Why the 1968 Debut of This Iconic Soap Opera Still Defines Daytime Drama Today

On July 15, 1968, the ABC soap opera One Life to Live debuted, and now, all these years later, the series’s impact continues to be felt. One Life to Live was known for its ability to tackle social issues, such as racism, classism, drug addiction, and rape in ways that other soaps shied away from. The series was recognized for its ability to introduce complex characters and storylines in a way that reflected the real world and laid the groundwork for other shows to build off of and copy.

The Agnes Nixon drama told the story of the residents of Llanview, Pennsylvania. The series began telling the story of the Wolek and the Lords.

The original pilot for the soap opera was written by creator Agnes Nixon, along with Don Wallace and Paul Roberts. The episode was produced by Doris Quinlan and Walter Gorman, with Gorman also serving as director.

The first episode watched Larry Wolek and Ted Hale confront each other over Meredith Lord, leading to Ted taking a horrific fall down a flight of stairs. Ted ultimately dies in the hospital, with Larry arrested and charged with his murder. As the story would progress, it was revealed that Meredith was suffering from a rare disease and expected to die; however, she was able to recover briefly before ultimately dying in 1973.

Elsewhere in town, Victoria Lord, also known as “Vicky” (later Viki), was in the accompaniment of her father, the great Victor Lord, as they discussed Meredith’s love life and the sensationalization of The Banner, the local newspaper that Victor ran.

Over the next 40+ years, One Life to Live would continue to grow. From a series that originally launched as a 30-minute serial, it slowly evolved into a 45-minute series in 1976 before expanding to a full hour in 1978. The series’ expansion introduced the Buchanan family, led by patriarch Asa Buchanan (Phil Carey), as well as Robin Strasser‘s Dorian Cramer.

At its core, from the beginning til the end, was the character of Victoria Lord. From 1971 until the series finale in 2013, the character was portrayed by Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress Erika Slezak.

One Life to Live balanced telling socially relevant storylines, such as Karen Wolek‘s time as a sex worker, to the more campy side of the genre, such as the mythical underground city of Eterna. The show broke ground with its Daytime Emmy Award-winning portrayal of dissociative identity disorder (D.I.D.), featuring Viki Lord, as it introduced multiple distinct personalities for Slezak to portray.

Over the years the series won nearly 100 Daytime Emmy awards, ranging from Outstanding Drama series to Lead Actor, Actress, writing and directing.

While the series is not currently available on any streaming platforms, the arrival of All My Children on streaming in Canada has fans hopeful they will get to re-experience the fictional town of Llanview.