History Series / OneLifeToLive

* ShoutOut: Luna's walking into heaven is very similar to the ending of Film/{{Ghost}}.

* LikesOlderWomen: David Vickers.

* LiveEpisode
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* LockedInAFreezer
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: Schuyler
* MagicPlasticSurgery: Max, Todd (actually Todd's twin brother, Victor Lord, Jr.)
* {{Malaproper}}: Roxy
* MarriageBeforeRomance: Todd and Tea.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: From time to time, OLTL would ditch the storylines in favor of more offbeat plots, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgLe8z3DXdU the cast trading roles]], or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hTF-z1h4I their take on]] {{Film/Chicago}}.

* SexySpectacles: A certain assistant DA always wore glasses but eventually admitted that he had 20/20 vision. He had started wearing them in law school because he wanted to be taken seriously but kept wearing them because he found that women loved them.

* RealityEnsues: When Kelly confesses to Blair that she was driving the car that ran her off the road, killing her unborn child, is she EasilyForgiven as we've come to see on so many soaps? No. Instead, a devastated and angry Blair declares that she will ''never'' forgive her for it. Their relationship is strained for years and it's not until 15 years later that Blair is able to absolve her.

* NotSoDifferent: A soap magazine once asked Laura Koffman what kind of a mother her character Cassie would be. She responded, "Dorian (her mother) in disguise--very possessive of her child." Indeed, after miscarrying, she rushed into adopting an abandoned baby, tried to stop his birth mother from visiting, and even tried to kidnap the child, Dorian-like behavior that everyone pitied instead of condemned because of her loss. Indeed, both women separately tried to pay the girl off, prompting her to snap, "First your daughter, now you. Well, now I see where she gets it from."

* BitchInSheepsClothing: The main character Viki's dad, Victor Lord Sr. Originally seen as simply a domineering and OverprotectiveDad during his original run on the show, it was revealed in the 1990s, presumably after his death, that he was a pedophile who molested Viki as a child. He briefly was revealed to have had his death faked in the early 2000s with Mitch Laurence's assistance, before dying again, during which we got to see the real Victor Lord in all of his ugly TrueColors.

* NotSoDifferent: A soap magazine once asked Laura Koffman what kind of a mother her character Cassie would be. She responded, "Dorian (her mother) in disguise--very possessive of her child. Indeed, after miscarrying, she rushed into adopting an abandoned baby, tried to stop his birth mother from visiting, and even tried to kidnap the child, Dorian-like behavior that everyone pitied instead of condemned because of her loss.

* RapePortrayedAsRedemption: Played straight after Marty's gang rape--she went from a promiscuous, alcoholic, bitchy, troublemaker to the town saint. ''Todd'' practically lampshades this by telling her she should be ''grateful'' to him for her newfound status.

* FlashbackWithTheOtherDarrin: Lampshaded when during ex-husband Asa's "funeral" Blair (played by a Caucasian actress) flashbacked to her own wedding to Asa...which occurred when Blair was being played by an Asian American actress. Cue the confused look into the make-up compact.

[-[[caption-width-right:320: ''...cause it's a brand new start''.]]-]

* DynamicEntry: Shaun comes to [[BigDamnHeroes save Starr, Hope, and "Todd" from drug dealers]]. This is also a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
--> '''Sergei:''' ''(sees Shaun on phone's caller ID)'' Who is Shaun?
--> ''(gunshot)''

* MayDecemberRomance: First Dorian with Joey, then Dorian with David, which would count as {{squick}} to many when David gets a love scene with her.
** Even squickier was elderly Victor Lord's off-screen but often-mentioned romance with college student Irene, which became creepier (but also more 'logical') when after a {{Retcon}} it was revealed that Victor was a pedophile who had sexually abused his daughter Viki all throughout childhood.

* RapeIsLove: Subverted once Marty got her memory back.

* BlackGalOnWhiteGuyDrama: Kevin and Rachel. Her father pretty much hated Kevin and the idea of them dating and gave them grief the entire time (quite hypocritical considering that his ex-wife, Rachel's mother, was white).

* PrettyInMink: Until the early 1990s.

Created by Agnes Nixon, OLTL shared its universe with Nixon's other soap, ''AllMyChildren'', and has had many [[CrossOver crossovers]] with same, including a baby-switch story in 2004. ''One Life to Live'' aired its last episode on January 13th, 2012, and the characters of John [=McBain=] & the Mannings migrated to ''Series/GeneralHospital'' until March 2013. Originally, a company named Prospect Park had purchased the rights to both One Life to Live and All My Children from ABC and was planning to continue the series either on a cable channel or possibly online. Those plans fell through, however, and when the show signed off in 2012, it was presumed that it was gone for good. As of early 2013, however, Prospect Park announced that they would be bringing both shows back after all, with distribution through Hulu and other online video providers. Many of the major performers have agreed to return to the show and shooting began in March 2013, with the premiere on April 29, 2013.

* CrossOver: mostly with ''AllMyChildren'', but with other ABC soaps as well.

* RapePortrayedAsRedemption: Played straight after Marty's gang rape.