Llanview in the Afternoon

An Oral History of One Life to Live Now Available! A Must-Read for Long Time Fans!

If you have watched One Life to Live over any, or all, of its over four decades of existence, and want to get a glimpse of what it was like throughout all the different casting, writing, and producing regime changes, and read some never- before- known moments that happened on the set, and behind-the-scenes of one of the most iconic soaps of all-time, then you should order your copy of the just released paperback book or kindle version of Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live by Jeff Giles!
According to the official book description, “During its more than four decades in the ABC daytime lineup, One Life to Live told countless stories, from sensational adventures to thoughtful social commentary. But the tales that went untold — the experiences of the writers, producers, cast and crew behind the scenes — are just as fascinating as any kidnapping, baby switch, or courtroom confession.
Today, network soaps are struggling for survival against cheaper-to-produce talk shows and reality series, but their cultural impact resonates more strongly than ever — and a tribute to the work that goes into producing them is long overdue. To that end, Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live focuses on some of the most unique aspects of working on a five-day-a-week television series — from the actors, who had to deal with the daytime stigma and the psychology of living so intimately with their characters for extended periods of time, to the crew, who produced scripts and episodes at a blistering pace while working with a dwindling pool of network resources.
Featuring interviews with more than 50 One Life to Live veterans, including: Erika Slezak, Robin Strasser, Robert S. Woods, Hilary B. Smith, Ilene Kristen, Kassie DePaiva, Michael Storm, Judith Light, and Nathan Fillion — plus many more Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live offers readers a one-of-a-kind perspective on one of television’s longest-running shows.”
In addition to those mentioned above, check out these blasts from the pasts who all participated in interviews in which portions of those are contained within the framework of the book including: Steve Fletcher, Margaret Klenck, Brynn Thayer, Anthony Call, Ellen Holly, Joe Lando, Roy Thinnes, Jack Betts, Roscoe Born, former OLTL producer, Linda Gottlieb and head writer, Michael Malone, and OLTL creator, Agnes Nixon!
In an exclusive excerpt, Erika Slezak talks about her former leading man, Clint Ritchie’s (Ex-Clint) problem with alcohol which at times apparently disrupted the set, “When he was drunk, he was just appalling. In 40 years, I stopped scenes maybe four times, and one of them was with him. Clint was supposed to pick up a chair and move it during the scene, and he ended up throwing it — and it hit me. Not hard, but it hit me. And I said, ‘Okay, that’s it! Stop. I cannot do this, and I will not do it anymore.’ My husband happened to be at the studio — God knows why he was there, but he was downstairs, and he came up, standing offstage, ready to fight for my honor. [Laughs] Clint said, ‘What? I said, ‘You threw the chair, you hit me with it, this isn’t what the scene’s about –’ Clint didn’t say a word. They didn’t stop the cameras, because they thought I was acting! They’d never seen me get angry before. Finally they cut, and there was a terrible silence.”
So are you interested to get your copy of Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live! Let us know!