BOMBSHELL Details on Prospect Park Deal: Has All My Children's Online Debut Been MOVED to January? Is General Hospital ALREADY Part of Licensing Deal?!
Scuttlebutt is growing that fans of ABC Daytime soap operas are in for quite the season of change as not two, but likely all three Mouse House sudsers begin to transition to web series over the next year and a half. I'm hearing from multiple sources that General Hospital, the only daytime soap set to continue on ABC beyond January 2012, is part of the licensing pact that production company Prospect Park signed with ABC.
"Prospect Park has a deal in place that gives them the same rights to General Hospital that they have with All My Children and One Life to Live, once GH ends its run on television," says a source.
While ABC has maintained they have no plans to cancel General Hospital, with Katie Couric's talk show slated for next fall, the network's daytime lineup losing an hour to affiliates to facilitate said debut and ABC planning to premiere The Chew and The Revolution in September and January respectively, GH doesn't have a confirmed timeslot post September 2012. All of which has been previously reported.
"Even if one of the new shows ABC is premiering fails, everyone knows this is General Hospital's last year," an insider states. "The moment ABC cancels GH, Prospect Park's rights to broadcast the show for 10 years kicks in, just like with the other two shows."
Speaking of those other soaps, Prospect Park's lack of communication with the cast of All My Children— which wraps production next month and is set to air last on ABC this Sept. 23— has whipped the set of the L.A.-based sudser into a frenzy.
"Some people are excited, others not so much," says one actor. "Really people just want to know what the hell is going on? We have lives and careers to plan for."
From what I've gathered, what's "going on" is there is unfortunately no way Prospect Park can make good on previously reported plans to start airing All My Children online just three days following the ABC finale. In fact, the online version of the long-running sudser likely won't premiere until January 2012.
"The New York Post story [which broke the deal to move the shows online] took Prospect Park by surprise," explains one insider. "As people are now seeing, things weren't quite in place. They plan on making a go of [taking the soaps online], but the leaks have had them scrambling to adjust their plans."
According to my sources, Prospect Park is now asking All My Children's head writer Lorraine Broderick and creator Agnes Nixon to end the serial's network run with a life-or-death cliffhanger, where the audience won't know who in Pine Valley lives or dies.
"That way, if certain actors decide not to do the show, it can be readily explained when the new show debuts alongside One Life to Live next year on the web," says the setsider.
Despite all the growing pains associated with the ABC soaps moving online, many in the know remain optimistic.
"In the short run, the fact that some popular stars might not go with the shows will piss off fans, but this is still a win for the soap opera genre," says one mole. "The very fact that someone is willing to keep these shows going with all the bad press soaps have been getting is something to celebrate. We just have to wait and see if they [Prospect Park] can make it happen."
Keep checking back with Daytime Confidential as this industry redefining story continues.
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Comments
19 October 2008
1 year 25 weeks
I just can't say it enough...these shows are too expensive to produce online as they now exist so whatever they do will NOT be the shows you all know. Now I'm not saying that is a good or a bad thing but don't come on here and say the "naysayers" are playing into Brian Frons' hands and we have to believe this is all going to be just fine if we support it. It's ALL about money and until Prospect Park reveals their financial plan, I am telling you as someone who really knows, you will NOT see AMC, OLTL and GH online as they now appear on TV.
22 October 2010
5 hours 47 min
CHARLEYHORSE - I totally agree with you. They wont be the same shows. When we fought to keep them, we meant KEEP THEM - as they are now. Move to another network, or stay with ABC but keep THEM - Going online is keeping a show called All my Children and a show called One life to Live. We are naysayers cause we realize that this deal we got is not the deal many of us were looking for. Or fought for.
1 January 2009
9 hours 55 min
appleridge - I'm really hoping for that!
giogio - Thank you.
5 July 2008
8 hours 32 min
If someone has seen the financials that Prospect Park has to Produce the soaps than please share them with us. Oh wait noone knows so can folks stop saying PP Wont have the money. They very much might have the Money. Time will Tell. God what will it take for people to have HOPE???
5 July 2008
8 hours 32 min
Im sorry I dont remeber seeing anywhere that saving the soaps were contigent on them staying On TV because they didnt. They may be what some pefered or wanted but we dont always get what we want every time
The shows continue. Celebrate
22 October 2010
5 hours 47 min
Im sorry but I really thought when we Emailed Sweeney we were asking not to cancel the soaps. And for the people who protested in front of ABC they were protesting the cancelations. When I emailed Sweeney, I asked her not to cancel. ??
5 July 2008
8 hours 32 min
ABC doesnt want soaps and they alreadt F'd them up. I dont want them anywhere near ABC
12 February 2008
6 hours 42 min
Give AMC a proper ending on ABC with everything tied up. Then in the last few moments, Erica Kane collapses and is rushed to the hospital. She wakes up in her hospital bed only for Bianca to tell her she's been in a coma for a YEAR. Cue shocked look on Erica's face. Presto! Instant cliffhanger! Tune in to Prospect Park to discover the new status quo and find out what happened during Erica's "lost" year.
AlistairCrane, we don't agree much, but that's actually a good idea LOL
J Bernard, you better school these lost children on television. On Twitter, Jamey said the same thing that I did. Advertisers don't give two flying shitballs about the fans who can't afford the internet. If you don't have money, then the advertisers aren't aiming their products at you. For those who refuse to watch online, Madison Ave will get your consumer money through other things you watch on TV, so it's a win/win for them.
At first, I wasn't feeling the soaps becoming seasonal, but it could work.
Think about it: Instead of doing the Sept-May season like other shows, soaps could do Jan-Sept. Because their strongest time to pull in viewers in the summertime. Then, while on hiatus from Sept-Jan, fans can focus on school, family, friends, and the holidays. We get a lot of preemptions and reruns during the holidays, anyway. Hopefully we will get at l;east 3-5 episodes a week during an 8 month stretch. This could work...
14 December 2008
1 week 4 days
I'm really not suprised ABC wants to get rid of GH too, but I'm glad they show will at least be saved.
I'm alittle worried about the idea that Prospect Park is asking Lorraine to write th end in a certian way as that sounds like maybe Lorraine won't be the headwrite when the show comes online?
I'm hoping we Canadians are lucky enough to have the ABC soaps carried by Super Channel which still airs reruns of Passions.
18 February 2009
3 hours 46 min
I don't have much new to add since my last visit except that I hope giogio, sassydreams and others like you find a way to make it work, because I would--I think we ALL would--miss you contributions here on DC!
22 October 2010
5 hours 47 min
Thanks TV Gord - I get overly emotional about this. My first VCR was in 1985 - I paid $400.00 for it- imagine? the last I saw before the DVR you could have picked one up for $40.00. I bought it so that I could tape my soaps. Very hard to let go of the time slots, but I would believe that all of us who go at it everyday on DC will help each other along the way. We have a very firey few months ahead of us, and I wouldnt miss DC for the world. I will be right here "bitching"
.
1 January 2009
9 hours 55 min
TV Gord - Thank you very much!
8 December 2009
1 year 22 weeks
My thoughts are these: A cliffhanger who-will-live-who-will-die cliffhanger will only work for me if it involved Ryan (who might live) and Randy (who should die).
Also, if PP has the rights to these shows, why not start airing CLASSIC episodes online?
I think for AMC, this is certain doom, because interrupting the show for three months means the habit has been broken, and why would they tune in when their daily habit has been interrupted?
If PP *could* get hte show running soon, they could actually air them on SoapNet to whet people's appetites for the "new" show.
Meanwhile, what will SoapNet do without AMC on the air while it runs out the clock?
I really would have preferred a truly satisfying ending as Agnes planned. It looks like one network is simply replacing the old one. Hey, they are investing, so they will exercise the right to "dictate."
--Seth
19 October 2008
1 year 25 weeks
I doubt PP has the rights to the library of the shows. Plus, they would still have to pay all the guilds to re-broadcast them which is a very expensive proposition.
14 June 2011
1 year 36 weeks
There certainly is some folks in serious denial.
These web versions of our shows are going to be completely different (cast-wise and style-wise) than what we are seeing right now. I think worse than anything will be the acting "talent" they hire to play the SORASed versions of Zane Buchanan, Bree Brennan, Miranda Montgomery, etc. whom as we all know will be the pivotal players in the web dramas.
Ugh!!!