The Ron Carlivati Interview – One Life to Live

If you are tuning in to One Life to Live these days (and if
you are not, you should get with it and get on the bandwagon, folks)
you are witness to one incredible complex mystery filled with more
twists and turns and ups and downs then even the fiercest of
rollercoasters at your favorite amusement park. We can only be talking
about the mystery of the “Two Todds!”

With the announcement that Daytime Emmy winner Roger Howarth would be
returning to Llanview after more than eight years, that set the stage
for OLTL’s Emmy winning head writer, Ron Carlivati, to develop and
construct a riveting tale of what would happen if a man with the
original Todd’s face (scar and all) returned to Llanview to reclaim his
life, while another Todd, who as far we know, also believes he is Todd
(and has had his face reconstructed to look like someone else!) and is
running around town being the father and husband to his beloved family.
Will the real Todd please stand up?

Now Carlivati and company have brought the story to an exciting
boiler point on tomorrow’s episode of OLTL when all characters and roads
lead to the “Vicker Man” premiere and thus the stage is set for an
entrance by Roger’s Todd to the shock and awe of his family and
enemies! On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Ron Carlivati to take
us through the confusing and yet exciting elements that make the “Tale
of the Two Todds” must see daytime television and to give us his insight
and a preview of what is to come!

We also get the head scribe’s thoughts on the heartbreaking news that
OLTL was canceled by ABC and will be ending its network television run
after 43 years, and then the surprising turn of events which now has One
Life being given another life to live with its upcoming move to the web
to continue the story. With so many obstacles, changes, and hurdles to
deal with including the exit of one of the show’s most popular actors,
Trevor St. John (Todd), Carlivati has had to be a quick change artist at
times. But from our chat below, he informs us it’s all now on course,
and he is excited for all of you to see how it all plays out!

MICHAEL:

© JPI Studios


With
the “Two Todds” story, was that difficult to plot out because you did
not know if Roger or Trevor were coming or going? Did it kind of morph
and change?

RON:
I have got to admit it was tricky. I gambled a little bit when we
started laying some stuff in with Tomas and the CIA files, and this was
before Roger has signed on. I had a backup plan if there was no reveal
of Roger, but it ended up working out beautifully with Roger agreeing to
come back to One Life to Live. And, we were able to flip it in
and we were then able to make it all sort of make sense. That was
really the beginning of the whole story, that is: which one of these
guys is the real Todd Manning? And, I had envisioned we would have two
Todds on the canvas for a long time to come.



MICHAEL:
That is what I thought, too! I know how you write, so I
thought having two Todds on the show at the same time was the really
cool thing of it.


RON:
Right, and you have this great story of which guy is Todd? But, once
that question is answered you could have both guys on the canvas and
tons and tons of story that could be generated from that. Unfortunately,
Trevor St. John decided not to stay. So I had more of a timeline of
how to play out the story and how to get the most out of how I could
milk having both Todd’s, sort of speak, on the canvas, until one had to
exit the canvas, meaning Trevor. I really in some ways tried to go with
it whole-hog and blow through the story and get everything out of
having both guys on the canvas.

MICHAEL:
© JPI Studios


Right, but if you had your druthers, you would have liked to have had it play out a lot longer having both Todd’s in Llanview.

RON:
Exactly, because you see how rich that story is and it is just
starting a rivalry that could last for years to come. Unfortunately, I
did not have that luxury, but either way it generated tons and tons of
story and the show is going to remain really exciting even with Trevor’s
exit.


MICHAEL:
Did you want Roger Howarth to come back as soon as you knew As the World Turns was going off the air?


RON:
Yeah, that was such a terrible thing to lose that show, but then
there was a little part of me that went, “Oh my gosh! We could possibly
have Roger Howarth back.” And you see how long that actually took to
happen. But, it is something that I always really wanted because I had
an idea of how there could be two Todd’s on the canvas. It’s such a fun
story to tell, and while far out in some ways, it really just affects a
family and how it will tear them apart, and then ultimately bring them
back together. It has got that Sci-fi crazy aspect of: how can there be
two guys with the same name, if not the same face. It really comes
down to the relationships and the emotions and what does it do to Tea,
Blair, and Starr, and what does it do to Viki?


MICHAEL:
Was there ever a moment when you were with your writing team going, “What the hell are we going to do here?” (Laughs)


RON:
Courtesy/ABC
I had an idea at the beginning, but when you get into the nitty gritty that is when you are like, “Ok, but how do we explain this?
And how does Walker Laurence fit into it? And how does the fact that
we have a DNA test fit into it?” And you take all those pieces and you
try to make a story that can make as much logical sense as humanly
possible, given the situation. I have got to say, it was a challenge
and a lot of fun. It was exciting as much for us as the audience,
seeing Roger return, and the two guys coming face-to-face and now the
anticipation of the rest of Todd Mannings family and loved ones, seeing
Roger Howarth’s character.


MICHAEL:
And then …. You don’t know who to believe!


RON:
Exactly, you don’t know what Trevor’s Todd knows, and you are along
for the ride. And with each little step it gets more exciting, in my
humble opinion. (Laughs)


MICHAEL:
Many fans are upset that Trevor has left the show early
before it concludes on network television. As the head writer, how do
you feel about Trevor St. John’s work as Todd? I loved it. Did you?


RON:
Oh absolutely! And while Trevor has been a different Todd, he has
been a fantastic Todd. I was excited about having both guys on the
canvas as viable characters regardless of what we would be calling
them. So yes, in no way was I chomping at the bit to get Roger back so
that I could replace Trevor with him. I always thought it could be
great and we could have both guys. And that was what was exciting for
me, to be able to tell “The Battle of the Todds” story.


MICHAEL:
© JPI Studios
With a nod to fans who love Trevor and those who love Roger, can we possibly
hope no one will end up being a true bad guy as Todd?


RON:
Bottom line is: Todd Manning is sort of a bad guy. So there is going
to be that part of it no matter what. I understand what you are
asking. Will everyone be happy? I don’t know about that. We can’t
necessarily make everyone happy. People feel strongly that they want
one guy to be Todd and that one is an imposter. I think as far as that
goes, the way it is resolved should make a lot of people happy, and I
know there are some things that will probably upset certain fan bases,
but that is part of the storytelling.


MICHAEL:
On Friday’s air show, a lot happens at the “Vicker Man” Premiere!


RON:
Yes, the “Vicker Man” premiere is sort of the backdrop for everything.


MICHAEL:
A Ron Carlivati special… that is what I call it… (Laughs)
where every story is interwoven and intertwined and then “bam!” So,
what we have here is, this should be the first time that the Manning
family sees two Todds?


RON:
© JPI Studios
Exactly! And I always had that image and I did not know it would be
at the “Vicker Man” premiere, but I always felt it should be one of
those big soapy kind of events with everybody dressed up. And, I
imagined the heads turning in slow motion when Roger’s Todd walks in the
door. I wanted that big impact of when he walks into a crowded room
and the shock on everyone’s face!


MICHAEL:
And there are always DNA tests on soaps. And in particular, Ron, there are lots of bungled DNA tests on One Life to Live! What is up with that? (Laughs)


RON:
I know. On our show our lab is very busy and should probably be shut
down by the department of health! (Laughs) So DNA will figure
dramatically into the story.


MICHAEL:
OK now, “Hold the Diploma”, the porno movie starring Nate and
Deena. Did you come up with that hilarious title? Clearly this
figures in prominently to the “Vicker Man” premiere!


RON:
I will be honest. It started off as the original movie that tied in
with the Eddie Ford murder, that was actually called, “Hold the Sausage”
and Standards and Practices would not allow the title of “Hold the
Sausage” but for some reason they were OK with “Hold the Pepperoni”!
(Laughs) I was not exactly sure why, other than it was more accessible?
(Laughs) So then when we were moving forward into this other porno
movie, we came up with a spin-off which came from one of my other
writers that said, “We like the “Hold the…” idea, and because Nate was
graduating from High School, one of the other writers came up with “Hold
the Diploma”.


MICHAEL:
So “Hold the Diploma” somehow gets mixed up with “Vicker Man”?


RON:
© Steven Bergman
It is a publicity stunt on Rick’s part that sets this in motion.


MICHAEL:
Rick is thinking this will be great for himself to sabotage the “Vicker Man” premiere?


RON:
Rick thinks this will be great for himself and what better publicity
than this big red carpet premiere and that his work that he is very
proud of will be seen. So he is handing out DVD’s at the movie
premiere. And so, when all of Llanview is gathered and David and Dorian
introduce their new movie, and of course Nate and Dani and all of her
family are sitting there, Nate’s work appears on the screen. (Laughs)


MICHAEL:
And there is big fallout from that!


RON:
There is big fallout from that, and what was fun about doing that
premiere, you know, was that we had the big story that everyone was
waiting for which is Roger Howarth’s Todd, to walk into this party, but
yet at the same time, having some fun with some of these other stories
along the way. It is the “Hold the Diploma” group, and there is also a
big reveal with Rama and Vimal and Vimal’s parents. They did not know
that Rama and Vimal are split up and that Rama is not pregnant. Rama
shows up at the party with sort of a fake pregnancy to show proof for
Vimal. So it is kind of comedic, but it is also very sweet and
romantic, with Rama trying to make it up to Vimal.


MICHAEL:
Is there hope for Rama and Vimal?
© Steven Bergman


RON:
Absolutely! We took a little detour with Cristian, but I think for
Rama her marriage to Vimal was an arranged marriage, and in some ways
she thought she never got to experience life. We also know she has got
dreams of being rich and having everything. She lost sight of what she
really had. Rama had stars in her eyes when she was with big hunky
Cristian, and she kind of forgot what was important for her. We are now
trying to get back to that here. I actually didn’t know Vimal and Rama
would take off the way it did.


MICHAEL:
It’s shocking, right? Who knew?


RON:
Some of that was written before we cast the people, and then we saw
Vimal and Rama together. We had already shipped Vimal off to prison and
we already started the Rama and Cristian thing and then realized Vimal
and Rama were really popular. So we started to veer the story of
getting Vimal out of jail and getting them back together and trying to
resolve the Cristian and Rama relationship. There is hope for Rama and
Vimal, and there is a fun thing that happens at the premiere with the
Patel’s.


MICHAEL:
There is this other matter at the “Vicker Man” premiere of
Rex running around with a gun! I have got to tell you how amazing
John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) has been. Everything you have given him
surrounding Gigi’s death, he delivered!


RON:
© JPI Studios
Yes. When we discussed the story with Gigi dying, and where it would
take Rex which was to a pretty dark place, there was some concern
expressed that what people love about Rex is his funny sense of humor,
and his relationship with Bo, and all of that. And while I agree and I
think all of that stuff is great, I felt he would be able to do this
also. I thought it would be great to explore another side of that
character, and you know that other side of Rex is always going to be
there and will eventually come back. JP has really been amazing. And,
we have taken the character of Rex down this dark path where he has been
fixated by revenge, and that is why he sells Gigi’s heart and he takes
Clint’s money, because he thinks money and power are the way to get back
at Todd and Jack. And then, the night of the party he turns on the
TV. Rex is in a particularly down place over Gigi and he sees Todd and
Jack yucking it up on the red carpet at the premiere, and it sets him
off. He is contemplating this gun and it sort of sets him off on why
they get to walk around free. And, why does Jack get to have a mother
when Shane doesn’t have a mother? Why does Todd have a wife when I
don’t have a wife? He heads to the party with a gun and we don’t know
if he intends on using it on Jack, on Blair, on Tea, and so that is
happening simultaneously with a lot of the fun stuff around that, and
also with the fact that Roger’s Todd is headed to the party.


MICHAEL:
With two Todd’s being at the party and having to write Blair
and Tea’s reactions, what were you thinking would be appropriate? How
do they play into this? Are they integral to figuring out who the real
Todd is?


RON:
© JPI Studios
It is a challenge, because on one hand you want to have a big group
moment when Roger’s Todd walks in. But, at the same time you want
everybody to have their own reaction. For example, as you will see, we
purposely did not bring Viki to the premiere because I did not want to
water down everyone’s reaction, and I wanted to give Viki her own moment
when she see’s Roger. I think we made it more about the immediate
Manning family, and I think I wanted to preserve how the Viki and Todd
relationship is so special, that I wanted to give it its own moment.
And also, when you have hundreds of people running around in a big party
scene like that, it does help limit how far you can go, to some
extent. I think Erika Slezak (Viki) was actually pleased to some extent
that I did not make her stand around at the party scenes for four days
on end! We really centered those moments at the party on Blair’s
reaction, Tea’s reaction, and Starr’s reaction and Jack’s reaction.
Everybody gets their shocked reaction, and it is not just somebody
returning from the dead, because Todd Manning is already standing there
with them. So it is not, Oh thank God, “Todd Manning, you are alive,”
and they throw their arms around him. They don’t know who this guy is!


MICHAEL:
Like…. could he be this man with a reconstructed face with a scar on it like Todd’s original face?


RON:
Exactly! You have both guys insisting they are Todd.


MICHAEL:
It’s hard when you think of Trevor’s Todd. He has loved his
kids no matter what he has done. So for the viewers it has been, “What
the hell is going on? Does he really love Jack and Starr if he is a
fake?”


RON:
© JPI Studios
Yes and that was clearly real. I think to say that he has been
acting that does not make a lot of sense. So our story tries to take
that into account.


MICHAEL:
And Sam is Trevor’s Todd kid, right? Sam was conceived when
Margaret Cochran raped Trevor’s Todd. Now, I am getting confused!
(Laughs)


RON:
Assuming everybody is who they say and who they look to be. But Sam
was conceived when Todd had Trevor’s face. So if Roger is Todd, the
other kids are his.


MICHAEL:
The character of Tomas is he really one of the keys to the
mystery, or is he your red-herring in the story? How did you construct
him, because we are all thinking to ourselves, “What is his deal?” We
know he was, or is with the CIA.


RON:
That is a true thing, but there is a little more to it than just
that. He does know a crucial piece of the Todd puzzle and he reveals a
little bit more to Blair on the night of the party deeper than, “I was
just in the CIA.” We learn a little more of what his mission was and
what he has been hiding from all of them about these two Todds.
Obviously, it will have a big impact on his relationship with Blair and
with Tea. But everybody’s life is about to get a lot more complicated.


MICHAEL:
Courtesy/ABC
John McBain is sleuthing around and putting together some pieces to the
puzzle. And usually he is not a dummy, except for the fact he can’t
figure out Liam is his kid. (Laughs) So, will he be integral to
figuring the “Two Todds” mystery?


RON:
Yes. Well, John’s mind is very analytical and he feels there is an
answer to this. John is removed from this emotionally, so he can step
back and look at this and be like, “What could be the answer here?” So
he is going to be a big part of who turns out to be Todd but it won’t
solely be him. Viki will have a big part in figuring out which guy is
which. Viki does hold a key to the whole reveal, and Tomas as well. They
will all help unravel this whole thing.


MICHAEL:
When you saw Roger Howarth back on-screen, did you think,
“This is amazing!” Or, that he picked up right where he left off in the
role he originated?


RON:
I was thrilled! And actually, so many years have gone by you forget
how good he is in scenes where he is just talking to himself! And the
scenes with Sam we just had so much fun with, and just trying to come up
with ways of having Roger’s Todd interact with everybody without yet
revealing him to everyone in Llanview, like Sam’s birthday party and
that type of stuff.


MICHAEL:
I loved the “Spidey” Man stuff! So cute and funny!


RON:
Patrick Gibbons Jr., the little boy that plays Sam is adorable. He
knows all his lines and he is so much fun. I think it was just a great
addition to the story because he is like the interesting one, because he
does not share the same father necessarily as the other kids.


MICHAEL:
Courtesy/ABC
When the cancellation was handed down by ABC of One Life to Live, how did it change how you were writing this “Tale of the Two Todds” as far as the timing of it?


RON:
I think it came on the heels of Roger Howarth signing on with us. So
it was like, “Yay” we can have Todd and tell this story, and even
though I knew we had a limited time with Trevor St. John, I still felt
that Roger would continue. And then there was the… “Oh, but the show is
ending.” So of course, it takes the wind out of your sails a little
bit. It does make you consider the pace of the story, but of course now
it has been all thrown up in the air again! (Laughs)


MICHAEL:
I wanted to address some things with you, which I call, “The
elephant in the room.” I so wanted to reach out to you when the show got
canceled, because I know how much you love One Life to Live. I
also know how much it meant to you personally to head write this show.
The show has been unbelievable, and holding at number three in the
ratings and pretty stellar for almost over a year now where all the
stories have really come together. I was wondering what went through
your mind when you found out One Life was canceled, and all of a sudden
there is this reprieve that the show will continue online. Now, we
don’t know all the particulars and many issues have not been worked out,
but it is a positive thing that the series is moving online. What are
your thoughts on this rollercoaster ride?


RON:
Of course, when we heard it was canceled it was devastating. We had
heard rumors. So you try to prepare yourself, but I don’t think
anything prepares you when you hear the words out loud. So it was
definitely a blow for everyone that works here, not just for me. It was
a grieving process for us all. It was like a death. I am sure other
people have said this to you and it may seem like a cliché’, but it was
really true that we went through all the stages of grief over losing the
show. And kind of like right when you are coming to terms with
acceptance, and you are achieving that and going “OK, I am at peace with
it. We are going out on top. We are going out with good ratings and a
good solid show, and I know where everything’s going and I know how it’s
going to end,” and then this happens and it changes everything.
Obviously, I am thrilled by the idea that the show can continue. But it
was a surprise and I have to adjust not only the way I am feeling and
thinking, but how I am writing the show as well, because it is not the
end.


MICHAEL:
Courtesy/ABC
Right, because now you have to leave certain stories perhaps open-ended and cliff-hanged.


RON:
So it is a matter of trying to give it some fitting closure for
having been on network television, while at the same time not ending the
show because it’s going to continue.


MICHAEL:
Are you hopeful that this will be a great step for soap operas in going to the Internet?


RON:
The prospect of it is very exciting. There are so many unknowns and I
am not educated enough on it to speak about it. It’s just information I
don’t have. But the idea of it continuing in some new form is very
exciting and it does make you feel like, “Now I know what Irna Phillips
felt like when her show was going from radio to television.” And that
seemed like, how can that happen? And yet it did. So that does give us
hope that this new medium could be a great positive thing. I am
excited to see what happens. I spoke with Agnes Nixon and it was very
heartwarming! I mean, she had to deal with finding out that the two
shows she created were going to end. And to put myself in her shoes…(a)
how she must have felt that both shows were going to end and then (b)
that they are not necessarily going to end. I felt, I think happiest
for her in a lot of ways.


MICHAEL:
Now was Agnes Nixon going to consult with you on the ending on One Life to Live as she has been with All My Children?


RON:
© JPI Studios
You know, she has always been more intimately involved in All My Children,
and has been for a really long time. Agnes has always been really
wonderful and supportive of me. I was sort of biding my time and
letting her work with the writers on the ending of that show, but I did
plan to consult with her on how I was going to wrap up One Life to Live.


MICHAEL:
Because it was her creation and you wanted to be respectful of her?


RON:
Of course, and I had to actually get to the point of writing the end
of OLTL and it’s actually changing a little bit. But she is someone
that I am always in contact with, and again, has been so great to me. I
am excited for her with what is happening now with Prospect Park.


MICHAEL:
What would you say to fans of OLTL on why to tune into
Friday’s pivotal episode, and even after that, with the “Two Todds”
story?


RON:
It is like, you are peeling away the layers of the onion, and this
beat is a major step in the story of everyone seeing Roger’s Todd. But
there is just something new every day. There is everybody seeing him,
and then when Viki sees him, and then the whole, “How can there be two
Todds?” It just continues to unfold and you don’t want to miss a day.
It’s a great story.


MICHAEL:
Were there any particular moments during the taping of the
“Vicker Man” premiere, that when you saw your script played out during
taping, you just had to pinch yourself because you really liked how the
beats played out?


© Steven Bergman
RON:
As far as the premiere, there are a couple of outrageous moments that
I did see on tape, but I have not seen the whole thing edited
together. But beside the shocking moment of Roger walking into the
party, there are some other things in the Rama and Vimal story, and the
“Hold the Diploma” story, that are really hilarious!


MICHAEL:
By the way, lest we forget, are David and Dorian swept under the carpet at their own premiere, Ron?


RON:
I would say, they are upstaged a little bit which is not a place that
either one of them likes to be. I will leave it at that. (Laughs)

http://michaelfairmansoaps.com/one-life-to-live/the-ron-carlivati-interview-one-life-to-live/2011/07/28/

Wow - they sure managed to choose unflatering pics of RH - lol! What a load of BS - he's still trying to spin it and put the blame on Trevor for leaving early. What a load of BS he spun!!!!!!

Thanks for posting.