Ilene Kristen Rox On
Veteran's Day on One Life to Live
Yesterday’s episode of One Life to Live was noteworthy in that the TV screen was graced with the presence of Ilene Kristen as Roxanne Balsom an occurrence that doesn’t occur often enough. The character of Roxanne is one of the best parts of Gary Tomlin’s dubious legacy, one which bears reevaluation in retrospect in relation to regimes that have followed.
When Ilene as Roxanne entered the precinct yesterday it was as if all three of her co-stars became her supporting players. This is not to say that she is not a generous scene stealer, but she is a scene stealer nevertheless.
Her presence and recalling Gary Tomlin only serve to remind what might have been if subsequent producing/writing teams had been allowed to serve up with all the fixin's the burgeoning quirky love story between Max Holden, the very talented James DePaiva, and Roxanne. (It also makes one wonder why the entire Holden clan was sent off into that great Soap Opera black hole in the sky.) In addition to being Mrs. Holden, Roxanne was one of the characters that saved the “Mitch Laurence debacle” from being completely avoidable. The great example of what this multi-layered character is all about is that when push came to shove and she was confronted by the moustache twirling Laurence she saved both of her “fake daughters.” It was of the stuff that was making Max fall in love with her. It is of the stuff that makes many fall in love with Ilene Kristen’s skillful portrayal.
Perhaps now that Rex Balsom, Roxanne’s son, as portrayed by the very talented and affable John-Paul Lavoisier, is being rehabilitated into a sort of anti-hero a la Luke Spencer the viewer will be treated to more of his quirky, morally challenged mother.
It is the wholesale discount of talented veterans like Ilene Kristen, who is now off-contract, that spell for many the demise of the daytime drama. Let’s be clear, Soap Opera, i.e. continuing drama with a long story arc, is not dead. No need to recount the instances in which it thrives. On the other hand the daytime drama in its current format does not look like a survivor. It sometimes seems as if someone or some people are systematically trying to destroy it.
The only other way to explain it is, as in other media, those in charge are trying to lure very young viewers in order to beef up the ratings and the demographics. In the last six months the ratings for the two ABC shows followed here have fallen .5 which is a big number where the pickin’s is slim.
Listen up, executives, producers, writers and viewers; (1) please remember that this is afternoon network television on whose prairies the hip and young do not deign to roam at this point in time (2) there is no substitute for talent, young or old, (3) do not speak to viewers as if they have heads that screw off and on (4) speak to viewers as if they get nuance and experience. It may not get you elected President of the United States, but it will create Art and if you create it they will come.
Yesterday’s episode of One Life to Live was noteworthy in that the TV screen was graced with the presence of Ilene Kristen as Roxanne Balsom an occurrence that doesn’t occur often enough. The character of Roxanne is one of the best parts of Gary Tomlin’s dubious legacy, one which bears reevaluation in retrospect in relation to regimes that have followed.
When Ilene as Roxanne entered the precinct yesterday it was as if all three of her co-stars became her supporting players. This is not to say that she is not a generous scene stealer, but she is a scene stealer nevertheless.
Her presence and recalling Gary Tomlin only serve to remind what might have been if subsequent producing/writing teams had been allowed to serve up with all the fixin's the burgeoning quirky love story between Max Holden, the very talented James DePaiva, and Roxanne. (It also makes one wonder why the entire Holden clan was sent off into that great Soap Opera black hole in the sky.) In addition to being Mrs. Holden, Roxanne was one of the characters that saved the “Mitch Laurence debacle” from being completely avoidable. The great example of what this multi-layered character is all about is that when push came to shove and she was confronted by the moustache twirling Laurence she saved both of her “fake daughters.” It was of the stuff that was making Max fall in love with her. It is of the stuff that makes many fall in love with Ilene Kristen’s skillful portrayal.
Perhaps now that Rex Balsom, Roxanne’s son, as portrayed by the very talented and affable John-Paul Lavoisier, is being rehabilitated into a sort of anti-hero a la Luke Spencer the viewer will be treated to more of his quirky, morally challenged mother.
It is the wholesale discount of talented veterans like Ilene Kristen, who is now off-contract, that spell for many the demise of the daytime drama. Let’s be clear, Soap Opera, i.e. continuing drama with a long story arc, is not dead. No need to recount the instances in which it thrives. On the other hand the daytime drama in its current format does not look like a survivor. It sometimes seems as if someone or some people are systematically trying to destroy it.
The only other way to explain it is, as in other media, those in charge are trying to lure very young viewers in order to beef up the ratings and the demographics. In the last six months the ratings for the two ABC shows followed here have fallen .5 which is a big number where the pickin’s is slim.
Listen up, executives, producers, writers and viewers; (1) please remember that this is afternoon network television on whose prairies the hip and young do not deign to roam at this point in time (2) there is no substitute for talent, young or old, (3) do not speak to viewers as if they have heads that screw off and on (4) speak to viewers as if they get nuance and experience. It may not get you elected President of the United States, but it will create Art and if you create it they will come.
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