- One Life to Live is the worst produced soap, running on mediocrity, and just slightly beating the Light.

No way. I think AMC and GH get that label. GH is good with big events and explosions, but on a regular day, the poor lighting is simply not needed. I would put OLTL as one of the best produced soaps on ABC, but that's where all the praise ends. I watch Y&R, B&B, DAYS, and ATWT and wish all the ABC soaps had the same quality of production those other soaps have. Still OLTL ain't that bad production wise.

- One Life to Live is the worst produced soap, running on mediocrity, and just slightly beating the Light.

Who said this? I want to give the person a medal! Not that I agree with the opinion, I just appreciate the bluntness.

I think GH's lighting sucks because, well, everything on this show happens at night. So the storytelling isn't only dark in tone, but dark in environment, too.

The thing is, I like the idea of OLTL as the socially progressive show [...]. But I just don't think Malone did it as well as most seem to think he did. I think the gang rape storyline was essentially the same formula as a misogynistic Megan McTavish rape story (bad girl who's been on the show for about a nanosecond gets punished and simultaneously gains sympathy from the audience by being raped, and then sees the error of her ways and becomes a heroine). As for the Billy Douglas story, the much-criticized dialogue of OLTL today looks like Patrick Mulcahey's work next to some of what I have seen from that (Ryan Phillipe's mother explaining to his father that their son's boyfriend "is a special friend, like we were in college"). And maybe I am missing something, but I also never understood why the audience was supposed to root for Viki to leave Clint because he's a homophobe, when the man she was leaving him for was an even bigger homophobe - one who never made peace with his son before he died of AIDS? As a gay man, I of all people did not find Clint particularly likable in what I've seen of him in this story, but I've seen him in enough other stories to know that whatever their differences Clint would never let Kevin or Joey or Cord or Jessica die without realizing that he loves them exactly as they are and telling them so. So why on earth would I like Sloane?

Whoever you are, DeliaIrisFan, I just want to say thank-you for echoing how I felt (and still feel) about these storylines of Malone's. AFAIC, Clint never would have been so...judgmental toward Billy Douglas; and IMO, his attitude illustrated how little Malone knew or understood his history (just as Carlivati today assumes Bo was Asa's "perfect" son, while Clint was the more wild-catting of the two, when it was the other way around). Bo and Clint were raised by rough-and-ready Asa; naturally, they won't take kindly to "sissies" or "soft" men, right? Wrong. Asa might be old-fashioned, but not Bo or Clint. In fact, that's partly why the relationships were strained in the beginning. Asa represented the so-called old guard, while his sons were more sophisticated.

I actually think the stuff I've seen from Malone's work around 1995 or so showed improvement and perhaps an increased understanding of the genre than his earlier work. Viki's DID seemed like a classic soap story with a few new, groundbreaking twists. [...] Also, I think having the show's other monstrous rapist turn out to be Victor's long-lost son was a much more effective way of connecting Todd's story to the core of the show than the earlier attempt during the rape trial, when Marty mistakenly identified Kevin as one of her rapists, which cheapened the whole thing.

As I've said in the past, I was through with Todd as soon as the "Wail Until Dark" storyline w/ Nora was finished (and that all attempts to "humanize" him and keep him on the canvas have been forced, to say the least). However, I will admit it was clever of Malone to tie him into the Lord family; especially as Todd, as Viki's brother, became involved with Blair, who was her nemesis, Dorian's, niece. (Of course, in retrospect, after everything TnB have put us been through, part of me wishes Malone never went there in the first place, lol.) If Malone improved at all during his first stint at OLTL, though, I think it's due to Susan Bedsow Horgan, who succeeded Linda Gottlieb as EP. Unlike Gottlieb, SBH had worked in soaps for years (first at GL, then at ATWT), and she displayed an appreciation for simple, classic, soap storytelling. I think I enjoyed OLTL more w/ her in charge than I ever did Gottlieb.

Edited August 2, 200817 yr by Khan

One of the reasons I never took to Marty, Nora and Todd (and still don't care about them to this day) is that they began to be introduced/featured heavily during this period and this was around one of the times I stopped watching the show.

Word, applcin. I enjoyed parts of the gang-rape storyline - and HBS, SH, RH, and Michael Malone deserved the Emmys they won for it - but I felt disconnected, on the whole, as a fan. Tried as I might to care about Marty's predicament, I couldn't.

I felt it was done for nothing more than to build rooting value for a Viki/Sloan pairing. You know, that old standby of crucifying one character to prop another.

Clint had to be a sacrificial lamb, of sorts; otherwise, Viki had no reason at all to sleep with Sloan. But, you know, even if it made sense for Clint to be homophobic, I still don't see Viki having an affair with anyone under any circumstances. Frankly, I had issues with how Michael Malone wrote Viki in general.

I grew tired of GL a long time before I actually stopped watching in 2005 (when DAM left)...those last few years DAM and BE were the ONLY reasons I still bothered with the show.

Same here (minus the BE/DAM part, lol). For me, GL "died" in 1995, when Megan McTavish turned Lucy's date-rape/HIV storyline into a joke w/ the Brent/Marian mess; reverted Roger Thorpe to a one-dimensional villain after all the work Nancy Curlee had done to humanize him; brought back Amanda as the "Malibu Madam," which might not have been out-of-character, per se, but certainly wasn't explained well; and broke up Quint & Nola for no good reason. GL rallied somewhat by the end of '97, but too much Annie Dutton, followed by Clone Reva and San Cristobel, spoiled the momentum. By the time the Maryanne Caruthers storyline happened, several years later, I just wanted GL to be over-and-done with.

Edited August 2, 200817 yr by Khan

Venessa Marcil is WAYYYYYYYY OVERRATED! Robin Christopher deserved that emmy in 2003!!!!!!!!!!!

Genie Francis is one of GH BEST Actress!!!!!

Clint never would have been so...judgmental toward Billy Douglas; and IMO, his attitude illustrated how little Malone knew or understood his history (just as Carlivati today assumes Bo was Asa's "perfect" son, while Clint was the more wild-catting of the two, when it was the other way around). Bo and Clint were raised by rough-and-ready Asa; naturally, they won't take kindly to "sissies" or "soft" men, right? Wrong. Asa might be old-fashioned, but not Bo or Clint. In fact, that's partly why the relationships were strained in the beginning. Asa represented the so-called old guard, while his sons were more sophisticated.

I definitely agree, moreso about Clint's sophistication. Even though he had that whole cowboy thing going, he was also equally comfortable being the editor of an East Coast city newspaper. He could be a hothead at times and, at other times, had the patience of a saint (particularly during Viki's bouts with DID). But he always came across, to me anyway, as a very intelligent and fair man.

I don't know that I'd agree that Bo is currently made out to have been Asa's perfect son. He went through turmoil when Asa died, and right before, because once again, he felt Asa had placed in him in a bad situation (arrest him or overlook it) and he resented Asa not only for that incident, but their whole history of similar incidents. Plus, Bo said he felt like nothing he did was ever good enough for Asa, and I would agree. I do think Asa loved them both very much, though. I would say, in my opinion, that, oddly enough, I think he probably respected Clint more, even though Clint was the one who got away from him earlier and led his own life...Bo was more "in the fold" when he was younger. I always felt like, even though Asa talked a lot about family loyalty and the family business, etc., when it came right down to it, he favored Clint (who was more strong-minded and independent early on) over Bo (who was a little more dutiful in the beginning or tried to be). Bo was more of a "good ole boy" in the beginning than he is now...not to Asa's degree, though.

Oddly enough, I can see Clint, in the wake of Asa's death, taking charge of BE and even resorting to using the personal info Lindsay fed him when he felt he had no other option--he was fighting to save the family legacy. I can see him feeling the responsibility as the eldest son and becoming a little more Asa-like in the process. That I could believe. What I never believed was Clint choosing to be with Dorian...even without Viki as the other option. He had nothing but contempt for Dorian for years, decades.

I have to say, I do miss Clint Ritchie a lot. I do like JvD but I've accepted this is a different depiction of Clint (storyline-dictated, TPTB-dictated,whatever). And...maybe this counts as an unpopular opinion but I don't think JvD should ever return to GL if offered the chance. What for? OLTL uses him more in a week than GL did in a year. GL tossed Ross aside long before they killed him off, whereas Clint has several stories going on and has been a pretty busy character since he returned. I think Clint has more story possibilities than Ross would.

Kyle......WORD!!!!!!

MY VM hate may be clouded sometimes by the fact I hold Brenda responsible for Skye & Jax's break-up, but im not tooo biased to realize she helped GH in the 90's with her popularity. But with that said she still is a mediocre actress and is highly overrated.

And I SAW HER EMMY REEL....It was horrible, her work in that reel looked amatuer compared to Linda Dano, Robin Christohper (who truly deserved it), and Cady McClain...her Emmy win was nothing more than the "Sorry we looked you over all those years, when you had better stuff..and now since your gone, it's better to be late than sorry" treatment Genie Francis got (but GF was farrrr more deserving).

Edited August 2, 200817 yr by Ms. Chandler Quartermaine

And...maybe this counts as an unpopular opinion but I don't think JvD should ever return to GL if offered the chance. What for? OLTL uses him more in a week than GL did in a year. GL tossed Ross aside long before they killed him off, whereas Clint has several stories going on and has been a pretty busy character since he returned. I think Clint has more story possibilities than Ross would.

Here's a really unpopular opinion. I wish they'd brought Liz Kiefer on as Tina and worked toward a Tina/Clint pairing.

And le sigh! I love your banner.

Edited August 2, 200817 yr by rhinohide

- It's better off that Another World was canceled in 1999, because had it been on the air today, P&G would've slashed its budget more severely than GL's, since GL was always higher rated. Also, AW had completely lost it's identity by it's last 15-20 years on the air. Out of the last 3 P&G soaps, I've always found it to be the weakest, cheapest produced, and dullest.

- It's better off that Another World was canceled in 1999, because had it been on the air today, P&G would've slashed its budget more severely than GL's, since GL was always higher rated. Also, AW had completely lost it's identity by it's last 15-20 years on the air. Out of the last 3 P&G soaps, I've always found it to be the weakest, cheapest produced, and dullest.

This makes me sad. I miss AW.

DAYS:

I never liked Lisa Rinna's Billie Reed

GH:

I like Claudia Zacchara way better than Laura Wright's Carly

OLTL:

I don't like Trevor St. John's Todd Manning and hope Roger Howarth returns

Addie and David Vickers were ridiculous

I prefer Addie in her former, mentally incapacitated state and hope she goes back to St. Anne's

I think Robin and Jagger need to have sex.

I think Robin and Jagger need to have sex.

I think I might have to hurt Ryan.

If Bo/Asa not having sex with Gigi/Emma means David Vickers never existed, I am willing to make that sacrifice. Because if David never existed he had no liver to donate to Jessica and she would have died! David is the goat! I can deal with it.

OLTL:

I don't like Trevor St. John's Todd Manning and hope Roger Howarth returns

I refuse to consider this an unpopular opinion.

Edited August 3, 200817 yr by rhinohide