This article appeared in the May 8, 1993 issue of TV Guide. The boldest story ever told? by Michael Logan

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This week, One Life to Live launches what may be the most daring storyline ever attempted on a soap - the gang rape of Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell) by college acquaintances Todd (Roger Howarth), Powell (Sean Moynihan) and Zach (Josh Philip Weinstein). Unfortunately, the story is also one of daytime's most timely. Noting that such incidents are, alarmingly, on the rise on campuses nationwide, ABC VP of daytime programming Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin says, "This is a very important story that we all feel needs to be told." And, as with OLTL's 1992 teen homosexuality plot (which brought thousands of grateful letters from gay teens and from parents trying to cope with the homosexuality of their offspring), Dwyer-Dobbin believes all viewers wil learn from the story. She also hopes it will encourage survivors to come forward: statistics indicate that one out of four college women has been a victim of either a rape or an attempted rape - but less than 5 percent report the crime to the police. Says headwriter Michael Malone, "We want to present this story within the normal fabric of life. The rapists are not anonymous street thugs - they're the neighbor's sons ... the nice boys from the cafeteria." Further complicating matters is Marty's history of crying wolf (it was her boldfaced lies that triggered last year's outbreak of homophobia in OLTL's town of Llanview). To ensure authenticity, Malone has inundated his cast with extensive source materials - particularly anthropologist Peggy Sanday's acclaimed book "Fraternity Gang Rape" - and social workers are on board to analyze all scripts. ABC is also taking bold steps to encourage viewership: every Monday this month, the network is giving plot recaps, and it's also eliminating commercial breaks between OLTL and its top-rated lead-in, All My Children.