One Life To Live- Niki Smith's First Appearance In 1985

[sbookey]

Of course, you mean Niki's first appearance IN 1975. Niki has been appearing on OLTL since it started in 1968, right?

[jaquen1977]

Such a different Niki Smith than what was to come. But since this is a daytime drama, and needed as much spice as possible, I can see why they decided to make Niki more brash and volatile. This Niki is so sweet, and innocent, you really wouldn't be rooting for Vicki to come back!

[lindalucys2004]

Wow! I can't believe this is Erika Slezak till someone mentioned it. I can hear it now in her voice and profile.  What a cuties as Niki Smith!

What year is this? Is it really 1985? Not earlier?

[mrob75]

@lindalucys2004 This is 1985. Niki first appeared in 1968 when Viki was played by Gillian Spencer. The title above this video is incorrect regarding "first appearance."

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75

Thanks for info. I began watching back in late '69, in jr high + watched thru '80, took a huge time off (working f/t), started again in late '93 for 3 yrs (stay at home mom), off again till 2008 when I videotaped + then found SoapNet, eventually DVR'g.

Grand Dame of OLTL, Erika Slezak, held it all together despite many hubbies coming and going (or actors replaced) + various Dorians.

I saw her DID when she locked up Dorian (ROBIN S), the only DORIAN for me.(sorry Dixie Carter)

[mrob75]

@lindalucys2004 I missed the first 10 years of OLTL as I did not start watching until 1978 I am so interested in all of the story lines of this first 10 years as no one seems to remember those years and often people pretend that OLTL began with the arrival of the Buchanons If you notice here on You Tube, aside from a couple of1978 shows, one cannot find any episodes before then Today I am going through OLTL withdrawls I have no plans to watch those crappy shows ABC has on now!

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75

Yeah, I agree. I'm so sad that Dennis Frons "transformed" ABC Daytime and destroyed a 43yrs old icon program (and apx 40 yrs of it for AMC fans). Actually back in the 70's I used to watch all 3 ABC soaps, AMC, OLTL, GH, plus sometimes (I guess on school breaks & snow days?) Ryan's Hope (with a very young Illene K, aka Roxy, as the ingenue), plus Young & Restless. (they were 1/2hr shows in those days).

Yup, after day at jr & sr high, college, I'd watch my soaps, then do homewk

[mrob75]

@lindalucys2004 I had such OLTL withdrawls today! I kept looking at my clock all day long. Out of desperation, I turned on General Hospital....Thought I'd get a head start in anticipation of some of Llanview's residents moving. There is a rumor going around that Melissa Archer (Natalie) will be going to Days of Our Lives Hope this is not true as I would like her to move with John McBain to Port Charles..

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75

Do you have any idea when the Llanview people will begin appearing on GH?

Personally, my DVR is 90% full as I have to watch Dec 9, 2011 thru Jan 13, 2012 episodes (yup, over 1 mo), plus 13hrs of Soap Net OLTL tribute from Dec 31st. Darn my DVR, though set to start recording from 10a-12a (14 hrs), it began deleting programs when it was 99% full, and I just "lucked out" that I checked the recording status at apx 3pm and saw it deleted the 10a episode, lost the first hour only.

[madonnabdfan1]

@lindalucys2004 february

[lindalucys2004]

@madonnabdfan1

Hi Madonna Fan -- any idea what DATE in Feb will be the expected 1st appearance of Blair and the other Mannings and John McBain?

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75 Luckily, I checked in on my DVR that day in the afternoon, and found that as it was recording, it was full, so immediately deleted some movies and HOUSE episodes I didn't actually need, so I could get my OLTL tribute episodes. Again, luckily I checked it out and only lost 1hr of the 14 hours of the OLTL Tribute episodes.

So I need to do some MARATHON watching and clearing out my DVR.

Hey, have you ever seen a YouTube site here called:

OLTLViewersChannel? Go see it.

[mrob75]

@lindalucys2004 Yes, I have subscribed to OTLViewersChannel I have heard that the Llanview people will be on GH in February They've already started filming I started watching GH today just so I can start learning the characters and the story lines.

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75

You're ahead of me since I have to start DELETING programs from my DVR, and I finally watched 12-09-11, so I'm done w/ that week. I'll try to watch at least 2 more tonight and try to "catch up" with our mutually beloved OLTL that just ended on Fri Jan 13.

I'll have to start recording GH soon, but need space on my DVR. So, any idea WHEN in Feb? I'll have to check w/ the wall of my FB "friend" from OLTL (ie Cassie D, aka Blair) if she posted the date Blair Manning arrives!

[mrob75]

@lindalucys2004 I think the shows on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday (Jan.10th - 12th) were more of an ending than the 13th. When Viki narrated, I nearly lost it! The final episode was more like a bridge of something to come or may be my wishful thinking Happy DVR clearing! lol I'm now on the General Hospital board on ABC web page: llanview78 Join us!

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75

OK, will check it out.

Having been working F/T since 1980 (except for the 3 yrs at home in the mid 90's) there were many OLTL storylines which I never saw (ie never knew or saw Meagan or Mitch Lawrence during the 13-14 yrs missing for me, till Mitch appeared in apx 2009.)

OK will check out Llanview78 too. Thanks!

[lindalucys2004]

@mrob75

Thanks for ABC webpage for GH, I will check tomorrow.

As I just wrote to friends: 4 OLTL'ers (Blair, Starr, Todd & John) are "moving" to Port Charles. HOORAY, they live on!! (I also saw a rumor that TSJ will also be joining GH?)

Anyone know WHEN they will begin GH?

I have lots to watch to catch OLTL, "transformed" ABC Daytime by outgoing Daytime Pres Dennis Frons, he CXLD daytime's highest rated prgm, ONLY SOAP still taped in NYC

ABC page for GH has MANY posts by OLTL fans.

[JohnnyGNV]

Nikki Smith's first appearance was a number of years before this - back in the days when Gillian Spencer portrayed Victoria Lord and developed a multiple personality

disorder. When the role was taken over by Erica Slezak, she portrayed her other personality "Nikki Smith" in a different manner, not quite as ditzy as originally planned.

[mrob75]

@JohnnyGNV And lets also remember that Joanne Dorian was the second "Viki" (although she never "Niki Smith") Do you happen to know why Gillian Spencer left OLTL and where did she go after she left OLTL? Thought you might know. Thanks!

[The1Returner]

This isnt Niki smiths 1st apperance. It was back in the late 60's

[PrBwniz4]

Lord-Manning wow they need to bring that back especially since it brings the families together.

[EthanEternal]

Erica Slezak looked so cute like this. She really came to life and grew into her character after Niki came into the picture...

[d1malcriao]

That was Niki's hang out, "back Street"

[wasntbad]

holy crap thats vicki or niki.lol

[earth2006]

niki's BACk again. or at least it looked like it on Friday 4-22. i hope they end the show on a high note and go back to that story line. its better to end things while "highstepping" rather then sloging the through at the vary end

[nichtsleezy]

Please help SAVE OUR SOAPS!!! Hershey's Chocolate Co. will pull ads from ABC in retaliation for canceling OLTL AND AMC., but only if they receive 10,000 votes. The number is 1-800-468-1714 between 10-4 EST.

[CDThe1]

This was actually the first appearance of Niki in the 1980's. I think 1978 was the original appearance. With each of Viki's three DID storylines, things were changed.

One thing here is that this Niki is extremely reserved and calm, nothing like the Niki before or the Niki since. Also in this storyline, Niki had no idea she was a multiple personality. Jenny tried to tell her, but Niki didn't believe her or even know who Viki was.

[Soapluvva]

I was one of the original viewers of OLTL on July 15, 1968. As I recall, the first indications of the existence of Niki Smith started in about August of that year when Viki opened up her desk drawer at The Banner and removed a note. It was written in a childish scrawl and said something like, "I'm going to get you, Icky Viki!" I think there were other notes that summer, also, plus some message scrawled in lipstick on Viki's mirror at Llanfair. The first Niki scene was likely at Ernie's Bar.

[Hamstertabbygirll]

wow i hear Foreigner in the back round.what year was this?

[BruhTV]

@Hamstertabbygirll 1985

[brandonmayfair007]

It seems in really old clips like this Niki is so tame and polite and reserved--- like Viki herself. When did she become wild and cartoonish like she is nowadays? Niki, I mean.

[yaywhewclips242]

sorry Niki Smith first showed up in 1978. The other bar patron was a late great character actor from "A few good men" & "Needful things" (name? had two initials). Harry O'Neil became Niki's lover and was murdered by Mitch Lawrence.

[WilyKat76]

@yaywhewclips242 Is it JT Walsh, I could not tell if it was him or not?

[gshunw]

@WilyKat76 I think it is JT. His name popped into my head as soon as I saw the guys face.

[jrewing73]

@WilyKat76 Yes, that was him. I noticed him right away when I started watching this video!

[WilyKat76]

@jrewing73 He was a wonderful actor, would have been a good Harry O'Neal.

[christheone8773]

Niki was kind of fun-loving and carefree, everything that Viki couldn't be at the time - later on, Niki would regard Viki as a wimp and would try many times over the years to overpower Viki-

[dereka79]

Funny that Niki asks Bill to play something slow that's not going to break her heart when Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" is playing on the jukebox LOL

[delidude1999]

lol Bill Sikes--a character from Oliver twist

[MissDee091]

This is great! My grandmother watched OLTL...

[ericlbrown2002]

Niki was very smart. She decided to play Viki this time without no suspision this round. Basically just to act as Viki

[Gayjeffrey28]

does anyone know that jazzy song that plays at 2:56 ? its a cool jazzy song!

[Pinkranger87]

Wow the turned Nicole from a sweet red head virson on viki to a tramp named NIKI

[dereka79]

@Abbyviki Yes! When I saw it today I did think what if Gillian had continued to play Viki! LOL But I think the universe had the right idea, Gillian should be Daisy and Erika should be Viki, since they were both so well suited for those roles. And such a moving tribute to James Mitchell on AMC, and the end just blew me away!! PERFECT!

[dereka79]

But what I cannot figure is how could Niki remember certain people from her era of Backstreet and even "102" on the jukebox but not remember Viki?

[trevor22a]

@dereka79

At the time Niki was lying about not knowing about Viki. Towards the end of the storyline Clint asked Niki about Viki and she said "I know that she's there. I've always known that."

[dereka79]

@trevor22a That would make sense! Because even if an alter has been dormant for years and they knew about the core personality before, I figured they would still know about them years later. But I figured they changed Niki and toned her down so much I guess for story purposes, they suddenly wanted to say she didn't know Viki (or at least Viki "Buchanan).

[mac020507]

I think they did the red wig to make it so that viewers knew immediately that it was Niki and not Viki since ES had blonde hair. You didn't even have to wait for her to talk, you just knew right off that it was Niki!

[dereka79]

The red wig was a trademark, I guess, esp. for those of us exposed to Niki for the first time at this point. Obviously anyone who had been watching OLTL since the beginning saw not only a different actress (the wonderfully talented Gillian Spencer) but the blond wig, also shown when Erika actually first played her in flashbacks. To me the red wig represented the next generation of Niki Smith fans LOL And to this day I wish they'd put Niki back in the red wig.

[CarlD2]

I love the way Erika plays Niki in this scene. There's no brashness or desperation, there's more of an innocence. I wish we saw this side of Niki more often.

Did they have any scene where Niki talked about Vince? She was in love with Vince in 1968 wasn't she?

[mishinners]

I assume the red wig was in reference to Tina's hair or something? Who cares! People still associate Niki with the red wig. Part of the legend, I guess! I assumed one day I would come across all this Niki footage, but it never happened! Until VickRob! Ha! Do you have the next scene where Harry sees her. I can't get enough!

[ThorneAstor]

I love this Niki but I will never understand what made Paul Rauch give Niki a red wig instead of the blonde one.