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One Life to Live‘s Michael Easton, Ted King, Kassie DePaiva and the cast’s doyen Erika Slezak have become the first actors to sign deals with Prospect Park, the company that in June acquired the rights to continue to produce soon-to-be-canceled ABC daytime dramas One Life to Live and All My Children online. Prospect Park just announcement the pacts with the four actors. (See statement below.)
Meanwhile, I hear that, after a two-week deliberation, All My Children star 
Susan Lucci has turned down Prospect Park’s offer to stay on the show. The offer was for a salary identical to what Lucci currently makes at ABC, but I’ve learned that she tried to gouge the producers for more money while also asking to work fewer hours and get a commitment for a primetime series. In light of that development, I hear that Prospect Park may reevaluate its short-term strategy for the two soaps and put its muscle behind the higher-rated OLTL, while moving AMC to the back burner. Prospect Park’s original plan was to re-launch both OLTL and AMC online in the first quarter of 2012. Lucci made headlines over the weekend with a leaked new epilogue to her book All My Life, in which she blasts ABC Daytime president Brian Frons over the series’ cancellation.
On OLTL, King plays Tomas Delgado, Easton portrays John McBain, DePaiva plays Blair Cramer and Slezak plays the matriarch of the Lord family Victoria Lord. Slezak has been on the show since 1971 and has won six Daytime Emmy awards for the role, an Emmy record. Here is Prospect Park’s statement on the quartet’s new deals:
Pending a final agreement with AFTRA, Prospect Park has confirmed that One Life to Live cast members Ted King (Tomas Delgado), Michael Easton (John McBain), Kassie DePaiva (Blair Cramer) and star of stars Erika Slezak who plays Lord family matriarch Victoria Lord, have agreed to deals to join the company’s new production of One Life to Live. This marks the first confirmation of cast members since Prospect Park began planning for the soap production to live on the new online network beyond its finale January televised date on ABC.
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Slezak and DePaiva are two of the lynchpins of OLTL and it is the stronger of the two series. Also important is whether Frank Valentini would be running the show because he is the reason the show has increased the ratings as he understands the audience, he’s basically the anti-Frons.
LOL @ anti-Frons! That’s great. It would be great if Valentini is still running the show, but I doubt it unless he’s at the end of his contract. (x fingers)
I have always had a sneaking suspicion that PROSPECT PARK WAS A MADE UP COMPANY ,A COMPANY THAT abc & DISNEY made up to get the fans off their backs.
What is this Fronzi boy’s problem? Did he feel neglected by his parents because they watched soap operas???
It wasn’t enough that he is getting rid of the daytime soaps, but also X- ing the evening soap type shows also, major head case this frons guy. What a jerk!!!!
Clearly Lucci had no intention of doing the online version. It will be interesting to see if anyone wants her for anything else. She most definitely will not get premium bucks.
personally i do not think she is a good actress…she is just susan lucci who launched the unforgettable erica kane
The fact that you believe this is exactly what makes her a great actress. You cannot imagine that she is NOT Erica Kane! See?
I agree. She tried night time. Did you ever see any of those horrible made for tv movies like Ebie? *cringe* She won’t have many chances to ad lib “My goodness…”
I totally agree. I never thought she was a good actress and I believe the show would be just fine without her. I’m happy to see Cameron Mathison signed on and I like Griffin and his sister.
Hey Walter, glad you have the crystal ball. Any actor should get what the market will pay. Perhaps economics, perhaps ego, let her leverage her value. Both shows feature quality actors that have generated a tremendous following.
Susan is a lovely person in interviews and every time she lost an Emmey you could tell she was genuinely happy for the winner. But she isn’t that good an actress outside of AMC playing that one part.
I’m thrilled Ted King signed on. I can’t wait for OLTL online – hopefully with an R rating.
So happy at the news that actors are beginning to sign on for OLTL!
I am very happy to hear that Michael Easton is going to stay, but what about Melissa Archer?? They have the chemistry and the fire that sizzles onscreen!!! Come on Melissa, sign on and stay with your man!!
I am so very glad to hear this, thank you from the bottom of my heart to the actors who excepted the offers.Susan I am sorry to say we can do without if need be but not Michael Knight,Jake Martin actor,The actor who does Opal,Chrystal and Calepa.
Who is Calepa? Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake is not going back) not sure about Bobby Eakes (krystal) or Jill Larson (Opal)
Calepa? who is that? And this article is not about any other actors on AMC. it is about OLTL.
I am so saddened and disillusioned by Susan Lucci’s demands to continue portraying Erica Cane on All My Children. I have watched AMC from the very beginning and will truly miss her, but in light of what’s going on…I feel her demands are a bit out of line. She is already making $1 million a year for her part as Erica Cane…to try and up her deal sounds a bit greedy to me at this point. The internet is going to become another alternative to TV, if it hasn’t already. I turn to the internet to watch missed shows already. With the new media and TV size Monitors, it’s only a natural revolution as I see it. And many of your new TV’s have apps on them that link them directly to the internet… I know mine does! I truly wish she would rethink her stand on accepting..and think about her fellow actors. If Prospect Park is now putting AMC on the back burner…she might be burning her bridges…along with her fellow co-stars.
Thank you to Erika Slezak, Kassie DePavia, Michael Easton, and Ted King for giving it a go. You just might be paving the way for a lot of things to follow. I totally respect you for your decision to carry on! I’ve watched OLTL since its inception also and appreciate your decision.
A true fan of ABC soaps (but NOT of ABC any longer!!)
La Lucci is an icon but she cannot act!
i agree 100 percent
Ditto for me…..She can’t Act on a Soap…what makes her think she could act in a ‘real” movie !!??
This is SO true!
looking at what abc has now bringing to our t.v .i say good bye to abc ..i guess gh is on the hit list next,hope abc gose broke over this, i love my soaps,and with so many of us that feel that way .what is up abc …
Omg what’s goin on w/ Robin Strasser(Dorian)? Hopefully she’ll get an offer soon, she more than deserves it . C’mon Lucci! After everything fans did to keep AMC alive this is her response , so sad.
Robin Strasser left the show early because she needed back surgery. Not sure when she will be able to act again.
Correct, but in a recent interview she stated that for the time being she’s postponing the surgery and looking into other treatment options.
I hope Robin Strasser will be back,she is really great.The show won’t be the same with out her!!! As for Susan Lucci If it’s true what’s being written ,lets not forget she had already taken a pay cut ,maybe she just wanted to recoup what she gave up. But as a long….time fan I would be disappointed if she wasn’t on the show anymore. As one of the many fans that fought to keep the show on the air,I would be very sad if she didn’t rethink her decision and stay for her fans. She could always stay for a year, and help get the show stable,and then renegotiate her contract. PLEASE THINK OF YOUR FANS!
I don’t listen to any rumors…I will wait for the official statement from either PP or Susan before I believe anything. But I AM happy to hear about the OLTL cast members though!
I’m not paying heed to the rumors either. The news from Prospect Park about OLTL is great though. Hope the final agreement goes through smoothly.
I agree re: Susan Lucci.We dont know for sure how much is acurate.This is not an official statement from her, so until I hear something from her directly, I will take it with a grain of salt.
And that case it also logically means that Slezak staying with OLTL is a rumor right.
So because SL got greedy AMC now should suffer?
It does not sounds like classy SL that we know.
What comes to Erica Kane, it’s time for her to retire.
“AMC 2: Electric Boogaloo” could turn out to be a one-year (or shorter) failure, and a web/on-demand series certainly doesn’t have the cultural currency that a network series does.
If Susan Lucci calculated those factors against taking a pass if the money wasn’t right — particularly for a 60+ actress who has made enough money to have already retired — then good for her.
Great work Prospect Park!! Michael Easton is the best and the other OLTL stars you signed are terrific! Now sign Melissa Archer and Roger Howarth and you will continue to have a hit of OLTL!!
mcbain is the man (true),love him ..oltl is my favorite soap..so happy it has been saved ,and thank you to the acters that are staying,,we love you all.DOWN WITH ABC….
Prospect Park should just combine some actors from AMC and put them on OLTL..IMO
Just yesterday on the news i saw Susan and walt talking about being on the show and she said she was going on so this article cant be right unless she changed her mind last night …??
I knew it!!! Susan Lucci was only holding out to get her own show so she could make more money.
what about the actors who play Bo Buchanan, Clint Buchanan, Natalie & Jessica Buchanan and Tea Delgado?
Re Jessica: Bree Williamson, who plays Jess, is heading to L.A. when OLTL wraps up. So if Jess returns for the online version, someone new will play the character. As for the other three, time will tell.
Well, not surprised by lucci she is bitter and does not beleive in the web approach. Prospect park should also contact and offer contracts to robin strasser (dorian lord) and roger howarth (old todd).
Yes,Susan has a right to be bitter wouldn’t you be? As for Robin she is having health problems with her back and Roger H. is currently on another soap.
Roger H is on OLTL, not another soap. where have you been? LOL
roger howarth is still on oltl as todd.he has not left that soap
Well, if you want to quibble, he left for EIGHT YEARS, but he’s back now!
Roger Howarth is currently on OLTL.
Which Soap is Roger on ???
It’s ironic that Susan Lucci blasted Frons and ABC’s “greed” for the demise of the soaps, but now its Lucci’s greed that has become an issue. I would be more than happy to watch an Erica Kane-less AMC.
I completely agree. It’s hard to take her comments seriously. Not that her view of Frons is without merit.
I say just cancel AMC completely it sucks and Susan is just asking for too much. Good for OLTL the only good soap ABC has
I wish ABC Fron’s wasn’t so greedy. He is bringing ABC down. All these reality, talk, doctor and food shows suck. I wish all the actors on AMC & OLTL would sign on with Prospect Park. It just won’t be the same with most of them gone.
i agree abc is far to greedy and i hope it kills them ,i wiil not turn my tv to abc from 1 to 3 then only to watch gh ,,down with abc hope they crash and burn….sooooo sick of talk shows and reality tv…
OLTL is so well written and they deserve the opportunity to go further. Watching AMC even the last few weeks has been so underwhelming. Good Riddance if that is the case and Susan Lucci is NOT a team player.
The person in article said “I hear”. Everyone fighting for the soaps should know by now, not to even focus on those subjects!!!
It distracts us from what we are trying to do and produces soooo much negative energy.
exactly! People are getting all keyed up over what is right now not much more than rumors. We shouldn’t criticize Susan Lucci for her decisions. They really need to do what is best for themselves. I cant fault them for that.
sooo what are you trying to do ?????seems to me they have brought plenty of negatived to the soap fans .we will NOT watch abc new shows……… maybe just maybe somebody mite hear us when they start looseing more ratings and the new show flops .crashes burns…maybe then somebody mite get some sense…..i have already started watching other soaps on other channels just to make the point……
Will miss SL , but she is not the only one that makes AMC what it is. It is a combination of all the stars. I hope her decision of not taking PP offer will not hurt all the others.
I agree with this post I too will miss Susan Lucci, but she is not AMC. I agree it is a combination of a great cast of stars. I also hope that her decision does not hurt the others. To me AMC online is better than no AMC at all.
Please consider this… it is something you have read in the entertainment news and is not from the source herself. The media often misinterprets the truth. Truth or not? Only Susan knows the truth, she and PP. All they offered may not be what we have been led to believe, in any case, for whatever reason, she felt she needed to turn them down. Truth be told she doesn’t need the money. Her and her husband and very financially stable. No, AMC will not be the same without her, just as it hasn’t been the same with Phoebe Tyler or Adam Chandler or any of the other founding matriarchs, but it can go on. If PP gives it a chance and the viewers give it a chance.
I am very disappointed in Susan Lucci. Not only is she letting down her fans, but she is using this as a means for self promotion and money grubbing. She should be happy with what she has and the high salary they offered her. I think she has a rude awakening coming for job opportunities. Not much call out there for an aging diva with a big ego. Shame on you, Susan.
I have been dying for this news. I was really worried that Erica in particular would call it quits and was heartened by an interview with her that I read where she said she didn’t want to sit home and that it would drive her crazy.
Thrilled that Michael and Kassie took the offer too. Woot!!! I’ll be keeping an eye out for Melissa Archer too and I read that Robin Strasser was having back surgery. Haven’t seen a Tweet from her in a while and am hoping she’s ok. I love Viki and Dorian and their love/hate relationship.
This confirms what I have always believed…Susan Lucci is a person of PRINCIPAL who has reached the point where she is saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! Susan Lucci is an EXTREMELY TALENTED ACTRESS who will SUCCEED in any future endevor she chooses to persue!!! For those of you BASHING her, you should be BASHING ABC!!! SUSAN took two paycuts, moved to LA and they rewarded her by being DECEITFUL AND DISHONEST!!! ABC’s behavior has been DEPLORABLE!!! ABC and Disney are idiots for letting this happen and they DESERVE whatever they get as a result of their actions. Although I will sincerely miss seeing Susan on ALL MY CHILDREN, I support her decision 110% F U ABC and YOUR LITTLE DOG FRONS TOO!!! TOUCHE SUSAN!!!
Yes,drinking a toast to Susan Lucci. Screw the “Chew” and Frons too!!!
Who have you been watching all these years? Susan Lucci CANNOT ACT! I saw her in one of those nighttime movies some years ago and she confirmed my thoughts. She was horrible. She is NOT A GOOD ACTRESS. Susan Lucci is someone who thinks the acting world revolves around her. IT DOESN’T. She thinks that being on the internet is beneath her. If you are a true actor, you would be able to act under any circumstance and situation; that’s where true acting skills come in. I applaud all of those who have signed on to Prospect Park and those who plan to do so. Forget about Susan Lucci. She is not the one carrying AMC. When she is on vacation, I don’t notice her absence!
ABCs treatment of her may have been deplorable but Prospect Park is trying to keep her alive AND offering her the same salary. ABC doesn’t care or they wouldn’t have cancelled AMC and OLTL anyways. You can’t lump ABC and Prospect Park together that they both have been dishonest and deceitful….they are two separate entities. Prospect Park is trying to do right by her and if “rumors” are correct and she is holding out for more money….then she doesn’t really want the job that badly. Let’s face it, she doesn’t NEED to work another day in her life anyways. And I respectfully disagree, Susan Lucci is a very beautiful woman but she is not actress…..
I’m thrilled that Erika, who is the heart and soul of OLTL, has decided to stick with the show. However, Michael Easton does nothing for me. He looks bored in every scene he’s in and his character is a waste of creative space that could be used for a character (and an actor) who has more to offer to any storyline.
Where OLTL and AMC, with or without La Lucci will fail, though, is if they do not change their storytelling techniques and get with the times — and for God’s sake, don’t let Frank Valentini or that horrid head writer Ron Carlivati anywhere near the Prospect Park version. Prospect Park could take daytime drama to a new level, but only if they reinvent the shows, and find a way to stop the Youtube Pirates from stealing the episodes and justifying their illegal actions in the name of “Public Domain”.
I’m pretty sure you won’t be seeing any of the Prospect Park AMCs or OLTLs on YouTube.
Michael Easton is by far one of the most popular actors on the show. They killed him in a fiery car crash a few years ago and brought him back due to the fan backlash! John McBain is hilarious, and he’s often used by the OLTL writers to make the self-effacing, ironic soap opera jokes. One of the things that makes OLTL great is that it mocks itself, and there is no better deadpan than that of John McBain.
I concur!
are you crazy?????mcbain is the man,oltl needs him and as far as the writting gose i think oltl has the best story lines ,i have been checking other soaps out and they do not hold a candle to abc soaps ,this is why i just cant undestand them leaving ,oltl is the very best i used to think gh was the best but the last 3 tears its been oltl then gh…amc is ok and i will mess moma divia…
I Totally Agree about Michael Easton; years ago I enjoyed him as John McBain but for the years 2008 to present he’s just been a bore and walks through his role. I have much worse feelings about his acting but, I have empathy for ANYBODY seeking employment so won’t detail those feelings.