With Dorian playing den mother, it's no wonder the Cramer women are at each other's thorats. Between Blair's blistering assaults on Kelly for causing her to lose both her unborn baby and custody of Starr, and Dorian blasting Cassie for digging into a dirty family secret, there's barely a moment's peace in the Lord lair. But it's not just recent skirmishes that make this family feud such a beaut. It takes years to establish the kind of tangled relationships that an honest-to-goodness feud is built on. Cousins Kelly, Cassie and Blair didn't exactly have a legacy of family harmony---their mothers, Melinda, Dorian and Addie, range from unstable to certifiable. (Watch Dorian fill mentally ill Melinda's pills with sugar! See Melinda sing off-key to her mutilated doll!) While the younger generation seems to get mad rather than go mad, these girls could find themselves an egg or two short of a dozen, as well. And Dorian's looming secret could be just the thing to push them over the edge.

Most Improved Show: One Life to Live

This time last year, we were treated to riveting tales like Maggie loves Max, but she's becoming a nun! and Let's hypnotize Viki into killing Kevin! and don't forget Let's make Carlo think he is dying a rare blood disease that can only cured by Serenity Springs water! Let's face it: OLTL had nowhere to go but up, which we are happy to report that they did in 1997.

Though they lost two of their most popular couples---Patrick and Marty, and Antonio and Andy---OLTL managed to take our minds off the departures by creating fascinating, new characters and sparking long-dormant family feuds that add zest to Llanview, without sacrificing its identity.

Special kudos are in order for the development of daytime's most unorthodox, yet intriguing, new duo, Todd and Tea. Initially, we couldn't have imagined Todd with anyone but Blair. Guess what? We were wrong. The tough- talking, in-control attorney has proven to be a perfect match for the always tormented, out-of-control Todd.

Long-time fave Max was given back his bite and moved front-burner---the former rogue had gone soft on us during the Luna years. Andrew and Cassie's snoozer of a marriage was accorded a jolt when Cassie left the preacher for Kevin, then wafled over whether she had moved too fast. Viewers were treated to lots of Bo and Nora, with a fresh look at premenopausal angst. It looks like these deserving favorites will soon be moving to the front-burner, as well. And mainstay Viki is struggling with an identity crisis and her relationship with her ex, Clint.

OLTL may be a show in transition, but it's moving full speed ahead in the right direction.

SID "Awards" December 2, 1997

Most Horrific Moment: Téa Takes A Fall

After realizing what she has done, that she actually had shoved Tea out of a window, even Blair herself was shocked by her own appalling behavior. And it was because of that genuine sincerity on her part that we almost felt as bad for her as we did for Tea. It was, after all, Tea's instigation that prompted Blair to react. And react she did, but strictly out of fear and desperation. Kassie DePaiva's performance was exceptional, Blair's disbelief profound. As she stared down at her hands extended out before her, just as Lady Macbeth had stood and let out a blood-curdling scream, even the most coldhearted were chilled to the bone. The horror hit Bo and Nora, too, as they sat and watched Tea fall to the patio down below. The looks on their faces spoke volumes, as did the slow-motion camera effect that played into the moment, adding to the terror of what had just occurred before everyone's eyes.

Best Courtroom Drama: Starr's Custody Trial

When Kelly was called to the witness stand to testify against Blair in Starr's custody hearing, the tension could have been cut with a knife. The air hung heavy in the courtroom that day; everyone present knew just how much Kelly and Blair detested each other, but no one, not even Kelly herself, expected her to confess that she thought Blair was an unfit mother. Blair's worst nightmare came to fruition, however: Kelly did in Blair once and for all. Before Kelly knew it, she had painted Blair in the most unflattering light. As she spoke, we felt kelly's pain. She was trying to be honest and do the best thing for Starr, and for Blair, too. But the tears in her eyes told a different story than the words she spoke. Those words betrayed her family loyalty, and apparently, in the Cramer family, blood isn't necessary thicker than water. We sat gripped in suspense, waiting to see the scene unfold. What we saw instead was Blair's fist in Kelly's face. It was intense drama at its finest.

SID "Awards" September 9, 1997

Best Revival: Dorian

Although Dorian may be Llanview's most grande dame, not until recently has she had a storyline that her portrayer, Robin Strasser, could sink her teeth into. The scene in which Dorian poured out her heart to Mel after learning of Blair's stroke was a long awaited peak for the show, and for Strasser. In tears, the Daytime Emmy Award winner dug deep to reveal the pain that her character had buried for so long. The conviction Dorian since has displayed---and the range that Strasser has shown---in the fight for Starr's custody is truly inspiring.

SOD Editor's Choice

And the winner is... The Tangled Web Catches Some Flies, ONE LIFE TO LIVE

Um, where should we start, ONE LIFE TO LIVE has been undergoing extensive storyline and character development since Head Writers Claire and Matt Labine took over. Much of their efforts culminated in episodes that brought long- simmering stews to a boil and launched creatively interwoven plots that will anchor the show for months, heck, years, to come.

The aftermath of Patrick and Blair's auto accident has been uncommonly touching. Blair emerged from unconsciousness to hear from Todd that baby Brendan had died, and she wailed like the sun would not shine again. With Marty by his side, Patrick buried Brendan. A gorgeous added touch: seeing an altar boy eating a salted, hard-boiled egg as Patrick wished he'd supplied Brendan with the same for the journey ahead.

That's called writing, and all of this is great television, material that could be doted upon, turned over and over, thereby overshadowing other storylines. But not on this soap, not anymore.

Kelly, responsible for the accident, is feeling the heat. Circumspect questions to Andy and others have led her to believe she'll do time if caught. Drew is her only confidante, and he has convinced her not to tell anyone else. Meanwhile, Drew is trying to get Kelly's Aunt Dorian to sell Asa valuable waterfront property (part of Asa's development plan that has Angel Square mobilizing to fight the tycoon). Drew wants to prove he's worthy of Asa's respect, so he'll do anything to get Dorian to comply. Plus, Dorian's sleeping with Mel, who's rapidly coming to his own conclusions about Kelly.

And we haven't even touched on the most compelling offshoot of the accident. Todd, paranoid to the core, thinks Patrick killed his own child on purpose, depriving Starr of a suitable bone marrow donor. Todd's plans for retribution involve dredging up Thornhart's ties to Irish terrorist groups, information he could use to sink the poet for good.

Plus, while all this is going on, Llanview's longest-running marriage, Cassie and Andrew, has gone kablooie. After two nights in the sack with Kevin, Cassie blurted to Andrew that she was having an affair. His reaction was one of chilling iciness. It's been so long since we've seen Andrew have any sort of darker side, the transformation was as shocking to viewers as it was to his wife. Now she must confront her decision head-on, with no help from the man with whom she adopted a child.

Then we have Jessica, who's conflicted over her decision not to sleep with Cristian; Bo and Nora, conflicted over their decision to eat more vegetables; Mel, conflicted over The Banner's no smoking policy, and the parrot, well...

Tragedy (Blair, Todd, Kelly, Patrick) laced through comedy (Bo, Nora, Mel, parrot) laced through passion (Kevin, Cassie, Jess, Cristian). For a week at least, OLTL was the best soap on TV.

SOD "Thumbs"

THUMBS UP! ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Hot To Trot

We'd been wondering why the folks at ONE LIFE TO LIVE dragged their feet about getting Ian into the romantic mix. After all, the sexy British import is the most eligible bachelor in Llanview. (Big bucks, big heart, doesn't belong to the dysfunctional Buchanan, Lord or Cramer clans). Good thing we didn't kick up a fuss about it, becuse as it turns out, the show knew what it was doing.

First, we got to know who Ian was---and not just that he's Maggie's twin brother. 9but where are the scenes with Andrew? Aren't they cousins, too?) He put down roots...which was a good thing, since Maggie recently flew the coop.

Now, Ian's live life is picking up. He's being pursed by two alluring ladies: Kelly and her cousin, Blair, who are in the midst of a whopper of a family feud. Can you spell m-e-s-s-y? The object of their intense desire seems rather amused---and bemused---by the fortuitous turn of events. Ian's attitude seems to be: Let's enjoy the ride. So what if Blair's a fortune hunter, Kelly's a kid and the two women may well tear each other's hair out before a winner's declared? May the best women get her man!

SOD Performer of the Week April 22, 1997

Kassie DePaiva (Blair, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)

Every time that man reaches out to you, it's another bit of trickery. Why would you trust him?"

Good question, Patrick, and we have two good reasons---Blair loves Todd, and we love seeing Kassie DePaiva flash those pearly whites once in a while.

With the baffled Irishman and Aunt Dorian fighting her every step of the way, Blair is following her heart. DePaiva has played the part of an emotional basket case to a "T" the last few months, finally reconciling with Todd, only to be slapped in the face with carrying Patrick's child---all while her real- life pregnancy progressed to its first trimester.

Then, this week, there was a truce in the Todd/Blair war. During the Llantano County blizzard, Todd and Blair reminisced in front of a roaring fire about happy times with Starr. DePaiva glowed with love for a man she'd despised just yesterday, and it was real. Sparks were flying between her adulatory gazes and his reluctant softness, the stuff that makes DePaiva and Roger Howarth (Todd) an unbeatable romantic combo. Warm fuzzies were flying, if only for a few hours. DePaiva can play tough with the best of them, but when she plays tender, Todd melts.

SOD Editor's Choice November 18, 1997

And the winner is... After The Fall, ONE LIFE TO LIVE

In her wildest dreams, ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Renee probably never expected her charity to be the "smashing" success that it was.

It was the night before Starr's custody's hearing, so Blair was understandably emotional. Tea took full advantage of that, electing to publicly demonstrate how unstable Blair is---and what a bab mommy she would make.

Observing how ruled up Blair was after an argument with Dorian, the clever attorney pushed Blair to the breaking point with whispered taunts that Blair was going to lose custody of her baby. Infuriated, Blair caused a commotion. "Calm down, Blair," Tea said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Backing Tea into a corner, Blair read Tea's raised hand as a sign that Tea was going to hit her. In defense, Blair shoved Tea and sent her flying thorugh a window to the terrace one floor below.

As Tea lay motionless, Blair went into shock. Bo questioned the traumatized Blair, who claimed that Tea provoked her and she was defending herself. Unfortunately, no one else could back up her story. When Bo questioned Ian and Kelly, they reluctantly divulged that Blair and Tea had been at odds, but they didn't actually see Tea attack Blair. At the hospital, Todd showed genuine concern for his wife (could this be love?) and demonstrated once again why this couple remains OLTL's most intriguing. While Tea fights the feeling, Todd grows more human with each encounter. He cares...most of the time.

Todd wanted to press charges against his ex, but Tea convinced him otherwise. She successfully argued that they would come smelling like a couple of roses at the custody hearing if they left poor, unstable Blair alone. However, Tea couldn't convince Todd to postpone the hearing until she was recovered. He was determined to represent himself in court and put an end to this custody battle. Knowing Todd would blow it, Tea dragged herself out of her hospital bed and stunned everyone by hobbling into the courtroom on crutches to save the day.

While Tea took a ruthless approach to retaining custody of Starr, she had almost the same investment in the verdict as Blair and Todd. Tea started out as Todd's attorney and "wife", but their business arrangement has turned into much more. Todd and Starr have become her family, and whether Todd likes it or not, Tea's become a part of his.

As for the players, Florencia Lozano (Tea) is showing impressive range, going from hard-hearted lawyer to mushy stepmom. Roger Howarth remains one of daytime's finest actors, as the tormented Todd. And Kassie DePaiva is playing the conniving bitch Blair to perfection. While it was heart-wrenching to see Blair lose permanent custody to her little girl, that slap to Kelly's face, punishment for Kelly telling the truth in reminded us what Blair's really made of.

Blair is really hurting now; Tea's wounds are healing nicely; and Todd can probably never be made whole. Everyone is scarred in this storyline, which means the outcome is up in the air. Round two, anyone?

SOD Performer of the Week July 15, 1997

Gina Tognoni (Kelly, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)

Most actors will tell you that crying is one of the first things they learn in acting school and one of the easiest techniques to master. But Gina Tognoni used her tears in a far different way than we are used to seeing while playing the wrenching scenes of Kelly confessing (and confessing and confessing). Kelly fought her tears while speaking in a halting, tentative manner to Mel, Bo, Patrick, and finally, Blair, about her role in the car accident that killed her unborn counsin, Brendan. As the horrifying details spilled out, she stopped and started, absentmindedly brushing the tears from her face. She actually looked sick to her stomach. Okay, sure, Gina Tognoni is an actress, but telling the same story over and over with the same intensity is hard. And making viewers care about it each time is even harder.

New Head Writers Claire and Matthew Labine are obviously testing the range of their actors, doling out long speeches and big scenes one by one. Tognoni passed. Confession may be good for the soul, but it's even better when you want to showcase your acting chops.

SPW Hit or Miss January 6, 1998

Hit...Dorian's secret on OLTL

Everyone knows that Dorian is high-strung---desperate, to use Viki's description---but until head writers Claire and Matthew Labine came along, no one bothered to delve into character's background this extensively in order to find out what makes her tick.

Oh, sure, we've learned bits and pieces from previous writers, particularly that Dorian's sisters, Addie and Melinda, suffer from mental illness, and how this has affected Dorian's life. But starting several months ago, when Dorian's niece Blair lost custody of Starr to her ex-husband Todd, the Labines have had Dorian start to unravel. At first, it was dismissed as Dorian's hatred for Todd, although nearly everyone agrees that for all his faults, Todd is a devoted father. It soon became clear, especially to Dorian's lover, Mel, that her rantings about "an innocent child living with a monster" had something to do with Dorian's own childhood. Investigative reporter that he is, Mel soon was on the case, despite Dorian's protests that there was nothing to unearth.

To say that this has led to a tour-de-force performance for Robin Strasser (Dorian) is an understatement. (All the actors whose characters are caught up in this have been excellent, particularly Gina Tognoni and Nicole Orth-Pallavicini, who play Kelly and her mother, Melinda.) It is also to the Labines' credit that they have allowed this storyline to progress at a leisurely pace, so by the tme "the big reveal" takes place during February sweeps, viewers will be champing at the bit to find out what's going on.

But until the truth is revealed, it will remain, to paraphase Winston Churchill, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.-Irene S. Keene

SPW Hit or Miss November 11, 1998

Hit...Courtroom chaos on OLTL

The continuing battle between Cramer cousins Blair and Kelly intensified during the recent courtroom scene in which Kelly was forced to testify against Blair at Starr's custody hearing. When Tea---broken, bruised and breathing laboriously from injuries she sustained after taking a dive out of a second- story window---asked Kelly if she had seen Blair push her out said window, Kelly had no choice but to answer in the affirmative. After the judge ruled in Todd and Tea's favor, granting them custody of Starr, Blair pulled no punches; in fact, she gave one to Kelly right in the kisser. (You half expected to see a "Whack!" graphic appear on the screen, a la the Batman series of the '60s.)

A SOAP OPERA WEEKLY "Hit" doesn't get any more literal than this.-Irene S. Keene.

SPW Hit or Miss August 5, 1997

Hit...Blair goes ballistic on OLTL

After Patrick---and even Todd---found it in their hearts to forgive Kelly for being driver who forced Patrick and Blair off the road, Kelly was certain that Blair would be equally understanding. She was wrong.

Blair and Kelly are cousins, but Blair blasted Kelly to kingdom come nonetheless. As Kelly crumpled to the floor, crying, "I'm sorry," for the umpteenth time (I wonder if Gina Tognoni, who's been fabulous throughout this entire ordeak, has any tears left to shed), Blair told Kelly that is she came seeking absolution, she came to the wrong place. Blair would never forgive her. Period. As Kelly slunk out of the room, Blair hit her with one last zinger: "And don't kill anyone else on your way home." Ouch!

Head writers Claire and Matthew Labine could have gone the we-Cramer- women-stick-together-through-thick-and-thin route. What they wrote instead was less predictable, and more realistic.-Irene S. Keene

SPW Hit or Miss July 8, 1997

Hit...Kelly confesses to Patrick

I don't know if my being a parent had anything to do with it, but when Kelly fianlly told Patrick that it was she who caused the car accident that killed his and Blair's unborn son, I had tears rolling down my cheeks.

Patrick reacted as one would expect: disbelief followed by anger. At first he wanted to throw Kelly out on her ear, but after hearing her say that she wanted to die, Patrick calmed down. He quietly told Kelly that there would be no more dying. It was time to heal. While on the surface it appeared that Patrick was being extremely generous, given the circumstances, viewers know that morally he had no choice, lest he come off as a hypocrite. Like Kelly, he, too, was involved in a situtation that resulted in death: the terrorist bombing that took the lives of Lord Whiting and Patrick's friend Liam.

I applaud the writing team for creating the words, and actors Thorsten Kaye and Gina Tognoni for saying them so beautifully.

SPW Applause, Applause June 3, 1997

Gina Tognoni-Kelly, ONE LIFE TO LIVE

Finding out that a loved one has been in a serious car accidentis devastating. Realizing that you caused the accident...are there any words that can come close to describing what you must feel? What do you say to the person whose life you have irrevocably changed?

That was the predicament One Life to Live's Kelly found herself in this week. Summoned to the hospital by her Aunt Dorian, Kelly was informed that the unborn child her cousin Blair was carrying is dead, and that Blair was in a coma as a result of a car crash. (The driver and baby's father, Patrick, was relatively unscathed.) As Dorian relayed the details, the camera cut to a close-up of Gina Tognoni (Kelly), who turned white as a ghost: Kelly was the driver of the car that ran Patrick and Blair off the road (Kelly called 911, but left before finding out who the passengers were).

Kelly somehow maintained her composure, saying nothing that would incriminate herself. However, in a later scene with housemate Drew, she got extremely defensive while discussing the accident. Drew put two and two together, and gently got the truth out of her. She crumbled into his arms, wailing, "I killed a baby." It was the kind of empty wail that emits little sound, but lays like a stone in the pit of the stomach. Although Tognoni could have gone completely over the top in this scene, she wisely held back, allowing the material---and her choices as an actress---to speak for themselves. Her performance was extremely subtle, but managed to nail the character's devastation.

"She did a brilliant job," executive producer Maxine Levinson says, noting that, for technical reasons, the scenes were taped out of order, meaning that Tognoni has to react to an accident that has yet to happen. The sequence also reminded viewers what an asset the show has in Tognoni, who, until recently, had little to do on-screen. Says Levinson, "She's happy as a clam because she feels like she's been waiting to get material that she could sink her teeth into. She's just delivered like crazy."-Irene S. Keene

SPW Hit or Miss March 25, 1997

Hit...OLTL's rendezvous in Rio

Armchair Travelers got a taste of the exotic via One Life to Live's recent storyline that found Cassie and Kevin in Rio de Janeiro during carnival. Although the sets---a bank, a street and a hotel room---could essentially have taken place anywhere, it was the magnificent carnival costumes that stood out. Carmen Miranda wannabes, colorfully indescribable creatures and the showstopper---a giant peacock that menaced out intrepid reporters---kept my attention long after the storyline's implausibilities wore thin. Never thought I'd say this, but thanks, OLTL for giving me the bird.-Irene S. Keene

SPW Hit or Miss May 13, 1997

Hit...OLTL's love lines

A recent One Life to Live episode had an interesting parallel: Dorian and Mel's sexual romp, and Jessica and Cristian's failed attempt at intimacy. Viewers may recall that Dorian had been advising Jessica---much to Viki's annoyance---to lose her virginity when she felt the time was right; never mind that Jessica is only 16 years old. So, when Jessica thought she was ready, she and Cris went to Viki's mountain cabin. But before things got out of control, Jessica chickened out (or was very brave, depending on how you look at it), and returned to Llanview with her virginity intact. Meanwhile, Dorian was in Washington, where she met journalist Mel Hayes. Their attraction was immediate, and it was fun to watch Dorian (who, as far as we, hasn't had sex with anyone since David Vickers and Joey Buchanan) practically pounce on Mel once she got him into her hotel room. Mel, a recent widower and longtime alcohol abuser, was hesistant, but after some verbal foreplay, Dorian got her man. I don't think the writers were trying to deliver any kind of message than the obvious: Jessica wasn't ready to have sex; Dorian was.-Irene S. Keene

SID Most Dramatic Character February 24, 1998

Dorian Lord

One of the most powerful scenes we've seen recently was when Dorian lashed out at Mel, revealing the depths to which she'll go to protect herself. Her anger was so believable that we were sold on just how desperate she has become. When she asked everyone to back off and leave her alone with her demons, it was a chilling performance. Her voice became deep and hoarse, and her body tensed up as if she were a frail, breakable woman on the verge of destruction. And when she lost her cool at Starr's birhtday party, we felt her humiliation as she stood there alone in a crowd, all eyes upon her. But later, after she composed herself, Dorian had a heart-to-heart with Kelly that displayed her vulnerability; she strove to be honest with both herself and her niece, and her attempt at getting to the truth of her pain was remarkable. Whether playing Dorian's rage of her deep-rooted agony, Robin Strasser always makes us believe that we are watching the real deal.

SPW Hit or Miss March 10, 1998

Hit...Gray ladies get down on OLTL

Ok, so maybe it was a little over the top (Jane Eyre or Rebecca, anyone?), but the scenes of Dorian and her clan running amok at the Cramer farmhouse were a hoot to watch. Everyone in this storyline was wonderful (especially Robin Strasser as Dorian), but I've got to say that the two performers--and their characters--whom I enjoyed the most (and will sorely miss) were Phyllis Somerville and Marian Seldes (Miss Stonecliff and Sonya, respectively). Miss Stonecliff was every crotchery old lady from every TV show or movie you have ever seen (and then some), while the demented Sonya looked like a cross between one of the three witches from Macbeth and an inmate from the Asylum at Charenton. They were stereotypes, yes, but the actresses (not to mention former head writer Claire and Matthew Labine) managed to imbue Stoney and Sonya with personalities all their own. (Although every time Sonya threw up her hand, exclaiming, "Oh, the noise, the noise," I thought of another character from pop culture: Dr. Smith from Lost in Space, who constantly wailed, "Oh, the pain, the pain.") I'm not always in favor of evil twins, but if there's any plausible way to bring back Somerville and Seldes in roles similar to Stoney and Sonya, I'm all for it. These two make a terrific team. --Irene S. Keene