In a
ironic twist of fate soap operas, those daytime dramas that had been popular
since the 1950s but more recently brought to near extinction, are coming back
from the dead. And like a classic soap opera plot twist, they are coming back
with a new look.
Two daytime favorites "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" , both cancelled by ABC in late 2011 and early 2012, will be coming back in daily, 30-minute increments. They are scheduled to air this spring , and will be available on a computer or streaming device.
Prospect Park is licensing and marketing the series' as anchor programs for The OnLine Network (TOLN). The new episodes will also be shown online through Hulu, and on devices such as Roku or iPad through iTunes or a subscription to Hulu Plus.
When cancellations were initially announced the plan was that the shows would move to the Internet. Both ended with cliffhangers, which were to be played out online.
But by the time "One Life to Live" broadcast its last episode, Prospect Park's finances had fallen through, leaving generations of loyal fans devastated. It's bad enough to lose your favorite show, but no soap fan likes to be left without closure, wondering who-done-it.
Diehard fans could only speculate who got shot in the final scene of "All My Children", and if anyone would discover that Victor Lord Jr. was alive on "One Life to Live".
Time slots of the cancelled shows paved the way for a new brand of daytime programming centered around healthy lifestyles, like "The Chew". This trend has shifted the network's attention away from daytime dramas.
The January 2012 finale of "One Life to Live" marked the end of an era. It left ABC, CBS, and NBC, all of which used to feature several hour-long blocks of daytime drama, each with just one hour.
Several characters from "One Life to Live" were able to move to ABC's lone surviving soap, "General Hospital". With the news of Prospect Park finally materializing, the fate of those characters is up in the air since Prospect Park owns the rights to the characters.
Both shows are planning to bring back many former cast, but also bring in new faces. According to Prospect Park the idea is to "blend updated themes and fresh faces with the fan-favorite Emmy-winning actors and writers who made these series must-watch viewing for legions of loyal fans".
Although, this move is exciting to fans, one can only wonder how well this idea will be received by the eldest of soap fans, a generation that may not have access to or enjoy watching online webisodes. Will the revival of these classic shows really appeal to a new generation? Will these webisodes really save our soaps? As long as the story continues, this fan can only hope the idea catches on.
"General Hospital", one of the last network soaps, is doing its part in reinforcing that the genre still has a place in daytime network television. The series is celebrating its 50th anniversary in April, and has been bringing back many beloved characters from the past, including several characters though to be deceased.
Obviously anyone who has ever said you can't come back had never watched a soap, where anything or anyone can make a comeback.
Two daytime favorites "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" , both cancelled by ABC in late 2011 and early 2012, will be coming back in daily, 30-minute increments. They are scheduled to air this spring , and will be available on a computer or streaming device.
Prospect Park is licensing and marketing the series' as anchor programs for The OnLine Network (TOLN). The new episodes will also be shown online through Hulu, and on devices such as Roku or iPad through iTunes or a subscription to Hulu Plus.
When cancellations were initially announced the plan was that the shows would move to the Internet. Both ended with cliffhangers, which were to be played out online.
But by the time "One Life to Live" broadcast its last episode, Prospect Park's finances had fallen through, leaving generations of loyal fans devastated. It's bad enough to lose your favorite show, but no soap fan likes to be left without closure, wondering who-done-it.
Diehard fans could only speculate who got shot in the final scene of "All My Children", and if anyone would discover that Victor Lord Jr. was alive on "One Life to Live".
Time slots of the cancelled shows paved the way for a new brand of daytime programming centered around healthy lifestyles, like "The Chew". This trend has shifted the network's attention away from daytime dramas.
The January 2012 finale of "One Life to Live" marked the end of an era. It left ABC, CBS, and NBC, all of which used to feature several hour-long blocks of daytime drama, each with just one hour.
Several characters from "One Life to Live" were able to move to ABC's lone surviving soap, "General Hospital". With the news of Prospect Park finally materializing, the fate of those characters is up in the air since Prospect Park owns the rights to the characters.
Both shows are planning to bring back many former cast, but also bring in new faces. According to Prospect Park the idea is to "blend updated themes and fresh faces with the fan-favorite Emmy-winning actors and writers who made these series must-watch viewing for legions of loyal fans".
Although, this move is exciting to fans, one can only wonder how well this idea will be received by the eldest of soap fans, a generation that may not have access to or enjoy watching online webisodes. Will the revival of these classic shows really appeal to a new generation? Will these webisodes really save our soaps? As long as the story continues, this fan can only hope the idea catches on.
"General Hospital", one of the last network soaps, is doing its part in reinforcing that the genre still has a place in daytime network television. The series is celebrating its 50th anniversary in April, and has been bringing back many beloved characters from the past, including several characters though to be deceased.
Obviously anyone who has ever said you can't come back had never watched a soap, where anything or anyone can make a comeback.
Story by Melissa Jilk
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