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| December 1997 to January 2001 || [[Jill Farren Phelps]]
| December 1997 to January 2001 || [[Jill Farren Phelps]]
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| October 1996 to December 1997 || Maxine Levinson
| October 1996 to December 1997 || [[Maxine Levinson]]
|-
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| July 1994 to October 1996 || Susan Bedsow Horgan
| July 1994 to October 1996 || [[Susan Bedsow Horgan]]
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| January 1991 to June 1994 || [[Linda Gottlieb]]
| January 1991 to June 1994 || [[Linda Gottlieb]]
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| August 1983 to June 1984 || [[Jean Arley]]
| August 1983 to June 1984 || [[Jean Arley]]
|-
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| July 1977 to August 1983 || Joseph Stuart
| July 1977 to August 1983 || [[Joseph Stuart]]
|-
|-
| July 1968 to July 1977 || Doris Quinlan
| July 1968 to July 1977 || [[Doris Quinlan]]
|}
|}


Revision as of 08:20, 29 January 2009

One Life to Live
File:OLTL2008logo.jpg
Title card (Interstitial, 2008)
GenreSoap opera
Created byAgnes Nixon
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes10,358 (as of January 27, 2009)[1]
Production
Executive producerFrank Valentini
Original release
NetworkABC (1968-present)
ReleaseJuly 15, 1968

One Life to Live (OLTL) is an American soap opera which has been broadcast on the ABC television network since July 15, 1968. The show is also broadcast weeknights on SOAPnet.

Genesis

Impressed with the ratings success of NBC's Another World, ABC sought out Another World writer Agnes Nixon to create a serial for them. Nixon, "tired of the restraints imposed by the WASPy, noncontroversial nature of daytime drama, presented the network with a startingly original premise and cast of characters. Although the show was built along the classic soap formula of a rich family and a poor family, One Life to Live emphasized the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the people of Llanview, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia."[2] Nixon would go on to create All My Children in 1970 and Loving in 1983.

The title of OLTL was originally going to be Between Heaven and Hell, but sponsors at the time found this too controversial and the title was changed. [3] Still, the first opening titles — closeup footage of flames in a fireplace — seemed to suggest a symbolic hellfire.

OLTL's first sponsors were the Colgate-Palmolive company, who also sponsored The Doctors. ABC bought the show from Agnes Nixon in December 1974 when they purchased all stock to her Creative Horizons Inc. The show was originally a half-hour serial until it was expanded to 45 minutes in 1976 and to one hour in 1978.[3]

History

See also: List of One Life to Live characters

One Life to Live is set in the fictional city of Llanview, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania modeled after the Chestnut Hill section of the city. The show originally concentrated on the wealthy Lord family, the less wealthy Siegels (the first attempt to showcase a Jewish family on daytime television until the short-lived 1974 daytime serial, How to Survive a Marriage), the middle-class Rileys and Woleks, and the African-American Grays. OLTL has been called "the most peculiarly American of soap operas: the first serial to present a vast array of ethnic types, broad comic situations, a constant emphasis on social issues, and strong male characters." [2]

Since its inception, OLTL has centered on the character of Victoria "Viki" Lord (originated by Gillian Spencer), who has been portrayed by six-time Emmy winner Erika Slezak since March 1971. Long-suffering heroine Viki has weathered love and loss, widowhood, rape, divorce, stroke and breast cancer, and has been memorably plagued by dissociative identity disorder (or DID, once known as multiple personality disorder) on and off for decades. Viki has also had heart problems, leading up to having the heart of her dying husband transplanted into her, to save her life.

One Life to Live celebrated its 40th anniversary in July 2008 with the return of several former cast members[4] and by revisiting notable plotlines from its past.[5] "Deceased" characters and even creator Agnes Nixon appeared in a storyline in which Slezak's Viki dies and visits Heaven, an homage to Viki's 1987 heavenly trip.[4][5][6][7] Daytime Emmy-nominee Andrea Evans and others returned for a tribute to Tina Lord's famous 1987 plunge over the Iguazu Falls[4][5][6][7] and the 1990 royal wedding in fictional Mendorra.[8][9] And like the 1988 Old West storyline in which the character Clint Buchanan steps back 100 years in the past, on July 21, 2008, Robert S. Woods began an extended storyline in which his character Bo Buchanan finds himself transplanted back into his own past — specifically 1968, the year of the series' inception — witnessing his family's back-story unfold.[4][5][6][10] Soap Opera Digest subsequently named One Life to Live their "Best Show" of 2008, calling it "the year's most compelling" series and citing a myriad of storylines the magazine found "heartbreaking," "stunning," and "gripping," as well as complimenting its risk-taking and "diverse and talented" cast.[11]

Historical storylines

Title sequences

File:1968.jpg
July 15, 1968 - April 1975
Original flames

The original One Life to Live title opening, used from the show's July 15, 1968 premiere until April 1975, featured a roaring fireplace with the words One Life to Live faintly appearing and growing larger as the sequence concluded. The flames were intended to be symbolic of a hellfire, as the show's title was supposed to be Between Heaven and Hell, but was changed at the last minute as sponsors felt the title was too strong and could engender controversy.[3] This opening was seen on-camera within the context of the episode storyline on July 21, 2008 in celebration of the series' 40th Anniversary.

For the first ten years on the air, One Life to Live's closing credits rolled over a videotaped shot of an empty set or a silent sequence between characters.

File:1971.jpg
April 1975 - Late 1980
Sunrise

The fireplace opening was replaced in 1975 with a visual of an emerging orange and yellow mountain sunrise, concluding with the show title underneath it, originally in white but then changed to yellow. The theme music was also changed to one by Jack Urbont.

Starting in 1980 the end credits included a copyright notice.

File:1980.jpg
Late 1980 - December 14, 1984
Sky

Toward the end of 1980, the sunrise opening was altered with a gray background and enhanced with a longer sequence which showed not just a mountain sunrise, but also shots of birds and a close up of the sun, and eventually the title superimposed over a shot of a blue sky with clouds. The theme music was rearranged as well.

Jack Urbont's full-length 1975 version of the OLTL theme would remain in use over the closing credits until 1984.

File:Onelifetolive1984.JPG
December 17, 1984 - December 31, 1991
Tour of Llanview

A new opening sequence designed by Wayne Fitzgerald debuted on December 17, 1984, soon after the arrival of new executive producer Paul Rauch. It featured a new theme by Dave Grusin, with translucent headshots of the cast superimposed over supposed Llanview locations, ending with the title superimposed on a tableau of cast photos. In the first week of January 1985, the theme was re-done in an orchestral format, and in February 1986 lyrics performed by Peabo Bryson were added to the previously instrumental theme. Cast images were added and removed over time as appropriate, with the last update in November 1991.

Closing credits during the entire run of these visuals featured carded credits over a still image of a bridge.

File:1992-1995 logo.jpg
January 2, 1992 - November 17, 1995
Love story

A new title sequence premiered on January 2, 1992 under the guidance of new executive producer Linda Gottlieb. Accompanied by new theme music from Lee Holdridge, it featured faceless characters in a montage of images suggestive of a love story: a heroine with two suitors, lovemaking, implied betrayal, a champagne bottle corked, and a newborn baby. It concluded with swirling, windswept satin sheets displaying the show title. The ABC logo was added sometime in late 1993 or early in 1994.

File:Oltl95 003 0001.jpg
November 20, 1995 - December 22, 1999

File:December 30, 1999 Title Card.jpg
December 23, 1999 - June 11, 2004

Tour of Llanview II

Coinciding with One Life to Live's 7,000th episode, a new title sequence debuted on November 20, 1995. It featured cast images and clips from the series in stylized colors, superimposed over images of landmarks and city scenes with a new theme by Holdridge and David Nichtern. To accomodate the large number of cast members, alternating versions were used featuring different characters on different days. In addition to standard cast changes and other visual adjustments, the theme itself was slightly modified several times, including a piano version used on December 22, 1995 for the Christmas episode and a version featuring an opera singer for the December 24, 1996 show. On December 23 and December 24, 1999 the theme and visuals were further adjusted, and in April 2000 a newly recorded Dolby Digital version of the 1995 theme debuted.

File:Onelifetolive2004.JPG
June 14, 2004 - present
Llanview Collage

On June 14, 2004 (all ABC Daytime soaps revamped their titles this year), the latest opening premiered; it consists of stylized live images of cast members over a black background, ending with the title superimposed over the abbreviation OLTL. It is accompanied by a remix of the previous theme song. Starting on May 2, 2008, One Life to Live began crediting show creator Agnes Nixon underneath the main title card. On May 8 and May 9, 2008, a re-recorded theme written and performed by Snoop Dogg aired, during his two-day appearance on the series.

Cast and characters

Main article: List of One Life to Live cast members
Main article: List of One Life to Live characters

Executive Producers/Head Writers

Executive Producers

Duration Name
January 2003 to present Frank Valentini
January 2001 to December 2002 Gary Tomlin
December 1997 to January 2001 Jill Farren Phelps
October 1996 to December 1997 Maxine Levinson
July 1994 to October 1996 Susan Bedsow Horgan
January 1991 to June 1994 Linda Gottlieb
June 1984 to January 1991 Paul Rauch
August 1983 to June 1984 Jean Arley
July 1977 to August 1983 Joseph Stuart
July 1968 to July 1977 Doris Quinlan

Head Writers

Duration Name(s)
May 2, 2008 to present Ron Carlivati
February 15, 2008 to May 1, 2008 Gary Tomlin (During WGA strike)
September 11, 2007 to February 14, 2008 Ron Carlivati
May 8, 2007 to September 10, 2007 Dena Higley
Ron Carlivati
December 13, 2004 to May 7, 2007 Dena Higley
November 29, 2004 to December 10, 2004 Brian Frons
Frank Valentini
March 23, 2004 to November 24, 2004 Michael Malone
March 10, 2003 to March 22, 2004 Josh Griffith
Michael Malone
February 3, 2003 to March 7, 2003 Josh Griffith
2001 to January 31, 2003 Lorraine Broderick
Christopher Whitesell
January 1999 to 2001 Megan McTavish
January 1999 Richard Backus
April 1998 to December 1998 Pamela K. Long
December 1996 to March 1998 Claire Labine
Matthew Labine
April 1996 to December 1996 Leah Laiman
Jean Passanante
March 1995 to March 1996 Michael Malone
February 1992 to February 1995 Josh Griffith
Michael Malone
February 1991 to January 1992 Michael Malone
October 1990 to January 1991 Margaret DePriest
July 1987 to October 1990 S. Michael Schnessel
July 1984 to June 1987 Peggy O'Shea
December 1983 to June 1984 Sam Hall
Peggy O'Shea
June 1983 to December 1983 John William Corrington
Joyce Corrington
February 1983 to June 1983 Henry Slesar
July 1982 to January 1983 Sam Hall
Henry Slesar
March 1980 to May 1982 Sam Hall
Peggy O'Shea
November 1978 to March 1980 Sam Hall
Gordon Russell
September 1973 to October 1978 Gordon Russell
August 1972 to September 1973 Agnes Nixon
Gordon Russell
July 1968 to July 1972 Agnes Nixon
Paul Roberts
Don Wallace

Current crew

Head Writer Other Writers Producers Directors
Ron Carlivati Frederick Johnson, Sharon Lennon, Elizabeth Page, Anna Cascio, Aida Croal, Shelly Altman, Janet Iacobuzio, Carolyn Culliton, Michelle Poteet Lisanti, Fran Myers, Chris Van Etten, Veronica Sandbridge, Jeanne Marie Ford, Tamiko Brooks, Laudine Vallarta, Jaime Lin-Yu Frank Valentini (Executive Producer), Suzanne Flynn, John Tumino, Shelley Honigbaum, Jacqueline Van Belle Jill Ackles, Larry Carpenter, Danielle Faraldo, Tracy Casper Lang, Howie Zeidman, Mary Ryan, Bruce S. Cooperman, Richard Manfredi, Jill Mitwell, Gary Donatelli, Frank Valentini

Crossovers

As with many other television series, One Life to Live has had a number of crossovers with other programs, both daytime and primetime.

Julia Barr (Brooke English/AMC), Justin Bruening (Jamie Martin/AMC), David Canary (Adam Chandler/AMC), Phil Carey (Asa Buchanan/OLTL), Brock Cuchna (Paul Cramer #1/OLTL), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal Carey/AMC), Melissa Fumero (Adriana Cramer/OLTL) Dan Gauthier (Kevin Buchanan/OLTL), Alexa Havins (Babe Carey Chandler/AMC), Vincent Irizarry (David Hayward/AMC), Michael E. Knight (Tad Martin/AMC), Michael McKenzie (Mr. Emerson/OLTL), Shane McRae (Temporary Paul Cramer/OLTL) Matthew Metzger (Duke Buchanan/OLTL), Alicia Minshew (Kendall Hart/AMC) Eden Riegel (Bianca Montgomery/AMC), Robin Strasser (Dorian Cramer Lord/OLTL), Heather Tom (Kelly Cramer/OLTL), David Tom (Paul Cramer #2/OLTL), Tuc Watkins (David Vickers/OLTL), Robert S. Woods (Bo Buchanan/OLTL), and Jacob Young (JR Chandler/AMC).

  • Since the premiere of All My Children in 1970, Llanview has often been mentioned on AMC, and Pine Valley has often been mentioned on OLTL, underscoring the notion that the two towns are located in the same general region of Pennsylvania.

Awards

The shows, as well as many of its actors and crew, have been nominated for dozens of awards, winning on many occasions. The Daytime Emmy Award and Soap Opera Digest Award wins of the 2000s are noted below.

Daytime Emmy Awards

Winners: Drama Series and Performer categories

Other category wins

  • 2008 "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series"
  • 2008 "Outstanding Directing Team in a Drama Series"
  • 2005 "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series (tied with All My Children)
  • 2005 "Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control for a Drama Series
  • 2001 "Outstanding Achievement in Live & Direct to Tape Sound Mixing for a Drama Series"
  • 2001 "Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control for a Drama Series"
  • 2000 "Outstanding Original Song"
  • 2000 "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series"
  • 2000 "Outstanding Achievement in Live & Direct to Tape Sound Mixing for a Drama Series"
  • 2000 "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series"
  • 1993 "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series"
  • 1986 "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series"
  • 1983 "Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series"
  • 1982 "Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series"

Directors Guild of America Awards

In the 1990s, the DGA began to recognize outstanding work in Daytime Television. The Directors Guild of America Award is presented for a single episode to the director, stage managers, associate directors and production managers. These are the years the award has been presented to OLTL:

  • 2004: Larry Carpenter, 2001 and 2007: Jill Mitwell

Scheduling/ratings history

For historical ratings information, see List of US daytime soap opera ratings

ABC cemented its reputation as a youth-oriented network in daytime with the addition of OLTL to its schedule, with much of the rest of its lineup consisting of fashionable soaps like Dark Shadows, sitcom reruns, and game shows packaged by Chuck Barris. The network placed the new serial at 3:30 p.m./2:30 Central, against CBS' established hit Edge of Night and the popular NBC game You Don't Say. OLTL replaced the short-lived Baby Game, in a three-way shuffle with Dark Shadows and Dating Game.

Despite the tough competition, the intense tone of the plot and strong characters allowed the show to get a leg up on YDS, wearing that game down to the point of its cancellation in September 1969; NBC replaced the Tom Kennedy-hosted game in that timeslot with three unsuccessful serials: Bright Promise (1969-1972), Return to Peyton Place (1972-1974), and How to Survive a Marriage (1974-1975).

Things greatly improved for OLTL in 1972, when CBS relocated Edge in response to packager Procter and Gamble's demands. The four-year-old show managed to top the ratings for the first time over CBS' declining Secret Storm, and later, the game Hollywood's Talking, which ran only 13 weeks. However, trouble loomed on the horizon as OLTL anticipated its fifth birthday, with the coming of CBS' revival of Goodson-Todman's Match Game. Some months after its debut in July 1973, that show became the daytime phenomenon of the mid-1970s, becoming the top-rated of all daytime shows by Thanksgiving. ABC stood by OLTL, however, keeping it put at 3:30/2:30.

By 1975, though, NBC became a serious player in that timeslot for the first time in over five years when it expanded its strong soap Another World to a full hour, its second half occupying the 3:30/2:30 period. This would cause OLTL to lose a substantial audience share, but its lead-in, General Hospital, experienced even worse losses. ABC decided to take an unusual approach in addressing the competition: it expanded both OLTL and GH to 45 minutes, with each composing a half of a 90-minute block between 2:30/1:30 and 4/3. Beginning on July 26, 1976, OLTL assumed the first position, at 2:30/1:30. ABC bet its hopes on viewers staying tuned past the half hour, making them unlikely to switch channels to AW or All in the Family reruns on CBS (for GH fans, turning to Match Game).

This approach showed some promise, until November 7, 1977, when CBS expanded Guiding Light to a full hour at 2:30/1:30. As OLTL struggled, its neighbor, GH, was in danger of cancellation after a 15-year run. So, in a "make it or break it" ultimatum to GH, ABC finally gave an hour to both shows, on January 16, 1978, with OLTL occupying the 2-3/1-2 p.m. slot; The $20,000 Pyramid, which enjoyed three solid years of success at 2/1, got dispatched to Noon/11 a.m. for the rest of its ABC run, to make room for OLTL.

This proved to be decisive for the long-term survival of both shows, as GH rose rapidly to the top spot in the Nielsens through its brash, youthful storylines (culminating in the hugely popular "Luke and Laura" storyline by 1979-1980). As for OLTL, from its tenth birthday onward, it took advantage of the decline in quality and popularity of its competitors, all Procter and Gamble productions. Search for Tomorrow, for instance, spent its last several months on CBS against the last half of OLTL. Its replacement, Capitol, which ran from 1982 to 1987, did little better, and after its cancellation, CBS aligned As the World Turns against OLTL and AW, a configuration that stayed in place until AW's cancellation in 1999. During the 2000s thus far, OLTL has run about even with ATWT, with NBC's AW replacement Passions trailing significantly (Passions was canceled by NBC in September 2007 and moved to the DirecTV channel The 101; the network no longer programs in that time slot).

In summary, One Life To Live enjoyed fair-to-middling ratings throughout most of its first decade, but rose rapidly as it entered its second, along with the rest of ABC's daytime lineup. The 1980s saw the show reach the height of its popularity, occupying a top-four place for almost all of the decade. Since 1991, it returned to the middle of the pack, but its numbers declined, in common with all other soaps. By decade's end, the show rested near the bottom of the ratings pack, and continues to sit in the lower reaches of the weekly ratings.

See also

References

  1. ^ One Life to Live Episode Recaps - ABC.com
  2. ^ a b Schemering, Christopher (September 1985). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. pp. 158–166. ISBN 0-345-32459-5 (1st edition). {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  3. ^ a b c "The History and Background of ABC's One Life to Live". SoapCentral.com. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d "One Life to Live: Big Returns and Plots For 40th Anniversary!". Soaps.com. June 10, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d Logan, Michael (June 11, 2008). "Soaps News: One Life Celebrates No. 40 with Blasts from the Past". TVGuide.com. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c One Life to Live recap (7/21/08) - ABC.com
  7. ^ a b One Life to Live recap (7/22/08) - ABC.com
  8. ^ One Life to Live recaps (1990, Part 3) - ABC.com
  9. ^ One Life to Live recap (7/31/08) - ABC.com
  10. ^ "One Life to Live Summary: Flashback to 1988". Soap Opera Digest. August 5, 2008 (Vol. 33, No. 32). p. 98. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "The Best & Worst of 2008". Soap Opera Digest. December 16, 2008 (Vol. 33, No. 51). p. 84. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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