IT'S OFFICIAL"ALL MY CHILDREN" AND "ONE LIFE TO LIVE" TO CONTINUE ONLINE

ABC PRESS RELEASE

BURBANK, CA – July 7, 2011 – ABC has licensed its iconic soaps, “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” to Prospect Park, it was announced today by Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney/ABC Television Group & Janice Marinelli, President, Disney/ABC Domestic Television and Rich Frank & Jeff Kwatinetz of Prospect Park.  The exclusive 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 23^rd and will air the final episode of “One Life to Live” in January, 2012.

The licensing agreement, brokered by Disney/ABC Domestic Television Group, enables Prospect Park to continue production of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” beyond their life on ABC. Prospect Park will produce and deliver the two long-running programs to consumers via online formats and additional emerging platforms including internet enabled television sets. 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.

“We are privileged to continue the legacy of two of the greatest programs to air on daytime television, and are committed to delivering the storylines, characters and quality that audiences have come to love for over 40 years. ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ are television icons, and we are looking forward to providing anytime, anywhere viewing to their loyal community of millions,” said Frank and Kwatinetz. “Technology changes the way the public can and will view television shows.  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.”

“’All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ are iconic pieces of television history that captivated millions of fans since their beginning over 40 years ago,” said Frons. “Each of the shows have made an indelible mark on our culture’s history and informed our consciousness in their own way.  We are so glad Prospect Park has assumed the mantel for these shows and that they will continue for the fans.”

Marinelli continued, “From the time the shift in the daytime strategy was announced, our hope was to find a new home for these treasured shows.   We are thrilled to license them to Prospect Park so the stories of life in Pine Valley and Llanview can continue to be told for the passionate and loyal fans that enjoy watching each day.”

“I’m just so happy that ABC found a home where the legacies of ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ can continue.  I’m excited for their future with Prospect Park,” added Agnes Nixon, creator of both “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.”  “It takes a lot of living to make a soap opera a serial, and the wonderful teams on both shows have done just that. Together, we are a big family that keeps going, and I’m looking forward to working alongside these wonderful people as we ensure that the shows will continue with all the love and excitement we’ve always had.  I also am so happy for our loyal fans, whom we love so much, and who have been so supportive over the last 40 plus years.”

Prospect Park is a media and production company founded in 2009 by entertainment industry veterans Jeffrey Kwatinetz and former Disney Studios head Rich Frank. Along with successful film and music divisions, the company’s television group has numerous shows in development and breakout network hits airing, including “Royal Pains” and “Wilfred.”

In April, ABC announced that it was expanding the focus of its daytime lineup to include more programming that is informative and authentic and centers on transformation, food and lifestyle.  “The Chew,” an innovative and groundbreaking daily talk show that celebrates and explores life through food, will premiere on September 26^th.  “The Revolution,” a daily show about health and

ABC CANCELS DAYTIME SOAPS "ALL MY CHILDREN" AND "ONE LIFE TO LIVE"

 
 Released by Rich Juzwiak/TV Guide.com

The reports are true: ABC has canceled All My Children and One Life to Live. Children will be abandoned in September, while One Life will die in January 2012. Both soaps are being replaced by health-related talk shows.

Upon hearing the news, Emmy winner Susan Lucci, who has starred on All My Children for the past four decades, released the following statement, “It's been a fantastic journey. I’ve loved playing Erica Kane and working with Agnes Nixon and all the incredible people involved with All My Children. I’m looking forward to all kinds of new and exciting opportunities.”


 In Children's place, ABC will slot The Chew, a one-hour live show centered on food and hosted by restaurateurs Mario Batali and Michael Symon, Top Chef's Carla Hall , What Not to Wear's Clinton Kelly and nutrition expert Daphne Oz. ABC says the Gordon Elliot (Paula's Home Cooking, Down Home with the Neelys) production will "focus on food from every angle — as a source of joy, health, family ritual, friendship, breaking news, dating, fitness, weight loss, travel adventures and life's moments." Sounds yummy, but is it as yummy as Children?


Meanwhile, come January, The Revolution will take up the space left by One Life. That show will feature Project Runway's Tim Gunn, trainer Harley Pasternak and Kimberly Locke, who completed in the second season of American Idol. These hosts and a revolving pool of contributors will "help viewers transform all areas of their lives, from relationships to family, food, style, home design, finance and more," according to ABC's announcement. The Revolution will also include a different woman's five-month weight-loss story rolled out over the course of each week's new shows.

General Hospital now stands as the last remaining daytime drama on ABC. The cancellation of these soaps follows the axing of CBS' Guiding Light and As the World Turns in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

ABC FIRES "ALL MY CHILDREN" HEAD WRITER

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Within a few weeks, All My Children will be turning over a new leaf, officially making the move west to new studios in Los Angeles. Most actors are making the move. Some are not. And today ABC informed the head writer, Charles Pratt Jr., that he's been let go. If he had his suitcases packed, well, sorry about that.

Chuck Pratt was hired with some fanfare in June 2008. He was a big hire because his resume is filled with flashy successes, including Desperate Housewives, Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, Ugly Betty, Santa Barbara and General Hospital, among others. Pratt was supposed to revive All My Children to its former luster, but -- alas -- it hasn't happened.

It's hard to say exactly what went wrong, but some of Pratt's seminal changes in the show have not been greeted with fan support. It was Pratt's decision to kill off Adam's sweet twin brother Stuart, a character that defined the word beloved when you're talking about Pine Valley characters. The reveal took months to unfold and it's been pretty torturous.

Fans on the message boards are thrilled with the news of Pratt's exit. They've been ticked off with his storylines and, apparently, the idea of a new writer guiding the new West Coast AMC is a popular one. Who that new head writer is, however, has

SUSAN LUCCI WILLMAKE THE MOVE TO LA FOR "ALL MY CHILDREN"

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Come Friday, Dec. 11 the ABC soap opera "All My Children" will be closing up shop in New York City after 39 years and moving production to Los Angeles.


This means the large cast has to pick up and move across the country as well. Among the contract players who will: Brittany Allen, David Canary, Bobbie Eakes, Melissa Claire Egan, Stephanie Gatschet, Ricky Paull Goldin, Vincent Irizarry, Michael E. Knight, Susan Lucci, Jamie Luner, Adam Mayfield, JR Martinez, Cameron Mathison, Debbi Morgan, Cornelius Smith, Jr., Denise Vasi, Darnell Williams and Jacob Young.

Thorsten Kaye, who has played Zach Slater since 2004, has announced that he will not be relocating and Ray MacDonnell is taking the opportunity to retire from the role of Joe Martin that he's had since 1970.

Alicia Minshew, who's played Kendall Hart since 2002, will be going on maternity leave beginning in November although she will still appear on the show throughout December.

ABC says that "recurring" actors participation will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on what the storylines dictate and their availability.

Production will resume after the holiday hiatus on Monday, Jan. 4.

SUSAN LUCCI MAY NOT MAKE THE MOVE TO LA WITH "ALL MY CHILDREN"

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It is starting to look like Susan Lucci may not make the move to Los Angeles when "All My Children" relocates.

"We just found out a day and a half ago, and we've been dancing a marathon at All My Children ever since"So, we're all walking around in shock." "I don't know ... I love the show and I love playing Erica [Kane]," says the Scarsdale native who even went to college in New York. "But I'm just now going to have a couple of days off. It's a lot to think about." the actress, 62, told PEOPLE at Thursday's New York City Feed the Children's Daytime Gives Back event.

Now I have never watched"All My Children", but I am very aware of the very popular character Erica Kane, that Ms. Lucci has played for more than 39 years. Who could also ever forget when she finally won the Daytime Emmy award after 18 nominations in 1999.

If this is a negotiation ploy, well I guess we will just have to wait and see how this plays out. Considering what has been going on lately with the downsizing of production cost cancellations and the brutal contract negotiations, which have left some of soap opera's favorite divas without a job(Diedra Hall ), or huge pay cuts(Melody Thomas Scott Jess Walton, and Robin Strasser) within this last year.

ALL MY CHILDREN AND ONE LIFE TO LIVE ON THE MOVE

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For nearly a week, ABC denied that there was any truth to the rumor that All My Children was moving to the West Coast. Then yesterday the network just announced the cross-country relocation. ABC Daytime released a statement explaining that this December, All My Children -- which has been produced in New York City for 39 years -- is going to Los Angeles. And One Life to Live, also a New York soap, is getting All My Children's studio. Yes, a hand-me down facility, but just don't think of it that way.

While the move for AMC and OLTL will mean better facilities and more space, what about the casts and crews? Will all the actors on AMC make the move west -- or is this a way to cost cut and drop a few players along the way? Susan Lucci is a given; she'll go west.

But what about an actor like James Mitchell who turned 89 last February? Granted, he's only a recurring player now, but still, Palmer Cortlandt is a fixture in Pine Valley. He's integral. But has anyone worried about the actors?

The network didn't address those issues. It would seem a given that a lot of jobs in the crew and staff will be lost because OLTL won't need them since they have their own crew and staff. However, if you ask me, One Life will follow AMC west within the year. Ultimately, ABC Daytime will want all its soap production in the same place.

On the plus side, AMC will be upgraded to HD. The new HD AMC will begin broadcasting in February 2010.