The initial story in A Flame in the Wind (the original title of the series) had certain citizens in the small town of Haviland trying to stop the roman à clef, which rich widow Kate Austen (Kathleen Maguire) was writing, which showed the citizens of the town in a less than perfect light.
She certainly had plenty of raw material around her. For example, Craig Reynolds (Frank Schofield), a publishing executive involved in Kate’s novel, left his wife Roxanne (Maggie Hayes) within the first three months of the show.
This did not make life easier for his father-in-law Jason Farrell (Walter Coy), who ran the troubled publishing empire and had a flirt of a wife in Leslie (Rita Lloyd), or for Craig’s son Steve (Gordon Gray initially and then Tom Fielding), who had an unrequited love for Linda Skerba (Barbara Rodell and then Jane Elliot), whose sister Jane (Margaret Ladd and then Beverly Hayes), in turn, desired Yale graduate Steve.
Steve worked for the ladies’ father, Al (Roy Poole), with his pal Dave Simon (Terry Logan), who also loved Linda.
Naturally, author Kate needed to get her own house in order, what with a troubled relationship with Tony Grey (Morgan Sterne) and a deteriorating one with the rest of the townsfolk.
On 28 June 1965, the ABC show was renamed A Time For Us and more focus was placed on youth stories, along with a few changes in the cast and surnames for the Skerbas (to Driscoll).
Linda and Jane became the protagonists, with Linda an actress in New York City in love with Paul Davis (Conard Fowkes), a director, yet not willing to give up her career for marriage.
Steve still loved her but gave up and decided to see Jane. When Jane became pregnant in October 1965, she and Steve wed, even though Linda returned home unexpectedly, realising she loved Steve.
That same month, Steve’s mom Roxanne threw a six-episode party, wherein she was attracted to piano player Doug Colton (Ion Berger), who seemed more fascinated with Roxanne’s money.
That detail did not go unnoticed by Steve, who remained supportive of his mother in affairs of the heart and vice versa.
But – irony of ironies – Linda decided to compete with Roxanne for Doug after being rejected by Steve (Roxanne eventually married Doug). Kate and her son Chris (Richard Thomas) were gone from the action, with Miriam Bentley (Lesley Brooks) taking Kate’s place as town gossip, but Kate’s mother-in-law Louise (Josephine Nichols), remained as a confidante (or more?) for Jason Farrell (Walter Coy).
Poor Martha Skerba/Driscoll (Lenka Peterson) seemed left out of all the fun, as she mainly served as Al’s wife and support to Linda and Jane during the two years this serial ran.
The series was videotaped live daily at ABC’s Manhattan studios at 121 W 68th Street in New York City.
Kate Austen Kathleen Maguire Chris Austen
Richard Thomas Louise Austen
Josephine Nichols Al Skerba/Driscoll
Roy Poole Martha Skerba/Driscoll
Lenka Peterson Linda Skerba
Barbara Rodell (1)
Jane Elliot (2) Linda Driscoll
Joanna Miles (1)
Beret Arcaya (2) Jane Skerba/Driscoll
Margaret Ladd (1)
Beverly Hayes (2) Craig Reynolds
Frank Schofield Roxanne Reynolds
Maggie Hayes Steve Reynolds
Gordon Gray (1)
Tom Fielding (2) Jason Farrell
Walter Coy Leslie Farrell
Rita Lloyd Flora Perkins
Jacqueline Brookes Tony Grey/Stan
Morgan Sterne Doug Colton
Ion Berger Paul Davis
Conard Fowkes Miriam Bentley
Lesley Brooks David Simon
Terry Logan
This did not make life easier for his father-in-law Jason Farrell (Walter Coy), who ran the troubled publishing empire and had a flirt of a wife in Leslie (Rita Lloyd), or for Craig’s son Steve (Gordon Gray initially and then Tom Fielding), who had an unrequited love for Linda Skerba (Barbara Rodell and then Jane Elliot), whose sister Jane (Margaret Ladd and then Beverly Hayes), in turn, desired Yale graduate Steve.
That detail did not go unnoticed by Steve, who remained supportive of his mother in affairs of the heart and vice versa.
