Thursday, April 14, 2011

ABC: ONE LIFE TO LIVE & ALL MY CHILDREN Canceled

ABC Press Release:

Guided by extensive research into what today's daytime viewers want and the changing viewing patterns of the audience, ABC is evolving the face of daytime television with the launch of two new shows, THE CHEW, which will premiere in September 2011, and THE REVOLUTION (working title), which will premiere in January 2012. These new shows expand ABC Daytime's focus to include more programming that is informative and authentic and centers on transformation, food and lifestyle -- cornerstones of programming that resonates with daytime viewers as evidenced by the success of THE VIEW.

As food has become the center of everyone's life, THE CHEW, 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. Produced by Gordon Elliot, the Emmy Award-winning executive producer of PAULA DEEN'S HOME COOKING and DOWN HOME WITH THE NEELYS, this new one-hour series combines entertaining takeaway with memorable personalities to create a live show where viewers get the dish on anything and everything related to the world of food and beyond. Whether it's new trends like food trucks and urban gardens or how pesticides in our food may affect our health, we can't stop talking about it. The hosts who will guide the hour include Mario Batali (Restaurateur, Food Network's IRON CHEF AMERICA and author); entertaining expert Clinton Kelly (TLC's WHAT NOT TO WEAR); Carla Hall (Bravo's TOP CHEF); Michael Symon (Restaurateur and Food Network's IRON CHEF AMERICA), and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, who simplifies often confusing information about food.

From Executive Producer JD Roth and 3 Ball Productions, producers of THE BIGGEST LOSER, MASTERCHEF and ABC's upcoming EXTREME MAKEOVER: WEIGHT LOSS EDITION, comes THE REVOLUTION, a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations. The show is hosted by a team of experts and rotating guest contributors who help viewers transform all areas of their lives, from relationships to family, food, style, home design, finance and more. This dream team, led by fashion expert Tim Gunn, also includes celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and American Idol alum Kimberley Locke. The show features a unique concept: each week one woman's five-month weight loss journey will unfold in just five days, with daily results and a final transformational reveal on Friday. THE REVOLUTION is a one-stop shop for better living.

"While we are excited about our new shows and the shift in our business, I can't help but recognize how bittersweet the change is," said Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney ABC/Television Group. "We are taking this bold step to expand our business because viewers are looking for different types of programming these days. They are telling us there is room for informative, authentic and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on 'real life' takeaways. A perfect example of this is THE VIEW, and that factored into our decision. THE CHEW and THE REVOLUTION are in the same vein and will be great additions to the lineup, with THE VIEW serving as an ideal foundation from which to launch these programs. They will also provide enormous opportunity for the creation of ancillary businesses and growth."

GENERAL HOSPITAL, the second-most popular show in daytime, is not impacted by this announcement and will remain on the air.

To honor the core, passionate audience and their rich history with our soaps, ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE will conclude each series in a manner that respects their legacies and the longstanding hopes of many of their viewers.

"ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE are iconic pieces of television that have made an indelible mark on our culture's history," reflected Frons. "Each of the shows has touched millions and millions of viewers and informed the social consciousness. It has been a privilege to work with the extraordinary teams who brought the residents of Pine Valley and Llanview to life each day, and we thank the cast, crew, producers and most especially the fans for their commitment to the shows through their history."

None of this could have been possible without the extraordinary Agnes Nixon. "More than 40 years ago, Agnes Nixon created both the worlds of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE, worlds that the rest of us have been privileged to live in," said Frons. "Her shows led the way forward, breaking a lot of rules along the way to defy expectations about what soaps can do and the issues they can cover.
I am honored to have worked with her."

ALL MY CHILDREN has revolved around the lives of the residents of fictional Pine Valley, a town which closely resembles the Philadelphia Main Line. ALL MY CHILDREN took home the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, the third time the show received this top honor, having also garnered the award in 1994 and 1992. ALL MY CHILDREN has received more than 30 Emmy Awards and consistently distinguishes itself in the field of daytime drama. The show has historically been committed to and is often the first to tackle social issues, focusing on such topics as AIDS, abortion, cochlear implants, teenage alcoholism, racial bias, acquaintance rape, spousal abuse, homosexuality, Reyes syndrome, Vietnam MIAs, drug abuse, the risks of motherhood over 40, safe sex, pet therapy and organ donations, among others. The show made television history airing daytime television's first same-sex kiss between two lesbian characters, as well as daytime television's first same sex wedding between two women. It was the first to chronicle the coming-out story of a transgender woman and to cast a real life Iraq War veteran whose story reflected his real life experiences and injuries incurred in combat.

ALL MY CHILDREN premiered on the ABC Television Network on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. Julie Hanan Carruthers is executive producer.

Also created by Agnes Nixon, Emmy Award-winning ONE LIFE TO LIVE is set in the fictional town of Llanview, which is modeled on a Philadelphia suburb. ONE LIFE TO LIVE debuted on The ABC Television Network July 15, 1968 as a half-hour show. Ten years later, it grew to a full hour in 1978.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE has been lauded for its groundbreaking exploration of social issues, diverse canvas, award-winning performances and innovative storylines. Along with the history-making week of live shows in May 2002, ONE LIFE TO LIVE is responsible for many "firsts" in Daytime television, including stories of interracial romance, illiteracy, medical misdiagnosis, racial prejudice, gang violence and teen pregnancy. The show received mass critical acclaim for its 1992 homophobia storyline, which captured national headlines when it introduced the character of a gay teen (played by then unknown Ryan Phillippe) and culminated with the emotional display of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. ONE LIFE TO LIVE was honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) with the Outstanding Daytime Drama Award in 1993, and again in 2005 and 2010.

In 2002 the show won its first-ever Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and was nominated again in 2007 and 2008. Created by Agnes Nixon, ONE LIFE TO LIVE debuted on July 15, 1968 and marked its 10,000th episode on August 17, 2007. Frank Valentini executive-produces.

25 comments:

  1. The Chew??? Really???

    ABC is making a big mistake.

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  2. Brian Frons killed a whole soap network now ABC Daytime as well.

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  3. That 4th paragraph makes me RAGE!

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  4. Wow... what a big difference. Two US soaps are canceled during the same week that the Dutch soap GTST was renewed for four years.

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  5. This is so horrifingly awful! I've heard rumors of possible cancellation, and I'm hoping this is all a hoax or something, though it looks to be true coming from this press release, which is just so insulting to anyone who has ever been a long-time and loyal viewer of not only AMC and OLTL, but all of ABC Daytime, and daytime television in general.

    I guess I'm not completely surprised, but it's like a family member just died to hear news like this. I know it's just a TV show, but OLTL has had meaning and purpose in my life for the past 25 years. So sad :(

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  6. REALLY ABSURED!!!! we need another talk show like we all need a hole in our head!!!!!!!! is there anything we as fan's can do from keeping this from happening??!!?!?!?!?!?!???? if they wanna watch a show on food that's why we got food network oprah is leavin put the shows in her spot!!!!! put them(the talk shows) on b- 4 or after the soaps but leave THE SOAPS ON THE AIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there's only very few left let us have them!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks ur friend Allie

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  7. NOT EVERYTHING WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.. NO ONE IS GOING TO TUNE IN TO SEE ANOTHER TALK SHOW..YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN BRIAN FRONS..IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU START TO SKIRT AROUND GH TOO..

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  8. This sucks so bad! I am sick to my stomach. I lost ATWT & GL and now both AMC & OLTL. I posted on here before that I would be done with soaps if they canceled both and yep, I'm done! Soaps in general will be history within 5 years at this rate.

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  9. I am glad it is canceled because the writing was terrible back in the days it was a treat to watch the ABC line up after school.

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  10. This is so shortsighted. And yes, Brian Frons has been working for years to kill the ABC soaps. General Hospital is a show about murderers,rapists, deceit and hate.Talk shows come and go and after a while, they all look and sound the same. This move also says to many of the older viewers who have invested decades to these shows that we don't care that you watch because we only value the 18 to 40 viewership. Well they stopped watching tv a long time ago so ABC is trying to reach an audience that isn't there to begin with.

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  11. soap opera would've never happened if people only wanted to watch talk shows.If your older don't give neices newphews or grandchildren your money.Remember advertising doesn't want the money of old people.

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  12. I hope that Brian Frons chokes on his dinner tonight! Yuck!

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  13. Wow, the serials are like watching a loved one die. ABC has tossed these shows away like yesterday's news.

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  14. I've watched both shows for 20 years; it's sad to think they'll no longer be there, as they've been all my life. I hope whatever replaces "Chew" and "Revolution", comes close to what AMC and OLTL gave me.

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  15. Over 30 years I've been watching these shows on ABC. Starting with Dark Shadows. I've listened to them at work, stayed home from work to look at them, I've taped them, DVR them, never missed an episode if I could help it. Through the births of my children, the deaths of parents and friends, my Soaps were always there to comfort me, my second family. Now my second family has been taken away, can't believe I'm crying.

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  16. A very sad day in television history. I will miss Erica Kane and Viki and Dorian.

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  17. So let me get this straight re: Frons...

    Viewers pleaded with him to make changes to save the soaps he refused to do it and orchestrated and meddled from behind the scenes but now he's listening to what type of programming viewers are looking for.

    Nearly "every show this man touches dies" Catherine Hickland

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  18. I've been watching these soaps since they started. I went to college and made my class schedule around them - before the VCR was invented!! How much money is ABC spending on the male species with football and every other sport imaginable?? And they can't "afford" OLTL and AMC? Give me a break!

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  19. This news really saddens me and lots and lots of others. My sister and I have been huge fans of both "All My Children" and "One Life To Live." Can't believe this is happening. I don't watch "General Hospital" and now that will be the only "Soap" on ABC during the day time. This really blows!Huge mistake by taking these 2 shows off.

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  20. GET OPRAH TO HELP KEEP ON THE SOAPS!!!!!!

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  21. Good riddance! These were once great shows but they have been reduced to absolute trash. Ludicrous plots, women behaving like amazons, no "slice of life" realism, vibrant organ music replaced with dreary, pre-packaged orchestrations... Every soap on the air today is long overdue for cancellation!!!

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  22. PLEASE, DON'T KILL THE SOAPS!!!!!:(:(:(:(

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  23. PLLLEEEASEE don't kill All My Children and One Life to Live. I have watched soaps for most of my 60+ years. They keep me company while my husband is in Iraq. And make me forget my problems for a while every day. I watch these every day and sometimes at night on Soapnet. What am I supposed to fill up my 2 hours with? Don't like game or talk shows. This is crazy!! Take away Made in American soaps??!!!

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  24. You have got to be kidding!! How can they cancel my soaps? I love my soaps. I would be lost without my soaps. Please, don't take them off. They are American Icons, for pete sake. Take off some of the boring talk shows and game shows instead. Can't we the fans at least have a say in this?

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  25. This is a bad move One Life To Live is the next soap opera on TV. There will be a terrible loss to the viewers , like me who have been watching everyday for the last 20 years. This is a mistake on the network part. You have a whole market of 1970-80 boomers who 's favorite show is being cut by more reality TV!!
    Since when is TV only one model talk shows and reality. What about the freedom to have options
    You will have cost all those actors jobs, and fans heart ache, So u spend millions of dollars on more of the same BS shows. Who wants that? 15yr old-28yr old. Have Nielsen do better more accurate ratings in the middle class area

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