AMC & OLTL: The Cancellation News

Earlier today, it was made official that All My Children and One Life to Live are going off the air within the next few months. The topic has been trending on twitter, go on Facebook or look around message boards and alas it is no longer a rumor. I had scrapped what I was planning on writing and posted this instead. Here are my initial thoughts about this situation.

First off, I’m sad. Unless something extreme happens (like a time jump in the story), we’ve seen the last holiday season in Pine Valley. No characters sitting around a turkey at Thanksgiving or singing carols at Christmas. All My Children won’t have a 42nd birthday as it is ending in autumn. One Life to Live’s birthday is over the summer making it last a grand total of 43 years. We’ll have it through the 2011 holidays.

At least we got the official news on April 14, and not on April Fool’s Day. Though a part of me wonders how those people are feeling who were either at a signing for Susan Lucci this month or went to the OLTL events in NYC last weekend. Imagine coming home filled with joy and then within a matter of days that’s been replaced with the opposite emotion.

I feel lucky to have all the years and the memories of watching these shows. No one and I mean no one can change that. I say that with authority as someone who has lost shows she loves or watched characters and actors leave and never return to a particular series. The lack of past tense is intentional as the “love” remains even if there is nothing more to see.

Was I always happy with the decisions made on these shows for direction and such? Not all the time, but that is to be expected. Do I think they are at their best? Well no, though that is another story. I will miss the characters I care about. I will miss watching certain actors a lot. The term “a lot” is an understatement. I still miss watching certain actors who’ve passed away or are from soaps that have been off the air for years. This won't change. As a person who loves many older performers, one of my first thoughts is there are so many actors I may never see again. With the younger actors, I may not be able to see them as often, but it is a lot more likely I will see them act again.

When it comes to programming on ABC, I’ll watch General Hospital for the interim as I doubt it has much longer either. The shows that are replacing AMC and OLTL do not excite me. I can’t see myself becoming a loyal viewer of either. Watching a show of that genre on a weekly basis is different than investing each day. I can only watch so much cooking or weight loss programming. And I am more than a decade younger than 49 and female, so it is ABC’s loss.

When it comes to how I feel as for people like me who watch the shows. This is a sad time, and serialized shows won’t go away even if there are no more daytime soap operas. Generations of families had something to share and that loss is one of the hardest things about all of it. Cyber hugs to everyone even if I may not agree with your opinions.

Today and for the weeks ahead my positive vibes are being sent to the people who work at the shows and in the industry who are hurting. I wish for them to have peace and be glad that their work as a team has touched countless viewers. Those of us who love these particular shows or soap operas in general wish all of you the best.

Hopefully this entry wasn't too depressing. It was based on my emotions and what I feel today. I have yet to see AMC or OLTL, and I doubt I will be able to watch today's episodes without a box of tissues sitting next to me.