.gif)
Soap (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Soap is an American sitcom that originally ran on ABC
from 1977 to 1981.
The show was created as a parody of daytime soap opera
s, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time
comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial
format and included melodramatic plot elements such as amnesia, alien abduction, demonic possession, murder and kidnapping. In 2007 it was listed as one of Time
magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME," and in 2010, the Tates and the Campbells ranked at number 17 in TV Guide
s list of "TV's Top Families".
The show was created, written, and produced by Susan Harris. Each returning season was preceded by a 90-minute retrospective of the previous season. Two of these retrospectives were made available on VHS
in 1994.
The show aired for four seasons and 85 episodes. The final four episodes of the series aired as one-hour episodes during the original run on ABC
. These hour-long episodes were later split in two, yielding 93 half-hour episodes for syndication.
All episodes are currently available on region 1 DVD
in four separate box sets. In the past, the series has rerun on local syndicated channels as well as on cable on Comedy Central
and TV Land
. It currently runs on over the air television, on Antenna TV
on Sunday nights
The cast included three former soap opera actors. Robert Mandan
(who played Chester Tate) had previously appeared on Search for Tomorrow
as a leading man for Mary Stuart, and Donnelly Rhodes
(who played Dutch Leitner) had played the first husband of Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless
. Arthur Peterson, Jr.
("The Major") played Rev. John Ruthledge in the radio version of Guiding Light
.
In the opening sequence of the first installment, the announcer says that the Tates live in a wealthy neighborhood. Jessica Tate and her husband, Chester, are hardly models of fidelity, as their various love affairs result in several family mishaps, including the murder of her sister Mary's stepson, Peter Campbell (Robert Urich
). Even though everyone tells Jessica about Chester's affairs, she does not believe them until she sees his philandering with her own eyes: while out to lunch with Mary, Jessica spots Chester necking
with his secretary. Heartbroken, she sobs in her sister's arms. On later occasions, it becomes clear Jess has always known on some level about Chester's affairs but never allowed herself to process the information.
The wealthy Tate family employs a sarcastic butler, Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume
).
Mary's family, the Campbells, are working class, and as the series begins, her son Danny Dallas, a product of her first marriage to Johnny Dallas, is a junior gangster-in-training. Danny is told to kill his stepfather, Burt Campbell, Mary's current husband, who, Danny is told, murdered his father Johnny. It is later revealed that Danny's father was killed by Burt in self-defense. Danny refuses to kill Burt and goes on the run from the Mob in a variety of disguises. This eventually ends when Elaine Lefkowitz (played by Dinah Manoff
in one of her earliest roles), the spoiled daughter of the Mob Boss (played by Sorrell Booke
), falls in love with Danny and stops her father, who then tells Danny he will have to marry Elaine or he will kill him. In the fourth season, it is revealed that Chester is, in fact, Danny's true father, the product of a secret affair between him and Mary before his marriage to Jessica.
The first season ends with Jessica convicted of the murder of Peter Campbell. The announcer concludes the season by announcing that Jessica is innocent, and that one of five charactersBurt, Chester, Jodie, Benson or Corinnekilled Peter Campbell. Chester later confesses to Peter's murder and is sent to prison. He is soon released after a successful temporary insanity defense.
known as "El Puerco" ("The Pig"; his friends just call him "El"); Billy Tate's confinement by a cult called the "Sunnies" (a parody of Sun Myung Moon
's Unification Movement, called the "Moonies
" by its critics), and then his affair with his school teacher who becomes unhinged; Danny and his romantic trials with the daughter of a mobster, a black woman, a prostitute, and Chester's second wife, Annie; and Burt's confinement to a mental institution, his abduction by aliens while being replaced with an oversexed alien look-a-like on Earth, and getting blackmailed by the Mob after becoming sheriff of their small town.
At the beginning of each episode, off-camera announcer Rod Roddy
gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and remarks, "Confused? You won't be, after this week's episode of...Soap". At the end of each episode, he asks a series of life-or-death questions in a deliberately deadpan style—"Will Jessica discover Chester's affair...? Will Benson discover Chester's affair? Will Benson care?" and concludes each episode with the trademark line, "These questions—and many others—will be answered in the next episode of...Soap."
for five seasons of Soap, but the series was canceled after its fourth season, due to declining ratings. Therefore the final episode, which originally aired on April 20, 1981, did not serve as a series finale
and instead ended with several unresolved cliffhanger
s. These involve a suicidal Chester preparing to kill Danny and Annie after catching them in bed, Burt preparing to walk into an ambush
orchestrated by his political enemies, and Jessica about to be executed by a Communist
firing squad.
A 1983 episode of Benson mentions Jessica's disappearance, noting the Tate family is seeking to have her declared legally dead. In the episode, Jessica appears as an apparition whom only Benson can see or hear and reveals to him that she is not dead, but in a coma somewhere in South America. No other incidents from the final episode of Soap are mentioned.
Announcer
Recurring characters
Notable one-off characters
, impotence, incest
, sexual harassment
, rape
, student-teacher sexual relationships, kidnapping, organized crime, and new age cults.
Much of the criticism focused on the openly gay character of Jodie Dallas
(Billy Crystal
). Soap was among the earliest American prime time series to include an openly gay character who was a major part of the series. Social conservatives opposed the character on religious grounds, while some gay rights activists were also upset with the character of Jodie, arguing that certain story developments reinforced negative stereotypes, i.e. his desire to have a sex change operation, or represented a desire to change or downplay his sexual orientation.
A number of organizations then mobilized against Soap, including the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
, the International Union of Gay Athletes, and the National Gay Task Force
. Also mobilized were the National Council of Churches
, the United Church of Christ
, the United Methodist Church
, and the National Council of Catholic Bishops, although they asked the members of their 138,000 collective churches to watch the show first, and then inform ABC of their feelings about it. Nonetheless, the network reportedly received 32,000 letters of complaint before the show's premiere, and eight out of 195 ABC affiliates refused to air the show.
Much of Soaps controversy, among liberals and conservatives alike, ironically actually helped to sell the series. In June of 1977, a Newsweek review of the show's pilot by Harry F. Waters panned the show while mischaracterizing some of its basic plot elements and offering exaggerated reports of its sexual content. Waters also stated:
Whether Waters' errors and misrepresentations were intentional or accidental is unresolved.
Vlasic Foods pulled their sponsorship of the program shortly after the episode aired.
Harry F. Waters' 1977 review proved prescient of conservative reaction when the following year, the National PTA
declared Soap one of "ten worst" shows in television. In spite of this designation, Soap went on to garner positive critical reviews and high ratings over its four year run.
has released all four seasons of Soap on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 has been released on DVD in Region 2 in Norway (as Forviklingar), in Sweden (as Lödder) and in Spain (as Enredo). Season 1 has also been released in the UK, while season 1 and 2 have been released in Australia (Region 4).
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...
from 1977 to 1981.
The show was created as a parody of 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,...
s, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
format and included melodramatic plot elements such as amnesia, alien abduction, demonic possession, murder and kidnapping. In 2007 it was listed as one of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME," and in 2010, the Tates and the Campbells ranked at number 17 in TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s list of "TV's Top Families".
The show was created, written, and produced by Susan Harris. Each returning season was preceded by a 90-minute retrospective of the previous season. Two of these retrospectives were made available on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in 1994.
The show aired for four seasons and 85 episodes. The final four episodes of the series aired as one-hour episodes during the original run on 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...
. These hour-long episodes were later split in two, yielding 93 half-hour episodes for syndication.
All episodes are currently available on region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in four separate box sets. In the past, the series has rerun on local syndicated channels as well as on cable on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
. It currently runs on over the air television, on Antenna TV
Antenna TV
Antenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
on Sunday nights
The cast included three former soap opera actors. Robert Mandan
Robert Mandan
Robert Mandan is an American actor, most famous for his portrayals of playwright David Allen on the NBC serial From These Roots from 1958–1961, businessman Sam Reynolds on the serial Search for Tomorrow from 1965 to 1970, and his subsequent satire of the genre playing Chester Tate on the sitcom...
(who played Chester Tate) had previously appeared on Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
as a leading man for Mary Stuart, and Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes is a Canadian actor. He recently starred as Doctor Cottle on the Sci Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica. Before Battlestar Galactica he was probably best known to American audiences as the lovestruck, hapless escaped convict "Dutch Leitner" on the 1970s soap-opera...
(who played Dutch Leitner) had played the first husband of Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
. Arthur Peterson, Jr.
Arthur Peterson, Jr.
Arthur Peterson, Jr. was an American actor. He played character and supporting roles on stage, television, and feature films...
("The Major") played Rev. John Ruthledge in the radio version of Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
.
Plot
Soap is set in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut.In the opening sequence of the first installment, the announcer says that the Tates live in a wealthy neighborhood. Jessica Tate and her husband, Chester, are hardly models of fidelity, as their various love affairs result in several family mishaps, including the murder of her sister Mary's stepson, Peter Campbell (Robert Urich
Robert Urich
Robert Urich was an American actor. He played the starring roles in the television series Vega$ and Spenser: For Hire...
). Even though everyone tells Jessica about Chester's affairs, she does not believe them until she sees his philandering with her own eyes: while out to lunch with Mary, Jessica spots Chester necking
Making out
In human sexuality, making out is a sexual euphemism of American origin dating back to at least 1949, and is used synonymously with the terms necking, heavy petting, and hooking up to refer to non-penetrative sex, though "hooking up" is also used in some cultures to imply casual sex.-History:The...
with his secretary. Heartbroken, she sobs in her sister's arms. On later occasions, it becomes clear Jess has always known on some level about Chester's affairs but never allowed herself to process the information.
The wealthy Tate family employs a sarcastic butler, Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume
Robert Guillaume
Robert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
).
Mary's family, the Campbells, are working class, and as the series begins, her son Danny Dallas, a product of her first marriage to Johnny Dallas, is a junior gangster-in-training. Danny is told to kill his stepfather, Burt Campbell, Mary's current husband, who, Danny is told, murdered his father Johnny. It is later revealed that Danny's father was killed by Burt in self-defense. Danny refuses to kill Burt and goes on the run from the Mob in a variety of disguises. This eventually ends when Elaine Lefkowitz (played by Dinah Manoff
Dinah Manoff
Dinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
in one of her earliest roles), the spoiled daughter of the Mob Boss (played by Sorrell Booke
Sorrell Booke
Sorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
), falls in love with Danny and stops her father, who then tells Danny he will have to marry Elaine or he will kill him. In the fourth season, it is revealed that Chester is, in fact, Danny's true father, the product of a secret affair between him and Mary before his marriage to Jessica.
The first season ends with Jessica convicted of the murder of Peter Campbell. The announcer concludes the season by announcing that Jessica is innocent, and that one of five charactersBurt, Chester, Jodie, Benson or Corinnekilled Peter Campbell. Chester later confesses to Peter's murder and is sent to prison. He is soon released after a successful temporary insanity defense.
Major plots of later seasons
Other plot lines include Jessica's adopted daughter Corinne courting Father Tim Flotsky, who ended up leaving the priesthood, and the two eventually marrying and having a child who is possessed by the Devil; Chester being imprisoned for Peter's murder, escaping with his prison roommate Dutch, and being afflicted with amnesia after a failed operation; Jessica's other daughter, Eunice, sleeps with a married congressman, and then falls in love with Dutch; Mary's stepson Chuck, a ventriloquist whose hostilities are expressed through his alter ego, a quick-witted dummy named Bob; Jessica's love affairs with several men, including Donahue, a private investigator hired to find the missing presumed-dead Chester, her psychiatrist, and a Latin American revolutionaryRevolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
known as "El Puerco" ("The Pig"; his friends just call him "El"); Billy Tate's confinement by a cult called the "Sunnies" (a parody of Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
's Unification Movement, called the "Moonies
Moonies
Moonie is a nickname sometimes used to refer to members of the Unification Church. This is derived from the name of the church's founder Sun Myung Moon, and was first used in 1974 by the American media. Church members have used the word "Moonie", including Sun Myung Moon, President of the...
" by its critics), and then his affair with his school teacher who becomes unhinged; Danny and his romantic trials with the daughter of a mobster, a black woman, a prostitute, and Chester's second wife, Annie; and Burt's confinement to a mental institution, his abduction by aliens while being replaced with an oversexed alien look-a-like on Earth, and getting blackmailed by the Mob after becoming sheriff of their small town.
At the beginning of each episode, off-camera announcer Rod Roddy
Rod Roddy
Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and remarks, "Confused? You won't be, after this week's episode of...Soap". At the end of each episode, he asks a series of life-or-death questions in a deliberately deadpan style—"Will Jessica discover Chester's affair...? Will Benson discover Chester's affair? Will Benson care?" and concludes each episode with the trademark line, "These questions—and many others—will be answered in the next episode of...Soap."
Final episode
Writer Susan Harris developed a story arcStory arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
for five seasons of Soap, but the series was canceled after its fourth season, due to declining ratings. Therefore the final episode, which originally aired on April 20, 1981, did not serve as a series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
and instead ended with several unresolved cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
s. These involve a suicidal Chester preparing to kill Danny and Annie after catching them in bed, Burt preparing to walk into an ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
orchestrated by his political enemies, and Jessica about to be executed by a Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
firing squad.
A 1983 episode of Benson mentions Jessica's disappearance, noting the Tate family is seeking to have her declared legally dead. In the episode, Jessica appears as an apparition whom only Benson can see or hear and reveals to him that she is not dead, but in a coma somewhere in South America. No other incidents from the final episode of Soap are mentioned.
Characters and actors
- Main characters:
Katherine HelmondKatherine Marie Helmond is an American film, theater and television actress, who played Emily Dickinson on Meeting of Minds, as well as such fictional characters as Jessica Tate on Soap, Mona Robinson on Who's the Boss?, Doris Sherman on Coach, and Lois Whelan on Everybody Loves...
)—The sister of Mary Campbell and one of the two main characters of the show. She is married to Chester Tate but divorces him in the later episodes. Sweet natured and somewhat daffy, she is in denial of her husband's infidelitiesAdulteryAdultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
throughout the first season. - Chester Tate (Robert MandanRobert MandanRobert Mandan is an American actor, most famous for his portrayals of playwright David Allen on the NBC serial From These Roots from 1958–1961, businessman Sam Reynolds on the serial Search for Tomorrow from 1965 to 1970, and his subsequent satire of the genre playing Chester Tate on the sitcom...
)—A wealthy stock broker and Jessica's philandering husband. Chester and Jessica separate in season three and divorce in season four, although Chester still loves Jessica enough to duel for her honor. - Billy Tate (Jimmy BaioJimmy BaioJames Joseph "Jimmy" Baio is an American actor. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is the cousin of actor Scott Baio.Baio first appeared onscreen in 1975 at age 13...
)—The youngest child and only son of Jessica and Chester. He gets caught up in a cult, and later has an affair with his very young teacher. After he breaks off the affair, she makes multiple attempts to kill him and/or his family. - Corinne Tate Flotsky (Diana Canova)—Jessica and Chester's daughter, who acknowledges she slept with most of the male population of Dunns River. It is later revealed that she is adopted and is really the daughter of Jessica's long lost brother Randolph Gatling and family maid Ingrid Svenson. Corrine gives birth to a baby named Timmy who turns out to be demon possessed, and leaves home to raise her child after Dutch chooses Eunice.
- Father Timothy Flotsky (Sal ViscusoSal ViscusoSal Viscuso is an American actor.His most notable role was as the uncredited, unseen P.A. system announcer in the long-running TV series M*A*S*H. He also made several one-shot appearances as other characters throughout the series, usually as a patient at the 4077th...
)—A former Catholic priest who leaves the priesthood to marry Corinne Tate then later leaves Corrine. - Eunice Tate-Leitner (Jennifer SaltJennifer SaltJennifer Salt is an American producer, screenwriter, and former actress.-Life and career:Salt was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were screenwriter Waldo Salt and actress Mary Davenport; her stepmother was the writer Eve Merriam...
)—Jessica and Chester's daughter. A spoiled social climber, Eunice dated a married Congressman in season one and then falls in love with convicted murderer Dutch Leitner and ultimately marries him. - Dutch Leitner (Donnelly RhodesDonnelly RhodesDonnelly Rhodes is a Canadian actor. He recently starred as Doctor Cottle on the Sci Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica. Before Battlestar Galactica he was probably best known to American audiences as the lovestruck, hapless escaped convict "Dutch Leitner" on the 1970s soap-opera...
)—an escaped convict who hides out at the Tates' after helping Chester break out of prison. He eventually marries Chester's daughter Eunice. - The Major (Arthur Peterson, Jr.Arthur Peterson, Jr.Arthur Peterson, Jr. was an American actor. He played character and supporting roles on stage, television, and feature films...
)—The father of Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell. The Major suffers from dementia and believes he is in the midst of fighting World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Mary Campbell (Cathryn DamonCathryn DamonCathryn Lee Damon was an American actress, best known for her roles on television sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s....
)—The sister of Jessica Tate and one of the two main characters of the show. At the start of the series she is married to her second husband Burt Campbell. Her first husband, Johnny Dallas, was a mobster who was killed by Burt in self-defense. Eventually, she has a baby with "alien" Burt, and by the series' end has slowly become an alcoholic, as no one else sees the baby manifesting alien-esque qualities, such as being able to fly. - Burt Campbell (Richard MulliganRichard MulliganRichard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
)—Burt is the second husband of Mary Campbell. Burt is a contractor who later becomes sheriff and is under consideration for a run as lieutenant governor. In Season one Burt suffers from mental illness and believes he can make himself invisible. He is also at one point abducted by aliens and replaced with X-23, an alien Burt lookalike (also played by Mulligan). At the end of season three, Burt becomes sheriff and gets involved in politics, leading him to ignore his family. - Chuck and Bob Campbell (Jay JohnsonJay Johnson (ventriloquist)Jay Johnson is a ventriloquist best known for his role on the television show Soap. He played Chuck Campbell, a ventriloquist who believed his puppet Bob was real and demanded everyone treat Bob as human...
)—Chuck is Burt Campbell's son by his first marriage. A ventriloquist, he is always accompanied by Bob, his dummy and alter ego and the pair are always referred to as "Chuck and Bob". While Chuck is mild mannered, and polite, Bob is rude and abrasive. All of the main characters with the exception of Benson and Saunders find themselves conversing with Bob as a real person multiple times, even in the face of fierce determination not to. - Danny Dallas (Ted WassTed Wass (actor)Ted Wass , is an American actor and director. Goodman School of Drama graduate Wass made his Broadway debut in the 1976 production Grease...
)—Mary Campbell's hotheaded and somewhat dimwitted eldest son. It is widely assumed that he is the son of Mary's first husband Johnny Dallas but in later episodes it is revealed that his real father is Chester Tate. He is very protective of his younger half-brother Jodie, but is initially in denial about Jodie's homosexuality. Is forced to marry Elaine, a mob bosses' daughter who would be kidnapped and murdered. Danny later gets involved in a series of failed relationships, including a girlfriend of one of Elaine's kidnappers, an African American woman, a prostitute and Chester's new wife. He later becomes Burt's deputy sheriff. - Jodie DallasJodie DallasJodie Dallas is a fictional character from the 1977 American situation comedy Soap. He was played by Billy Crystal. The son of central character Mary Campbell, Jodie works as a television commercial director. Jodie was among the first gay characters on American television...
(Billy CrystalBilly CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
)—The son of Mary Campbell and her first husband Johnny Dallas. An openly gay man, he later fathers a daughter (Wendy) when Carol, an attorney at Aunt Jessica's murder trial, seduces him. After Carol runs off to join the rodeo, Wendy is left with Jody, triggering a custody battle and a kidnapping.The series ends with him believing himself to be an old Jewish man named Julius Kassendorf due to a failed hypnotherapyHypnotherapyHypnotherapy is a therapy that is undertaken with a subject in hypnosis.The word "hypnosis" is an abbreviation of James Braid's term "neuro-hypnotism", meaning "sleep of the nervous system"....
session. - Peter Campbell (Robert UrichRobert UrichRobert Urich was an American actor. He played the starring roles in the television series Vega$ and Spenser: For Hire...
)—Burt Campbell's tennis pro son by his first marriage, he is carrying affairs with both Jessica and Corinne, as well as numerous other women around town. His murder in season one leads to the first season cliffhanger: the question of who killed Peter Campbell. - Benson (Robert GuillaumeRobert GuillaumeRobert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
)—The Tates' wisecracking butler in the early seasons, who showed utter contempt for Chester, but had a soft spot for Jessica, Corrine, and the youngest son Billy. In 1979, Benson leaves to be the head of household affairs for Jessica's cousin, Governor Eugene Gatling in the spin-off, BensonBenson (TV series)Benson is an American television sitcom which aired from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986, on ABC. The series was a spin-off from the soap opera parody Soap ; however, Benson discarded the...
. - Saunders (Roscoe Lee BrowneRoscoe Lee BrowneRoscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing.-Biography:Browne was the fourth son of a Baptist minister, Sylvanus S. Browne, and his wife Lovie...
)—Benson's replacement as the Tates' butler, with an attitude similar to Benson's, although with a bit more of a military background.
Announcer
- Rod RoddyRod RoddyRobert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
(originally Casey KasemCasey KasemKemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
)
Recurring characters
- Harold GouldHarold GouldHarold V. Goldstein , best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber in The Golden Girls...
—Barney Gerber--elderly hospital patient who shares a room with Jody in season one, and whose story gives Jody the inspiration to continue living after a suicide attempt. - John BynerJohn BynerJohn Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
—Detective Donahue--hired by Jessica to find the missing amnesiac Chester in season two, he falls for Jessica, forcing her to choose between the two when Chester returns home. - Bob SeagrenBob SeagrenRobert "Bob" Seagren was an American pole vaulter, the 1968 Olympic champion.A native of Pomona, California, Bob Seagren was one of the world's top pole vaulters in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. Indoors he posted eight world...
—Dennis Phillips--A quarterback who is secretly dating Jody in season one and presumably more openly dating Jody in early season two. - Inga SwensonInga SwensonInga Swenson is an American actress.Inga Swenson was a graduate of Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Class of 1950...
—Ingrid Svenson--Corinne's biological mother, who attempts to carry out revenge upon the Tate/Campbell family by sleeping with the judge in Jessica's trial and blackmailing Sally into trying to break up Burt and Mary - Eugene RocheEugene RocheEugene Harrison Roche was an American actor . He was the original "Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials.-Personal life:...
—E. Ronald Mallu, Esq.--attorney who defends Jessica in her murder trial. Mallu returns in season three to represent Jody's custody case, and attempts to date the newly separated Jessica as well. - Richard LibertiniRichard LibertiniRichard Libertini is an American stage, film and television actor known for playing numerous character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents....
—The Godfather--orders Danny to kill Burt (the killer of Danny's father) in season one - Gordon JumpGordon JumpAlexander Gordon Jump was an American actor best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and the incompetent "Chief of Police Tinkler" in the sitcom Soap...
—Chief of Police Tinkler (Routinely misidentifies himself as 'Piece of Cholief' Tinkler): Responsible for the investigation of the murder of Peter Campbell, Tinkler always seems to arrive at the Tate house in time to share their dinner. Apparently also serves as the court bailiff in Dunn's River. - Edward Winter—Congressman Walter McCallum--secretly sees Eunice until his wife blackmails him into ending the relationship
- Charles LaneCharles Lane (actor)Charles Gerstle Levison , better known as Charles Lane, was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You , Mr...
—Judge Anthony Petrillo--the judge presiding over Jessica's murder trial - Kathryn ReynoldsKathryn Reynolds-Career:She was active, almost exclusively in television, from the early 1970s through the mid 1980s. Reynolds is perhaps best known for her appearance as Claire in five episodes of Soap, a situation-comedy television series.-Television work:...
—Claire--Chester's secretary and mistress in season one. Chester dumps and fires her to support Jessica during the trial. - Caroline McWilliamsCaroline McWilliamsCaroline Margaret McWilliams was an American actress best known for her portrayal of Marcy Hill on the television series Benson and Sally on the television series Soap...
—Sally—Burt's secretary who attempts to seduce Burt, then lies to Mary about sleeping with him, all of which was due to blackmail pressure from Inga Swenson. - Lynne MoodyLynne MoodyLynne Moody is an American actress who has made many appearances in television.Her most prominent roles include Tracy Curtis Taylor in That's My Mama from 1974–1975 and was replaced by Joan Pringle in the second season; she also played Irene Harvey in Roots, Polly Dawson in Soap, Nurse Julie...
—Polly Dawson--An African American woman who is in a relationship with Danny in season three - Marla PenningtonMarla PenningtonMarla Lynn Pennington is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Joan Lawson on Small Wonder, her last acting role to date....
—Leslie Walker: A school teacher who falls for Billy, but becomes suicidal and then homicidal after he breaks it off - Candice AzzaraCandice AzzaraCandice "Candy" Azzara is an American character actress frequently cast in Italian or Jewish roles.Azzara was born in Brooklyn, the daughter of Josephine and Samuel Azzara. She was inspired to pursue acting by the film La Strada and theatre legend Eleanora Duse...
—Millie: girlfriend of one of Elaine's kidnappers, she rescues Danny, and comes home with him, but cannot deal with the Campbell family and thus leaves. - Jesse WellesJesse WellesJesse Welles is an actress. She is best known for her voice work in the animated films Wizards and Hey Good Lookin , directed by Ralph Bakshi. She played a lead role in three Rockford Files episodes: "Roundabout" , "Two Into 5.56 Won't Go" and "A Different Drummer"...
—Gwen--a prostitute who falls for Danny in season four, but leaves him to protect them both from a death threat. - Dinah ManoffDinah ManoffDinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
—Elaine Lefkowitz--daughter of a mob-boss, her annoying personality makes a coerced marriage painful for Danny at first. After they fall in love, Elaine is kidnapped and killed, which fuels Danny's quest for revenge. - Sorrell BookeSorrell BookeSorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
—Charles Lefkowitz--Elaine's mob-boss father who threatens Danny into marrying Elaine, then cuts her off and refuses to pay the ransom - Allan MillerAllan MillerAllan Miller is an American actor, best known for the role of Harland Richards in Santa Barbara.Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Anna and Benedict Miller....
—Dr. Alan Posner--Jessica's psychiatrist in season three, he briefly dates her once she is separated from Chester. - Gregory SierraGregory SierraGregory Sierra is an American actor known for his roles as Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale on Barney Miller and as Julio Fuentes, the Puerto Rican neighbor of Fred G...
—El Puerco (translation: The Pig)--an anti-communist revolutionary who initially kidnaps Jessica, but later falls in love with her. - Howard HessemanHoward HessemanHoward Hesseman is an American actor best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.-Early life:...
—Mr. Franklin--the prosecuting attorney in Jessica's murder trial - Peggy PopePeggy PopePeggy Pope is an American actress.She was born in Montclair, New Jersey. She has made her many acting appearances memorable—even in the smallest roles—beginning in 1966 with the television show The Trials of O'Brien, starring Peter Falk and Elaine Stritch.Pope is most recognizable as...
—Mrs. Lurleen David--Carol's mother, who takes care of Jody and Carol's baby when Carol runs away to join the rodeo. She leaves the baby with Jody, but then becomes part of the custody battle, initially lying for her daughter on the witness stand, but eventually telling the truth. - Michael DurrellMichael DurrellMichael Durrell is an American actor.He began his career in the role of attorney Peter Wexler on CBS in the soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1969 he appeared on stage in "Cock-A-Doodle-Dandy" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City...
—F. Peter Haversham: ruthless attorney who represents Carol in the custody battle - Randee HellerRandee HellerRandy M. "Randee" Heller is an American television and film actress. Her most notable roles were in the film The Karate Kid and one of its sequels, as Daniel Larusso's mother, and on the 1970s serial sitcom Soap as Jodie Dallas's roommate Alice, one of the first recurring lesbian characters in...
—Alice--a lesbian who lives with Jody in Season two, but leaves after finding out Mrs. David's reluctance to leave Jody's child with a lesbian as well as a homosexual. - Joe MantegnaJoe MantegnaJoseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
—Juan One: The second in command to El Puerco - Rebecca BaldingRebecca BaldingRebecca Balding is an American actress who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.- Life and career :Balding may be best known for her 23 appearances, from 2002 through 2006, in the television series Charmed as Elise Rothman, newspaper editor-in-chief and Phoebe's boss Rebecca Balding (born on...
—Carol David, attorney & mother of Jodie's child, who leaves Jody at the altar, then leaves their baby with the mother. Carol fights for custody in season three, then is responsible for kidnapping the baby when she loses the custody case. - Nancy DolmanNancy DolmanNancy Jane Dolman was a Canadian comic actress and singer. She was most notable for her recurring role as Annie Selig Tate on the ABC sitcom Soap...
—Annie Selig Tate--Former friend of Eunice, Annie becomes Chester's second wife, and soon has an affair with Danny - Barbara RhoadesBarbara RhoadesBarbara Rhoades is an American actress, known primarily for her comedy and mystery roles, especially as lady bandit Penelope "Bad Penny" Cushings in The Shakiest Gun in the West...
—Maggie Chandler--A private investigator who helps Jody search for his daughter and then has a relationship with him. - Rae AllenRae AllenRae Allen is an American stage, film and television actress.-Biography:Allen was born as Raffaella Julia Theresa Abruzzo in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Julia and Joseph Abruzzo...
—Judge Betty Small--presides over the Carol David/Jody Dallas custody case. - Judith-Marie Bergan—Marilyn McCallum--Walter's wife, who blackmails Walter into ending the relationship with Eunice
- Granville Van DusenGranville Van DusenGranville Van Dusen is an American stage, screen, and voice actor who portrayed Race Bannon in the 1986 television series The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Jonny's Golden Quest, Jonny Quest vs...
—Dr. Hill--the doctor who diagnosis Jessica with a fatal disease at the end of season three, he falls in love with her - Jack GilfordJack GilfordJack Gilford was an American actor on Broadway, films and television.-Early life:Gilford was born Jacob Aaron Gellman on the lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...
—Saul--thousand plus year old man who helps Burt escape from the aliens in season three - Doris RobertsDoris RobertsDoris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
—Flo Flotsky--Tim's mother, who curses her son for leaving the priesthood to marry Corrine, then dies on their wedding night. - Nita TalbotNita TalbotNita Talbot is an American actress. Talbot was a leading lady who spent the first decade or so of her career playing "slick chicks" and sharp-witted career girls, but is perhaps best known for her role as Marya, the White Russian spy in the 1960s sitcom, Hogan's Heroes, as well as Sheila Fine in...
—Mrs. Fine--housewife who has an affair with Peter Campbell and provides crucial testimony against Jessica in the season one murder trial - Byron Webster—Dr. Medlow--psychiatrist for Burt Campbell in season one, he attempts to assist Burt with his impotence and then his perceived invisibility
Notable one-off characters
- William DanielsWilliam DanielsWilliam David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
—Heinrich Himmel: private investigator hired by Ingrid to investigate the murder of Peter Campbell, although he seems more interested in verbally abusing the Tates and the Campbells than in solving the murder. - John HillermanJohn HillermanJohn Benedict Hillerman is an American actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.-Early life:...
--Minister: serves as a marriage counselor to the Tates in season three, who spends a good part of the session discussing American Indians - Robert EnglundRobert EnglundRobert Barton Englund is an American actor, voice-actor and director, best known for playing the fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger, in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in...
--Brainwasher: follower working in the Rev. Sun cult attempting to brainwash Billy
Controversy
The show was controversial during its time, often generating criticism for its relatively frank depictions of homosexuals, racial and ethnic minorities, the mentally ill as well as its treatment of other taboo topics such as social class, marital infidelityAdultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, impotence, incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, student-teacher sexual relationships, kidnapping, organized crime, and new age cults.
Much of the criticism focused on the openly gay character of Jodie Dallas
Jodie Dallas
Jodie Dallas is a fictional character from the 1977 American situation comedy Soap. He was played by Billy Crystal. The son of central character Mary Campbell, Jodie works as a television commercial director. Jodie was among the first gay characters on American television...
(Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
). Soap was among the earliest American prime time series to include an openly gay character who was a major part of the series. Social conservatives opposed the character on religious grounds, while some gay rights activists were also upset with the character of Jodie, arguing that certain story developments reinforced negative stereotypes, i.e. his desire to have a sex change operation, or represented a desire to change or downplay his sexual orientation.
A number of organizations then mobilized against Soap, including the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
, the International Union of Gay Athletes, and the National Gay Task Force
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community from the ground up. The Task Force is the country’s premier social justice organization fighting to improve the lives of LGBT people, and working to create positive, lasting...
. Also mobilized were the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
, the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, and the National Council of Catholic Bishops, although they asked the members of their 138,000 collective churches to watch the show first, and then inform ABC of their feelings about it. Nonetheless, the network reportedly received 32,000 letters of complaint before the show's premiere, and eight out of 195 ABC affiliates refused to air the show.
Much of Soaps controversy, among liberals and conservatives alike, ironically actually helped to sell the series. In June of 1977, a Newsweek review of the show's pilot by Harry F. Waters panned the show while mischaracterizing some of its basic plot elements and offering exaggerated reports of its sexual content. Waters also stated:
- Soap promises to be the most controversial network series of the coming season, a show so saturated with sex that it could replace violence as the PTAParent-Teacher AssociationIn the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
's Video Enemy No. 1."
Whether Waters' errors and misrepresentations were intentional or accidental is unresolved.
Reception
On Tuesday, September 13, 1977, Soap premiered to an audience of 19 million homes (39% of the national audience). Executives at ABC described initial public reaction as "mild."Vlasic Foods pulled their sponsorship of the program shortly after the episode aired.
Harry F. Waters' 1977 review proved prescient of conservative reaction when the following year, the National PTA
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
declared Soap one of "ten worst" shows in television. In spite of this designation, Soap went on to garner positive critical reviews and high ratings over its four year run.
DVD releases
Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
has released all four seasons of Soap on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 has been released on DVD in Region 2 in Norway (as Forviklingar), in Sweden (as Lödder) and in Spain (as Enredo). Season 1 has also been released in the UK, while season 1 and 2 have been released in Australia (Region 4).
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 2 (Norway, Sweden, Spain) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 25 | September 16, 2003 | February 25, 2009 |
| The Complete Second Season | 23 | July 20, 2004 | |
| The Complete Third Season | 22 | January 25, 2005 | |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 25 | October 11, 2005 | |
| The Complete Series | 95 | June 10, 2008 |