Beyond the Gates
Ron Carlivati Talks Tales of ‘One Life to Live,’ Decision to Exit ‘Beyond the Gates,’ Soap Writers and the Blame Game
This week on all-new episode of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart, multi-Daytime Emmy and WGA winning writer, Ron Carlivati is the special guest. Carlivati, who over his expansive writing career, has been the head writer at One Life to Live, General Hospital, Days of our Lives and most recently was part of the writing team at Beyond the Gates for its first 200 episodes.
Throughout his sit-down, Ron shared his journey to the show he loved the most, One Life to Life, to the show he watched first growing up, General Hospital and becoming its head scribe, plus how he came up with some of his more memorable storylines and characters, and the intensity of writing for the machine that is a daytime soap opera that has with no end, and why he is now stepped away to refocus himself on his own projects and what’s next in his career.
Carlivati revealed that during his tenure at One Life to Live, his favorite storyline actually sprung out of six-time Daytime Emmy-winning star, Erika Slezak’s (Viki) annual summer break, where usually they would send Viki off to a conference or something. But not this time!
Photo: JPI
VIKI DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
Ron explained, “My favorite storyline happened when Erika Slezak took her summer break. It was a thing where Dorian (Robin Strasser) challenged Viki about life is short and what are you going do with the rest of your life? Viki really didn’t know. We did this thing where Viki was seeing her kids off and all the people that came home for Asa’s (Phil Carey) funeral. She was seeing them off at the airport, and at the end of the episode she walks up to the counter and she goes, ‘Give me a ticket on the next flight out of here.’ And they’re like, ‘Where to?’ And Viki goes, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ She asks for a one way ticket on the next flight out and she gets on and leaves. Then, I had her vacation time to figure out, ‘Where was Viki?'”
“So, I wrote this story where I basically ripped off the sitcom Alice,” he continued. “When Erika came back finally after her vacation, Viki’s kids were like, ‘I haven’t heard from mom. It’s kind of weird.’ They finally got her on the phone and you don’t really see her close up. Viki says, “I’m in Paris.” Then when she hangs up, you pull back and she’s in a waitress outfit and she’s in Paris, Texas.”
Photo: CBS
“We got Brian Kerwin to play Viki’s new love interest, and he was a big Broadway actor and a star. That turned out to be a great couple …Viki and and Charlie. Frank Valentini was completely supportive and game that we had this amazing diner set. It was called the Bonjour Cafe. On the soaps, there used to be so much more time and attention to detail. We had an Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat on it on every table in the diner. It was fun.”
FALLING THROUGH THE ICE
In addition, Carlivati pointed how over the years when he would pitch producers at the soaps ideas of stories, it would often take the higher-ups some time to agree to it, but eventually they would come around.
One in particular One Life to Live fans will recall from 2010, “I wanted to do this thing on One Life to live where Gigi (Farah Fath) was walking on a frozen lake and she falls through the ice, and you know what the budgets are, you know what the sets are, and asking for a frozen lake with a water tank underneath is a lot of money.”
Courtesy/ABC
Frank (Valentini) is like, “Absolutely not.” And then, he gets excited about the idea and he doesn’t want to be the “no” person. So, he calls me up an hour later and he goes, ‘All right, here’s how we’re going to do it,” To make it work, this thing has to break out from under her. They did a controlled explosion to make this plastic ice break and her to fall through!”
FROM SALEM TO FAIRMONT CREST
After Ron’s exit as the head writer of Days of our Lives, he had planned to refocus himself, take a break from the rigors of head writing a show, when literally less than two months later, Michele Val Jean (creator, head writer, executive producer, Beyond the Gates) called Ron up and asked him, if he would want to join her writing team to launch the new soap opera After first resisting it, Carlivati shared how he came around to saying, yes.
Photo: CBS
“I had this five and a half hour drive back to New York City and I’m talking to my husband about it and he’s like saying like, ‘Well, you said you wanted to do less and you would have less responsibility with this job where you’re not the boss.’ So, there was that factor. Then, there was sort of the historic factor that this was the first new soap opera in over 25 years. It was the first hour-long soap centered around a black family. I had worked at ABC and NBC, but never CBS. Also, Michele had Bob Guza on board. I’d never worked with him and he’s a legendary writer. All these pluses are adding up. I was like, ‘I only have to write one episode a week? Not oversee this whole thing? OK.”
Next, Ron explained his decision to leave the series after he satisfied the initial run of shows he came on for, “At that point (when I signed on), Beyond the Gates was greenlit for 200 episodes. So, the writers were all only hired for that, because no one knew if it would go further than that. I agreed to come on for that, which I’m so glad I did. Everyone was amazing. It was fun to be creating a new show.”
SOAP WRITERS OFTEN FACE FAN BACKLASH
Greg Rikaart, who’s current Days of our Lives character of Leo Stark was created by Carlivati, brought up the subject of how soap opera writers receive a disproportionate amount of criticism online from viewers, as opposed to saying something they watched was so incredible or well-written.
Photo: Peacock
Carlivati responded, “They will definitely blame the writer before the actor, because you guys are the ones they see on TV. That’s who they love. And, if they are doing something terrible, they’re like, ‘Oh, poor Leo had to do this thing that they made him do that wasn’t in his character.” So, yes, the writer does get disproportionate more of the criticism.”
Fans can listen and catch episodes of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart on Audacy or wherever podcasts are available, and can watch full video episodes weekly on the CBS Brand YouTube Channel.
So, what did you think about Viki’s Paris, Texas journey being one of Ron’s favorite from his time head writing One Life to Live? From, OLTL, GH, Days and BTG, which soap during his tenure have you enjoyed the most? Drop your thoughts in the comment section. You can check out the full interview with Carlivati below.
Carlivati responded, “They will definitely blame the writer before the actor, because you guys are the ones they see on TV. That’s who they love. And, if they are doing something terrible, they’re like, ‘Oh, poor Leo had to do this thing that they made him do that wasn’t in his character.” So, yes, the writer does get disproportionate more of the criticism.”
And why shouldn’t we? The actor is only playing what’s on the script, which the writer wrote.
I loved the storyline of Viki winding up working at the cafe in Paris TX including the introduction of Gigi and Moe & Noelle. Glad they integrated those characters into the show. Would have liked to have seen more of January Lavoy and John Rue.
Love Ron to bits one of the best daytime writers ever.
Ron is so cute too 🙂
Hearing Ron talk about One Life to Live brings such joy to my heart because that’s my show too. I saw the debut episode and was immediately intrigued by the fascinating characters. Over the years I watched the show grow and develop and expand. Not a single day goes by that I don’t miss One Life to Live. Thank you to Ron for being a part of that amazing show.
Nice interview. Very curious as to what the project he is working on. Would love to have heard what he thought Vicki and Dorian from OLTL would be up to now, and if he would be willing to write a one off tv movie for the soap. Have heard past rumors about AMC doing something similar for lifetime, but nothing concrete.
He’s probably bound by an NDA or it’s in the early stages of development.
I thought Ron’s writing brought a unique style of storytelling to One Life To Live and General Hospital. It’s cool that he used to work for David Baldacci.
During the interview, did it resonate with anyone else that when they brought Erika Slezak on GH as Ronnie, that she played a waitress, again??? I thought that was a nod to Ron.
I just thought about that after the interview.
I think he is one of the all time great writers not just because of the stories he wrote. I think Doug Marland, Bill Bell, Agnes Nixon were better story tellers. But he gets high marks because from me of his assistance in saving General Hospital and Days from outright cancellation during a time when television executives wanted out of the soap business altogether. He had a much tougher fight.
Spot on. Although his ego was massive. And he is very thin skinned. He loved blocking his critics instead of engaging with them.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Tamara Tunie On Bittersweet Emmy Win Without Scott Bryce: ‘I Only Wish He Had Been Here a Little Longer to Share This With Me’
Just two weeks ago, Beyond the Gates matriarch Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) took home the Outstanding Lead Actress prize at the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Tunie made an impressive and touching 3-minute speech which gave a special nod to her 92-year-old mother, who was present with her at the October 30 ceremony.
One person who was with Tamara in spirit was her longtime best friend and former co-star, As the World Turns’ Scott Bryce (ex-Craig Montgomery).
In a heartbreaking moment earlier this year, the multi-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actor passed away from his cancer battle,”which began as stage three esophageal cancer eventually spread and became brain tumors that took his life away from him,” shared his son Jackson on an Instagram post following his death.
Bryce died at 68-years-old back on July 12. A day later, Tamara Tunie learned she was in the running for the first time in her career for a Lead Actress Daytime Emmy. She had taken to her Instagram to share the bittersweet moment on the heels of learning of her longtime friend’s passing.
Photo: JPI
MISSING SCOTT BRYCE ON EMMY NIGHT
Fast-forward to November 12 and on a very special livestream chat, celebrating Tamara’s Daytime Emmy win on the Michael Fairman Channel, she opened up about missing Scott on her winning night.
“It was definitely bittersweet,” recalled Tunie after she won Lead Actress. “Our mutual friends who texted me all said, including his wife and widow Jodi, ‘You know Scotty is smiling. You know he’s cheering.’ And I do know that, and I only wish that he had been here a little longer to have shared this with me.”‘
Speaking of their unbroken bond, even in death, Tamara added, “We knew each other for decades. It was just one of those friendships that formed immediately and just lasted. We were brother and sister, you know. I was the sister that he never had in his family, and he was my other brother, for sure.”
BEING A FAN OF AS THE WORLD TURNS BEFORE BEING ON IT
Before Tamara even landed her first soap role as Jessica Griffin, she was watching As the World Turns and knew that Scott Bryce was one of the most gifted actors to grace Oakdale.
“I respected him as an actor before I knew him as a person, because I watched him on As the World Turns before I became a cast member and when he was paired on-screen with Meg Ryan,” recalled Tunie. “He was the first person that I saw on daytime television fake being paralyzed. Craig faked having to be in a wheelchair, and what I loved about him was Scotty was able to play that bad kid with such vulnerability that you rooted for him. You rooted for Craig, even when he was doing terrible things. That’s the kind of complex, interesting and nuanced actor that Scotty was.”
Photos: NATAS
THE BEYOND THE GATES EXPERIENCE
When looking at what winning the gold meant to her and the ride she has been on since the launch of Beyond the Gates in 2024, Tamara concluded, “It’s incredible, particularly because it’s our first year (at the Emmys). It’s really incredible and it is historical. The show has been historical in so many ways. Just its mere existence is historical. I’m often at a loss for words.”
“It’s something I know I’ll look back on at some point and feel the the weight of it will,” feels Tamara. “And the moment will become more apparent to me. Someone asked me yesterday about my legacy. I feel like that’s for other people to describe.”
Speaking on how highly-regarded she is as an actress by her peers and the viewers, Tamara expressed, “I have not moved through this life saying, ‘This will be my legacy,’ because I don’t know. I know what I’m passionate about. I know what drives me. I know what I care about. I know that I do want to have an impact on someone or someones lives, if it helps them in some way. That’s always been what has driven me. A lot of the projects that I’ve chosen to participate in are decided based on that in some degree.”
TAMARA ON THE MAGNITUDE OF FIRST EMMY WIN
In closing, the new Lead Actress winner shared, “It’s incredible. I’m honored. I’m humbled. I’m not pretending or making that up or being falsely modest. I really am. I’m just in a constant state of gratitude.”
You can check out the full conversation with Tamara Tunie from our live chat below.
Then let us know, what did you think of the sentiments shown by Tamara and her wish that her dear friend, Scott Bryce could have been seen her win the Emmy? Happy that Tamara received Emmy gold? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
Soap opera fans are always clamoring for when Dancing with the Stars reveals their cast each season, that they would include a familiar face from daytime drama, but it rarely happens, if ever, anymore.
Over the last several years, the series has leaned heavily into casting celebrities with massive TikTok or Instagram followers, which in turn, have helped this season and last have their best ratings numbers in years.
But, how about for next season’s cast of Dancing with the Stars, that it could include newly-awarded Daytime Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) of Beyond the Gates?
Photo: CBS
LOVE OF DANCE TO LOVE OF ACTING
Michael Fairman TV spoke to Michelle about her dance background and if she would love a shot at lifting the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Wednesday’s November 11, livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Ambyr explained to fans (who joined in on the live chat), how she began her show business career. “I started off as a dancer, first and foremost. Acting wasn’t really something I wanted to go after. I did plays when I was younger, but it was just something we did in school, but I really wanted to be a dancer. I moved out to LA to dance, and I fell out of love with dance, which was so weird.”
This year’s Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series winner, added, “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I moved all the way out here for dance. I found I was forcing myself to go to dance class, and I just didn’t have the passion for it. I was working at this restaurant at the time, and one of my coworker was like, ‘What about taking an acting class out here?'”
Next, Ambyr took the coworker up on the idea. “So, I took an acting class and I fell in love with it that day,” shared Michelle. “I was like, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I thought, I would love to book a role, of course, as a dancer, but I think acting has a little bit more longevity.”
Photo: ABC
A SHOT AT THE LEN GOODMAN MIRRORBALL TROPHY
When the talked turned to if Ambyr would consider or be interested in appearing on the ballroom dance competition series, she piped up with, “I would love to do Dancing with the Stars! Pick me!”
As those in the live chat rallied around this idea, it made us think, Ambyr could be the first contestant from Beyond the Gates, and someone representing the soaps. It checks off so many boxes! To which Ambyr replied, “That would be beautiful.”
You can check out the full conversation with Ambyr below.
So, what do you think soap fans? Can we make sure Ambyr’s name gets in front of the producers and casting director for next season’s Dancing with the Stars? Would you like to see her in the competition? If so, who would be your dream pro professional dance partner for her? Let us know in the comment section.
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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