Soap: the TV show that made Soap Operas funny!
Original title
Soap
Released
9/13/1977
Origin country
US
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Soap
Production companies
Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
4
Number of episodes
85
The antics of a wealthy family, the Tates, and a working-class family, the Campbells, in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut.
A twenty minute featurette focusing on the three creators and how the series came to be. They relate how they went about casting the many varied roles and what obstacles they faced in attempting to get the show on the air. The program was derided before a single episode was ever broadcast. Various religious and gay rights groups assailed the show, and it was only with support of Fred Silverman (President of ABC at the time), that the show survived and flourished for four seasons.
This satirical soap opera introduces the Campbells and the Tates: two suburban families of unequal prosperity but equal lunacy and a similar zest for the foibles which make us all human.
In order to leave the mob, Danny is ordered to kill his father's killer; Chester is blackmailed by his secretary; and the identity of Burt's long lost son is a shock in more ways than one.
Jessica fails to confess her infidelity; Mary fails to terminate Burt's impotence; and Danny learns the identity of the man he must terminate.
Jessica resolves to end her affair with Peter; Claire ends Chester's affair with Pigeon; and Danny tries to end Burt's life.
Jodie tells his family about his planned sex-change operation; Burt and Mary tell a psychiatrist about their problem; Corrine tells Father Tim she loves him; and Jessica can't tell Corinne anything.
Corrine moves out of the Tate house; Burt announces the return of his son Chuck, the ventriloquist; and Danny gets one last chance to kill Burt.
The Major kidnaps a neighbor; Claire fails to convince Jessica that Chester is cheating; Burt's son Chuck, the schizophrenic ventriloquist, arrives; and Danny traps Burt in a cabin with the intent to kill.
Unable to bring himself to kill Burt, Danny goes into hiding from the mob; Bob, the ventriloquist's dummy, continues to make life horrible for the Campbells and the Tates.
Jodie goes into the hospital for his sex change operation; Dr. Medlow cures Burt's impotence; and Jessica finally witnesses Chester's infidelity.
The Godfather visits Mary; Danny visits in disguise; Mary spurns Burt's advances; Corinne visits Father Tim; and Dennis has bad news for Jodie.
Learning of Jodie's suicide attempt, the Campbells rush to his hospital bedside. Corinne and Jessica confront their men about their respective infidelities.
Jodie leaves the hospital and prepares for his first date with a woman; Jessica and Corinne are furious with Peter for cheating on Corinne; and Peter is in for a surprise in his bath.
Burt plans a party to celebrate his victory over impotency, but a tragic discovery leaves him in no mood for merrymaking.
Every member of the Campbell and Tate households seems to be a suspect in Peter's murder, but Chief of Police Tinkler announces the name of the culprit.
Danny takes drastic steps to keep from being killed and a mysterious woman arrives at Tinkler's jail with a startling announcement.
After receiving some shocking news, Corinne is released from jail - and Jessica is arrested.
After gloating over Jessica's arrest, Ingrid pays a threatening visit to the Campbell's. Eunice and the Congressman receive a blackmail note and Lefkowitz agrees to let Danny live - on one condition.
The Campbells consider having Burt committed while Father Tim pays Corinne a farewell visit and Chester fires Claire
Mary finally gets Burt to see a doctor. Jessica tries to make peace with Corinne, and Eunice finds herself locked out on a hotel window ledge in the rain.
Eunice and Walter race to recover some incriminating evidence, and Jessica and Chester receive a few shocks from their first meeting with the prosecutor and the Judge.
Jessica's astonishing behavior on the first day of her trial for the murder of tennis pro Peter Campbell causes pandemonium in the courtroom.
Jessica and Chester Tate wreck havoc on the judicial system along with their sarcastic butler, Benson, when the three testify in Jessica's trial.
Jessica Tate may be at the end of her rope when a surprise witness is brought into the courtroom to present startling and intriguing evidence against Jessica
Jodie's friendship with Carol takes a confusing turn, while Jessica awaits the jury's verdict in her trial.
Lefkowitz's threat to kill the entire Campbell clan and startling announcements by Father Tim and Mr. Mallu are temporarily overshadowed by the return of the verdict for Jessica.
Chester tries to commit suicide, Jodie moves in with Carol, Mary suspects Burt of having an affair, Mother Flotsky puts a curse on Tim and Corinne, Jessica is sentenced to 50 years for killing Peter, and Chester confesses that he's the real murderer and meets Dutch, his new cellmate.
Chester and Dutch escape from prison, Carol tells Jodie that she is pregnant, and the Tates all disappear into the basement.
Chester and Dutch are discovered hiding in the basement, Chuck attempts to go on a date without Bob, and Eunice and Dutch begin to really like each other.
Jessica gives Corinne marriage advice, Mary tells Burt she wants to go back to school, Dutch takes off and Chester has a seizure.
Jodie proposes to Carol, Mother Flotsky drops dead, Sally the secretary attempts to seduce Danny and Burt, and Chester needs brain surgery.
Tim decides he's cursed, Dutch visits Eunice, and Chester survives the operation but loses his memory.
The Tates visit Chester in the hospital, Carol tells her father about her impending wedding to Jodie, and Sally is still trying to seduce Burt.
Chester comes home ... sort of. Dutch and Eunice decide to run away together, Corinne tells Jessica she's pregnant, and a drunken Burt finally spends the night with Sally.
Burt awakens next to Sally, Chester thinks he's Marlene Dietrich, Tim's first and last day at work goes badly, and Carol has a bridal shower.
Dutch and Eunice say goodbye to Jessica and Chester, Burt tries to end his relationship with Sally, Chester disappears, and Elaine is kidnapped.
Detective George Donohue tries to find Chester, Corinne's pregnancy is further along than can be explained, and Burt and Danny Negotiate with Elaine's kidnappers.
Danny is allowed to talk to Elaine, Donohue tells Jessica that he loves her and Carol leaves Jodie standing at the altar.
Burt and Danny practice the ransom drop, Elaine is shot and killed while escaping, Chuck and Bob have a new mind-reading act, and Jessica tells Donohue that she loves him, too.
Burt tells Sally to find a new job, the Tates visit Dutch and Eunice, Danny goes after Elaine's killers, and Chester regains his memory only to lose it again.
Sally tells Mary that Burt is having an affair with her and an 18-year-old girl, Carol tells Jodie he's unfit to be a father, and Chester almost remembers his name.
Burt, Danny, Jodie, Chuck, and Bob drown their sorrows during a night on the town. Tim announces he's moving to a cave in hopes of making peace with God. The police catch up with Dutch. Jodie meets Alice, a suicidal lesbian, on the Tri-borough Bridge. Mary moves in with Jessica. Corinne goes into labor.
Corinne gives birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Mary angrily confronts Burt with his alleged infidelities. Jodie and Alice get off to a rocky start as roommates. Jessica enjoys an evening of dinner and romance at Detective Donohue's apartment. Meanwhile, Chester regains his memory and heads for Dunn's River.
Burt learns that Inga Swenson is behind Sally's treachery. Danny meets Alice, his first lesbian. Jessica decides to have an affair with Detective Donohue, who proposes to her. Then, Chester returns home.
Jessica tells Chester about her affair with Donohue. Billy runs into a former classmate who has joined a religious cult. Eunice visits Dutch in prison. Danny and Jodie engineer a reconciliation between Burt and Mary. Something strange is going on in the Tate nursery.
Jessica tells Chester and Donohue that she's torn between them. Jodie brings Alice home to meet the Campbells. Corinne tracks down Tim in his cave to tell him his son is possessed by the devil. Danny gets a lead on Elaine's killers. Burt tags along with Danny and spots a UFO.
No one believes Burt saw a UFO. Benson visits Billy at the Sunnies'. Jessica apologizes to Donohue for taking so long to decide between him and Chester. Jodie and Alice go on a ""date."" Tim returns home to take on the Devil.
Jessica leads the family in the exorcism on Corrine's baby. Jodie and Alice grow closer. Danny finds himself in danger. Billy is taken hostage by the Sunnies. Jessica decides between Chester and Donohue. Burt disappears in the light.
Burt wakes up on the spaceship. Mrs. David arrives with Jodie's daughter. Jessica chooses Chester. Danny is missing.
Alien Burt has his way with Mary, and she's not complaining. Real Burt meets Saul, who tells Burt he cannot escape the spaceship. Billy resists the Sunnies' brainwashing. Mrs. David asks Jodie to choose between Wendy and Alice. Benson and ""the Step Brothers"" penetrate the Sunnies' compound but are stopped short of rescuing Billy.
Billy is rescued from the Sunnies. Mary is oversexed. Danny is saved by Millie. Jodie is torn between Alice and Wendy. Jessica is sad to bid Benson farewell.
Burt and Saul escape the spaceship but find themselves in other danger. Jessica finally convinces Detective Donohue to leave. Millie comes to Danny's rescue. Eunice awaits Dutch's release from prison while Corinne bemoans her non-existent sex life with Tim. Chester resumes his philandering ways. Billy and his teacher share a kiss.
The Tates adjust to life with Dutch in the house. Danny returns home with Millie. Mary grows increasingly suspicious of ""Burt."" Jodie officially begins his life as a single, gay parent. Real Burt and Alien Burt come face to face. Billy and Leslie decide to pursue a relationship.
Real Burt calls Mary, but Alien Burt intercepts Mary on her way to meet him. Jessica confronts Chester with her suspicions that he is cheating again. Eunice tells Corinne that she's fallen out of love with Dutch. Corinne spots Chester with another woman in a restaurant. Billy and Leslie sneak away to a romantic restaurant, only to run into several familiar faces. Tim and Corinne decide to divorce.
The Tates and Campbells gather to welcome Dutch to the family--and scare Millie away in the process. Billy and Leslie's romantic evening is interrupted by her ex. Jodie and Corinne discuss single parenthood. Alien Burt refuses to return to the spaceship. Real Burt finally contacts Mary, then disappears before her eyes. Back on the spaceship, Real Burt convinces the aliens to give him a chance to persuade Alien Burt to leave Earth for good.
Mary begins to question her sanity. Eunice and Corinne call Chester on his cheating. Real Burt turns to Jodie for help. Billy plans a rendezvous with Leslie at a hotel but runs into Eunice, then Corinne, then Dutch, then Chester in the lobby. Real Burt makes an impassioned plea to Alien Burt.
Billy tells Jessica about his affair with Leslie. Burt returns home to share his ordeal with Mary. Danny meets a black widow at the cemetery. Dutch makes it clear he knows Eunice is cheating on him. Jessica spots Chester with another woman.
Jessica catches Chester with another woman. Burt and Mary go for their annual physicals. Danny tries to find Polly. Jessica meets Leslie. An agent from Child Protective Services pays a visit to Jodie.
Jessica agrees to see a marriage counselor with Chester. The Campbells urge Jodie to move back home. Burt is jealous of Alien Burt's sexual prowess. At Billy's 18th-birthday party, Leslie promises ""to blow out every candle on [Billy's] cake.""
Jodie and Wendy move in with the Campbells. Chester and Jessica see a marriage counselor. Danny finds Polly. Burt gets mixed news from the doctor.
Burt can't bring himself to tell Mary he won't live to see their baby born. Danny and Polly declare their love for one another. Mary worries about Danny's interracial relationship, but Jodie convinces Danny to follow his heart. Billy loses his virginity to Leslie. Mary wonders whether Real Burt or Alien Burt fathered her baby.
Danny learns of Burt's illness and agrees to help Burt win a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records. Eunice asks Corinne to cover for her while she cheats on Dutch. Chester's attempts to resist the minister's sexy daughter prove futile. The Campbells host Polly's family at dinner. After Chester tells Jessica he has lapsed again, she kicks him out of the house.
While Burt searches for a world record to break, Mary suspects something is wrong. Dutch and Corinne bond. Suddenly single again, Jessica visits Detective Donohue--on his honeymoon. Dutch confronts Eunice about her cheating.
Carol pays a late-night visit to Jodie and Wendy. Jessica sees a psychiatrist who is crazier than she is. Burt learns he was the victim of computer error. Billy admits he is growing bored in his relationship with Leslie. The Tates rally to support Dutch after Eunice leaves him for another man.
Burt rushes home with news that he isn't dying and vows to live the rest of his life to the fullest. The minister's daughter leaves Chester. Danny and Polly buy a house. Jessica catches Dutch and Corinne in bed together. Jessica's psychiatrist asks her out. Carol tells Jodie she wants custody of Wendy.
Burt announces he will run for Sheriff, and Danny wants to be Deputy. Jodie enlists Mr. Mallu's help in his fight for Wendy. Chester begs Jessica to take him back. Jessica entertains her psychologist, Dr. Posner, amidst the usual Tate insanity.
Danny and Polly have Burt and Mary to their new house for an eventful evening. Billy dumps Leslie, who threatens suicide. The Campbells brace for the custody trial. The Tates welcome a new butler, Saunders, who immediately regrets taking the job. As the families gather to watch election coverage, Jessica collapses.
At the hospital, the family anxiously awaits Jessica's diagnosis. Burt becomes Sheriff but must remove the outgoing sheriff by force. Corinne convinces Dutch to stay. Jodie finds the odds stacked against him in the custody trial.
Jessica asks Chester to move back home while she's in the hospital. Dr. Hill tells Chester that Jessica is very sick. Burt's first assignment as sheriff is to remove his predecessor from office. Corinne convinces Dutch not to move out. At the custody hearing, Carol tells an outrageous lie about Jodie threatening to kill her.
Season #3 season finale was an expanded episode of 60 minutes. Now shown in two parts in syndication.
Dr. Hill revives Jessica, who remains in a coma. Danny and Burt wake up in an adult motel. Mary is relieved to see that her baby is white. Billy dodges Leslie's bullet, which hits Saunders instead. Dutch chooses Eunice over Corinne, who announces she will be moving on soon. Jessica emerges from her coma apparently healthy and surrounded by her many suitors. After the judge learns of Carol's machinations, she awards custody of Wendy to Jodie. Carol threatens Jodie. Burt and Danny receive X-rated pictures of themselves in the motel room.
Jessica tells her suitors that she is moving on with her life--without them. Burt and Danny consider responses to Tibbs' blackmail threats. Polly turns down Danny's marriage proposal, leaving him despondent. Corinne departs for a new life in California. Wendy is kidnapped.
After Burt tells Jodie there's nothing the law can do to help find Wendy, Jodie takes matters into his own hands. Jessica returns home from the hospital. Eunice and Dutch announce their engagement, much to Chester's horror. Leslie continues her bumbling efforts to kill Billy. Mary receives the blackmail photos of Burt in the motel room. Jessica agrees to allow Chester to live in the poolhouse.
Chester puts the moves on the maid of honor at Dutch and Eunice's wedding. The blackmail photos of Burt and Danny hit the papers. Despite the breaking scandal, Mary vows to stand by Burt. On her way to the Caribbean for some R&R, Jessica crosses paths with a Latin American revolutionary.
The Tates and Campbells learn of Jessica's abduction. Billy heads to Malaguay to rescue his mother. Jodie hires a P.I. to find Wendy. Danny and Burt plan to go undercover to bring down Tibbs. Jessica finds herself in the middle of a revolution.
Danny finds a hooker who will help bring Tibbs to justice. The cash-poor Tates hold a barbecue. Leslie gets more creative in her efforts to kill Billy. Jessica accepts El Puerco's invitation to spend the night in his tent.
Jessica consoles a depressed El Puerco and convinces him to fight the revolution from her house in Connecticut. Gwen testifies against Tibbs. Someone is spying on Gwen and Danny. The Tates hold a garage sale to raise cash. Burt and Mary make an appointment for sex. Jodie and Maggie's search for Carol and Wendy leads them to a rowdy saloon.
Burt sells his construction company to Chester and Dutch. Jodie and Maggie learn that Carol has run off to New Mexico with a carnival fire-eater. Billy rescues Jessica and El Puerco at sea. Danny admits he is attracted to Gwen and asks her to stop turning tricks.
Jessica returns home with El Puerco and his three Juans. Danny asks Gwen to move in with him. Jodie and Maggie, on their way to Alaska to find Wendy, admit their mutual attraction. Burt suffers a crisis of faith.
Jessica and Chester announce their divorce. Danny reveals his love for Gwen. Jodie tells the family about his affair with Maggie. At a party for El Puerco, Danny is shot.
Burt vows to make Tibbs pay for his crimes; Jessica makes an unsuccessful attempt to seduce El; Danny's critical injury requires a kidney from a blood relative.
Jodie and Maggie are taken captive by Minja warriors in Malibu; Burt becomes a hero after finally capturing Tibbs; and Mary reveals that Danny's natural father is Chester.
Jessica and Danny are both shocked by the news that Chester is Danny's real father; Burt becomes a media hero because of his attack on Tibbs; Chester and Danny face surgery together.
Chester becomes the vital kidney donor on Danny's behalf; Dutch and Eunice try to spice up their sex life by playacting; believing her sister has betrayed her, Jessica refuses to speak to a despondent Mary, who reveals how their mother arranged scatterbrained Jessica's marriage to embezzler Chester.
Burt alienates his family as his fame continues to grow; Danny is offended when Burt disapproves of his plans to marry Gwen; Jessica forgives Chester, but can't forgive Mary; Saunders proposes a plan to rescue Jodie and Maggie; Gwen is coerced by a hoodlum into spying on Burt and Danny.
Jodie, Maggie and Wendy are rescued from the fortress by Burt, Chuck, Bob, Billy, El Puerco, Juan One, the Major, Dutch, and Saunders; Jessica and Mary come to an understanding; Mary tells Jessica that she has a drinking problem, the baby may be an alien, and she fears she is losing Burt; Jodie decides to see a therapist so he can be sure about his relationship with Maggie; Danny blames Burt when Gwen runs away; Jodie signs up for hypnotherapy with Dr. Rudolph.
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