Type Fictional family | Created by Agnes Nixon | |
 | ||
Original run July 15, 1968 (1968-07-15) – August 24, 2011 (2011-08-24) First appearance Episode 1, July 15, 1968 Last appearance Episode 11,008, August 24, 2011 Similar Jenny Wolek, Cathy Craig, Tony Lord, Ben Davidson, One Life to Live characters | ||
The Riley family is an original family of fictional characters on the American soap opera One Life to Live. An Irish Catholic American clan, the family was created around the relationships and descendants of original male protagonist Joseph "Joe" Riley.
Contents
Initially showcased as a working class contrast to the affluent Lords, members of the ensemble appear from the debut episode aired July 15, 1968 until August 24, 2011. Joe Riley's two sons, Kevin Lord Riley and Joe Riley, Jr., represent their paternal family for most of the series and are adopted into the Buchanan family upon the marriage of Joe's widow Victoria Lord Riley to Clint Buchanan in 1982.
First generation
Original character. Born off-screen late 1920s to unnamed parents as of 1968.
Original character. Born off-screen 1938 as of 1968; dies onscreen October 3, 1979. Identical twin of Tom Dennison.
Born off-screen 1938 as of 1986. Identical twin of Joe Riley, Sr.
Second generation
Born off-screen 1950 to Eileen Riley Siegel and Dave Siegel as of 1975; dies onscreen April 6, 1976. Fraternal twin of Julie Siegel.
Born off-screen 1950 to Eileen Riley Siegel and Dave Siegel as of 1975. Fraternal twin of Tim Siegel.
Born off-screen 1969 to Tom Dennison and Carol Harper Dennison as of 1986.
Born onscreen December 2, 1974 to Joe Riley, Sr. and Cathy Craig; dies onscreen October 3, 1975.
Born onscreen September 12, 1976 to Joe Riley, Sr. and Victoria Lord Riley, adopted by Clint Buchanan; birth year changed to 1970 as of 1996.
Born onscreen January 8, 1980 to Joe Riley, Sr. Victoria Lord Riley, adopted by Clint Buchanan; birth year changed to 1974 as of 2010.
Third generation
Born onscreen June 29, 1992 to Kevin Buchanan and LeeAnn Demerest Buchanan; birth year changed to 1986 as of 2004, dies onscreen May 12, 2006.
Fourth generation
Born onscreen October 31, 2006 to Duke Buchanan and Kelly Cramer.
Introduction
At the inception of One Life to Live appears journalist Joe Riley, managing editor of the Lord family-owned The Banner newspaper of fictional Philadelphia Main Line suburb Llanview, Pennsylvania. A working-class Irish American, early storylines focus on his budding relationship with Banner executive assistant and heiress Victoria "Viki" Lord and her first bout with multiple personalities. Concurrently introduced at the show's origin is the family of Joe's sister, Eileen Riley Siegel.
Joe and Viki marry in June 1969, a marriage ended at Viki's declaration of his legal death in 1970. He reappears in 1972 as Viki marries Steve Burke. Viki continues with the marriage to Steve, but it eventually falls apart with her continued infatuation with Joe. Viki divorces Steve and remarries Joe in 1974. Eileen leaves Llanview for Florida in 1976, and soon thereafter Viki bears Joe his first son, Kevin Lord Riley. Joe dies in 1979, leaving a pregnant Viki widowed with their second child and his namesake son, Joseph Riley, Jr., born in 1980.