| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on One Life to Live | |
|
REFLECTIONS BY JILL….
About once a month, on the weekend, whether I need to or not, I take a little tour of the message boards of the OLTL fans. Well, I think they’re fans…LOL…but a lot of what I read seems to agree with what I wrote about last week…and that is that a lot of people are very disgruntled with the job Gary Tomlin is doing. I’m not dwelling on that again right now, but you can see what I mean when you read the feedback section at the end of this column.
There are some very interesting, funny and weird opinions being tossed around on the message boards lately and for the most part, they are all pretty hard hitting and straight forward. They come from fans that really want to see good shows and know what they are talking about. I wish TPTB would take a little tour some time and see what I mean.
One of the major subjects being raised on the boards is the current ratings. It is the opinion of many people that the increased airtime given to Erika Slezak has caused the ratings to go up. I would have to agree. Of course, to my dismay, no one except the Viki and Ben fans feel that the ratings are better when Viki AND BEN get more airtime…LOL…however I choose to believe it’s a team effort….a team of two. The point here is that we didn’t have to endure endless hours of the teen scene last week and we got good shows. Going towards the summer months, TPTB should wake up and take into account that it just might NOT be the youngest of the fans sticking to their televisions to watch OLTL every day.
One thing I did find very funny in my reading was that the message board that hated Ben more than brussel sprouts has finally decided to stop hammering him. The funny part is that most of the posters are happy that he has stopped calling Viki “Blondie” and that he has a “real job” now. That seems to be enough for them to leave the guy alone. They did like Ben’s portrayal of “Dave”, but all they’re willing to say for now is that he “doesn’t bother them so much any more.” I love the generosity of all of them….LOL…and I’ll take that as a first step.
Oh, and just a word about the Viki/Niki storyline. I know I said I hate Niki being back last week…and guess what? I still hate it!!!!! There is no denying that Erika Slezak is a genius at her craft and her portrayal of Niki posing as Viki is incredible. I just wish the writers could have found another way to showcase Erika’s talent. I sure could. Now there is talk about the custody of Todd and Blair’s children and that godparents Ben and Viki will take charge of them for a while. Having Viki as Niki through this really annoys me. I’m sorry….bad timing and lazy writing.
Another thing that everyone is talking about on the boards…and I love this…is that Ilene Kristin has been put on contract as Roxy. How great is this? I was hoping they’d find some way to keep Roxy around and I guess they have. Ilene Kristin is wonderful, talented, funny beyond belief, and I hope they keep her around at least until Roxy can find herself a good hairbrush and learn how to say hypoglycemia. You know that could take years. I’ll let this be my weekly pat on the back for TPTB….good move.
Oh boy…are they talking about Nora!!! Nora and Troy…Nora and Sam…Nora and Lindsay…and of course, the die-hards are still calling for a Nora and Bo reunion. The Nora posts are very funny. No one really knows why Nora gets to choose from all the men in Llanview…or why they are all falling all over her. I wonder that myself. The consensus is (except for Troy fans) that the Nora/Troy pairing is not cutting it. I’m not going to mention the name of the message board, but they have had a field day over there with the infamous “shirtless Troy.” They have even gone so far as to start giving names to his shirtless body parts. Oh, come on, it’s pretty funny and I will admit to having come up with a few names myself…but I can’t spill them here. I am, after all, a lady!
Just a word about Nora and Sam….I still want them to find their way back together. Am I crazy? I can hear you all screaming, “YES!” I think they have potential as a couple and although I see their relationship getting a bit murky in the coming months, I hope there is a happy ending here. If it doesn’t happen, then I’d rather she be with Bo than with Troy. I think it would hurt Sam too much for her to really be with Troy. It would hurt me, too. I always thought a Nora/Troy pairing was bad news.
Oh, and here’s one of those weird and very funny (IMO) opinions from one poster who says that he (or she) thinks TPTB are wasting their time worrying about a pairing between Sam and Nora or Troy and Nora. This poster was raving about the chemistry that he (or she) thought was blazing on the screen between Sam and Troy…and between Nora and Lindsay. The poster felt that the chemistry was very evident in the scenes where Sam and Troy were rolling on the floor fighting, as well as when Nora and Lindsay were rolling on the floor fighting. That’s what I like…an interesting and new perspective on things. Hey, whatever floats your boat, kiddo!
On to wackadoo Allison. Lots of people think that when Allison’s demise finally comes (which I hear will be during May sweeps????) she’ll be killed and Viki, or Niki will be charged with her murder. I find this theory really interesting and it kind of makes me laugh, too, because I would love to see poor Hank Gannon trying to prosecute this case. We all know how successful he’s been in the past. Somehow his trials always turn into circuses and this one would be no different, I’m sure.
Did you all enjoy Allison’s little “fa la la la la” Christmas dance last week? She sure does love Viki, doesn’t she? I loved it when Seth busted her by calling the Green Hills Sanatorium number and she couldn’t shut off her cell phone before it rang. That was priceless! Poor Allison, someone left her at least a few fries short of a Happy Meal.
As always, there are tons and tons of posts on the boards about the impending departure of Roger Howarth. People are wondering if they will replace him with a new Todd and people are wondering why he keeps leaving. To me, he seems to be one of those soap actors who doesn’t want to be a soap actor and just keeps coming back to soaps when he needs a paycheck and can’t find work in prime time or on the ever-illusive big screen. I don’t mean to offend any of his fans, but that’s what I think. Some actors are proud of their work in daytime and are satisfied with the stability of the steady paycheck and others have…whatever it is…the acting dream…the wanderlust of playing new characters and doing new things…the desire to shake the “daytime” stigma. Whatever it is, I think Roger has it and like a lot of other soap actors, keeps finding that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the street.
Lots of speculation has been going around on the boards about the new Seth…do we need a new Seth? Was the current Seth treated fairly? What is the new Seth like? I watched the new Seth on Another World for a while and I did see him in that funny episode of Sex and the City. I’m sure he’ll do fine…that is unless he runs into the same brick wall as Brandon Routh did…bad writing! Like I have said before, I think some of these young actors are not given a decent chance because the material that is written for them is horrible and couldn’t even be well acted by Sir Laurence Olivier. I wish Brandon much success and a job where, if he’s got a lot of talent, they let it blossom.
There is a lot of discussion about the return of Tea. I, too, wonder what she’s coming back for…especially with Todd leaving. I did always like Tea…could we fix her up with Bo? I know, I know, a lot of you want him with Nora. I want him with someone nice, decent, trustworthy…hmmm….does Bo have a cocker spaniel? And hey, don’t forget that Ilene Kristen is on contract now…Roxy will be looking for a man. Maybe there will be a new English professor at the university for her…someone who can spell and pronounce words of more than one syllable.
Ahhh….rumors…gossip…opinions everywhere. The latest big news is that Angela Shapiro is being promoted to head of the ABC Family Network. Gee Angela, since they say most of the decisions are made at the top as far as what we see on our show, all I can say is, BON VOYAGE BABY! I can’t wait to find out who your replacement will be.
To all my friends and readers out there…I hope you had a Happy Easter, a Happy Passover…and…
See ya next week......
Jill
FAN FEEDBACK AND
QUESTIONS
______________
Vvelease writes: “I've been watching OLTL for years and I detest what Gary Tomlin has done to it since he took over. I also don’t see how this show could have possibly been nominated for anything considering the state it’s in. Almost every day it’s Teen Time at Llanview U. Jess and Nat sniping at each other over Seth the Stiff, Al and Chris losing their minds over Jen! Enough already, but I hear that more kids are coming. Heaven help us. Tomlin has some of the best actors in daytime on this show and yet he wastes their talents in these never-ending storylines. Troy on the Wheel, baby switching, not so dead babies, etc. I think the real show is trapped in a pod somewhere and can’t escape until Tomlin lets it out! Somebody please help me vote him off the island!”
Dear Vvelease: I, like everyone in the
following emails agree with you. I haven’t heard from one person who thinks we
need more teens on the show, yet we’re getting more. Go figure. And as far as
voting Gary off the island…I say we give him an immunity challenge where we
leave him about 10 miles out in the ocean on a raft and we don’t give him any
oars until he agrees to do the show our way. If he agrees, we drag him back in
ourselves…if he doesn’t…well, happy sailing GT!
______________
BLMAKI writes: “Jill, is it possible that the Parent company of ABC (DISNEY) is trying to pull the plug on OLTL--I know they tried to turn it into a Teen Showcase for new talent by featuring Kortney Kale. Are TIIC so enamored of Britney Spears and that age group that they are directing GT and the writers to focus on that age group? It is very sad that OLTL has had to endure two of the most destructive EP’s that have ever been at the helm and the writers are so shortsighted in their story arc's--Instant gratification and to hell if it makes sense. I have watched OLTL since AUGUST 1969. To say that I am upset is an understatement. I have a life outside of television. Watching OLTL is not my whole life--but it is an enjoyable part of my life. I have children, grandchildren and other interests that keep me busy. My point is, why are TIIC trying to take OLTL into the mindless stupidity of boobs and balls?”
Dear BLMAKI: I don’t really know what the
parent company has in mind for its daytime shows, but I do totally agree that
the “Teen Showcase” as you put it, is not working and as I have said so many
times, our writers are lazy and keep doing what’s been done. There is no
originality. Maybe the writers should be given a 3 months contract…turn the
darned show around or get the boot. Hey, they do it to the young actors…why not
do it to the people who put the words in their mouths? Oh and by the way, “the
mindless stupidity of boobs and balls?????” You kill me. I hope Katherine
leaves this line in and doesn’t censor you….LOL!
______________
Survivor writes: “At first I thought I was in the small minority that was "outraged" at Gary Tomlin's crybaby approach to the Emmy's. I have stated on many boards, quality shows earn quality nominations. I thought he was way out of line with his "poor me" tirade, which only solidified why OLTL is tanking. From ridiculous storylines that never end to break neck "romances" that are utterly insane, OLTL leaves much to be desired. Character integrity and history seem to mean nothing anymore. Characters that are established and are fan favorites have had their history and personality run through a meat grinder until it is so unidentifiable, even the most die hard fans have thrown up their collective arms. And characters that have just come on the scene are given no history, no rhyme or reason, and the viewers are expected to be interested in them (i.e. Gina Russo, Shawna, Chad).
Things are just thrown on the screen, many times it seems, without even thinking them through. Tried and true characters are made to look foolish (how many really rooted for Bo's "midlife crisis" fling with Melanie?) History is outright ignored (Nora never "loved" Sam the way she's been meowing...she cared for him, yes, but as MANY recall, before the train wreck, she was about to let Bo know she still loved him) and viewer intelligence is insulted on a daily basis (characters that magically transport from place to place in nano-seconds is just stupid, what, is Llanview a three foot by three foot sand box? Not to mention stories that are just plain stupid (Matthew's five minute rare tropical disease, Jenn the super model, the "poisonous" spider. Did these add ANYTHING to the show? Personally, I think they could have all been avoided, unless the spider is going to submit the nipple close up for an Emmy nod next year.) Sorry, but if Gary Tomlin wants to know why OLTL was snubbed in the Emmys, he needs to look in his own back yard. The snubbing was justifiable. Thank you for voicing the opinion of so many and so eloquently!”
Dear Survivor: Where do I begin? I guess I’ll wait until I finish rolling on the floor laughing my butt off about the spider’s nipple close-up. Wish I’d have thought of that line. Your only mistake was ever thinking that you were in the minority in your opinion about GT. I’ve got tons more emails just like yours and the ones above it…of course I picked yours because….I’m still laughing!!!! And you will have to excuse me, but I was one of those fans who were rooting for Bo and Melanie to make a go of it. I look at it this way…how many nice couples do we really have…I mean couples where both people are nice, decent citizens who wouldn’t hurt a fly. We have Ben and Viki and maybe we have Keri and Antonio, if they live through RJ’s tricks. I really did like Bo and Melanie…and I know for sure that I was in the minority on that one. I also snicker all the time at how close Llanview is to Atlantic City…how Cherryvale went from being a 90 minute drive from Llanview to a few minutes…and how people can get from one side of town to the other before someone finishes a sentence in another scene.
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2002
