News
Erika Slezak Posts Annual Holiday Letter! Shares Heartfelt Words On Turbulent Times Of Revival's Of OLTL & AMC!
Courtesy/ABC
You may need a hankie for this one, folks, because it comes from the icon of One Life to Live, Erika Slezak! Today, Erika posted her 2013 holiday letter on her website, which has become an annual tradition for her fan club. In the 2013 version, the six-time Daytime Emmy winner addresses the hopes and the despair we all went through with the revivals of One Life to Live and All My Children online and the sad quick ending, that as of now has left both shows shelved.
What made this letter so poignant is that Erika shared how wonderful it was to be back with her OLTL family again, and stepping into the shoes of Viki, even if for a very short time. Erika also pays tribute to the fans for making this all possible in the first place. Read Erika’s letter below, that we are sure long time fans of Llanview will want to check out!
ERIKA: “Dear Friends: Well, this year has certainly been one of ups and downs; we started last January with such high hopes for the revivals of One Life to Live and All My Children and things seemed to be going so well when we started production in March. Unfortunately we produced only 8 weeks of shows, and then everything fell apart. Our boss, Jeff Kwatinetz, is still trying to bring both shows back, but personally I think that will be a very difficult feat to pull off. As things stand now, production on both shows has been shut down, so there will be no more OLTL or AMC, at least not in the near future. But we never give up hope! In any case, I loved being back at OLTL; I loved being back with all my friends on the show and we had a wonderful time although it was short lived. Still, I am very grateful for that brief opportunity to have played Viki once more.
Personally my life has been very busy and very good. It’s wonderful to be home and enjoy all the pleasures of home life. I am hoping that in the next year I will be able to find work elsewhere but if that doesn’t happen right away, I will be grateful for what I had.
Once again, I want thank Walter Miller for his unflagging support and for keeping this little club afloat. I also want to thank AJ, Kit Williams and Stephen Schofield. Walter and Stephen spent a lot of time in correspondence with Jennifer Pepperman, our most recent producer, and were invaluable in assisting her with photos and background information on OLTL and Victoria Lord. And in particular, I would like to thank all of you for your incredible support during our online phase. This would never have come about if it hadn’t been for you, and the entire cast and crew of OLTL is extremely grateful.
I wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday season and all good wishes for the New Year. We never know what the future holds, so perhaps I will see you all again from the screen or the stage or wherever. Merry Christmas! With Love, Erika”
What did you think about how Erika shared her excitement and disappointment at the ups and downs of bringing OLTL back from the dead if not for just a short time? What would you like to see Erika do next, if playing Viki on OLTL is no longer an option? What were your thoughts when you read her letter? Comment below!
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Such a classy lady and I can see her on The Bold & The Beautiful as a Forrester relative or maybe a cousin of Stephanie & Pam. Just wishful casting!
I always thought ABC was nuts to let her go. How many Emmys and how big a following? She’s be a natural for an American remake of the British show New Tricks or a judge/attorney on one of its many crime shows. Sad.
I always thought she kinda resembles Susan Flannery!
she’s a class act. I adore her. ….and I miss her and OLTL
Me Too!!!
Beautifully written letter.
It was wonderful to have OLTL back, even if for a short time, better then not at all.
(( life is not always fair ))
“Life is not always fair”? Um, you act as though Miss Slezak was whining or complaining when she was actually being the gracious class act that she is.
Thank you Miss Suooo for that insensitive comment.
su0000000 – still the master of defending ABC and Ron and sniping at OLTL stars and fans.
Love you too Erika…
Your class and dignity (and some great acting skills) always brought me enjoyment.
I miss seeing your TV family every day and even watch OLTL 2.0 on HuluPlus.
I’m not giving up hope for your return.
Thanks for all the memories.
There is only one solution to this problem… OPRAH!!! She has a network, connections, money, and she is a soap fan. Our soaps never belonged on the internet.. they belong on t.v.! Even if you made them a half hr. each… they belong on a network. Let’s all make a plea to Oprah to revive our precious soaps the old fashioned way and put them on her network!!! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE Oprah! We miss them!
I don’t think these soaps are dead. We have to many fans who expressing their loyalty and now believe more see how valuable they really are. Really believe its not over and we need to keep reminding networks this too. don’t watch anything were they should and did have soaps. Networks need to see how valuable they are.
I would be thrilled and so proud to see Erika both onstage and onscreen. So sad that OLTL is gone again… but if Jeff K can pull off the seemingly impossible, truly, power to him. Until then look sharp entertaiment industry-there is a superb amount of talent here.
I will follow Erika, Kassie and most of the OLTLers anywhere, but I’m still hoping for more Llanview.
Such a wonderful lady miss the soaps every day. I cancelled Hulu and am so sad. I heard that Opeah was interviewing the soaps stars. Do you know a date and time for that .
I think Erika is pure class and style. I look forward to seeing her in her next venture.
She truly is the classiest woman out there. Love her, and hope that I can see her lighting up the screen again soon. Whether it be online, daytime, prime-time or big screen.
Erika is such class. I miss OLTL, sad to think it may never live again.
OLTL and the uber- talented, Erika Slezak are the best. PP WAS DISAPPOINTING to be sure. However, cast and crews gave it their all.
For a long time I have thought that Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser should do the Neil Simon stage play “The Odd Couple” the female version. I see Erika as Olive Madison and Robin as Florence Ungar. If I was rich, I would put my money up for that!(if they were willing)
I would love to see them together on stage in either a comedy or a drama.
That’s a really good idea.
Such a lovely lady!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Erika!!!
I’m dry-eyed, but that was a great letter. Like alot of the OLTL and AMC actors, she’s walking the fine line between having hope that the shows will be revived again some day, and realizing how slim those chances are. That’s not an easy position to be in and it doesn’t erase the fact that right now, the shows are not in production and she’s out of a job, like alot of her colleagues. I wish her well and hope we will see her again on our screens again soon.
Erica, you and the rest of the cast of OLTL will be so missed,I pray the show comes back and if not it has been a great ride growing up with you all. XOXO
Erika is a class act. She always has been and always will be.
DITTO!
Cast erika slezak as the new dina abbott , on the young and the restless. she would be great as dina.
That is lovely idea, ricardo. I like it, but would such a New Yorker/East Coaster relocate to LA? Still, I wonder if a short-term front-burner storyline for the Dina Abbott character is possible… perhaps a secret terminal lillness and she returns to Genoa City to make amends with her children, or to drop a bombshell secret on the city’s upper crust that shifts alliances somehow? My hunch is Miss Slezak will be on the Broadway or off-Broadway stage. She would be a delight to see on the boards. It was a dear letter she penned to us. I miss ONE… Read more »
I personally think it’s time to say good bye to AMC and OLTL as we knew them. PP will never be able to run them on a long term basis. The only who can is ABC but they don’t want to have anything to do with daytime soaps except for GH. I would like ABC to get the rights back from both soaps and merged them into a weekly primetime series with key actors of both shows. Llanview and Pine Valley are sister towns in PA. They would very well blend into an unified TV show. It would something like… Read more »
PP was creating a soap opera for TOLN and when AMC and OLTL were canceled PP took them over instead of creating their own soap..
Perhaps they will gather actors from both the soaps and continue on with creating the soap they were working on.. 🙂
I’m grateful for the many decades of both soaps that had ..
all things come to an end, even or lives on earth will end..
OMG, suoooooooo, that is sooooooo profound.
It’s one thing to lay down and die of old age, but in OLTL’s case they were MURDERED at their peak. I’m not grateful for that AT’ALL.
Llanview and Pine Valley are sister cities in PA. Port Charles is in NY. In any event, let the AMC/OLTL characters be on GH! But things need to be worked out.
Yes would love to see her on bold and beautiful too but will always be oltl for me
Thank you Erika for this beautiful letter and for always being such a beautiful and gracious lady. We miss you and the entire OLTL family.
Love her and still hoping both iconic soaps return. They deserve it. Erika is definitely a class act! Adore her!
As always a class act , I hope and pray we will see her back as Vicky and both shows will live on !
Yes, I had tears while reading Erika’s lovely letter. I love and admire this woman so much, and it truly hurts my heart to think we will not see her playing Viki anymore. I’m still holding onto the hope that someday OLTL and AMC will be back in production, and that we’ll be able to enjoy and appreciate all the hard work that the talented cast and crew on both shows are known for. Merry Christmas Erika!
Always a treasure to hear her thoughts. Thank you so very much Erika
Wish I could seen those episodes…secretly wished Oprah would have picked up those shows…sure would have boosted ratings for all!!!!
W-O-W…a totally beautiful and heartfelt letter!!!!! Thank You Miss Erika…you will ALWAYS BE A CLASS ACT in my book!!!!! Good Luck to you in all of your future endeavors!!!!!!
Peace.
Is there anybody better than Erika Slezak? She is one of a kind. A great actress, graceful lady, and major team player. ABC needs to do some serious soul-searching and admit they made a big mistake and bring Erika and One Life to Live back to ABC where they belong!
Dearest Erika,
Words cannot express how thankful I am for the joy you and the other Llanview residents have given me for more than 40 years. I was blessed to have OLTL in my life since the age of 8!!! I will NEVER forget the years of your lives you all gave to bring OLTL into my home and family. It was such FUN :o)
Sincerely and with much Gratitude,
Phyliss
I could cry all night. I think of the last few episodes of OLTL in Jan. 2012 & am still just absolutely floored that the show was ripped away from us in the middle of such fantastic stories-there was so much to look forward to. My days have never been the same without my Llanview friends. Love Erika & everyone else from the show. Miss you all.
As always, very gracious. She is such an awesome lady, inside and out. I hope to see her again on OLTL soon!
Ms. Slezak is wonderful and her letter, like her interviews over the years, addresses everything with intelligence and class. She and Viki Buchanan have meant so much to me over the years. I really, really, hope someone again rewards the cast, crew, and fans of these two incredible shows with another, permanent resurrection. What’s happened is baffling and painful. Best wishes to Erika and all at AMC and OLTL.
I wish Days would write a part just for her, hopefully a long term front burner one. She could play a heroine or villain-perhaps a nemesis of Stephano. Too much talent for one of the other soaps not to pick her up. The tragedy is OLTL should never have been cancelled, I will never get over it. THE ABC BOYCOTT CONTINUES!
Maybe they can bring one more new soap back and have all the people from both shows in it!
I dearly loved Erika (Vicki) I will miss OLTL and AMC terriably.Fingers crossed that someday we will see the permanant return of our iconic soap operas.
you can feel the love coming thru her words in the letter – such a gracious woman!
She is so classy there just isn’t anyone like her on daytime anymore
Maybe Erika could come on GH… As a different character or not. She will always be Viki to me! Erika was always my #1 favorite on OLTL…RV & RC should put her on GH it would be an added bonus to the show.. That’s just an idea that crossed my mind…I will miss her a lot. She was the heart & soul of OLTL!!!!
Erika: I still miss OLTL and especially “Viki”. I hope that someday OLTL will come back in some form. There are still a lot of fans out there who are waiting for this. I watched OLTL for years, but I have not bothered to get into another soap as OLTL was the only one that I cared to watch. I am still waiting for Viki and Clint’s remarriage…Thanks for sharing the holiday letter with your fans.
The best actress in daytime ever…hands down! Erika is missed! Hello Ron? Hello Frank?? Why not bring her on to GH? She could be Heather’s sister and then she could be Franco’s Aunt and this way she could be back with RH. Imagine the fun of putting her up against the Q’s…there’s so much they can do with her! Just a thought 🙂
I don’t know….. Look what they’ve done to Roger. I want my favorites on TV and in great roles.
She could be more Nikki Smith then Viki 🙂
I believe that there will never be a replacement for the original OLTL, and Vicky.. Erik was the best at what she did, and the original cast made OLTL what I remember.. I am happy the online is over with, it could not meet my standards. I loved to see OLTL brought back on ABC or any network with most of the original cast members.
I so agree…. the online vesion was nothing but an embrassment in my opionion…it only picked up in the last few episode…. just could not stand all the loud techno music in the Shelter scenes.. it just drowned out all the dialogue.
Please ABC do us right and bring them back properly.
I’m ALL for that – those stupid endless “Shelter” scenes were annoying and tried to take the place of true storyline which they did not. I am hoping both One Life to Live and AMC return, somehow, but my secret wish is that ABC will take them back and either present them as half hour programs (Like “Bold and the Beautiful”) or combine them into one show, called Pine Valley or Pineview or Landview or Scooby Doo I don’t care I just want the shows back. I don’t know if I can honestly say I want them in the hands… Read more »
She is so wonderful! Classy lady. Still shocked everyday with the soaps that are left on tv while OLTL is gone.
She is a class act all the way! Would watch her on any show she appeared on but would love to see her on General Hospital.
I love her, she was the very best thing about the On-line version of ONE LIFE TO LIVE to me, and brought life to every scene she was in. I don’t think either One Life or ALL MY CHILDREN got a fair chance to find their footing as on-line presentations. I too am hoping against hope that both shows can return (I’m all for combining both shows into one creation since Landview and pine Valley are near each other anyway) – right now, it seems only a dim possibility though.
Breaking News
‘The View’s’ Whoopi Goldberg Tells Audience to Stop ‘Booing’ Republican Senator Tim Scott
During a bizarre couple of segments of Monday’s episode of The View, Republican presidential candidate, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, was the special guest.
The conversation between the conservative politician and The View co-hosts, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro took some uncomfortable and tense turns.
At one point, Goldberg posed the question to Scott, as to why the Republican Party was trying to “stop the progression that people are making.” Scott started answering and said that his political party was doing a “fabulous job at making progress” with social issues. Hostin asked him to elaborate on that point. It was then, that the senator turned his back to Goldberg, which promoted Whoopi to interject “That was me talking to you …. shall I come next to her?”
Goldberg then stood next to Hostin as Scott continued to face away from the other co-hosts and address the two. After proving her point, Whoopi went back to her seat a The View table.
Courtesy/ABC
Then, production signaled Goldberg to toss to break, but Scott was continue to speak. So instead of interrupting him, someone else from the production staff walked on camera and told Scott they were going to break.
However, when the show returned, and Ana Navarro asked her question, if the senator thought the ‘Republican Party had gone too far’ in introducing legislature against the LGBTQ+ community, including Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, plus Floria governor and Republican presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis’ feud with Disney, Scott’s response drew ire from some in the live audience with many booing the guest.
Next, Goldberg shut down the ‘boos” scolding the audience with: “Not here. I’m sorry sir. Do not ‘boo’. This is The View. We accept … we don’t have to believe everything people say, but you cannot “boo” people here, please. You cannot do it.”
Watch the ‘daytime drama’ on The View below, and then let us know what you thought of Tim Scott’s appearance on the ABC daytime talk show via the comment section.
News
The Men of Charity Lawson’s Season of ‘The Bachelorette’ Revealed
Bachelor Nation got a preview of the twenty-five men who are searching for love and are hoping to find it with season 20’s ‘Bachelorette’ Charity Lawson. The new season of the reality-dating competition kicks-off on Monday June 26th (9-11 PM ET) on ABC.
Viewers met Lawson during Zach Shallcross’ season of The Bachelor. During a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Charity said on being the producers choice for the lead role in season 20: “This puts me in the position of being the fourth woman of color to hold this role and the second monoracial African American woman to have the opportunity to find love. I notice and acknowledge that this is so much bigger than myself. It is my journey to love, but it’s bigger than me.”
The men vying for the final rose will include:
Aaron B., 29, a software salesman from San Diego, Calif.
Aaron S., 33, a firefighter from San Diego, Calif.
Adrian, 33, a realtor from Northridge, Calif.
Brayden, 24, a travel nurse from San Diego, Calif.
Caleb A., 29, a resident physician from Ann Arbor, Mich.
Caleb B., 24, a pro wrestler from Orlando, Fla.
Christopher “Chris,” 27, a world record jumper from White Plains, N.Y.
Dotun, 30, an integrative medicine specialist from Brooklyn, N.Y.
James, 28, an attorney from Chicago, Ill.
Joe, 32, a tech operations director from San Francisco, Calif.
Joseph “Joey,” 27, a tennis pro from Lawai, Hawaii.
Photo: ABC
John., 27, a data scientist from New York, N.Y.
John Henry, 30, an underwater welder from Virginia Beach, Va.
Josh, 28, a Harvard grad student from Bethlehem, Pa.
Kaleb K., 26, construction salesman from Norcross, Ga.
Ahmad Khalid “Khalid,” 28, a tech recruiter from Dearborn, Mich.
Michael, 28, a yacht captain from Chicago, Ill.
Nicholas “Nick,” 32, an HR executive from Bayonne, N.J.
Peter, 33, an airline pilot from New York, N.Y.
Sean, 25, a software sales representative from Tampa, Fla.
Spencer, 32, a medical sales director from Moorpark, Calif.
Tanner, 30, a mortgage lender from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Taylor, 32, a loan officer from Springboro, Ohio
Warwick, 27, a construction manager from Nashville, Tenn.
Xavier, 27, a biomedical scientist from Carrboro, N.C.
Over the past weekend, a video teaser for the men of Charity’s season was released by ABC. You can check it out below.
Then, let us know, any picks on which guy could steal Charity’s heart on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette? Let us know in the comment section.
Breaking News
Walt Willey Brings All My Children’s Jackson Montgomery to General Hospital
Look for another legal eagle character from a former ABC soap opera to pop up on General Hospital!
News today out of Soap Opera Digest has that none other than Walt Willey set to reprise his role as All My Children’s Jackson Montgomery on upcoming episodes of GH in July.
Willey played Erica Kane’s (Susan Lucci) love interest and the Pine Valley lawyer from 1987 through to till ABC’s cancellation of the series back in 2011. The actor previously crossed-over to another soap opera in 1996, when he played Jack on ABC’s The City.
Photo: ABC
Taking to his Facebook account, Walt confirmed the news on his appearances on GH: “Hey Folks… Been sitting on this one for a while but now I’ve been given the clearance to announce that “Jackson Montgomery” is visiting Port Charles! I’ll be doing a few episodes of General Hospital, due to air mid July. So excited to reprise my character and see and work with old friends! I’ll keep you posted on any details. “Jackson” in Port Charles…who would have thought it? Let me, and ABC, know what you think about it!”
Could Jack’s sudden arrival in Port Charles have to do with the SEC and the trouble that Carly (Laura Wright) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) find themselves in? Will AMC fans get to see Cameron Mathison and Willey share scenes together again? Mathison played Ryan Lavery on the beloved former soap opera … or might Jack go up against Martin Grey in a GH legal battle, so Michael E. Knight and Willey could share scenes together again since their AMC days?
So, excited to see Walt on General Hospital? What do you think brings Jack to Port Charles? Weigh-in below and stay tuned.
‘The View’s’ Whoopi Goldberg Tells Audience to Stop ‘Booing’ Republican Senator Tim Scott
The Men of Charity Lawson’s Season of ‘The Bachelorette’ Revealed
Walt Willey Brings All My Children’s Jackson Montgomery to General Hospital
B&B’s Scott Clifton Reflects On His Conflicted Emotions on Winning Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Over Y&R’s Kristoff St. John
General Hospital’s Réal Andrews and Finola Hughes Deliver the ‘Power Performances of the Week’
DAYS Alum Jensen Ackles on ‘The Winchesters’ Inability to Find New Home is a Case of ‘Unfortunate Timing’
B&B’s Scott Clifton Reflects On His Conflicted Emotions on Winning Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Over Y&R’s Kristoff St. John
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Cameron Begins His Plot to Frame Nick As His Return Rocks Sharon to the Core
GH’s Nicholas Chavez and Tabyana Ali to ‘Sprina’ Shippers: “Thank You For Not Only Being Fans, But Turning into Family”
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Marcus Learns He’s Not Trina’s Biological Father
Eva Longoria on Reprising Her Role of ‘Desperate Housewives’ Gabby : “I Would Be The First to Sign Up for a Reboot”
DAYS and GH Alum Tyler Christopher Arrested for Public Intoxication
The Men of Charity Lawson’s Season of ‘The Bachelorette’ Revealed
B&B’s Scott Clifton Reflects On His Conflicted Emotions on Winning Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Over Y&R’s Kristoff St. John
General Hospital’s Réal Andrews and Finola Hughes Deliver the ‘Power Performances of the Week’
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Cameron Begins His Plot to Frame Nick As His Return Rocks Sharon to the Core
Pride Month Celebrating LGBTQ+ Soap Supercouples: Nuke, Kish, Otalia & WilSon … Which Stands the Test of Time?
CM Punk Officially Set for Return to AEW On New Series ‘Collision’ Premiere
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RecapsMay 28, 2023The Bold and the Beautiful’s Scott Clifton Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’
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General HospitalJune 4, 2023B&B’s Scott Clifton Reflects On His Conflicted Emotions on Winning Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Over Y&R’s Kristoff St. John
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RecapsJune 3, 2023THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Cameron Begins His Plot to Frame Nick As His Return Rocks Sharon to the Core
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General HospitalJune 1, 2023GH’s Nicholas Chavez and Tabyana Ali to ‘Sprina’ Shippers: “Thank You For Not Only Being Fans, But Turning into Family”
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General HospitalMay 31, 2023GENERAL HOSPITAL: Marcus Learns He’s Not Trina’s Biological Father
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General HospitalMay 30, 2023GENERAL HOSPITAL: Who Will Turn Out to be Trina’s Biological Father … Curtis or Taggert?