Loving (1984)

Following the lead of the CBS soap opera Capitol, NBC's daytime drama Loving was introduced by a two-hour, prime-time TV movie. Created by Agnes Nixon, Loving is largely set on the campus of the fictional Alden University. The serial's "backstory" is cleverly related by having TV anchorwoman Merrill Vocheck (Patricia Kalember) unearth a hotbed of intrigue while doing a report on Alden. The main plot is spiced up by a murder mystery, and Merrill's meeting with a man who (according to the original prints ads) "will change her life forever." Future Loving regulars Patricia Kalember, John Shearin and Wesley Addy (among many others) share screen space with special guest stars Lloyd Bridges and Geraldine Page. The Loving pilot aired June 26, 1983; the series proper began the following day. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi