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, Soter, Houlis/Vassilopoulos; the working class Lakiotis family. 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 unfoliding 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 familes 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.

The early storylines of the 1950s 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. The famous scene after the wedding:

After Georgette accuses Marie of caring only for money and social standing. Marie replied with "You are a vile and wicked child, I dont know how I managed to put up with you all of these years, If it wasnt for your father I would have not been able to manage it" To which Georgette replied famously wit the words "You are the wicked one, I know you been trying to get at Alexia's trust fund and Iam going to make sure she knows as well, besides Iam just thankful your not my mother"

After this the show's first ever cat-fight ensues between stepmother Marie and Georgette who accuses her stepmother of poisoning her father or at least in some way causing his illness The cat-fight was memorable, especially considering it was the late fifties, the fight was memorable because it was the first time the word bitch had been uttered on daytime TV and also due to the fact that the two ended up ruining the wedding cake and getting covered in it as well.

The early episode also featured a storyline involving miscarriage, when Solan Brettos and his wife Mary Margaret visit the local hospital hoping to check up on their unborn child following a accidental fall from a staircase. The doctor reveals to them that not only did Mary Margaret lose the baby but that the fall also caused a rupture that made it impossible for Mary Margaret to conceive without risk to her body or life

During the early episodes another storyline is revealed when Nurse Josephine Lagonas goes into the dressing room to change only to discover that her rival nurse Lydia Nikitos is making love to Dr. Thanasis Tripolitsiotis, while she is married to Josephine's brother Dr Gregory Lagonas. At this time Josephine decides to blackmail Lydia and reveals that Lydia once ruined her life so she decided to return the favor. It is revealed that Lydia's husband Gregory is much older and that Lydia has been having an affair with the young handsome Thanasis for quite some time.

As the year 1959, drew to a close, the writers at 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"

Moments later Stavros and Alexia Chalkis return from their honeymoon and plan a Halloween party, inviting the entire town so that they can announce that Alexia is pregnant with the Chalkis heir, despite Stavros's hatred for the vast majority of them. The Halloween party guests include Andreas and Lia Philanthropenos, Santos and Cassandra Chalkondyles, Marie Rallis, Georgette Rallis, Catherine Deveraux (mistress of Santos), George Roussos and Victoria Roussos, Stephan Brettos and his wife Olga Brettos, Solan and Mary Margaret Brettos, Dr. Thanasis Tripolitsiotis and his date Ellen Jones, Dr. Gregory Lagonas, Lydia Nikitos-Lagonas, Josephine Lagonas, Dr. Houlis with his date Tiffany Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. Bursinos and their daughter Daphne Bursinos, Britney Roulett and her boyfriend Nicholas Senidos, and Britney's friend Penelope Barrington, Jackie Deimos and her friend Paola Deimos.

At the height of the Halloween party, the night takes a turn for the worse for the unsuspecting guests in the Chalkis Mansion when much to their horror the lights flicker and go out at around ten o'clock in the midst of a snow storm, causing the guests to be trapped at the Chalkis Mansion, unknowingly with a killer. The people break up into to groups to look for candles and light sources in the mansion. Dr. Thanasis Tripolitsiotis and his date Ellen Jones, Dr. Gregory Lagonas, Lydia Nikitos-Lagonas, and Josephine Lagonas form one group and head to the mansion's Library. Dr. Houlis his date Tiffany Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. Bursinos form a second group and head upstairs to look in the East wing. While Daphne Bursinos, Georgette Rallis, Marie Rallis, Alexia Chalkis and Stavros Chalkis form a third group head outside to look in the Guest House. While they do this another group, consisting of Britney Roulett, Nicholas Senidos, and Britney's friend Penelope Barrington form a fourth group and head down to the basement. Jackie Deimos, Paola Deimos and Anna Francis form a fifth group and head down the hall to the kitchen. Meanwhile Andreas and Lia Philanthropenos, Santos and Cassandra Chalkondyles and Catherine Deveraux form a sixth group and head upstairs to look in the west wing. Finally George Roussos and Victoria Roussos, Stephan Brettos and his wife Olga Brettos, Solan and Mary Margaret Brettos form a seventh group going down the hall to the Sunroom.

After heading outside to the Guest House. Daphne Bursinos, Georgette Rallis, Marie Rallis, Alexia Rallis and Stavros Rallis attempt to open the door to the Guest room but find it already unlocked. At this time Alexia discovers the dead body of Althea the maid in the guest house closet. Alexia heads upstairs to call the police and with a stroke of luck the power comes back on long enough for her to make the call.

Meanwhile Dr. Thanasis Tripolitsiotis and his date Ellen Jones, Dr. Gregory Lagonas, Lydia Nikitos-Lagonas, and Josephine Lagonas who had reached the Library. Look around just when the power comes on only to cut off again (when Alexia called the police). For the brief second that the power was back on Ellen Jones notices that their is blood dripping from one of the bookshelves onto the floor. The group investigates and finds a trap door, but Ellen stays behind. During this time sexual tension between Dr Thanasis Tripolitsiotis and Lydia is thick; Gregory does not notice this but Josephine does and she uses it too her advantage when Thanasis suggests that they go back for Ellen, she replies "What are you talking about Thanasis?, the women you want is right here", trying to imply that Lydia is the woman Thanasis wants. Gregory thinks nothing of the statement.

Before the group can reach Ellen, she gets scared hearing footsteps she runs over to a window, just as lighting flashes showing that there are not one but two shadows by the window. Within seconds the unknown women grabs Ellen's neck stabbing her in the stomach, killing her, leaving Ellen only able to utter a feeble cry for help.

Moments after Ellen is killed the unknown woman drags the body into the kitchen, intending to take the body out to the guest house, the killer is seen by Jackie Deimos, Paola Deimos and Anna Francis. The killer turns on them taking Anna has her next victim. Jackie and Paola flee and try to hide in a downstairs bedroom. The door sticks and only opens just has the killer is inches away from them. The two sisters think they are safe but this is proven false when the killer returns with a axe, slashing not only the door but Paola's skull to get into the room. Acting quickly Jackie hides under the bed, just as the killer enters the room, she tries to run, not before being stabbed in her side. To get away Jackie jumps out of the window, with the snow cushioning her fall.

Meanwhile George Roussos attempts to start his car. But while attempting to start his car, he looks in his mirror and he sees in his mirror a familiar face sitting in the back seat, replying "Its you! I thought that you were locked up in some asylum", signifying that George knows the crazed psychopath in some way. She then stabs George who passes out.

Also a confrontation ensues between Catherine Catherine Deveraux and Cassandra Santos, because she had discovered that Catherine was having an affair with her husband. The two argue on the grand staircase, Catherine grabs Cassandra and they struggle but Catherine loses her balance and falls down the stairs and breaks her neck. Cassandra tells the group that a killer killed Catherine unaware of the presence of the killer

The Episode 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

Cultural phenomenon and supercouple debut (1980-1989)

Faced with the threat of cancellation in 1980, 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 130 million viewers watching the nuptials, making it the highest rated hour in Diadochian daytime soap opera.