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After what feels like forever, the premieres of All My Children and One Life to Live are upon us. It hasn’t been an easy road for Prospect Park and The Online Network, and even when many thought all hope was lost, they didn’t give up on their goal to bring these shows back to life.
[mediumheader]Thank You For Proving Soaps Matter[/mediumheader]
AMC and OLTL’s resurrection is bigger than just bringing back shows for a passionate fan base. This is a revolutionary move that could forever change the rules of producing scripted dramas. Passionate fan campaigns are nothing new; they’ve been around for decades and more often than not, the end result is the same. The campaign may draw attention, but until Prospect Park, there was no one around that was willing to step up and facilitate saving the show or shows marked for cancellation.
There was no Prospect Park to save Another World, Sunset Beach, The City, Port Charles, Passions, Guiding Light or As the World Turns. With every cancellation, there was less work available for everyone involved — from actors and writers to lighting crews to set directors. Prospect Park not only saved our shows, but they’ve created jobs in a genre that until recently had been losing them every couple of years.
Soaps have something unique that no primetime drama can claim. They are shows and characters that have been passed down and shared through generations. So many of our staff members, along with the two of us, can recall the first time we started watching a soap at the young ages of six or seven. We remember what it was like to rush home from school to see what Viki and Dorian were feuding about this week or whether or not Brooke was going to take Adam back after his latest scheme came to light.
AMC’s new generation: Top row (L-R): Robert Scott Wilson, Sal Stowers, Eric Nelsen; Bottom row (L-R): Denyse Tontz, Jordan Lane Price Photo: Chapman Baehler
We remember sobbing with our mothers when Jake arrived just before Megan died and we remember the horror of watching Bianca’s rape. These characters are more than just fictional people; they’re characters that we love and our families love and it means so much to us to know that we’re getting them back tomorrow morning thanks to some very dedicated people.
In addition to seeing what our favorite characters have been up to, we’re excited to learn more about the next generation. Will AJ follow in the footsteps of his father? Or will he have the compassionate heart of his mother Babe? Will Miranda echo her mother’s bleeding heart or the train wreck behavior of Aunt Kendall? How are Matthew and Destiny handling being parents? What’s next for Natalie and Tea? We can’t wait to find out.
None of this would be possible if it wasn’t for you, the fans. Without you, Prospect Park wouldn’t have a built-in audience to use for their platform. Without your phone calls, emails, rallies, social media campaigns — none of this would be happening. So no matter which soap characters are your favorites or which storylines take front and center, we’re all just so grateful that we have a chance to return to Pine Valley and Llanview.
We cannot wait to wake up Monday morning and view what’s in store for the audience. We hope you you’ll be watching along with us.
Omar Nobles and Mandy Treccia,
TVSource Magazine Editors
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