A sure sign that things aren't going well on a soap opera is when they make writing changes. For months, 'One Life to Live' has been spinning out of control. Headwriter Ron Carlivati, who has been excellent in the past, just let the show run off the rails. And the results have been seen in the declining ratings and reason to be concerned about 'OLTL.'

To help get Carlivati out of the woods and back on track, Jean Passanante will join 'One Life to Live' as associate headwriter. (Like Miss America, in the event that Carlivati cannot fulfill his role as headwriter, Passanante will resume his activities...)

When I heard about the pregnancy, I was shocked. It was so unexpected, such a surprise, a complete unplanned occurrence that had me scratching my head and wondering what was going on. No, I'm not talking about the revelation that John McCain's choice for vice president, Governor Sarah Palin's unmarried teenaged daughter is pregnant.

I'm talking about Guiding Light's Reva Shayne's stunning discovery that she's having a baby well into her 40's and after a near-fatal bout with breast cancer.

Seriously, I was floored by that turn in the storyline. The writers had me and every other viewer fearful that Reva's breast cancer had returned. On the brink of her marrying Jeffrey, Reva learned that the drugs she'd been taking had actually acted like fertility pills and, bada-bing, bada-boom, Reva's having a baby.

A few weeks back, I enthusiastically reported the plans for One Life to Live's 40th anniversary celebration. Viki was going to have a near death experience and heaven; a classic OLTL moment would be re-created, the Iguaza Falls plunge; and in an elongated mini-arc, Bo and Rex would be transported back in time to 1968, the year OLTL began. It was an ambitious undertaking, but it was still nice to hear that they were thinking big, as opposed to General Hospital which did virtually nothing to commemorate their 45th anniversary in April.

So, now that Viki's visit to heaven -- which did not include Pearly Gates -- has concluded and Sarah and Cristian have gone over the falls -- and look to be dead -- I felt compelled to comment. First, Viki. I really, really like Erika Slezak. She's the Meryl Streep of daytime, able to take on all kinds of stories and make them work. Fortunately for Erika, she didn't have to sing any crappy ABBA songs like poor Meryl in Mamma Mia!

I don't know about you, but I was kind of ticked off that General Hospital decided that 45 years on the air wasn't a good enough reason for a special episode. They had a cake -- good for them -- but generally speaking, the media celebrated the GH anniversary more than the show did. Well, ABC and One Life to Live are doing just the opposite for four decades of broadcasting. One Life to Live will celebrate its 40th anniversary -- officially July 15th -- with three special, out of this world storylines. It all starts on July 21. How out of this world? Well, it will be celestial.

Headwriter Ron Carlivati told TV Guide that his plans, which are extensive, include sending Viki back to Heaven. Longtime fans will recall that in 1987, Viki "died" and went to Heaven, which was inspired by Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and looked very sci-fi.
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