ABC addresses OLTL cancellation rumors

[Kubla Khan]

"The only upcoming move 'One Life To Live' is making is to the 'All My Children' stage after that series relocates to Los Angeles. This will give 'One Life To Live' more room and increase their production value."

This doesn't address or DENY anything. It's exactly what we already know (OLTL is MOVING). If OLTL was cancelled, I wouldn't term that a "move." Oh, sneaky little PR people!

[Marc]

I'm wondering if they could have given ANY kind of refute....vague or detailed....that would have been good enough to satisfy doubters. Had they emphatically denied that OLTL is being eyed for cancellation, how many would still have "oh yeah. sure" reaction? Someone a long time ago trained soap fans to be paranoid and exceedingly cynical. If in the 20 years I've been watching OLTL, if I had dollar for every time I heard someone make a cynical remark about OLTL's status or future, I probably wouldn't have to take bottles back to the supermarket for a year. I'm not naive...we all can see that daytime drama is in its twilight...I don't expect there to be a OLTL past 2012...but I don't expect it to be off the air a year from now either.

[Adam]

Same old bag of tricks from the PR department at ABC. While Nelson Branco shouldn't be considered a trustworthy news source, ABC didn't do much here to quell the rumours. If this scenario is true, which it makes sense that it is, I am shocked AMC was picked as the NY soap to survive. I have felt for many years AMC became the red-headed step-child soap under the Brian Frons regime... I suppose it could have something to do with his buddy Pratt.... but I think probably people above Frons helped make this decision. Regardless of the quality, AMC is still a more marketable soap than OLTL is. Unfortunate, but I am sure that's what it came down too.

[DeeeDee]

Poor OLTL.

[marceline]

IMO, they shouldn't have given any response at all. This is nothing more than an internet rumor started by a well-known [!@#$%^&*] stirrer whose most significant contribution to the "soapgeist" has been his obsession with dick size, his inability to realize the term "hair model" is no longer cool and the fact that Trevor St. John has seen fit not to file an Order of Protection against him. There was no reason for ABC to address this at all. They may cancel the show next year, they may not. But unless there's hard proof out there that they plan to cancel they just should've sent Carlivati over to Branco's with a bouquet of flowers and told him to take one for the team, assuming he isn't already.

[MarkH]

Yup. The "move" is a feint. Nelson didn't talk about a move, he talked about cancellation. This was never addressed directly.

"At this time, ABC is committed to the longevity and health of OLTL. We believe the studio move will foster that. There are no plans, short-term or long-term, to cancel OLTL. We hope that viewership will continue to grow, and that OLTL will celebrate another 40 years."

THAT would have been a direct answer. Still noncommital...but direct.

[DeeeDee]

Yep.

And you would think someone as publicity hungry as Frons would be direct about OLTL's possible cancellation to spin it as a viable soap going out with a bang instead of a whimper like GL.

[Ann_SS]

My sympathies to OLTL if Nelson Branco is its main advocate. It is pure arrogance and delusion to believe that he can have any influence on millions of OLTL viewers who never go online to take any action one way or other.