Secrets of Midland Heights
Encyclopedia
Secrets of Midland Heights is a short-lived nighttime soap opera
which ran on CBS
from December 6, 1980 to January 24, 1981 for eight episodes. Produced after the enormous success of Dallas
, Lorimar Productions
likewise produced the new serial for CBS.
Secrets of Midland Heights was aimed at the teen audience, and featured romantic triangles and secrets among the teens and their parents who populated a fictional midwestern college town called Midland Heights. Aired on Saturday night at 10 PM EST/9 PM Central, the series never found an audience and was canceled after eight episodes.
The show resembled a dark, 1980s-style Peyton Place
, both dealing with hidden secrets and scandalous affairs in a small town. Lisa Rogers (Linda Hamilton
) carried on with college jock Burt Carroll (Lorenzo Lamas
) while also seeing fraternity jerk Mark (Bill Thornbury); good girl heiress Ann Dulles (Doran Clark
) secretly dated high school dropout John (Jim Youngs
); Holly Wheeler (played first by Linda Grovernor and then by Marilyn Jones
) wanted to lose her virginity to her boyfriend Teddy Welsh (Daniel Zippi), but the teens were shocked to discover her mother Dorothy (Bibi Besch
) was having an affair with Teddy's father Nathan (Robert Hogan
).
There were also power struggles between the Millington family (their ancestors had founded Midland Heights) and the Wheelers.
The show was produced by David Jacobs
, Lee Rich and Michael Filerman, all of whom were connected in production to other serial dramas like Flamingo Road and Knots Landing
.
When Secrets of Midland Heights was pulled from the schedule, the producers stated that the show would be retooled and make a return in some form. Many of the same performers and production staff returned to ABC the following season in the different serial King's Crossing
, which similarly did not remain on-air very long.
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,...
which ran on 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...
from December 6, 1980 to January 24, 1981 for eight episodes. Produced after the enormous success of Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, Lorimar Productions
Lorimar Productions
Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993...
likewise produced the new serial for CBS.
Secrets of Midland Heights was aimed at the teen audience, and featured romantic triangles and secrets among the teens and their parents who populated a fictional midwestern college town called Midland Heights. Aired on Saturday night at 10 PM EST/9 PM Central, the series never found an audience and was canceled after eight episodes.
The show resembled a dark, 1980s-style Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
, both dealing with hidden secrets and scandalous affairs in a small town. Lisa Rogers (Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
) carried on with college jock Burt Carroll (Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
) while also seeing fraternity jerk Mark (Bill Thornbury); good girl heiress Ann Dulles (Doran Clark
Doran Clark
Doran Clark is an American actress. Her film and television credits include Black Eagle , Passport to Paris , numerous appearances on Perry Mason, Matlock, an appearance on an episode of MacGyver called "The Heist," several episodes of "Murder, She Wrote,as well as many starring and supporting...
) secretly dated high school dropout John (Jim Youngs
Jim Youngs
Jim Youngs is an American actor. Youngs was born in Old Bethpage, New York, the brother of actor John Savage, actress/producer Gail Youngs, and journalist/producer/director Robin Young.-Career:...
); Holly Wheeler (played first by Linda Grovernor and then by Marilyn Jones
Marilyn Jones
Marilyn Jones OBE is an Australian dancer and teacher of dance. She has been described as "the greatest classical dancer Australia has produced"...
) wanted to lose her virginity to her boyfriend Teddy Welsh (Daniel Zippi), but the teens were shocked to discover her mother Dorothy (Bibi Besch
Bibi Besch
Bibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austrian/American actress.-Early life:Besch was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former...
) was having an affair with Teddy's father Nathan (Robert Hogan
Robert Hogan
Robert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan , American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan American pulp fiction author, creator of G-8 and other works.*Robert Hogan Robert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan (born 1933), American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan (author) American pulp fiction...
).
There were also power struggles between the Millington family (their ancestors had founded Midland Heights) and the Wheelers.
The show was produced by David Jacobs
David Jacobs (writer)
David Jacobs in Baltimore, Maryland is a writer for television, most memorable for being the creator of the two dramas Dallas and Knots Landing....
, Lee Rich and Michael Filerman, all of whom were connected in production to other serial dramas like Flamingo Road and Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
.
When Secrets of Midland Heights was pulled from the schedule, the producers stated that the show would be retooled and make a return in some form. Many of the same performers and production staff returned to ABC the following season in the different serial King's Crossing
King's Crossing
King's Crossing is a short-lived 1982 nighttime soap opera which aired on ABC from January 16, 1982 to February 27, 1982 for seven episodes.Its roots can be found in the 1980 drama Secrets of Midland Heights, which aired on CBS for eight episodes...
, which similarly did not remain on-air very long.
Cast
- Dorothy Wheeler ... Bibi BeschBibi BeschBibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austrian/American actress.-Early life:Besch was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former...
- Guy Millington ... Jordan Christopher
- Ann Dulles ... Doran ClarkDoran ClarkDoran Clark is an American actress. Her film and television credits include Black Eagle , Passport to Paris , numerous appearances on Perry Mason, Matlock, an appearance on an episode of MacGyver called "The Heist," several episodes of "Murder, She Wrote,as well as many starring and supporting...
- Lisa Rogers ... Linda HamiltonLinda HamiltonLinda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
- Nathan Welsh ... Robert HoganRobert HoganRobert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan , American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan American pulp fiction author, creator of G-8 and other works.*Robert Hogan Robert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan (born 1933), American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan (author) American pulp fiction...
- Holly Wheeler ... Marilyn JonesMarilyn JonesMarilyn Jones OBE is an Australian dancer and teacher of dance. She has been described as "the greatest classical dancer Australia has produced"...
/ Linda Grovernor - Burt Carroll ... Lorenzo LamasLorenzo LamasLorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
- Martin Wheeler ... William JordanWilliam JordanWilliam Jordan may refer to:*Hamilton Jordan , American politician, chief of staff to President Carter*William-Jordan , Crusader baron*William Jordan , American Olympic gold medalist rower...
- Calvin Richardson ... Mark PinterMark PinterMark Pinter is an American actor probably best known for his numerous roles in daytime soap operas.-Education:Pinter received his Master of Fine Arts from the Hilberry Repertory Theatre of Wayne State University.-Acting:...
- Margaret Millington ... Martha ScottMartha ScottMartha Ellen Scott was an American actress best known for her roles as mother of the lead character in numerous films and television shows.-Early life:...
- Teddy Welsh ... Daniel Zippi
- John Gray ... Jim YoungsJim YoungsJim Youngs is an American actor. Youngs was born in Old Bethpage, New York, the brother of actor John Savage, actress/producer Gail Youngs, and journalist/producer/director Robin Young.-Career:...