Thursday, December 30, 2010 at 12:01 AM ET by Scotty Gore
Photo: Errol Lewis/SON
(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — 2010 finally comes to an end in Llanview.
Well here we are again, at that time when we say farewell to the old year and hello to the new year that lies ahead. The trials and tribulations of 2010 are behind us and the hope and optimism that 2011 will be a better time for one and all is still ringing in our ears. But perhaps nowhere more so than in Llanview, Pennsylvania should the end of 2010 be such a blessing. It’s past time to put these past 365 days of their misery.
After the devastating twelve months that was not-so-affectionately known by many “One Life to Live” fans as everything from the “Year of the Ford” to the “Summer of the Teens,” 2010 will go out with little fanfare, as it should in my opinion. The Ford family has left nothing but devastation and destruction throughout Llanview. Langston is a shell of her former self after getting mixed up with the “Bobby,” the Eddie Ford murder mystery would actually be exciting if he were a character anyone had actually cared about, and it was painful to watch a 35-year-old Inez (whose eldest son is pushing thirty) seduce a man (Bo) who was old enough to be her grandfather.  I cringe every time I hear James call Starr “Twinkle” and Nate, who looks like he’s twice as old as he is supposed to be, setting in a jail cell on New Year’s Eve does very little to peak my interest. But that’s just me…apparently some folks like the Ford family for some odd reason.
Hey here’s an idea…instead of spending all this time focusing on characters that most people don’t like, why not use that time more wisely by fleshing out storylines for some of Llanview’s largely forgotten background characters like Destiny and Shaun. It’s difficult to really get emotionally invested in how betrayed Destiny feels by her grandparents, who have been lying to her for all of her life, when we only see her about five minutes a week. The same can be said for Shaun. As is usually the case with “OLTL,” the “filler” characters are often more entertaining that those forced down our throats day in and day out. I’ll take more of Destiny, Darren, Shaun, Vivian, Roxy, Renee, Nigel, and others anyday if it means I don’t have to watch James, Ford, and Nate eat up even more airtime.
But anyway, at least I can still find small bits and pieces of the show entertaining these days. And believe me, that is saying a whole hell of a lot. I continue to like Viki and Dorian teaming up to banish Echo from Llanview. So what if some people see the Viki/Eco storyline as “two divas in their 60s feuding over a guy with a potbelly?” It’s still much better than thirty-something year old actors trying to pretend like they are still in high school. This is “One Life to Live,” NOT “Saved by the Bell.” At least those sixty-year-old divas are accomplished actors who have each won several Daytime Emmy Awards, and were not hired just so they could run around town without a shirt on 90% of the time and couldn’t act their way out of a paper bag.
So, here’s a toast to 2011. May it be the year that “One Life to Live” finally gets its act together and morphs back into the show we all know and love. Sure that’s a rather lofty goal…but I’ve always believed that you should set your goals high instead of low, just because you are too afraid of being disappointed. So I raise my glass to the new year with hopes that it may be the best one “OLTL” has had in a decade, and hope you will do the same.
Anyway, moving on, congratulations to “CLB,” “Debbee7,” and “Judy146,” all of whom correctly identified last time’s mystery “OLTL” celebrity guest star as Erika Slezak’s (Viki) father Walter Slezak.
In case you missed the clues, here they are: In 1974, this famous actor, the son of an Austrian opera star, played the godfather of one of Llanview’s leading ladies, who just happened to be portrayed by his real-life daughter.
Now it’s time to play another round of “Llanview, Who Am I?,” a new feature where you have to use the clues to figure out the identity of some mystery celebrity guest stars from “OLTL’s” past. See if you can figure it out. Good luck!!!
This future Hollywood heart throb made “One Life” fans “blue” when he left the show after only three months in Llanview back in the 1980s.
So who is this mystery celebrity from the past? I’ll have the answers in the January 15th edition of My View of Llanview. Bonus points if you can tell me the character he played, why he decided to leave the show, and list some of his other acting credits. And don’t forget to check out my Twitter page for all the latest “OLTL” news and information at SON.
Now, before I wrap up this column, I’m going to look into my crystal ball and give you a quick sneak peek at a few things coming up a few weeks down the road. These are for the week of January 17th. Accusations are hurled at someone who is rightfully to blame. One person makes a surprising confession. An accomplice comes clean. The green-eyed monster of jealousy rears its ugly head. A woman asks her adversary’s old flame a few questions. Things get sultry in the steam room. And someone may take something that doesn’t belong to them.
Well that’s concludes yet another column. I hope everyone as a very happy New Year! Remember to buckle up and not drink and drive as you ring in the new year. See you next year! Stay safe and until next time remember, we only have “One Life to Live”…
“One Life to Live” airs Weekdays on ABC. Weeknights on SOAPnet. Anytime on ABC.com and SOAPnet.com. Check local listings.