Morning Star

1 9 6 5 – 1 9 6 6 (USA)
193 x 30 minute episodes

After her fiancé Gregory Ross (Burt Douglas) was killed in an accident the day before their wedding, ambitious fashion designer Katy Elliott (Elizabeth Perry) left the small town of Springdale, Connecticut, to pursue her career in New York City.

This did not sit very well with her possessive and troubled 16-year-old sister Jan (Adrienne Ellis) who had scars on her neck from where – as children – their father rescued Katy from a burning house first, leaving Jan in danger.

Ann Burton (Olive Dunbar) tried to persuade Jan to let Katy move, but an emotional Jan locked herself in her room for a time. When Jan finally went to see Katy in the Big Apple, she refused to leave.

Adding to that mess, Katy’s Uncle Ed (Ed Prentiss), a judge, fell victim to an extortion plot hatched by garage mechanic Joe Bernie (Norman Burton). And even Aunt Millie (Sheila Bromley) felt she had to butt into Katy’s new life.

Given all these intrusions, plus Katy’s flashbacks to Gregory, viewers could only marvel at how boyfriend Bill Riley (Edward Mallory) managed to cope with all the obstacles and still love her.

While Katy contended with all of her headaches, Katy’s new roommate Joan Mitchell (Betty Lou Gerson) – a fast little number from Southampton –  had plenty on her plate too. Among Joan’s problems was her daughter Liz (Nina Roman), who lied about her involvement in a hit-and-run accident.

At the beginning of each half hour – equally divided between “drama” and commercials – an off-camera voice dramatically announced, “No matter how black the night may be, the dawn always comes. The sun is but a ‘morning star'”.

The NBC daily series was anything but a morning star in the ratings, though, in its 11 am time slot – as has been true with most soap operas telecast before lunch. Or, as an obviously enlightened anonymous source told Variety at the time, “Those Nielsen dames don’t start feeling sorry for themselves until noon.”

The show was created by Ted Corday, who would later create the daytime serial Days of Our Lives.

Katy Elliott 
Elizabeth Perry
Bill Riley
Edward Mallory
Jan Elliott
Adrienne Ellis
Uncle Ed 
Ed Prentiss
Aunt Millie 
Sheila Bromley
Joan Mitchell
Betty Lou Gerson
Liz Mitchell
Nina Roman
Gregory Ross
Burt Douglas
Ann Burton
Olive Dunbar
Joe Bernie
Norman Burton
Eric Manning
Ron Jackson
Dana Manning
Betsy Jones Moreland
Stan Manning 
John Dehner (1)
John Stephenson (2)
Eve Blake
Floy Dean
Dr Tim Blake
William Arvin
Grace Allison
Phyllis Hill