Slowly but surely, soap operas have been dying off, and for those of us who grew up with them streaming into our mother’s and/or grandmother’s living rooms when we were children, this has made us kinda sad. Heck, I was quite hooked on “Young and the Restless” back when I was in college, to the point that I actually scheduled classes around it. But that’s neither here nor there, I suppose.
So like most things that are dying, the soap opera industry, if you will, is trying desperately to cling to life, and the last gasp move to try to save them appears to be moving all of the shows to the Internet.
Reports the New York Post:
Disney’s ABC has sold the online rights to the (“All My Children” and “One Life to Live”), which are scheduled to go off the air in September, as part of a deal with TV, film and music company Prospect Park, The Post has learned.
Sources said the daily dramas will pick up where they left off on a new, as-yet-unnamed, TV-focused online network once the soaps finish their four-decade run on ABC.
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Prospect Park is said to be finalizing its current round of funding for its Hulu-style venture in the next month to 45 days. Other unnamed financial backers are involved. The financial terms couldn’t be learned.
The soaps are expected to be the first of a number of brand-name TV shows to eventually land at the site.
This is good news for James Franco, who apparently likes to do stints on soaps from time to time, and the old people who love the shows. However, the last time I checked, the grandparent demographic wasn’t one that watches a lot of streaming video online. Perhaps putting “the stories” on the web will change that? James Franco appears to be intrigued by that question…