One Life to Live head writer Ron Carlivati won't be unemployed when the ABC soap airs its final episode in January 2012. The Emmy-winning Carlivati has been hired as a writer for General Hospital.
ABC had probably wanted to keep Carlivati's new job under wraps, but the cat was let out of the bag when Robin Strasser (Dorian Lord) revealed the news on Twitter.
"JUST TOLD but NOT told it wuz SECRET: Ron CARLIVATI to GH as script writer," Strasser posted, adding speculation that Carlivati "hopes 2 b co-head writer" of the last standing ABC daytime drama.
Carlivati has since confirmed that Strasser's Twitter posts were accurate, and assured One Life to Live fans that he will not be exiting the show before its finale.
"I remain fully committed to Frank Valentini and OLTL as the show's head writer until the series concludes in January of 2012," Carlivati said in a statement. "It has been my distinct honor to write for Agnes Nixon's groundbreaking soap opera for the past fifteen years, and it will be with a heavy heart that I, along with my incredibly talented team, pen its finale. At that time, I am happy to announce that I will then be joining the writing team of GH, and am thrilled to be working once again with executive producer Jill [Farren] Phelps as well as new head writer Garin Wolf."
Phelps served as executive producer of One Life to Live from 1998 to 2001. During that time, Carlivati was an associate head writer for One Life to Live.
During Carlivati's tenure on the OLTL writing team, the show has received four Daytime Emmy nominations as Outstanding Writing Team. One Life to Live on that honor in 2008. He's also been nominated for four Writers Guild Awards.
