Llanview, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The city exists in the same fictional universe as cities from other existing or defunct ABC daytime dramas, including Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, from All My Children, Port Charles, New York, from General Hospital, and Corinth, Pennsylvania, from Loving.
Overview The community is a fictional suburb of Philadelphia. It is thought to be modelled after the Chestnut Hill section of the city, although the prevalence of Welsh placename elements may suggest an inspiration from the Welsh settlements in the area such as the Upper Merion and Lower Merion Townships, north west of the City. The series employs the Welsh language placename element Llan for Llanview, which is the county seat of Llantano County and located on the Llantano River, across from All My Childrens Pine Valley. The Lord family's estate is called Llanfair.
Llanview is the home of Llanview University and the conglomerate Buchanan Enterprises. Town media is owned by the Lord family, with preeminent local newspaper The Banner owned and run by Victoria Lord. The Banners rival publication is The Sun, run by Viki's half-brother Todd Manning. Llanview Hospital is the local medical center, and Angel Square is a central area located in East Llanview.
From 1984 to 1991 the Market Street Bridge overlooking downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, stood in as the establishing shot for the show's intro.
History
Historical storylines Storylines: 1968-1979 Storylines: 1980-1989 Storylines: 1990-1999 Storylines: 2000-2012
Annual events Llanview Woman of the Year - Annual banquet held at The Palace Hotel to celebrate and honor a woman of Llanview for her involvement and charitable acts in the community, notable because every year something disastrous happens to the honoree during the event. Honorees have included: 2007 - Lindsay Rappaport - Arrested for Spencer Truman's murder 2005 - Evangeline Williamson - Kidnapped by the Killing Club Killer 2002 - Rae Cummings - Revealed as a fraud by Asa Buchanan 1998 - Nora Buchanan - Publicly revealed by Lindsay Rappaport to be carrying Sam Rappaport's baby Go Red Ball - An annual fund raiser gala held at The Palace Hotel for the American Heart Association to benefit heart health awareness; also notable because every year something disastrous happens during the event. 2009 - Dorian Lord publicly revealed the missing Buchanan heir, David Vickers and that she married him. 2008 - Allison Perkins kidnaps Jessica Buchanan holding her at gunpoint then falling over a high balcony, before revealing her big secret. Llanview Man of the Year - Annual gala held at Shelter by the Llanview Veterans' Organization to celebrate and honor a man of Llanview for his involvement and charitable acts in the community, notable because every year something disastrous happens to the honoree during the event. Honorees have included: 2013 - Bo Buchanan - His award presentation was crashed by his drunken (and drugged by Carl Peterson and Jeffrey Wright, who were both part of an evil organization to take down the Lord, Manning, and Buchanan families) brother Clint Buchanan (who originally was supposed to receive the award before he was dumped in favor for Bo after he punched out Shelter's doorman Diego Padilla in a intoxicated rage), who had a public meltdown during the gala before he was taken to the hospital.
Disasters and major events Music Box Killer (October 2003 - March 2004) A serial killer claims three victims in New Jersey before arriving in Llanview. Trailing the killer, FBI Agent John McBain discovers the first of four Llanview murder victims, who include Gabrielle Medina. Some potential victims survive (including Jennifer Rappaport, Natalie and Jessica Buchanan, Sarah Roberts, Rae Cummings and Eve McBain) before the killer is revealed to be Dr. Stephen Haver. Baby Switch (March 2004 - February 2005) Paul Cramer sets off a major chain of events between Llanview and Pine Valley by helping his sister Kelly Cramer obtain a baby after she miscarries and attempts to hide the truth from her husband Kevin Buchanan. While Babe Carey and Bianca Montgomery are simultaneously in labor, Paul fakes a helicopter crash and switches the babies around, giving Babe's child to Kelly and Bianca's child to Babe. The truth about the babies' identities is ultimately revealed in the resulting three-way custody battle. Paul is eventually murdered, and the backlash is as equally explosive as the Baby Switch itself. Killing Club Killer (February 2005 - August 2005) A serial killer, re-enacting the events in Marcie Walsh's new novel, kills or kidnaps those close to her; the killer is later revealed to be someone from her past who holds a grudge against her; her former high school classmate and current publisher, Hayes Barber. Llanview Tornado (May 2006) A terrible storm hits Llanview on the day of Marcie Walsh and Michael McBain's wedding day. St. James' rectory collapses, resulting in life-threatening injuries to Kelly Cramer and the death of Duke Buchanan. The adoptive parents of Tommy McBain are also killed, and Evangeline Williamson is temporarily rendered blind from flying broken glass. One Pure People Arson Attacks (December 2006 - August 2007) A white supremacist group burns down buildings in Llanview, targeting people of different ethnicities and religions. The attacks escalate as potential victims survive and the authorities close in on the perpetrators, and several non-targeted people are injured or killed as collateral damage. Victims include African-Americans Vincent Jones and sisters Layla and Evangeline Williamson, Jewish Nora Hanen and her son Matthew Buchanan, Hispanic relatives Antonio and Cristian Vega and Adriana Cramer, and Syrian Talia Sahid.Later in July 2008 it is established that Talia is the daughter of Carlo Hesser and had been adopted by her Syrian stepfather. Buchanan Enterprises Shareholders' Meeting (June 2008) At B.E.'s annual shareholders' meeting in the Palace Hotel, Dorian Lord announces her hostile takeover after revealing that Jared Banks is in fact not Asa Buchanan's son. Afterward, Jared and Nash Brennan fight, and Nash falls through a skylight to his death.Baby Switch 2 (November 2008-June 2009) The storyline begins when Starr Manning finds herself pregnant with Cole Thornhart's baby. Jessica Brennan also became pregnant with the late Nash Brennan's baby. On November 6, Starr's water breaks and goes into labor. Meanwhile, Tess, Jessica's alter ego, plots revenge against her sister and boyfriend, Natalie Buchanan and Jared Banks. After planting a bomb on Natalie and Jared, Tess goes into premature labor. Starr gives birth to a girl, who she names Hope with the help of the baby's adoptive mother, Marcie McBain and Starr's mother, Blair Manning. With the help of Tess's mother, Viki's alter ego, Niki (which was only Tess's imagination), Tess gave birth to a stillborn baby girl, who she named Chloe. Chloe's death resulted in a second alter ego, Bess. Bess goes to the hospital and switches her dead baby with Starr's baby. Chloe died of Rh disease. Starr and Cole were tested and came out both Rh negative. Throughout the storyline, the Manning family mourned Hope's death. In June 2009, Jessica admitted to causing the whole switch and gave Starr and Cole back their baby. As of today, Jessica is mourning Chloe's death and Starr is raising Hope with the help of Cole and the rest of her family. The KAD Killer (January 2009-May 2009) A series of stabbings in 2009 is suspected to be the work of the same killer. The victims are each left with a letter from the alphabet, seemingly the killer's calling card: Lee Halpern (K), Wes Granger (A), and Blair Cramer (D), who survives. With these clues seemingly pointing to the 1993 gang rape of Marty Saybrooke at the KAD fraternity house at Llanview University, Todd — who has a grudge against each of the victims — is the initial suspect. Suspicion then falls upon Zach Rosen, another of Marty's rapists, but the killer appears to still be at large when Talia Sahid is murdered while Zach is in custody. The killer is ultimately revealed to be Powell Lord III, Todd's cousin and yet another of Marty's rapists. Assisted by Rebecca Lewis, Powell's one-time fiancée and Todd's former love, Powell kidnaps Todd, Marty, and Todd's ex-wives Blair and Téa Delgado to give Marty closure by punishing Todd. Llanview Blizzard (February 2010) A blizzard rolls into Llanview and evil cult leader, Mitch Laurence, who previously faked his death, kidnaps his daughter Jessica Buchanan and brings her to Llantano Mountain, with intention to reclaim his cult legacy through his son Rex Balsom's unborn child. While many people try to save her, a huge car crash happens injuring many people. Mitch kidnaps the carrier of Rex's baby Stacy Morasco, whose actual father is actually Oliver Fish. When Mitch finds out that Oliver is the father, he abandons Stacy in a blizzard on top of Llantano mountain. Jessica's boyfriend Brody Lovett comes to save her, but Mitch had already put Jessica in his plan, giving her selective amnesia so she can't remember anything past her high school years. Dorian Lord and Charlie Banks makes an appearance on Llantano Mountain where Charlie was planning to kill Mitch, but accidentally shoots Mitch's nurse, Nurse Charles, and Jessica. The police come and stop everything, arresting Mitch and bringing Jessica to the hospital. Meanwhile, Stacy's sister Gigi Morasco finds her and helps her give birth to Sierra Rose, but while on the way to the hospital, Stacy falls in the ice and drowns.The Tale of Two Todds / Who Shot Victor Lord Jr. Murder Mystery (May 2011 - January 2012)