Cancelled Soap Operas Return as Online Only Programs

Soap operas “One Life to Live” and “All My Children,” which ABC cancelled in 2011, will have a digital revival starting later this month when they return online. Production company Prospect Park licensed the soaps from ABC and plans to launch new episodes via Hulu Plus, iTunes and its own Online Network. The revamped shows are said to have more provocative content in order to attract a younger, contemporary audience.

“A while back, Jeff (Kwatinetz, my business partner) and I started to believe that the world was about to change in terms of how viewers receive their programs,” says Rich Frank of Prospect Park. “Almost 20 percent of college graduates don’t buy television sets. Today, there’s the ability to feed anything to anybody’s screen — TV, iPad, or telephone — and give them programming that they want.”

“We are going to be a little hotter and sexier,” Rich says. “That doesn’t mean we’ll be doing anything that’s offensive. We’re trying to be contemporary and have storylines that are relevant to people’s lives.”

Prospect Park plans to launch the new episodes starting April 29, as industry insiders debate whether or not the new approach will prove to be a game changer. “No matter what, the industry will be tuning in (logging on?) to see if this venture succeeds both creatively and financially,” reports Variety.

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