A Look Back At One Life To Live: The 1970s. (Videos Included.)

Young Dr. Larry Wolek was just an intern at Llanview Hospital. Larry met and fell in love with Meredith Lord, Viki Lord’s sister, while helping to treat her heart condition. Though Larry married Karen Martin, he realized he didn’t love her and married Meredith, who later died of an aneurysm. Larry also went on to marry his distant cousin Karen Wolek. Watch a retro scene of Viki, Karen and Larry interacting below…

“One Life To Live” first aired on ABC on July 15, 1968 with storylines surrounding the Lord and Wolek families. It was the first Daytime soap opera to have a racially integrated cast and relationships, the first mixed Jewish/Irish-Catholic family, (the Siegels), and an early anti-drug storyline. Let’s touch base on just a few points from the first decade in Llanview…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjA_VIQ2B_s?rel=0&w=440&h=360]

During this period, Viki's alter Niki Smith appeared in order to help Viki deal with the sexual abuse she'd repressed at the hand of her father. Viki met and married reporter Joe Riley, who she had Kevin and Joey with. After Joe was presumed dead, Viki married reporter Kevin Burke, but later stayed with Joe, who returned from having amnesia after a car crash. Relive a time when everyone tried facing Viki's D.I.D. head-on through the video below…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgDNaXYmgcY?rel=0&w=440&h=360]

Tina Clayton appeared in the late 1970s when Viki's college roommate, Irene, revealed Tina was her daughter with Victor Lord. Made to believe Irene was dying, Viki vowed to be a mother figure to Tina. It wasn't until 2011 when Irene resurfaced very much alive… Watch a clip of Viki bringing Tina home for the first time.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEWvymKZbhE?rel=0&w=440&h=360]

Dorian Cramer arrived on the scene and conspired to cover up the death of a patient, Rachel Wilson, with her married lover Dr. Mark Toland. Dorian ended up suspended from the hospital and blamed Viki, which began their lifelong love/hate relationship. Dorian integrated herself into Viki's life by taking care of her sick father, Victor Lord, and married him in order to steal away the Lord fortune. Take a look at an early conversation between Dorian and Clint Buchanan…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDcC2iBxPOA?rel=0&w=440&h=360]

Marco Dane, one of Llanview's first villains, aligned himself with other Llanview crooks. Viki was indicted for his murder, and it wasn't until later when Marco's twin brother, Mario, appeared and turned out to be Marco. Karen Wolek was the first to discovery this truth, as well as the fact that her client, Talbot Huddleston, had been the real killer. Here's a clip of Viki confronting Marco…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0h8iUdoMQY?rel=0&w=440&h=360]

Daughter of Anne Wolek, Cathy Craig, rebelled through drug-induced scenes. After murdering her drug dealer, the character was sent to a real-life NYC treatment center, Odyssey House, where the show aired real therapy sessions of one of Cathy's portrayers, Amy Levitt. Never has such a reality been incorporated into Llanview since.

Though "One Life To Live" had a few shows following behind in the ratings race during its 1969 - 1970 season, from 1970 - 1979 it placed last.

It's impossible to list and dissect everything that happened in the first decade, but Soaps.com invites readers to leave their own favorite Llanview memories during this period in the comment section below.

If you haven't already vote your Favorite One Life To Live Recast.

Please Note: Our "One Life To Live" section will remain open. We'll still be here delivering news on the actors, Llanview fan fiction and various articles about the show.

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- Amy Mistretta