1 hour ago, Paul Raven said:

77/78 was a time of change at OLTL. In addition to Pinkerton, Doris Belack and Kathy Glass departed along with Kathryn Breech and Jameson Parker. Was any of this discussed in the Jeff Giles book?

May 8 1977 The Soap Report Ax Falls at ‘Life to Live' by Jon Michael Reed.

NEW YORK — A couple of eviction notices behind the scenes at “One Life to Live” have produced explosive jolts and everyone is sitting on pins and needles. It all began two weeks ago during a week that will go down in soap lore as something of a mini-massacre.

On a Monday it officially was announced that Nancy Pinkerton had been axed from her four-year role as Dorian Cramer Lord and replaced by Claire Malis.

On Tuesday, producer Doris Quinlan was lunching when a crew member, who’d heard rumors, asked when she was leaving the show. Quinlan fairly choked on her artichoke at this biting news.

On Wednesday the entire cast, with the exception of George Reinholt (Tony Lord), drafted a letter to ABC programming chiefs, in which they itemized their grievances about the show, especially the lagging, repetitive pace of the show's writing.

AFTER THE taping of Thursday’s show, Farley Granger, the former movie star who had joined the show a year ago in a blaze of publicity as Dr. Will Vernon, was informed that he’d just completed his last'show. Far-Far, as he was lovingly referred to by his castmates, reportedly had a tough time memorizing his scripts. But he did possess an attractive screen charisma, which his replacement lacks. Bernie McInerney (last seen as Jack and Mary’s annulment counselor, Father Richards, on “Ryan’s Hope”), fine actor that he is, would seem to be an odd choice to portray Dr. Vernon, who should make female hearts go pitty-pat.

Then, on black Friday, came the cropper. Quinlan, who’d been futilely attempting to receive confirmation or denial from ABC executives about the rumors of her firing, finally received a priority telephone call, requesting that she please clear out her belongings because a new producer would be arriving on the set on Monday.

"YES. I WAS MORE than a little unhappy and surprised,” says Quinlan, who reportedly opposed the cast dismissals. “I don’t really want to throw sour grapes. After all, firings are part of the business. But I am upset about the shabby way it was done, especially since I’ve been on the show since its debut. I helped put it on the air nine years ago. It has the best cast, the best directors, and it’s been a rewarding experience. Why did it happen? I had been fighting with the network for the last few months to improve the writing of the show. The only reason they gave for my dismissal was that the writing was slow and tedious. And yet they kept the writers and axed me.”

OVER THE WEEKEND, everyone speculated about the unsettling goings on in the halls of ABC's corporate heaven. But on Monday morning, the smoke cleared a bit and Joseph Stuart descended to take over the producing reins of "OLTL.” Stuart had been director of daytime programming for the network ever since he was axed as the producer of NBC’s “The Doctors,” a program that won an Emmy award under his tutelage. Stuart is now wearing the shoe on the other foot. He strode onto the set and informed the cast that he wants to put together the best show possible. Alluding to the cast letter, Stuart, according to member, declared that “OLTL” complaint procedures “won’t exactly be handled as democratically — more like an enlightened dictatorship.” Then he added with a laugh, “The most important thing for all of us is to have fun, fun, fun.” It’s going to be a little difficult for those who fear that “Network” is alive and well and posing a constant threat to job security. But that's show biz...

Great read. Thanks!

Judith Light almost-50-year career retrospective,
June 9, 2026. (what a goddess!)
This is really great and worth watching the whole thing.

Edited Wednesday at 04:38 PM1 day by janea4old

On 6/5/2026 at 11:31 PM, Stevel said:

Great read. Thanks!

It's interesting, in hindsight we think of the Gordon Russell/Sam Hall era as always being strong, but there were a number of complaints about the writing at this time...

2 hours ago, EricMontreal22 said:

It's interesting, in hindsight we think of the Gordon Russell/Sam Hall era as always being strong, but there were a number of complaints about the writing at this time...

Can you be more specific? Thanks

More OLTL from that era.

August 1977

NEW YORK — After auditioning and testing more than 300 actors on both coasts since mid-April. “One Life to Lave” has finally cast a replacement for George Reinholt in the role of Tony Lord. The character of Tony is an integral part of a story triangle involving his true love. Pat, and her "returned-from-the dead” husband. Paul. “We decided it would be disastrous to try and find someone who looks, sounds and acts like George.” “OLTL” producer Joe Stuart says. "We chose to find someone that would be a physical contrast to Paul, as well as someone in his early 30s As you know. Jacquie Courtney is 30 years old. But we felt that when she played opposite George, the audience thought of them as a couple in their late 30s. So the new Tony will help the story into a younger emphasis. And we’re very pleased with our choice of Philip MacHale.”

MacHALE WAS. SEEN briefly last year as the last of numerous David Martins on the canceled “Somerset.” Stuart predicts that Philip’s portrayal of Tony will be “different than George’s. It won't be as caustic.”

“Different chemistry” was also needed for the role of Will Vernon. Bernie McInerney, who replaced the original Will, Farley Granger, has been “gonged” and will be replaced by Anthony George beginning Aug. 25. Tony was last seen two years ago in the popular role of TonyVincente on “Search for Tomorrow." Although Stuart says Bernie was an excellent actor, "the story line has undergone an organic evolution and we hope to get more mileage out of Tony’s characterization as Will.’’ Whatever that means.

MEANWHILE, contract renewal negotiations with Doris Belack (Anna Craig1 came to a standstill. "I asked for a clause that would enable me to be out for additional theater work. They didn’t want to give it to me, so I left,” says Doris, who was a 9-year original cast member of “OLTL.” “I couldn’t stay on the serial without the opportunity to do theater work also. They apparently failed to understand that an actor needs a change of stimulus to keep his work fresh.” Doris has consistently given a fresh, warm, humorous quality to a tent-pole character who's purpose was to rehash other people’s story lines for the audience. Her shoes will be difficult to fill. "I probably would have gone into deep depression if I hadn’t gone immediately into rehearsals for a stage production.” sighs the actress.

MISS BELACK will be appearing in “Plaza Suite” at the QCC Theater Company o f Queensboro Community College in Bayside, N.Y., through Aug. 21. The theater’s artistic director is Doris’ former “OLTL” castmate. Jordan Charney (Vince Wolek,1. and the director of the production is her husband. Broadway producer Philip (“Shenandoah”) Rose. How does Doris succeed in working for her husband? “I trust his judgement completely.” she answers. ‘Occasionally we scream and yell, but we don’t take our work problems home with u s. Anyway, he knows me better than I know me. But I still have to live with the whispers that I got the part because I sleep with the director, which I’m proud to say I do.'.” Doris met her husband during a Gilbert and Sullivan musical many years ago. “We don't need to mention how many years ago, but I was the soprano and he was the baritone. We’ve been making beautiful music together ever since,” she laughs. But will the “OLTL” audience sing the praises of the show's recent changes?

Oct 78

But it will be interesting to watch what will happen in terms of audience reaction in the next few weeks on at least one ABC soap opera, “One Life to Live.”One of the long accepted ruled ot soap-operaland is that audiences become as hooked on actors and characters as much as they become hooked on storylines. On “One Life” there will be a near glut of performer replacements and exits.

JULIE Montgomery has already left the show as Samantha Vernon. Kathleen Devine, an excellent actress who was generally wasted in storyline limbo during her tenure on “OLTL,” has been killed off as Pam Shepherd, just prior to her wedding to pychiatrist Will Vernon.

Kathleen Maguire, as Anna Craig, didn’t registger positively with fans who were anguished that the original Anna, Doris Belack, departed the cast a year ago. The producers are scurrying to find yet another replacement in the role.

First, he was called D. Bill Reilly, then he changed his name to David Reilly. Recently, on cast credits, he was given a third name, Luke Reilly. Under any name, the actor who played the role of Richard Abbott insists he’s leaving the cast of “OLTL” within the next several weeks.

REILLY WAS a fan favorite, but the biggest cast departure blow to “OLTL” viewers will be the absence of Kathy Glass in the role of Jenny Wolek Siegel Vernon.

48 minutes ago, Stevel said:

Can you be more specific? Thanks

Just what is stated above about when they hired Joseph Stuart to replace Doris Quinlan as EP but didn't change the writing team, despite the fact that apparently the cast jointly wrote to the execs complaining about the writing.

So disappointing they couldn’t appease Doris Belack, I love everything I have seen of her Anna and it would have balanced out those extreme cast losses around this time if they had simply allowed the clause

Doris Belack's Anna Wolek Craig was everything. I watched her live and loved her. I don't think I saw the recast. Always exclaimed with glee whenever Anna Craig appeared as the judge on Law & Order series.

Was the writing really THAT bad? I do admit that the1975 episode (via YouTube) was pretty boring,... but that's just one episode.

Going over the ratings' charts Jason has posted, I noticed OLTL's ratings in the mid-'70s were ABYSMAL.

There were particular weeks where it ranked LAST... like, literally, DEAD LAST.

I'm surprised it never faced cancelation (or did it?).

Edited 18 hours ago18 hr by Sensuelle

1 hour ago, Sensuelle said:

Was the writing really THAT bad? I do admit that the1975 episode (via YouTube) was pretty boring,... but that's just one episode.

Going over the ratings' charts Jason has posted, I noticed OLTL's ratings in the mid-'70s were ABYSMAL.

There were particular weeks where it ranked LAST... like, literally, DEAD LAST.

I'm surprised it never faced cancelation (or did it?).

From what has survived, I don't think it's that bad either, I think the show was just in a malaise. I don't know if OLTL was ever close to bad until maybe late Rauch.

7 hours ago, soapfave06 said:

So disappointing they couldn’t appease Doris Belack, I love everything I have seen of her Anna and it would have balanced out those extreme cast losses around this time if they had simply allowed the clause

I wonder how much was down to ageism and sexism - somewhat older women were dumped in Pinkerton and Belack. Doris Quinlan was also dumped. It reads as them making Doris do their dirty work before firing her. She had worked with Doris Belack back on AW, I believe, so that must have hurt them both.

7 hours ago, DRW50 said:

From what has survived, I don't think it's that bad either, I think the show was just in a malaise. I don't know if OLTL was ever close to bad until maybe late Rauch.

I wonder how much was down to ageism and sexism - somewhat older women were dumped in Pinkerton and Belack. Doris Quinlan was also dumped. It reads as them making Doris do their dirty work before firing her. She had worked with Doris Belack back on AW, I believe, so that must have hurt them both.

This is probably the devastating truth, unfortunately.

Based on recaps alone, after maybe the Mark Toland and Rachel drama the show was moving slow, even the baby Kevin kidnapping arc moved slow and perhaps had little stakes? Long term you could see how this paid off, the show was firing writing wise by 1978, but it is with the same writers.

12 hours ago, DRW50 said:

From what has survived, I don't think it's that bad either, I think the show was just in a malaise. I don't know if OLTL was ever close to bad until maybe late Rauch.

This is my thought too. In that 1976 dissertation that was archived online about how a soap is written which covers OLTL at the time (and includes a script) either Sam Hall or Gordon Russell actually say that they still phone Agnes Nixon for advice (she told them to kill Victor lol) and that it's still in the show's contract that if ratings drop below a certain number, Nixon will return as HW. So just how far did the numbers have to fall?

But yes, from a modern POV all those 75-76 episodes we got are pretty compelling I think. It does seem though that it wasn't until Stuart took over that the writing really started on its trajectory to the peaks of 1979 (and I don't just mean Karen Wolek.)

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by EricMontreal22

I thought I didn't have my copy of the 1976 dissertation on OLTL and how it is written but I found some of the excerpts (this is badly copied from an old photo copy so all errors are due to copy and paste.)

Gordon's predecessor and mentor, Agnes Nixon, created

the bible for "One Life to Live." When Mrs. Nixon sold "Life"

to ABC, Gordon was hired in her place. One of Gordon's

first obligations to the network and the show was to create

a six month summary. This summary, drawing from the bible,

entails specific long range events scheduled ot occur. The

events are scheduled with approval of the producer and the

network. Decisions are made in relation to the six month

summary primarily by Gordon. However determinations are

subject to alterations based upon ratings (viewer mail,

which trickles in, seems to have little effect on the course

of the show). Mrs. Nixon, though officially unassociated

with the show (except for an obligation to consult with the

writing personnel in times of rating decline) still has

important and valued input regarding future events as

reflected in the six month summary. A recent Agnes Nixon

intervention resulted in changing an already completed six

month summary.

Ratings were dropping drastically; in a two month period

they had fallen from a share of 29 to 19. Mrs. Nixon called

Gordon offering advice. "When Aggie speaks," Gordon explained,

"you listen." Gordon's six years with "Life" and two years

with another soap called "Dark Shadows" by no means equals

Mrs. Nixon's 25 years of experience as a soap opera writer.

Aggie recommended the demise of Victor, a patriarchial

figure who had been with the show since its inception. Nixon

claimed the show was dragging, stuck in the past — inundated

with the old. Victor, a thoroughly ingrained part of the

Llanview community would have to go. Heeding Aggie's advice,

Gordon prepared for Victor’s death by sharing the idea with

his producer and then changing the six month summary.

A six month summary does not necessarily include circumstantial

exactitudes. For example, Victor, dying as a

result of a stroke, may or may not be a circumstance mentioned

in the six month summary. That Victor will die and his death

will facilitate organizational changes in the social and

emotional lives of the remaining Llanviewites, would be

included in the six month summary. Mention of events which

could potentially cause character metamorphoses are made

in the six month summary with the aid of qualifiers, e.g.

possibly Victor will have to adjust his will leaving money

to his estranged son instead of Dorian, the deceptive wife.

They then talk a bit about Sam Hall's role as associate HW (he shares an office with Gordon Russell but only comes in a couple of times a week, working mostly from home) They do spit take conversations about overall story, but Sam's main job is to then do the detailed outline which Gordon heavily edits before sending to script writers.

About Doris Quinlan there's this:

Headwriter-Producer Relationship

Gordon was not hired by Doris Quinlan nor does he consider

himself accountable to her. When Gordon accepted the

offer from the ABC Vice President of Programming to headwrite

"One Life to Live", it was unofficially stipulated

that he would not be working for Doris Quinlan but rather

with her. Since she has more direct access to information

concerning occurrences which transpire relative to directing,

costume designing, scenic designing, tape scheduling

and ratings, Gordon is inclined to take his producer's

. 99

input quite seriously. However Gordon's interest in Doris's

perceptions and observations should not suggest a subordinate

relationship. To Gordon, Doris is an important liason,

a feedback mechanism supplying him with information pertinent

to the production, financial and aesthetic aspect of

the show. Doris will criticize but will not chastise. She

will recommend but will not insist.

Gordon's insistance that he and Doris are on an equal

footing appears, within a hierarchial context, theoretically

true. However, Quinlan holds an important advantage of

vantage point. The producer's position allows her an overview

crucial to the functioning of the show as a whole.

She is the hub of a synchronization process dealing with,

amongst other elements of the production machine — writing.

Producer-headwriter conversations ensue at no

scheduled intervals. On occasion Gordon will personally

deliver edited scripts to Doris (the producer's office is

located at the ABC studios about five blocks from Gordon's

office) in order to keep a finger on what's going on by

talking to Doris, the directors and actors. Gordon explained

"when I take them myself, I know they’ll get there". More

often than conversing in person, Gordon and Doris speak via

telephone. A portion of one such conversation which according

to Gordon was fairly typical may be seen below:

Doris: She can't go because she hasn't got a man

to take her is rather un-Cathy

Gordon: Oh

Doris: Isn't it? Well, I think...what to comment

on it or not. You know.

Gordon: Oh, all right.

Doris: I don't know...it's trivial

Gordon: Yeah, Okay. I mean, I think she'd like

to go with someone you know

Doris: Yes, of course. Now she's well, Paul

has invited her and if she's the lady

she says she is, it should not concern

her that she does not have an escort.

Gordon: Yeah, all right, fine.

Doris: I don't understnad page 4— why Cathy has

a bottle of champagne to celebrate the

occasion. Nor do I understand what tl;t

means when Pat proposes a toast to Tony's

place on Cathy's reaction we go to black.

What reaction?

Gordon: Ah

Doris: If Pat has brought a bottle of booze and

all that...I don't quite understand why

Cathy would be celebrating the opening

of Tony's...we use it and she says: "I

planned a celebration this way”.

Gordon: That might be a good idea. Yeah.

Doris: That would be more likely

Gordon: Yeah, okay. We could make that note.

Although Doris' approach to this communication is

more interrogatory and clarification oriented than declarative

and edification oriented, she accomplishes change.

Gordon's yeahs, o.k.'s and all rights sprinkled throughout

101

this portion of the conversation seem to be representative

of the head writer's attitude toward his producer's observations

in relation to his script. That which she brings up

is often not worth arguing or acclaiming. On occasion

Doris has an idea which Gordon deems valuable — innovative.

Such an idea was forthcoming in this particular phone conversation

:

Doris: All right, I'm also gonna see if there's any

way I can get us a guest star for the

opening [of Tony's Club].

Gordon: Fine, I'd love it.

Also considered in headwriter-producer discussions

are actors' schedules and availability. Because some performers

are obligated to work only three or four shows a

week script content and taping schedules must be accomodating

ly arranged. Content and tape schedules may be

altered due to actor illness or producer brainstorm.

Whether rescheduling is necessitated by a performer's week

long migraine or a guest star's need to work on a certain

day, the maneuver is never accomplished without prior consultation

between Doris and Gordon.

The moment Doris receives scripts from Gordon they

become joint property. No longer is Gordon's say final.

All is subject to discussion, reevaluation and alteration.

Gordon as headwriter is ultimately responsible for

scripts submitted to Doris. Though Doris is uninvolved in

social and/or work activity associated with the actual

writing of "One Life to Live’s" scripts and outlines, she

participates in final judgment of them. The process by

which scripts are created, the focus of Chapter IV, would

be of little interest to Doris. Her primary concern is

the final product.