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In Memorandum – April 14, 2011 - All My Children and One Life To Live
Flo DiBona
© April 14, 2012
A year ago today the world changed for millions. It wasn’t an explosion or a natural disaster that occurred, it was the announcement heard around the soap opera world. On April 14, 2011, Disney/ABC made the announcement that they were cancelling iconic, decades-running All My Children and One Life To Live.
What ensued has been a long, difficult journey for so many. Soapers banned together in ragtag social media groups and they began to fight back. They held national rallies, they demonstrated at the Disney/ABC annual Upfront event, they wrote letters, faxed, emailed, called, and left voicemails. They posted, commented, wrote blogs, and generally made a whole lot of noise about the cancellations. On Jul 7, 2011, the announcement was made that the shows were going to be licensed and produced for Internet viewing, the shows were saved. Soapers had reined victorious!
In the meantime, All My Children wrapped up production and aired their last show on Sep 23, 2011. Then, in November, Soapers found out what they had suspected for months, the shows were not being saved, they were even further in limbo than they had been in previously. On January 13, 2012, One Life To Live aired its last episode.
April 14th was the catalyst for millions of soap opera fans to join together for a common cause. The fans of both shows joined together initially to try to save the shows. They were almost immediately joined by As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and Another World fans in an effort to save what is left of the soap opera genre. Fans of still-airing General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful began recognizing that their shows could be next on the chopping block. Today, all of those fans are banning together in a common cause to save the soap opera genre. They want the genre and their shows to live on.
Now, a year after the shot heard around the soap world, Soapers find themselves fighting as hard as ever. Meanwhile, the remaining soap operas are further compromised. Rumors and speculation abound about the rights to the two shows canceled last April. All My Children and One Life to Live remain in limbo (Soapers like to think of it more as a hiatus) due to the production company, Prospect Park, and their inability to perform as promised. Soapers have seen small victories and large defeats but they remain standing. Ex-Disney/ABC Daytime President Brian Frons and replacement show, The Revolution cannot say the same. There is no doubt Soapers are going to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to ensure the genre is safe from further decimation. They will also continue to fight until past shows find a way back to their audience who is out there waiting for them with consumer dollars to spend on those who support them.
Author’s Note: To join the community of Soapers working to save the soap opera genre, visit http://www.savethesoapgenre.com to find information, tools, tasks, discussions, and soap fans who share a common passion.
© April 14, 2012
A year ago today the world changed for millions. It wasn’t an explosion or a natural disaster that occurred, it was the announcement heard around the soap opera world. On April 14, 2011, Disney/ABC made the announcement that they were cancelling iconic, decades-running All My Children and One Life To Live.
What ensued has been a long, difficult journey for so many. Soapers banned together in ragtag social media groups and they began to fight back. They held national rallies, they demonstrated at the Disney/ABC annual Upfront event, they wrote letters, faxed, emailed, called, and left voicemails. They posted, commented, wrote blogs, and generally made a whole lot of noise about the cancellations. On Jul 7, 2011, the announcement was made that the shows were going to be licensed and produced for Internet viewing, the shows were saved. Soapers had reined victorious!
In the meantime, All My Children wrapped up production and aired their last show on Sep 23, 2011. Then, in November, Soapers found out what they had suspected for months, the shows were not being saved, they were even further in limbo than they had been in previously. On January 13, 2012, One Life To Live aired its last episode.
April 14th was the catalyst for millions of soap opera fans to join together for a common cause. The fans of both shows joined together initially to try to save the shows. They were almost immediately joined by As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and Another World fans in an effort to save what is left of the soap opera genre. Fans of still-airing General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful began recognizing that their shows could be next on the chopping block. Today, all of those fans are banning together in a common cause to save the soap opera genre. They want the genre and their shows to live on.
Now, a year after the shot heard around the soap world, Soapers find themselves fighting as hard as ever. Meanwhile, the remaining soap operas are further compromised. Rumors and speculation abound about the rights to the two shows canceled last April. All My Children and One Life to Live remain in limbo (Soapers like to think of it more as a hiatus) due to the production company, Prospect Park, and their inability to perform as promised. Soapers have seen small victories and large defeats but they remain standing. Ex-Disney/ABC Daytime President Brian Frons and replacement show, The Revolution cannot say the same. There is no doubt Soapers are going to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to ensure the genre is safe from further decimation. They will also continue to fight until past shows find a way back to their audience who is out there waiting for them with consumer dollars to spend on those who support them.
Author’s Note: To join the community of Soapers working to save the soap opera genre, visit http://www.savethesoapgenre.com to find information, tools, tasks, discussions, and soap fans who share a common passion.
- TAGS:
- amc,
- disney,
- tv,
- oltl,
- entertainment,
- soap_opera,
- one_life_to_live,
- gh,
- all_my_children,
- abc
- GROUPS:
- Entertainment,
- HLNtv
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