November 23, 2011, the day before Thanksgiving, where many of us are preparing for the holidays the news comes down that OLTL isn’t happening either. Prospect Park’s words were that All My Children and One Life to Live are suspended (see the press release for their exact wording.)
Well happy Thanksgiving to us. Really, they couldn’t keep a press release under wraps until after the holiday or share it last week when One Life to Live taped its last shows. Instead they wait and One Life to Live isn’t able to change things up during the final days of taping.
And now I just read an article on The Daily Beast that Agnes Nixon found out via the media. Agnes Nixon, who created these shows didn’t even rate a phone call. Really, no one thought that would be a good public relations move and cost effective. I wonder how OLTL’s executive producer Frank Valentini was told, perhaps he got a call, but I doubt we will ever know. ETA: per Kassie DePaiva's (Blair) Facebook, Valentini found out via a press report like the rest of us. The fact he wasn't contacted directly is distasteful and ludicrous. Were they that afraid of his reaction? If he had known, he could have broken the news to everyone else that deals with the fans (as he should have their phone numbers.)
For some reason, I find it distasteful when people find out they are out of work and aren’t told to their faces. There is more than one story of a business closing and the employees showing up like any other day to find the front door locked. No severance, no nothing, at least, the actors and crew didn’t come to the studio to tape and that happened. Have to find a bright side and that’s about it.
As anyone reading this can tell, I’m angry and disappointed tonight. I took this time to vent on Thanksgiving eve as something like this should not ruin my holiday. Hopefully a bit of sleep, will calm and center my emotions. I just hope the next few weeks of watching OLTL won’t be too much to bear as we know none of the actors who planned to continue on were performing knowing it would be the last time.
Here are some links to various articles I’ve read tonight.
The New York Times Coverage
Soap Opera Digest coverage about AFTRA situation
Entertainment Weekly article with the initial news
Entertainment Weekly article with Hillary Bailey Smith (Nora)
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