Soap (1977 - 1981)

Country of Origin: USA
Date(s) of Broadcast: 13 September 1977 - 20 April 1981
Number of Seasons: 4
Total Number of Episodes: 85
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions in association with ABC

REGULAR CAST
Katherine Helmond (Jessica Tate)
Cathryn Damon (Mary Campbell)
Robert Mandan (Chester Tate)
Richard Mulligan (Burt Campbell)
Diana Canova (Corinne Tate Flotsky (1977-1980))
Jennifer Salt (Eunice Tate (1977-1981))
Jimmy Baio (Billy Tate)
Robert Guillaume (Benson DuBois (1977-1979))
Arthur Peterson (The Major)
Billy Crystal (Jodie Dallas)
Ted Wass (Danny Dallas)
Jay Johnson (Chuck/Bob Campbell)
Candy Azzara (Millie (1979))
Rebecca Balding (Carol David (1978-1981))
Roscoe Lee Browne (Saunders (1980-1981))
John Byner (Detective Donahue (1978-1980))
Randee Heller (Alice (1979))
Richard Libertini (The Godfather (1977-1978))
Dinah Manoff (Elaine Lefkowitz Dallas (1978-1979))
Caroline McWilliams (Sally (1978-1979))
Allan Miller (Dr Alan Posner (1980-1981))
Lynne Moody (Polly Dawson (1979-1981))
Marla Pennington (Leslie Walker (1979-1981))
Peggy Pope (Mrs David (1979-1981))
Kathryn Reynolds (Claire (1977-1978))
Donnelly Rhodes (Dutch (1978-1981))
Eugene Roche (Attorney E. Ronald Mallu (1978-1981))
Rod Roddy (announcer)
Bob Seagren (Dennis Phillips (1978))
Gregory Sierra (Carlos 'El Puerco' Valdez (1980-1981))
Robert Urich (Peter Campbell (1977))
Sal Viscuso (Father Timothy Flotsky (1978-1979))
Jesse Welles (Gwen (1980-1981))

SUMMARY

Two sisters Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell and their extended families suffer some very strange problems: a sarcastic butler, an old soldier who can't quiet accept that the war is over and a gay son. And that's not to mention the alien abduction...

EPISODES

SEASON ONE
Episode 1 (13 September 1977)
Episode 2 (20 September 1977)
Episode 3 (27 September 1977)
Episode 4 (04 October 1977)
Episode 5 (04 October 1977)
Episode 6 (25 October 1977)
Episode 7 (01 November 1977)
Episode 8 (08 November 1977)
Episode 9 (15 November 1977)
Episode 10 (22 November 1977)
Episode 11 (29 November 1977)
Episode 12 (06 December 1977)
Episode 13 (13 December 1977)
Episode 14 (27 December 1977)
Episode 15 (03 January 1978)
Episode 16 (10 January 1978)
Episode 17 (17 January 1978)
Episode 18 (24 January 1978)
Episode 19 (07 February 1978)
Episode 20 (14 February 1978)
Episode 21 (21 February 1978)
Episode 22 (28 February 1978)
Episode 23 (14 March 1978)
Episode 24 (21 March 1978)
Episode 25 (28 March 1978)

SEASON TWO
Episode 26 (14 September 1978)
Episode 27 (21 September 1978)
Episode 28 (28 September 1978)
Episode 29 (05 October 1978)
Episode 30 (12 October 1978)
Episode 31 (19 October 1978)
Episode 32 (02 November 1978)
Episode 33 (09 November 1978)
Episode 34 (23 November 1978)
Episode 35 (30 November 1978)
Episode 36 (07 December 1978)
Episode 37 (14 December 1978)
Episode 38 (21 December 1978)
Episode 39 (04 January 1979)
Episode 40 (11 January 1979)
Episode 41 (18 January 1979)
Episode 42 (01 February 1979)
Episode 43 (08 February 1979)
Episode 44 (15 February 1979)
Episode 45 (01 March 1979)
Episode 46 (08 March 1979)
Episode 47 (15 March 1979)

SEASON THREE
Episode 48 (13 September 1979)
Episode 49 (20 September 1979)
Episode 50 (27 September 1979)
Episode 51 (04 October 1979)
Episode 52 (11 October 1979)
Episode 53 (01 November 1979)
Episode 54 (08 November 1979)
Episode 55 (22 November 1979)
Episode 56 (06 December 1979)
Episode 57 (13 December 1979)
Episode 58 (27 December 1979)
Episode 59 (03 January 1980)
Episode 60 (10 January 1980)
Episode 61 (17 January 1980)
Episode 62 (24 January 1980)
Episode 63 (31 January 1980)
Episode 64 (07 February 1980)
Episode 65 (28 February 1980)
Episode 66 (06 March 1980)
Episode 67 (13 March 1980)
Episode 68 (20 March 1980)
Episode 69 (27 March 1980)

SEASON FOUR
Episode 70 (12 November 1980)
Episode 71 (19 November 1980)
Episode 72 (26 November 1980)
Episode 73 (03 December 1980)
Episode 74 (10 December 1980)
Episode 75 (17 December 1980)
Episode 76 (31 December 1980)
Episode 77 (07 January 1981)
Episode 78 (14 January 1981)
Episode 79 (21 January 1981)
Episode 80 (28 January 1981)
Episode 81 (09 March 1981)
Episode 82 (16 March 1981)
Episode 83 (23 March 1981)
Episode 84 (13 April 1981)
Episode 85 (20 April 1981)

AVAILABILITY

USA
Television Distributors: ABC; Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001); Sony Pictures Television (2002-)
Video Distributors: Columbia House

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: PG (DVD)

AWARDS

1978
Emmy Awards, USA
Outstanding Art Direction for a Comedy Series (Edward Stephenson, Robert Checchi) – winner (for Episode 1)
Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing for a Series (Gary Anderson) – nominated (for Episode 2)
Outstanding Comedy Series (Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Susan Harris) - nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (Jay Sandrich) – nominated (for Episode 24)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Cathryn Damon) - nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Katherine Helmond) - nominated

1979
Emmy Awards, USA
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series (Robert Guillaume) - winner
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series (Jay Sandrich) – nominated (for Episode 27)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Katherine Helmond) - nominated

1980
Emmy Awards, USA
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Richard Mulligan) - winner
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Cathryn Damon) - winner
Outstanding Comedy Series (Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Susan Harris) - nominated
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Katherine Helmond) - nominated

1981
Emmy Awards, USA
Outstanding Comedy Series (Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Susan Harris, Stu Silver, Dick Clair, Jenna McMahon) - nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Richard Mulligan) - nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Cathryn Damon) - nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Katherine Helmond) - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Musical/Comedy (Katherine Helmond) - winner
Best TV-Series - Musical/Comedy - nominated

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Die Ausgeflippten - West German title
Enredo - Spanish title
Forviklingar - Norwegian title
Kupla - Finnish title
Lödder - Swedish title
Skum - Danish title
Soap oder trautes Heim - West German title
Tudo em Família - Portugese title

REFERENCES

BOOKS

Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy pp.620-621
credits, article

KEYWORDS

aliens, alien abduction, gangsters, homosexuality, the mafia, military, possession, soap operas, ventriloquists

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009