January 1978

Ryan's Hope

Bucky suspects Pat is on pills. After confronting Rae with tapes proving she and Roger are having an affair. Bill suffers another heart attack and dies. Pat secretly wishes he could leave Dee and marry Faith. Liam, an Irishman from Tom’s past, discovers his whereabouts from Mary and Jack, just before they return from honeymoon.

Jill and Seneca are engaged. Blaming herself for Bill’s death, Rae tells Roger the fling is over and turns to Frank for comfort. Trying to get off pills, Pat is upset when Dee comes looking for him and he accidentally pushes her down the hospital stairs. As she is recovering, Dee begins to babble about her baby she lost before she married Pat. Johnny agrees to try and get along with Jack.

Discovering Dee had a miscarriage before she married Pat, Roger plans to use the information to win her back. Alicia becomes Rae’s secretary / companion. Able to walk without crutches, Angel is released from the hospital. Liam stalks Tom in New York. Seneca plans to tell Jill he is not Edmund’s father.

Jill almost hates Seneca for telling her Frank, not he, is Edmund’s father. Returning Seneca’s friendship ring, Jill orders him to move out. A gun-totting Liam cornered Faith and Tom. Jill discovers Frank embracing Rae. Dee fears she is going crazy.


All My Children

Nick frets when he finds a note from Erica which implies she’s contemplating suicide, although she’s actually on a vacation designed to make him pop the question. Wanting to find out if Donna can have children, Chuck persuades her to take a test which she thinks is being given only to verify her existing pregnancy. Billy Clyde beats Estelle after she visits an elderly lady who befriended her in church. Claudette makes a play for Linc. Phoebe continues to feign paralysis. Trying to keep Devon away from Dan, Brooke warns her Dan will expect her to go to bed with him. Jeff reveals to Christina that Ray spent several nights at Edna’s cabin. Flattered when Jeff says he loves her, Christina tells him she’ll always consider him a good friend.

Ray continues to up his adoption price to Ruth and Joe. David plans to use the fact that Ray spent several nights at Edna’s to win divorce from her. After Nancy tells Carl she’s expecting Frank’s child, he asks her to marry him. Tests having revealed Donna’s tubal ligation, Dr. Clayder tells Chuck she’s having a hysterical pregnancy. Phil fumes to hear Tara blaming Chuck’s woes on the fact that she divorced him. Chuck dreams of remarrying Tara. Mona and Nick continue to worry over Erica’s whereabouts. Dan tells Brooke he’s through with her.

Trying to renew a modeling career in New York, Erica contracts viral pneumonia. Flying to her hospital bedside, Nick admits he loves her. Nancy turns down Carl’s marriage proposal. Hoping to win Charles back, Phoebe claims if they went on a religious pilgrimage, she would be able to walk; he calls the idea nonsense. When David pushes her, Edna tells everyone he is a wife-beater. After Ray threatens Tad, Ruth withdraws all offers of money and says she will see him in court. Learning she cannot have children and is not pregnant, Donna considers running away. Nancy’s positive pregnancy test is accidentally sent to Caroline.

Nick proposes marriage to a critically ill Erica. Although everyone thinks he has taken a powder, Ray Gardner is still in Pine Valley and plans to take the Martins for a financial ride. Nancy tells Caroline she is expecting Carl’s child. Christina is growing tired of David’s demands and jealousy. With Erica ill in New York, Tom hires Brooke to be the Goalpost’s hostess. Linc is finding Claudette’s company very comforting. Benny tells Charles he will help Phoebe stay on the wagon. Not wanting to lose Dan to Devon, Brooke is out to get him. During session with Dr. Polk, Donna recalls her father had wanted to molest her. Poor Ruth ends up being raped by Ray.


One Life To Live

Paul bursts into Tony’s place just as Brian is about to reveal why he is so angry at Pat. Wanda considers doing a commercial. Vinnie feels the grand jury was wrong to label Lana’s death as accidental. A lonely Dorian has Karen move in with her as her social secretary. Becky breaks in on Richard and Edwina at a romantic moment.

Learning that Pat and Tony made love after he came to Llanview, Paul moves out of Pat's house and agrees to a quickie divorce. Dorian’s sister, Melinda returns home. After receiving call from a mysterious stranger with a southern accent, Becky Lee is haunted by the memory of a man she injured. Dorian is irritated when Karen comes on with Peter. Becky plans to quit her job at the newspaper. Samantha admits to Will she loves Tony but feels it’s futile.

After Pat blurts out to Brian that Tony is his real father, Brian runs out of his house and is struck and killed by a car driven by Talbot Huddelston, with Karen in passenger seat. Brushing aside Karen’s pleas to let the authorities know, Talbot leaves the scene of the accident. Prior to the accident, Karen – who had been upset to see Larry and Cathy together – asks Larry to come over share her bed; but Larry refused. Edwina pays Marco to trace Becky Lee’s secret past. Dorian considers Marco’s request to lend him money so he can become private detective.

Having told Pat he didn’t get Caribbean divorce, Paul is numb after Pat reveals she let slip to Brian that Tony was his father just before the accident. Unaware that Pat told Brian, Tony resents her for not having informed Brian of his parentage. Angry when Karen lies about her whereabouts, Dorian fires her. Melinda comes to Llanview. Wanda lands a commercial. On his honeymoon, Brad flirts with the waitresses. Marco rents a room at Mrs. Ina Hopkins’ boarding house. Back from his honeymoon, Brad worries about the ring he gave Lana on the night she died. Brian’s funeral is held. Samantha is startled to see Cathy wearing the ring Brad gave to Lana. Edwina informs Richard she came from a background of poverty.


General Hospital

When the helicopter makes emergency landing, Rick and Monica are forced to spend the night together in an isolated ranger outpost. Concern for Rick’s safety drives Lesley and David together. Laura informs Lesley her sex life is no one’s business but her own. Heather talks Diana into letting her babysit Peter Jr. on New Year’s Eve. Lana, making a prank call to Heather, is upset when Jeff picks up the phone. Gina asks Gary to wait for an answer on his marriage proposal. Mark feels lonesome when Katie goes to Boston.

Lesley moves out of the house. Rick asks David to find a place of his own and persuades Lesley to return. Gina agrees to marry Gary. Heather feels guilty because she knows Steven Lars is alive while Jeff does not. Lana pretends she is going to visit an aunt but Jeff discovers her suitcase is empty and also realizes there is no aunt. Monica learns Alan wants to leave town. Katie admits to her sister she loves both Mark and Lamont. Rick is angry when he finds out Monica was supposed to cancel the helicopter trip they took.

While Mark is out of town conferring about surgery for Lamont, Lamont suffers a stroke. Diana plans to return to work and have Heather watch P.J.. Laura is apprehensive because a new student nurse has eye for Scotty. Heather moves into the apartment Jeff found for her. Lana tells Peter her parents were killed by lightning. Rick informs Lesley that David took blame for getting co-ed pregnant and was expelled from college.

While in bed with Alan, Monica fantasizes that she is with Rick. With Lee out of town, Scotty and Laura spend night at his apartment. Lesley learns of trust when Laura leaves her wallet behind despite being covered by young nurse in training, Bobbie Spencer. Gail travels with Lee to St. Louis, where her in-laws are contesting her late husband’s will. David decides to make easy money by informing stockholders about Lamont’s health. Unaware of Lamont’s declining condition, Mark agreed to perform surgery. Lana learns about Mrs. Hadley and pretends to be Heather’s friend. In Canton, Jeff finds no trace that Lana or her family ever lived there.


Edge of Night

Draper and April announce their engagement. Owen Crimmins decides to give money to Dan Roper’s clininc instead of the Claremont. Angry when Denise’s father suggests that Miles be a full-time fund raiser, Miles quits post as chief of staff at Claremont. Logan suggests all is not proper with the crime commission and holds reservations about Kevin’s position in it. Mike gives his new law partner Draper a criminal case.

Hospitalized, April tells Draper he doesn’t have to marry her out of pity. Denise informs Miles she will not release any joint funds for him to start a new practice. Four beautiful red-haired girls have been strangled in Monticello. Geraldine assures Raven that she and Kevin can live with her after Geraldine  marries Tony. Geraldine and Tony plan a simple ceremony.

Deborah agrees to serve as an undercover agent in order to track the killer of red-haired girls. Geraldine and Tony wed. Discovering Raven really wants Draper, Logan tells her to get lost. A former employee of the Claremont Clinic is an orderly at the hospital where April is confined. He reveals that the night Catherine Damon (a patient in Claremont) died, Denise lied about the call system being out of order.

April undergoes heart surgery. Opening a policeman’s locker by mistake, Steve discovers pictures of red-haired girls and wonders if the cop might be the killer. Leaving town for a while, Miles writes Denise assuring her their marriage will continue but reaffirms his intention to work at Dan Roper’s clinic.