HitFix

‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ get a miraculous last minute save

by: Uproxx authors

 

In a twist worthy of, well, a soap opera, the recently cancelled soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” have been saved from almost certain extinction in a deal announced today. ABC has licensed the iconic soaps to Prospect Park, which will continue to produce new shows for distribution online and through “emerging platforms” such as Internet-enabled TV sets.
 
Fans with Internet connections will undoubtedly be thrilled to know that the multi-year, multi-platform deal enables the soaps’ stories to continue beyond their finale dates on ABC.  ABC will broadcast its final episode of “All My Children” on Friday, September 23rd and will air the final episode of “One Life to Live” in January 2012.
 
For anyone worried that the shows will become five minute webisodes shot with Flip cameras, it should be noted that under the terms of the arrangement, the programs will continue to be delivered with the same quality and in the same format and length.  Additional details of the new productions and tune-in will be forthcoming from Prospect Park.
 
The soaps seem like an unusual addition to the Prospect Park television roster, which includes “Royal Pains” and the new guy-playing-a-dog Elijah Wood series “Wilfred.” But their new home will be undoubtedly be a more comfortable fit than ABC, which has changed the focus of its daytime line-up to programming that “centers on transformation, food and lifestyle.”
 
 “Technology changes the way the public can and will view television shows,” said Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz of Prospect Park.  “Now that there are so many devices available in addition to television sets, viewers are taking advantage of watching shows wherever they are and on any number of devices.  The driving force in making the switch and attracting new audiences is to have outstanding programs that people want to watch. We believe that by continuing to produce the shows in their current hour format and with the same quality, viewers will follow the show to our new, online network.”
 
While soap fans are surely relieved to know their shows will live on, what this means for the explosive (and final) finales both shows surely had in the works is unclear, as a phone call to ABC had yet to be returned at press time. But we’re putting our money on two really good cliffhangers.
 
 

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