Difference between revisions of "Eternity"

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Opening sequence of the Soap opera Eternity

Eternity is a Diadochian daytime television Medical and supernatural drama. Eternity is the third longest-running Diadochian soap opera in production after Rosy Fingered Dawn and Everything Flows in the Kosmos.

Eternity follows the lives and loves, and various romantic and paranormal adventures of the residents of Chrysó Port. Story-lines center around the interactions among members of its core families — the wealthy Philanthropenos, Chalkis, and Chalkokondyles families; the middle class Roussos, Sarandakos/Ioannidis, Brettos, Houlis/Vassilopoulos; the working class Lakiotis, and Soter families. The show also centers on the Choumnos family‎, headed by Cassander Choumnos, known organized crime lord. The show has since its premiere in 1959, featured supernatural themes; notably a three hundred year old witch named Eleanor Kírki̱s has been on the show since its start.

From 1975 to 1988, Eternity had more viewers than any other daytime soap opera in Diadochia. It rose to the top of the ratings in the early 1980s in part thanks to the extraordinarily monumentally popular "supercouple" Stelios and Sibylla, whose 1980 wedding brought in 130 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in Diadochian soap opera history. The soap opera is also known for its high-profile celebrity guest stars.

Series history, plot and storylines

Origins

Eternity was created by Alexios and Gloria Gabras, and premiered on May 4, 1959, with much fanfare. The episode pilot episode was a huge success and it was was when many of the long-running characters were introduced. The writers created the show to function as a big revolving wheel, so that as soon as one storyline ended, another would already be unfolding or be in the works.

History and storylines

The early years (1959-1979)

Eternity launched in 1959. The first episode of Eternity introduced the world to Chrysó Port society has they gathered at the city's most luxurious and fashionable hotel, The Chrysó Port Hotel for the wedding of billionaire playboy Stavros Chalkis to Chrysó Port Socialite and hotel heiresses Alexia Rallis. During the pilot episode the major families of the show where all introduced: including the wealthy Chalkis, Philanthropenos, Chalkokondyles, Bursinos, Rallis, McFarland and less wealthy middle class families like the Soter, Sarandakos, Ioannidis, Lakiotis, Roussos, Houlis, Vassilopoulos and Brettos families.

The seemingly fairytale wedding between Stavros Chalkis and Alexia Rallis is destroyed when Stavros is revealed to not only be abusive to his wife but he later evolved into one of the show's most prominent antagonists functioning as a card-carrying super-villain. The early episodes featured a love triangle between Stavros Chalkis and Alexia Rallis, and her sister Georgette who was originally romantically involved with Stavros Chalkis only to learning of his dark possessive nature and leave him, much to Stavros's anger. It is later revealed that Stavros does not really love Alexia but only married her to get back at Georgette, for leaving him.

As the year 1959, drew to a close, the writers of Eternity planned a huge Halloween special with a very twisted spot that left many of the earlier introduced characters in dire peril at a Halloween party gone very very wrong at the huge Chalkis Mansion. The October 31st, 1959 episode opened dramatically when an escaped psychopath with connections to the Chalkis family escapes. A psychiatrist Veronica Von Holstein tries to alert the family but, only gets into contact with a maid named Althea, who is later killed by an unseen women, who can only be identified by her sharp red fingers. The maid screams in terror has she is stabbed, causing Veronica to ask if everything is alright. To which the escaped psychopath answers with "Everything is just fine".

The Halloween special of 1959 ends with Veronica Van Holstein saving the day and shooting the mysterious woman, who escapes. She reveals to the world that the women is Eugenia Chalkis, the deranged sister of Stavros Chalkis. On the Halloween special it is revealed that Eleanor Kírki̱s was a witch when she is shown onscreen speaking with a hooded figure with talon like claws (presumably the Devil) cursing the people of Chrysó Port for burning her at the stake nearly two hundred years ago. In earlier episodes, Eleanor Kírki̱s was portrayed as simply a nosy old woman.

The early episodes featured a storyline regarding miscarriage also featured a storyline involving miscarriage, when Solan Brettos and his wife Mary Margaret lose their child. Another storyline featured a love triangle between Nurse Lydia Nikitos, Dr. Thanasis Tripolitsiotis, and Gregory Lagonas. The affair between Lydia and Thanasis is revealed by Josephine Lagonas, the sister of Lydia's husband Gregory.

The early storylines of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s also revolved around Georgette Rallis' relationship with her domineering step-mother Marie Rallis and the matter of her father's illness. From the debut Marie Rallis is revealed as conniving social-climber interested only in furthering her social standing. In the 1960s and 1970s while Stavros Chalkis was married to Alexia Rallis he pursued his sister-in-law Georgette Rallis. Georgette Rallis rejected Stavros' efforts and she left Chrysó Port for a few years. Stavros once loved Georgette and wanted to punish her for leaving him. Georgette was lured back to town by her stepmother Marie Rallis working with Stavros to get rid of Georgette. Georgette found out evidence that revealed to the world that Marie Rallis had been poisoning her sick husband and she was apprehended. Georgette Rallis supposedly died in a boating accident in 1979 Stavros Chalkis faked Georgette's death in a boating accident (unbeknownst to the audience her death was faked by Stavros Chalkis who spirited her away to a private island). The fact that she was alive was not revealed until the 2006 storyline where Stavros Chalkis is stabbed.

Cultural phenomenon and supercouple debut (1980-1989)

Faced with the threat of cancellation in early 1980s, after several years of stagnant ratings, DRE Daytime executives brought in fresh new writers and gave them just 10 weeks to increase ratings. The most successful introduction was the introduction of Stelios Soter and Sibylla Vassilopoulos. Their romance greatly increased ratings and their, 1980 wedding was highly televised with 50 million viewers watching the nuptials, making it the highest rated hour in Diadochian daytime soap opera. During the 1980s, Eternity was averaging 26 million viewers per episode.

In the early 1970s and late 1980s Stavros and Alexia's marriage was clearly on the rocks. In a desperate attempt to save their marriage, Alexia became pregnant with the couple's second child Christina in 1975. Off-screen nine years later in 1984, Georgette returns to Chrysó Port to confront Stavros and is stabbed with a letter opener by her niece Christina. Who has recurring nightmares about the night. It is later revealed that Christina did not kill Georgette only wounding her long enough for Stavros to spirit Georgette back to his private island where she fakes her own death by jumping into the sea. Several years later in 1989 Alexia runs off with Chalkis Industries employee Marios Lakiotis (This fact not being revealed until the early 2000's, Stavros having faked her death to save the family embarrassment.

The Era of Social Issues (1990-2004)

From the early 1990s well into the early 2,000s the writers of Eternity implemented more social issues into the storylines. At the start of the 1990s the show was struggling to remain on top of the ratings. During the 1990s, the show gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handing of social issues, that included storylines involving breast cancer, HIV and AIDS awareness, heart transplants, abortions, and so on.

In 1992 Stelios and Sibylla returned on screen with their young children and tow. At the same time in 1992 Cassander Choumnos was introduced on Eternity as a rising mob boss. Cassander was soon paired with the gorgeous model Malinda Breaux. This pairing of Cassander and Malinda enticed viewers pulling on their heart strings and eventually leading to the couple gaining super couple status by the mid 90s. In 1993, the first annual Nurses Ball was held with proceeds going to cancer research.

From the 1990s well into the late 2,000s the show's main antagonist was Eleanor Kírki̱s who devised several schemes to destroy the people of Chrysó Port, including releasing the headless horseman on them, causing an earthquake to wreck havoc, and even releasing demons to run free on Halloween night. During this time Stavros Chalkis was transformed from a cruel wife-beater to a full-on super-villain. From late 1989 until early 2004 (the faceless years), Stavros' face was not shown onscreen for over a decade. This caused Stavros to be portrayed as a mysterious character whose face was never revealed to the audience for fifteen years; only his torso and hands, usually holding his trademark cigar, are shown, though the back of Stavros' head was occasionally seen. Stavros villainous plots of the 1990s usually only pertain to the protection of Chalkis Industries and he spends a great deal of energy trying to keep his son Stefan and his grandson Kostas under his control.

During the 1996 storyline, several couples were introduced that became super couples. A love triangle involving Kostas Chalkis, his girlfriend Daphne Hatzidakis, and Gianna Lakiotis. Kostas and Gianna would later reach super couple status. The same thing happened to Christina and Nicholas Lakiotis (the brother of Gianna). The pairing of Christina and Nicholas raised ratings. From the late 1990s, the writers of Eternity began targeting a more school-aged audience. In 19996 a summer carnival came to town, and many younger characters were introduced. From 1996 onward the show has usually featured large, wild storylines for the summer. In 1997 the local School Prom ended in disaster when the Prom boat capsized in the Prom Boat Disaster storyline. In the following year in 1998, the town witnessed the failed double wedding of popular super-couples Christina and Nicholas and Kostas and Gianna. The wedding ended in disaster, when Irene (Kostas mother) drove a car through the church in an attempt to stop the wedding. After the failed wedding, the two couples decided to elope on a private beach resort. The wedding at the private beach resort was a disaster as well because Daphne and her mother Andrea journeyed to the island to show Kostas tabloid papers that confirmed that he was not a Chalkis and that Gianna had revealed this fact to the tabloids (however it was actually Daphne and Andrea who had done this. Kostas angered left Gianna for Daphne. Meanwhile Nicholas and Christina's planned elopement failed when she was believed to have died in a boat explosion (she later returned to town with amnesia). In 1999 Stefan was believed to have been murdered (but he later returned alive), and Gianna went on trial for his murder. Gianna was believed to have been executed for his murder by lethal injection but later somehow survived the execution and was pardoned when Stefan returned alive. In 2000 into early 2001, six characters (Chris, Melissa, Panos, Gianna, Kostas, Daphne) traveled to Athenais for the summer. During this time Daphne was having a difficult pregnancy and had to go to Athenais to receive advanced care. While in Athenais Gianna and Kostas run into each other at the beach; Gianna kisses Kostas and he kisses her back. Daphne sees this and flies into a rage causing complications with the pregnancy. Daphne confronts Gianna at the hotel where they both were conveniently staying at. The two fight near the pool, and Daphne loses her balance and falls, causing her to lose the baby. Daphne is rushed to the hospital but the baby (who's name would have been Anne) does not survive, and the doctor informs Daphne and Kostas that it is very unlikely, nearly impossible that Daphne will ever be able to have another baby. In 2001, after Kostas and Daphne returned to town, Gianna confronted Daphne because she felt bad about the role she played in Daphne loosing her baby. Daphne blames Gianna telling her that if Gianna had not been trying to seduce her husband she would not have had a miscarriage, while Gianna says that Daphne really blames herself, because she was the one who tried to fight Gianna. An angered Daphne struggles with Gianna, and Gianna falls out of the upstairs window of the Chalkis mansion. In 2002-2003, Nicholas and Christina traveled to southern Diadochia, to retrieve his younger sister, Phylicia (and ended up finding his missing father, Marios, and her "dead" mother, Alexia who had ran off together years ago in the 1980s).

The New Age (2004-present)

The plot of the summer in 2005 featured a deadly earthquake and tsunami, which devastated much of Chrysó Port, and resulted in the death of Adam's mother, Marianna, while 2006 saw the extravagant Eternity Vendetta plot, in which Stavros lured seventeen people (Melissa, Sophie, Phylicia, Chris, Kostas, Gianna, Daphne, Linda, Rex, Melanie, Martina, Charis, Ava, Giselle, Nicholas, Veronica, and Little Marios) to Rome, where he planned to take over the world with a chalice stolen from the Patriarch's private chambers; the plot saw the death of Linda, Martina, Stavros, Veronica, and Marios. The last three turned up alive and well. In 2007, the Chrysó Port Blackmailer who was intersex was revealed to be Damian Calpis, and Nicholas Lakiotis was saved from being executed for the crimes that Damian committed when the witch Eleanor Kírki̱s' daughter Elena reversed time.

In 2008, longtime fated couple Kostas and Gianna were reunited when it was finally revealed that Daphne and Andrea had really been the ones who revealed his paternity to the tabloids. Kostas left Daphne for Gianna. Gianna and Kostas were married alongside, Nicholas and Giselle, Charis and Phylicia. In 2009, Veronica returned to Chrysó Port vowing to get her revenge on both Nicholas (for choosing Christina over her all those years ago) and on Christina because of her great hatred for her. Once in town Veronica kidnapped not only Marios (Christina and Nicholas' son) but Nicholas and Giselle's newborn daughter as well.

Production

Development

In the early 1950s, the DRE Daytime executives had been developing a new Medical and supernatural drama. However the plans set o the back burner for a few years, finally coming to the television screen in 1959.

Taping

Eternity has been shot at Stage 32 at DRE Television Studios in Athenais for its entire run so far. The show typically uses the traditional soap opera look, and it features constructed sets such as the Chalkis Mansion, Philanthropenos Mansion, Chalkokondyles Manor, The Chrysó Port Hotel, Chrysó Port General Hospital, Chalkis Tower, and Philanthropenos Tower and their respective executive offices. Like other Diadochian soap operas, Eternity is usually taped three to four weeks in advance. In recent times, the show has increased shooting on location.

Cast and Crew

Executive producers and head writers

Head Writers