Legacy
In addition to their long-lasting work on Dark Shadows, their work on One Life to Live led to very memorable storylines with elements and characters which last on the latter show. A storyline which involved Dorian giving terminal patient Rachel Wilson a dosage of treatment going unmarked on her medical chart prompted her lover Mark Toland to give her a second more lethal dosage and Dr. Larry Wolek get framed for her mercy killing (ironically Rachel Wilson wanted him to end her life in the first place). When the truth was revealed, the board of directors at Llanview Hospital took a vote to decide whether or not to suspend her medical license with Victoria Lord casting the lone vote in Dorian's favor. Dorian believed Viki is responsible for her losing her medical license. To get even, Dorian became her ailing father Victor Lord's private physician, and withheld his medication during a heart attack and walking away, allegedly causing his death and starting the Viki/Dorian feud which has lasted almost 35 years.
Russell and Hall also wrote the infamous Karen Wolek (Judith Light) storyline. Dr. Larry Wolek's wife and cousin Karen turned to prostitution after boredom with being a simple housewife because of her need to be wanted, and in light of her pimp Marco Dane's alleged murder had to reveal she was a prostitute on the stand to clear Viki's name at trial. They also created the Buchanan family, introduced when Clint Buchanan came to town to take over The Banner for Viki's dying husband, Joe Riley. Clint brought to town his father, Asa Buchanan, and brother, Bo Buchanan, the genesis of the Buchanan family who have since became one of the most prominent ensembles on the show.
Read more about this topic: Sam Hall (writer)
Famous quotes containing the word legacy:
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)