Logo

ABC Press Statement on the Cancellation of ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘All My Children’

Apr 14, 2011  •  Post A Comment

April 14, 2011

ABC EVOLVES THE FACE OF DAYTIME TELEVISION WITH THE LAUNCH
OF TWO NEW SHOWS, “THE CHEW” AND “THE REVOLUTION”

Iconic Shows “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” Will Broadcast
Their Final Episodes in September 2011 and January 2012, Respectively;
Series Will Sunset in a Manner That Honors Viewers and the Shows’ Creative Legacies

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 Live 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.#

23 Comments

  1. This is a sad statement to the baby boomers who still watch soaps instead of the reality shows and the likes. Has anyone considered moving these two soaps to the Soapnet channel instead of cancelling them. I have watched One Life to Live since its debut. These are my favorite shows because I am not into the reality shows.

  2. I think it is terrible that One Life to Live is being cancelled. Cancel General Hospital instead.

  3. You have got to be kidding me…..another talk show, a cooking one no less…..give me a break. Just what a woman wants to see, another cooking show…then the one to follow, on how to lose the fat she gains from cooking the crap on the cooking show…I love my soaps. Thanks ABC I will not watch the two shows during this time slot…I think this is a terriable thing to have done to the actors of these soaps as well as the fans.

  4. This is the worst decision EVER šŸ™ Why in the world do we need yet ANOTHER talk/lifestyle show???? More overblown ego’s to tell us what we ALREADY know or ALREADY have read in the umteeeeeeeenth lifestyle magazine???? Total CRAP!! Can’t we just for once keep something that gives us some kind of release from the overly abundant REALITY show(s), TALK shows, LIFESTYLE shows that inundate the television and our already mundane minds??? How bout a little imagination?????? So wanna throw my TV threw the window as it is, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE at least leave ONE LIFE TO LIVE?????? Just sayin šŸ™‚

  5. This is the worst decision that ABC could ever make. They should not have canceled OLTL. Do we really need another talk show. Soaps are an essential part of television. I have been watching OLTL for almost 20 years and when I don’t watch any other shows on Tv I always find time for my soaps. Now the tv will be off. So thanks ABC for ditching me to get ny butt off the couch. I might even cancel my cable since I really will not be watching anything else that is on. Maybe you will change your minds once you realize what a BIG mistake you have made.

  6. Just what we need, another food show!! Watch the food channnel, that’s what is for! And the Revolution??? what the heck is that? This is not right. Keep the soaps on!!

  7. Go to hell Brian Frons. Your ultimate goal was to destroy the ABC daytime genre and you did it. I hope you feel the pain of the fans, cast and crew collectively.

  8. VERY SAD… end of an era indeed. Like many others I grew up watching these soaps and still watch today. Talk about LOYALTY. Super unfortunate that ABC is willing to walk away from such a loyal and longstanding audience. I think it’s a bold BAD move. No way I’ll be tuning in for the replacement shows. I’m boycotting.

  9. One Life to Live has been my daily companion for over 40 years. It saw me through my bad days at work and retirement. I can’t imagine my life without seeing the lives of my friends in Lanview.

  10. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS ABC!!what ARE YOU THINKING? Please don’t cancel One live to live!!! Take off General Hospital instead!! It’s boring anyways, We don’t need another cooking show! Racheal Rays on another channel. And that’s why there’s food network for those shows! I grew up watching these soaps, would look forward for school to end so i could watch these soaps!! I WON’T WATCH THESE NEW SHOWS THAT YOUR REPLACING OUR SOAPS WITH!!!!! I hope the other viewers won’t either, let’s start a boycott!! You probably will lose a lot of the soap viewers serves you right! Please keep One live to live is all I’m saying. Can’t believe it. Thanks a loyal soap fan!!!

  11. I am very disappointed with ABC. I don’t know what survey “experts” they use to make the determintion that more reality shows and cooking shows are what we want, they are so WRONG! Reality and cooking shows are so over done and most of the people I know are sick of them. Daytime soaps are such a good release and good tv; AMC & OLTL are the best. ABC is stupid and making a huge mistake. You will DEFINITELY be loosing large number of viewers.

  12. I guess these soaps were just too good to continue. They are the best, and I’m sure ABC is replacing these shows with something much cheaper and mundane.

  13. I just told my mother about this, and hearing her story of when she was a kid, waiting to get home after school, just to watch this show. F OFF ABC, Awful choice to cancel these two shows for crap like cooking shows, as other fans have said. Thats what the FOOD network is for and the Exercise channels are for. And for being a loyal mother of three and loyal to the ABC network, by watching for 30+ years, the same show everyday.

  14. I am very upset All my children is being cancelled I don’t want to watch any more food programs, game shows or reality shows. They are so boring. You have a great story line and keeps people wanting to see the next episode.
    Please please reconsider leaving All my children on ABC

  15. Just heartbreaking. I have been a fan of One Life to Live for many many years. If I want to watch a cooking show, I’d watch bravo. Your cutting out a piece of my heart! I will miss each and every actor on that show. What’s next, REINSTATEMENT OF THIS SHOW!!!!!!! NOW!!!!! YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND!!!!

  16. I so agree.

  17. Survey?
    Just a contraction of “s(ave mon)ey”
    in network speak!
    Perfect! More public airwaves filled with blah, blah, blah….commercial…..
    blah, blah, blah….commercial…..
    blah, blah, blah…

  18. This is absolutely ridiculous. Have you ever seen how many people go to Disney World each year during Soap weekend? We are loyal fans, who much rather see One Life To Live then a food show. On principle, I will never watch t.v. during the day now. We should have a say, a vote! I hope another network is smart enough to pick the show up, because many people will follow!!!!!!!!!!!

  19. Holy smokes! The one soap you, ABC, are keeping is the one that hasn’t had anything happen for 2 years! OLTL has been the best of 3 soaps for some time now. How could you guys do what you’re doing! Cooking shows that may replace these 2 soaps will NOT do as well, and I will be disappointed.

  20. I will not be watching the new shows!!!!! How stupid of ABC!!!!!

  21. As soon is they cancel one life to live im done with ABC period I am 25! And love oltl cancel general hospital and all my children this is very sad I tape oltl daily so I want miss anything I wish they reconsider our another tv channel will pick it up

  22. I love both programs leave them both alone.

  23. I was in my junior year of college when OLTL first began and I have been a viewer ever since. I have watched as many stars began their careers on OLTL and as many social issues were tackled. The writers and actors set examples of how to deal with difficult situations. I will greatly miss this show. It has been a part of my life for over 40 years. Although I didn’t watch it all the time, I always kept up with the storyline. Thank you for 43 years of entertainment.

Leave a Reply to Nancy A Lima-Keller Cancel Reply

Email (will not be published)