# One Life to Live (1968)

> A long-running American daytime soap opera on ABC that follows the interlocking lives of the Lord and Buchanan families in the fictional town of Llanview.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/826

## Facts

- Seasons: 43
- Episodes: 4008
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Agnes Nixon
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Kristen Alderson, John-Paul Lavoisier, Michael Easton, Melissa Archer, Bree Williamson, Erika Slezak, Robert S. Woods, Robin Strasser
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062595/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: melodramatic, earnest, emotionally heightened, comforting, sincere

## Synopsis

One Life to Live (1968-2012) is an American daytime soap opera created by Agnes Nixon for ABC. Built as a serialized ensemble drama that ran more than four decades and roughly four thousand episodes, it follows the tangled romances, rivalries and reunions of the Lord and Buchanan families. Viki Lord (Erika Slezak) and Dorian Lord (Robin Strasser) anchor the sprawling household, while Bo Buchanan (Robert S. Woods) and Natalie Buchanan (Melissa Archer) and Jessica Buchanan (Bree Williamson) draw the viewer into a web of love triangles, secrets, custody battles and reversals of fortune. Each episode is a slice of interlocking soap melodrama, with plots that stretch across months and years and cliffhangers that send characters back into the next day's broadcast. The series took pride in being the first daytime drama to feature ethnically and socioeconomically diverse characters and to confront social issues head on, giving its melodrama a conscience. Its tone is earnest, emotionally heightened and comforting, with a sincere devotion to its long-running characters. Fans of General Hospital, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless will find the same appetite for continuity, romance and sprawling family drama.

## Shows like One Life to Live

- [Sunset Beach (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/2136)
- [All My Children (1970)](https://ember.film/tv/831)
- [Guiding Light (1952)](https://ember.film/tv/827)
- [Falcon Crest (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/81)
- [Melrose Place (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/4134)
- [Dynasty (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62813)
- [Dallas (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/35)
- [Dynasty (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3585)
- [Grand Hotel (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/70168)
- [thirtysomething (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/1364)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt