One Life to Live


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About

From Wikipedia:

One Life to Live (abbreviated as OLTL) is an American television soap opera broadcast for more than 43 years on the ABC network, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature ethnically and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social issues. One Life to Live was expanded from 30 minutes to 45 minutes on July 26, 1976, and then to an hour on January 16, 1978.

One Life to Live heavily focuses on the members and relationships of the Lord family. Actress Erika Slezak began portraying original and central heroine Victoria "Viki" Lord on March 1971 and played the character continuously for the rest of the show's run on ABC Daytime, winning a record six Daytime Emmy Awards for the role. In 2002, the series won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Taped in New York City, One Life to Live was the last American daytime soap opera based outside the Los Angeles area.

On April 14, 2011, ABC announced the cancellation of One Life to Live, citing low ratings, high production costs and viewers' changing tastes. 

On July 7, 2011, production company Prospect Park announced that it would continue the show as a web series after its run on ABC, but later suspended the project. The final scenes of One Life to Live were taped on November 18, 2011 and the last episode aired on January 13, 2012. Since then, several characters have been brought over to General Hospital.

On January 7, 2013, Prospect Park resumed its plan to continue One Life to Live as a daily 30 minute web series on Hulu and iTunes via The Online Network with episodes slated to air beginning on April 29, 2013.

Genre

Soap opera

Creator(s)

Agnes Nixon

Senior cast member(s)

Erika Slezak

Robert S. Woods

Robin Strasser

Production

Executive producer(s) Frank Valentini

Head writer(s) Ron Carlivati

Distributor ABC

Running time 30 minutes (1968–1976)

45 minutes (1976–1977)

60 minutes (1978–present)

30 minutes (2013 - present)

Broadcast

Original channel ABC

Original run July 15, 1968 – 2012, revived 2013 for Internet

Highlights
Erika Slezak on her first day as "Victoria Lord" on One Life to Live
01:56
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
06:26
David Pressman on directing One Life to Live  
10:02
Phil Carey on being cast as Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live; on the character's traits
03:30
Ellen Holly on her first day playing "Carla Gray" on One Life to Live
03:23
Judith Light on her One Life to Live character "Karen Wolek" and her famous courtroom scene
10:18
Who talked about this show

Larry Auerbach

View Interview
Larry Auerbach on packaging All My Children and One Life to Live
02:18

Philip Carey

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Phil Carey on being cast as Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live; on the character's traits
03:30
Phil Carey on starring in One Life to Live as Asa Buchanan; on his day-to-day schedule on the series (which he didn't like); on working with his co-stars
08:39
Phil Carey on the challenges facing daytime drama actors; on protecting his character by rewriting; on his favorite moments from One Life to Live; on leaving the series in 2000 and later returning; on the week when One Life to Live aired live in 2002; on how Asa Buchanan has changed and how he'd like to see his character depart; on the legacy of the series
13:03

Robert E. Costello

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Bob Costello on directing One Life to Live starting in 1972
02:29

Hugh Downs

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Hugh Downs on playing himself on One Life to Live
01:18

Lee Holdridge

View Interview
Lee Holdridge on composing for the soap opera One Life to Live
02:22

Ellen Holly

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Ellen Holly on being called to audition for One Life to Live
05:34
Ellen Holly on her first day playing "Carla Gray" on One Life to Live
03:23
Ellen Holly on her groundbreaking early storyline on One Life to Live, where she was the first Black actress to play a central character on a daytime drama, and on working with the crew of the show and show creator Agnes Nixon
11:18
Ellen Holly on One Life to Live creator Agnes Nixon, and on Nixon inviting her to have input to her character, "Carla Gray"
03:51
Ellen Holly on the formula for One Life to Live, taught to Agnes Nixon by Irna Phillips
06:36
Ellen Holly on being disappointed by some of her storylines a year into One Life to Live
03:46
Ellen Holly on her difficulties renewing her One Life to Live contract after the first year
10:19
Ellen Holly on Agnes Nixon pairing One Life to Live with All My Children
02:07
Ellen Holly on various cast changes and additions early on in her time on One Life to Live
03:31
Ellen Holly on Al Freeman, Jr. as "Captain Ed Hall" on One Life to Live
01:25
Ellen Holly on Agnes Nixon selling One Life to Live to ABC
05:39
Ellen Holly on soap fan magazines reaction to her as "Carla Gray" on One Life to Live, and on what her fans wanted for the character
04:54
Ellen Holly on going to bat for One Life to Live producer Doris Quinlan
15:24
Ellen Holly on the fallout from her going to bat for One Life to Live producer Doris Quinlan
02:07
Ellen Holly on proposing a storyline for One Life to Live in which her character, "Carla Gray," has an affair
06:30
Ellen Holly on casting an actor for her character, "Carla Gray," to have an affair with on One Life to Live
06:02
Ellen Holly on her difficulties playing opposite the actor who portrayed "Dr. Jack Scott" on One Life to Live, which led to her first exit from the show
07:47
Ellen Holly on returning to One Life to Live after a three-year absence
07:39
Ellen Holly on One Life to Live's producer Jean Arley leaving One Life to Live, and Paul Rauch taking her place
04:13
Ellen Holly on One Life to Live's producer Paul Rauch telling her to change her voice for the show
02:53
Ellen Holly on her and Lillian Hayman being fired from One Life to Live by producer Paul Rauch
06:42
Ellen Holly on coming to a late realization about One Life to Live and Agnes Nixon
07:03
Ellen Holly on finally learning why she was chosen to be on One Life to Live by producer Agnes Nixon and ABC executive Brandon Stoddard
06:47
Ellen Holly on coming to terms with her time on One Life to Live and with Agnes Nixon
02:50
Ellen Holly on what she learned from her time on One Life to Live, including advice she would give to young actors about the business-end of television
06:00
Ellen Holly on having been the focus of the first year of One Life to Live, and on the producers' fears of it becoming a "black show"
05:47
Ellen Holly on the crew of One Life to Live
01:09

Lynwood King

View Interview
Lynwood King on directing daytime dramas like One Life to Live and Ryan's Hope
06:24

Judith Light

View Interview
Judith Light on being cast as "Karen Wolek" on One Life to Live
04:19
Judith Light on her One Life to Live character "Karen Wolek" and her famous courtroom scene
10:18
Judith Light on winning two Daytime Emmys for playing "Karen Wolek" on One Life to Live
01:22

Agnes Nixon

View Interview
Agnes Nixon on a socially relevant storyline about drug addiction on One Life to Live
01:46
Agnes Nixon on feeling stifled by sponsor Procter & Gamble on Another World and One Life to Live
00:53
Agnes Nixon on creating One Life to Live and then reviving All My Children
00:46
Agnes Nixon on how One Life to Live differed from other soap operas on at the time and how the show was socially relevant
02:32
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
06:26

David Pressman

View Interview
David Pressman on directing One Life to Live  
10:02
Director David Pressman on the production details and producers of One Life to Live  
03:15
David Pressman on the writing on One Life to Live  and how technology has changed the production process
02:10
Director David Pressman on some of the social issues covered on One Live to Live
03:22
David Pressman on storylines of One Life to Live  
01:08
David Pressman on acting on One Life to Live
02:39
David Pressman on the audience of One Life to Live
01:35
David Pressman on the casting of One Life to Live
05:35
David Pressman on the actors of One Life to Live
11:39
David Pressman on the guest stars of One Life to Live
02:00
David Pressman on leaving One Life to Live
01:23
David Pressman on preparing to shoot a soap opera
02:13
David Pressman on communicating with his camera crew
02:34
David Pressman on editing One Life to Live
01:24
David Pressman on his proudest career achievements
01:59

Phylicia Rashad

View Interview
Phylicia Rashad on auditioning for One Life to Live
00:45
Phylicia Rashad on her role as "Courtney Wright" on One Life to Live in the early 1980s, and how character Asa Buchanan (played by Philip Carey) appeared to have been married at some point to every character but her's
01:35

Fred Silverman

View Interview
Fred Silverman on making programming executive Jacqueline Smith head of daytime at ABC, who helped turn ABC's daytime schedule into the successful "love in the afternoon" all-serial format
03:39

Erika Slezak

View Interview
Erika Slezak on her father acting in One Life to Live with her
00:43
Erika Slezak on getting her first job in television as "Victoria Lord" (replacing another actress) on One Life to Live
03:57
Erika Slezak on her role as "Victoria Lord" on One Life to Live and some of her character's early storylines
13:40
Erika Slezak on her first day as "Victoria Lord" on One Life to Live
01:56
Erika Slezak on her One Life to Live character's multiple personality disorder
02:23
Erika Slezak on "Victoria Lord's" father on One Life to Live
01:39
Erika Slezak on her character "Victoria Lord's" children on One Life to Live
03:35
Erika Slezak on her co-stars of One Life to Live
02:03
Erika Slezak on the impact of One Life to Live on her life and on viewers' lives
03:41

Kim Zimmer

View Interview
Kim Zimmer on her first TV role on One Life to Live, where she played a character based on Patty Hearst
04:49
Kim Zimmer on returning to One Life to Live for a stint as "Echo DiSavoy"
03:30
Kim Zimmer on the character she played on her second One Life to Live stint, "Echo DiSavoy"
02:34
Kim Zimmer on being fired from One Life to Live
03:17

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