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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1950s Television
    1950s Television 1960s Television 1970s Television 1980s Television Drama Shows L 3 Mins Read

    Love Of Life

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    1 9 5 1 – 1 9 8 0 (USA)
    7,316 x 15/30 minute episodes

    One of American television’s earliest daytime serial successes, Love Of Life made its debut on 24 September 1951 and remained on the screen for 28 years.

    For most of the series’ run, the plots centred on two very different sisters – the noble, long-suffering Vanessa ‘Van’ Dale and her selfish opportunistic sister, Margaret ‘Meg’ Dale.

    loveoflifebruce&vanessa

    Meg was written out of the show in 1956 but returned in December 1973 and became one of the show’s most popular characters.

    The role of Vanessa was played over the years by Peggy McCay (1951-1955), Bonnie Bartlett (1955-1959), and for most of the series’ run, Audrey Peters (1959-1980).

    During the course of the show, Van was widowed and divorced, suffered a miscarriage, was wrongly accused of murder, and married (and remarried) an amnesia victim.

    Meg was originally played by Jean McBride (1951-1956) and then – after a 17-year absence – by Tudi Wiggins (1973-1980). She was involved with adultery, murder charges, gamblers and unsavoury activities of many kinds.

    Originally created by Roy Winsor and John D Hess, the show did not stand still as time wore on. Appropriate changes were made to accommodate the tastes and ideas of its viewers and characters found themselves increasingly involved in situations involving extra-marital liaisons, mental illness, abortions, political corruption and racial conflicts.

    When the series first aired in 1951, the programme was set in the (imaginary) rural town of Barrowsville, but the show’s location eventually changed to Rosehill, New York, where it remained until it was cancelled in 1980 when it stood as daytime’s lowest-rated soap.

    The years between 1964 and 1966 was Love of Life‘s golden period, ranking 8th of all daytime shows, but the ratings progressively fell and by 1980 it was in 25th place.

    Other popular characters over the years were Van and Meg’s mother, Sarah; their father, Will; Meg’s first husband, Charles Harper; Meg and Charles’ son, Benno; and Van’s husband, lawyer Paul Raven.

    As the series grew older, various younger characters were featured in storylines, but always with Vanessa and Meg remaining pivotal.

    Among the many actors who had both short and long-term roles on the series were Martin Balsam, Christopher Reeve, Warren Beatty, Peter Falk, Paul Michael Glaser, Tony Lo Bianco, Roy Scheider and Nancy Marchand.

    Vanessa ‘Van’ Dale Sterling
    Peggy McCay (1)
    Bonnie Bartlett (2)
    Audrey Peters (3)
    Margaret ‘Meg’ Dale Harper Hart
    Jean McBride (1)
    Tudi Wiggins (2)
    Bruce Sterling
    Ron Tomme
    Sarah Dale McCauley
    Jane Rose (1)
    Joanna Roos (2)
    Will Dale
    Ed Jerome
    Miles Pardee
    Joe Allen Jr
    Ellie Hughes Crown
    Hildy Parks
    Charles Harper
    Paul Potter
    Benno “Beanie” Harper
    Dennis Parnell (1)
    Tommy White (2)
    Christopher Reeve (3)
    Chandler Hill Harbin (4)
    Paul Raven
    Richard Coogan
    Mrs Rivers
    Marie Kenney
    Jeff Hart
    Charles Baxter
    Arlene Slater
    Birgitta Tolksdorf
    Cal Aleata
    Deborah Courtney
    Rick Latimer
    Jerry Lacy
    Bill Prentiss
    Gene Bua

    Video

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