |
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11 | None. | January 21, 1981 | 79 |
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12 | None. | January 28, 1981 | 80 |
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13 | None. | March 9, 1981 | 81 (first half) |
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14 | None. | March 9, 1981 | 81 (second half) |
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15 | None. | March 16, 1981 | 82 (first half) |
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16 | None. | March 16, 1981 | 82 (second half) |
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17 | Dr. Rudolph (George Wyner). | March 23, 1981 | 83 (first half) |
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18 | None. | March 23, 1981 | 83 (second half) |
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19 | None. | April 13, 1981 | 84 (first half) |
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20 | None. | April 13, 1981 | 84 (second half) |
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21 | General Sandia (Luis Avalos), Private Esquivo (Barry Vigon) | April 20, 1981 | 85 (first half) |
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22 | None. | April 20, 1981 | 85 (second half) |
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