The Best and Worst of One Life to Live

[jsbt]

Wasn't there some nonsense that summer of teens, Teens, TEENS where Old Man Nate found a bunch of money, possibly in that briefcase, and stole it because Poor Inez couldn't pay the bills or some shit.  And there was some mob guy who came after them and then Starr accidentally shot Crybaby James...or something?

 

Yes! God, that was awful. IIRC, the guy playing the mob henchman was almost as bad as that insane lunatic who hammed his way through the scenes with Connie and Olivia at Crimson on GH a few years ago. And he was on for weeks and weeks, it seemed. Starr, James, Nate, Inez and this henchman!

 

I was cool with Layla befriending Gigi - in part because I hated Layla as Adriana's Mini-Me and how she had been relegated to her helper when Adriana was doing a lot of shady shit.

[dubbel zout]

Wow, 2010 was just a whole bunch of NO, wasn't it?

 

You guys are reminding me of how far the show fell. The Wit brothers—Half, Nit, and Dim—got parents who were as awful as they were, Inezzzzzz and the OG Flash (poor John Wesley Shipp). There's the template for Nina et al right there. Bring on hated characters and just keep adding more, desperately trying to make any of them catch on. 

[UYI]

Cord & Tina's honeymoon on Devil's Claw in 1986. Cord in a Speedo! Tina in a pretty pink bathing suit! So much pretty in one video!

 

 

Edited September 6, 2015 by UYI

[AndySmith]

Cord in a Speedo!

 

A purple speedo!

[AndySmith]

Not sure if this counts as the best or the worst. Both and neither at the same time, I guess...

 

[TeeVee329]

I'm enjoying yet another Kish-era re-watch (...what!  GH is horrrible right now!) and, oh man, the scenes from when Kyle and Fish attempt to go on their first date - with Layla and Cris getting together mixed in - are sooo good:

 

 

 

 

And it's crazy that while this cute, relatable, everyday drama was going on in this story, over in Napa...

 

[dubbel zout]

Jared was still alive! *sniff*

[TeeVee329]

I know!  He should have used Corpse!Nash as a shield!

[AndySmith]

Here are some classic Viki and Dorian confrontations. ES and RS worked so well together. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2015 by AndySmith

[dubbel zout]

Their chemistry was tremendous.

[drtslim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW79b4nkXgw&index=152&list=PL2FEEC6E64B8C2E26

 

The delving into the Cramer family past was a very interesting storyline.  This first

scene gives a lot of insight into the complex relationship that Dorian and Cassie

shared.  When Cassie was born, Dorian was afraid of hurting her the way that she was

hurt by her mother; so she distanced herself (by focusing on her career) and allowed

David to take her away.  Cassie grew up feeling rejected and abandoned by her mother

and developed an idealized notion of what her mother should be like; and she got to

reject Dorian when she didn't measure up the way that she'd felt that Dorian had

rejected her as a child.

Edited November 5, 2015 by drtslim

[MSquared]

On this day in 1995, Todd and Blair were married for the (second of four time) in what their fans remember as the Golden Balloons Wedding.

 

Happy Anniversary and thank you all the memories, Roger Howarth and Kassie DePaiva!

[UYI]

Some NM!Al and Gabrielle. RIP, Nate.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQl3RoOuy9A

 

Did anyone else here like Al as the Voice of the Night besides me? 

[UYI]

What did you guys think of Karen Witter as Tina? I actually think she's pretty decent, and she did seem to have Tina grow up quite a bit, and made Tina less bubbleheaded. Andrea's still the best, but I can see how Karen could have come back if Andrea had never returned.She's definitely the OTHER Tina, though.

 

But she was definitely gorgeous-a former Playboy Playmate, no less!

 

This is one of her first scenes, if not her very first scene, in 1990. Gabrielle's younger sister Debra is there, too.
 

Tina dreams of playing the Dating Game! 1988:

 

Edited November 15, 2015 by UYI

[AndySmith]

How do you feel Karen compared to Krista Tesreau as Tina?

[UYI]

I feel like the writing automatically put Krista at a disadvantage. Tina slept with David thinking the whole time he was her biological brother while Krista was in the role. It seems like a lot of the emotional growth Karen showed was completely undone once Krista got there.

 

I've only seen clips from those years, but that's what I get from there. I like watching Krista as Mindy on Guiding Light, so it's not that she's a bad actress, I truly don't think that's it at all. It's that the writing went full-bubblehead, but took it to another extreme. 

[tessaray]

Did anyone else here like Al as the Voice of the Night besides me? 

 

I liked it okay.  Always hated Nora with a radio show though.  Even though I like HBS, when I think back, most of Nora's storylines didn't work for me.   Maybe if they had really put her with RJ...?  TJS had such great chemistry with every woman on the show.  And the guys too, for that matter. 

[UYI]

Nora had a radio show? I didn't know that. I know Luna had the Loveline, though (a precursor to Adam Corolla's show? LOL.).

[Melgaypet]

Yeah, during the Prospect Park run. Bo set it up for her. She called herself the Night Bird (Nightbird?). It was cute, but didn't amount to much. Not that there was time.

[UYI]

Oh okay, thanks! That's why I didn't know. I never watched PP!OLTL (or PP!AMC, for that matter) past the first week. I probably should watch both of them in full someday.

 

There was a famous radio DJ/announcer in NYC named Allison Steele who was known as "the Nightbird" during the 80's--she's notable for being one of the only, if not the only female announcer on a daytime soap during intros/sponsor tags (on Search for Tomorrow). I wonder if that was a shout out to her. 

[AndySmith]

Speaking of replacements...while Robin Strasser is Dorian for me, Elaine Princi has to be one of the better recasts (on this and any other show). She had great chemistry with the rest of the cast (most importantly, with Erika Slezak too), and was able to copy some of Strasser's mannerisms but still make the character her own. Shame it didn't work out for her, though, I did enjoy her time on the show.

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, my post is somewhat ironic seeing as how Robin herself was a recast lol

Edited November 18, 2015 by AndySmith

[TeeVee329]

Yeah, during the Prospect Park run. Bo set it up for her. She called herself the Night Bird (Nightbird?). It was cute, but didn't amount to much. Not that there was time.

 

I kept thinking someone was going to end up calling into Nora's radio show (Catfish Michelle possibly) and dropping some kind of secret, sparking more story, but yeah, time kinda ran out.

 

But honestly, given how mostly awful their stories were after their reunion - fuckin' Inez, Matthew being a murderer, Nora way overstepping with a pregnant Destiny - I was kinda okay with Bo and Nora just getting light, breezy stuff that reminded me of why I liked them.

[Vashtix]

A purple speedo!

Hi new here 

Love,Loved Cord and Tina

Cord was so sexy and I love that speedo

I feel like the writing automatically put Krista at a disadvantage. Tina slept with David thinking the whole time he was her biological brother while Krista was in the role. It seems like a lot of the emotional growth Karen showed was completely undone once Krista got there.

 

I've only seen clips from those years, but that's what I get from there. I like watching Krista as Mindy on Guiding Light, so it's not that she's a bad actress, I truly don't think that's it at all. It's that the writing went full-bubblehead, but took it to another extreme. 

I stopped watching -I had no idea they trashed Tina that much

[UYI]

20 years ago today, the OTHER most beloved OLTL opening (assuming the 1984-1991 opening is the crowd favorite, of course*) premiered:

 

 

 

 

I honestly think that they could have used that arrangement, and that opening, to the very end of the run on ABC. It was perfect. To this day, I can still tear up listening to this theme, or the slow piano version they used in serious scenes, like in the final ABC episode. I miss my show. :'(

 

*The 1975-1980 opening is a classic, too:

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by UYI

[AndySmith]

Lets not forget this gem of an opening...as subtle as a shovel to the face.

 

 

The 1984-1991 and 1995 onwards openings are definitely great. The 1975 to 1980 opening is...kinda dull. At least the early 90s opening is memorable, and easy to snark at ;)

Edited November 20, 2015 by AndySmith

[UYI]

Yeah, the 1992-1995 opening looked like a 30 second cheesy softcore porno. The eyes of the woman made me think it was Karen Witter for some reason.

 

Some might find it boring, but I think the 1980-1984 opening was pretty. I love the clouds and the birds! (That's Brynn Thayer's Jenny Wolek at the beginning, BTW.)

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by UYI

[TeeVee329]

 

 

Wow...Patrick/Thorsten Kaye's hair in that tiny clip before the credits start is quite the...event.

 

And now for a divisive selection, the Prospect Park opening.  I liked the new theme, although I acknowledge it's not everyone's taste.  And I liked that they did something different with the opening sequence (especially compared to how dated and stale the "All My Children" credits were), but all I can think everytime I watch it is how hard it would have been to update as people came and left.  Like that "General Hospital" opening with all the men in tuxes.

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by TeeVee329

[AndySmith]

Yeah, I want to like the 1980 to 1984 opening but...like the one preceding it, its just kinda dull.

 

The 2 best ones for me were the 1984 to 1991 and 1995 to 2004 openings. What can I say, I like my openings with more of an up-tempo feel. One of the low key openings that works for me is Y&R. But, to each their own.

 

My only nitpick with the 1995 to 2004 opening is I didn't like how they would sometimes mix having some of the cast breaking the fourth wall by looking and smiling at the camera while other people got action shots. Personally, I preferred they all get action shots, with Viki at the end breaking the fourth wall and smiling at the camera because, well, shes Viki.

 

The Prospect Park opening is mixed. The song sucks, but it was fun seeing the cast all dance together, with Bo and Nora being my favorites. The moves they did were just so Bo and Nora, and I mean that as a compliment.

Edited November 20, 2015 by AndySmith

[UYI]

The 1995-2004 version really did rely more and more on breaking the fourth wall type shots as time went on. I think by the time they retired it, that was all it was.

 

The theme for the PP version is great I (and Snoop Dogg being a self-admitted OLTL fan made it even better), but the some of the dancing is so AWKWARD. Some of it's fun, but then I see Tea with her so-called seductive finger and the teen circle and I just cringe.

 

I think the long version of the 1975-1984 theme (same song--the closing credits continued to use the 1975-1980 theme even after the opening changed) is better than the short version--very dramatic.

 

I really do need to check out more pre-1985/1986 OLTL--it comes up so little here outside of Karen Wolek.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7lzJsCSs78

[AndySmith]

Well, Tea is always awkward (and I say this as a fan of hers ;)

 

Here is a clip from 1982, focusing on Viki and Clint:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Rbo9lqV4I

 

And here is some 1983 Buchannon fun:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc3EpkqCpV4

 

The guy who posted the second video has quite a bit of 80s ABC soap stuff on his account...

Edited November 20, 2015 by AndySmith

[UYI]

Jessica finds out she's pregnant, 1998. They should have never made Jessica a pregnant teenager, but Erin played these scenes well.

 

[jsbt]

I liked the PP song. The opening was so cheesy but it was at least different and unique, it was independent of the ancient Fronsified opening we'd had for almost a decade at that point (mostly unchanged unlike the other two ABC soaps because fuck OLTL, amirite). It grew on me, it was fun. I still couldn't watch the portion with the teens' Rainbow Connection circle of friendship, or Téa beckoning her daughter though.

[TeeVee329]

TV Line did an article on the best and worst of soap opera recasts.  OLTL got nods on both sides.  Spoiler - UYI will be very happy with one of them.

 

http://tvline.com/2015/12/10/soap-operas-best-worst-recasts-general-hospital-young-restless/

Edited December 10, 2015 by TeeVee329

[UYI]

TV Line did an article on the best and worst of soap opera recasts.  OLTL got nods on both sides.  Spoiler - UYI will be very happy with one of them.

 

http://tvline.com/2015/12/10/soap-operas-best-worst-recasts-general-hospital-young-restless/

 

Hee hee. ;)

 

Believe it or not, I think Nicholas Walker is fine, from what I've seen. And in terms of chemistry, his love scenes with Fiona were hot enough to rival hers with JDP, which is a pretty high standard to begin with. But JDP just had something that NW could never quite come close. I'm also bitter that his Max married Gabrielle and not Jim's, but that's neither here nor there. :)

 

And off topic, but at least casting Roseanne as Jennifer Smith on GH was due to her being a huge fan of that show (she also watched OLTL, too--I'm curious as to how long she hung in there!).

 

I do like that the picture for NF is with GT's Kelly. Sorry not sorry, they were CUTE!

Edited December 10, 2015 by UYI

[UYI]

In honor of Patricia Elliott, here's some Asa and Renee--their first engagement in 1988, and a scene from their second wedding reception in 1999:

 

 

More Asa & Renee! And some Mia Korf as Blair, too:

 

[UYI]

This looks like pre-Malone 1991 OLTL. 

 

Edited December 22, 2015 by UYI

[TeeVee329]

Here's what I believe were Patricia Elliott's last scenes as Renee:

 

 

I remember reading somewhere that Patricia Elliott really liked these scenes between Bo and Renee re: Asa and decided privately that this would be her last appearance.

Edited December 22, 2015 by TeeVee329

[AndySmith]

Here are some nice Dorian and David scenes from 1995. RS really is a great actress, isn't she? She barely wastes a moment or a line.

 

And early Kelly was annoying but still somehow endearing.

 

[AndySmith]

Best? Worst? Somewhere in between?

 

[UYI]

Polarizing. Erika did say once that the cast had fun shooting it, though. And they had to have that set on a completely different sound stage, because it was so big.

 

I was actually born the same day that storyline concluded and everyone was rescued, so that's a cool little badge of soap-related honor for me. :D 

[AndySmith]

Oh well in that case, this is for you, UYI ;)

 

[AndySmith]

This was a hilarious scene with Dorian and Tina.

 

[UYI]

Gabrielle attempts to smother her then-husband (and Max's younger brother) Steve while he was in his coma, 1988. She and Max had slept together (shortly after Steve first went into his coma--he was attacked in Arizona, where Clint was for the Wild West time travel story and where Gabby and Steve had planned to live on a ranch after they got married) very shortly before this, and I guess she felt desperate and did this in a fit of insanity. I think this was during the writer's strike, though, because I'm not sure how in character it is for her to do this.

 

I'm not sure if Max ever knew she (however half-heartedly and crazily) tried to do this to his brother, either. I got the impression he never found out.

 

[TeeVee329]

In scenes that are somehow both The Best and The Worst, Princess David Vickers and Liam...have a conversation:

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by TeeVee329

[dubbel zout]

Those scenes were pretty polarizing, but I loved them. So totally WTF that they worked for me.

[Dandesun]

So yesterday was Kassie DePaiva's birthday so I figured I'd post one of my favorites. This is Blair and Dorian scheming to get David out of Dorian's life without her having to give up her money or go to jail. Dorian asks Blair to sleep with David and Blair is suitably horrified by it. I love the whole thing because this is the Blair that most writers forgot about... she was sharp, canny and had some standards.

 

I always rather loved that Blair just could not stand David. I loved that it carried on throughout their tenure on the show. I wonder if David ever caught onto the idea that he and Blair didn't have sex. I mean, Blair denied everything later on but it was all a part of the gaslighting so, I mean, she denied everything not just the sex part. Of course, she, Todd and Dorian knew the truth.

 

The other part of this is Tina trying to convince Todd that Blair was plotting to get pregnant with David's baby so she could pass it off as Todd's and get all of Todd's money... which was quite a stretch even for Tina. Of course, Blair and Todd had already reunited in the stables and, more importantly, she was already pregnant from earlier that summer so Tina didn't have a leg to stand it. Still, it's kind of nice to see Todd attempt to control himself when he sees Blair with David.

 

Anyway, here's the vid...

 

 

[AndySmith]

Here is a great scene featuring Dorian and David Renaldi (Cassie's father), who was played by the late Michael Zaslow.

 

Edited March 23, 2016 by AndySmith

[TeeVee329]

Those scenes [Princess David Vickers and Liam] were pretty polarizing, but I loved them. So totally WTF that they worked for me.

 

My favorite part is how despondent baby Liam is that McBain is his dad and not Brody (also see him taking the paternity test out of Jessica's hands when she finds it and throwing it on the floor). That adorable baby made a lot of very annoying story more bearable.

[AndySmith]

Another great Dorian scene, this one with Herb.

 

 

And here's one with Llanview's two biggest divas...

 

[Melgaypet]

My favorite part is how despondent baby Liam is that McBain is his dad and not Brody (also see him taking the paternity test out of Jessica's hands when she finds it and throwing it on the floor). That adorable baby made a lot of very annoying story more bearable.

 

Liam's utter dismay at being John's son is as hilarious as Ryder's baby facepalm over being a Ford.