Lord knows I LOVE me some One Life to Live and I'm one of the biggest Carlivati fanboys there is, but I can't ignore the current issues I'm having with the show lately. It's not that the stories are boring; they're actually quite suspenseful. It's not that the acting is bad - in fact, most of them are highly talented. I am giving OLTL thumbs down right now because there's something MISSING from my beloved show.

Here's what's making me annoyed --

1. Stacy Morasco - I can already see SOD giving her worst new character/most annoying character in their Best/Worst of 2009 feature. It's like she was ripped out of the Days of our Lives handbook of annoying blonde schemers. Whereas characters like Gigi and Charlie were introduced beautifully and carefully, Stacy burst in Llanview with all cylinders firing, exhibiting cliche after cliche and batting her bitchy little eyes. Are we really supposed to believe that Rex and Gigi would fall for her crap? If this was 2003, Rex and Stacy would be scheming TOGETHER. Just because Rex is a daddy now doesn't mean he has to lose his smarts. The nail in the coffin for the character was holding Shane's life over Gigi's head. Thanks to that move, I - and probably the audience - will never accept her as a root-worthy character.

2. Natalie and Jared - Last year, Natalie and Jared almost lost everything they loved because of a lie that affected everyone around them. Now they have the information about Chloe/Hope that could changed everything and they're hiding it. AGAIN. When Jessica and the Buchanans find out that Natalie lied to them it's going to be Summer of '08 all over again. The baby switch story is doing everything else right, but this piece of the puzzle doesn't fit.

3. Viki and Charlie - Where the hell are my signature couple? We spent so much time getting to know Charlie and watching Viki find love again in 2007 and 2008 and now that they're finally happy, we never see them. One of Carlivati's main goals upon starting his tenure at the show was to give Viki a great story. He succeeded in doing that for so long and now the network allegedly doesn't want him to continue. Let's see more of the Thanksgiving 2008-caliber stuff and less of Viki pouring coffee.

4. Starr and Cole - I will always love Starr, having watched her grow up on screen. I was so incredibly impressed with Kristen Alderson during the pregnancy story and had nothing but praise for the young actress. But lately she's been shrill and whiney, lamenting her messed up life in every scene. Cole, meanwhile, has become a hot-tempered, anrgy jerk. Brandon Buddy's come such a long way as an actor but the material is not working. Forget the pills and hottie teachers - bring back the Romeo and Juliet that you worked so hard to make us love.

5. The Back Burner - I enjoyed watching Talia, Antonio, Christian, Leyla, and Sarah being friends in 2008. Mendorra aside, there was nothing wrong with these supporting characters. While Justis Bolding wasn't a huge hit with fans the character of Sarah is an important one that should be a Llanview fixture. As soon as Sarah left town and Christian proved what an idiot he was, the group became non-existent. Antonio's gone and soon Talia will be too; Christian and Leyla are going to hook up, if for no other reason than nobody knows what to do with the two characters. In the past year, Llanview's had more than its fair share of sadness and sorrow; give us some friends having fun together and being happy.

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, and OLTL was on in the waiting room. The TV was above my head, so I listened to the show rather than watch. You don't realize how mind-numbingly awful and trite soap dialogue is (and I'm not singling out OLTL...that's just the show that was on) until you listen and not watch. It was embarrassing. It was a crowded waiting room, and people who were watching were actually laughing at the serious stuff. Personally, I've always loved soaps as an escape and in their defense, it is sometimes difficult to judge a show out of context, but there is a reason why they've always pretty much been the laughingstock of the entertainment industry.

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, and OLTL was on in the waiting room. The TV was above my head, so I listened to the show rather than watch. You don't realize how mind-numbingly awful and trite soap dialogue is (and I'm not singling out OLTL...that's just the show that was on) until you listen and not watch. It was embarrassing. It was a crowded waiting room, and people who were watching were actually laughing at the serious stuff. Personally, I've always loved soaps as an escape and in their defense, it is sometimes difficult to judge a show out of context, but there is a reason why they've always pretty much been the laughingstock of the entertainment industry.

ding ding ding! B&B has the biggest howlers in the entire entertainment industry. I am have been noticing the awful dialogue on OLTL lately too, and then when you have these actors reciting them- its a recipe for serious comedy.

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, and OLTL was on in the waiting room. The TV was above my head, so I listened to the show rather than watch. You don't realize how mind-numbingly awful and trite soap dialogue is (and I'm not singling out OLTL...that's just the show that was on) until you listen and not watch. It was embarrassing. It was a crowded waiting room, and people who were watching were actually laughing at the serious stuff. Personally, I've always loved soaps as an escape and in their defense, it is sometimes difficult to judge a show out of context, but there is a reason why they've always pretty much been the laughingstock of the entertainment industry.

Sorry, that's just hysterical!

And sadly so true!

Speaking of dialogue. This is a classic. Listen to the voiceover of Maria Roberts. So bad. So bad. But so, so, good. The volume is bad so wear headphones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDqCkNDHw-E

ding ding ding! B&B has the biggest howlers in the entire entertainment industry. I am have been noticing the awful dialogue on OLTL lately too, and then when you have these actors reciting them- its a recipe for serious comedy.

OMG, I was home sick yesterday and watched B&B for the first time in ages. I was totally mesmerized by the atrocious acting and writing. It was absolutley hypnotic. I felt like I was watching a Saturday Night Live parody of soaps or even "Soapdish." Ronn Moss is really one of a kind, and not in a good way. He had some scenes with LaFlannery. Now I love her, but she was totally phoning it in. Then there's Hunter Tylo and that "actor" who plays her son. Just bad! It's essentially a bargan basement version of Y&R.

OMG, I was home sick yesterday and watched B&B for the first time in ages. I was totally mesmerized by the atrocious acting and writing. It was absolutley hypnotic. I felt like I was watching a Saturday Night Live parody of soaps or even "Soapdish." Ronn Moss is really one of a kind, and not in a good way. He had some scenes with LaFlannery. Now I love her, but she was totally phoning it in. Then there's Hunter Tylo and that "actor" who plays her son. Just bad! It's essentially a bargan basement version of Y&R.

Agree with everything, especially the SNL reference. All this talk of poor GL being cancelled, and even Days. If there was ever a show that deserves to be cancelled, it is B&B. But we can thank its cushy timeslot and Europe's atrocious taste in soaps for that not happening.

I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with Carl about the David Vickers character.

I think OLTL appreciates the David Vickers character for all that Tuc Watkins brings to him, but I don't think they take the character seriously. He's a showhorse that they trot out every three months for a ratings bump (which may or may not actually happen), critical acclaim, and a few hollow laughs, that are great at the time, but do little for the development of story or the David Vickers character. Every time he DOES come back more cartoonish than when he last left, from his stints as a TV star, a fry cook at the Bon Jour, and most recently a Buddhist. OLTL is getting stuck in a trap now of trying to outdo themselves every time David returns to the canvas, that he's become so gimmicky that I can't connect to Tuc Watkins' performance like I once used to. I fully expect him to pop out of someone's oversized birthday cake next time in clownface and wearing a speedo with suspenders.

Ultimately, in all the drama OR the comedy, I hope to see some kind of character growth or at least a hint of character direction. David's been a Buchanan for QUITE a while now, but he didn't know he was, so I could forgive the fact that it wouldn't jar David out of the caricaturish slump he's been in, but now that he DOES know, and STILL remained a cartoon, essentially shrugging off the news of his true lineage and leaving town to "pursue his craft" (of acting) basically made no difference and provided no resolution to a story that's been building for... three years (counting Spencer Truman's introduction)?! I consider that a waste, and I enjoy David Vickers' actual SCENES, just not his arc.

For what it's worth, we did get basically one scene of David hoping to be a better person because he respects Bo and feels strongly about it now that he knows he's BO's son, rather than Asa's... and I'm glad we got that, but I have no idea where David formed his opinion about Bo, and I have no idea if we will EVER see the Bo/David relationship actually explored. So was it worth it? Certainly not yet.

bingo!

She's a good actress! Give her a chance

I think Vee was being sarcastic. Vee is generally a UNTC. It takes getting used to. I'll let you unscramble.

You cut me deep, sir. I demand muskets at dawn.

LOL. And McNuggets Lovin'.

lol, that was her!

You cut me deep, sir. I demand muskets at dawn.

:lol: :lol:

when Rachel should be damn near or past 40 by now.

How old is HBS, and would it be believable, I wonder, if she had a daughter who's near 40? Of course, I don't think the show had this in mind when they casted her, my greatest fear is that they simply wanted to de-age her, in order to pair her up with either Todd or John.

Isn't Rachel and Todd around the same age and I think John is older then them.

Yeah, Rachel, Todd, Marty, Kevin, Zach and Powell were all in college together. Rachel might have been originally a year or two older than the rest.

The Cancer/Stacy storyline does seem rushed, but that's most likely to accomodate the availability of whichever past evil doer that's been stuntcast as Rex's father. However, the story wouldn't have been improved had the audience been subjected to months of the exploration Stacy's deep seated emotional reasons for her behavior.

As for David, no doubt two thirds of his return will be spent on flashbacks and jokes about him auditioning in Hollywood so Watkins can again mock the "Ghost Whisperer" (like he did with Branco) because he's still bitter that Jamie Kennedy beat him out for the sidekick role vacated by Jay Mohr.

Number 3 is the reason that I'm bored to tears with the show. In fact the only story that I am into, and keeps me tuning in is the Matthew/Bo/Nora story. I love that story and it's the best thing on the show right now. I could enjoy the show so much more and get into the rest of the show if I had some Viki and Charlie. I am so annoyed, and frustrated with the lack of Viki and the lack of Charlie that I won't really enjoy anything. But, oh my gosh, am I sick to death of Starr, Stacy, Rex and Gigi.