Thursday, July 7, 2011

ABC Confirms AMC/OLTL Licensed to Prospect Park

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 23rd 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 26th. THE REVOLUTION, a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations, will replace ONE LIFE TO LIVE in January 2012.

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. The show was the first to chronicle the coming out story of a transgender woman and to cast a real life Iraq war vet 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, the 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 Award in the Outstanding Drama Series category, 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.

Ken Ziffren of Ziffren Brittenham advised Prospect Park on the deal and the company is represented by Skip Paul at Centerview Partners LLC.

RELATED:
- OPINION: Thoughts on the ALL MY CHILDREN Television Finale ("This is not the ending I wanted")
- NEWS ROUNDUP SPECIAL: Stories From Across The World About ALL MY CHILDREN & The State of Soaps (Viewer parties everywhere!)
- AMC Finale Survey: Let us know what you thought!
- Good-bye Erica Kane: We Love Soaps' Roger Newcomb on Canada's CTV
- The End Of ALL MY CHILDREN: Bobby Martin's Revenge?
- Former ALL MY CHILDREN Star Kim Delaney Escorted Off Stage After Disoriented Speech
- "All My Children" and "Erica Kane"Trending On Twitter
- Classic ALL MY CHILDREN articles
- THE COMPLETE LIST: 25 Biggest Blunders In Daytime Soap Opera History

46 comments:

  1. I'm still holding my breath... but hoping this is true. If it all works out, this will be truly historic. Broadcast TV is nearly dead anyway, so putting these shows on the Internet would give them a chance to continue for many many years to come!!!

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  2. I am thrilled that our voices were heard and acted upon. I will take AMC any way I can get it, on TV or online. I am one happy soap fan. A huge thank you to the people that listened to us.

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  3. MickeyRat's got a LONG TAIL and LOTS of minions [which apparently includes ProspectPark] ... The ProspectPark "deal" only involves a kibble of the real $$$ involved with respect to any intellectual property licensing/royalties/agreem​ents, etc. ... NEVER FORGET that a hog wearing clothes is stil a hog ...

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  4. Thank you so much for listening to us. Now I don't have to worry about losing the soaps I have been watching since I was a little girl.

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  5. Yay! I knew that someone would come through-THANK YOU Prospect Park for having a vision and making it happen! Kudos to you!

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  6. Our voices were heard and I am so grateful. I did not know what I would do without my soaps.

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  7. I give it 6 months. The budget will be slashed, the production values will plummet. It will be like Ellen Wheeler doing GUIDING LIGHT in New Jersey all over again. They shoot horses, don't they?

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  8. I HOPE ALL MY CHILDREEN & ONE LIFE TO FANS ARE HAPPY WE FINNALY STOOD UP TO THE BIG GIANT COMPANYS THAT ARE ONLY AFTER PROFTS!!!!! THIS A BLESSING HOPE TO SHOW ABC EXECTIVVES WE DO NOT NEED THEIR PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE HAVE A DAYTIME PROGRAMS ON THE NET.... THANKS POSPECT PARK .

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  9. I am happy with the news but do not rejoice just yet, this internet venture will come at a price ( yes I am sure there will be a fee to watch AMC and OLTL) Disney never give us anything for free. NBC also tried and failed with this canceled soap Passion when it sold the rights to Direct TV and was also on the internet for a monthly fee Passions lasted another two years. I am happy but also cautious never will trust the Mouse or rat again.

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  10. ALL I CAN SAY IS YES YES YES ONE LIFE TO LIVE WILL LIVE ON!!

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  11. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!

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  12. Just when I had almost given up hope...alas a lesson learned that the fans were heard and the soaps will be saved. Amazing news. My mom and I can rejoice together and continue to enjoy our favorite all time shows!!!!!

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  13. Not sure i like internet,or true this idea; but it is better then not-a- thing.

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  14. Not sure i like internet, or trust this idea; but it is better then not-a- thing.

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  15. AWSOME! Thanks to Prospect Park!
    Now the next question, where will it air, and how much will viewing cost?

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  16. Passions? Of course that show didn't stand a chance on-line. AMC and OLTL have a 40-year history with a fan base. How much do you all REALLY love your soaps? I'd be willing to pay to view..would you? After all, we pay exuberant amounts to Charter, Comcast, Dish and Direct just to watch the same movies over and over. Why wouldn't you pay a $10.00 monthly fee to watch NEW soap episodes every day? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

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  17. Thanks Prospect Park! Hopefully, this will be a win-win for the production company and the fans! Lets hope the quality and popularity stays - then so will your fans! I would much rather pay to watch AMC than those new food/talk shows that are free! Enough already! If I hear one more diet show I'll be sick! Yay!

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  18. I am really worried how is this going to work and at what price? I am afraid that it will be unavailable to so many viewers who do not have access to a computer or who do not have the money to pay for it. AMC was a way that I could escape when things were really bad for me. If i had had to pay for it I would not have been able to watch it. Please make this show available to all who want to see it find a TV slot that is free so low income viewers can still watch it. Loyal fans may one day find themselves in a better place a be able to purchase products that are advertised. Hope you listen.

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  19. I am so very glad there will be continuance of AMC & OTL. Soaps that I have watched since their inception.
    These 2 soaps are my 2-hour relax moments. I will now invest in a smartphone for the times I'm away from the computer. If this becomes a monthly service fee, I will gladly pay the fee.

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  20. I am thrilled. I will watch AMC everyday as I have for 40 years. Hopefully it will be on for the next 40 years. Thank you Prospect Park, you made my year!!!

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  21. who the heck is product park?? Does this mean we are going to have to pay to watch our beloved soaps??? What website would we even go to view them? When will they air??? be nice if they would remain on TV!!!

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  22. This is GREAT, But will there be a price to pay for viewing.

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  23. I am from Canada and myself and all fellow Canadian AMC/OLTL fans are wondering if we will be able to continue watching our favorite soaps as well...

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  24. I would love to be hired as a Actor on All My Children. My charter could be the one that gets ride of David Haywood. LOL I would love to be an Actor on All my Children because the show has class and lots of beautiful women on it like Greenlee.

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  25. Does anyone know how we can contact Prospect Park to let them know our support on their efforts to help these soaps lives on? I'm reading some things such as they might be shown on another TV network such as USA. That would be great! Even better would be if they were on a different non-cable network so they could retain viewers who don't have cable or computers.

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  26. They are treating us like second-class citizens. Why don't they put football on the net? (don't get me wrong, I love football) Why don't they put the news on the net? Because we wouldn't be so accessible to their propaganda. We only get the news that the those at the top, want us to hear. They have done this special deal for us, the loyal soap fans, so that we won't bother the sponsors of the new shows in those timeslots. Most of the actors won't go, or those that do go over to the net version, won't stay long. Just there long enough until we find watching on our small screens and accessing via the computer, cumbersome. As you can see, Disney is involved with this company (Prospect Park?). I still plan to give the sponsors of the replacement shows a piece of my mind and I will not buy their products. This little plan of Disney is not going to work on me. Are they going to put their stupid Bachelor and Bachelorette on the net too? How about that stupid, waste of time and waste of mind show where people have to get through some kind of water hazards, punching hazards, etc. Why wouldn't they put the soaps there, on TV, where we can watch our soaps on a big-screen TV. I'm sick of their antics. You've lost my loyalty for good ABC!

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  27. Okay the question is what happends if some soap fans dont have any computers stop and think about it what happends then for them this is just so crazy how come they could not put these cooking shows like the chew on the food chanel network and take off the most soaps we all like the most off the air then put on the chew that is wrong for soap fans that like to watch all my children and one life to live that they cant even watch there soaps if they have no computer I am sorry but my oppion is how I feel and what I am talking about coming out how I feel about for some people that dont have computers is it fare for them once my shows end all my children and one life to live I will be watching on the internet and forget about me watching abc at all that is true so after jan 2012 comes I will never watch abc ever again just got me so upset why they cant put the chew on food chanel net work i am just speeking how I feel thats all

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  28. I'm not getting my hopes up for this plan. So far, we haven't heard anything from PP about how when & where we would be able to watch this show. The actors have said nothing about being offered contracts, & some of them have already gone on to new ventures.

    I kind of think that Disney/ABC put this out there to feed our hopes of continuing our soaps, but have no real intention of producing them.

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  29. I too am holding my breath and hope all this works out. I'd still like to be able to watch my soaps on tv instead of internet..but i'll take whatever I can get. Hopefully not at a huge price either, these 2 hours of shows were my break,especially in hard times. Why couldn't they just be moved to the soap channel?

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  30. It is really great that this happening. I only wish that the recently canceled CBS soaps, "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns" had someone or some company like Prospect Park, to step in and save them from extinction.

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  31. don,t know how all of this is going to work but greatful all my children will live on. hope that an excessive fee will not be placed on the viewers after all the economy is not at it,s best.

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  32. Thank you for continuing America's beloved Soap Opera, All My Children!

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  33. who has signed with Prospect Park
    did melissa Aka natalie
    and jerry aka clint sign yet

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  34. WHERE CAN WE FIND INFORMATION ABOUT ALL MY CHILDREN? WHEN IT WILL SHOW AGAIN? WHERE, HOW, WHEN, HOW MUCH??? I'M SO GRATEFUL, I GREW UP ON AMC, MY THROAT SWELLED MY STOMACH FELT SICK WHEN I FIRST HEARD. ABC IS CRAZY FOR GIVING THE SOAPS THE AX, WHO THE HECK WANTS TO WATCH THE CHEW??? NOT ME. NOW THERE ARE MAYBE 2 SHOWS I WATCH ON ABC, IF THEY CANCEL THEM I WILL NOT WATCH ABC AT ALL. I WILL DELETE IT FROM MY PROGRAMMING SO AS TO NOT EVEN ACCIDENTALLY LAND ON THEIR CHANNEL. THEY R JUST EVIL TO DO THIS TO THE SOAPS. SOOOOOOOO GLAD I WILL AGAIN SEE AMC.

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  35. Friday, September 23, 2011 2PM

    Just got finished watching the final episode of "All My Children."
    Been watching since its inception. My question is ... will
    there be a viewing fee and what percentage of my viewing fee will go to the licensing fee, that will be paid to ABC by Prospect Park? In my opinion, ABC canceled AMC & OLTL out of revenge, because
    2 SUPER MAJOR ICONS had previously announced that they were leaving the ABC Network ... which DEVALUES THE STATION !!! If the viewership was so-o-o-o-o-o-o low
    for AMC & OLTL - according to ABC
    Daytime President Brian Frons, then how come his eyes turned into dollar signs "$$$$$$$$$$$" ... based upon THE OUTRAGE & RESPONSE
    FROM AMC's & OLTL's MILLIONS and
    MILLIONS and MILLIONS and MILLIONS
    of fans / viewers ??? !!!

    Go to www.agnesnixon.com and
    www.prospectparkamc.com for updates

    Not too far from Pine Valley and Llanview ...

    Anne In Philadelphia

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  36. "CHEW" THIS ABC / DONE WITH YOU.

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  37. Anonymous September 5, 2011 1:32PM
    asks "Why couldn't they (All My Children & One Life To Live) be moved to the soap channel?"

    SOAPNET IS A DISNEY COMPANY.

    what does that tell ya
    that AMC and OLTL were not going to be allowed on any DISNEY ABC
    AFFILIATES.

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  38. My mother and I have been watching AMC for most of it's 40+ years. Thank you Prospect Park. Hopefully we'll see it on a cable network instead of the net.

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  39. I think they should leave it on the television, like on Soapnet. My mom is 82 and doesn't use a computer and can't afford the gadgets for the television..These food shows and health show replacements are out of control..There are plenty of them out there already and if people like them better than the soaps then they would watch them on other channels..Please leave OLTL on regular tv for the elderly and the one's that enjoy soaps..Please. And how do you find them on the computer?

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  40. I have enjoyed One life to live and all my children. It is one time of day I could relax and take a break when raising 8 children. I am 72 and I really don't care to watch another cooking show.
    I am not watching the chew or what ever other show takes place of one life to live. I just hope I am able to keep up with the show on the internet as my computer is old and doesn't work the best on video's.
    I am going to miss the two shows. Abc You stink. There is an interesting show on one of the other channels. Not as good as One life to live but if I can't see one life to live on the internet I will switch from abc to another channel.
    An old lady who has enjoyed these two soaps for almost 40 years.

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  41. I can not believe that ABC and Prospect Park can not hear what we, the viewers are saying.
    We want our soaps!
    We DON'T want to chew or have a revolution! We don't want to see crazy Gary Busey's antics or any other so
    called 'stars' wife swapping!

    We want our soaps!

    I personally have been watching soaps since the beginning with my Mom (45+ years).
    My daughter has been watching since she was a baby, and now her son watches when he is not in school.
    You are taking away a family bonding experience that can never be replaced!

    So ABC doesn't want our soaps, and now Prospect Park doesn't either. There has to be other options, like other
    TV networks or other online options.

    PLEASE folks, stand up for your AMC and OLTL and all the others that may go by the wayside. Please demand that the
    decision be re-evaluated and Prospect Park does pick up AMC and OLTL.

    It has taken me a very long time to calm down enough to be able to write any kind of letter about the soaps going
    away as I have been that upset. Yes I do have a life and yes I do have a DVR!

    SAVE OUR SOAPS!
    Thanks!

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