News
N.Y. Times Reporter on OLTL! Refuge, Revelation, & Life Lessons learned from Llanview!
Courtesy/ABC
It’s hard for many to fathom that it has now been over a month since One Life to Live aired its final episode after 43 years on ABC. And as fans are still grieving the loss, and tuning in to 1PM or 2PM in the afternoon (depending on your time zone) to see if the show is on, sadly it’s gone, (replaced by the lifestyle series, The Revolution) but in no way forgotten.
To mark the end of OLTL, Patrick Healy, a theater reporter for The New York Times, wrote about his longtime affection for the series and soap operas in general. The daytime serials offered “both an escape from real life and a mirror where I saw — for the first time — my own repressed feelings given voice by characters who were more fearless, shrewd and thin than I was,” Healy writes.
While explaining how he fell in love with Llanview he highlighted when Judith Light took the stand as Karen admitted she was a prostitute, Erika Slezak’s numerous performances as Viki, battling with her alters throughout the four decades of the series, and Susan Haskell’s complex portrayal of Marty Saybrooke. Healy was able to beautifully put how his life was changed and helped by One Life to Live, in so many ways.
Here are a few excerpts: “One Life to Live receded as a steady presence until the introduction of another strongly written female character, the reckless college student Marty Saybrooke, who was gang raped at a fraternity house. Like Ms. Light’s Karen, Susan Haskell’s Marty became one of daytime’s great characters, a victim who would go on to turn her life around. But as much as Marty later persevered, she was always haunted by the past. And I related to her difficulty with old demons; mine was a pathology about abandonment and being given up for adoption. Just as Karen and Viki and Marty tried to prove their self-worth, I tested myself by volunteering to be a war correspondent in Afghanistan and Iraq, where I would sometimes recall Viki as a source of strength, and later by becoming a political reporter.
As cliché as my favorite soap’s title was, the realization that I had only one life to live was the show’s greatest gift to me as an adult. At 26 I went through a painful breakup with my fiancée, Maureen, who recognized that I might be gay before I did (or could). I insisted that I wasn’t, or in any event that I loved her more than I could imagine loving anyone. (Yes, I speak in soapy dialogue sometimes.) Maureen forced me to face my true self, rather than retreat into fantasylands like Llanview. But the characters of Llanview, whom I still followed from time to time, were reminders that happiness lay in reckoning with the truth, with your true identity, rather than retreating into alternate personalities or dwelling on past traumas (and, let’s face it, luxury problems). In time I accepted who I am; I became, to use a favorite word of Viki’s, integrated.
I like to think that someday I’ll go to one of those fan conventions and finally meet Erika Slezak, who played Viki for 41 years. I think about what I will say to her. It’s not unlike what I envision saying to my biological mother if she ever agrees to meet me and discuss her decision 40 years ago. Soap-style dialogue runs through my mind when I imagine both encounters — big emotional statements worthy of a Daytime Emmy Award. But, really, I think I would start with both women by keeping it simple and just saying, “Thank you.”’
What do you think about Healy’s words? How have you been forever impacted by One Life to Live? Share your thoughts!
This summer beginning on July 21, Netflix streams the return of WWE: Unreal for its third season. The behind the scenes docudrama series gives fans a glimpse of life in WWE and inside the writers room, as injuries, last-minute pivots, and career-defining decisions reshape WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania 42.
WWE Unreal is taking fans deeper than ever inside World Wrestling Entertainment’s creative process, The hit docuseries will once again pull back the curtain on some of the biggest moments, boldest decisions, and unforgettable storytelling with some of the WWE’s greatest legends who’ve shaped the industry and new stars who are emerging as prominent parts of the future.
In the new season of ‘Unreal’ which consists of 5 episodes at 50 minutes each: John Cena says goodbye, a fan favorite returns, and the next generation of Superstars rise to the occasion.
Photo: WWE
The cast and WWE superstars featured include: the aforementioned Cena, plus Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, CM Punk, AJ Lee, Trick Williams, Lash Legend, Stephanie Vaquer, Oba Femi, Bron Breakker, Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
As previously reported AJ Lee revealed on General Hospital star Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, that she was part of the cast of WWE: Unreal.
WWE: Unreal production credits include: Directors/Showrunners: Chris Weaver and Erik Powers Executive Producers: Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser, Marc Pomarico Sr. Producers: Harley Glantz, Brian Decker, Michael Flynn Producers: John Galiani, Dan Gati, Jeremy Lundblad Production Companies: Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, WWE.
So, what do you think of the loglines for the new season of WWE: Unreal? Who are you most excited to see featured in the behind the scenes drama from the list of WWE superstars and the twists and turns leading into this past April’s WrestleMania 42? Let us know via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Y&R Preview: Matt Clark Asks Phyllis on a Date, Would You Be Down for the Pairing? Roger Howarth & Michelle Previously in GH’s Franco/Nina Romance
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Reflects on Dante’s Guilt for the ‘Atrocity’ That Happened to Michael Which Kept Everyone From Telling Him the Truth About Rocco (Exclusive)
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General Hospital2 days agoMaurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
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General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
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Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
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General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
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lets face it we are still talking about oltl and the 43 years of life lessons it shared with us,It gave us information and also a sense of belonging to a family,and yes escapisim,and i bet we will be talking of it for a long time .abc really messed up taking it off the air.
I AGREE ALSO ALL MY CHILDREN I LOVED THESE TWO SOAPS
I am totally miserable without my soaps…I channel surf..or read. Been watching AMC since “77” and OLTL since “98”. ABC had no right to take them from us.They could have gave us a chance to prove to them that we were here…I will never forgive ABC for doing this.My Tv will forever be tuned anywhere but ABC and their affiliates.I will not be reprogrammed, I will forever remember the day that ABC took my only relaxing time for myself away…..ABC is my NIGHTMARES…..
MY afternoons have been ruined thanks to ABC’s greed! It was the only 2 hours I had each day to relax! Now there’s nothing good to watch during the day!
I think that it was one of the biggest mistakes that ABC/Disney ever made,I still refuse to watch anything that ABC offers,other than “GENERAL HOSPITAL ” and”CASTLE”which does have one of the former “OLTL”members in the crew.
Same hrer… Iagree with Elizabeth!!!!!!!!
Yes we will remember it a long time especially those of us who watched it for as long as we can remember as in since was a small child. ABC messed up badly and we learned lots from it unlike the Revulsion which is so ridiculous who will learn anything from it especially since I won’t ever watch such crap as it or the Spew bring back our soaps our family our escape.
Just watch all the opening titles they had over the years and that tears you up. The end of decades of story telling as they use to call it in the day, she is in watching her stories ! Your heart skips a beat and you say it was like majic in the day!
OLTL was a heartwarming soap opera… One of a kind!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I miss all the actors on OLTL terribly!!!!!!!!!!!! This was a very special show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Thank you” to the NYT’s Patrick Healy for sharing what his longtime affection for “One Life to Live” has personally meant to him in his life. And, thank you too, Michael Fairman, for sharing Healy’s eloquent message, similarly resonant with meaning in the lives of so many millions of OLTL fans nationwide. We, as in our family and friends are continuing our boycotting of ALL THINGS ABC and Disney for their having canceled “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.” In response to these cancellation policy decisions, decisions made by Disney’s Robert Iger and ABC’s Anne Sweeney and Brian Frons, evidence is emerging suggesting that ABC is witnessing half of the Daytime audience fan base fleeing its network programming entirely, as some acutely perceptive observers (i.e. including among others, the acutely prescient Robin Strasser, et al.) many months ago had well predicted would be the tragic outcome. In an honorable business culture, these three individuals would have already committed a form of corporate “hari kari” for having offended and injured as many parties as they have through their rank incompetence, poor business decision making, and despicable treatment of their customers/loyal viewers of many decades duration. And, moreover, for their manifest classless crude abuse, deception, and disrespect they rained on the ever talented casts and crews of “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.” Iger, Frons, and Sweeney are disgraces to the honorable traditions that have historically prevailed in the American entertainment and broadcasting industries, and the latter Ms. Sweeney in having been complicit to the extreme in Mr. Frons’ notorious in the public record, chronic repeated ageist and sexist conduct, is a disgrace to the American womens movement that tragically paved the opportunity for her; powerfully witness her wrecking operations in a Bain Capital-like looting fashion of a great American storytelling genre birthed by writer Agnes Nixon that sustained primetime programming on this country’s networks for decades. Moreover, the three of them, Iger, Sweeney and Frons went on to replace such iconic American classics (and their millions of LOYAL daytime viewers) with junk programming a la The Spew and The Revulsion in further debasing the American contemporary television medium. Shame on the three of them and let damn be done! ABC/Disney: Release the rights now being held “hostage” to those shows and allow another network or cable provider to bring these shows back to their audiences. For once, do the right thing and cease your contemptuous conduct toward your customer base that is inimical to every sound contemporary business practice. Begin, then, to advertise ABC in a positive public light. Or perhaps better that Disney “do you” (Karma) as you did unto others, and denigrate and humiliate, and sell you off at a fire sale…now, there’s an idea….why, thank you Fortune Magazine….
Amen! The utter disregard to millions of people keeping ABC a household name for decades should be rewarded with the same disregard. I await anxiously the Disney Announcement that ABC has been cancelled! Thanks for the read Michael and Patrick and thanks Donald for speaking mountains of truth!
Wow, this is really powerful stuff. Have you considered sending this in to some media outlet as an op/ed piece? That would reach a wider audience who agrees with EVERY point you made. Brilliant.
once again you write what so many feel ,and what abc/disney did to the fans and everyone involved in the soap world .beautifully written.
I am going to add this to my previous post the sad thing is their are no more Douglas Marlands, Agnes Nixon Bill Bell Claire Labine on and on to pull us back on the ship so remember their was once a great place to go to every day kinda like Camelot!!!!
Still crying over the loss. Idiots at ABC.
Me to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree with Nancy!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HAVE WATCHED MY LIFE TO LIVE SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER I REFUSE TO WATCH ANYTHING ON ABC I THINK IT WAS A BIG MISTAKEON THEIR PART I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH I REALLY LOOKED FORWARD TO IT EACH DAY WHEN U HAVE KIDS AND GRANDKIDS IT IS A ESCAPE FOR YOU U GET SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF EVERYONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD KNEW WHEN ONE LIFE TO LIVE CAME ON IT WAS MOMS TIME I REALLY HOPE ANOTHER NETWORK PICKS THEM UP THE SHOW THEY REPLACED IT WITH THE CHEW IT SUCKS I WOULDNT WASTE MY TIME WATCHING IT I AM REALLY BURNED OUT ON ALL THESE REALITY AND COOKING SHOWS PLEASE GET SOME IMAGINATION BACK
SORRY TYPO ONE LIFE TO LIVE
mary t, it was my life to live . lol & they took it way for cheaper shows that sucks. we want one life to live amc back leave g.h alone abc!
So do I.. But I don;t think it will happen………..
It’s only been a little over a month? It seems like forever! I miss OLTL so much!
OLTL literally saved my life on one occasion when I was contemplating ending it. When I was weighing the options, pills counted out and ready to go, a single thought popped into my head-“But what will happen on OLTL?” I replaced the sleeping pills in their bottle, and went to bed. This is the power of soap opera in full effect. OLTL helped me come out of the closet (at the same time as Billy Douglas) helped me deal with health issues and depression, and helped me have just one hour per day where I didn’t have to worry about my own problems because, let’s face it, the ones in Llanview were so much more interesting than my own mundane existence.
Wow, that’s impactful. Thanks for sharing and I am gald you are here today. It was such amazing show. So awful to say “was”. I am missing it everyday.
Wow Cole, I love your story and am glad you lived another day to be true to yourself and live as God made you to be. Great story!
Tears in my eyes it scares me. To think if OLTL had not saved your life what an incrediable life we would not have known.Thank you for sharing a hard paart of your life Cole.
Wow Cole, thanks for being so forth right. Your experiences during difficult times are the power of the soaps. Soaps help us to live and realize other existences outside of our owns…. even saving us because of them.
heres some news for you,unless you already know ,you said a few things about wendy williams insulting celebrities on the red carpet,go to ,daytime confidential ,she getting ripped apart ,she was sent a letter in how she treated houston when she was alive,how do I make a cat meow,lets get the finger nails sharpened,you were right about wendy ,I never knew that,interesting,just go there and read.janet hubert gives her hell,read the letter ,its long .but says everything you did.
I am miserable without my soaps. There is a huge void in my life! Please ABC sell the rights to AMC and OLTL so that we can return to our normal lives!
Even if ABC was to sell the rights (something that will never happen), so many actors have moved on that it wouldn’t be the same. What we would get are bastardized versions of All My Children and One Life to Live that look even worst than what Guiding Light looked like during its final year.
I would rather that Agnes Nixon create a total brand new soap opera with former AMC/OLTL actors that are willing to be part of this new venture.
I am so lost without OLTL. I feel like part of my extended family is missing. I have watched it since grade school with my Mom and now was watching it with my three daughters. OLTL was my escape on a daily basis. You could laugh, cry or scream at the tv if you wanted because of the storylines. That was my theraphy. We don’t need anymore reality shows, talk shows on tv. I keep hoping that ABC will see what a huge mistake they made aInd bring back the soaps. Or that another network will pick them up once they release the right back to Agnes Nixon! They need to do the right thing! They are losing viewers and their rating are dropping on a daily basis. I would say putting the soaps back on is a win/ win situation. We get our soaps back and they get there viewers back! So wake up ABC! DO THE RIGHT THING!
I think from 1 – 3 on Monday thru Friday has been a very sad time for many fans of AMC and OLTL. Most of us are still fighting to get these soaps back on some kind of network – just so we can see our fav stars and find out what is going on in Pine Valley and Llanview. I know something must be going on – and feel like we fans are just being left out of the stories. The very talented Agnes Nixon said she has stories to write – and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has written some already – would you? How about you Patrick Healy? I have started watching Young & Restless and Bold & Beautiful and they are good soaps – and have stolen some of the stars from AMC & OLTL. I guess they haven’t really “stolen” them since there are no shows – in fact the stars are very lucky that these soaps have given them a chance to play a character in their soaps. So life goes on – but I wonder – will AMC and OLTL? I know in my heart they will !!! I enjoyed your article very much, Mr. Healy. Thanks for your memories!!!
Please someone do the right thing for everyone and give us back our soaps and give the cast and everyone back their jobs who worked on the shows.
I can’t believe that 3 million of us are in mourning when our numbers would be an overwhelming, bankable gold rush if the shows were produced for cable/internet. I still believe there’s way to save both AMC and OLTL: Atlanta is a serious, viable production hub (and I don’t even live there anymore). Why don’t ABC and Prospect Park want to do the work? It’s shameful.
Xanna – I’ll credit Ravenbeauty for this beautiful analogy: PP is dragging their heels giving up the rights is akin to an old asshole boyfriend telling you, “if I can’t have you, then no one else will either!”
I miss OLTl very much. The soap was an escape from the harsh realities of life. I was a very abused chld in every way possible, growing up in an insane, violent, alcholic household I found escape in Llanview. I know it seems ridiculous to some people, but yes it is a form of escape as well as entertainment. For an hour you are not surrounded with your own difficulties and your mind is set free for that time. I always escaped into music as well but OLTL was there too, threading through the fabric of my life. It isn’t something I will forget. I was molested for years as a child by my father like Erika Sleazak’s character was and that character survived too. I know that many people look down on soaps and on their fans, but that is really being quite judgemental of something they don’t now much about or care to know about. But, the longtime fans know and they miss the characters and the actors. I wish them all well and hope somehow in some way OLTL can return. If not, I wish every actor, writer director, producer or crew member well in the future.
I agree. OLTL had a impact on my life. ABC/DISNEY replacing this show with such garbage is the reason that with the exception of General Hospital ABC/DISNEY is BANNED in my home. THANK YOU for the article Michael Fairman !
I watched One Life To Live from its beginning. I was educated from its introduction of certain social issues. I loved being able to escape for awhile. I , now, only watch General Hospital and Castle on ABC. I was a fan of All My Children, too. Release the rights to Agnes, ABC. Admit your mistake.
Excellent article. More people in publications like The New York Times needed to come out of the closet sooner to save OLTL. It was a jewel that never should have been replaced by the banal and insufferable Revolution.
Intellectual and aesthetic snobbery obscures the theatrical and humanistic value of soap operas. Mr Healy’s insights reaffirm what millions of fans have known for decades about soaps in general and One Live to Live in particular–the entertainment value and emotional connections are unsurpassed, creating lifelong viewers. The market for soaps exists; the genius to exploit it doesn’t.
My friend David. Excellent post, well said and written.
This is the David which we spoke about Susan Lucci/ Erica persona, right?
Yes, we are one and the same.
thank you for your story, if you ever meet her tell her a fan in r.i. loved her too
How nice it is to have so many wonderful gems on You Tube to revisit… that’s what I have been doing just to keep it alive. I am still hoping that someone makes OLTL happen elsewhere and hopefully soon! So disappointed that the Mannings are so short lived on GH!
I started to watch OLTL the day of its debut! However, there were times along the way, I stopped watching as I didn’t care for the writing. That, school, career, motherhood of triplets, my time was scarce. I started back about 7 years ago.
Last week, GH (here) was interrupted here due to the President visiting. So I went to soapnet that night to re-record. I kept looking for GH AFTER OLTL! For some reason, it slipped my mind that I would know longer see OLTL on soapnet.
Anyway, though I personally had no control over the ending of the show, I was so sadden that Vicki would be out of my life. I go back when Vicki was with Joe Riley!
For so many many years she entertained us brilliantly. She represented class, wisdom & inner beauty. When she read the letter on the Thursday before the last day about what the show has come to mean to us, I cried my eyes out..It wasn’t always the storylines that kept my interest as the talent that OLTL brought to its show.
Anyone remember Tommy Lee Jones on OLTL? The Siegels? Ohh back in the day, soaps were soapy!!
I can’t express how sad I am over the death of AMC and OLTL . The casts of these shows worked so well together. I met Kassie DePaiva twice and she is absolutely down to earth. I also met JP and Farah Fath and the two of them seem so at ease with each other and the chemistry is so real. I can tell that they truly love each other. I won’t give up the fight to get them back on the air. I won’t watch any new shows on ABC and have started watching Days and NBC shows. I am sad without my escape but am looking forward to the arrival of the Mannings and my John McCain on GH. Please keep GH on the air.
I dont think I will ever forgive abc for killing OLTL or AMC… The shows never should of been cancelled.. Someone should of had a small grain of common sense to save these soaps. Well when the revolution tanks can we at least get reruns of OLTL.
Patrick Healy, “Thank you”.
Wow, I can relate to a lot of the sentiments regarding bringing back OLTL. It’s so true and resounding. I’m 43 yrs old and 1st got hooked on soaps at 13 yrs old. Haven’t remotely stopped watching since then. Now, I’m a stay at home mom and would record my stories as a evening, winding down treat, after putting the kids to bed. ABC use to be more family oriented. Making shows that kids and adults could enjoy. Such good and well rounded programming. Now, the daytime canvas is a 1 noted, boring, talk show fest. Why?????? You have consider and care for tv programming w/fan (viewship) and then $$$. If you just focus on the almighty dollar & ignore the fans (what the ppl want), then you’re in big trouble!!!! Any form of entertainment requires a HUGE fan base and then the $$’s start rolling in. But you need FANS 1st!!!!! It’s a pretty simple and basic concept that’s been lost.
No grand, big apologies needed. Just bring OLTL BACK !!!!
B4 the cancellation of my fav soaps, I’ve never knew of Michael Fairman. Sad to say. I love the guy!!! His website is fun and rich w/interviews, stories and up to date info. It’s great!! I use to mostly rely on my soap mags–Soap Opera weekly.
Thanks Mr. Healy and Mr. Fairman for going to bat and appreciating our soaps!
There is a compromise, if ABC was willing to at least partially admit it made a mistake – this idea has been mentioned a couple of times various places. Back in the day, there was cross over between AMC and OLTL. Pine Valley and Llanview were close and characters regularly crossed over. Lincoln, Kitty, Donna, Herb Callison… They could bring back a show, with Agnes Nixon stewarding it, that maybe nudged Pine Valley and Llanview even closer. The actors that are not already doing something else could populate it and, after other actors are released from existing contracts, they could migrate back to Pine View or whatever it is called. We all know they go back and forth from shows. It could work, and combining the viewers of both shows (I was faithful with AMC and off and on over the years with OLTL) could improve the ratings and make it profitable. And ABC and Prospect Park could look like heroes.
good idea Zoe! Hi Everyone. We are still fighting for our soaps. Please sign our petition at http://www.BringBackOLTL.com if you have not already. Share with your friends. Participate in the other campaigns on our ‘likes” list. We will not stop campaigning until they bring back One Life to Live !
everyone should also continue to annoy abc with calls ,letters and emails ,everything thing you do counts.dont understand abcs reasoning in why they wont turn over agnes nixons rights to her shows ,unless the network is afraid that another network would treat all my children and one life to live with more respect then they did, and the soaps will hurt abcs new daytime lineup of garbage ,the revolution is an embarrassment ,when you have to pay people to walk in and watch there crap ,something is wrong .I miss the soaps and we have to keep fighting to save them and bring back ,all my children and one life to live ,also dont watch anything on abc/disney ,just general hospital.I call and e mail everyday ,they send me a long e mail back ,then I let them have it again.just keep bugging them.
Thank you for such a fine and truthful article. I will never forgive ABC for cancelling AMC and OLTL. I worked all my life and now I retire and my soaps are gone.
I miss OLTL so much ABC made a huge mistake and i will never support them again only General Hospital.I hope Anne Sweeney is proud of how well the revolution is doing but are we really surprised OLTL is one of a kind it cant be replaced.
Mickey Mouse has become the poster child for corporate greed. ABC wanted cheap shows, and they got cheap shows. What I don’t understand is that they believed people would watch the replacement trash. They believed they could retrain viewers, and in that they succeeded: they’ve been trained to watch anything but abc…daytime or prime time.
I am a Huge Fan of Both One Live To Life & All My Children. I want to say that myself along with the other fans of the shows Want Our Soaps Back! We Never wanted those replacement shows and We Refuse To Watch Them! Please someone help us to get our beloved soaps back! We Miss OLTL & AMC daily!
By the way, most of us fans are not tuning in at 1 pm or 2 pm, we’re waiting till it actually happens, and are boycotting abc, except for when gh is on.
ABC really screwed up. OLTL & AMC pulled in double viewers than the replacement shows. We the fans will view other stations until OUR SOAPS, OLTL & AMC return to tv. I am one of the fans that hate ABC now.
I am the 2nd of three generations in my family of OLTL fans. My mother and I watched it when it first started and over the years – then a few years ago my daughter and I started watching it together. We cried so hard at its end. I am still fighting ABC in my own way and by signing others petitions to bring it back. A truly pathetic attempt from ABC to save money – just take it out of the budgets of overadvertised night shows that end up failing after ONE season. FORTY THREE years deserves MUCH more respect.
I think your post was beautiful.
Mr. Healy expressed well just why OLTL (and other soaps) are so important to us and why we grieve deeply when they’re taken from us. I can easily relate to how soap characters “speak” for us sometimes with various life experiences and can even help us sort out our feelings; help determine or influence our pathways so we can face (hopefully resolve) issues we’re facing ourselves–be it individually, in our families, or in community.
I was new to OLTL, having tuned in for only a year or so following the cancellations of my lifetime favorites at CBS in 2009 and 2010. But I did become very fond of certain OLTL characters and yes, Vicki was one of them. She was indeed the matriarch and heroine of Llanview. Erica’s portrayal was always brilliant and we all looked forward to her lighting up the screen– no matter what she was given to do. She never failed to deliver with finesse, too!
Soaps have helped America learn about and deal with some very real-life issues. I recall how well daytime dramas over the years have spoken to subjects like domestic violence, alcoholism, dementia, cancer, diabetes, racial prejudices,and gay rights issues. As a society, we’ve been compelled to consider these matters more seriously perhaps than we ever would have before….thanks largely to soaps! Their demise is proving to be a great loss .
Yes, I know. Movies of course, have over the years “delivered” too, for their audiences…providing many equally good, encouraging, motivational messages, but they’re over with in a matter of an hour and a half at best. Soaps however, were there for us five days a week….faithfully for years and years and years. So many of us grew up with them always available and even when we couldn’t tune in every single day, we knew that we could STILL have them ready for us another day. Our favorite characters would be waiting for us nonetheless. We could draw from their strengths, relate to their weaknesses,etc.. We received great courage seeing them each day.
Now? … we don’t have them. Indeed, we as viewers have all in essence “lost family” with these cancellations.
Thank you Patrick Healy for your beautiful article & Michael for sharing it with us. Also, Dr. Boudreau’s thoughtful post as well as all the other wonderful soapers sharing their personal stories of how their life correlated with our “stories”. I know mine has since the ’70’s when I started watching AMC & OLTL…I really feel as though the soap fans who are not forgetting what has happened have really created an energy that will have to dealt with in the universe…that is my honest belief…to me the universe is a much stronger force than greedy television executives..& we the soap fans are creating our own continuing story..tune in next time….I really believe in the good energy of soapers over the tv “suits” will win somehow…
I am almost 63 years old, have watched AMC and OLTL since they first aired. AMC I go back to the days of Phil and Tara . I can’t recall the name of Vicki’s sister, on OLTL, I beleive it was Meridith and a young Dr. I really miss both of these soaps. I work during the day but recorded them for many years. ABC took away a part of my daily life stytle. It brought tears to my eyes during the last month of airing for both of these soaps, bringing back characters from the past…I truly am sad and can’t seem to move on. The only soap I continue to watch is GH..which I go back to the days of Dr. Hardy..the Luke and Laura story line….miss the good ole days..:(
wasnt vickis sister named meridith ,looks like you have been watching the same soaps and began watching them at the same time I have,I named my daughter tara,I also started watching g h with dr hardie ,jessie brewer ,those were the good old days ,the abc soaps have been on a very long time and Its sad that one after the other they are letting them go.I hope that general hospital is not next ,we have to support it .I was pretty pissed off when they canceled ryans hope so many years ago,I never thought that we would be left with one soap ,and possibly loosing that to,I hope not ,everything I am hearing ,it looks like g h will start to get interesting again.I hope its not to late.
Hey barbara t: What’s happening? I’m back, I just read your comments send to my email. I wondered when U were going to say sumthg to me about the ongoing fued. U know me, I disappear for one reason or the other. 1si it was technical problms with the site, then I got busy, this time it was I thought my internet was down at home, but I had just hit a switch on the moderm that knocked me off, but I didn’t know that. I had to wait until someone came out to see what the problem & it was none, just a click of a putton. I saw Robin die today. I can’t believe they killed her off. They ****** me up. She has been a player for so long. I didn’t like how they made us suffer through it. There is no way in a hospital with an alarm going off that no other staff found their way to Patrick’s rescue, no one but Sam in the entire hospital showed up. Even when the firemen came, no hospital staff came. I know they planned on killing her off, BUT could they have not made it so easy, and in Patricks case so difficult. I will miss Robin’s firm stance on issue’s, very practical, un-soap like character. Hope all is well. One day lets meet up for lunch at the abc studio, LOL. I’ll bring the the soap! Lol
I also grew up watching AMC and OLTL I cant believe its over, I not as grand as the writer on this story but it s a shame that many kids will grow up now not knowing what the soaps are like the great actors that came from soaps I want them back I have boycotted the two shows that replaced them.
so true,they will ask what is a soap??/grandma….how sad
What a great comment thread! I don’t have a thing to add!
agree….
The cancellation of my two favorite shows has been extremely difficult to handle. I feel worse than when my mother passed away. I want this to stop and be able to go on with my life. I have gone through 2 cases of cancer in 2011 and this is worse. I want my soaps back so much and if ABC ends up cancelling GH this is the end of a genre. If they would spend some money to improve what they put on the air, it would at least be some kind of improvement. They only put on the worst of the worst in television. I WANT MY SOAPS BACK IMMEDIATELY. ABC is losing more and more viewers everyday. As far as I am concerned they are at the bottom of the barrel. BYE BYE ABC FOREVER. PUT OUR SHOWS BACK ON THE AIR.
so agree sweetie.
I will never get over canceling of OLTL it is part of the family.Yes 4 generations of conversation makes it a family member.Grandmother to grandaughter Americana OLTL and AMC is part of our lifes,
Just had a thought, they took the wrong soap on purpose. They wanted the one with the lowest ratings so that they could justify the next show leaving. I was warned about the Disney/ABC merger years ago. Stupid me did not listen and now all of us have to pay the price.
HATE ABC/DISNEY
I said the same thing ,and I remember when It happened ,I said whats going to happen to my soaps? abc/disney killed them slowly,then they canceled them ,I hope general hospital isnt next ,but it looks like abc doesnt care about having programming with class, they went down hill with the food,talk,and reality garbage.they want more money in there pockets,so abc turns to trash t v, because of greed.
true …
that was beautiful….so so how I feel about the loss of OLTL…different problems,but like Marty,and viki….and Nat….I pushed through…and a big Thank you….to all…wonderful piece….love it,wish I could get a copy of the New York times…and keep as a memory.