DC #293: Top 10 Ways to Improve One Life to Live

Blair and Todd are no longer popular. They are done.

I love tarty!!! They have so much chemistry!!!!!!!! Luke and laura did it(Dont defend what luke did to laura) You cant deny that Todd and Marty have chemistry. It looks like Todd has feelings for Marty. And I'm tired of people liking other couples from rape BUT when it comes to this oh heck no. You all sound like hypercritical and its annoying.

And it was rude to tease Susan's teeth. Shes a wonderful actress. Also Bree is a wonderful actress as well leave her alone. She better win and emmy.

nelson disgusts me i dont want him back. His language and they way he talked about the actresses.

this was one of the most disgusting and worst podcasts. All you mostly did was bash actresses.

Jamie you 2 really disappointed me as well.

You know what? I totally apologize for that re: Haskell. I've put her on my most beautiful lists in the past, and I'm a HUGE fan of hers (She's from Toronto after all). If it came out bitchy (I haven't heard the podcast yet), it wasn't my intention. I'm just not happy with the way she's lying having to act dumb with that expression on her face because of Marty's amnesia. And they're certainly not helping her out with the hair and makeup. They're making her look slightly virginal/teenager esque.

yea I do agree the make up is bad but I guess its because shes bed ridden. But thanks for apologizing.

And she's showing off her teeth a lot because of her "Duh, I have no idea who I am," story. It works though!

yea I also noticed that. SH is really great.

Actually before this storyline I hated Todd. I never liked him. But when hes around marty hes different AND HE ACTUALLY SMILES. I have never seen Todd smile EVER! Only when hes around Marty. I tried to deny it but i just could no longer deny that Sh and TSJ have amazing chem. I want it done right though. i want Todd to give marty back and beg for her forgiveness.

well im kind of glad they said it because her teeth have bothered me tho. I mean in a bad way. I guess Todd and Marty are popular and maybe they have some chem and all but i like dont like the story which is sort of groce. I mean in a bad way. I dunno its just too groce and I hate Todd and Blair but theres a better way to do a story like this.

I like the new additions tho to the show but is it me or does ol2l seriously skimp on the black people? Mebbe they need to get more help because its like nothing has happend all summer. love rex and gigi and and shane. And Brody even tho I'm seriously not happy with him. I mean in a bad way! He needs his own family and not Rex's!!!

TnB will always be together even when apart- I don't think they should ever be romantically involved again....

I think OLTL had some small improvements to make....until Todd /Marty. I think their story line could be what will disconnect many from enjoying the show for years to come. I think what was created in Todd represents the new legacy of the Lords, a family that was being smothered by the Bucchanans- and he should have been established as the anti-hero- hell, he could have been the man of many wives...it's just sad, because I don't see many Todd "character" fans as much as fans of Trevor St. John- Which could be detrimental if he were to leave the show. I think it's one of the things the killed Evangeline- because contrary to what many believe she didn't come on as a "do gooder"- she was Mitch Lawrences attorney!!!She had no heart of gold! she was just the lawyer who cared about winning...That was DH's debasement work.

As for the Tina return- people have been waiting for this for years!- and this is what RC gives us?--I'm with Jamey, just give the fans what they want- nothing more. I also think SH should have been written as John McBain's wife Caitlyn- not Marty!

Break up Todd and Blair forever. This couple is over and the back and forth is destroying any ounce of creditability that ruined both characters. They should be over and out and Blair should go get help to get rid of the needing a man instead of being an own women in her own right.

Bring back Evangeline. I love her and I do believe that Higley made her a saint instead of the bitch that she was first she came on. I love to have her come out of her coma and start taking names. Have her be a bitch to Blair and Natalie and not a saintly person.

Have Starr lose the baby. I know this is a cop-out, but this s/l is not working and Starr is too young to be a mother or going to go through with the adoption. I would have her go through with the loss and be a troublemaker when she was young and not this whiny, spoiled brat that she become.

Who said about bringing back the Gannons and Hanens. I feel this is a way to bring back the diversity on the show. Have Hank and RJ come back and mix up with Nora and bring Rachael Gannon back.

Move the Todd/Marty misery scenario. I just feel this s/l is way past this point of dragging out and needs to be point at of its misery. I do agree that Susan and Trevor have great chemistry, but he rape her and I don't believe that the fans are going to go with this pair, if the tptb going this route.

Please, end the Tessica BS. This caricature is to the point that I want to choke her to bring Jess out of this. She acting so bizarre to the point that half the town don't know that Jess is Tess is ridiculous. I feel that Ron ruined Tess and needs to redone it and bring Jess back.

Leave the camp out of the show, forever. It is not working and the show needs to lose it and go back to human interest s/ls. Please don't go back to Menborra and the back to the future camp that is turning fans off of OLTL.

Have Viki be the heart and soul of Llanview. I feel that she should be the voice of reason with a little bitch with her to go up against Dorian.

Tina should be the bitch on wheels and take over BE from Dorian. This is not the Tina we know and love. Let her have a tenacious relationship with her siblings and her daughter and don't make any apologies for her actions.

Improve the Vegas brother or replace them. I sorry, but DF and KDLR is not a great actors and their macho attitudes are getting on my nerves.

Recast Sarah Roberts. This actress, no offense, but is not Tina Lord's daughter and the writing for her is not helping, either.

And finally, RC needs a female writer to help with the females on the show.

siomonstuart2003

i wanted to say that i had never been a MCBAIN fan & was puzzled by his popularity...until he was paired with BLAIR!!
Kassie Depaiva really seems to bring out personality in Michael Eastman that i never knew he had.

i'll probably have much more to say later.

U know what? I'm beginning to LOVE Blair and Todd. Don't tell anyone, though!

I only watched OLTL when they had Kirk/Tate on there...yes, I'm a HUGE Randy Mantooth fan and have been since the 70's. I think the way that storyline was "ended" if you can call it that, was the most ignorant, dumb and stupid way that any storyline could end.

No trying to clear Kirk's name or find out who murdered him while he was in prison. And what did they every do to Tate? Never saw that either. I think that needs to be resolved, if it already hasn't, since I stopped watching after they took Randy off.

I also think that they should bring Randy back, not as Kirk, of course, but as another character and with a much better storyline than what he had. A friend of mine says that they need to bring Randy back as Kirk's brother who wants revenge for Kirk's death...sounds good to me. JMHO

Great suggestion — gagegirl51.

Rarely do Nelson and I agree on anything so I was shocked to find myself pretty much in line with his opinions, with one exception. I like Farrah Fath and she's a capable (but hardly stellar) performer but Gigi and Rex do NOT need to be front and center. Their story needs to take a back seat. While it's not as repugnant as the Todd/Marty story, or as over-the-top ridiculous as the Tessica mess, the story is pretty awful and sheer amount of screentime devoted to it is making this couple flop.

As for Blair and John? I am just over the character of John McBain. It's not as painful to watch him with Blair because he is being lighter and flirtier and sexier (even though it doesn't make sense that he's now LESS tortured suddenly), but anyone who's watched this character is seeing the same old pattern. Blair is ga ga over him and he's just having a grand old time and doesn't want to talk about his feelings. Doesn't want more than what they have right now, which is . . .? Last thing I need to see is the she-wolf sacrificed on the altar (as opposed to alter) of McBain.

Ron Carlivati ruined Tess because he thinks of her as a villian, and he even labeled her as such in a recent magazine interview. Ron stripped the multi-layered Tess of almost all of the qualities and characteristics that she had when written by Higley. I completely disagree about Bree. Bree Williamson is a wonderful actress in a horrendously written storyline. Ron turned the compelling story of Nash's death into a sideshow, but I'm honestly not too surprised since this is the same man that wrote the ridiculous and over the top Mendora and 1968 stories.

^^^^^^
I think it's a combination of the two. This story is being written over the top, but Bree is obviously having a great time with it and playing it to the hilt. Bree could have made better acting choices that would have prevented Tess from being so one note this go around. I agree with Jamey about her portrayal of dual roles.

OH, how the mighty have fallen! It wasn't that long ago everyone was praising Carlivati and kissing his feet. Now we're saying things like "Ron stripped the multi-layered Tess of almost all of the qualities and characteristics that she had when written by Higley". HIGLEY, REALLY?! Didn't OLTL fans call for her beheading? Gives a whole new meaning to the term fair-weather friends.

I'd say it's fair-weather-writing. When Carlivati was being praised, he was worthy of it, now he's taken a turn down Hot Mess Boulevard and I'm quite afraid he doesn't have a GPS.

Well, no one's perfect, and artists falter mostly because of business. Ron is still talented and a soap God in my mind, but he's obviously desperate right now for ratings — and it's no surprise considering ABC almost fired him during the writers' strike.

I think Carlivati is one of the two or three best writers for soaps this decade, however I have never ranked him with the likes of Bell, Nixon, Marland or Lemay. IMO he's much more like James E. Reilly (NOT in writing style) in that he came on the scene with tremendous buzz, then the buzz and power went to his head and he started turning his show's into tacky, three dollar peep shows like the ones my friends and I used to sneak into on Bourbon Street while on choral music tour in college.  "Ave MaRRRRRIA"!

Time will tell, but so far, Jamey you could be right!

Jamey, you are right about insta-mother/daughter relationships. I don't feel for GH's Lulu or OLTL's Sarah because both mothers haven't really connected with their daughters so why should we feel the love relationship with them. I do believe that Jess and Viki dynamic is their because of both actresses take on the role of Viki's daughter and they both have been in the role for years and we know that they are mother and daughter. But Lulu and Sarah, Lulu been on for a couple of years, but without Laura there to guide her, it is useless tiic don't care about the Spencer family, but the mob. And Sarah is a newbie to must fans and we haven't seen Tina in years and to put her with the newbie w/o Viki and Todd, it was a total flop. I hope that RC corrects this error and have Tina and Viki together to deal with their family dynamic.

siomonstuart2003

For a "new" OLTL fan, Jamey knows his shit.

Listen, people — I rarely agree with myself, too!

And now that the weekend is here, and I can finally take time out to express my views on the podcast. There were alot of good and bad points expressed. First off let me say that normally when Neilson appers on some of the podcasts, I get excited, because he always make me laugh, but I don't know if he was having a bad day, but the cursing was a little bit out there. Moving on.

I've said this before, but the Marty/Todd storyline is an insult to all woman who have been raped and all fans of Marty who have watched her from the begining, watched the gang rape, the trial and her falling in love with Patrick. I don't know what Ron Carliviti's motive or reasoning is for this storyline, but it's disgusting. I've read that Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) doesn't even like this storyline. I've read that if he was still playing Todd, he would refuse to do this storyline. Yes Marty might have amneshia, but the writers are making her look more stupid than an person with amneshia. I'm hoping that the writers hear the fans crys to destroy this storyline and have her remember everything, then bash Todd in the face and give him another scar! And yes, I miss that rotating scar!

I also agree that they are ohh soo writing Tina wrong. The Tina that I grew up watching whould have had Tess bowing down to her and wouldn't have let Tess imprison Natilie. Yes, I love David Vickers, the dog, but they are soo destroying my beloved vixen Tina.

And Tess! I agree that Tess was better when Nash was alive. Nash whouldn't let Tess do what she is doing. Why they fired Forbes March, I don't know, but it was a mistake. If they wanted to get rid of someone for the 40th aniversary, they could have got rid of Micheal McBaine.

Sarah, well I've said this before and I'll say this again, they need to get an actress who can play Tina Lord's daughter, and play her well.

Diversity: Again, bring back the Gannons, let the Vega's go back to being poor and bring back the Wolecks and unlock Dr Larry from were ever they have him trapped in the hospital and BRING BACK WANDA!! Can you just imagine Wanda, Roxy and Carlota sitting at a table in the diner having coffee and gossiping about everyone in Llanview! I do think it's great that Roxy and Tina became friends thou.

Charaters being wasted: I tink these characters are being soo wasted on the show. Layla! Timeka Sumptner is being soo wasted! I love her character and I hope that they pair her up with either Micheal or Broody, or even hook her up with Shawn. Bring some of her family into the picture, either hire back Renee Goldsberry or lure Kent Masters King away from GH, because god knows GH is wasting her talents, and bring her on as Evangiline. She would make a great Evangiline! KMK is too talented of an actress to be bumped to reaccuring.

Lindsey! Kathrine Hicklien is also a great actress and her chemistry with Hilliry B. Smith is priceless. But I also seen chimistry with Clint and her. Keeping her locked away in prison because you don't know how to write for her is stupid.

Mathew! Eddie Alderson is a wonderful young actor. That young man is going to be a phenom when he gets older. I loved how he called Nora out when she showed Bo the lettter that RJ wrote about Lindsey. Mathew was genually pissed at his mom for not letting his dad have some happiness.

In general, I think OLTL has improved, but it still needs work. If RC can't write for the actresses on the show, have a co-wrter join him. Heck I'll offer my writing abilities as a life long fan of 34 years to help write for the actresses. I have tons of storyline floting in my head for Vicki, Dorian, Jessica, Tina ect! Let the fans have a say! We love and watch the show, listen to our idea's for a good storyline. Just don't fire a couple of actors/actresses to get it (Kevin, Kelly, Nash).

ABCJunky

*** "YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE"!!***

Okay, so I usually love your podcasts, but this one was . . . interesting. I agreed with most of what all of you said. However, I am particularly jarred by the outrage over RC's writing when he was being lauded a hero not that long ago. Not every story is going to be the best thing since sliced bread. So, I think it's important to keep all of this in perspective and not elevate the man to messiah-like status only to shoot him down some weeks later. Yes, there are clunkers (i.e. Mendorra), but it isn't all horrible.

That said, the passion that I hear from the commentators is warranted because we want good story from our soaps if we are going to invest the time in them and many of us have grown up with these soaps and have an emotional investment in them. Additionally, because the core audience is women, this show and all of the ABC soaps have to do better with how they write women and women's issues. I really liked that you talked about this in your podcast. As far as I'm concerned, it is insulting to women to do this victim-falls-in-love-with-rapist storyline (even with the undeniable chemistry of TSJ and SH, their ain't nothing romantic about rape). It is insulting to turn smart women like Nora into Clint's hired help and hapless girlfriend. It is also insulting to ignore the complex dynamics of mother-daughter relationships like Tina and Sarah's or even Blair and Starr's (look, if I was Starr, I'd be giving Blair "the business" on the regular for putting her romantic needs ahead of her children for so very long to the point where it has devolved into this current storyline). Many of us have these complex relationships with our moms and we want to see that on screen.

And finally, to put any thinking woman over the age of 30 in a relationship with an emotionally-stunted man (be it Todd or John-- even though I'm a big fan of both actors) and act like this is an okay relationship for women to settle for, is incredibly insulting to women. What are we trying to say here? It's okay to marry cute rapists who plot and scheme against the family you're raising together? Or, hey smart women (i.e. Blair and Evangeline), find the nearest cute guy who will never tell you he loves you and who blatantly tells you he has nothing to offer, and hang on to him like he's the last lifeboat on the Titanic? Come on, now-- this is the best we can do? I realize it is a soap and that it is fantasy, but I like a teeny bit of realism infused in my fantasy.

I have lots of trouble with these things. Nevertheless, I prefer these problems to the endless misogyny of GH and the insipid women of Fusion on AMC. So, in looking at it from this perspective, OLTL isn't perfect, it isn't always great, but in my opinion, it is still better than a good majority of what we are being treated to on daytime and it is still my favorite show.

Peace and hair grease,
Mickey4376

Frons need to stop interfering with RC vision and let the man write the show. Or maybe RC needs to do something original organic and stop repeating the same that does not need to be.

siomonstuart2003

Jamey is a very good soap historian. However, Liz Keifer was already on OLTL as Connie O'Neil in the early '90's when every soap introduced a working class family. Thus, hiring Liz Keifer for OLTL would break Jamey's Roman/Chris rule form Days.

LOL Thanks for the tip Sods. Actually my "rule" is not hard and fast. I am okay if an actor plays a minor role on a soap and then returns years later, i.e. when Renee Jones played Nikki Wade on Days and then later Lexie, because Nikki wasn't popular and fans easily forgot the role, just like John Aniston (he played some other Days character than Victor in the 70's). It's only when a character is wildly popular for a role on a soap then they come back as another role, i.e. Josh Taylor as Chris Kositchek (a role he played for 10 years) who was Roman's good friend and a part of his and Marlena's wedding party, being recast as Roman or Wayne Northrop coming on as Alex North. That kind of crap drives me insane! LOL As much as I love Judi Evans, the whole time she was on as Bonnie it made me crazy! I must admit I did love when Jack was presumed dead (one of the eight million times) and Jenn mentioned to Bonnie that she had heard from her sister-in-law Adrienne and that they sort of favored, LOL.

Sorry for swearing — the Marty-Todd story lends itself to swearing. But most writers love swearing — it's such a textured and passionate lexicon.

I don't live in a black-and-white world: Ron is a hero, a god, but he's human so he can falter — especially when your job is threatened by a passive-aggressive scabber who has won the affections of a certain ABC chief. He's just doing what some people do at times — sell out to protect their livilhood.

Thanks for including my voicemail, guys.

I, personally, love when you all have Branco on. His candor reflects the type of piss & vinegar that soaps and discussion about soaps needs. The industry overall needs a kick in the pants. I like that he's a columnist and pundit that doesn't seem to be in it to make friends iwth everyone. He likes who/what he likes and makes it plain. I think he's hilarious. I mean, seriously, the podcast is about TV, not the Bible.

Anyhow, perhaps anyone that has a problem with Branco's colorful language can lobby for Luke to edit it out, because Nelson was invited as a guest for a reason and the folks at DC know what he brings to the table. Relax, people.

SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED: Is OLTL's current team completely ignoring the matter of Todd's facelift? If they are, I am going to be furious. Tina said nothing about it and she, of all people, should be making a fuss.