2002 OLTL Goes Live

‘One Life’ Goes Live for Week of B’casts, by Lily Oei, Variety, May 12, 2002

One Life to Live prepared for an extraordinary television event: five consecutive live broadcasts from May 13–17, 2002. All 30 contract cast members were scheduled to appear during the week, bringing the excitement and unpredictability of live theater to daytime television.

Executive producer Gary Tomlin proposed the ambitious undertaking, which required carefully coordinated camera movements, rehearsals, and technical preparations. To heighten the challenge of live television, the writers incorporated a love scene and a remote shot near Central Park into the scripts. Each morning's dress rehearsal would also be recorded as a precaution against technical difficulties.

Erika Slezak, who had portrayed Victoria Lord for more than 30 years, was scheduled to appear in all five live episodes. One particularly demanding sequence required her to run from one end of the studio to the other without appearing breathless. Comparing the experience to the stage comedy Noises Off, Erika joked:

“I'm feeling like Dotty in ‘Noises Off.’ What do I do with the sardines?”

Another challenge involved maintaining Viki's emotional continuity. Because episodes immediately preceding and following the live broadcasts had already been taped, Erika had to adjust her performance to ensure that Viki's reactions remained consistent with the surrounding storyline.

The week represented a remarkable undertaking for the cast and production team, bringing an element of live theatrical performance back to American daytime drama.

Historical summary based on Variety, May 12, 2002, by Lily Oei.