The Clear Horizon
| The Clear Horizon | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Soap Opera |
| Created by | Manya Starr |
| Written by | Carol Warner Gluck |
| Directed by |
Hal Cooper Joseph Behar |
| Starring |
Jan Shepard Denise Alexander Phyllis Avery Bern Bennett William Berger Eve McVeagh |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 254 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Charles Polachek |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | July 11, 1960 – June 15, 1962 |
The Clear Horizon is an American soap opera which ran on CBS Daytime from July 11, 1960 to March 10, 1961 and February 26 to June 15, 1962. The show was created and head written by Manya Starr.
Premise
The Clear Horizon (titled The Army Wife in the pre-production phase) revolved around the problems of astronauts and their wives at Cape Canaveral, Florida. In the show's first episode, Roy Selby (Ed Kemmer) was moved from his post in Alaska to The Pentagon, which gave him a new commission in Florida. Selby and his wife Anne (Phyllis Avery) tried adjusting to their new lives, with Anne feeling attraction to another man. Along with the show's unique theme, it had been one of the first daytime dramas to be broadcast from California (namely the Los Angeles-located CBS Television City) and one of the first such programs to shoot location footage.
Ratings
The Clear Horizon was presented live in its initial run, but was cancelled in March 1961. It returned to the airwaves in February 1962, and was now taped instead of being presented live. This time, the show focused on Anne dealing with life on her own and Roy being trapped behind enemy lines.
Veteran soap opera writer and creator Irving Vendig (radio's Perry Mason, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night) was a writer of the show following its return.
Unfortunately, The Clear Horizon had never been a big hit with the viewing audience as a whole, even in the 1960-1961 season. The low ratings of the show - its 1961-1962 ratings were 3.5, putting it at the bottom of the daytime ratings list - ensured its permanent cancellation in June 1962, at which point Anne and Roy would be reunited.
Cast
Notable cast members included Beau Bridges, Lee Meriwether, Ted Knight, William Roerick, Denise Alexander, and Eve McVeagh.
The background shown over the title and closing sequences was the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, accompanied by a piano theme by Kip Walton and a voiceover entailing future programs. Bern Bennett was the show's announcer.