Miss Susan
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Miss Susan was a daytime drama which aired on NBC from March 12, 1951 - December 28, 1951. The show was later retitled Martinsville, U.S.A., was taped in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and aired for fifteen minutes, five days a week at 3:00 p.m. EST. The main writer was William Kendall Clarke.
The show starred Susan Peters, who had garnered attention in films such as Random Harvest before a 1945 hunting accident left her permanently paralyzed. Peters returned to films in 1948, with little success. In 1951 NBC approached her to star in her own series.
Peters played Susan Martin, a paralyzed attorney who moved back to her hometown of Martinsville, Ohio to practice law. Soon after Susan returned to town, she had to decide whether or not the family housekeeper, Laura, was an art thief. When not dealing with these matters, Susan agonized over marrying Bill Carter (Mark Roberts) who wanted lots of kids but did not know she could never have children.
Colgate, the main sponsor, pulled the plug on the low-rated show in late 1951, replacing it with The Big Payoff. They claimed game shows were a better fit for daytime, but others believed the real reason for cancellation was Susan Peters' declining health. She died less than a year after the final episode.
