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Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live Now Available! A Must-Read for Long Time Fans!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/JeffGiles

If you have watched One Life to LiveĀ  over any, or all, of its over four decades of existence, and want to get a glimpse of what it was like throughout all the different casting, writing, and producing regime changes, and read some never- before- known moments that happened on the set, and behind-the-scenes of one of the most iconic soaps of all-time, then you should order your copy of the just released paperback book or kindle version ofĀ  Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live by Jeff Giles!

According to the official book description, “During its more than four decades in the ABC daytime lineup, One Life to Live told countless stories, from sensational adventures to thoughtful social commentary. But the tales that went untold — the experiences of the writers, producers, cast and crew behind the scenes — are just as fascinating as any kidnapping, baby switch, or courtroom confession.

Today, network soaps are struggling for survival against cheaper-to-produce talk shows and reality series, but their cultural impact resonates more strongly than ever — and a tribute to the work that goes into producing them is long overdue.Ā Ā  To that end, Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live focuses on some of the most unique aspects of working on a five-day-a-week television series — from the actors, who had to deal with the daytime stigma and the psychology of living so intimately with their characters for extended periods of time, to the crew, who produced scripts and episodes at a blistering pace while working with a dwindling pool of network resources.

Featuring interviews with more than 50 One Life to Live veterans, including: Erika Slezak, Robin Strasser, Robert S. Woods, Hilary B. Smith, Ilene Kristen, Kassie DePaiva, Michael Storm, Judith Light, and Nathan Fillion — plus many more Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live offers readers a one-of-a-kind perspective on one of television’s longest-running shows.”

In addition to those mentioned above, check out these blasts from the pasts who all participated in interviews in which portions of those are contained within the framework of the book including:Ā  Steve Fletcher, Margaret Klenck, Brynn Thayer, Anthony Call, Ellen Holly, Joe Lando, Roy Thinnes, Jack Betts, Roscoe Born, former OLTL producer, Linda Gottlieb and head writer,Ā  Michael Malone, and OLTL creator, Agnes Nixon!

In an exclusive excerpt, Erika Slezak talks about her former leading man, Clint Ritchie’s (Ex-Clint) problem with alcohol which at times apparently disrupted the set,Ā  “When he was drunk, he was just appalling. In 40 years, I stopped scenes maybe four times, and one of them was with him.Ā  Clint was supposed to pick up a chair and move it during the scene, and he ended up throwing it — and it hit me. Not hard, but it hit me. And I said, ‘Okay, that’s it! Stop. I cannot do this, and I will not do it anymore.’Ā  My husband happened to be at the studio — God knows why he was there, but he was downstairs, and he came up, standing offstage, ready to fight for my honor. [Laughs] Clint said, ‘What? I said, ‘You threw the chair, you hit me with it, this isn’t what the scene’s about –‘ Clint didn’t say a word. They didn’t stop the cameras, because they thought I was acting! They’d never seen me get angry before. Finally they cut, and there was a terrible silence.”

So are you interested to get your copy of Llanview in the Afternoon:Ā  An Oral History of One Life to Live! Let us know!

 

 

 

 

 

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At this price I will buy..

Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live
Amazon Price.

Kindle Edition $4.90 .. 565 KB

Paperback $11.99 .. 381 pages

E-version, definitely interested in!

I think I also would like to purchase the book. Erika’s story above is refreshing. The audience always get these glowing stories from the publicity office about how everyone always get along and are like family. Families fight and there are some members who are not always liked. I think it would be good for the public to know all the blood,sweat and tears that has gone into making one of the best drama to ever be on television.

Will be buying the paperback version…

Looking forward to getting my hands on this and devouring it!

Definitely!

Defintely getting this! Most interested in the Gordon Russell-Doris Quinlan/Joseph Stuart years when OLTL was a true ensemble piece. Love the days of the Woleks, Craigs, Siegels, Vernons, Carla & Ed, and Pat Kendall. What amazes me is during this period, the show endured through countless recasts in a relatively short period (Anna, Tony, Vinnie, Wanda, Karen, Will, Dorian, Becky Lee, Richard, Brad & Jenny). Wasn’t much interested in the horrid Rauch years and beyond (never cared much for the Buchanans, Viki as the main heroine, or shrill Tina).

So great to hear those characters names again , thank you. The story had so much heart and soul in it then. It took me 20 years to get with the Buchanans. God bless!

Sounds like a good read. Is the later history covered? I only started watching the show in like 2001.

I will absolutely buy this treasure. I have watched OLTL since day one and have loved all the twists and turns and all the amazing characters and actors I’ve watched throughout the years.

Just bought it. Didn’t care what it cost……………. I love One Life to Live.

Just ordered the book! Hope you are enjoying it.

By the way, thanks Michael, for bringing it to our attention.

So there maybe footage of this lying around somewhere?

Definitely buying it. Best soap opera ever. No other soap opera has more heart and soul.

Prior to ABC canceling OLTL, it had higher ratings than General Hospital. Considering the failures of Katie and the Revolution, ABC should strongly consider buying back the rights for OLTL from Prospect Park. Prospect Park could use the money to invest in AMC.

ABC should relaunch OLTL on its network. It should relocate OLTL to LA near the GH set. It should also have Frank be its executive producer and have Ron hire writers for the show and supervise them. This would allow cross over opportunities between the soaps and allow other OLTL actors who are now working for Beacon Hill to also work on OLTL.

It’s time ABC rectified it’s horrible decision of canceling OLTL and made it up to the fans. With Frank, Ron and cross over opportunities, OLTL would be able to attract quality actors. Ratings would soar and perhaps, we would be able to watch the best romance ever (JOLIE) continue.

OLTL fans, never say never. Let your voices be heard and perhaps ABC will finally make it all right again.

Here Here ! 100 % agreement !

ABC will never relaunch AMC or OLTL never.
You could sell your soul to them and it still would not happen.
ABC has 1 blockbuster daytime soap GH and that is all they need for their daytime block.

((and they still are making millions off of AMC and OLTL – all they have to do is take it to the bank))

starting to wonder who the “wet blanket” is… the people who want them back or the people who don’t.

not looking to sell my soul for either, thou.

Gentry………….. Where have you been? LOL!!!!! ABC/Disney still owns the rights to AMC and OLTL. That’s the problem. They own both of them, won’t sell them, so no one else who has the capability to do so can put them back on television the way they used to be. We have been making our voices heard and making their lives miserable since April of 2011 when they announced that they were cancelled!!! If you’re on Facebook, why don’t you check out Soap Fans United and some of the other “soap warrior” pages to see what we’ve done. I, for one, hate ABC/Disney and have begun boycotting most of what they air – especially on prime time. And I will continue to do so until they release my soaps!

Anybody know what the books cover picture would represent??
To me it’s a ”huh?”

That’s Philadelphia’s City Hall.

I downloaded it on my kindle the other night have not read it yet sounds good I miss OLTL I think ABC just wanted Ron and Frank for GH So that meant the down fall of OLTL. the plot thickens

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Drops First Single EDM/Dance Track ‘If You Need Me’

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Last weekend, we shared the news that General Hospital alum and Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos) was releasing his first single today on June 26th and it has indeed dropped! And for those readers who guessed that Duell’s first track out of the gate was going to be an EDM/Dance/House track … you are correct, sir!

The song entitled, “If You Need Me” is perfect for the late night clubs and can be found on Spotify and other major streaming platforms! Duell is noted as the performing artist, but as the composer/ lyricist and the beatmaker of the track. For his music projects, Chad is going solely by the name of “Duelly” which has been his social media handle for years.

Taking to his Instagram on Friday, Duell explained his deep dive into making music, expressing, “I’ve wanted to make music for a long time… I just never did it. It always felt like this huge, overwhelming thing to learn. All the technical side of it, the programs, everything that goes into actually building a track… it was easy to keep pushing it off.Ā  A couple months ago I finally just decided to go for it.”

Photo: JPI

BIT BY BIT PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Chad added, “Since then I’ve been putting in a lot of time learning, experimenting, figuring things out, and slowly starting to find a sound I’m really proud of. This first release is more of a dance/EDM vibe, but I’ve also been working on a lot of different styles behind the scenes that I’m just as excited about. At some point I realized I could keep holding onto everything trying to make it perfect… or I could just start putting music out and grow as I go.”

Stepping out of his own way, Duell firmly says, “So that’s what I’m doing.Ā  My first track ā€œIf You Need Meā€ is out now. More coming soon… this is just the beginning.”

As GH viewers know, Chad made the decision to step away from General Hospital after a 15-year run with the series where his last episode aired in January of 2025. By May of last year, the role was recast with Rory Gibson debuting in the part.

Give a listen below to Duelly’s “If You Need Me,” and let us know what you thought of it via the comment section below.

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Josh Griffith Out as Head Writer at ‘The Young and the Restless’

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In a major behind the scenes move, The Young and the RestlessĀ current head writer, Josh Griffith is stepping down from his duties and is soon exiting the top-rated soap opera.

TV Insider was first to break the news and according to their report, Griffith’s departure was his own choice and the cast and crew learned of his decision earlier today on Friday, June 26.

Griffith’s resignation is not effective immediately and for now he will be continuing to tell the stories in Genoa City. As of this writing, Y&R has not named Josh’s successor.

Photo: JPI

Previously, Josh stepped down from his other major duty as the soap opera’s co-executive producer. It was just two months ago we learned that longtime Y&R vet Sally McDonald took over the EP role, while Josh was remaining the series head writer.

A SOAP WRITER WELL-TRAVELED

The seven-time Daytime Emmy winner has had a storied career and tenure in the field of daytime drama. Josh began his soap writing career in 1988 with Santa Barbara, then went to One Life to Live, where he was promoted to co-head writer. He ended his time in Llanview, at that time, in 1995. Later, he co-created Sunset Beach with Bob Guza Jr. The series ran from 1997-99 on NBC. One Life to Live called again and Josh returned as co-head writer again alongside Michael Malone from 2003-2004. Next, he joined the writing team of As the World Turns.

It was back in 2006 that Griffith first came to Genoa City and The Young and the Restless. He started in the capacity of creative consultant, as a breakdown writer, and then was tapped as the series co-executive producer. After departing in 2008. It was not until 2012-2013 that he made a short return before heading to Days of Our Lives to become the co-head writer of Salem from 2015-2016.

Eventually, Josh resurfaced at Y&R as Supervising Producer before becoming head writer in 2019 after Mal Young’s exit. Griffith had served as both head writer and executive producer from 2023-25. In 2025, Sally McDonald joined him as the series co-executive producer until the recent change a few months ago where McDonald is the sole EP.

So, what do you think of Josh Griffith stepping down as head writer at The Young and the Restless? Who would you like to see as his successor? Share your thoughts and picks via the comment section below.

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‘Revenge’ 15 Year Reunion On Tap at Television Academy’s ‘Televerse’ Festival

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One of the more intriguing primetime soap’s was ABC’s Revenge. It debuted in 2011 and became a smash hit. Revenge ran for 4 seasons and ended in May of 2015 after 89 thrilling and dramatic episodes.

Now, fans have a chance to be a part of the Revenge 15 year reunion when series stars Emily Van Camp (Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke), Josh Bowman (Daniel Grayson), Nick Wechsler (Jack Porter), Gabriel Mann (Nolan Ross), Ashley Madekwe (Ashley Davenport), Connor Paolo (Declan Poter), and Christa B. Allen (Charlotte Grayson) participate in a panel discussion at the upcoming Television Academy’s Televerse festival in Los Angeles at LA Live.

The cast will reunite on stage and revisit the relationships, rivalries, and dramatic twists that made the series a watercooler phenomenon, and its influence in the years since.

Courtesy/ABC

WHY REVENGE WAS SO JUICY GOOD

As those recall, Revenge was a reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo set in the picturesque Hamptons, and followed Emily Thorne /Amanda Clarke’s mission to exact retribution on the powerful family that destroyed her father.

One of the other actors who appeared in mutiple story-arcs on Revenge was Passions, Y&R, This Is Us and now Tracker star,Ā Justin Hartley. On Revenge, Hartley played the role of Patrick Osbourne, Victoria Grayson’s (Madeline Stowe) long-lost firstborn son who was given up for adoption when he was six months old. Patrick arrived in the Hamptons in Season 3, initially sparking a complex, romantic relationship with Nolan Ross.

In-addition, in real-life Emily Van Camp and Josh Bowman, who met on the set of Revenge have now been married since 2018 and share two daughters together, Iris and Rio.

MORE ABOUT TELEVERSE AND THE TV ACADEMY’S WORK

The TV Academy (who administrates the Primetime Emmys) will be holding their annual Televerse line-up of panels on August 14-16, as they celebrate television’s Emmy-nominated programs, innovative storytellers, and beloved content, providing attendees with an unprecedented opportunity to see beyond the screen and come face-to-face with your favorite shows.

For further information on panels and more, visit Televerse.com

So, were you a fan of Revenge when it aired on ABC? If so, who was your favorite character? Let us know via the comment section below.

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