Did You Know?
One of the first American TV series to feature an openly gay character as a regular cast member (Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas).
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A number of big-ticket advertisers boycotted the early episodes of the show after advance word of its controversial nature reached the media. One of the few items to actually be advertised on the premiere was a then-new product called Slim Fast.
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"Soap" was actually the working title for the show, while the producers tried to come up with a better name, and was used all through preproduction. No better name was ever decided upon, so "Soap" became the formal title when the show went into production.
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The show was intended to run for only five seasons. Even if ABC renewed the series, there would only have been one more year to resolve all the cliffhangers.
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The series ended with several cliffhangers unresolved, including Jessica about to be executed by a communist firing squad. A 1983 episode of spin-off series Benson mentions Jessica's disappearance, noting the Tate family is seeking to have her declared legally dead. In this episode, Jessica appears as an apparition whom only Benson can see or hear, revealing to Benson that she is not dead, but in a coma somewhere in South America. The other cliffhangers are not referenced, leaving it to the viewers' imagination as to what might have happened.
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The character of Father Flotsky was added as an in-joke to a character created by Lenny Bruce in a classic routine.
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