This soap opera from CBS revolved around the conflicts, tensions and lives of the close-knit but dysfunctional Hathaway family of Northcross, Connecticut.
The serial opened on 8 September 1969 with the death of pious Hathaway family patriarch Judge Daniel Hathaway. Judge Hathaway had three adult children: Julian (James Mitchell), a professor of literature at the local university; Kate (Diana van der Vlis), a sympathetic but sexually repressed law student, and Allison (Louise Shaffer), the liberated feminist black sheep of the family.
Having never gained his father’s love, Julian sought affection amongst the many young women he taught at Northcross University. He had recently married nubile Mary (Diana Walker) – his adult son Michael’s former girlfriend.
Vicky Lucas (Lisa Richards), the daughter of Ed Lucas (Joseph Mascolo), a man who worked for the Hathaways, became pregnant by Michael (Greg Abels) and married him. Theirs was an unpleasant marriage, and after Vicky miscarried, she pushed Mary (who was pregnant by Julian) down a flight of stairs.
Michael divorced her when she was committed to an insane asylum, only to marry a more sane Vicky a few years later.
Michael may have gone back to Vicky because his second wife, Liz Rainey (Tracy Brooks Swope), was even more problematic. She became pregnant in an affair with Julian and tried to make Julian’s estranged wife, Mary think her hubby was seeing Loretta Jardin (Alice Drummond), but eventually, Mary and Julian got back together, and Liz left town.
Meanwhile, Loretta’s relative Ellie (Zohra Lambert) had romanced Steve Prescott (Ron Harper), the man Kate loved, during a time when Steve had amnesia. Steve eventually regained his memory, married Kate, and adopted Ellie’s mute son Peter (Mike Bersell) when Ellie was murdered. Tragically, Peter later died in a fire.
Kate and Julian’s sister Allison (Louise Shaffer), had her own share of woes. After divorcing Roy Archer (Stephen Joyce), she married Dr Hugh Jessup (David Cryer), who had an affair with Christine Cameron (Delphi Harrington) which resulted in a child.
Observing all this activity was Stella O’Brien (Bibi Osterwald), a family acquaintance who was said to have moved to upstate New York to care for an ill aunt when Osterwald left the show to star in the nighttime CBS sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie in 1972.
Throughout its three-and-a-half-year run, Where the Heart Is was recorded on videotape at the CBS Broadcast Center Studio #44 in New York.
It fared badly in the Nielsen Audience Ratings and failed to attract the viewing demographic preferred by advertisers. The series finally ended on 23 March 1973 and was replaced by The Young and the Restless, which would become America’s most popular TV soap opera for three decades.
Julian Hathaway
James Mitchell Mary Hathaway
Diana Walker Michael Hathaway
Greg Abels Vicky Lucas Hathaway
Robyn Millan (1)
Lisa Richards (2) Kate Hathaway Prescott
Diana Van der Vlis Allison Jessup
Louise Shaffer Dr Hugh Jessup
Rex Robbins (1)
David Cryer (2) Dr Joe Prescott
William Post Jr. Steve Prescott
Laurence Luckinbill (1)
Ron Harper (2) Nancy Prescott
Katherine Meskill Ed Lucas
Mark Gordon (1)
Charles Cioffi (2)
Joseph Mascolo (3) Roy Archer
Stephen Joyce Stella O’Brien
Bibi Osterwald Christine Cameron
Delphi Harrington Loretta Jardin
Alice Drummond Peter Jardin
Mike Bersell Carol Gault
Janet League Liz Rainey
Tracy Brooks Swope John Rainey
Peter MacLean Dr Adrienne Harris
Priscilla Pointer Lt. Hayward
Philip Sterling Amy Snowden
Clarice Blackburn Dr Jim Hudson
Ruben Greene Terry Stevens
Ted LePlatt Will Watts
Robert Symonds Detective Munford
Gil Rogers Lt. Fenelli
Ted Beniodes Dr Homes Rayburn
Alan Manson Margaret Jardin
Barbara Baxley (1)
Rue McClanahan (2) Daniel Hathaway
Joseph Dolen Ellie Jardin
Zohra Lambert Mrs Harrison
Caroline Coates Lois Snowden
Jeanne Ruskin
