I'm thrilled and I see your point, but I still want Broderick to stay at AMC because I really think she's the best writer they've ever had aside from Agnes Nixon herself. I really think this is the chance to resurrect AMC (and OLTL, which I haven't watched regularly in years and don't have the same level of investment in). As for the actors, I agree that Lucci is the only marquee name AMC must keep, but I hope they work out a deal to keep Jack, Tad & Dixie, too.

Is that really possible... when she signed a fresh new FIVE YEAR contract at ABC? You guys thrill me... ABC is keeping their key people. Hence the multi year contracts.

Hopefully both shows have smaller writing teams and embrace hiring some new talent in that area. IMO, a huge overhaul on almost all of OLTL's writing team would be much welcomed (and deserved)!!

Here's an article for the Wall Street Journal that gives us a few more details:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/07/07/all-my-children-and-one-life-to-live-head-online/?mod=google_news_blog

Says that Prospect Park has the exclusive rights for more than a decade, will pay ABC/Disney millions in royalties a year, production budget will be somewhat lower, exploring online subscription, advertising sales and sponsorships or product-placement deals. Talks also began less than a month after ABC announced the show cancellations.

Edited July 7, 201114 yr by wingwalker

For those cautioning us not to "count the chickens before they've hatched"...

Regardless of our personal opinions of ABC, it is a business. What kind of business would announce a deal like this only to see it fall through? Talk about bad press. Just because Prospect Park or ABC has not released every little piece of information about this deal doesn't mean that it is going to "fall through". Odds are, everything except the contract negotiations for the various AMC and OLTL actors have already fallen into place. No company worth its salt - regardless of what genre or industry they exist in - is going to announce a deal such as this without full confidence that it will go forward.

Can we have difference opinions, sure, but to read some of the comments on this board...its almost as if they would prefer to have AMC end in September and OLTL in January. As someone else asked, "what do people really want"? Do they want AMC and OLTL to continue in the same format that they are in right now...on ABC? If so, that is not going to happen. While I don't watch either soap, I am happy that the genre continues to exist, regardless of what "platform" AMC and OLTL exists on...at least they will continue to exist. Shouldn't that be celebrated?

Don't blow up their website or anything, but I think some concise, well-thought letters to Prospect expressing what you felt worked and didn't work for prior experiments of soaps on diminished budgets may be constructive. And of course show your delight and gratitude.

Clear, concise, but by God almighty make it BRIEF, TO-THE-POINT, and hell even use bullet points. They won't bother taking the time to read novels. Trust me

Would this even be free? I really doubt it and I certainly won't pay to watch it online

Shrug, then don't pay. I'm willing to give it a chance. As others have said, vets have certainly done cheaper sounding websoaps in the past. I don't have a ton of faith in this, even I admit, but I do think the web eventually WILL be the model, and I think it's worth someone giving a try now. Even if the shows are essentially brand new, as many think they will be, I think it's smart to start with some ties (even the name) to bring in viewers who would have never bothered in the past. This comment "We believe that by continuing to produce the shows in their current hour format and with the same quality, viewers will follow the show to our new, online network." makes me think that initially (and I know, this could last as little as a week or month before the plug is pulled) they are doing brand new episodes...

I get why so many are cynical (although I don't really get why you dragonflies continue to watch after how much you've loathed the past 5 years or so--or more?), I admit I'm not gonna really accept this until I hear exactly more about the format. My biggest fear right now is it will be a Hulu like service with no access to Canada.

I'm just hoping watching them will be free. My broke ass can't even afford a cheeseburger right now much less watching AMC/OLTL online.

jpoliver, in my view, AMC at a substantially reduced budget with a substantially reduced cast and shown on the Internet instead of TV is the not the same show to me. It's a completely different animal, so I remain skeptical. Perhaps I will like this new incarnation, perhaps I won't, but it will be very, very different, and anyone who denies that is denying reality.

Even if it goes through the shows arent going to be the same. Thats a fact no matter what anyone says.

Oh, no doubt about it. I dunno if even the most positive people about this expect that, and if they do they are setting themselves up for a fall. That doesn't mean we need certain posters (and I don't mean you even though Lord knows we've disagreed about AMC) repeatedly saying the exact same thing as if it's brand new, unexpected opinion--or complaining when people disagree.

If ABC can lease the shows to the outside company, could they not lease the talent? I'm clueless about things like this, so I'm asking for real, not just to be a bitch.

Anyway, I'm apprehensive about this because we know NOTHING of what the shows will be when/if this whole thing goes through. I can't even post in the "Who do you want to see on the online shows?" thread because I don't know if we're talking five hours a week, two hours a week, one hour a week, one hour every other week, etc. I'm excited at the idea of major changes coming, but we have no reason at all to believe the shows will either sink or swim. Just chill and wait, don't get ahead of yourself with thoughts of what you think is gonna happen. You keep doing that, and you get used to what you want to see, and when your expectations aren't met, you're pissed.

Can we have difference opinions, sure, but to read some of the comments on this board...its almost as if they would prefer to have AMC end in September and OLTL in January. As someone else asked, "what do people really want"? Do they want AMC and OLTL to continue in the same format that they are in right now...on ABC? If so, that is not going to happen. While I don't watch either soap, I am happy that the genre continues to exist, regardless of what "platform" AMC and OLTL exists on...at least they will continue to exist. Shouldn't that be celebrated?

+1!!! I agree 100%

If ABC can lease the shows to the outside company, could they not lease the talent? I'm clueless about things like this, so I'm asking for real, not just to be a bitch.

And not to be a bitch, let's just say that ABC has been known to gear particular contracts in a certain way over another. Why is Tony Geary able to have contracted time off each year, but Genie Francis wasn't? So ABC's contracts aren't even the same amongst their talent, much less their talent being the same amongst their other business entities.

Edited July 7, 201114 yr by R Sinclair

I get everyone's apprehensions about a "web-series" but I'm led to believe that a REAL production company with a lot of money will be producing this. The only downside is that it won't be on television. It's no different than say, Chuck getting cancelled by NBC and then being aired on say Netflix. It's the same show, just online.

I get you can't compare them literally, and budgets are clearly different, but from the posts, no one seems to be grasping that a PRODUCTION COMPANY is producing them. It's not some indie soap developer and we aren't going to be seeing Viki or Erica standing in a snowy field in Peapack gasping and shouting with insane closeups.

Will the shows be different ... oh definitely. 100%. I for one am very excited about how this will be handled. But seriously folks, in this situation, you can't have your cake and eat it too. The soaps are saved. Celebrate that, regardless of the outcome. This is fantastic news!

MEK already said he's staying in LA and will look for work there, if this new AMC goes to NY, you can count out MEK/Tad

Considering everything, wouldn't it be more likely if a show moves to help PP, that it woul dbe OLTL to LA? Aside from that MEK said that BEFORE this announcement. I think he has learned over the years that he's likely to get less and less major work and I could see him being one of the cast members happy to stay on.

I'm still skeptical, but I'll try to be positive. I'm just getting shades of Passions on Direct TV from this. I'd rather the shows go out good while they can instead of them limping along going out with a final whimper

UGH But I thought you hated the shows right now. I think I'm gonna have to just ignore all your posts I missed--obviously I'm repeating myself as much as you are, sorry.