Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (TV series)

In a rare move for daytime serials of the era, live shots of junk boats from Hong Kong were interspersed with pictures of the real San Francisco.

A revised version of the theme song was played by Eddie Layton, the long-time organist at Yankee Stadium and a popular recording artist.

In the beginning, the star of the show was Nancy Hsueh as Mia Elliott, daughter to the characters portrayed by William Holden and Jennifer Jones in the 1955 film.

Mia left Hong Kong to study medicine in San Francisco, her late father's hometown, and there she became involved with two men: Vietnam War pilot Paul Bradley, and, later, Dr. Jim Abbott.

[4][5] The network was also uncomfortable with a developing subplot in which Jim Abbott was implicated in the death of a young patient, the result of a botched abortion.

[citation needed] In February 1968, Phillips was replaced by husband-and-wife writing team Jane and Ira Avery, who quickly refocused the series on two families,[4][5] the Donnellys and the Elliotts.

As with the Mia Eliott story, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing courted controversy again as Laura tried unsuccessfully to fight off carnal desires for her sister's boyfriend.

[4][5] However, the Averys continued to focus on the conflict between two beautiful sisters who loved the same man, a plot that would bring the series strong fan devotion as well as a spike in the Nielsen ratings, and would drive the plotline for the remainder of the serial's network run.

At first Mia dates pilot Paul Bradley (Nicholas Pryor), but she later develops a serious relationship with Dr. Jim Abbott (Robert Milli).

Laura Donnelly, also known as Sister Cecilia (Donna Mills), fights her attraction to Mark Elliott as she prepares to take her final vows.

Iris, unsure of Mark's feelings for her and sensing Laura's attraction to him, begins to drink heavily and consort with sneering playboy Jock Porter (John Karlen).

[4][5][6] 1968 : When it is revealed that Jock Porter paid Jim Abbott to perform an illegal abortion on girlfriend Terry Andrews, who later died, a disenchanted Mia decides to return to Hong Kong.

Iris becomes emotionally involved with Jim, but the scandal surrounding Terry Andrews forces him to leave San Francisco for New York.

Laura decides not to take her final vows and leaves the church for Mark, who ends his relationship with Iris and begins a career as an architect.

Lt. Tom Donnelly (Robert Burr) helps Helen (Grace Albertson, Gloria Hoye) overcome her grief when husband Phillip (Len Wayland) dies suddenly, and after a short courtship, the two marry.

Iris finds herself attracted to Spencer Garrison (Michael Hanrahan, Ed Power) a handsome lawyer/senatorial candidate trapped in an unhappy marriage.

Iris persuades Mark and Laura to reconcile for the sake of her baby, and gives birth to William Alex Garrison (Arthur Benoit, Jr.).

Andy Hurley (Don Scardino, Russ Thacker) works for the 'Garrison for Senator' campaign and falls in love with Nikki Cabbott (Jody Locker), a ballerina who later is revealed to be his illegitimate sister.

[4][5][6] 1970: Tom (now played by Albert Stratton)'s relationship with Helen is strained by the arrival of his ex-wife Martha, an out-of-work actress now calling herself Julie Richards (Beverlee McKinsey).

Peter Chernak romances sweet Angel Allison (Suzie Kay Stone) and marries her, but has an extramarital fling with Jean Garrison.

Visiting an orphanage, Laura and Mark decide to adopt a young girl named Maria (Judy Safran), unaware that she has a very troubled past.

"[4][5][6] Love Is a Many Splendored Thing owed its existence to CBS daytime head Fred Silverman, who openly favored serials over game shows.

The show focused upon other characters, such as the strong-willed Betsy Chernak Taylor (Andrea Marcovicci), and complex storylines involving politics and blackmail, but its ratings failed to recover quickly enough to avoid cancellation.

Along with ABC's Dark Shadows, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing particularly targeted young viewers along with soap operas' traditional audience.

Organist Eddie Layton introduced the influences of jazz and pop music to the show's score in contrast to the heavy symphonic and theatrical organ style of more established soap operas.