Love of Life Soap Opera

[@TimsDale4ever]

OMG, OMG, OMG!! Please give us more of these entire episodes. Takes me back to fall 1978 in college when LOVE OF LIFE started my tv day. This title sequence is arguably the best in all of daytime drama history, Gorgeous title, perfectly posed floating cast photos, and that breathtaking theme along with Ken Robert's voice. In 1978, when I would hear this each weekday morning all seemed right with the world giving me the feeling there was nothing I couldn't accomplish. God the memories...

[@LadyGenerationX]

Agreed on the feeling of all was right with the world when u heard the theme song

[@danielbryan9754]

TimsDale4ever, you, my friend, captured the true essence of this amazing soap opera and so many others of the 70’s when soaps, like the Secret Storm and Search for Tomorrow, were at their finest. It is very unfortunate that people today cannot have the same experience that what we did, as you so eloquently described. A much happier time, indeed, and all WAS right with the world when our favorite soaps graced our living rooms for 15 or 30 minutes each day. Bless you for your beautiful description of days gone by.

[@TimsDale4ever]

Lord that gorgeous opening hits me square in the heart. I know it's just me but everything seemed so much sweeter then...

[@TheBob3759]

It's not just you.

[@danielbryan9754]

It's not just you. Times were definitely much better then--long before we became ravaged with time and all the more recent evils of the world. I miss those wonderful days so much!!!

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

This was one of my ALL-TIME favorite soaps when I was in college!! I'd sometimes even skip class to watch it LOL!!!

[@adelgado75]

Every time I listen to this theme it just takes me back to what I think were better days.

[@johnothy2231]

+adelgado75 I agree with you. TV today is definitely not the same at all.

[@TimsDale4ever]

YES! In the first version of this title package (77-78) the opening would consist of about 8 or so individual pics of the cast starting with Vanessa, then Bruce, then Meg and so forth. The closing would start with another 8 or so different cast members and when they got to the last one of those it would start over with Vanessa again provided they were showing enough credits to warrant it combined with that gorgeous Hardy theme. I would PAY to see one of these again but haven't found one YET!

[@cg5616]

Thank you for sharing i love these old soap operas!! takes me back!

[@sabrinadunson6903]

Thank you for sharing These Brings Back so many Memories This show was Awesome Real life Storylines Great characters and even Better Actors / Actresses

[@larrygoldsmith1]

Started watching this show in the early 60's. How addicted I was. I still remember Tess and Bill Prentiss, Diana and Charles Lamont, the Carlsons, Van and Bruce Sterling. I could go on forever with these names I still remember. Loved that show!

[@adelgado75]

I agree the opening is great. That's the type of opening I want my soap opera to have. The soap I would finance when I hit the lottery.

[@wandaborowy9400]

That theme music is beautiful.

[@calvinjackson538]

WOW! BRUCE and VAN!!! I would like to see them on the old black and white screen around 1964.

[@BhimKumar]

I can't get enough of this opening and the show.

[@aliaomr978]

rikf

[@johnothy]

I don't remember watching this, but as a kid, I can vaguely recall this opening airing at 10:30am CT in the late 70s after Price Is Right ended.

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

By 1979, Love of Life was on at 4:00 replacing “Match Game ‘79” this was the time slot it had until it ended on 2/1/80.

[@stanbrown32]

I remember seeing Love of Life when I was a small child, not yet in school, when it came on around 11:30 in the morning. By this era, when it had been moved to the afternoon time slot (3:30PM I think? Or 4:00?), my sister was devoted to it, since we could watch every day after school. She and her friends wrote letters to complain when it was canceled--but we became Guiding Light viewers, when it had the 3:00-4:00 hour, and we could see the last 20 or 25 minutes each day after school.

[@adelgado75]

you're not the only who feels that everything seemed sweeter. the world is supposed to be such a great place with so many technological advances yet we're on the brink of another military involvement in a faraway country. Times like this I wish we had our soaps on the air so we could escape.

[@adelgado75]

The actor playing the judge seems to be reading his lines from the script...but I also noticed that the actors playing the attorneys had a few mild slip ups. I love this stuff. The actors had to memorize so much it's amazing they pulled it off so well.

[@vistatiger7493]

Oh wow @20:41 Loved her as Sarah Shayne mother of Reva, Roxie and Rusty on Guiding Light. Wish we had conversation over coffee soaps like this now.

[@AndreCavanaugh]

Loved Margo McKenna on EDGE OF NIGHT as Emily Michaels

[@alexisdiva9]

She was an entirely different character on EDGE - she started there about a month after LOL folded.

[@rickram1961]

Terrific Opening

[@ITSONLYMEWATCHING]

I remember this as a kid, why can't they re-air all these old epis in their entirety?

[@rodolpheettrick2929]

i love this opening

[@GenXorcist]

I have never seen an episode of this soap before, and I'm already hooked! What a final few episodes... I can only imagine how p*ssed fans were at its cancellation. It's GOOD.

[@MrCraigblaze]

I like courtroom scenes on soap operas.. XD

[@GLBizzie]

@@MrCraigblazesame unless it’s on One Life to Live. Their courtroom scenes were always dragging and too cartoonish

[@orbit14915]

I watched the final episode in a luncheonette on Main Street in Utica,Ohio, after having watched since the 1970's. It wasn't the famous Watts restaurant but a luncheonette, or "malt shop" The customers would order then grab a magazine, read it while they were eating and then put it back on the rack. It was operated by a Catholic family from Syria or Lebanon It was on the same side of the street as the Ben Franklin. They were not new arrivals and were very friendly. I have so wanted to make a trip out there---a sentimental journey of sorts--- but have never gotten around to it; I don't know anyone there anymore, but I always wanted to see what the place looks like after all of these years and having spent a good deal of time there in the '70's through 2/1/1980

[@mikejohnson515]

On Channel 10 WBNS from Columbus.....I live in Gahanna.

[@angelayancey7674]

This is the only episode to have the 1979 closing of Love Of LIfe!

[@alexisdiva9]

I also remember Arlene as a blond; although LOL stayed on my local station WCAU (then CBS, now NBC10 in Philly) until the very end I was in school @ the end so she might have been a brunette then. I also miss LOL & am grateful that this was posted; would love to see it from 1974 to the end @ least.

[@angelmarie2]

alexisdiva9 I am glad to hear that WCAU had LOL until the end. I know WCAU as NBC moved soap time slots a lot. I chose to watch Days of Our Lives online because I got so confused with the time shifts.

[@adelgado75]

I feel the sense of loss the long time fans of the show felt when their show was axed. I felt such a sense of loss when the final episode of THE EDGE OF NIGHT aired. We the viewers don't care about ratings, share of demo, or station clearances. We just care about our soap opera.

[@cantkeepmedown100]

I remember when this soap came on at 11:30 am before lunch time and a half an hour before Y&R.

[@CarlD2]

Thanks so much for sharing this with us. I'm glad to get to see more of these characters. Ray seems so unlikeable but the actor is good. The woman who plays Arlene is also affecting. Don't like the story but I like the acting. So happy to get to see a little of Audrey Peters as Vanessa. Love that kitchen. That set at the end is straight up That 70's Show.

[@senorkaboom]

Just like game shows, soaps are part of TVs past, or soon will be. As a kid, I remember there were soaps on every network starting at about 10 in the morning. I never wasted my time on them until I got to college. My mom started watching General Hospital, and I got hooked on a murder mystery storyline from 73-74, I even guessed who did it early on and was correct. I told my mom who did it, and she said we'd find out. When the big day came that the culprit would be revealed, I uttered, again, the person's name and I was right. Mom asked how I knew, and I said the other suspects were all series regulars and the culprit named was a recent addition, could be written out. Just made sense to me.

[@richardcleveland6949]

it too bad that you're right about the soaps future 2 maybe 3 or 4 yrs. It sad because, only 4 soaps on the air now, They used to be popular and began a lot of actors careers.

[@senorkaboom]

+Richard Cleveland Yep. And so many. Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Somerset, All My Children, The Edge of Night (I love that title), Ryan's Hope, Search for Tomorrow, The Doctors, Dark Shadows, to name but a few. Now, it's women talking about lord knows what and judge shows. As a kid in grade school, it used to be fun to be home sick. All the daytime stuff was great, game shows and prime time show reruns, along with the soaps. Nothing like that now.

[@richardcleveland6949]

Don't forget about Guiding Light, As the World Turns. One Life to Live, The Secret Storm and Another World

[@senorkaboom]

+Richard Cleveland You forgot "Love of Life".

[@MrCraigblaze]

And Knots Landing..My Fave...!!

[@makeittrue]

I like Tudi Wiggins here in her earlier years. I really liked her on "All My Children" as Brandon Kingston's wife in the early 80s. She was really classy dealing with Erica's machinations.

[@richardcleveland6949]

I remember that. She always manipulated Brandon by crying and he fell into her game.

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

By 1980, CBS had 6 soap opera and all of them looked totally different, the people, the storyline, direction and sets. Today, even though there are only 4 soaps left on the big 3 stations all of them look the same, no uniqueness to any of them.

[@mikemercado5223]

Can't watch CBS soaps today Y & R and B&B are full of fake plastic actors

[@GLBizzie]

Days of our lives has been ruined with no redeeming qualities and is rotting on a streaming service.. GH is doing so-so but ABC ain’t cancelling it now coz they have no alternative right now. Y&R is suffering from losing ratings but they are still solid to keep around and Bb is doing good even though quality wise they are bs. GH has the right style to survive for longer coz it has the fast paced writing and scenes that this generation loves. They just need to improve on their storylines

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

@@GLBizzie Honestly DOOL has looked the exact same for 20 years. Now I never been the biggest fan and never will but the show was a lot better in the 70’s and early 80’s. I know it’s an institution but I think is time for that show to join the other daytime soaps in heaven. Y&R to me is the only soap still interesting not the greatest to how it once was but they’re clever they would bring in an exciting character to boost those ratings during a sweeps (if they still have those) and then afterwards go back to being a snoozefest. GH, I gave up on that show in 2006, it’s the same thing mob b.s. And even before 2006 same thing.

[@TheBob3759]

Please post more full episodes of Love Of Life. I want to see episodes from the 1972 storyline. I would love to see Cindy Grover playing Stacy Corby again. She was a doll.

[@lifeworksndhenterprisesllc6597]

Please show a few snippets of good times star,janet dubois on love for life. During the time I watch Julia Mrs. Dubois make my life great as the first black actress in s non stereotype role in a soap opera,RIP wilona woods.

[@pitbullwinkle]

Any episodes with Paul Michael Glaser (billed as Mike Glaser)? Around 1972 I think.

[@brandonbowles2693]

The actor who played Elliot Lang went on to become Andy Norris on Guiding Light

[@trewestbrook7404]

Brandon Bowles, Blackmailing Andy. Holly Norris-Bauer-Thorpe-Lindsay Reade-Bauer’s s brother. And crazy Ed shooting Ken Norris.

[@triciajohansen7124]

The actor who played Betsy's brother played Grant Harrison #2 on "Another World".

[@triciajohansen3027]

@Draper Scott you are correct.

[@bellakeshialynn]

I wish I was born sooner than I was, because I'm in love with seeing this classic soap! Today's soaps are nothing but trash! Can I change my birthdate to 1966 instead of 1986? Lol

[@angelmarie2]

Alexandra Rae I know, right!

[@21gramsofsoul]

I grew up in the 1970's before there was 200+ channels. The networks ran either a soap or a game show, and all the soaps were a half hour. My mom flipped back & forth between networks just watching the soaps, watching soaps on all three networks. I remember it started off with Love Of Life at 11 or 11:30, and she would watch straight through until 4:30 in the afternoon. When they went to an hour she stayed with abc. Know what you mean about todays soaps, they are awful that's why I only watch the English soaps. So much better, EastEnders being my favorite.

[@Leonie-zu8yv]

My mom did too

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

Alexandra Rae I was born in 1989, and the number 1 soap was Y&R and still is until this day. The show is far from anything it once was. But anyways my grandmother was a CBS soap watcher up until she passed she gave up on the other networks and focused on CBS from what she told me. It must have been a headache plus fun flipping through the 3 networks in soaps heyday because they weren’t bull shitting with these shows back in the day.

[@MrCraigblaze]

I love 70s soap operas .Now..!!..XD

[@glennruehl1336]

wish they would have a subchannel for shows like this like they do for vintage game shows aka buzzer

[@adelgado75]

The trouble is there aren't many episodes from the early days.

[@GLBizzie]

@@adelgado75but enough to fill time slots . We know days exists nearly in its entirety. They re-aired the doctors from 1969 till 1980.. Soapnet even aired Ryan’s hope up from Episode 1.. U could air at least all available episodes

[@zachhoran]

When this was cancelled, Young and the Restless got expanded to an hour. The Jeffersons reruns replaced the All New All Star Beat the CLock with MOnty Hall at 10AM EST on the same week, as the promo in the closing credits said.

[@TimsDale4ever]

Because "LOL" was dropped in the Savannah, Georgia market in the spring/summer of 79, this did not allow me to watch the show to the 02/01/80 end. I don't remember Arlene as a brunette -- but as blond and the way she looks in the opening sequence. Also, who are the last 3 cast members in the opening? Don't remember them either..... I miss this show and would love to see it from fall '77 to the end. Sadly, beauty and greatness always fade to make room for nothing...

[@alexisdiva9]

Sadly a lot of CBS affiliates elected to drop LOL altogether when CBS chose to move it to 4PM in an alleged attempt to save the program. The problem with that is the audience then tends to be children coming home from school who would be more interested in reruns or game shows instead of soaps. Teens would be more inclined to watch ABC's OLTL and GH but they aired a little earlier in the afternoon. As I previously mentioned, thankfully WCAU (which was then the CBS affiliate in the Philly area) aired LOL until the very end & as I recall they kept it at either 11:30am or noon. Of interest per Wikipedia is that CBS' flagstaff affiliate in NYC elected to air LOL @ noon until the very end despite the official change. On the last 3, the woman appears to be Bambi Brewster (Anna McCarthy?), the man on the right I think is Hal Carson (W.T. Martin) - tricky part of this is that the regular actor appeared to be ill since there was a substitute announced here, also a different substitute announced on the final episode - so the regular actor must have been quite ill the final week of taping. Speaking of which, the really crappy thing was that the cast & crew were given only 2 weeks' notice of the show ending (that notice would have been right after holiday break) not giving much time to frantically update resumes, contact aqents, etc. Flash forward 30 years when the cast & crew of ATWT got 9 months' notice of the show's cancellation.

[@alexisdiva9]

I just saw that the actor in the finale who played Hal was David Snell who in the summer of 1983 played Peter Nevins on EDGE and doesn't look anything like Kip Whitman. Am thinking since it's the final week they were only concerned about getting an available dark haired male with a pulse. David joined EDGE's writing team in 1984 - it's final year.

[@deeks1970]

My mom used to watch this soap when I was a kid during the 1970’s.

[@special7217]

I remember Ray Wise as Jamie Rollins. He's now a baddie on Y and R. Also appears on Fresh off the Boat as their neighbor with the hot wife.

[@angelmarie2]

Rosaetta smith And will be on the Twin Peaks revival.

[@TVBob58]

Do you have any video of closing credits from "Love of Life"?

[@roddycurt9139]

Is that the same actress that played Emily Michaels on Edge of Night?

[@alexisdiva9]

Yes, Margo Mc Kenna played Emily on EDGE.

[@softwater88]

It was 40-years ago today/Fri Feb 1st, 1980 that this soap was cancelled.

[@deniseangulo1678]

I hate the fact that we were cheated out of a happy ending. This soap is above all the soaps today in excellence, acting, writing....everything. Today's soap operas are nothing but garbage. They should look at this video to see how its really done!

[@TheDanielwest1992]

acting and production values?......sadly NO

[@StukInBuf]

Chris Reeve(SUPERMAN) played in this series, if I recall reading it correctly.

[@alexisdiva9]

Absolutely! He cut his acting teeth on LOL & was the first to play the role of Ben as an adult - was on LOL from 1973 to 1976 or early 1977 when his character was sent to prison for bigamy. Later in 1977 Chandler Harben (who very graciously shared this and other clips on this channel of his) assumed the role and he stayed on through LOL's very end. One of Chandler's first stories was when he was in prison his fellow inmates found out he was there for being a bigamist - and these men tried to rape him (first for daytime TV) but a sudden fire aborted this attempt; ironically, Ben ended up saving his would-be rapists from the fire.

[@alexisdiva9]

Yes, he was on LOL 1974-76.

[@makeittrue]

Is that Margo McKenna playing Betsy? I remember her from Edge of Night as Emily. I never got to see LOL because they didn't broadcast it. I only know that Margo McKenna had been on LOL from reading her bio at the time.

[@TheTotalMusicLover]

Shane Brown yes it was.

[@karlsmith4168]

I immediately recognized her as Emily from EON.

[@richardcleveland6949]

Interesting the announcer said join us every weekday considering the series was ending in 4 more episodes. This was the first time I ever saw this, they had dropped it from the San Francisco Bay Area when it moved from late morning to late afternoon

[@angelmarie2]

Richard Cleveland Also interesting that there was a seemingly temp recast in the final week.

[@alexisdiva9]

Especially given there was also an announcement that "The Jeffersons" reruns would be shown starting the next Monday (2/4/1980). Am also guessing that was just an automatic announcement they kept on there to lure viewers to watch the final few episodes; if they were honest and saying it was the final week there might have been a temptation for viewers to say "why bother?" and stop watching then and there.

[@alexisdiva9]

Also, the long time announcer (Ken Roberts, may he RIP) may have been under strict orders by CBS NOT to let on it was the final week.

[@facebook51ify]

Richard Cleveland ken Roberts said brought to you by on a CBS soap.

[@robertpatrick5188]

@@facebook51ify Yeah, they usually say "sponsored by." But on "As the World Turns," Dan Region used to say "brought to you today by," and on "Guiding Light," Alan Berns said "presented by."

[@derekdestep40]

he went on to play Andy Norris on GL

[@BhimKumar]

is the guy arguing with Ray a very young John Walsh?

[@MrCraigblaze]

What about capital in 1982 when it debut?

[@carmenvitale855]

hated it

[@HR-rl4ke]

Capitol was terrible!!!

[@MrCraigblaze]

@@HR-rl4ke Jess Walton had a job in the afterlife .XD

[@sandracatalfamo8926]

where are more episodes

[@allenjones3130]

Hagood Hardy's theme song is terrific.

[@laykiification]

Hey Chandler, do you have any other episodes available?

[@MrCraigblaze]

Thanks for the Upload !! XD

[@blackmoon1970]

who played ben harper

[@triciajohansen7124]

But Christopher Reeve was the original adult Ben Harper.

[@vincentlara4563]

Chandler Hill Harben

[@MrCraigblaze]

Is this Woody Brown playing the Prosecutor ??

[@anthonyaustin3370]

The prosecutor Elliot Lang was played by Ted LePlat. He had been on Where the Heart Is before this and after LOL was canned he went over to Guiding Light playing Holly’s nasty brother Andy Norris.

[@MrCraigblaze]

@@anthonyaustin3370 Yes...I remember Andy ..He was killed by NOT mild mannered Floyd ..I can't believe GL made A Killer out of Floyd.. Thank you.. Andy Norris Or Andy Farris..??

[@anthonyaustin3370]

@@MrCraigblaze Andy Norris was Holly’s brother and Barbara’s son. He wasn’t killed by anyone. Andy Ferris was a different character hired by Phillip Spaulding to sabotage Lujack’s nightclub and ended up blinding Beth Raines by setting off a gas explosion. Floyd accidentally killed Andy Ferris.

[@MrCraigblaze]

​​​@@anthonyaustin3370Andy Ferris .. Yes correct thanks.And Barbara Berjer played Holly's mother .

[@MrCraigblaze]

It's the last day of the soap opera. 😂😂

[@ValleyoftheRogue]

Kipp Whitman is the much-younger brother of actor Stuart Whitman. Kipp's mannerisms and voice are similar to his brother's, to say nothing of the physical resemblance.

[@MrCraigblaze]

Was It canceled to give Y@ R 60 minutes?

[@MrCraigblaze]

If I saw a snake in a boat I would Scream like hell..XD

[@adelgado75]

I read that CBS cancelled the show so they could use the studio for the upcoming Olympics.

[@alexisdiva9]

Yes - and also to be able to expand Y&R to an hour. Too bad CBS & AHP didn't see fit to try to move LOL to ABC or NBC or even sydnication like in 1975 CBS and P&G got ABC to take EON so they could expand ATWT to an hour - they even graciously waited until ABC had room on its schedule for EON so it could be moved while ensuring the EON story line continued seamlessly.

[@adelgado75]

Is this THE final episode?

[@alexisdiva9]

One thing that confused me about the final episodes is why Carrie's seen as a nurse such as in this episode? When Carrie was first seen in Rosehill, she worked as Meg's housekeeper or maid - given a nursing shortage why would she work as a domestic if she had nursing credentials? Only thing I can think of - in real life and in soap land - is Carrie first arrived in Rosehill from Denver to be with Arlene plus Carrie was escaping from a bad husband who beat her so it might have taken some time to establish nursing credentials after moving out of state.

[@joeghastly]

Who is the older woman in the opening at 3:01?

[@mikejohnson515]

Val Cossart who played Meg and Van's mother Sarah Dale.

[@der22672]

This is the last week of Love of Life. Feb. 1980. Betsy collapsed after testifying, and that’s how the series ended. 😳😳

[@adelgado75]

Thank you for replying.

[@MrCraigblaze]

Why would you air a rerun at 3:30 and a soap opera @4 pm.I love the fake snake.Or is it.Lol..

[@ericsamuelson5656]

Love of Life was cancelled in Feb 1980 so CBS will expand The Young & the Restless (still on) to a full hour

[@alexisdiva9]

Wow! W.T. Martin - Hal Carson - must be really ill as he's being played by Kip Whitman in this episode. In the finale, Hal is being played by David Snell who in the sumner of 1983 would be Peter Nevins on EDGE of Night - during EDGE's final year joined the soap's writing team. David doesn't look anything like Kip either.

[@richardedmiston3756]

Margo McKenna is a beautiful woman!!!!

[@adelgado75]

Any seen the closing credits featuring this theme?

[@alexisdiva9]

Another complication when CBS officially moved LOL from 11:30am or noon to 4PM during its final months it would officially compete against former fellow CBS soap EDGE of Night which officially aired on ABC although in many areas when EDGE moved from CBS to ABC in December 1975 it disappeared from many areas. Both LOL and EDGE were dropped by CBS for the same reason: to expand another soap to an hour format. EDGE was dropped to expand ATWT - which premiered on the same day as EDGE: 4/2/19856 as the first soaps to debut in a half hour format. LOL was dropped to expand Y&R. EDGE not just by its name was more suited to air at 4PM since it was a hybrid of traditional soap & mystery/crime drama and had an unusually high male and teens demographic as a result. In retrospect reviewing the storylines of LOL & EDGE, EDGE seems to have the stronger storylines. LOL has this trial, Ray's jealousy of Hal regarding Arlene, Bruce's possible illegitimate child. EDGE has Logan & Raven squabbling over their son Jamie, Raven flying the coop to London in September (returning mid February 1980), has been movie star Nola (Kim Hunter) and her family arriving to do an accursed film called Mansion of the Damned, Nola posing as a kindly neighbor of Deborah's but sending her poisoned food, Nola while rehearsing her film role doing satanic prayers and looking like Medusa in the process, Nola putting speed in Miles' water cooler to drive him crazy. About March 1980 Margo Mc Kenna (Betsy) joins EDGE as ultimately delusional Emily Michaels, two weeks or so after Raven's return. Grateful that Chandler Hill Harben (Ben) made this, the finale and several other of the final episodes available. I just wish more episodes were available of the final years. On EDGE, there's many more episodes available partly due to luck and mostly due to the dedicated, diligent efforts of Sharon Gabet (Raven) and others behind the scenes. BWT today (1/13/2025) is Sharon's birthday. ;}