News
One Life to Live Star Erika Slezak Talks Prospect Park and Clint Richie On ‘IN with Linda Dano’ Podcast
One Life to Live icon, Erika Slezak (ex-Viki) chatted with another OLTL and soap favorite, Linda Dano (ex-Gretl, ex-Felicia, AW, et al) on the latest episode of Dano’s podcast, IN with Linda Dano.
During the conversation, the dear friends and former castmates touched on myriad of subjects including One Life’s move to the internet (then streaming) with Prospect Park following ABC cancellation of the series.
Erika related the issues she and others had getting paid from the company. This included one encounter when trying to pick-up her paycheck as she did on Fridays. Slezak shared: “I waited an hour. I waited two hours. He had know intention (to pay me) until I literally stood over him in his office and said, “Write my check, because I am not leaving until you do.” And it was the last check I ever got. They still owe me a lot of money. I am not going to say how much.”

Photo: Prospect Park
She went on to say, “They still owe Tuc Watkins (ex-David) and they still owe a lot of people a lot of money. They declared bankruptcy. Even though they produced other shows, this was a separate production and such a screw up. It was such a shame.”
The discussion turned to Phil Carey, Bob Woods and Clint Ritchie who played the Buchanan men during Erika’s time on One Life, as well at times for Linda Dano. Slezak admitted she would have loved to have seen Viki involved romantically with Asa: “My one regret is that I (as Viki) was never married to him.”

Photo: ABC
Clint Ritchie has had a controversial past with One Life to Live. Both Dano and Slezak sort of dished on some behind the scenes intel. Linda shared: “I went on a date with him and my dad, who is like nine feet tall, said to him, “You are a few minutes late and that means you’re not welcome here again.” He (Clint) was a bit of a troubled person.”

Photo: JPI
Erika responded, “Clint, most of the time was incredibly decent. He did like to drink at lunch, which was not such a good idea. But Clint was very respectful and always very nice to me. He was a lovely man and he had issues. The bizarre thing is he and Phil Carey died in the same week.”
What do you think about how the attempt to bring One Life to Live online and to Hulu ultimately failed? What do you think about Linda and Erika’s past and thoughts with Clint Richie? Enjoying Linda’s podcast? Comment below.
What a wonderful conversation.
They are both so lovely.
Could have listened to them for another hour.
The higher power need to bring back not only one life to live but all my children too.
It’s sad when people can’t let things go. The shows had their shot; nobody was watching. The shows were awful. No popular show gets canceled. At some point you have to move on.
To say “nobody was watching” is a gross overstatement. At time of cancellation, OLTL was actually higher rated than GH (and way above DAYS). The show that replaced OLTL was cancelled after 6 months and the time returned to affiliates.
Well said OG Steve.
ABC got rid of OLTL mainly about money, ratings did not override the tedious amount of money to produce a soap, especially for daytime, tv,
talk shows are quite inexpensive to produce…ABC does not do business
by emotions… ABC’s daytime shows is money in the pocket…
As for OLTL- nothing lasts forever…
OOPPSS!
- inexpensive to be expensive –
I love that show I wish it would come back on TV . It was a awesome show.
Not true it did have a fan base I watched it regularly and followed it to the net. What is sad is that they did not respect the actors.
Streaming was too new at the time and the quick transition was doomed. The cancellation of multiple soaps in quick order was just the beginning of the chainsaw the networks started to maximize profits. Now it’s endless repeating news from talking heads and blab shows. I miss the old days of entertaining drama. Would it kill them to stream the old ABC or p&g shows. Or are they tapes wiped away?
Supposedly every episode of OLTL from the time they went to 1-hour are still in existence. The tapes for the first ten years (30 and 45 minute episodes) would’ve been reused as was the practice in much of daytime.
I could’ve listened to them all day such a treat! I hope Linda has Victoria Wyndham and more Another World people.
Such a shame streaming was in its early days when online was attempted. I think an online version might succeed in today’s streaming world.
Thank you Michael for letting us know about the podcast. It’s always a thrill to hear from the fabulous Erika Slezak. I loved her stories. I can’t imagine Viki being married to Asa. That would have been WW3 with Viki trying to get him in line.
I am sorry Prospect Park failed. The concept was wonderful. The execution, not so much. I watched and enjoyed the online series on Hulu. Unfortunately, Prospect Park didn’t know how to produce a serialized drama for the long haul. I think it’s awful that several of the actors were not paid.
I will always miss our beloved One Life to Live..
Hope she does join general hospital
Erika lives happily in Connecticut while GH is filmed in California.
I miss OLTL so much ❤️! The stars , the storylines. Yeah, they definitely need to bring them back ASAP
Erika Slezak is simply class and the cast of OLTL was not treated right by Prospect Park and certainly not by ABC and Froms. Get the facts: OLTL was averaging 3.1M viewers during the week of its cancellation and 3.8M viewers for the final episode. The move backfired as ratings never recovered with the stupid talk shows to include additional cancellations. ABC may have made some extra $ for a time but NO one was watching or cared. OLTL and AMC should have never left the daytime lineup. I also still miss GL and ATWT but their ratings were not as good but over 2M+.
Hi my name is Shelly Tuttle I. Use to watch one life to live with my family all of them please bring back all my children soapra and one life to life. On hulu. Again. I love watching them.
One Life to Live online was awful.
I remember when the reboot happened. I had taken my mom to the doctor. I sat in the waiting room crying because our show was back. I didn’t care that it was on line.
Just to have another scene with Erica and Roger…..
Have you noticed ES never attacks and never says an evil word about co workers if only everyone could be like that. I always wanted her to come to Y&R as Katherine’s long lost sister to keep the history alive but I don’t blame her for probably not wanting to commute to California.
News
Nathan Fillion Recalls Best Advice for a Soap Opera Tag on ‘What What Happens Live’ with Andy Cohen
Nathan Fillion, who stars on ABC’s The Rookie, which was officially renewed for its ninth season, and who began his television career on One Life to Live as Joey Buchanan from 1994-1997 was the guest along with actress Geena Davis on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live on Bravo.
During their conversation, Cohen who is a big fan of soap operas himself, especially All My Children asked Fillion about the incredible pace of acting on a soap. Fillion reflected, “It is extreme acting at a pace that you cannot fathom, and I’m told even since then it’s gotten faster and faster.” The Llanview alum added, “There are very soap operas left. I was in it just as they were starting to decline.”
However, in the buzzworthy moment that has made it to social media, Fillion shared, “I learned one very important thing. We were talking about that slow closeup at the end of a scene,” also referred to as the tag. So, “I complained about how long that closeup was like, “What am I supposed to do?”

Photo: ABC
THREE FACES OF A SOAP OPERA TAG
Fillion recalled, “A lovely man named Michael Knight (ex-Tad Martin) from All My Children (now Martin Grey on GH), I complained about (it to and) how long that closeup was, like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ He said, ‘You need to make three faces.” Now Fillion made the faces associated with these thoughts in front of Cohen and Geena Davis, while looking straight to the camera. “They are: ‘Did I leave the stove on?’ ‘I did leave the stove on!’ ‘No, I turned the stove off.’ Works for every scene!”

Photo: ABC
ONE LIFE TO LIVE LEADING LADIES
Later, Cohen asked about the leading ladies he got the opportunity to work with on One Life to Live, and mentioned, then Nathan’s on-screen mother, Erika Slezak (Viki), and then Nathan’s on-screen lover Robin Strasser (Dorian).
Nathan explained, “I was in between Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser – the matriarch of the show, the villain of the show, I was torn between them. It was the perfect position to be in. I had a fantastic time.”
You can catch the moments where Nathan and Andy talk about Fillion’s time as Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live below beginning at the 3:08 mark.
So, what did you think of advice Michael Knight gave to Nathan to help him cue into the looks of a soap opera tag at the end of a scene? Did you love the story which saw Joey torn between the love for his mother, and the passionate affair with an older woman, Viki’s nemesis, Dorian Lord? Let us know via the comment section below.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Knew He Hit the ‘Jackpot’ With New Role as Joe Fitzpatrick
First-look photos of Jonathan Bennett’s new General Hospital role of PCPD officer Joe Fitzpatrick have been released, given GH fans a glimpse of what’s to come when the character makes his debut on Monday’s upcoming May 18 episode.
Bennett is coming home to ABC soap operas, after beginning his career as All My Children’s JR Chandler some 25 years ago. The actor/host/producer shared that returning to the rigors of a daytime drama was not on his “bingo” card. However, the minute he heard about the role, there was no question in his mind, he was going to go in, read for it, and make it his!
In preview of his upcoming debut, Jonathan spoke with TV Insider, where he detailed his feelings on playing Joe, “I feel like I hit the jackpot when this opportunity came because the character is something that I really wanted to play. I’ve never read something where I was like, ‘I have to do it,’ and when I read this, I called my agent and said, ‘I’m playing this character.’”
KNEW THIS ROLE WAS FOR ME
Confident that he would nab the role, he clearly was the choice of GH executive producer Frank Valentini too, with whom, Bennett shared is one of the reasons he couldn’t wait to step into the world of Port Charles, “I was very excited to work with the best of the best, like Frank Valentini. He’s a legend.”
The Hallmark Channel and Food Network staple also shared that once his casting was announced, the reaction he received, doubled-down his decision that being on General Hospital and playing Joe Fitzpatrick was the right move at this time in his career and his life.
“The outpouring of love from just the announcement made me really emotional. I was driving home, talking to my husband, and I started having tears roll down my face. It just feels so good to go somewhere where you’re so loved and you feel so supported before you even start. It felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders. I just was like, ‘Oh, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.’”

Courtesy/ABC
PREVIEW CLIP
In an exclusive clip released to PEOPLE.com on Friday, May 15, GH fans can get their first real glimpse of Bennett in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick. In the scene at the PCPD, Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) asks, “Hey, dispatcher. What’s the story with this arrest?” To which Joe responds, “A call came in from the maître d’ at the Metro Court and he said there was some sort of argument, scuffle happening in the gardens and was concerned things were going to escalate and patrons would get injured. When we got there, it was obvious, things had escalated.”
That exchange leaves General Hospital fans wondering who was in the scuffle? Stay tuned.
So, will Dante put Joe on the case to help keep his son Rocco remain in the clear from shooting Cullum? Will Joe be a good guy, or could he be implanted at the PCPD by Sidwell or Cullum? What about the role that Jonathan Bennett read initially, do you think made it something that he really wanted to play? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
News
B&B Alum Lisa Yamada in Production on New Film, ‘My Boyfriend Is A Demon’
On recent episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful, Dylan (Sydney Bullock) gave herself and the audience quite a scare when it seemed like Luna had popped out from behind the clothing rack and revealed herself to be alive. Only it was a fakeout to B&B viewers, when it turned out not to be Luna, but Remy Pryce (Christian Weissmann) donning a long black wig.
However, there is news about the actress who played the real Luna, Lisa Yamada. The Daytime Emmy winner is busy shooting another film role and this time the movie is already in production,
Yamada is part of the ensemble cast of My Boyfriend Is A Demon that also features notable and newcomers including: Mattias Ferrell (A Very Jonas Christmas Movie), Bailey Sloan (Ragamuffin), Jack Champion (Avatar), Ever Anderson (Peter Pan & Wendy), Vinnie Hacker (Euphoria), Josephine Reitman, David Arquette (Scream), Rosanna Arquette (The Moment), Coco Arquette (Cougar Town), Savannah Lee Smith (Tinsel Town), and Ty Law (Friday Night Lights).

Photo: LYamadaIG
My Boyfriend Is A Demon is written and directed by mishka. In the story, Mary, a lonely, small-town girl who, in an effort to gain the acceptance and friendship of her peers, creates a ‘finsta’ account for a nonexistent, seemingly perfect guy, appearing to be her boyfriend. After apparently manifesting a little too hard, her new beau suddenly shows up at her door. The film is executive produced by Verdi Productions. Ketchup Entertainment and Kinolime.
In a statement, Verdi Productions’ President, Chad A. Verdi, shared with Deadline, “This cast is a perfect balance of veterans from major studio franchises such as Scream and Avatar alongside exciting emerging talent poised to become the next generation of movie stars. mishka’s script connects with young audiences in a way that feels fresh, authentic, and culturally relevant. From the cast to the department heads, there’s been a real sense of fearlessness and creative energy throughout production — the kind of collaboration you always hope to find on a film like this.”
If and when Luna ever returns to The Bold and the Beautiful alive and well remains to be seen. But. as discussed in Michael Fairman TV’s recent interview with Yamada on the red carpet at the BBTV app launch party, Lisa will soon be seen in this summer’s highly-anticipated Prime Video Legally Blonde prequel Elle. Lisa touted My Boyfriend Is a Demon on her Instagram Story.
So, intrigued to see Lisa in My Boyfriend Is A Demon when it’s released? Do you think at some point soon, Luna will for sure pop up and be alive and well and planning revenge on the Spencers and Dylan? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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