Against a backdrop of real-world student protests, civil rights marches, war, and assassination, “One Life to Live” premiered on July 15, 1968. In its compelling storylines, Agnes Nixon strove to reflect the heightened social consciousness of the times. Believing strongly, as did her mentor Irna Phillips, that the addition of contemporary social issues would serve to inform as well as entertain, Nixon promptly infused race, illicit drugs, and sexual freedom into the genre’s typical formula. Peopling her fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania with a mix of classes & ethnic groups, this avant-garde soap opera genius originally introduced several prominent, non-WASP families. According to the Museum of Television & Radio, “The Irish Catholic Rileys, Polish Woleks, African-American Grays, and Jewish Siegels were as important to the drama in the early years as the central family, the very white, very Protestant Lords.” Presenting the first black characters whose lives reflected the reality of the African-American experience, an early “OLTL” storyline focused on the breakthrough story of the beautiful Carla Gray. Although originally introduced as Caucasian, the eventual revelation that Carla had merely been passing for white forced the audience to face their own feelings & prejudices about race. Another early storyline chronicled drug-addicted Cathy Craig’s experiences, culminating in the taping of her recovery at Odyssey House, a real-life rehabilitation center in New York City, where real-life addicts shared their own experiences on camera. Critics cite an OLTL performance as the single most powerful moment in daytime history & an internet blogger/avid soap opera devotee succinctly concurs, “Some soap moments are great for their outlandishness; others feed our fantasies of love or comeuppance. And some captivate us for their humanity. Such is the case with the 1979 testimony of Karen Wolek (portrayed by Judith Light)…Wolek is married to kind-hearted, unsuspecting Dr. Larry, when she is forced, under oath, to admit her past as a prostitute. The cold-hearted drilling of the D.A. stands in stark contrast to the desperation and self-loathing of Light’s character as she watches her world unravel before her friends and family. Light’s performance amazes, and this is a television moment that truly leaves the audience breathless.” In the 1980s, the soap drifted away from its psychological examinations of the human condition, preferring instead to follow the lead of primetime mega-hit “Dallas” & daytime powerhouse “General Hospital”. That is, the oil-rich Buchanan family was introduced & the soap took on a faster pace & a veered off in a more youth-oriented direction. OLTL’s exaggerated plotlines reached their peak during the late eighties, but, in more recent years, it has returned to its roots & focused on issues such as teenage homosexuality, AIDS & gang rape. Since its inception and to this day, OLTL has focused on the character of Victoria Lord (masterfully portrayed by Erika Slezak) and her many relationships, particularly with her abusive father, her longtime nemesis/scheming stepmother Dorian Lord, her husbands, her children, and, of course her “alters”. That is, for decades “Viki” has suffered with Multiple Personality Disorder brought on by extreme sexual abuse as a young woman. As of this writing, One Life to Live is scheduled to end its 43-year run on network television in January of 2012. However, its production is purportedly going to be resurrected for Internet viewing by Prospect Park, along with new episodes of the already-cancelled All My Children. Keep your fingers crossed!
This collection of color coordinated fashion fabrics is from the Winter 2011 issue of Vogue Fabrics By Mail. Order a subscription to this swatch club catalog service to receive home delivery.
This collection of color coordinated fashion fabrics is from the Winter 2011 issue of Vogue Fabrics By Mail. Order a subscription to this swatch club catalog service to receive home delivery.
