ABC cancels 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live'

 
Two classic ABC soap operas will soon meet their demise: "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will air their final episodes in September 2011 and January 2012, respectively, leaving only "General Hospital" to survive them. No word yet on whether they'll rise from the dead, like "One Life to Live"'s Elijah Clarke, after being snuffed out.

Since it premiered in 1970, "All My Children" has received more than 30 Emmy Awards and made history by airing daytime TV's first same-sex kiss between two women as well as its first lesbian wedding and the first coming-out story for a transgender character.

The Emmy Award-winning "One Live to Live" has been on the air since 1968 and was among the first in daytime television to cover interracial romance, gang violence and teen pregnancy. The show made national headlines when it introduced a gay teen character (played by Ryan Phillippe) and was later honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

In place of the two soaps will be two new series, "The Chew," a food show co-hosted by Mario Batali set to premiere in September 2011, and "The Revolution" (working title), a makeover show hosted by Tim Gunn that focuses on "health and lifestyle transformations" that will make its debut in January 2012.

"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 of daytime for Disney ABC/Television Group, in a statement.

Noting that the two new series were inspired by the success of "The View," Frons said, "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."

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--Melissa Maerz

Photo: Susan Lucci, left, and Alicia Minshew appear in an episode of "All My Children." Credit: Virginia Sherwood / ABC

Comments

[Bella]

SHAME,SHAME,SHAME! HOW SAD THEY ARE TAKING MY ONE AND ONLY FAVORITE oltl OFF THE AIR COME JAN. WHO THE HELL THOUGHT OF THIS? I FOR ONE WILL NEVER , NEVER WATCH WHAT THEY PUT ON IN IN PLACE OF OLTL. I'VE WATCHED THIS SHOW FROM DAY ONE........PLEASE RECONSIDER ................"ty"

[Tara]

I have watch the soaps for years and itis really sad they are taking them off. I will miss them and will not watch the new shows

[Mary Fitzpatrick]

How can you cancell All my CHildren and One life to live, I have been watching these shows since I can remember.My mother wouldn't go out until she saw her stories. This is the biggest mistake anyone ever made. You'll put some stupid talk show on,which we need like a hole in the head.Well except for G H I'll make sure I watch any channel but ABC, if I could I'd have my cable company take it off. Someone needs to have their head checked, this is the worst mistake anyone could make. Hope whatever you put on fails, your network is run by losers.

[Cathy]

I have been watching the show since it started. I guess I will be watching another channel because I will not be watching the new shows.

[Celia]

Don't we have enough food/reality/self-help shows? I am so disappointed that these two soap shows are being cancelled. I guess I won't be watching much of TV until 5pm when the news begins. Truly disappointed.

[Thelma Johnson Scott]

What soap opeas will be left when you decide to take General Hospital off tooo.I find myself watching SoapNet.Net more and more so I can catch the ones I miss and if you take all my soaps off TV I may just turn into a real BITCH then just like our MEN would if all their SPORTS programs were taken off TV..........and while I am at it.....why don't we use the oil from our own oil fields for our GAS NEEDS instead of buying exspensive GAS from other countries....if I had not travelled west and seen the oil fields here in the USA I would not have known how many WE HAVE HERE IN THE USA !!!!!

[Reba Correia]

Guess I won't be watching much ABC, There are very few show I even like on this channel, and now another make over and cooking show. I am sick to death of reality tv! One Life and All My Children are fun 'escape' type show I watch, mostly on the soap net channel, will miss them. Seems like a wrong move in my mind, watch the ratings go down!

[Yve]

Are you telling me we need 'another' cooking show or another makeover show?? One Life to Live tackles soo many current issues. Sometimes it's a little "fantasy" but it tackles current issues. I'm glad General Hospital is still on but I like OLTL better than GH. Can't anyone at ABC be creative enough to get a new soap on the air if there is no hope for OLTL? I tape OLTL and GH every day and watch them later in the day. Do you need for the fans to write in? Please, how can OLTL be saved????
Tks,Yve

[J.ORTIZ]

I WILL NOT PUT ABC ON MY TV AGAIN,I WATCHED CHANNEL 5 SOAPS ALL MY LIFE,SO DID MY MOTHER .HOW STUPID

[Voice of Reason]

All my childrens degenerate anyways.. Poor One Life To Live..

[sandra Prince]

I truly think ABC is making a huge mistake. I as so many many others have grown up watching AMC & OLTL. AS for myslef if ABC dose this I for one will no longer watch ABC. I hope others will do the same.We dont want a cooking show there is plenty of them.ABC PLEASE DONT TAKE OUR SOAPS AWAY PLEASE

[Vickie Parimore]

I was shocked and bewilderd when I heard that america's prime programing was about to be cancelled ,who's the idiot that decided to take away the escspe program of the century. Not only is this a big blow to daytime TV but, it's going to be a huge blow to the american public.For years and I mean years I spent time bonding with my Mom during the noon time hour while watching while the vixen Erica Cane planned her next sceame. As Matrearck Vickie Lord held the family and town of Landveiw together.I hope that these new shows have one heck of a line up or I can pretty much tell you that this viewer will be lost forever no matter what shows are presented.

Yours Truly A Very
Very Dissapointed
Viewer!
Vickie Parimore

[Toni]

ABC you are making a big mistake .. Only hope another network uses their heads and picks up these 2 soaps...

[Julie]

One Life to Live is such a great show has many loyal viewers no cooking show or exercise show will have the same. I won' t worry both will tank. Tim star of a new show hilarious they put a photo in our paper today making fun of the Mr. Chew guy what a lame idea this was.

[jennifer]

It is an outrage that these shows are being cancelled for FOOD SHOWS!How many more food shows do we need? abc has lost a viewer after these shows are gone. I will be blocking abc from my television come january.

[Julie Miller]

I personally am very upset. One Life To Live is one of my favorite programs. I may stop watching ABC programing forever. I have watched this show since the beginning. BAD IDEA

[Debbie Ward]

I am real disappointed at ABC for cancelling All My Children and One Life to Live. I have been watching both of these shows since they started and look forward to every episode. I can't believe that you would get rid of two great shows and put on another reality or talk show. Don't we have enough of them already? I would think that some of us that are not into those shows, should be able to get something on that we like and want to watch. Well, i know I will no longer be watching anything on ABC, there are other networks, and believe me, you have lost a dependable viewer of most programs on ABC. I will be going to CBS or other networks.

[Kaye Grimes Stanfield]

Please keep these two soaps (One life to Live & All my Children) on the air please. They are great shows and have a good message for life. I watch them every day and if I have to miss I watch them at night. Vickie is my roll model and hero. How do you know how many people watch it. Those polls are not accurate. Not everyone participates in them. It is a busy world and people don't have time to answer questions. Those reality shows are so silly and you will make a big mistake if you put them on instead of OLTL & AMC. Please listen to the people who really watch abc. My husband also watches them. I will keep my fingers crossed.

[Dorothy D.]

I will not watch anything in the time slot that takes the place of All My Children.
I do think that some changes could be made, but all in all, I like All My Children.
I think that this will be a bad mood for ABC.

[mtreflick]

I hope they have a plan B because these show will be a big loss. I don't want to watch food shows or anymore talk shows..I wonder how long it will be before they know how big of mistake this is.