This is potentially very bad news for soap fans feeling especially thankful this Thanksgiving that canceled ABC series One Life To Live and All My Children may continue online.

That now may not be happening.

It was considered a bold and risky move when Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz’s Prospect Park in July made a licensing deal with ABC to keep OLTL and AMC alive with online distribution. The transfer from broadcast TV to the Web proved far more difficult than anyone anticipated, as evidenced by PP’s recent decision to put AMC‘s move to the web on indefinite hold.

http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/OneLifeToLive_20110707183022.jpg
http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/AllMyChildren_20110707182924.jpg

http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/on-the-brink-prospect-park-may-be-forced-to-pull-the-plug-on-oltl-amc/

http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/its-official-one-life-to-live-and-all-my-children-wont-continue-online/

I knew right from the start that the proposal to put the shows online would not work. I'm not a viewer of either soap, but I feel really bad for its fans (not to mention the people on both sides of the camera who are now on the unemployment line). They've been kicked in the gut twice - first by ABC and now by Prospect Park. Boo hiss...:mad:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/23/why-all-my-children-and-one-life-to-live-are-dead.html

One source faults the guilds and unions representing the actors, producers, writers and other employees that would've joined The Online Network. But the guilds and unions say don't blame us (http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/wgaw-aftra-react-to-amc-oltl-not-moving-online-dont-blame-us/).

I've been following OLTL until its last show. I want to see how it will end.

I think that Prospect Park had the best intentions, but they should have had everything ironed out before they went ahead and made it public, because now loyal soap fans have been disappointed twice.


1. You can't expect to move these two shows to a web-based medium and be cost effective with a broadcast serial.

2. You need a studio, and from what I understand both shows still officially had no studio yet.

3. No writers had signed on to "AMC".

4. There seemed to be a lack of faith in how this was going to work even from the actors. They were reluctant to sign any contracts because they were weary about this new online plan when they had "real TV" looking for them.

5. There was a lot of bad press since these online plans were announced. Almost every week it was "The Soap's are On!" to "The Soap's are Off!".

6. They didn't strike that TV Cable deal to air the online shows on a tv network.

It's too bad they couldn't make this work and it is a disservice to the fans. One of my very good friends said that she hated the way they ended AMC, even though she doesn't watch it. She's an OLTL fan and that's how we met; on an OLTL board. I haven't watched OLTL in years but I'm going to watch the last episode, just to see how it ends.

I think that Prospect Park had the best intentions, but they should have had everything ironed out before they went ahead and made it public, because now loyal soap fans have been disappointed twice.


1. You can't expect to move these two shows to a web-based medium and be cost effective with a broadcast serial.

2. You need a studio, and from what I understand both shows still officially had no studio yet.

3. No writers had signed on to "AMC".

4. There seemed to be a lack of faith in how this was going to work even from the actors. They were reluctant to sign any contracts because they were weary about this new online plan when they had "real TV" looking for them.

5. There was a lot of bad press since these online plans were announced. Almost every week it was "The Soap's are On!" to "The Soap's are Off!".

6. They didn't strike that TV Cable deal to air the online shows on a tv network.

You make some really good points. I knew from the word "go" that this wouldn't work.

I think that Prospect Park had the best intentions, but they should have had everything ironed out before they went ahead and made it public, because now loyal soap fans have been disappointed twice.


1. You can't expect to move these two shows to a web-based medium and be cost effective with a broadcast serial.

2. You need a studio, and from what I understand both shows still officially had no studio yet.

3. No writers had signed on to "AMC".

4. There seemed to be a lack of faith in how this was going to work even from the actors. They were reluctant to sign any contracts because they were weary about this new online plan when they had "real TV" looking for them.

5. There was a lot of bad press since these online plans were announced. Almost every week it was "The Soap's are On!" to "The Soap's are Off!".

6. They didn't strike that TV Cable deal to air the online shows on a tv network.

JamesG, thanks for clearing that up. I was kind of confused as to why Prospect Park scrapped both soaps but thanks to you I understand it now. Its a shame especially with the holidays all these people losing there jobs. Where are they going to get that income? Its not like the soap industry is on fire right now.

Yeah, it's not only the actors who are officially out of work now. The hair, makeup, costuming, sound, engineering and music people, the set designers/builders, camera operators, etc. - are on the unemployment line, too. It makes the news that the shows are cancelled that much sadder because the announcement came the day before Thanksgiving and because the economy in general has yet to improve. :(

On a lighter note, I found this picture and loved it. I think this thread will be an appropriate place to place it. :cool: :D

I will miss having OLTL. I would have liked to see it go on with new behind the scenes talent, I think someone really good could have restored the show to the good old days. I know they had signed Ron and Frank anyway but until then I had higher hopes.

Seeing this is like reading about a funeral:(

I don't understand, if they got rid of that ABC exec why couldn't they bring OLTL back?

I don't understand, if they got rid of that ABC exec why couldn't they bring OLTL back?



Its not just the exec, its the trend. The networks really dont care about the soaps anymore, and dont want to spend the money to pay the cast, writers, and everyone else. Talk shows are way cheaper to make. It all comes down to the almight dollar. To the networks, thats more important than their viewers.