ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL: PRIVATE AFFAIRS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas intended for young audiences. Madeline, a teenage girl, is in charge of her school’s annual “snowball dance,” and has her friends run all manner of errands in preparation for it. While inspecting the hotel ballroom where it is to be held, Madeline and her best friend Lindy spot her father Matthew coming out of an elevator with Doreen, a close friend of her mother’s. They begin to suspect that Matthew and Doreen are having an affair, although Madeline doesn’t want to believe it. It is announced that Lindy will be queen of the dance, much to her and her boyfriend Nickel’s excitement. However, Nickel is approached in private by his ex-girlfriend Tina, who informs him that she just discovered that she has gonorrhea. She advises him to get himself tested at a local clinic, since he may have contracted the disease from her. Matthew visits Madeline about a matter over the dance’s decorations, but she can’t bring herself to confront him over her suspicions that he’s having an affair. Nickel visits the clinic to get himself tested and speaks with the physician there, Dr. Hawkins. He informs Nickel that he has gonorrhea despite his lack of initial symptoms. He starts Nickel on treatments, but Nickel is worried; he has already had sex once with Lindy, and both of his sexual encounters with Tina and Lindy were done without a condom or any kind of contraceptives. Dr. Hawkins strongly advises that Nickel tell Lindy to visit the clinic, as it is likely that she contracted gonorrhea from him as well. Nickel is deathly afraid of telling her, but Dr. Hawkins points out that untreated gonorrhea causes serious symptoms, and that the risk increases the longer he waits. Madeline discovers that Doreen and her husband Richard are coming over for bridge, and she tricks Boyd and her father into staying away from the house long enough for Doreen to leave. Her mother notices her odd behavior around Doreen, but Madeline says nothing to her. Meanwhile, Nickel angrily confronts Tina about her dishonesty regarding her previous sexual partners, but she rebuffs him. When Boyd returns Madeline reveals her suspicions to him in private, and he refers her to their teacher Mrs. Meeks for guidance. She is afraid that if she tells either of her parents then it will pain them or possibly cause them to get a divorce. Mrs. Meeks advises that they seek help from a marriage counselor and assures Madeline that this problem isn’t her fault. Nickel tries to tell Lindy that she may have gonorrhea, but can’t bring himself to do so, since he doesn’t want to ruin her excitement about being queen of the dance. However, both of them contemplate that they may have made a mistake by having sex too early. Madeline comes home to find her father waiting up for her, and she finally comes forward with her suspicions. Matthew admits to it and claims that he will resolve the situation, but pleads with her not to say anything to her mother for the time being. Madeline reluctantly agrees, but still feels hurt by what her father did. Nickel calls an STD hotline for advice, and they advise him to tell Lindy sooner rather than later. In the middle of the night, Madeline notices her father leaving to see Doreen. Her mother is none the wiser, believing that Madeline is simply nervous about the upcoming dance. Early that morning, Nickel visits Lindy and informs her about his gonorrhea. She is highly upset, not only due to the disease itself but the fact that she feels Nickel was dishonest with her about his previous relationship. He tries to tell her to go to the clinic, but she does not seem to be willing. While making preparations for the dance, Madeline is visited by her father, who asks her to put aside her feelings for that night so she can have fun. Madeline is not so easily forgiving, and they part without resolving anything. Madeline encounters Lindy in the hall, who tells Madeline about her encounter with Nickel and her subsequent visit to the clinic. Although Lindy is upset with Nickel and unsure if he truly loves her, Madeline insists otherwise, pointing out that other guys may not have told her that they had gonorrhea. Comparing Lindy’s situation with Nickel to her own with her father, Madeline observes that “nothing’s perfect, even when it seems to be.” The dance begins and seems to be a success. Nickel arrives and speaks to Lindy in private. Both of them admit that they were wrong to start having sex so early and that they both love each other despite the mistake they made. She appreciates that it took a great deal of courage for Nickel to come forward with the news, and they head back to the dance together. Later, Madeline returns home to find her father waiting for her. He informs her that he’s ended his affair with Doreen and told Madeline’s mother about the whole thing. They are waiting until the following day to discuss things, and they are contemplating seeing a marriage counselor. Although the future is uncertain and both Madeline and her father are frightened at what might happen, there is still hope that they can resolve these marital issues. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: October 26, 1989 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:20297
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1972-1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Brenda Wilson … Executive Producer, Writer
- Karen S. Shapiro … Producer
- Neal Baer … Director, Writer
- Jonathan Wolff … Music by
- Christopher Daniel Barnes … Cast, Boyd
- Dean Butler … Cast, Matthew Green
- Chris Collet … Cast, Nickel
- Kerri Green … Cast, Madeline Green
- Kay Lenz … Cast, Bonnie Green
- Amy Lynne … Cast, Lindy
- Lynne Thigpen … Cast, Mrs. Meeks
- Nancy Kulp … Cast, Aurora
- Wendy Brainard … Cast, Tina
- Elizabeth Savage … Cast, Doreen
- Michael Warren … Cast, Dr. Hawkins
- Joe Bratcher … Cast, Richard
- Chris Demetral … Cast, Allen
- Zero Hubbard … Cast, Randall
- Bryan Datillo … Cast
- Nicholas Shaffer … Cast