As if soap fans haven't had enough heartbreak already, it now seems that contract negotiations will delay All My Children's move to the web by a few months, New York Times reports.

AMC is set to air its last episode on ABC on Sept. 23 and was expected to hit the web just a few days later. But the formation of new budgets and negotiations with production unions and guilds may postpone the return to Pine Valley until early 2012. (One Life to Live, which isn't scheduled to go dark until January 2012, will likely move to the web uninterrupted.)

Earlier this month, ABC sold the online rights to both shows in a multi-year deal to Prospect Park, a company led by Royal Pains executive producers Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz.

"We are in the process of working out the essential terms of our proposed collective bargaining agreements with the appropriate guilds and unions, which we must do prior to firming up deals with above- and below-the-line talent," Prospect Park said in a statement Monday.

Both All My Children and One Life to Live will continue story lines uninterrupted on the new network. The shows' crews and actors are expected to remain in place.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/All-My-Children-Online-Delay-1035694.aspx?rss=breakingnews&partnerid=popeater&profileid=breaking

Why aren't I surprised? I'm sure the same thing will happen with OLTL when its ABC run ends.

This whole online thing was doomed from the start.

I really would like to see the online soap format work, as it might be the only salvation the genre has. I keep hoping for the best...

This entire thing is a massive accident waiting to happen. You'll notice reports are now saying AMC has been delayed for an online debut until January, when then AMC and OLTL will both start at the same time. Clearly this is because since they want soap fans off their backs, they can't have AMC's online run start and then bomb-they'll get a bad rep again just as OLTL is going off, because everyone would know it was headed for the same fate. This way they can stop the boycotts and the bad press till they are both gone, then when they fail they will just pass the buck to Prospect Park in terms of blame. Then, when they end GH next fall, they can just end it on TV with a big grand finale and be done with it.

I'd rather see these soaps leave permanently if another TV NETWORK will not pick them up. All these former cast members coming back and storylines coming into play to wrap things up on the show? If the internet picks it up and lacks viewership and is canceled, then I fear there will be a messy ending and the old characters won't be back to wrap up things on the internet version and the storylines will lack the quality. I say let it end with a bang on ABC and keep our memories.

Agreed. Heck, even when soaps HAVE changed networks, it hasn't worked in the long run. The best case scenario was when The Edge of Night moved from CBS to ABC in 1975 and it lasted 9 more years. Search For Tomorrow switched from CBS to NBC in 1982 and lasted 4 1/2 more years. Passions was cancelled by NBC in 2007 and moved to DirecTV, where it limped along for only one more year.

So with that track record, I just don't see any hope for the soap genre as we know it to last online. Call me a pessimist, but I just don't think it will work. Of course, only time will tell...

This is true, Monika. I'm just not feeling this. I talked to some of the actors from One Life to Live a week and a half ago. They really didn't have any answers for their statuses with the show. It was at a block party in front of ABC studios and some cast member hung out and signed autographs. It was entitled "Love in the the afternoon block party" to celebrate the 43 birthday of the show.

It sounds like an interesting gathering - celebrating a 43rd anniversary yet knowing that even being moved to the web the show's future is still up in the air. Which of the show's stars did you meet? Did they sign any autographs for you? Which one was the friendliest?

Well the party was to celebrate the debut of the show back in 1968 on July 15th. Kassie De Paiva (Blair) rallied everybody and sang the theme song to the show. There is a video on youtube. I was late but took pics with whoever came out of the studio. Every one was nice. The person that really was great was Ilene Kristen (Roxy Balsom). I put my aunt on the telephone and let Ilene talk to her. Ilene found out that I work in TV production and put me in contact with one of her people that just happened to be there. She grabbed my arm and to me over to him and introduced us. I have some possible freelance work coming out of it thanks to her. LOL. Almost all of them signed autographs and took pics. I didn't have them sign anything though. Just pics. I made an album on facebook.

The stars that showed up:
Ilene Kristen (Roxy Balsom)
Frankie Faison (Richard Evans)
Tonye Patano (Phylicia Evans)
Shenelle Edmonds (Destiny Evans)
Sean Reggold (Sean Evans)
Kassie DePaiva (Blair Cramer)
Gina Tognoni (Kelly Cramer)
Hillary B. Smith (Nora Buchannan)
Andrew Trischitta (Jack Manning)
Kirsten Alderson (Star Manning)
Melissa Archer (Natalie Buchannan-Banks)
David A. Gregory (Robert Ford)
Robert Woods (Bo Buchannan)
Kelly Missal (Danielle Rayburn)
Patricia Elliot (Renee Buchannan)
Austin Peck (Rick Powers)
The kid who plays "Sebastian aka Baz" Forgot his name.
Roger Howarth (Todd Manning #1)

This is it. I took pics with all except a few.

That's awesome. I love Ilene Kristen, though more for her run as RH's crazy Delia. I'd love to see those pics. :D

I'm glad you got a chance to check em' out Monika. It was a nice gathering. I enjoyed myself. They were all sweethearts.

It looks like a lot of fun was had by all!! :cool:

Well, it was a postive environment. The fans were happy about the soaps being saved. Personally, I'm content if the shows leave the airwaves. The stories have been told.

Did you actually tell any of the actors this?

I'd rather see these soaps leave permanently if another TV NETWORK will not pick them up. All these former cast members coming back and storylines coming into play to wrap things up on the show? If the internet picks it up and lacks viewership and is canceled, then I fear there will be a messy ending and the old characters won't be back to wrap up things on the internet version and the storylines will lack the quality. I say let it end with a bang on ABC and keep our memories.




I gotta go along with this one.