The Edge of Night 

In the city of Monticello, attorney Mike Karr and his colleagues are involved in solving crimes and intrigue which touch the lives of many citizens. Some such citizens include dowager ... See full summary »

Creator:

Irving Vendig

Stars:

Terry Davis, Tony Craig, Frances Fisher

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Terry Davis	...	April Cavanaugh Scott / ... 245 episodes, 1978-1980
Tony Craig	...	Draper Scott 242 episodes, 1976-1980
Frances Fisher	...	Deborah Saxon 215 episodes, 1976-1980
Joe Lambie	...	Logan Swift 213 episodes, 1978-1980
Joel Crothers	...	Dr. Miles Cavanaugh 200 episodes, 1978-1984
Jayne Bentzen	...	Nicole Cavanaugh 199 episodes, 1979-1980
Lee Godart	...	Eliot Dorn 179 episodes, 1979-1980
Ann Flood	...	Nancy Karr / ... 178 episodes, 1962-1984
Forrest Compton	...	Mike Karr 176 episodes, 1974-1984
Sharon Gabet	...	Raven Swift / ... 171 episodes, 1978-1984
Irving Allen Lee	...	Calvin Stoner 150 episodes, 1979-1984
Wade Nichols	...	Derek Mallory 142 episodes, 1979-1984
Lois Kibbee	...	Geraldine Saxon / ... 139 episodes, 1974-1984
Ernie Pysher	...	Cliff Nelson 138 episodes, 1979-1983
Denny Albee	...	Steve Guthrie 134 episodes, 1978-1980
Margo McKenna	...	Emily Gault 115 episodes, 1980
Kim Hunter	...	Nola Madison 113 episodes, 1979-1980

Storyline

In the city of Monticello, attorney Mike Karr and his colleagues are involved in solving crimes and intrigue which touch the lives of many citizens. Some such citizens include dowager Geraldine Whitney, the frequently-married Raven Alexander, attorney Adam Drake and his wife, Nicole, attorney Draper Scott and his wife, April, Police Chief Bill Marceau, night club owner Johnny Dallas, physician Dr. Miles Cavanaugh, young Jody Travis and her many boyfriends, and Mike Karr himself, his wife, Nancy, and their daughter, Lorrie. All the usual soap opera devices, including prolonged amnesia, a woman with a split personality, murderous mobsters, usurped identities, and murders with many suspects, are used quite effectively in this long running serial.

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Plot Keywords:

attorney | murder | soap opera | 1980s | 1970s | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Edge of Night

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Procter & Gamble Productions (PGP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (7420 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (1956-1967) Color (1967-1984)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Created by Irving Vendig, who had been writing the weekday radio drama Perry Mason for CBS and Proctor & Gamble. The program was originally intended to be a television version of that radio drama, but the rights were denied by Perry Mason's creator, Erle Stanley Gardner, because the producers did not promise that the characters of Perry Mason and Della Street would remain romantically uninvolved.

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Connections

Referenced in All in the Family: The Man in the Street (1971)

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Soundtracks

The Edge Of Night
Main Title Theme (1976-1980)
Words and Music by Jack Cortner and John Barranco

User Reviews

More than likely the only soap opera that men would admit watching.

It is more than likely that most soap operas are watched by housewives, even after all these years and changes in the medium. But for most of it's existence, "The Edge of Night" was an exception to that rule. It was always near the top of the ratings for afternoon shows, from 1956 to 1970, when CBS showed it at 4:30 pm. Sadly, when CBS shuffled their daytime lineup, in the 1970 - 71 season, "The Edge of Night" was shown earlier and lost ground. The show was a murder mystery serial and was great at showing the inner workings of both crime organizations as well as showing the inner workings of both the police and the courtroom. It had some really great names going through it's door, as alumni, including Dixie Carter, Larry Hagman and even John Travolta as a delivery man. The show was edgy, just as the name applied, and had a great ability to show whodunits. Actress Talluhah Bankhead was an early fan of the show and not even a call from President Harry Truman could get her away from the show. It even had the balls to kill off a really popular character, Sara Karr very early on.