One Life to Live Tribute Thread

[Paul Raven]

[DRW50]

That's one of those stories where the killer isn't even on the cover. I think this was one of the last nails in Rauch's coffin at OLTL.

Michael had become a monster but I think they should have kept him around, if possible - Parlato was great in the role, very charismatic, and this wasn't a time when OLTL was drowning in charisma. Thom Christopher was more charismatic but he was drowned out by the dull stories with his children.

[Greg]

Ummm....that's a dog she's holding.

LMAO

[DRW50]

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[Llantano Incorporated]

I have googled S Michael Schnessel and have found very little about him. I quite enjoyed his work because he took risks and I loved his strong female characters.. For some reason Paul Rauch credits him with OLTL's success. But I must say that I thought Peggy O'Shea's OLTL was utterly brilliant and pitch perfect. Those 1985-1986 Viki/Niki/Tina scenes are like soap opera crack to me. 1985-1987 is an era of OLTL that has been greatly undervalued. I know -THE- soaps at the time in terms of critical acclaim were ATWT, Y&R, and to a lesser extent AMC- but OLTL was in a class by itself.

[Cheap21]

What was Dorian's motive for wanting Michael dead? I dont even recall her interactions with him. Why isnt Gabrielle listed there? Did Tina or Cord ever have anything to do with him? Who ended up killing him anyway? I think it was Julia?

[MissLlanviewPA]

Just purely based on second-hand viewing and the anniversary book (and my own suspicions):

1.Not sure about Dorian.

2. I think Gabrielle was mourning Max too much to be in that orbit (and fighting off Fake Max when she thought he was Matt).

3. Tina was still in San Diego--Karen Witter wasn't on board yet.

4. I don't think Cord ever really interacted with Michael much--he was dating Gabrielle (so, that too for her).

5. Roger Gordon killed him. He briefly got out of his coma, shot Michael in the hospital, then went straight back into his coma.

Julia killed DuAnn Demerest a year later. I wonder if she ever got out. I remember reading that one of her last scenes was with Max. I would be very surprised if her daughter/his ex-wife didn't come up at all.

Edited January 28, 2012 by MissLlanviewPA

[Cheap21]

Michael was on for most of 1989 and AE didnt leave the role as Tina till early 1990. She was involved in the baby switching story to some degree bc Ive seen teh clips of her confronting Gabrielle about it. I mean she must have had at least some interaction with Michael considering he was married to her best friend and she knew his baby wasnt really his, right?

Thanks anyway, especially the breakdown on who the killer was. I guess I confused Julia there bc I know she killed someone around that time. That Roger scenario sounds so stupid...lol. Im assuming he eventually woke up and left town or is he off in a coma somewhere? LOL

Edited January 28, 2012 by Cheap21

[MissLlanviewPA]

The murder occurred after AE left, though, during the period of time when Tina was gone and KW wasn't there yet. That's all I meant.

Roger left town after Megan and Sarah died (in Sarah's case, the second and final time). The poor man lost all three of his daughters--he had another daughter, Anna, who died as a child.

[rlj]

I think Michael was blackmailing Dorian with some from her time in Mendorra.

Cord and Tina interacted with Michael during the Eterna story and the Baby switching story.

[Dale]

Oh yeah, 1985, 1986 and 1987 were OLTL's best years in the 80's! Didn't the show win the Emmy for Best Writing in 1987? Credit has to go to Peggy O'Shea for that! When she left, and Schnessel took over, the show drifted in to some very choppy waters - 1888, Faux Bo, Eterna and Badderly come to mind. OY! Some of those stories gave us some great production moments and some isolated memorable scenes, but overall, I thought that Schnessel was Rauch's puppet and that together, they brought the show to near complete and total destruction before Gottleib came in and cleaned it up.

[Dale]

I am amused at how Fiona cut Jessica Tuck out of that photo!

[DRW50]

I don't think Badderly was Schnessel.

I really think there is a big difference in quality from Schnessel's run to mid-90/early 91 (Rauch's end). I mostly base it on the writing for Gabrielle, but even beyond that, like the tedious Charlotte story, Johnny Dee/Tina, et al. From what I've seen of that time the only story which really gathers my interest is Viki's stroke.

I actually think Faux Bo is kind of a fun little story, at least from the clips I've seen. The only part I find distasteful is Tina/"Bo", and then Tina being pregnant with his baby and going out the lighthouse window. 1888 I also enjoy, just for cheese and for some great acting from Clint Ritchie and Erika Slezak. It may have run too long but was a nice set piece.

I think even with O'Shea, the show still had its flaws - look at the waste of Dorian, and the issues with the Sanders family. Ultimately Rauch was such a dominating producer that his way ruled, even if it hurt the show. I think Schnessel managed to work well within Rauch's scope. I do agree O'Shea was better though, and her pacing was pitch-perfect.

As for Michael's murder - Brenda was supposed to be the killer. At the last minute they chose Roger instead, which is why he wasn't even on the SOD cover. I don't think anyone cared for the rewrite, but then I'm not sure anyone liked the story in the first place.

Edited January 28, 2012 by CarlD2

[soapfave06]

Schnessel's last big story was Mendorra, he left shortly after that. From his era, it was only the Tina, Viki and Buchanan stories that would go on to be remembered because they were the center of the show, I think it was more balanced out with O'Shea.

[DRW50]

I think she did try for more balance, it's just that a lot of the others who were written for weren't all that interesting (like the O'Neill family, or Jon/Cassie).