Bright Promise
Encyclopedia
Bright Promise is an American
daytime soap opera
that ran on NBC
from September 29, 1969 to March 31, 1972. It aired weekdays at 3:30 PM Eastern
/2:30 PM Central.
). Later, the focus shifted from the College, to the town of Bancroft at large, and focused mainly on the Pierce and Jones families. The main character by this time was Sandra Jones, who had been a student at Bancroft College, and married herself into the wealthy Pierce family.
Bright Promise was created by the husband-and-wife writing team of Frank and Doris Hursley
, who had previously created General Hospital
, and was their last project prior to their retirement
. Bing Crosby Productions
(under the name Frandor Productions) was the packager, with assistance from Cox Broadcasting
. The title and closing sequences were filmed at UCLA
.
Having replaced the game show You Don't Say!
, Bright Promise would give way to another serial, Return to Peyton Place
, on the NBC daytime schedule; the serial had been soundly defeated in the Nielsen ratings
by CBS
' The Edge of Night
and ABC
's One Life to Live
. Actress Gail Kobe
, a regular on Bright Promise, would become Return's executive producer.
, with Susan Brown, Paul Lukather
, David Lewis
, Colleen Gray, Susannah Darrow, Cheryl Miller
, and Eric James. Later additions included Ivor Francis
, Annette O'Toole
, Dabney Coleman
, Anthony Geary
, Gail Kobe
, and Anne Jeffreys
. Years later, Geary became famous for his role as Luke on General Hospital
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
that ran on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from September 29, 1969 to March 31, 1972. It aired weekdays at 3:30 PM Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
/2:30 PM Central.
Synopsis
The show revolved around students and faculty at the fictional Bancroft College, located in the community of Bancroft, somewhere in the American Midwest. The name of the show reflected the overarching theme of the bright promise that the leaders of tomorrow graduating from Bancroft would ostensibly bring. At first, the main character was College president Thomas Boswell (Dana AndrewsDana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
). Later, the focus shifted from the College, to the town of Bancroft at large, and focused mainly on the Pierce and Jones families. The main character by this time was Sandra Jones, who had been a student at Bancroft College, and married herself into the wealthy Pierce family.
Bright Promise was created by the husband-and-wife writing team of Frank and Doris Hursley
Frank and Doris Hursley
Frank M. Hursley and Doris Hursley were a husband-and-wife team who wrote American serials....
, who had previously created General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
, and was their last project prior to their retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
. Bing Crosby Productions
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
(under the name Frandor Productions) was the packager, with assistance from Cox Broadcasting
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
. The title and closing sequences were filmed at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Having replaced the game show You Don't Say!
You Don't Say!
You Don't Say! is an American television game show that had three separate runs on television. The first version aired on NBC daytime from April 1, 1963 to September 26, 1969 with revivals on ABC in 1975 and in syndication from 1978-1979...
, Bright Promise would give way to another serial, Return to Peyton Place
Return to Peyton Place
Return to Peyton Place is a 1959 novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel Peyton Place.-Plot summary:After the phenomenal success of her first novel, Metalious hastily penned a sequel centering on the life and loves of bestselling author Allison MacKenzie, who ironically...
, on the NBC daytime schedule; the serial had been soundly defeated in the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. Actress Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
, a regular on Bright Promise, would become Return's executive producer.
Cast
Original cast members included the show's star, movie favorite Dana AndrewsDana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
, with Susan Brown, Paul Lukather
Paul Lukather
-Television appearances:* Cheers* Cagney & Lacey* Starsky and Hutch* Cannon* Adam-12* Mannix* The Mod Squad* Mission: Impossible* Twelve O'Clock High* Perry Mason* Get Smart* The Fugitive...
, David Lewis
David Lewis (actor)
David Lewis was an American actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for playing Edward Quartermaine from 1978 to 1993 on the American soap opera General Hospital....
, Colleen Gray, Susannah Darrow, Cheryl Miller
Cheryl Miller (actress)
Cheryl Lynn Miller is an American actress.Probably her best known role was as Paula Tracy, the daughter of veterinarian Marsh Tracy in the television series, Daktari, which ran from 1966 to 1969...
, and Eric James. Later additions included Ivor Francis
Ivor Francis
Ivor Francis was a Canadian actor and acting teacher. Francis began his acting career on the radio in his native Canada, but, during World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force...
, Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
, Dabney Coleman
Dabney Coleman
Dabney Wharton Coleman is an American actor, best known for his roles in 9 to 5, WarGames, You've Got Mail, Sworn to Silence, The Beverly Hillbillies and as the voice of Principal Peter Prickly in Recess and Recess: School's Out.-Early life:Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Mary...
, Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
, Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
, and Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys is an American actress and singer.- Career :Born Anne Carmichael in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Jeffreys entered the entertainment field at a young age; her initial training was in voice , but she decided as a teenager to sign with the John Robert Powers agency as a junior model.Her...
. Years later, Geary became famous for his role as Luke on General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
.