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Here’s a promotional spot for the series premiere of Emerald Point N.A.S. The prime time soap debuted on CBS on September 26th, 1983 and lasted just one season. The cast included Dennis Weaver, Maud Adams, Susan Dey, Richard Dean Anderson, Robert Loggia, Sela Ward, Robert Vaughn and Jill St. John.
This was CBS’ latest response to the ongoing “clutter” of hour-long prime-time soap operas in the early ’80s (started by them, ironically, with “DALLAS” in 1978, and exacerbated by ABC’s “DYNASTY”, three years later). Never mind that “CAGNEY & LACEY” was the better program; the network decided Mondays at 10pm(et) could be “juiced” up with another soaper {especially if it were created and supervised by Richard & Esther Shapiro, the gurus behind “DYNASTY”}. “CAGNEY & LACEY” fans howled, but CBS went ahead with this “calculated hit” [incidentally, the working title was “NAVY”, but it was decided the series needed a “snappier” one], cancelled “CAGNEY & LACEY”, sat back…and watched the ratings falter. Finally, because of ongoing protests from “C&L” viewers, the network brought it back in the spring of 1984, at its original time. Happily, the ratings for “C&L” were stronger than what “EMERALD POINT N.A.S.” had gotten… and no one ever saw or heard of it again.
Didn’t that also give CBS the chance to replace Meg Foster with Sharon Gless as the Cagney half of the duo? They felt she and Tyne Daly came off together as a little too Boston marriage for their taste.
Does amyone know where I can a copy of emerald point and full season? Any format is fine. DVD, vhs or digital. I would even take Betamax :)
Chris,
Yes, you can reach me at [email protected]
Rich