European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 06, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 the stars and stripes tuesday september 6, 1977 modern living Abc s steamy to spoof of soap opera preoccupation with sex includes Diana Canova Sal Viscuso in a confessional Robert Guillaume in tub. Dpi the great controversy tune in tomorrow for the next episode of the . In a lather by Jerry Buck associated press Ever before has a television show no yet on the air and unseen by the Public inspired such outrage As Abc s  then never before has a television comedy series tried to wring laughter from suburban peccadilloes. For in stance a Tennis pro who s bedding Mother and daughter a boy who wears his Mother s clothing and wants a Exchange operation a girl with the hots for a Jesuit priest a Young Man whose Ambi Tion is to be a Gangland hit Man. Church groups across the nation called it moral pollution and the opening wedge of sexually explicit material on prime time television. A Gay activist group said i cringed at the depiction of homosexuals As Limp waisted  stations planned to shift soap set to premiere on Abc affiliates in the states sept. 13, to a later less controversial time. Eight stations said they won t carry it at All. Soap was designed As a steamy spoof of soap opera preoccupation with sex following in the waxy yellow buildup of Mary Hart Man Mary Hart Man. The idea was to take adultery promiscuity impotence and homosexuality and stretch them to Absurdity. But it snapped Back in angry protests to the network affiliate stations and the show s potential sponsors. I can t believe you really think these Are comedy subjects former lbs censor Sam j. Taylor said in an open letter to Abc entertainment president Fred Silvermann the tidings the newspaper of the los Angeles archdiocese. He appealed to Silverman to withdraw the pro Gram. If All the filth were removed from soap there would be Little left but the commercials said or. Harry n. Hollis jr., director of family and special moral concerns of the Christian life commission of the Southern Baptist convention in Nashville term. Hollis is one of the few Church critics who has actually seen the show. Hollis warned. The american people Are going to ask Why any responsible network would have accepted such trash for Public consumption in the first place Why any local television station committed to Public service would air it and Why any responsible american business would sponsor  the . Catholic conference urged catholics to work with others to prevent this debasement of the television medium through a contempt for human  Al Antczak editor of the tidings said there is exploitation of degeneracy in this  Abc s Silverman said part of the difficulty had Rise because soap was an innovative comedy that defied convenient Labelling. He said it is perhaps Best describe Das an adult character comedy with a continuing Story  in a closed circuit telecast to affiliate stations Silver Man also said if you were to take All the overblown criticism of soap literally the Only logical conclusion would be that the network. Had suddenly gone berserk. These critics would have you and the american Public be Lieve that we re going to throw it All away in one Gamble because we re so intent on Deba Ching the morals of the american people. Well that of course is completely  Rev. Everett c. Parker director of the office of communications of the United Church of Christ in Newyork said the Church s general Synod had unanimously passed a Resolution against exploitive television  he said he had not seen soap but that from All of the reports that have come out this i the opening gun in a program to make gratuitous sexual items the same thin for titillating interest that they have done with violence in the  after an initial showing of two Pilot episodes of soap to 85 television critics assembled in Saa Diego last june Abc has clamped a tight lid of the show. In the face of the gathering storm it has declined to preview it although some like the Baptist leaders have gotten local stations to show it and no official of Abc or the producers Witt Thomas Harris will talk about  s a Tacky unfunny show said Terence o Flaherty to critic of the san Francisco chronicle who called it a Cross Between shampoo and Captain Billy s Whiz  said he did t object to the morality As much As to the sophomoric level of the  John Voorhees writing in the Seattle times said soap did t seem to me to be any Steamer than was Peyton place a decade ago possibly a bit More honest and open and a Good Deal funnier in the face of growing criticism by Church groups Abc has remained steadfast on airing the show but has ordered some changes to soften its sexual Impact. Morality and Good taste aside a problem with soap is that everybody in it is a Weirdo. Can you look to father for guidance no he bumped off an earlier wife. Mom she s sharing the Tennis pro with her daughter. Surely the Jesuit priest. Alas he wants to modernize the mass by substituting oreo cookies for communion wafers. Here is a show that cries out for an Anchor of sanity around which the madness can revolve. Absurd exaggerated behaviour is funniest when it is played against conventional behaviour. If Archie Bunker just ran roughshod without reaction by Edith or Mike ail in the family would soon become tiresome. Officials of leading advertising agencies noting the in creasing reluctance of companies to sponsor soap have expressed concern about the effectiveness of recent campaigns by pressure groups to prevent companies from advertising in television programs according to reporter Les Brown writing in the new York times. Interested mainly in promoting their products advertisers have dropped out of several shows during the past year which they Felt might create enemies for them or that would Lead to a possible product Boycott. In recent weeks scores of companies have advised their Advertis ing agencies to eschew soap. In a new York times Check of major agencies virtually All concede that their clients aversion to soap despite its prospects for a High rating was in reaction to intense letter writing campaigns by religious groups that have hinted at their readiness to Boycott products advertised in the show. Some Agency officials likened the development to the blacklist of the 1950s, in which advertisers were pressured not to sponsor certain performers suspected by right Wing organizations of being sympathetic to communists Frederick Pierce president of Abc television con ceded that withdrawal of advertisers from soap would probably leave the program Only partially sponsored forthe first two or three episodes. He said he was sure the climate would change when the series settled into its Reg ular Story lines which he asserted will not be As Offen Sive As some of these groups imagine and will neutralize the hysteria. It is a very unhealthy situation when special interest groups stimulated by hearsay before a program goes on the air determine what is right and what in t for the viewing