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One Life to Live's Erika Slezak Posts Message On The First Week Of Production!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

There isn’t a One Life to Live fan who is not excited about seeing the return of their all-time favorite Llanview heroine, Victoria Lord Banks, as we knew her name to be when we last saw her.   Did she marry Clint and become a Buchanan again? We will soon find out the answer to that when One Life to Live returns online on April 29th with all new episodes.

Six-time Daytime Emmy winner, Erika Slezak returned to playing the role of Viki last week at One Life’s new Connecticut studios as production resumed on the series since November 18th. 2011.   Slezak put her thoughts on her first week back in a very special note to her fans on her website!  Here it is below:

From Erika Slezak:  “Hi, I thought I would let you know how it all went. Monday and Tuesday were fairly easy days for me. The production team is working very hard to get everything right. We have beautiful sets and wonderful new costumes. The studio itself is large and spacious with great dressing room space and everything seems to be working! On Monday, our Prospect Park producers Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz were on hand to welcome everyone and there is a wonderful sense of excitement throughout. The scripts are really good, and I think the audience will be very happy with what One Life to Live is doing. Viki and Dorian are at it again and what fun that is. We have some marvelous new actors, Robert Gorrie is Matthew Buchanan, Laura Harrier is Destiny and we have Corbin Bleu joining the cast as a reporter for The Banner, who I believe will be a very important character. That’s about all that I know so far – we are having fun and hoping for our former audience to return and continue to enjoy and for our new audience to get to know us. We had a lovely group of fans come to the studio on our first shooting day. They came with flowers and balloons and were very excited to be there in spite of the bitter cold. A group of cast members went outside to greet them and lots of pictures were taken. Our first air date is April 29th, beginning at noon. So tune to Hulu, Hulu Plus or Itunes after noon on the 29th and we’ll all be together again. Erika”

So One Life fans are you happy to hear from Erika on who she thinks the new One Life is settling in and knowing she is on board 100%?   Excited to see Viki and Dorian (Robin Strasser) at it again on-screen?  Wondering how Cordin Bleu’s character of Jeffrey King will  figure into the equation?  Let us know your thoughts! We were thrilled to hear this from Erika, and hope you feel the same.

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I for one cannot wait until OLTL returns! I watched the last network broadcast and I was so heartbroken. I will be tuning in on the 29th to watch the re-premiere of OLTL!

She’s holding my flowers!!!!!!!

and your beautiful letter too!

And we were all pickled tink!

That’s sweet.

You are so lucky to see Ms. Slezak in person! (Tina)!

OMG I Can’t wait to watch….OMG April 29th…
LOVE YOU ALL.

this webpage when see amc and one live to live i hope free thank god you guys back hope roger come back one life to live with carly too from gh and hope gh people come vist the show

Cannot wait to see OLTL again. I only wish AW had this chance.

I know Max. Me too.

Max-we feel you. If these reboots are successful, anything can happen

Me too!! Can you imagime a Aw reboot! The new generation of Cory’s ..Could be realy good

Me, three.

I think my mother would have a Heart attack if they brought back AW That was her favorite show! Too Bad Mac wouldn’t be on LOL, I think the actress that played Rachael is still acting….I know I would watch AW if they brought it back!

Great news. Exciting times. When I was little, my family was the first in our neighborhood to own a TV. Now I expect TV to be obsolete one day. Wow.

This is very reassuring. It occurs to me frequently that one essential ingredient OLTL has going for it that AMC lacks is the Robin/Erika factor. AMC was at its best when Susan Lucci’s Erica had a worthy female rival, and she had TWO (Brooke and Natalie). It’s a yin/yang thing/thang.

OMG I forgot about Natalie VS Erica! WOW! LOL…..I loved Natalie she was my girl! Her and Trevor were my all time AMC Couple! Erica and Dimitri was right behind them LOL!!!!

I’m excited, it’s already marked on my calender.. I love hearing how happy the actors are with Prospect…. I’m hoping with all the positive things the actors are saying that MEK decides to come back to AMC.. I’m thrilled OLTL got most of it’s cast back too.

I am so excited to see the show again that I can hardly stand it. I love this woman to pieces and have missed her terribly.

Love my show and I can’t wait!

I’m so thrilled I’m speechless! Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

This is wonderful news. I’m so thrilled to hear such enthusiasm from an experienced veteran like Erika. I know committed she is to the integrity of OLTL and her character. It really sound like very aspect of this production is top quality. What a joy to see Viki and Dorian going toe to toe again. When those two ladies work together it is magic. I simply cannot wait. Thank you for posting Erika’s message.

All this positive talk from the stars to the fans how can it fail…now its all up to the storylines.

A milestone has been achieved. And it proves that fans can challenge corporate authority and change the course of events. It was wrong that AMC and OLTL were axed. We knew it, we took action, and we worked toward a solution. The result of the collective efforts of fans, cast, crews, producers, writers, etc. is that these classic programs live on. Now it is up to the fans, the consumers, to watch, follow and support the shows even more vigorously than ever!

Preach it, brother-for the last two years we talked the talk-now it’s time to walk the walk

I agree with both You Stephen and you Troy!

This makes me so flipping happy. I love this woman and she is the class act that she has always been. So excited can hardly wait.

So excited to have my favorite daytime show back and the best cast of actors!

Triple DITTO!

Everything sounds very positive, and I look forward to April 29 !!!

I cant wait for the show to return. There has been a huge void in daytime and it holds a special place in my heart!!

I feel the same way!

Hoping to see the classic Llanfair set again!!

Me too! The center of One Life to Live, from episode one, is the Llanfair main foyer, library, and terrace, and even after the fire in the 1990s, it was built to look nearly the same. Hope they’ve kept that.

Seeing One Life To Live again will fill that empty part of my life that has been gone since OLTL went off the air, I cried like a baby and knew then that I would fight till my last breath to bring my favorite characters back where they belong and here we are counting the days till we are back in Llanview, I have missed it so much.

It’s amazing !!!!!! Going back to Llanview!!!!!

I will be there!

All I can say to show my excitement is “36 Days and counting”!!!!

I am so emotional about my shows returning! Both shows helped me through some very difficult personal situations. No matter how sad I felt, I could always turn to OLTL and AMC and know for 2 hours I could just not be me. When they got cancelled from ABC I was devastated.
But now with them coming back – I just have this lump in my throat. It feels like we are at the fringe of something so amazing. To know I will be able to watch my beloved Bo and Nora, my heroine Vicki and her love Clint again is like – well…it’s like coming home.

Can’t wait. Everyone loves Erika. She’s an outstanding actress and wonderful person. Please persuade Michael Easton to join as John McBain. We need some happy times for JOLIE.

I would love to see Max Holden return to Llanview. I always thought that he was Blair’s soulmate.

I agree Gentry! JOLIE deserves to be happy FINALLY 🙂

I am really looking forward to the return of OLTL!! I think it is great that Erika will be back along with the rest of the denizens of Llanview.

In Bruce Marchesani’s video clip of us out there, ES last words to us, were for me to put a coat on before I get sick. Lol Yes mommy Buchanan. 😉

I loved that show while it was on…watched it for virtually my entire adulthood! 🙂 And I’m 55 now! I remember Vicki and her first split in personality, Dorian in her early years…and I am so psyched that the whole bunch is coming back! No soap has had this kind of opportunity before, and it is so wonderful that OLTL gets this chance! Can’t wait until I see the new shenanigans of the characters. 🙂

Dorian & Viki going at it again!

I am more than happy to see Erika Slezak again. I am beyond thrilled. She is my Idol & the thought of never seeing her & OLTL was beyond explanation. I would rather have an hour a day show but I will gladly take what they give. It is good to know She actually cares for the fans. More than what we can say about ABC. Their loss is our gain. Welcome back OLTL.

I put a lot of stock in what Erika says, & I now think these reboots are going to blow the network soaps out of the water! So excited for storylines that are not dictated by the whims of network execs. It promises to be refreshingly creative! Thrilled that so many original actors have joined this new venture. Can’t wait to see Todd & Blair go at each other again as well as Vicki & Dorian. Have also been waiting a long time for a Todd/Dorian confrontation! Gosh I hope Howarth stays!

l hospital all to wacth love you all please come back

Erika Slezak is wonderful!

I so can not wait this is the best news

That new guys being wasted as Matthew.

i am a huge fan on one life to live i am so glad they are back on evan its online i wished they were back on tv i love the character todd mannning so much he is so funny in his caracter he is on my other show i watch to general Hospital and star i have watched her grow up on one life to live nowthat star has a boyfriend now how is that going to play out i know she has to go back to one life to live i hope he gets to go over to her one life to live and do a of his character on that show congrats being back on can’t wait to see it online

I can’t imagine how this will be. I am excited for this entertainment outlet.

Soap Operas had gotten silly (in my opinion) a long time ago. So predictable and repetitive. Golly I can only pray this NDE has woken them up. Untie the writers hands and show creativity with the writing and character evolution.

Great News! Wishing only the best for all involved, be blessed & encouraged, karen (tx) ; )

I’m very happy for them! It’s an exciting new frontier for them!

i cannot wait to see one Life to Live again was a wonderful show shame on abc for ruining my afternoon glad your coming back!

So happy to hear the news, been watching OLTL a very long time. Erika Slezak is wonderful. WHAT AN INSPIRATION that lady is.

I am sooooo excited, cant’ wait to see the new episode. Thanks so much to the new producers for bringing AMC and OLTL back!!!!!

I WAS A DIE HEEARTED FAN N WAS SCK WHENTHE SHOW WENT OFF IT WAS GREAT GLAD U GUYS R COMING BACK MY FAVORITE WAS VICKIE N DOREN N CLINT CANT WAIT
THANKS FOR ALLOF U COMING BACK
JUDY

I have been a fan of the show since its inception, and have missed my 5 days a week sharing the lives of the folks at Llanview. I am so glad someone picked up this great show and these wonderful actors. Long live OLTL!!

Erika: If you are reading, YOU are one classy ASS Broad. U care…….. about your fans. It shows in your face, your expressions, what you say in PRINT, how much you love your fans and the Genre. Thank You, Erika. At your age, you could go retire, BUT you are so dedicated to OneLife, the genre and the fans. You are a QUALITY actor, right up there with Meryl Streep, and that is no MF lie….. U could be anywhere in the world performing, BUT your “showing up ” for us, the fans. U are the one person that WE know it’s not about the money. U have made your money in the business, and certainly you are a product of the business (your father) and money. I just love and adore you more than EVER before. May God Bless Your Caring Soul.

Susan Lucci: U love your character so much, “the best role written for a woman in daytime”, your words. With 7 weeks on and 7 weeks off, that leaves you ALLOT of free time for other projects. So where R U, Ms. Lucci? Cause it can’t be about money since you have certainly made your money over the years as the highest paid soap opera actor garnering 1.5 million a year, plus your many other projects and commercials…. Where R you Ms. Lucci for your BELOVED Erica Kane roll OR was it about the money. U use to be my favorite soap actress, but that changed ALONG TIME AGO, with you taking Erica Kane in every role, and every place else you go to.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

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Mike Manning

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon)  and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.

According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.

Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene,  Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?

Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”

The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”

MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE

In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.

Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.

So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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