Llanview In The Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live, by Jeff Giles out today

[Vee]

I admittedly loved Roxy most of the time, but I think they did take it a little seriously at first. They wrote her a decent if brief redemption arc over the course of her first year and then she had her big standoff with Mitch, putting herself between him and Natalie and Cristian. Then she became the new Wanda. But her endless pimping of John McBain killed me.

I think Ilene's idea of what is safe or not safe is more about performances like hers or those she mentions and I can agree with her up to a point, but not every soap is built on just those types, wonderful though they are.

[DRW50]

Early on Roxy was very nasty and it was played relatively straight. I think that changed after about a year.

[Vee]

It changed after maybe the first four or six months. Then she became a goofy schemer - the hypoglycemia, working with Niki and Alison, and then the marriage to Max, which was a fantastic story Ilene says Brian Frons killed.

[Lust4Life76]

Darn, I agree there could have been a better way, storywise, to rehabilitate Roxy and give Ilene the raw gritty story. I can't forget the first time we were introduced to Roxy, she was one hard lady and the coercion she would lay down on Natalie, you can tell there was some serious mental issues. But the writing at times seemed to make her into daytime's own Patsy Stone.

[DRW50]

The story with Max was by far my favorite Roxy story.

[Antoyne]

By the time I was heavily invested in the show, Roxy was just a walking punch line so I'd actually be interested in seeing the early stuff where she was more serious.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My1DhSU0Ws0

One of three parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drDM9Rhr2lI

[Vee]

I still remember those first scenes.

I loved what Roxy became, but the character was certainly different early on.

[vetsoapfan]

Well, I am late to the party here, but are there any good quotes/stories about Jacqueline Cortney (Pat Kendall) and George Reinholt (Tony Lord)? I know Reinholt was supposedly abrasive and crashed the fan luncheon during Lee Patterson's (Joe Riley) speech, and that Ellen Holly remains snarky about Courtney after all these decades. (Although, admittedly, I'd be peeved too if I were an original cast member making a miniscule salary, and a new actress from another network came aboard with a significantly higher pay check. Being kicked out of my dressing room would rankle me too!) Any Courtney/Reinholt news would be appreciated.

[EricMontreal22]

Buy the book! You'd love it The online edition is cheaper than buying two SODs.

There is some about both of them - (Erika basically says how impossible George was to work with but that she thinks he now is a very nice man, I think) - but I'd have to look through again.

[SFK]

I don't think you guys have quoted anything from or (much) about Robin. Is she not so heavily featured in the book? And yes, I do plan to buy it.

[Vee]

I've quoted her a little. She's in there but she's not featured much. I suspect it may have had to do with her health problems a while back.

[EricMontreal22]

Brandon's Buzz is doing an interview with the author tonight at 10 central time. Jeff (the author) has written a bit on Facebook about how certain people like Fiona Hutchinson and Andrea Evans weren't interested in talking and that he wanted to address the Kish mess but since Frank Valentini refused to talk to him about it, didn't think he could get a fair perspective on both sides.

Sorry, it's 10 EASTERN time. http://brandonsbuzz.com/

[Vee]

I figured Ron and Frank were under some sort of a gag order, considering the lawsuit nonsense with ABC and Prospect.

I'm surprised neither Fiona nor Andrea were willing. I'm not sure I can listen tonight but I'd love to go back and listen afterwards, or hear about it.

[EricMontreal22]

I prob will report on it if I have time--and they stay archived.

Apparently Fiona often doesn't give interviews--she just feels uncomfortable. Andrea often does now, doesn't she? I mean I know for a while she didn't after the whole stalker nightmare, but... I suspect some actors maybe didn't wanna burn their bridges with ABC Daytime, but that could be projecting. A gag order on Ron and Frank sounds likely but even not, I can see them not wanting to for the same reason.