Emmys and other Historical Facts

One Life to Live in the press...

MONDAY - 7/15/68 One Life To Live (ABC, 3:30 - 4:00 pm) Soap operas don't necessarily have to wash all white any more. In this new serial set in and around Philadelphia, one of the central figures is a black intern who wants to live it like it is. (Time Magazine, July 1968)

Fans of One Life To Live are ... concerned about Victoria Lord, who has this Oedipal thing about her father. She's even had an incestuous dream about dad and now she's developing a fragmented personality One day she's repressed and demure, the next night she's hitting the pick-up bars in a blond wig and flashy dress. By next month, Viki will be undergoing extensive psychotherapy while 5 million viewers eavesdrop... (Newsweek, December 1968)

Perturbed by critics who accuse soaps of being a wasteland of roiling organ music and shallow emotions, Agnes Nixon began to inject social themes into her shows. The breakthrough came in 1968 when she created One Life To Live, which transported soap opera from the age of innocence and prudery into a controversial new world of relevance and physical love ... One Life had sequences involving premarital sex, drug addiction and racism and integrated assorted ethnic types into the white-bread waspiness of soapland... (Time Magazine, August 1983)

The Buchanans and their influence on Llanview have proven successful; future stories, especially those involving the continuous conflict between Asa and Bo, seem imminent. Also, Victoria Lord Riley Buchanan and Dorian Cramer Lord Callison appear to be quite secure as viewer favorites. Thus, at this point in One Life To Live's evolution, the characters and plotlines seem to be enjoying a very stable popularity and are likely to continue their high ratings with minimal dramatic formula adjustment. (The Soap Opera Evolution, copyright 1988)

New soaps stagger like foals desperate to get a footing. One Life was the historic exception. It burst from its launching pad like a rocket and never looked back. But the show and the cast with which it began were about to be brutally punished for making it a huge success. (From One Life by Ellen Holly, copyright 1996)

In the Stores...

David Nichtern, who has been composing beautiful original music for One Life to Live since 1991 has recently released his first collection of pieces under the label of Nudgie Records. The CD contains five pieces first aired on the show and can be purchased from the following website: http://www.nudgie.com.

Acclaimed novelist Michael Malone, headwriter of One Life to Live from 1991 to 1996 and 2003 to present, currently has seven novels in publication: Dingley Falls, Foolscap, Handling Sin, Time's Witness, Uncivil Seasons. First Lady, and The Delectable Mountains. Published by Source/Landmark, these books are available at your local bookstore or through Amazon.com. Many of the quirky, eccentric characters found in these novels are reminiscent of Malone's creations during his tenure at OLTL, and the books themselves are fascinating, oftentimes hilarious reads.

Ellen Holly, who played Carla Gray on One Life to Live from 1968 to 1985, has penned an interesting, thought-provoking autobiography dealing heavily with the problems she encountered as a light-skinned African-American trying to find work in theatre and television. A good portion of the work is dedicated to a behind- the- scenes account of her days at OLTL and includes comments on former and current stars, writers and producers. One Life: An Autobiography of an African-American Actress is published by Kodansha International and is available in hardcover at your local bookstore or through Amazon.com.

Pulitzer-prize winning author Frank McCourt also has his autobiography in stores. Both Angela's Ashes and 'Tis have received lavish acclaim from critics and readers alike and details his childhood and early adulthood among the poor people of Ireland. McCourt appeared as himself on OLTL in September 1997, and his brother Malachy McCourt played Irishman Thomas Kineally on OLTL from 1995 to 1997. This book is available at your local bookstore or through Amazon.com

One Life to Live leads the way...

One Life To Live began as a half-hour show on ABC on July 15, 1968 and made the transition to 45 minutes in 1976 and then to one-hour format in 1978. Agnes Nixon, its legendary creator, hoped to use the show to depict the contrasts in modern society: the poor versus the rich; the famous versus the unknown and the infamous... She did so through the creation of three families: the wealthy, aristocratic Lords, the working-class Woleks and the middle-class Siegels. OLTL first storyline was groundbreaking, and focused on a light-skinned black woman's attempt to pass for white. By 1980, OLTL was one of only two shows to feature black characters in major roles.

Since then, OLTL has been the first to tackle some of society's greatest issues: drug addiction (1970, 1995), child pornography (1978), prostitution (1979), homophobia and AIDS (1992), illiteracy (1992), rape (most notably in 1993) and gang violence (1995). It has taken its viewers from Paris (1980), to Vienna (1986), to Argentina (1987) to a South American waterfall (1987), to the Old West (1988) and to Europe (1990). OLTL continues to focus on family, most notably the Lords, the Buchanans, the Cramers and the Vegas. The heroine - Victoria Lord - has been played by five-time Emmy winner Erika Slezak for 37 years. Other notable veteran players include:

Michael Storm (Larry) 1969, Robin Strasser (Dorian) 1979, Clint Ritchie (Clint) 1979, Robert S. Woods (Bo) 1979, Phil Carey (Asa) 1979, James DePaiva (Max) 1987 and Patricia Elliott (Renee) 1988. The show is now executive-produced by Frank Valentini and scripted by a team of writers headed by Ron Carlivati.

Emmy Nominees and Winners...

Actor/Actress Character Category Year Result ------------- --------- -------- ---- ------ GERALD ANTHONY ......... Marco Dane Supp Actor 1982 nominee KATHY BRIER ............ Marcie Walsh Supp Actress 2004 nominee ANTHONY CALL ........... Herb Callison Supp Actor 1983 nominee Supp Actor 1984 nominee Supp Actor 1985 nominee Supp Actor 1987 nominee THOM CHRISTOPHER ....... Carlo Hesser Supp Actor 1992 win Mortimer Bern Supp Actor 1993 nominee LINDA DANO ............. Rae Cummings Supp Actress 2003 nominee KASSIE DePAIVA ......... Blair Manning Lead Actress 2005 nominee CHRISTINE EBERSOLE ..... Maxie McDermott Supp Actress 1984 nominee ANDREA EVANS ........... Tina Roberts Young Actress 1988 nominee NATHAN FILLION ......... Joey Buchanan Younger Actor 1996 nominee AL FREEMAN, JR ......... Ed Hall Lead Actor 1979 win Supp Actor 1983 nominee Supp Actor 1986 nominee Supp Actor 1987 nominee DAN GAUTHIER ........... Kevin Buchanan Supp Actor 2007 nominee TIMOTHY GIBBS .......... Kevin Buchanan Supp Actor 2000 nominee RENEE GOLDSBERRY ....... Evangeline Williamson Supp Actress 2006 nominee Supp Actress 2007 nominee FARLEY GRANGER ......... Will Vernon Actor 1977 nominee UTA HAGEN .............. Hortense Supp Actress 1986 nominee JENNIFER HARMON ........ Cathy Lord Actress 1978 nominee SUSAN HASKELL .......... Marty Saybrooke Supp Actress 1994 win ROGER HOWARTH .......... Todd Manning Younger Actor 1994 win Supp Actor 1995 nominee BRIAN KERWIN ........... Charlie Banks Supp Actor 2008 nominee ILENE KRISTEN .......... Roxanne Balsom Supp Actress 2004 nominee Supp Actress 2005 nominee JUDITH LIGHT ........... Karen Wolek Lead Actress 1980 win Lead Actress 1981 win ERIKA SLEZAK ........... Viki Buchanan Lead Actress 1983 nominee Lead Actress 1984 win Lead Actress 1986 win Lead Actress 1988 nominee Lead Actress 1992 win Lead Actress 1995 win Lead Actress 1996 win Lead Actress 2005 win HILLARY B. SMITH ....... Nora Buchanan Lead Actress 1994 win Lead Actress 2000 nominee MICHAEL STORM .......... Larry Wolek Actor 1978 nominee ROBIN STRASSER ......... Dorian Callison Lead Actress 1981 nominee Lead Actress 1982 win Lead Actress 1983 nominee Lead Actress 1985 nominee SHEPPERD STRUDWICK ..... Victor Lord Actor 1976 nominee BRYNN THAYER ........... Jenny Janssen Supp Actress 1983 nominee HEATHER TOM ............ Kelly Buchanan Supp Actress 2005 nominee Supp Actress 2007 nominee ERIN TORPEY ............ Jessica Buchanan Young Actress 2000 nominee JESSICA TUCK ........... Megan Harrison Lead Actress 1992 nominee TONJA WALKER ........... Alex Hesser Supp Actress 1993 nominee ROBERT S. WOODS ........ Bo Buchanan Lead Actor 1983 win Lead Actor 1986 nominee Lead Actor 1993 nominee Lead Actor 1994 nominee Lead Actor 1999 nominee Lead Actor 2000 nominee SAMMY DAVIS, JR ........ Chip Warren Guest Role 1980 nominee THE DIRECTING TEAM Direction 1973 nominee Direction 1976 win Direction 1983 win Direction 1984 win Direction 1995 nominee Direction 2004 nominee Direction 2007 nominee Direction 2008 win THE WRITING TEAM Writing 1987 win Writing 1992 nominee Writing 1994 win Writing 1995 nominee Writing 1996 nominee Writing 2002 nominee Writing 2006 nominee Writing 2008 win THE SHOW Drama Series 1973 nominee Drama Series 1983 nominee Drama Series 2000 nominee Drama series 2002 win Drama series 2007 nominee Drama series 2008 nominee

Soap Opera Digest Awards Winners...

Actor/Actress Character Category Year ------------- --------- -------- ---- KRISTEN ALDERSON ....... Starr Manning Favorite Teen 2005 GERALD ANTHONY ......... Marco Dane Limited Run 1991 MELISSA ARCHER ......... Natalie Balsom Outstanding Newcomer 2003 ROGER HOWARTH .......... Todd Manning Younger Leading Actor 1995 Outstanding Villain 1998 TIMOTHY D. STICKNEY .... R.J. Gannon Outstanding Villain 2000 ROBIN STRASSER ......... Dorian Lord Lead Actress 1996 ERIN TORPEY ............ Jessica Buchanan Teen Performer 1997 Favorite Teen Star 2000 TUC WATKINS ............ David Vickers Male Scene Stealer 1996 MICHAEL ZASLOW ......... David Renaldi Editor's Award 1999 MARK DERWIN & .......... Ben Davidson & Favorite 2000 ERIKA SLEZAK Viki Carpenter Couple MELISSA ARCHER, ........ Natalie Buchanan, Favorite 2005 MICHAEL EASTON & John McBain & Triangle RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERRY Evangeline Williamson

Big Names in OLTL History...

The Original Cast:

Anna Wolek ................................ DORIS BELACK Karen Martin .............................. NIKI FLACKS Victor Lord ............................... ERNEST GRAVES Sadie Gray ................................ LILLIAN HAYMAN Carla Benari .............................. ELLEN HOLLY Dave Siegel ............................... ALLAN MILLER Dr. Jim Craig ............................. ROBERT MILLI Dr. Marcus Polk ........................... DONALD MOFFAT Joe Riley ................................. LEE PATTERSON Vince Wolek ............................... ANTONY PONZINI Lt. Jack Neal ............................. THALMUS RASULALA Eileen Siegel ............................. PATRICIA ROE Dr. Price Trainor ......................... THURMAN SCOTT Viki Lord ................................. GILLIAN SPENCER Larry Wolek ............................... PAUL TULLEY Meredith Lord ............................. TRISH VAN DEVERE

The Long-Running Veterans:

ERIKA SLEZAK ....................... Viki Davidson 37 years MICHAEL STORM ...................... Dr. Larry Wolek 34 years PHIL CAREY ......................... Asa Buchanan 28 years ROBERT S WOODS ..................... Bo Buchanan 29 years PATRICIA ELLIOTT ................... Renee Buchanan 21 years CLINT RITCHIE ...................... Clint Buchanan 20 years ROBIN STRASSER ..................... Dorian Lord 20 years MARILYN CHRIS ...................... Wanda Wolek 18 years LILLIAN HAYMAN ..................... Sadie Gray 17 years HILLARY B SMITH .................... Nora Hanen-Buchanan 16 years AL FREEMAN, JR ..................... Lt. Ed Hall 15 years ELLEN HOLLY ........................ Carla Gray-Scott 15 years JIM DePAIVA ........................ Max Holden 15 years ANTHONY CALL ....................... Herb Callison 14 years KASSIE DePAIVA ..................... Blair Manning 14 years TIMOTHY D. STICKNEY ................ R.J. Gannon 14 years NAT POLEN .......................... Dr. Jim Craig 13 years ERIN TORPEY ........................ Jessica Buchanan 13 years WORTHMAN KRIMMER ................... Andrew Carpenter 13 years PATRICIA MAUCERI ................... Carlotta Vega 13 years LEE PATTERSON ...................... Joe Riley/Tom Dennison 12 years GERALD ANTHONY ..................... Marco Dane 11 years NATHAN PURDEE ...................... Hank Gannon 11 years ANDREA EVANS ....................... Tina Roberts 11 years KEN MEEKER ......................... Rafe Garretson 10 years JOHN LOPRIENO ...................... Cord Roberts 10 years KAMAR DE LOS REYES ................. Antonio Vega 10 years CATHERINE HICKLAND ................. Lindsay Rappaport 10 years KRISTEN ALDERSON ................... Starr Manning 10 years

Executive Producers:

DORIS QUINLAN ...................... 1968 to 1977 JOSEPH STUART ...................... 1977 to 1983 JEAN ARLEY ......................... 1983 to 1984 PAUL RAUCH ......................... 1984 to 1991 LINDA GOTTLIEB ..................... 1991 to 1994 SUSAN BEDSOW HORGAN ................ 1994 to 1996 MAXINE LEVINSON .................... 1996 to 1997 JILL FARREN PHELPS ................. 1997 to 2001 GARY TOMLIN ........................ 2001 to 2003 FRANK VALENTINI .................... 2003 to present

Headwriters:

AGNES NIXON ........................ 1968 to 1970 GORDON RUSSELL ..................... 1970 to 1982 S. MICHAEL SCHNESSEL ............... 1988 to 1990 LEAH LAIMAN, CRAIG CARLSON ...................... 1990 to 1991 MICHAEL MALONE ..................... 1991 to 1996 LEAH LAIMAN, PEGGY SLOANE, JEAN PASSANANTE .................... 1996 to 1997 CLAIRE LABINE, MATT LABINE ........................ 1997 to 1998 PAM LONG ........................... 1998 to 1999 MEGAN MCTAVISH ..................... 1999 to 2000 LORRAINE BRODERICK, CHRISTOPHER WHITESELL .............. 2001 to 2003 MICHAEL MALONE, JOSH GRIFFITH ...................... 2003 to 2004 DENA HIGLEY ........................ 2004 to 2007 RON CARLIVATI ...................... 2007 to present

Ratings (by year):

1968-69 13th place out of 14 shows 1969-70 14th place out of 19 shows 1970-71 15th place out of 18 shows 1971-72 13th place out of 17 shows 1972-73 7th place out of 17 shows 1973-74 8th place out of 16 shows 1974-75 11th place out of 14 shows 1975-76 11th place out of 14 shows 1976-77 8th place out of 15 shows 1977-78 7th place out of 14 shows 1978-79 6th place out of 14 shows 1979-80 4th place out of 13 shows 1980-81 2nd place out of 12 shows 1981-82 3rd place out of 15 shows 1982-83 3rd place out of 15 shows 1983-84 4th place out of 13 shows 1984-85 5th place out of 14 shows 1985-86 4th place out of 13 shows 1986-87 3rd place out of 14 shows 1987-88 3rd place out of 13 shows 1988-89 3rd place out of 13 shows 1989-90 4th place out of 13 shows 1990-91 6th place out of 11 shows 1991-92 7th place out of 11 shows 1992-93 6th place out of 10 shows 1993-94 6th place out of 10 shows 1994-95 5th place out of 10 shows 1995-96 6th place out of 10 shows 1996-97 7th place out of 12 shows 1997-98 7th place out of 11 shows 1998-99 7th place out of 11 shows 1999-00 7th place out of 10 shows 2000-01 7th place out of 10 shows 2001-02 7th place out of 10 shows 2002-03 6th place out of 10 shows 2003-04 6th place out of 9 shows 2004-05 6th place out of 9 shows 2005-06 7th place out of 9 shows

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