Paul Raven

There is excitement brewing at ABC these days. And it is being generated by their new serial, Ryan's Hope. This is the first new show the network has produced since 1970, when A World Apart, The Best of Everythingand All My Children made their debut.Written by the expert team of Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer (former writers of Love of Life), the setting is New York City. The producer is George Lefferts, with Monroe Carol as his associate producer.

Both men are new to daytime, but have impressive credits from nighttime and movies.

Following is a breakdown of the characters and setting. As of our deadline, there had been no cast chosen. The final auditions were set, and ABC hoped to gather an expert group of faces familiar and new to the daytime audience. Also, changes in the characters and how they relate to each other could take place as the serial is further developed. But here is what is planned to take place, a sneak preview to tempt your viewing pleasure:

Ryan's Hope

The people who share an attitude called Ryan's Hope come from different backgrounds and a wide range of experience, but they have certain qualities in common: independence, energy, determination, all directed toward being the best at what they do and making their lives count in a positive way They all share in man's natural heritage of pain and trouble and occasional tragedy, but they prevail--and share.a laugh somewhere in the process.

Three families dominate the on-going story, which is set in the Riverside community of the upper West Side of New York City.

Largest of these is the Ryan family: Johnny, Maeve and their five children, whom they have taught to be responsible, loving and loyal.

Johnny Ryan owns a bar, which is in a curiously central location. To the East lies Broadway and pockets of urban poverty, largely Spanish and black. Directly across the street is the Emergency entrance of Riverside Hospital. Down the block is the local precinct headquarters. And to the West is an increasingly affluent area of new apartment houses intermingled with traditional brownstones, that extend all the way to the Hudson River.

Johnny Ryan was a school dropout at 14, prohibition beerhandleratl6, briefly a boxer, and W.W.II infantryman. He married his wife, Maeve, in Ireland and re-turned to the United States, where he bought a bar after being a bouncer, bartender and bar manager. He is proud of his five children and worked hard to put them through college.

Maeve Ryan had her heart ~captured by Johnny when he was in Ireland. She is not afraid of life, is warm, passionate and full of opinions, which she is not afraid to express. She was born in Dublin of a poor Irish background.

Frank Ryan is everything a parent could want. He is dark, calm and placidly self-assured, and has been since a child, He is a detective on the police force and has a Clouded marriage to Delia.

Delia Ryan is a beautiful Irish colleen. She met her husband through her brother Bob, since Frank and Bob are best friends. She is troubled and emotionally insecure.

Cathleen Ryan is the baby of the family, attended Manhattanville College and is now a novice of the Sisters of Sacred Heart.

Patrick Ryan, the third child, is a study in contrasts. He is fairly excitable and an intuitive leaper into knowledge. Me loves himself and returns his family's devotion because he has felt loved. He vitalizes other people.

Siobhan Ryan Moscolo is married to a chemical engineer, Art, and lives in Pittsburgh. She has two daughters, Maura and Dierdre. She is pretty, practical and predictable.

Ed Coleridge has tried his best to raise his two children, Roger and Faith. He is a physician, dedicating his life to medicine, and lives in the same brownstone in which he was-born.,

Roger. Coleridge was a lonely, unhappy teen. He won't admit he is wrong about anything~ He.is handsome with superficial .charm and has never learned how to love. His central figure is his father, of whom he wants approval. He lives on the top floor of his father's brownstone. He %s one of two first assistant residents at Riverside Hospital.

Faith Coleridge is daddy's girl. She isolates herself from emotional involvements and is determined to excel in her work. She, also, is a doctor, but many of her colleagues at the hospital don't like her. She is shy, inhibited and inexperienced and uses her intelligence as a protective barrier. She lives wit~ her father and keeps house for him.

Clem Moultrie, a supremely confident black man, is an intern and,first assistant resident. Heoan~ssumetobe relaxed and congenial with others.

Romona Gonzalez is the head nurse at Riverside.She grew up in Spanish Harlem of parents who came to New York in the 1940s.

Bob is Delia's brother and Frank's best friend. They work together on the police force. Bob is the living prototype of every Irish cop. He is big, broad-featured, steady, easy-going: a man's man.

Seneca Beaulac is of French Canadian background, a physician and is fierce and brooding, He had an excellent reputation as a doctor and will be a catalyst in the lives of the Collins and Ryan-families. His grandmother was a full-blooded Seneca Indian,from whom he:got his name. He is precise, demanding, and intimacy does not come easy.

Nell Beaulac is Seneca's wife. She is of a wealthy Boston family, is fluent in French and was indulged in material things as a child. She is a determined research doctor and takes for granted the luxuries of life:

These are the characters, as now planned. Of course, there will be additions as time passes, but, for now, Ryan's Hope looks to be interesting and different from anything now on the air.

i didn't know Barbara Rucker had been married to Robert Urich. They would have been a glamouous couple. As for Wood and Rucker they seem to have disappeared after their soap stints. It would be great to track them down and find out where their lives took them.

Carl,thanks for your responses to my posts-I really appreciate your comments.

Who's Who of Characters and ActorsDr. Charles Tyler (Hugh Franklin): a good doctor, good man, and patriarch of the Tyler family; estranged husband to Phoebe; father to Line and Anne; grandfather to Chuck Tyler. He is romantically committed to secretary Mona Kane.

Phoebe Tyler (Ruth Warrick,): estranged wife to Charles; mother to Line and Anne; "grandmother" to Chuck; a ridiculously arrogant woman; a schemer. She believes her family to be far superior to anyone else's.

Lincoln ("Line") Tyler (Peter White): the good and upstanding lawyer in town; husband to Kitty; son to Phoebe and Charles; brother to Anne. He feels very protective toward his new bride and will do anything to make her happy.

Kitty Carpenter Tyler (Francesca James): wife to Lincoln Tyler; emotionally, at least, "daughter" to Mrs. Lum (alias "Lucy Carpenter"). She's been transformed from a neurotic girl to a sane and sensible young woman who is trying to better herself; still, a romantic innocent, always vulnerable.

Dr. Chuck Tyler (Richard Van Vieet): a good young doctor; grandson to Charles (only); ex-husband to Tara and psychological father to little Phil. He is an idealist with strong feelings of responsibility toward others (some of whom tend to take advantage of his good nature).

Kate Martin (Kay Campbell): the matriarch of the Martin family; a widow; mother to Joe and Paul; grandmother to Tara, Tad, and Elizabeth; great-grandmother to little Phil; a warm, understanding and generally non-interfering woman.

Paul Martin (William Mooney): a good lawyer; husband to Anne; father to newborn Elizabeth; son to Kate; a family man who tries hard to handle the problems. He and Anne have a "true love."

Anne Tyler Martin (Judith Barcroft): wife to Paul Martin; mother to newborn Elizabeth; daughter to Phoebe and Charles; sister to Line; a young woman of strong faith and stronger emotions. With the birth of her retarded daughter, she is becoming increasingly irrational.

Dr. Joe Martin (Ray McConnell): husband to Ruth; father to Tara and grandfather to little Phil; adoptive father to Tad; son to Kate; brother to Paul. He is a complicated and undemonstrative man; a good person, but perhaps too proud.

Nurse Ruth Martin (Mary Fickett): wife to Joe; adoptive mother to Phil and Tad; a person of strong family values who has had to come to terms with unexpected emotions, in herself and others.

Dr. Jeff Martin (Robert Perault): son to Joe Martin; brother to Tara; a decent, idealistic doctor, much loved by family and friends. He left Pine Valley after the tragic death of his wife Mary—a temporary move, of course.

Tara Martin Brent (Karen Gorney): ex-wife to Chuck; and now (finally) wife to Phil; mother to little Phil; sister to Jeff; a good girl, emotionally confused and usually close to tears. She is torn between her "true love" and her son's happiness.

Phil Brent (Nick Benedict): husband to Tara; illegitimate son to Nick Davis and Amy (Ruth's long-departed sister), raised by Ruth Martin; Tara's "true love" and natural father to little Phil. Now that he has found his vocation (as a policeman) his main concern is in winning the love and respect of his son.

(Little) Phil Tyler (Brian Lema): a small boy with his share of health problems. He is the one person standing in the way of Phil and Tara's happiness (he thinks Chuck is daddy).

Erica Kane Brent (Susan Lucci): ex-wife to Phil; daughter to Mona Kane; a delightfully self-centered, scheming, and greedy young woman. She seems to have met her match in Nick Davis— all to the good, since her heart softens too when someone cares.

Mona Kane (Frances Heflin): a very good woman; long-suffering mother to Erica; friend, secretary, and romantic interest of Dr. Charles Tyler. As sweet as she is, she can be weak-willed.

Nick Davis (Lawrence Keith): a ne'er-do-well who has finally done very well (as owner of "The Chateau" restaurant); natural father to Phil; ex-husband to many; a well-meaning sort, but perhaps a bit worldier than most Pine Valley residents. He is currently involved (if that's the word) with Erica.

Clem Watson (Reuben Green): an experienced policeman, working with Phil Brent; a black man, recently divorced.

Dr. Frank Grant (John Danelle): a young black doctor; husband to Nancy; good friend to Chuck Tyler and perhaps a little more than that to Caroline. He is a good and earnest man who must come to terms with his wife's independent nature and career.

Nurse Caroline Murray (Pat Dixon): Frank Grant's friend, confidante and love interest. She is an idealist, but made of stronger stuff than Frank.

Dr. David Thornton (Paul Gleason): a surgeon who temporarily demoted himself to orderly after a painful stint in Viet Nam; an outsider who has experienced much of the world beyond Pine Valley. He is recovering from a disappointment in love, with Ruth Martin. Will he leave town?

Dr. Christina Karras (Robin Strosser): a pediatrician; an intelligent and straightforward woman— but strangely haunted by the past.

Danny Kennicott (Daren Kelly): a college student, in architecture; brother to the murdered Mary Kennicott Martin; a personable young man who lives in Kate Martin's house.

Brooke English (Julia Barr): a college student; niece to Phoebe and currently living with her. She is charming and clever when it comes to getting her own way.

Benny Sago (Larry Flieschman): Brooke's hoody boyfriend; a boor, a smart-aleck, and the bane of Phoebe's existence,

Tad Gardner (Matthew Anton): an orphan, adopted by Ruth and Joe Martin; a boy about 8 years old who is perceptive, charming and endearing.

Donna Beck (Candace Earley): seventeen-year-old prostitute who entered the story when she was admitted to Pine Valley Hospital as a patient; a mixed-up girl from a "bad home," now trying to go right. She is romantically interested in "Doc" Chuck Tyler, her legal guardian.

Mrs. Lum (Eileen Herlie): a former carnival performer with a weakness for booze and money (not necessarily in that order). She was hired by Phoebe to impersonate Kitty's mother, Lucy Carpenter, and get Kitty out of town; not a nice woman, but compared to Phoebe a saint

Nancy's 80th Birthday party in 1998. Penny and Ellen returned and flashbacks were shown.

Re Bob & Sandy. A June 76 synopsis mentions Nancy hoping Bob & Sandy might reconnect but at this stage he's interested In Valerie.In the following months,After dating Bob,Valerie turns to Dan.and they make plans to marry.Meanwhile Joyce is interested In Bob,which annoys Lisa who is married to Grant.Sandy is attracted to Kevin,who is still involved with Susan. Jim carries a torch for Kim. Don returns and Joyce sets her sights on him,although he tells Nancy he is still attractted to Lisa and so on...

It seemed to be musical chairs with all of these characters.

Wally was played by Charles Siebert,who later was on Trapper John MD. He was a minister/doctor who was revealed to be the father of Tom and Carol's friend Peter.

The theory that P&G wanted the Bauers gone could be true,but a few years later Jack & Lainie Bauer were introduced-older characters in supporting roles.Did P&G have a change of heart? Anyway,Jack,Lainie,Lacey didn't last long and Todd Bauer became Frank Cooper,a symbolic sign that the Coopers were going to be the new core.

I'll say it again,Meta should have come back for Bert's funeral and stayed,Hope had years of story left (only one marriage!) and maybe an illegitimate child for Mike to boost the Bauers (was there any possibility in his past that that could have occurred?)

Valente inherited a bloated cast and a show that was trying to keep Marland's work going without the man himself. I can understand his decision to move on and not try to do Marland lite but the choices made were misguided at best. Bringing back Paul and Ryder (Teddy) were a good idea but casting and stories were all wrong.

By the time Rosanna,Mike,Linc and Woody were featured I think Marland was making the mistake of giving frontburner stories to characters that were not tied to the core.Good storytelling should always have a Hughes,Snyder or other more established character involved.

Don Hughes history.Because of the recasting and absences of the character,he tends to be forgotten,but he did carry a lot of story over the years.

Donald Hughes was the eldest son of Chris and Nancy. Climbing up the social ladder was important to Don. Don became a lawyer, like his father.

Donald Hughes married Janice Turner Whipple, who was a widow with two grown daughters, Alice and Debbie. Nancy never approved of Janice, so Donald and Janice moved to Texas. After Janice died, Donald moved back to Oakdale. Donald and Ellen had been on and off through the years and he proposed to her. She said yes, but later told him she couldn't marry him after all as David Stewart had proposed to and she wanted to marry him. Donald then became engaged to Sara Fuller, but she died before they married. Donald also dated Amanda Holmes, Sara's daughter, for awhile. However, Amanda left town knowing that Donald wasn't really committed to her.

Don moved to California but returned to Oakdale after his father suffered a heart attack. Nancy wanted Donald to get together with Jennifer Ryan, because all these years she'd been trying to get Bob and Lisa back together. However, Bob was too in love with Jennifer, so Donald started dating Lisa himself. Lisa seemed more interested in Dr. Wally Matthews and Don ended up moving back to California.

When Donald next moved back to Oakdale, joining the firm Lowell, Hughes & Colman, he found Lisa had married Grant Colman. Joyce Colman, Grant's ex-wife, was doing all she could to break up Lisa and Grant. Joyce and Don started seeing each other. Joyce had had a son by Grant, who she gave up for adoption. His name was Teddy Ellison. He later came back to Oakdale as a young man named Ryder Hughes.

Lisa tried to fix Don up with Mary Ellison, Joyce's son's adopted mother, but that didn't work. It was difficult to get Donald to make a committment, but finally he proposed to Joyce. They married.

When Donald went to Switzerland on business, Joyce had a one-night stand with Ralph Mitchell, one of Don's clients, and became pregnant. Ralph wasn't interested in marrying Joyce, so Joyce told Don they were having a baby. She ended up having a miscarriage, but never told Don it wasn't his child.

Mary had been Don's secretary for a long time. She loved Don, but it went to further. She started seeing Ralph Mitchell and they got engaged. Ralph and Don were good friends. Don was upset over the loss of the baby, so Ralph decided to tell Don that it wasn't his child. Ralph just couldn't handle seeing his friend so upset. Joyce couldn't have Ralph telling Don though, and decided to kill Ralph. Instead, she ended up shooting and paralyzing Don! Joyce made up a story about a prowler. The truth all came out when Don overhead it on an intercom system. Don forgave Ralph, but not Joyce.

Joyce overheard Ralph telling Don that Joyce should be committed, and Joyce flew into a rage. She kidnapped Teddy, said goodbye to him, returned him to Mary, then left town. On her way out of town her car went off a bridge. Her body wasn't found.

Don fell in love with Mary, but Mary planned on marrying Ralph. He told Mary he was going to move back to California as he couldn't take it, seeing her married to Ralph. Ralph felt Mary was in love with Don and he decided to break off the engagement.

This cleared the way for Don and Mary to get engaged. Joyce, who everyone assumed was dead, came back to town very much alive. She decided to divorce Don so he could marry Mary. She had ulterior motives though, and she did all she could to get close to her son, Teddy. Joyce was successful in breaking up Mary and Don. Mary moved back to Laramie but got into a bad car accident and Grant ended up with Teddy. This pleased Joyce, as her and Grant were getting closer again (by this time Lisa had divorced Grant to try and win Bob back).

Joyce and Grant became engaged (again), but Grant left her and Oakdale after one too many lies. Don also left Oakdale. He moved to Laramie, won Mary back, and they married.

Wasn't this (at least partly) a writers strike story?

Dave Gillis aka Dave Andrews was played by Nicolas Coster in 88.

More from The Soap Opera Book

Phil Brent

Tara Martin

Chuck Tyler

Phil and Tara were childhood sweethearts, but Fate has continually interfered to keep them apart. Learning that his real father was Nick Davis, Phil developed amnesia and wandered off to New York. He later returned to find his true love about to marry Chuck, simply because she was angry and hurt about having been abandoned. Nick Davis stopped the wedding and Phil and Tara began their relationship anew.

But before the lovers could marry—before they could do anything but say their vows in an empty church—Phil was drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Tara then discovered that she was pregnant with Phil's child (little Phil). Phil was reported missing in action and, to give her child a father, Tara agreed to marry Chuck.

That marriage might have worked if Phil hadn't returned to find his true love married to another man. In time, Phil found out little Phil was his son and he and Tara made plans to marry. Tara divorced Chuck but once again Fate intervened. This time, little Phil, unable to cope with his parents' break-up, developed a psychosomatic illness—severe asthma attacks.

The wedding was once again postponed until the boy could accept Phil as his step- father, and until Tara could work through her guilt. Finally Tara came to realize that if she felt secure in marrying Phil, little Phil would come around. So far he hasn't. No one is seen as the villain in this triangle, since all are relatively good and decent people. Sympathies lie with Tara and Phil because of their "beautiful love," but the wealthy, handsome, idealistic Chuck has had his fair share of viewer sympathy as well. Most viewers would like to see him happy—but with someone else.

David Thornton

Ruth Martin

Joe Martin

Ruth and Joe Martin made the perfect, happy couple. For years they provided advice, a shoulder to cry on, and a helping hand to everyone in Pine Valley. But when David Thornton arrived in town, things changed. David felt drawn to Ruth: he admired her, respected her, and began to fall in love with her. Ruth was careful not to give David any encouragement even though she was equally charmed by him.

The romance might not have come to the surface were it not for two factors: Joe's busy schedule at the hospital (which led him to neglect his wife) and Joe's daughter's romance with Ruth's son (the Tara/Phil relationship). Joe blamed Ruth for destroying Tara's marriage to Chuck by telling Phil that he (not Chuck) was the father of little Phil. Ruth and Joe had many a bitter argument and Ruth turned to David for comfort and advice. David in turn confided in Ruth, telling her of the painful experiences that led him to forsake a career as a surgeon and work instead as a hospital aide.

Ruth tried to make a go of her marriage, but found herself becoming emotionally involved with the kind, gentle (and persistent) David. Joe learned what was going on and was very hurt by his wife's "friendship" with David. Then Ruth moved out of the Martin home in order to have time to think things over. Still Joe couldn't believe that Ruth could be in love with David, and thought that the relationship would end. It didn't seem that way until Joe had to have a dangerous emergency appendectomy. At that point Ruth realized that she loved Joe; David realized that she loved Joe; and everyone else realized that they had known it all along!

An interesting twist was that David Thornton was forced to forsake his disguise and perform the emergency surgery on Joe. (No one else was around to save Joe's life!). Now that David is recognized as a doctor and received a job offer, he should feel secure enough to be able to do without Ruth. It seems their relationship was based on his needs all along. Viewer sympathy was split pretty evenly between Joe and David while the conflict lasted.

Asa and SamBo w/Connie,Didi and Joy O'Neill

Delilah and Rafe

o

Steve and Viki's weddingViki and VinnyMark and Julie

Larry & EdDorian & Victor

Jenny & Brad

The Tom in the wedding pic was Peter Galman. He and Carol seem to have that sweetyoung love thing going.That was June 72 ,by the way and taped on location in a real church,which would have been quite a big deal back then.

The next Tom,C David Colson definitely had a brawny stud thing happening and I'm guessing that worked with the Tom/Natalie affair. Is he not soap writer David Cherill?

Some Bob Hughes history

Lisa Miller was Bob Hughes' first love. They met when Bob was a college student. Lisa figured that a doctor's wife was what she wanted to be. Bob secretly married Lisa in 1960 in Gary, Indiana. Bob didn't want any financial assistance from his parents so he asked they keep the secret as he knew they wouldn't approve of it. When Lisa got pregnant with their son, Tom, they told his parents about the marriage. They weren't happy about it. Nancy and Chris let them live with them though, after Pa Hughes persuaded them. Nancy and Lisa became friends. Lisa quickly grew disenchanted with married life. Lisa fell in love and began an affair with Bruce Elliot in the early 1960s, she told Bob she no longer loved him and asked for a divorce. He agreed to the split. Bruce wasn't interested in a marriage to Lisa. Lisa soon realized she made a mistake in divorcing Bob and this began the many years of Lisa wanting to get Bob back.

Bob got involved with nurse Syliva Hill. She was battling lupus. They eventually became engaged. Lisa played a guilt trip on Syliva, saying she'd have her family back together if it weren't for her. It worked and Syliva broke off the engagement and eventually left town after marrying another man.

Bob married Sandy McGuire (in the late 60s). She deserted him when he was temporarily blinded, as she was unable to cope with it. Bob divorced her on grounds of abandonment. She became a successful model and Bob and Sandy planned on remarrying, as they were still attracted to each other. However, he knew he'd always take a backseat to her career, so they split up for good.

Bob's next wife was Jennifer Ryan. Chuck Ryan was a long-time friend of Bob Hughes. Chuck Ryan moved to Centreville, IL and after romances with sisters Kim and Jennifer Sullivan, he married Jennifer. Chuck and Jennifer had two children, Barbara and Rick. When Chuck got terminally ill, he took Bob up on his promise to take care of his family. Jennifer got a job at Memorial as a nurse, and she and Bob married. Rick did not like his step-father. Rick was a doctor and got a job at Memorial. He caused trouble for Bob whenever he could. Eventually Bob had to place him on probation, which was the last straw for Jennifer. She moved out. When Bob attended a medical convention in Florida he ran into Kim who had a singing gig at a lounge in Florida. Separated from Jennifer, Kim and Bob shared a night of passion. When Bob returned to Oakdale he found out that Jennifer was pregnant, and they reconciled for the sake of the baby. Kim learned she too was pregnant with Bob's child. Kim told John Dixon she was pregnant and didn't reveal the father's name. John persuaded Kim to marry him to give the baby a name, and they eloped in Las Vegas. John soon learned that Bob was the father of the baby. Jennifer gave birth to a baby girl, Frannie. Kim lost her baby. Jennifer learned she was dying of a rare disease of the central nervous system. The disease went into remission but soon thereafter Jennifer died in a fatal car accident.

Valerie Conway was one of the women that Bob dated. She eventually jilted him, as she had her eye on a few different men in Oakdale. Valerie was the sister of Kim's first husband, Jason Reynolds.

Already widowed by husband Jason Reynolds and divorced from John, in 1977 Kim married Dan Stewart. He died in 1979 of a brain tumor. Bob became engaged to Lyla Montgomery, but broke off the engagement when Bob wasn't sure he could trust her after her affair with John Dixon was revealed. Bob married Miranda Marlowe. They divorced when Miranda ran off with another man. Kim was swept off her feet by Nick Andropoulos. The marriage was a mistake though, because Nick didn't want a wife that worked. Nick ended up dying of a heart attack. Kim wanted to remain friends, and nothing more, with Bob. But when he professed his love, she knew he was the love of her life. They married at Easter time in 1985. They have a son, Christopher Hughes, and they eventually found out that Kim didn't lose their other baby. Their daughter is Sabrina.

SOD 20th Anniversary tribute.

From the start, these multi-generational characters were integrated into every story and, because of this, the new soap attracted viewers of all ages. "I wanted the show to be very contemporary, to make the men as important as the women," Agnes Nixon says in explanation of the show's popularity. "We started out with the Phillip/Chuck/ Tara triangle, but I

didn't start out saying I was going to catch the young people. Yet that's what happened at colleges."

This may well have been ALL MY CHILDREN'S twenty- fifth anniversary had Procter & Gamble put Agnes Nixon's serial on the air when they first optioned it in 1965. But it wasn't until 1969, after Agnes had proven herself by bringing ANOTHER WORLD out of its slump and creating ABC's hugely successful ONE LIFE TO LIVE, that she risked repeated rejection and gave the bible to ABC. The network was delighted with her concept of "The great and the least, the weak and the strong, in joy and in sorrow, in hope and in fear, in tragedy and triumph, you are all my children." Finally, on January 5, 1970, the residents of Pine Valley came to life.

Agnes did much of the original casting herself, anxious to put reliable people in those initial roles. To her credit, after twenty years, five original cast members remain — Ray McDonnell (Joe Martin), Mary Fickett (Ruth Martin), Frances Heflin (Mona Kane), Ruth Warrick (Phoebe Wallingford), and Susan Lucci (Erica Kane). (Viewers had seen glimpses of this last character when Agnes introduced ANOTHER WORLD'S Erica-based Rachel, according to AMC publicist Alyce Serrano.)

In the beginning, the studio was make shift, lacking soundproofing. Ruth Warrick (Phoebe) has said that often actors were so weary of retakes due to noise, they tried to convince producers that taxi horns and banging garbage-can lids added realism. They got nowhere. In addition, convenience was nil, as makeup and dressing rooms were on the second floor and bath rooms were in the basement.

Living under these conditions were two families: the very wealthy Tylers — Charles and Phoebe, the classic buttinsky; their children, Ann and Lincoln; and Chuck, Charles's grandson. The Tyler women were spoiled and manipulative, needing to be knocked down a few notches by the men in the family. The middle-class Martins represented precisely the opposite: diehard morality. And the lessons in humanity taught by Grandma Kate Martin are now passed on by Joe and Ruth.

"Those early days were marvelous because it was a half-hour show," remembers Mary Pickett, who plays Ruth. "We actually put in a tremendous amount of time with rehearsals, and being a pivotal character made for a very long day. But everybody was in it to make it work. We felt like a repertory company."

Of course, in the beginning, there was also the invincible Erica Kane (ten-time Emmy-nominee Susan Lucci). Escapade after adventure, she went through the longest series of men on soaps (Jeff Martin, Jason Maxwell, Phillip Brent, Chuck Tyler,Nick Davis, Tom Cudahy, Brandon Kingsley, Kent Bogard, Lars Bogard, Mike Roy [whom Susan says was Erica's all-time love], Adam Chandler, Jeremy Hunter, Travis Montgomery, Dave Gillis and Jackson Montgomery), and slowly matured from a self-centered brat who couldn't give or accept love, to a caring mother. Each man had an impact on Erica and what she is today is a compilation of these changes.

"I grew up on this show in a lot of ways," says Susan. "I remember very clearly how much I admired, and still do, Mary Fickett, Fran Heflin, Ruth Warrick and Ray McDon nell, and how much I learned from them." Like all the other veterans she works with, Susan swears she never envisioned her self staying with AMC as long as she did. "I didn't think I'd be here longer than my first contract. Three years seemed an eternity to me. But every time it came to renew, I loved it here. And Erica is one of the best parts written for a woman, anywhere."

Fellow cast members echo Susan's sentiment: James Mitchell (Palmer) and Richard Shoberg (Tom) attribute their tenure to the fans. Mary Fickett can only keep track of her years on the show because it's the same as her son's age. But most actors simply say they don't know where the time went. "People talk about being in this job like, 'My God, that's a long time,'" Julia Barr (Brooke) points out. "I'm not sure why they think it's a long time when people stay in jobs that they like for twenty-five years."

From the start, these multi-generational characters were integrated into every story and, because of this, the new soap attracted viewers of all ages. "I wanted the show to be very contemporary, to make the men as important as the women," Agnes Nixon says in explanation of the show's popularity. "We started out with the Phillip/Chuck/ Tara triangle, but I didn't start out saying I was going to catch the young people. Yet that's what happened at colleges."

While that original threesome of Tara Martin (Karen Lynn Gorney), and best friends Chuck Tyier (Jack Stauffer) and Phillip Brent (Richard Hatch), went through every conceivable device known to triangles — including presumed-death and a baby (Charlie Brent) — the show flour ished. Within four years of its debut, AMC had moved from number seventeen (out of eighteen) in the Nielsens, to number five and, in 1978, it hit number one. It's been close to the top ever since.

When AMC went to an hour in 1977, the company was excited, but braced for change. "The cast was vast, things got scattered. It's easy to keep a show fresh when it's a half-hour," explains Ray Mc Donnell. "Your energy is up and the smaller cast works together more intensely. Today, you have two sets. You can work all day and still be surprised at what was going on at the other end," he continues. "[With the hour for mat,] they had to have many stories, so they brought in different families. And they finally were done with Phillip and Tara. So many people played them; I can't remember which one is which."

But though the Phillip/ Tara/Chuck triangle was nearly played out, the show continued to highlight youthful love and, in the up coming years, other young lovers took their place. Most notable were the romances of Cliff Warner (Peter Bergman) and Nina Cortlandt (Taylor Miller), Jenny Gardner (Kim Delaney) and Greg Nelson (Laurence Lau), and today, David (Trent Bushey) and Melanie (Paige Turco). The former two couples' story lines also showcased unique, well-developed characters: Jenny's outrageous mama, Opal Gardner (played by Dorothy Lyman, who won two Emmys in 1982 and 1983 and, now, by Jill Larson) and Nina's manipulative father, Palmer Cortlandt. James Mitchell has vivid memories of those early scenes: "On my first day with Taylor Miller [Nina], I ran my hand down her back and down her legs and when she left the room, I picked up her scarf and inhaled very deeply. This stopped the next day, but they were trying to suggest an incestuous feeling, which wasn't a bad idea. It gave the actors something to go on, but it was never overt."

These stories were at the forefront of AMC's early-eighties heyday, when the show maintained a number-two spot in the Nielsens and introduced a steady stream of classic characters. "There was definitely something different happening," maintains Alan Dysert (Sean). "It was more of a phenomenon." 1980 saw the return of the popular Francesca James as Kelty Cole, the twin sister of the late, fragile Kitty Shea, one of daytime's first "dual role" stories. Though the character married Linc (Peter White) and they moved away, Emmy-winner James and White often show up at Christmas.

In 1980, the long-awaited marriage of Cliff and Nina was everything it promised — until Nina's night in front of the Cortlandt fireplace with the dashing Steve Jacobi (Dack Rambo) ended it. Three re-marriages were to follow. On the heels of Cliff and Nina came innocent Jenny and protective Greg. This couple's friendship with Jesse Hubbard (Darnell Williams, who won two Emmys for his performance) and Angie Baxter (Debbi Morgan, also an Emmy winner) opened the door for the creation of what may well be daytime's only black super couple. But AMC has always been commended for its treatment of ethnic characters not merely as tokens, but as fully integrated personalities.

In fact, ALL MY CHILDREN has always taken pride in its realism. Seldom does it depart from the conflicts inherent in the human psyche to chase after cheap thrills garnered from bizarre stories of mass murder and espionage. (However, Jean Le Clerc — Jeremy — confesses to liking the action stories — "How many love scenes can you do in front of a fireplace?" he asks.) "The last one that was difficult was

when they decided to split up Natalie and Jeremy using this whole Marissa/Trevor routine," says Kate Collins (Natalie). "It just wasn't good storytelling. And I saw them ruin Natalie and Jeremy. It'll take years to get that back. Well, maybe not years. It's Pine Valley."

The few detours AMC has taken — for example, the twisted tale of Silver Kane (Claire Beckman) and Dr. Damon Lazarre (Charles Keating) — have been quickly rerouted in favor of a return to stories that highlight AMC's strengths: romance, is sues of social value and family relation ships. "I think the show has branched out in terms of what it deals with. It's less provincial than it used to be," acknowledges Julia Barr. "There's still part of that be cause that's what AMC is, but except for trying to keep up with what's happening with the times, the overall look is still a provincial gathering of people and family. That's always been the focus and still is."

Because its focus is people ("The plots come out of characters rather than earth quakes and Hurricane Hugo," Nixon maintains), ALL MY CHILDREN has been known for providing social awareness, dealing head-on with such issues as lesbi nism, legal abortion, AIDS, rape, drug abuse, child abuse, wife abuse, alcohol abuse, mental health, daytime's first face lift, Vietnam and peace activism. In fact, Mary Fickett remembers the shock she felt when Agnes Nixon called to tell her that she had won the Emmy for her anti-war speech.

"It was a beautifully written speech," Mary recalls. "But it was long and there was a lot of preparation to get to that emotional pitch. Kay Campbell, who played Kate, my mother-in-law, was very close to me — she became like a substitute mother when I lost my own. She was pretty choked up and called me Mary by mistake; we had to stop the tape and start again. To this day, I remember that she was ready to kill herself because she was so afraid she'd ruined it for me."

AMC writers have also never missed an opportunity to deliver a simple and timely message. An encapsulation of black history was part of the 1989 Martin Luther King Day episode; on the 1989 Fourth of July show, children were warned not to play with fireworks. And following the tragic death of Laura Cudahy by a drunk driver, Tom and Brooke became members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and explored organ donation. "We re ceived a lot of positive comment on that material, not for the death, but for how it was handled," says Dick Shoberg. "It was a big shock to us and it was difficult material. I have two boys. In some ways, that made it easier to relate to, but it also made it personally more difficult to live with."

These characters offer potential for new stories rich in history. For example, Emily Ann's struggle with the knowledge that her natural parents are pimp Billy Clyde Tuggle and ex-prostitute Estelle LaTour and that her adopted mother, Donna (Candice Early) was a hooker. "It's funny," says Vasili Bogazianos (ex-Benny). "It takes a week to get through a day, soap time, but in a period of six months, a kid ages ten years. It's like a negative-universe thing."

1983 welcomed the Chandler family to Pine Valley. This addition brought forth Adam Chandler — a man for Erica and an adversary for Palmer — and his wonderfully lovable twin, Stuart, both in the form of three-time Emmy-winner David Canary. A Pigeon Hollow boy made good, Adam Chandler represented history, in that his and Palmer's (aka Pete Cooney) families were feudally linked. The Chandlers stirred things up in Pine Valley and have been on the front burner ever since.

In 1985, AMC won its first Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Drama Series. It was an apt coincidental tribute to Kay Campbell, the woman who'd played the compassionate Grandma Kate for fifteen years until her death in May of that year. That part was not recast (nor was that of Charles Tyier, played by the late Hugh Franklin) and a tearful funeral was held for Kate, closing with Tad looking toward the heavens with a heartfelt, "Good-bye, Gran." Kate had never given up on Tad.

A year later, Michael E. Knight departed the show, after winning two Emmys for his role as the comedic anti-hero. Tad. Follow ing the on-screen death of his sister (Kirn Delaney had not given the show enough notice to write a suitable exit for the newly weds — according to Agnes, it was against their wishes, but with no other choice, that the writers penned Jenny's death), AMC set Tad up in a star-crossed romance of his own with Phoebe's stepdaughter, Hillary Wilson. When Knight left, AMC lost a great source of wit and the actor was welcomed back in 1988. Almost immediately, he was thrown into another romance with Palmer's niece, Dixie — one fraught with obstacles. Their chemistry results from the combination of Dixie's naïvete and Tad's new nobility. "He's more mature now," says Knight of his character. "He's somebody whose heart has grown; it's certainly in the right place. The humor is still there but there's more depth to him."

Indeed, AMC does seem to be rallying for a return to humor with the comical pairing of Cecily (Rosa Nevin) and Nico (Maurice Benard), Sean's claustrophobia, the return of Tad and Opal, Trevor (James Kiberd). Palmer and Uli (Eugene Anthony), and Jack (Walt Willey). "They realize that this show has always had that humor and it went by the by for a while," believes Julia Barr. "Up until the past three months, people were saying that the humor was really missing. For a while, they had characters in situations where they really couldn't exercise any humor."

The period Barr refers to was one of great change at ALL MY CHILDREN. "[Executive Producer] Jackie Babbin left and story line decisions were not being made," She explains. "Jorn Winther [two-time producer] came in to a show that was not active. He got things going, and then we got a new producer with Steve Schenkel and then the writers' strike. I'm surprised that the show remained as intact as it did." "It can be frustrating," asserts Kate Collins. "When I started, it was difficult to work through the bad phases because I didn't know about phases. I didn't know that you worked through the bad phases and then it got better. All I saw was disaster. Currently. we're in a really exciting stage."

Another Emmy in 1988 for Outstanding Writing did seem to indicate an upswing, but 1989 was probably one of ALL MY CHILDREN'S most tumultuous times. Emphasis on younger plot lines and questionable treatment of other stories meant exits for several of the show's stalwart actors, including Emmy-winner Kathleen Noone (Ellen Dalton since 1977), Mark LaMura (Mark Dalton since 1977), Robert Gentry (Ross Chandler since 1983), and Peter Bergman (Cliff Warner since 1979 and, who, on the day Soap Opera Digest was at the studio, visited with his new daughter, Claire). "People were sorry to see them go, but when some characters have been on for a long time... It's death to tell too many stories," Agnes says. "Kathleen said, 'If you don't have a big story for me, I think this is my time to try the coast.' I hope she'll come back some day."

Rather than bring on new characters unfamiliar to the audience, AMC has created a link with the past by introducing Eric Kane (Albert Stratton) and recasting wacky Opal Gardner. Now, the actors agree that the show has recaptured the exciting feel it once had. And Agnes says it's at a parallel with her grown children. She's there for them but they have their own lives; they tell her in which direction they should go.

"The pendulum has swung many times," believes Mary Fickett. "We started as a story of multiple generations embracing each other, but I think as times changed and different producers came in, some felt that the emphasis should be all on the younger people. Certain of the essential elements were lost temporarily. It makes for a more dimensional, interesting program if emphasis is spread over a variety of ages. That's coming back now."

The Tom/Carol/Natalie/Jay story was major throughout the 70's.

Tom. the son of Bob and Lisa decided to become a lawyer. This pleased his parents. He was pursued by Barbara Ryan, but he wasn't that interested in her at the time. Barbara left town and Tom turned his attention towards Carol Deming. Carol never wavered in her want for Tom. He felt she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Carol and Tom married and had a large, church wedding. Carol was a sweet person and the Hughes' family was very happy about the marriage.

Carol found out that she wasn't able to have children. She bonded with Frannie, Tom's much younger sister. Jennifer went back to work as a nurse after she had Frannie so Carol spent a lot of time with her. Tom kept occupied building his law career. He fell in love with his first client, Natalie Bannon Carol and Tom soon realized they married too young. They divorced quickly on amicable terms.

Jay Stallingshad come to town and he was quite the ladies man. He was originally interested in Lisa, but she only had eyes for Grant at that point in her life. He then focused on Carol, Lisa's then daughter-in-law. Carol wasn't the type to have an affair, but after her divorce from Tom she dated Jay. She wouldn't sleep with him outside of marriage, so Jay married her.

Although Jay was madly in love with Carol, he continued on with a torrid affair with Susan Srewart Natalie discovered Jay's affair with Susan. However, Jay had known Natalie previously. Jay knew that Natalie had an affair with a married man . Tom was in love though, and he didn't know all about Natalie's past. They married.

Jay knew Natalie quite well and as hard as they tried to stay away from each other, they just couldn't. They had a one-night stand. Tom felt he could forgive Natalie for what happened in her past. When he was about to reunite with her, he found out that Natalie had been unfaithful to him. At this point he felt infidelity was something that was unforgiveable. Natalie and Tom divorced. Tom was friends with Carol, and Jay begged him not to tell her about the one-night stand. Tom agreed. Natalie was determined to get Jay. Jay was in love with Carol and wanted to leave his one-night stand with Natalie at just that. When Carol went to visit her father in New York, Jay couldn't stop thinking about Natalie. They began a full-fledged affair.

Jay was tormented, but Natalie was not. She asked Lisa to tell Carol about the affair. Lisa did and Carol threw Jay out. They stayed married though, and had their ups and downs. Natalie became pregnant and Carol and Jay arranged to adopt the baby (it ended up being a girl, which they named Amy). Carol ended up being a widow when Jay died a few years later, Her next husband was Steve Andropoulos. Amy and Carol were important to Steve, but Carol feared for her safety because of some of the things Steve had been involved in. She divorced him and ended up marrying a minister, Norman Frazier.

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The Lowells,one of ATWT's original families.

The law firm of Lowell, Barnes & Lowell was one of the most respected in Oakdale, IL. It was headed by Judge James T. Lowell. James and Alice Lowell had one child, James Lowell Jr.

James Jr. became a lawyer and married Claire English, who came from a very wealthy family. Claire had one brother, Steve. Claire and her father-in-law stayed very close for many years.

Jim and Claire had one child, a daughter named Ellen. Ellen was very upset when her father moved out of the house and had an affair with Edith Hughes. He did move back in, but the marriage was beyond repair. Shortly after Claire agreed to a divorce, Jim died in a tragic boating accident while fishing with his father. Soon thereafter Claire married Dr. Doug Cassen. After Doug died she married and divorced the much younger Michael Shea. Claire died a few years later when she was hit by a car.

Ellen's best friend was Penny Hughes They were classmates. Ellen had an affair with a married man named Dr. Tim Cole. She conceived his child, whom she named James after her father. She gave him up for adoption.

Ellen then became engaged to Burt Stanton. When he found out she had a child, he dumped her. Tim's wife left him. When Tim was diagnosed with leukemia, he married Ellen, who wanted to share his final days. Tim died within a few weeks.

Ellen took a job babysitting for David and Betty Stewart. She realized that their son, Dan, looked exactly like the baby she gave up for adoption. After getting his finger and footprints and having tests done, She found out that Dan was her son! She wasn't able to get custody of him after a fight. Betty Stewart died of pneumonia.

Another suitor, Jim Norman, couldn't handle the fact that Ellen had a child by someone else, and he left her. Ellen tried very hard to woo David and it took a long time. Ellen rekindled her romance with Don Hughes and he proposed. David Stewart finally proposed too and after many weeks Ellen decided to marry David instead of Donald. However, it was on the condition that she not tell Dan that she was his mother.

From 'The Soap Opera Book ' 1976

All My Children is a light-hearted soap—perhaps the only light-hearted soap on the air. It may also be characterized as a home-and-familv soap, in the doctor-lawyer formula.The setting is the small town of Pine Valley. The major families are the Tylers (who founded the town) and the Martins.

All My Children was created and originally owned by Agnes Nixon, who also wrote or created Another World and One Life to Live. Today the show is owned by ABC; but Nixon retains creative control and her production company is listed as producer. As of January, 1977, All My Children is still in the half- hour format, but there are pressures to move to an hour, and this may well happen in the Spring of 1977.

In its home-and-family orientation, All My Children very much resembles traditional soaps. But there are differences in tone. All My Children seldom succumbs to dark feelings of loneliness or instability (as does As the World Turns) or to sexual despair (as does Days of Our Lives). On All My Children, there is little serious evil. Bad characters like Phoebe, Erica, Mrs. Lum, or Benny Sago, tend to be fun, or funny. They do not ask much of us.

For example, when Phoebe Tyler is left drinking alone on Christmas Eve, she gives a sarcastic, rather maudlin toast. If she pities herself, we don't. On As the World Turns, a character in the same predicament would suffer visibly and so would we. Indeed there is remarkably little real suffering on All My Children , compared to other soaps—little at least that we must take seriously. Many viewers seem to identify with the writers—speculating on what development will take place next—instead of sympathizing with the troubled characters.

If there is a message to the show, it is that people with all their destructive emotions are only human ; and that happiness is best found in the sharing of experience with a loved one, within the context of an extended family. Characters tell one another that they can find happiness if they do not demand too much of themselves or others.

The show is, in other words, optimistic. Dialogue is shot through with references to hope and faith. You have to have faith that things will work out is said in many forms, and very often. One character will tell another that her problem can be solved. All I have to hold onto is that hope, is the typical response. Men spend a lot of time encouraging younger women, who are fatalistic, guilt-ridden, irrational, and sometimes right.

It is said that as much as 30% of the audience for All My Children is male. Well, there really are an awful lot of very admirable men on this show (Dr. Charles, Dr. Chuck, Dr. Frank Grant, Lincoln Tyler, Danny Kennicott, Paul Martin, etc.,etc.). Except for Phil Brent, who has been troubled, male characters are generally rational or reliable. The only bad guys are people who don't belong in Pine Valley and who do not stay (for example, Hal Short, Benny, and Tyrone the Pimp).

Most of the dramatic interest comes from women. Villains are delightfully overdrawn. Phoebe and Erica are so bad as to be funny, and so good as to set all kinds of improbable plots in motion. The story, however, tends to revolve around sensitive, vulnerable types like Tara, Kitty, Anne, Ruth, and Donna. Here there is an effective mixture of real-life and fantasy-based material. Ruth's marital breakdown was an adult situation, sensitively played (at least until the end).

This was, typically, off- balanced by a fantasy of the innocent prostitute (Donna), and the search for the long-lost mother (Kitty). All My Children treats difficult life problems, such as the maintenance of marriage and career. But fortunately there are always a few fun- and-far-out storylines going at the same time. Most fun (and more heavily drawn here than elsewhere) are confrontations between black and white, right- and wrong-headed characters (Mona vs. Erica; the good black doctor vs. the bad black pimp).

Although All My Children is a modern-looking show, with a young following, it is respectful of old soap conventions. The show features an eternal triangle, complete with a child who does not know his own father (the Phil/Tara/Chuck triangle). Both Chuck and Phil refer to little Phil as my own son, as Tara stands by beautifully and usually in tears. There are also the usual troubled pregnancies and well-timed illnesses. (Who would have thought that a healthy-looking man like Chuck Tyler would collapse from kidney disease exactly when marriage, then divorce, were imminent; or that Joe Martin would need an emergency appendectomy at the very moment his wife was set to run off with another man?) True, there are some social issues: a speech against war; some rumbling about drugs and women's lib; a not-very-well-integrated sequence on child abuse. But this is essentially a fun romantic drama. We listen to the women's lib rhetoric, and feel good about it, but what we really want to know is whether she will stay married to him.

All My Children plays more story, at any given time, than most other soaps. Yet it is easy to follow. It's well paced: different storylines move at different tempos, with major stories moving quickly. The lighting is exceptionally bright and clear. Generally recaps are re-presented or re-dramatized, rather than merely stated. Flashbacks-in-the-mind are an important (though perhaps corny) reminder of what passed before. Music is essentially dramatic, ranging from surrealistic modern sounds (for emotional disturbance), to swarmy violins (for Tara and Phil's theme).

All My Children is usually in the top three of the Nielsen ratings and is especially popular at college campuses and high schools. It has received more than usual press attention, partly because of the publication of Dan Wakefield's All Her Children and rather lively public relations campaign that accompanied it.

From 'The Soap Opera Book' 1976

One Life to Live is an ABC New York show that has recently gone to forty-five minutes. It is daytime's "show of stars." Erika Slezak, Lee Patterson, Jacquie Courtney, and George Reinholt are members of the cast. These are the stars that inspire fan clubs and win straw polls in the magazines. They are the subjects of numerous stories and stunts. For example, George Reinholt has stripped for photographers and talked about it. (The picture that appeared in the fan magazine was vague below the waist.) Jacquie Courtney shared with her fans the disagreements that led to her highly publicized departure from Another World; and she has provided one of the fan magazines with spreads of photos from her personal album.

On One Life to Live, Jacquie and George portray Patricia Kendall and Tony Lord. The two had an affair about ten years ago, after which they went their separate ways (Patricia with child) only to be reunited in the present storyline. Patricia's son Brian is, of course, Tony's son, though he will be the last to know it. Patricia and Tony will not be free to marry when they rediscover that they love each other. (Tony is married to Cathy Craig, a neurotic young woman.) However, the fans love to see this couple, as a couple. Jacquie and George—"they just can't stay away from each other" says a fan magazine, referring to the course of their daytime careers. Before coming to One Life to Live, the two portrayed Alice Matthews and Steven Frame on Another World. Much of their present popularity derives from that earlier relationship.

Jacquie Courtney, as Alice, came to mean a great deal to the viewers of Another World. Her eight-year romance with George Reinholt, as Steve, is perhaps the most celebrated in all of soap history. In fact, when a man recalls with pleasant complaints his wife's old addiction to soap opera—when he says she used to greet him at the door with tears in her eyes—he is probably paying tribute to that old relationship between Jacquie and her fans. What makes Jacquie a star? She is unquestionably beautiful; she's a fine actress; and she had, at least on Another World, a role that every woman could identify with. As Patricia Kendall on One Life to Live, Jacquie continues to lead the straw polls in the fan magazines (sometimes sharing the honor with Susan Seaforth Hayes). But it's a more mature Jacquie. Not the pretty teenager grown up—but a very womanly, very interesting newspaper reporter.

The appeal of co-star George Reinholt is easy to understand. Until recently, the soaps have had few men who are not Establishment types—father figures, at least in appearance. Reinholt has always looked a little more fiery, more dangerous than your Chuck Tyier or Dan Stewart. He is brawny, rough- faced, and given to tragic expressions. He has had (on both Another World and One Life to Live) a questionable past and a respectable present—a combination no woman can resist. Unlike most soap heroes, Reinholt doesn't look as if he can be dominated by women. He is known to be very difficult to work with (a fact that accounted for Steve's sudden helicopter crash on Another World). And nobody yet has succeeded in marrying him.

Jacquie and George are relative newcomers to One Life to Live. The other superstars on the program have been there for many years, and have very devoted followings. Erika Slezak is undeniably one of the loveliest ladies in daytime. According to her fans, she projects "warmth," in character and in person. Certainly she is kind to viewers who contact her or organize on her behalf. Erika is moreover a very fine actress (she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London). And, as every fan knows, she is the daughter of actor Walter Slezak. Erika plays Vicky Lord Riley, the heroine of the show. Her partner and usually-loving husband is Lee Patterson, another superstar.

Like Erika, Lee Patterson has many fans who are totally committed to One Life to Live. Most of these fans are women who find him sexy, even though he hardly ever unbuttons his jacket (in the prevailing young and restless fashion). As Joe Riley, Patterson is attractive mostly because he is ruggedly down-to-earth, protective of those he loves. And because of the chemistry between him and Erika. Erika Slezak and Lee Patterson are a couple the fans love to see together, and now, after many years of difficult storyline, they are.

Although Jacquie and George and Erika and Lee are the primary attractions on One Life to Live, a number of younger actors seems to be achieving star status. Among these are Michael Storm (Larry Wolek), and Katherine Glass (Jenny Wolek). Tom Berenger, who played Jenny's true love Tim, was also exceedingly popular before Tim met his untimely death. There are few soaps which so derive their popularity from individual stars.

The appeal of the show, apart from its superstars, is harder to identify, in part becauseOne Life to Live has changed so over the past few years. It was at one time thought to be one of the young trendy shows. The Jenny and Tim romance was compared to that of Phil and Tara (All My Children). Issues were "relevant." Cathy Craig was known to be a feminist. There were a few ethnics and even a Jewish family (the Siegels). In short, storylines were such as to interest college-aged viewers.

Recently, however, One Life to Live has begun to sound more like a traditional soap. Adultery, mysterious parentage, kidnapping of babies, etc., is what is happening now—good storylines in the old mold. There have been frequent changes in storyline direction, and inexplicable (though highly interesting) changes in character, particularly among the evil set. Characters are becoming less realistic, more melodramatic. For the present, "relevant" storylines seem to have disappeared. Time Magazine described the show as a "sociologist's delight now giving way to careless love...."

One Life to Live is a soap of middling popularity. It reaches about six million households every afternoon. The presence of so many daytime superstars guarantees that it reaches some of soap opera's most ardent, and most organized, fans.

Thank you for the article above. I wonder if that couple stayed together?

According to IMDB she also played a nurse on RH.

"From these roots grow branch, leaf and flower, children of the sheltering earth, ripening into the tumult of the seasons - generation unto generation."

Created by John Pickard and Frank Provo

Directed by Leonard Valenta and Joseph Behar

Associate Director: Barbara Searles

Produced and Directed by: Don Wallace and Paul Lammers

Headwriter: Leonard Stadd

Location: Strathfield, New England

Newspaper: Strathfield Record

Cast:

Liz Fraser Allen (ANN FLOOD/SUSAN BROWN - temp 1959)

Ben Fraser, Sr. (JOSEPH McCAULEY 1961)

(ROD HENDRICKSON 1958-1961)

(GRANT CODE 1958)

Ben Fraser, Jr. (FRANK MARTH)

Rose Corelli Fraser (TRESA HUGHES 1960-1961)

(JULIE BOVASSO 1958-1960)

Jim Benson (HENDERSON FORSYTHE)

Emily Fraser Benson (HELEN SHIELDS)

Lyddy Benson (SARAH HARDY)

Bruce Crawford (BYRON SANDERS)

Dr. Buck Weaver (LEN WAYLAND)

Maggie Barker Weaver (BILLIE LOU WATT)

Stanley Kreiser (LEON JANNEY)

Enid Chambers Allen (MARY ALICE MOORE)

David Allen (ROBERT MANDAN)

Lyn Franklyn Jennings (BARBARA BERJER)

Tom Jennings (CRAIG HUEBING)

Laura Tompkins (AUDRA LINDLEY)

Peggy Tompkins Benson (ELLEN MADISON 1959-1961)

(URSULA STEVENS 1959)

(MAE MUNRO 1958-1959)

Nate Tompkins (WARD COSTELLO)

Fred Barnes (TOM SHIRLEY)

Jack Lander (JOSEPH MASCOLO)

Gloria Saxon (MILLETTE ALEXANDER)

Hilda Furman (CHARLOTTE RAE)

Jimmy Hull (JOHN COLENBACK)

Luisa Corelli (DOLORES SUTTON)

Artie Corelli (FRANK CAMPANELLA)

Frank Teton (GEORGE SMITH)

Jamie (ALAN HOWARD)

Richard (RICHARD THOMAS)

Kass the housekeeper (VERA ALLEN)

George Weimer (DONALD MADDEN)

Tim Benson (JOHN STEWART)

Dan Fraser (DAN WHITE)

Lance (DAVID DANIELS)