They’re back! ‘AMC,’ ‘OLTL’ survive online
IT’S a plotline Erica Kane would love. Cancelled ABC soaps “All
My Children” and “One Life to Live” will return to life with original, Webonly episodes. Prospect Park announced yesterday that it’s reached agreement with Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes to stream new episodes of both classic soaps starting this spring.
New, halfhour episodes of both soaps will air each weekday. “AMC” last aired on ABC in September 2011, while “OLTL” ended its 43year broadcast run last January.
Both shows, which aired for an hour in their original versions, fell victim to dwindling ratings in a genre that’s nearing extinction — with only “General Hospital,” “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Days of Our
Lives” still airing on broadcast TV.
Prospect Park tried reviving both “AMC” and “OLTL” last year, but ran into problems working out agreements with the various guilds. Earlier this month, it announced deals with SAG, AFTRA, the Directors Guild and the Writer’s Guild of America.
Many of both shows’ original cast members — including Erika Slezak, Robin Strasser, Debbi Morgan and Thorsten Kaye — will return in their familiar roles.
Susan Lucci, who famously played “All My Children’s” tempestuous temptress Erica Kane, is not slated to return as a star of the online version.