Rumors have been circulating for weeks that ABC was considering shaking up their daytime schedule by possibly cancelling one of their soap operas. All My Children, the lowest-rated soap on the network, appeared to be the most obvious target but many involved with the series claimed that the series was safe.
ABC shocked longtime soap opera fans today by cancelling both All My Children and One Life to Live. This move will leave General Hospital, the eldest of the three, as the only remaining soap opera on ABC.
All My Children began in January of 1970 as a half-hour serial and became an hour-long daily in 1977. Created by the legendary Agnes Nixon, All My Children was taped in New York until 2009 when it moved to Los Angeles. Many, including show veteran Susan Lucci, associated with the soap had to decide if it was worthwhile to uproot their lives and move west. There have been more than 10,600 episodes produced so far and now All My Children is set to say farewell in September.
One Life to Live debuted on ABC in July of 1968. It began as a half-hour show, moved to 45 minute episodes in 1976, and then hour installments in 1978. Also created by Nixon, One Life to Live continues to be produced in New York. There have been more than 11,000 episodes of the venerable program and will go off the air in January 2012.
ABC insists that both programs will wrap up their storylines in a manner that will respect their legacies.
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In a statement, Brian Frons, President of Daytime for Disney ABC/Television Group, said, “All My Children and One Life to Live are iconic pieces of television that have made an indelible mark on our culture’s history. Each of the shows has touched millions and millions of viewers and informed the social consciousness. It has been a privilege to work with the extraordinary teams who brought the residents of Pine Valley and Llanview to life each day, and we thank the cast, crew, producers and most especially the fans for their commitment to the shows through their history.”
He also noted, “More than 40 years ago, Agnes Nixon created both the worlds of All My Children and One Life to Live, worlds that the rest of us have been privileged to live in… Her shows led the way forward, breaking a lot of rules along the way to defy expectations about what soaps can do and the issues they can cover. I am honored to have worked with her.”
The beloved soap operas will be replaced by cheaper lifestyle programs. The Chew will focus on the world of food and The Revolution is a show that will revolve around health and lifestyle transformations. General Hospital, which has been on the air since 1963, will continue as the last remaining soap opera on ABC.
What do you think? Will you be sad to see these soap operas go? How long have you been watching? Which will you miss most?
Image courtesy ABC.
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46 Comments on "All My Children, One Life to Live: ABC Cancels Long-running Soap Operas"
[…] It turns out that All My Children and One Life to Live are staying cancelled. […]
I’d say we will miss all of them and want them back ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll be leaving with One life to live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a shame!
Just what we need . Another cooking show.
Good luck with that ABC, you are going to need it.
I will miss both All My Children and One Life to Live. I have watched both shows since they began. I am getting very upset with ABC, They cancelled these shows as well as Brothers and Sisters, last season the forgotten, October Road, Women Murder Club , Men in Trees. Just to name a few. I still can’t believe they are cancelling all the good shows. I don’t like reality tv guess I will be watching more DVD’s
I can’t believe that they are taking off All My Children and One Life To Live, after all these years. I’m so sad, I don’t know what I’m going to do without those soaps, I have recorded them everyday of my adult life. Who wants to see more food and health shows, it’s bad enought we have to watch the reality shows replacing everything. Do something please. Oprah help us.
Fight for your entertainment!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/savesoap/petition.html
[…] Sorry soap fans, there’s no help coming from Oprah Winfrey. The daytime host and mogul has announced that she and her cable channel aren’t going to be able to save All My Children and One Life to Live from being cancelled. […]
i have watched these soaps since Erica was a teenager. They have been ground-beasking shows, with their topics of gays, teenage pregnancies, sexual abuse and many more. These shows are bright, mature and fun to watch. ABC has already lost me in primetime. Now they will lose me in daytime.
This is one of the most insane ideas that any network has ever come up with., I will not be taping or watching what ever they replace these sopa operas with. It’s not like we don’t have thousands of other cable stations that has the same irrelevant shows like The Chew or what ever. Soaps have become a part of our lives and now the ABC network will become just like the other stations ,just something to chanel surf right by as irrelevant and not worth stoping to check out.
You have lost my wife as a viewer of the CBS network; so that means you have lost me. Both our late Mothers were fans of “All My Children” and “One Life To Live” since their beginning. We watch them also and enjoy them both. CBS if you are going to do anything cancel the person or persons who made these decisions. You have lost us as viewers of your network. A network who, if you cancel these shows, doesn’t care about it’s viewers.
I am very disappointed that they are cancelling the show. I have been watching this show for a very long time. This show gives people a break from there own hectic lives. We don’t need another stupid talk show, cooking show or health show. We want our soaps. Leave them on please.
All my children deserves to stay .it,s been running fare to long .