Set in the (fictional) community of Woodbridge, New York, the long-running CBS daytime drama The Secret Storm told the story of the long-suffering Ames family and their seemingly endless domestic tragedies.
The series originally revolved around widower Peter Ames (Peter Hobbs), head of Tyrell’s Department Store, his three children – Amy, Jerry and Susan – and his second wife, Myra
When the series began, Amy Ames (Jada Rowland initially, and then Lynn Adams) was a little girl. She eventually ended up married to Kevin Kincaid (David Ackroyd), who was paralysed from the waist down after being pushed through a glass door by thugs in the drug racket.
His incapacities drove Amy to have a baby by artificial insemination, handled by nice guy gynaecologist Brian Neeves (Jeff Pomerantz, then Keith Charles). It turned out that he provided not only the know-how for the procedure but also the raw material!
The show gradually moved focus to Valerie Hill Ames Northcote (Lori March).
In 1968, Secret Storm was the first CBS daytime serial to add black actors, in response to an order from the network president following the assassination of Martin Luther King.
The addition of a black person brought a lot of hate mail, and the audience rating dipped for four days, and then the audience returned to normal.
When ratings began to slip in the 1970s, Catholic priest Mark Reddin (David Gale) fell in love with Laurie Stephens (Stephanie Braxton), and the intimation of high-level, high-voltage sin retrieved the audience.
Laurie’s husband Ken (Joel Crothers) was quickly moved out of the way (run over by a truck in Chicago) to facilitate Mark marrying Laurie and becoming a Secret Storm regular.
Interest dwindled after their marriage, so Mark – who had meantime become a parole officer (it’s a long story) – was allowed to kill a jewel thief, which provided some alluring moral pangs and recriminations.
When that failed to fuel viewer enthusiasm, Mark began to hit the bottle. An extra added attraction was that he and Laurie moved into an old house that was haunted.
Debuting on 2 February 1954 and initially a 15-minute program, episodes were extended to 30-minutes in June 1962.
After running for 20 years, the series was finally taken off the air in February 1974 to make room for yet another daytime game show.
Amy Ames
Jada Rowland (1)
Lynn Adams (2) Peter Ames
Peter Hobbs (1)
Cec Linder (2)
Ward Costello (3) Susan Ames Carver
Jean Mowry (1)
Judy Lewis (2) Jerry Ames
Robert Morse (1)
Warren Berlinger (2)
Wayne Tippert (3) Valerie Hill Ames Northcote
Lori March Pauline Harris/Rysdale
Haila Stoddard Grace Tyrell
Eleanor Phelps Mr Tyrell
Russell Hicks Hugh Clayborn
Peter MacLean Dan Kincaid
Bernard Barrow Mickey Potter
Larry Block Jill Stevens
Barbara Rodell Kevin Kincaid
David Ackroyd Belle Clements Britton Kincaid
Marla Adams Nancy Vallin
Iris Braun Ursula Winthrope
Jacqueline Brooks Paul Britton
Nick Coster (1)
Linden Chiles (2) Ken Stevens
Joel Crothers Lisa Britton
Judy Safran (1)
Diane Dell (2)
Terri Falis (3) Bella Britton
Marla Adams Kitty Styles
Diane Ladd Wendy Porter
Julie Mannix Joan Borman Kane
Christina Crawford (1)
Joan Crawford (2) Nick Kane
Keith Charles Jonathan Styles
Scott Mefford Peter Dunbar
Donnie Melvin Grace Tyrell
Marjorie Gateson (1)
Eleanor Phelps (2) Dr Ian Northcote
Gordon Rigsby (1)
Alexander Scourby (2) Doug Winthrope
Bruce Sherwood Tom Gregory
Richard Venture Aggie Parsons
Jane Rose Reilly
Joe Ponazecki Laurie Stevens
Stephanie Braxton Polly
Susan Oakes Phil Forrestor
Patrick Fox Mike
Devin Goldenberg Alden
Cliff de’Young Martha Ann Ashley
Audre Johnson Freddy
Roberta Royce Charlotte
Susan Sudert Mulholland
Mike Galloway Andrea
Roberta Rickett Keefer
Troy Donahue Kip Ripdale
Don Galloway Ann Wicker
Diane Muldaur Bob Hill
Roy Scheider Tim Brannigan
Anthony Herrera (1)
Nicholas Lewis (2) Irene Simms
Jennifer Darling Cecilia
Kathleen Cody Herbie Vail
Noel Craig Nola Hollister
Rosemary Murphy (1)
Mary K. Wells (2) Myra Lake
Joan Hotchkis (1)
June Graham (2) Alan Dunbar
Liam Sullivan (1)
James Vicary (2) Frank Carver
Jack Ryland (1)
Robert Loggia (2)
Laurence Luckinbill (3) Cassie
Mildred Clinton Mark Reddin
David Gale Dr Brian Neeves
Jeff Pomerantz (1)
Keith Charles (2) Clay Stevens
Jamie Grover Jason Ferris
Robert Alda Robert Landers
Dan Hamilton Monsignor Quinn
Sidney Walker Joanna Morrison
Audrey Landers (1)
Ellen Barber (2)
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His incapacities drove Amy to have a baby by artificial insemination, handled by nice guy gynaecologist Brian Neeves (Jeff Pomerantz, then Keith Charles). It turned out that he provided not only the know-how for the procedure but also the raw material!
Laurie’s husband Ken (Joel Crothers) was quickly moved out of the way (run over by a truck in Chicago) to facilitate Mark marrying Laurie and becoming a Secret Storm regular.
