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Erika Slezak Shares Thoughts On: DAYS Move to Peacock Years After Prospect Park’s Streaming Attempt with OLTL & The Ultimate Dorian, Robin Strasser
In a new interview on her website, Erika Slezak (Viki), the six-time Daytime Emmy-winning star of One Life to Live, weighed in on a myriad of subjects, including DAYS move to the streaming platform Peacock, plus working opposite the various Dorians over the years on One Life, and none more so than the incomparable Robin Strasser.
When discussing Days of our Lives upcoming exclusive move to Peacock on September 12th, Slezak made reference to her experience in 2013 when Prospect Park produced new episodes of One Life to Live and moved it online; following the ending of its run on network television and ABC in 2012. As OLTL fans know, unfortunately, the online version lasted only one season on Hulu.
Courtesy/TOLN
Below are a few excerpts from Erika’s conversation had with her longtime fan club president, Walter Miller.
On DAYS’ move to Peacock, Erika expressed: “I think that’s fantastic! I emailed Ron (Carlivati, head writer) when I heard it because he was our head writer. I was delighted for him, and I asked him if he was staying? He said, ‘Yes, as far as I know I’m staying!’ I think it’s wonderful. The whole point of us going online was such a good idea. Unfortunately, it was so mishandled by the producers at Prospect Park. They knew nothing about what our audience was looking for, what THEY wanted. It was about stories and relationships and a lot of our audience was extremely offended by some of the things they were doing. We went through four head writers in three months because they kept saying, ‘We can’t write this stuff, or we don’t want to write this stuff.’ The idea behind it, Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz who put it together, was a wonderful idea and we would have been the first to go online (Hulu). It was just five minutes ahead of its time and it was run by people that didn’t know what they were doing. They didn’t know how to produce a daytime drama and they pushed the envelope too far, too quickly, and then they spent too much money and then they ran out of money.”
Courtesy/ABC
On the rivalry between One Life to Live’s Viki and Dorian that went on for decades, Slezak discussed all the Dorian’s she worked with by noting: “They were all different, obviously. As far as I’m concerned, Robin (Strasser) WAS Dorian. Nancy Pinkerton was wonderful in the beginning, but then she left, and thank God we got Robin because she was the absolute ultimate Dorian. The wonderful thing about Robin is that she played Dorian with all the conniving and scheming, but she always had some warmth about her. Even when she was being just horrible, there was warmth there. She was just perfect! There could not have been a better Dorian, although Nancy was very good in the beginning because she had to establish the character and what they were looking for was a villain, and she was. The other ladies, I certainly remember them all: Dixie Carter, Claire Malis, Elaine Princi…they were all slightly different but, as I say, there was one Dorian and that was Robin. Dixie, Claire, and Elaine were all very good in what they were asked to do, but they never had a chance to establish a character because they were never there long enough. Robin is an actress who is so talented and who is so clever, and I have always said that she brings a Thanksgiving Day feast to every performance. She wasn’t “performing”…from the moment she walked on set, she WAS Dorian.”
If you would like to receive updates from Erika’s Fan Club, please go to the homepage at erikaslezak.com and sign up with your email.
Now, what do you think of Erika’s comments on DAYS upcoming shift to Peacock as its new exclusive home? What did you think about her thoughts on Robin Strasser and the Dorians? Let us know in the comment section.
I really loved the reboots of AMC and OLTL on Prospect Park. There was room for improvement, certainly, but if given more time they would have worked it all out. If they had waited until streaming services took off they would still be on the air in my opinion!
As for Dorian, I finally got to see a few episodes featuring Nancy Pinkerton and Claire Malis – both were good – I never liked Elaine Princi’s version. Dixie Carter? Did she sub because she played Brandy on The Edge of Night. But the REAL the only and only GREAT Dorian was always ROBIN STRASSER!!!! I always preferred Robin to Erika and felt that Robin deserved the six Emmys – oh well! Those things never go my way! (;
YES! People were so critical of the changes that had been made for both shows (more coarse language, a little more sex, and some slight nudity that pushed boundaries) but I thought it was great!
I was so glad to read Erica’s take on why the online version of OLTO failed. I agree with her fully
I hope ABC/Hulu tries a v3… I would subscribe and certainly pay.
While I respect Ms. Slezak’s opinion, I have to disagree: TOLN’s production of All My Children was exactly what American-produced soap operas NEEDED, and was the most exciting thing (sans a few things here and there) produced by an American soap opera in the past ten years. It wasn’t safe and I loved that. Plus, the production model, while flawed, resembled what British soaps have been doing for years. And given the overall success of both soaps, both on Hulu and iTunes, I’d wager audiences were happy.
I use a VPN and watch my soap and more in any country of my choice..
I have watched Y&R for a very long long time by way of Canada..
No problems,, get a good VPN and enjoy all via Canada..
Network TV is quickly dying— in the future no soaps will
be shown via network tv…
The OLTL reboot was so bad, it left a bitter taste. Erika Slezak was right bad producing and writing the recast of many of our character was no way the same. The show Stink! I was like put a Well daytime story to rest, before destruction. I would love to see repeated episode on steaming on something free. PLEASE, OLTL was the best of day time. Too many characters are gone elsewhere. I’m sure if they could get them back I would be a follower.
It’s always an absolute pleasure to hear from Erika Slezak. I enjoyed the online One Life to Live; but, I did feel the story lines wandered in every direction. If they went through 4 head writer in 3 months, I can understand why.
I couldn’t agree with Erika more. Robin Strasser WAS Dorian!!!!!!!! I remember Nancy Pinkerton and Claire Malise very well. Both were very good. But, Robin brought that something extra. For me, it was the warmth factor that Erika mentioned. Sudden you cared about Dorian. There was a vulnerability about her that I didn’t see with the other performers. And Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser together was pure magic.
Not a day goes by that I don’t miss the wonderful characters, rich story lines and fantastic actors of One Life to Live.
I knew Dixie Carter had been on Edge of Night but had no idea she had played Dorian! I liked Elaine Princi she was so pretty but Robin is the only Dorian!!
Erika is so classy.
A lot of people put their heart and soul into this production. And sure there were some things that didn’t work, but there were also some wonderful moments too. We were all learning and evolving. And we did win some Emmys…..And again….many people put their heart and soul into these shows…..we tried and just ran out of time. Season 2 for OLTL was written and it would have really righted the ship. To me it matters if you try even if you fail. “Failure is success, if we learn from it.” I wish everyone at Days the best of luck on Peacok and know that they very talented cast, crew, and production team will knock it out of the park!!!!!
Jennifer, it was a very brave move picking up OLTL for streaming. I wished it had been successful. Thank you to those who were behind and in front of the camera of the reboot.
I never watched Claire Malis as Dorian but I remember Soap Opera Digest did a tribute to 70s fashions in the 90s when Robin was back on OLTL and a picture of Claire as Dorian was included with her wearing a gauze shirt which was popular then. The caption read:”Here is Claire Malis in a blouse the current Dorian wouldn’t be caught dead in” LMAO it was so funny!
I so miss OLTL and Ms. Slezak and I am in agreement,except with Elaine Princi. Her performance as Dorian was pretty close to Robin Strasser. Claire Malis was good, but something was missing. Nancy Pinkerton, OMG!! She was pure evil, as Dorian! She started the Viki/Dorian rivalry and the scene where she was going to let Victor Lord die, was a great TV! Dixie Carter was a temporary replacement for Nancy Pinkerton.
I love to hear actresses from all of the shows that are no longer with us be cheerleaders for the genre. I have loved Erika since watching OLTL when Viki, Larry, Joe Riley, Carla and Meredith were the main leads.
I would love to see Netflix, Peacock, Hulu and some of the other channels start showcasing some of the great actresses of yesteryear. There is just too many great talents that aren’t being seen by a HUGE following. My dream would be to see a show/movie about “mature” ladies taking a road trip together, similar to a modern-day, more hip “Golden Girls.” Who wouldn’t love to see Erika, Robin, Linda Dano, Kim Zimmer, Colleen Zenk, Susan Lucci and this caliber of actress on our televisions again? In addition, I’d love to see Martha Byrne on a Lifetime movie. She is a powerhouse.
Erika is correct on both soaps streaming and Robin Strasser. When NBC created the Days sequel Beyond Salem to be shown on Peacock, I thought it was a trial balloon. Iit was a success. Moving Days to Peacock saved Days. For some reason the networks hate soaps and totally disrespect soap fans. Wanna bet that next year after GH’s 60th Anniversary, ABC moves GH to Hulu or Disney+. Expect CBS to more YR and BB to Paramount +. Prospect Park ruined AMC and OLTL! Instead of picking up they left off, the producers took two iconic soaps and geared them towards a much younger audience by adding swearing and turning love scenes into soft porn. ABC regained the rights of AMC and OLTL and I’d love for ABC to relaunch both on their streaming service . Use GH to reintroduce the characters. Forget about Kelly Ripa and her hubby bringing back AMC as Pine Valley. It’s not happening.
ROBIN STRASSER IS DORIAN LORD! I’m still missing the Viki/Dorian relationship! I wish that idiot soap hater Brian Fronz got his taste of Karma for the way he treated the women on AMC and for canceling two of the iconic soaps on t.v.
if Days makes it streaming. If it does lets hope that Ron Carlivati will bring back what back some of the older unemployed grand dames of daytime for short term arcs. I loved Linda Dano and Strasser on Days but did not lije them playing the Vivian character which Louise Sorel owns. They should be new characters who can chew the scenery and give us a blast from the past.
Next week, Days of Our Lives welcomes back fan favorites Colton Little (Andrew Donovan) and Christopher Sean (Paul Narita) when they reprise their roles for an upcoming special episode which contains Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena Evans.
Circle Monday, June 22 when the married couple comes back to Salem. Paul is the son of Marlena’s beloved and late husband, John Black (Drake Hogestyn). Andrew is the son of iconic couple Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease).
According to the official Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of June 22-26, Andrew scolds Cat (AnnaLynne McCord). Let’s remember Andrew is ISA. Meanwhile while Marlena thinks back on her fifty years in Salem, Paul arrives back in town.
Photo: JPI
ANDREW AND PAUL
Christopher Sean began playing Paul Narita back in 2014. He has come and gone from the show over the last decade. He was last on-screen back in November of 2025, when Paul arrived back in Salem for the dedication of the Tom Horton Free Clinic as part of the Days of Our Lives 60th anniversary celebration.
Colton Little, first began playing the all grown-up Andrew Donovan in 2022 on the Peacock limited series, Beyond Salem: Chapter 2. Little eventually moved to the mothership and Days of Our Lives in 2023. He was last seen on the soap opera back in March of this year in scenes with Peter Porte (Dimitri Von Leuschner) and Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark).
In story, Andrew and Paul tied the knot in front of family and friends on June 24, 2025, which followed the heartbreaking funeral of Paul’s father, John Black, who had passed away several weeks earlier from injuries sustained in an explosion.
Photo: JAnchondoIG
Michael Fairman TV also confirmed the romance exclusively of Colton Little with former General Hospital actor, Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco Rios) at the end of December of 2025.
Anchondo shared at that time, “I reached out to him (Colton) when I got the job on GH. We knew of each other through mutual friends; so I knew of him for a long time. I started asking Colton about what his experience was like on soaps and asked about SAG health insurance, etc. We met up one night and were hooked from then on.”
So, are you excited to see Andrew and Paul back on your screens? Share your thoughts and if you would like to see them stay longer in Salem in the future, with a story all of their own via the comment section. But first, check out the just released promo for the action on Days of Our Lives entitled “Conspiracy” below featuring Christopher and Colton.
News
Judith Light Reveals She Originally Picked ABC Show About Soap Opera Writers Called ‘Staff of Life’ Before Landing ‘Who’s the Boss?’
Two-time Daytime Emmy winner, primetime Emmy winner, and two-time Tony Award winner, Judith Light was the very special guest on the Thursday, June 18 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Light was on-hand to promote her two current projects.: The AMC+ anthology series, The Terror: Devil in Silver where she plays Dorry and Disney+ and Marvel’s The Punisher: One Last Kill where she plays Joy.
During the discussion with Clarkson, who is a huge fans of Judith’s work dating back to her leading role as Angela Bowers on Who’s the Boss, Light recalled the transition from leaving her signature soap role of Karen Wolek on One Life to Live, to her first foray into the world of TV sitcoms.
Credit: COLUMBIA PICTURES TELEVISION
STAFF OF LIFE VS. YOU’RE THE BOSS
Judith explained, how she landed her role on Who’s the Boss, when in actuality, ABC had Light in consideration for three shows all at once and the one she picked to initially appear in was about soap opera writers!
“First of all, I had been this girl who came from the soap opera,” recalled Light. “I went in and I read for the producers, and I read one scene, and then they said, ‘Could you read another scene?’ And I said, ‘Yes, and can I read another scene and another scene?’ I ended up reading the whole script for them.”
Next, Judith added, “There were three shows I was up for at ABC and it was called ‘You’re the Boss” at the time and I didn’t pick that one. I picked another one, which was called Staff of Life.I picked it because I thought it was like a sign that I was supposed to do this because it was about a bunch of soap opera writers. So I thought, ‘I’ll pick, Staff of Life.'”
However, that was not to be! “This is where the universe comes in and says, ‘no, no, no, no, no.’ I had done an audition with Tony Danza and there was a wonderful director named Bill Persky, and we did the audition together. And he said, ‘That’s the chemistry’. He said, ‘That’s it. That’s where the show lives.”
Amazingly, Light shared, “I hadn’t picked that. I hadn’t put it in first place, but all the executives at ABC had seen the audition. They said, ‘No, we’re not putting her in Staff of Life. We’re putting her on You’re the Boss!”
Courtesy/NBCUniversaal
PRIDE MONTH AND JUDITH’S CONTINUED ADVOCACY
June is Pride Month and one of the LGBTQIA+ fiercest advocates for decades has been Judith Light. Clarkson asked Judith how she became so involved in the cause for equality for the community.
“I was losing my friends,” simply explained Light. “When you’re in the theater community and you start reading about this one you’ve lost, somebody you haven’t seen for a while, and then there’s another person that you’ve lost. Also the injustice of this, of the way the people in the LGBTQIA+ community were being treated. I thought that I could say something. I had done this movie, called The Ryan White Story.”
“Ryan White was this extraordinary young man, and he died of AIDS, and he was very connected with Elton John, and they were friends,” shared the actress. Ryan was being interviewed on the Phil Donahue Show, who was extraordinary and has since passed. Phil was interviewing Ryan and he said to Ryan, ‘Your community didn’t treat you well, and if somebody else in your community had HIV and AIDS, how would you have been?’ Ryan said, “I would be scared of it, but I wouldn’t have been cruel.”
You can check out the entire conversation between Judith and Kelly Clarkson below.
Now, let us know. Would you have like to see Judith in a TV comedy about soap opera writers? Did you love her as Angela Bowers on Who’s the Boss? What do you think of her continued and tireless advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
News
Y&R’s Michael Graziadei and Michelle Stafford Strike a Pose at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival (Photo Shoot)
Earlier this week, The Young and the Restless on-screen mother and son duo, of Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers) and Michael Graziadei (Daniel Romalotti) represented the CBS soap opera in Monaco, at the 65th annual Monte-Carlo TV Festival.
The Y&R stars participated at the fan fest event where they signed autograph and took photos, but also were in a whirlwind of media from around the globe during their press day.
The three-time Daytime Emmy-winning Stafford, shared on her Instagram a little BTS of her time at the TV festival alongside Graziadei expressing, “All day press day with the Grazzz ❤️❤️❤️”
Photo: JPI
In addition, Michelle took her two children, Natalia and Jameson to Monaco as well, so in her off time from doing press for the top-rated soap, she could share the experiencing of with them and she expressed, “Monaco… (and Eze) Crazy Beautiful.”
While at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival, Michael and Michelle took some moments for a little photo shoot and you can check some of these out below!
Photo: JPI
One of the all-time greats of the soap opera genre, Michelle Stafford.
Photo: JPI
Michael Graziadei is just too cool for school!
You can check out more from Monaco below with Michelle and Michael.
Now let us know, do you think Phyllis and Daniel are one of the better on-screen mother/son duos of the soaps? What did you think of these pics? Let us know via the comment section.
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Christopher Sean and Colton Little Make a Return to ‘Days of Our Lives’
Judith Light Reveals She Originally Picked ABC Show About Soap Opera Writers Called ‘Staff of Life’ Before Landing ‘Who’s the Boss?’
Y&R’s Michael Graziadei and Michelle Stafford Strike a Pose at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival (Photo Shoot)
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