One Life to Live: DTR Karen on the witness stand

A classic episode of One Life to Live where Viki is on trial for murder and her buddy Karen Wolek takes the stand. Karen makes a shocking confession. Karen is played by two time emmy winner Judith Light. It's taken from the Daytime to Remember series that aired during the 90s after Loving was cancelled and before Port Charles hit the air. Reba McEntire hosts the special and highlights some of the classic moments over a two week period.

[@roycerowland6162]

Judith light was and is a legend, she was brilliant on one life to live. She earn those two Emmy's for her riveting portrayal of Karen.

[@pianoman551000]

I will never FORGET the courtroom scene!! Judith was the most superb actress in daytime television! Light's ability to create tears on cue was soooo damn amazing! No one came close to her artistry as an actress....until Meryl, of course, in Sophie's Choice!

[@rebeccaryan2391]

Watched it when it originally aired and again now. Best single scene I've ever seen! Brilliant!

[@NIKKISNOODLE]

It’s 2023. This is just as riveting now as it was in 1979.

[@hidoll22]

This is what got Judith Light on the map- it's great seeing all the old episodes again. I LOVE YOUTUDE

[@amandadanielle19]

Here because of Gary Janetti! 🤓

[@MatthewBevan1978]

Hahaha yup!

[@TIPTON340]

One of her performances on "One Life to Live" - "Karen Wolek on the Stand" - was so powerful and is remembered so vividly that, to this day, it is used as a model in acting classes throughout the nation. Additionally, it was recently honored as being one of TV Guide's "100 Most Memorable Moments on Television."

[@andresuston7692]

Thank u Wikipedia

[@mrsx7944]

THIS is the scene. Duh.

[@janiceharris5475]

I was in high school and home for whatever reason this day. One of the best scenes on daytime soaps.

[@AV1611-NY]

She won academy awards for it.

[@ryanbac8289]

Gary Janetti’s book brought me here. anyone else?

[@raphikindler7475]

Ryan Bac I was looking for this comment hahaha

[@emilyclaire84]

Yup! Reading it now 😆

[@annettemarino6239]

Yes!

[@shirleyaranha]

Yes!!!!

[@TheMrfrankclark]

This is an epic scene from a remarkable actress

[@christheone8773]

Oh how I remember this scene - this scene really skyrocketed Judith Light's career!! What a fantastic actress!!

[@bdinchi]

WOW, the 'hooker/housewife' storyline! I was in high school, and this aired during the summer of '79 during summer vacation and everybody was watching this storyline play out! Judith Light really took acting on soaps to the NEXT level...even some 40 years later, it's an UNFORGETABLE performance!

[@triciajohansen3027]

I was 4 years old when this was on and I cried when Karen broke down on the stand. My mother had to explain and comfort me while this was on television. Judith knocked this performance out of the ballpark!!!!!!

[@janiceharris5475]

I was in high school and remember this scene like it was yesterday. Iconic!!!😢

[@bee45rpm]

I would watch the entire series from beginning to end if I had the chance!

[@AV1611-NY]

I saw them on eBay

[@taralouise2194]

Judith Light is great. But the prosecutor is also very good.

[@ml1954]

This was the episode that I first watched on OLTL. I loved it from that day until the last. My daughter was born the next year 1979 and I was at home with her and watching it every day then. What fabulous memories

[@2Catangel]

This is just too cool being able to see this again!

[@ShutEmDownNow]

Viki's lawyer is Paul Martin, making a crossover appearance from "All My Children" (Paul Martin is Joe Martin's brother, and Tad Martin's adoptive uncle).

[@queen_of_domination]

I was a small child when she did this. I remember seeing it, but couldn’t understand what everything meant. I remembered the fact that everyone thought that this was powerful and big time. After seeing this as an adult, I understand why she was given Who’s the Boss. She’s talented.

[@slc2466]

Judith showing who's the boss.

[@pianoman551000]

I was in Hudson's dept. Store when this episode aired and was in the electronics dept. There must have been at least 50-60 shoppers gathered around the TV sets that were for sale. It was so quiet with all the shoppers, mostly women, taking in this scene. So memorable!! and what a superb performance by Judith Light!!

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

Judith Light...I knew her as Angela Bauer. I had this biggest childhood crush on her. Hell, I still have a crush on her now. Seeing her work through KZbin as Karen Wolek on OLTL...she's a master. Soap operas were really lucky to have legitimate actors back in the day.

[@MizVal]

I was at work in the lunchroom and we were all screaming when the truth came out

[@cale1699]

Wow 😮 this is incredible acting I Love seeing old classic clips

[@kimakotrotman6860]

Judith Light brought me here.

[@minnidrake8516]

This is one of the best acting performance ever

[@user-bn1wj5xf6j]

Gary Janetti is a gem.

[@bisnagaboy]

This was back in the day when daytime drama was good and not crap like it is today.

[@joshperrotta714]

I think Judith was credited in One Life to Live under her surname 'Judith Licht'. Anyway, I was working the second shift so during the day I watched some soaps. OLTL was one of them. (So was All My Children with Susan Lucci.) I watched the courtroom episode with Light and I was mesmerized. When her performance won an Emmy, I shouted "I saw that".

[@6510lallen]

I remember this episode like it was yesterday. I was only 19 years old. What a awesome performance

[@kevinharris3993]

This has to be the best tear jerk scene of all time in soap opera history

[@ellierfromthebronx4531]

Judith Light put on such a stellar performance! She proved herself to be a phenomenal actress.

[@fordad101024]

This is an unbearably wrenching scene, even if one hasn’t seen the whole episode or the back story. This is a remarkable performance by a remarkable artist. The actor portraying the prosecutor gives an excellent performance too, a merciless antagonist. It’s a compelling two-hander…a classic cat and mouse…Kudos to both actors!

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

Next to the Serena/Josie Faraday trial on “The Edge of Night” in April 1976, this is the most amazing courtroom storyline I ever seen on a soaps. I wasn’t even born when this aired but I love watching classic soaps over what is left in daytime.

[@stuartpierce121]

Love this! Thanks Jennifer 😁

[@jerseycityjoe]

Wonderful actress! NYC loves Judith and she is not 2nd or 3rd but number "ONE"

[@johnwhite5551]

Prosecutor Herb Callison is played by Anthony Call, who played Lt. Bailey in the StarTrek TOS episode: "THE CORBOMITE MANUEVER"!

[@MsTexas73]

Even moreso than Viki and Dorian, Karen Wolek and Carla Gray Hall were my favorites on OLTL

[@m.e.d.7997]

Never liked when they killed Meredith Lord Wolek off.

[@a.b.s_productions]

In my opinion the best courtroom scenes in 1979 was One Life To Live and Edge of Night. This storyline and on EON they had the Winter Austin Trial which had some similarities to this.

[@hidoll22]

This is what got Judith Light on the map

[@d1malcriao]

Isnt that Paul Martin? from All My Children?

[@DeepScreenAnalysis]

Yes, it's the same character, he was working this case in Llanview.

[@abe_froman8360]

These classic scenes put today's show to shame.

[@m.e.d.7997]

'Days' needs to just go away. Saw it while getting my car fixed. Just pathetic.

[@heartRN]

The end of an era....so sad

[@iReporteriReporting]

Fabulous scene. Loved Karen

[@natalieps2387]

This is considered the greatest moment on oltl and one of the greatest only to luke and Laura's wedding. I've been hearing about this scene since I started watching in 1989. I think the show changed a lot with all the buchanans . The show changed directions completely from a show about diversity and poorer characters to everyone was filthy rich. Anyway Karen's prostitution story while being married to an upstanding dr was pretty racy back then. Oltl was always the best show on abc it dealt with very fast foward issues and had the most diversity of any soap. Watching scenes from the 90s is so well acted directed written it doesnt seem soapy at all it seems like a tv show crossed with a movie or miniseries. It was the red headed step child of abc bc gh had international and national attention with luke & laura and amc was the first soap created by agnes Nixon and had the household name if susan lucci so luke a middle child oltl never got the praise it deserved and if any soap should have been left standing it should have been oltl. It was the best written had the best actors and had erika slezak one if the best actresses for any genre period. Her record as all time wins for best actress is well deserved and she could have won every year she was that great . Judith licht earned her 2 Emmy's and was so great . I believe she left to do who's the boss . I wonder I'd watchers back then liked the buchanans taking over in the 80s. ? I think by 89 it was all buchanan. That's why michael malone wanted to bring the show back to its roots with the lords and viki & Dorian's reignited fued he literally marginalized the buchs to almost nothing .

[@KendallHartz]

OMG!!! I knew I recgonized that woman!!! Judith Light is Claire Meade on Ugly Betty! WOW!

[@Dathan]

And a Broadway star.

[@mlchc9004]

Love Reba.

[@MsTexas73]

Yes you are right....I totally forgot about David Renaldi aka Roger from Guiding Light.

[@MsTexas73]

Yes she is!..Karen,Carla,Dorian and Nora...my all time FAVORITE characters on OLTL.

[@davonfryar-frazier435]

I hated Norah. But I love all the rest.

[@RockinDaBoombox]

Nora was beyond annoying. And don’t get me started on Luna. YUCK!! 🤢🤢🤢

[@jacktheman2895]

I liked Luna at first but after a while her Oh my goddess! act wore thin.

[@Jhud72]

Judith Light wore me OUT as “Karen” it’s 2023 and I still come back to watch this scene, they just don’t act & write like this anymore.

[@fossefan]

Herb adopted Cassie...her real dad's David Renaldi.

[@GenXorcist1976]

Reba was so cute hosting these little shows!

[@robinmiller3296]

I KNEW there was a reason I like Reba!

[@reelincoln7747]

Look, five years ago, a young and very talented person was asking me about using this scene as a inspiration for her acting career. I know that it had been complemented by many, and I watched it. Now not only was I astounded by the lace curtains in Llanvew's courtroom, but I was amazed at the overacting and Judith Light's unnecessary histrionics. Maybe times and acting tastes have changed, but this stands out to me as one of the most egregious instances of radical overacting that I have ever witnessed. Obviously OLTL is a soap and the plot is bound to be creaky (i.e., in such a small town, everyone would know of a housewife-sex worker at their one, single hotel), but Light pull out all of the crimes of Thespis. She lies, mumbles. blurts out "the truth," and screeches and cries hysterically at the Prosecution attorney without giving ANY insight as to WHY she carried on the way she did. It's a spastic attack at the air for no reason. Luckily, the person looked at it again as well, thought twice, and I quite successful today.

[@rachaljay3759]

Agree.

[@autk]

Pretty ironic that your opinion is an outlier...this performance has been and continues to be STUDIED by actors in theater at universities and Broadway preparatory classes literally nationwide, if you were to do a little research you'd find your opinion ridiculous to actual actors and factually erroneous.

[@mrsx7944]

​@@autkI don't believe that for one second lol

[@mrsx7944]

​@@autkwhy would they be studying soap operas??? Yeah uh huh 👌

[@billdor]

You cut then best part!

[@MsTexas73]

That's HErb Callison...Dorian's ex hubby...her daughter Cassie's dad. Karen was an AWESOME character..>Judith was AWESEOM in the role...I miss characters like Karen...and Carla and Ed Hall...OLTL and ABC sopas in general were GREAT back then.

[@zayrisfantauzzi8451]

Here because Gary Janetti ✌🏼😉

[@MsTexas73]

LOL...but I liked her hair...it was SO KAREN...and yes I remember this s/l was a BIG deal.

[@crisvanfan]

Marco wasn't dead. He turned up in port Charles

[@m.e.d.7997]

He is now.

[@marcelparker6755]

Marco was discovered to be alive long before he showes up to P.C. It was his twin who was killed by Talbot Huddleston.

[@willam779]

Here Because of Judith knight 🍾🌹

[@damianlatimer6472]

Light

[@sherylhairston1569]

Brilliant

[@Dathan]

One would think they could show these soaps in reruns somewhere late at night and it be feasible. Better than endless infomercials. Daytime TV sucks after losing most of the soaps. I can understand it is cheaper to have 4 or 5 cackling women on for an hour as opposed to all these actors, sets, etc. But...

[@christineadams1284]

Dathan I agree, they should run these soaps from the 70's & 80's on tv. I guarantee there would be an audience and I would even record them. Daytime tv used to be Great. 💞

[@damianlatimer6472]

@@christineadams1284 like USA did in 1989 with Search For Tomorrow and The Edge Of Night

[@Glamgiu]

Brian Kendall, was that Viki's nephew?

[@wendys120]

I really miss "Who's The Boss?"!!

[@marqusdaimen4624]

Soaps really do not have storylines to remember anymore. When's the last time you said," Did you see when.......?" in regards to soaps today?

[@irememberla6460]

Is it because nothing shocks us in society anymore?

[@tomservo56954]

@petercox9 Now I'm glad she found someone as decent as Tony Micelli...a man willing to put aside his own dream (the teaching position he got after earning a college degree) to remain with her.

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

@ 13 I got an education from watching this.

[@JaybayJay]

She kinda looks like Mira Sorvino from Mighty Aphrodite.

[@Sileeee56]

Me too...

[@britboyrugby]

Angela Bower would not approve.

[@Ridiculi]

This accent is just way over the top.

[@calalilygirl]

@Original007 Definitely not the most beautiful actress but attractive and good in that role. I liked her playing Karen.