Back in the fall of 2011, I reported that axed ABC daytime soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live would be given a second life with new episodes online. Many of the shows’ stars were excited about the opportunity to reprise their roles after being taken off the air after 41 and 44 years on air respectively.
Both soaps were supposed to begin shown online starting January 2011 via an Internet TV channel called The Online Network, but January came and went without any appearance of the daytime dramas. Now, two years later, All My Children and One Life To Live will appear with all new story-lines on Hulu, beginning on April 29th.
Digital broadcast services like Hulu and Netflix have given us more programming options, and it is a brilliant move for everyone involved to have both of these highly popular soap operas readily available on the Internet. Now being coined “Anytime TV” instead of Daytime TV, viewers can watch All My Children and One Life To Live whenever they want wherever they want. Being on Hulu may also open up the programs to whole new generation of viewers who do not have cable and embrace online programming options.
Viewers can expect to see four half-hour shows for each soap Monday through Friday, with a recap episode available on Fridays (with limited commercial interruptions). The Online Network is still behind the production of these shows, and will be utilizing Hulu’s impressive platform for these programs. Hulu is an application based tool that allows viewers to watch programming on their tablets, smartphones, and computers.
As of this writing, most of the AMC cast from 2011 will be on this new online version, and rumor has it, Susan Lucci may also be joining her other Pine Valley friends and foes.
Already, we are seeing quick preview commercials of the characters who will be back in Pine Valley and Llanview. As an avid AMC viewer, I am so ready to see the characters I have grown to love back! Reason 1,001 why I love and adore Hulu.
It will be interesting to see how the resurgence of these two shows changes the way we watch traditional television. It’s good to know that we have options other than the big networks.
Will you be watching All My Children and/or One Life to Live on Hulu?
Photo credit of the 2013 All My Children cast: The Hollywood Reporter
I’m trying to wait patiently…lol
I am sooo excited! Been waiting on these new episodes since 2011. So happy they are returning 🙂
I wish the technology would have been here sooner, so my soap (and many others) would have had a chance to avoid being cancelled. I’m a third generation Guiding Light fan and was so sorry to see it go off the air.
I plan to watch. I started watching AMC & OLTL when I was 5 (my aunt was my babysitter) I got hooked on both shows & watched whenever I was home – much to my mother’s chagrin, lol. I’m excited to see them back.