Lovers and Friends is a short-lived American soap opera that premiered on NBC on January 3, 1977 and ended on September 29, 1978. The show was created by Harding Lemay and Paul Rauch, both of whom were also working for the daytime drama Another World. Lovers and Friends was considered to be an indirect spin-off of the former series, and took the place of a direct spin-off on the NBC schedule upon its premiere. Friends,” Set in a wealthy suburb of Chicago, the drama concerns the relationships of the Cushings and Saxons who occupy neighboring houses.