Days Of Our Lives
Disney Junior unveiled! SOAPnet's replacement set to premiere March 23rd!
Courtesy/DisneyJunior
Here it is soapers! Your first look at Disney Junior, the 24 hour cable network that will replace the only 24/7 soap opera television network, SOAPnet! March 23rd is the date that for many of the country you will go from seeing the drama of the boardroom and the bedroom, to watching animated figures with shows such as Doc McStuffins, Gaspard and Lisa, and Jake and the Never Land Pirates!”
ABC/Disney is gunning for pre-schoolers 2-5 and their moms, instead of airing same day and date episodes of your favorite soaps, The Young and the Restless, Days of our Lives, and General Hospital. While this is another black day for soap fans, it forces us to look for, or continue , the other options once again to see your soaps : afternoon viewing, your DVR/Tivo, or watching them online.
Here are some excerpts from ABC’s release heralding in their new cable outlet for kiddies!
“Disney Junior, a 24-hour basic cable/satellite channel expressly for kids age 2-7 and their parents/caregivers, will launch Friday March 23 (12:00 midnight, ET/PT) in the U.S., joining 28 other Disney Junior channels around the world. The announcement was made today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, California, by Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide. Disney Junior was introduced as a daily programming block on Disney Channel in February 2010 and, year to year, its ratings are up 26% among Kids 2-5 and 36% among Boys 2-5.
Courtesy/DisneyJunior
The popular Disney Junior daily programming block will continue on Disney Channel while the new 24 hour channel will fulfill parents’ demands for quintessentially Disney programming throughout the day. The Disney Junior channel will be available via major cable and satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Bright House Networks and Verizon, among others.
Marsh said: “This marks the beginning of a sea change in the ‘preschool plus’ television landscape. The response to our Disney Junior programming block has been extremely positive from both our affiliate partners and our viewers’ parents. On March 23, when it launches as a stand-alone channel, our audience will have the opportunity to experience an engaging, learning-focused and uniquely Disney destination on a 24-hour basis.”
Disney Junior invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. A council of academic advisors comprising experts in the fields of child development, transmedia, storytelling, early education and creativity will guide Disney Junior’s learning and development curriculum.
Nancy Kanter, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and General Manager, Disney Junior Worldwide, said: “Disney Junior series each have specific curriculum experts and now, to maximize overall learning value, we are deepening our conversation to include a channel advisory council that will share research and knowledge in the world of education and bring important perspectives on innovations in early childhood learning.”
The programming schedule includes: “Doc McStuffins” – an animated series about a six-year-old girl who communicates with and heals stuffed animals and toys in her backyard clinic. Under the consultancy of the Hollywood Health & Society division of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, the series will highlight the importance of taking care of oneself and others, while showcasing the hallmarks of great Disney storytelling – fantasy and wish fulfillment. Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Chris Nee (“Little Bill” and “Deadliest Catch: Crab Fishing in Alaska”) is the creator and executive producer, and Emmy Award-winning Norton Virgien (“Rugrats”) is the director. “Doc McStuffins” is a production of the Dublin, Ireland-based Brown Bag Films (two time Academy Award nominee for “Granny O’Grimm” and “Give Up Yer Aul Sins”).
“A Poem Is…” — Laura Linney, Viola Davis, John Leguizamo, Jessica Alba, Owen Wilson and Liev Schreiber are among the narrators of the second season of the acclaimed short-form series designed to introduce young children to the beauty of a poem.
“Magical World of Disney Junior” — a weekend movie night featuring telecasts of Disney’s vast array of classic and contemporary movies, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Bambi,” “Dumbo,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Cars,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Aladdin,” among others.
“Gaspard and Lisa” — the adventures of two best friend puppies as they experience the wonders and challenges of school and family life in their Paris neighborhood. Based on the books by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben, “Gaspard and Lisa” is produced by Chorion.
“Guess How Much I Love You” — a tender animated series centered on the father-son relationship between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare. Based on the UK picture book, Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, the series will air exclusively on Disney Junior the Channel. “Guess How Much I Love You” is a production of the Australia-based SLR Productions.
In addition to current hits “Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Little Einsteins,” “Handy Manny” and “Special Agent Oso,” the channel will also present viewer favorites from the past, “Higglytown Heroes,” “Stanley,” “JoJo’s Circus” and “Rolie Polie Olie,” among others.
Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior’s animated and live action series blend Disney’s unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. Disney Junior launched in February 2011 with a daily programming block on Disney Channel. In its first year, Disney Junior posted the network’s biggest yearly audience in the daypart in Total Viewers, Kids 2-5, Boys 2-5, Girls 2-5 and Women 18-49 and increased by double-digit margins among preschooler demographics over year-ago levels.”
The June 22 episode of Days of Our Lives reminded us all of why Deidre Hall is iconic in the role of Dr. Marlena Evans. Here we are 50 years later, and Marlena is still the heroine of the long-running soap opera, and Deidre remains one of the most most recognizable names in the history of soaps.
To pay tribute, and to look back at the life and times of Marlena, the story starts with Marlena flipping through a photo album of her with John (the late Drake Hogestyn) over the years. As she misses him dearly, she gets a knock on the door and its none other than John’s son, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean).
With Andrew (Colton Little) in Salem working on a case, he sits down with Marlena, who says she can’t believe its been fifty years since she first arrived in Salem! Cue: Deidre’s first scenes on DAYS when she finds Mickey Horton (the late John Clarke) playing chess against himself inside the mental institution she worked.
Courtesy/Peacock
THE FLASHBACKS OF MARLENA’S LIFE
From there, viewers definitely got the cliff notes version of the history of Marlena and entrenched within them, some of the biggest moments in Deidre’s enduring run.
Paul thinks he is looking at 70s, and early 80s Marlena while going through her scrapbook, but he is actually looking at her twin, Samantha (Andrea Hall). Cue: when Marlena confronted Samantha about impersonating her, and then later getting a call on her radio show from the Salem Strangler (Jack Coleman as Jake Kostichek) who killed Samantha thinking it was Marlena.
In the present, Belle (Martha Madison) has arrived at this time to meet up with Paul, unaware of this trip down memory lane. She wants to go over the findings in the chess board mystery Stefano willed to Marlena and John, in private with him, since Marlena previously said she wanted nothing to do with it.
Back to the history lesson, Marlena speaks highly of Don Craig and even though their marriage didn’t work out, she could find a path forward with the new love her life, Roman Brady. (Wayne Northrop however is never shown, possibly to keep the story focused on John as Roman for confusion sakes?)
Paul sees a photo of a young Carrie (Christie Clark) in the album and Marlena says she was such a godsend after losing her baby. In fact, Marlena says caring for Carrie prepared her for her having and raising her own twins, Eric and Sami. Cue: The twin visiting Marlena in the hospital.
JOHN AND MARLENA’S LOVE CONQUERED ALL
Then, in a way to get through and incorporate the wild storylines only Marlena could have been in, she tells Belle and Paul, she has been through so much in her life, how lucky she was to find John, and some of the most unbelievable experiences no one could imagine. Cue: Marlena possessed by the devil and levitating from the bed. Next, John confronting Marlena being the Salem Stalker, where she admits she killed Alice Horton, pretends she needs help, then pulls a gun on her beloved John!
The comment is made by Paul and Marlena, that she literally has been to hell and back and she could not have survived were it not for her beloved John. Cue the big emotional highpoint clips; The Pier Scene! Marlena steps out of the fog when John sees her from a distance. After believing she was dead for four years, here she was before him in one of the greatest reunions in a soap opera love story in history. What followed were other times of the life of times of Jarlena.
Courtesy/Peacock
MARLENA’S ‘GIFT’ FROM STEFANO HAS A NEW CLUE
When Marlena makes a brief exit to the other room, Belle fills in Paul on the chess set Stefano left her mother and the photo of the Lire. Paul said he will investigate. Marlena comes back into the room and overhears, and says to promise her if things get dangerous he will back off, she does not want anyone hurt by Stefano’s games.
As the episode comes to a conclusion, it’s just Belle and Marlena going through the photo album giggling about 70s hairstyles and all the memories. Belle speaks on the impact Marlena has had in everyone’s lives, and that she is both the heart of their family and the heart of Salem.
An end card comes up acknowledging Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena, and we fade to black.
So, what did you think of Marlena’s walk down memory lane? Were you happy to see the flashback clips utilized throughout? Were you touched by the scenes and the performance of Deidre Hall? Let us know what you thought of Deidre’s 50th anniversary episode via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
Days Of Our Lives
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
It’s been a bittersweet time for Al Calderon. The talented actor/singer/songwriter has watched from his vantage point to roles he loved so much come to their conclusion for different reasons.
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Calderon took a moment to share how grateful he was for the opportunity to play Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, and nurse Nico Silva this year on NBC’s second season of Brilliant Minds. Currently, Brilliant Minds has two more episodes that will air on June 24 and the series finale on July 1.
Calderon expressed, “As I sit here reflecting on this lovely Saturday afternoon over the last two years of my life, I have two major chapters closing that have been part of my life every day for the last two years. We have Brilliant Minds. Our last episodes are wrapping up, and then my last scenes aired yesterday as me as Javi on Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
“I’m just unbelievably grateful for the chance and the opportunity to be a part of something so much larger than me,” continued Al. “I (will) love Days of Our Lives forever, my family. Thank you for supporting me and supporting my decision to take the leap of faith and believe in myself and, and tell other stories. You know, it’s never goodbye. It’s always ‘see you later’ to me and just leaving with love and leading with love.”
Al concluded with a special mention to some very important people, the fans: “Thank you to the fans and the support from everyone, the lovely messages. So this next chapter, hopefully it’s not a dragon, hopefully it’s a gold coin.”
Photo: NBC
Calderon’s journey on-screen on Days of Our Lives began in October of 2024 and concluded this month. In one of his last appearances Javi was asking a favor from Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) before bumping into his ex, Leo (Greg Rikaart). In story, Javi has a new romance with Gus (Michael Ocampo), while fighting his feelings for Leo. The role of Javi will be played starting on June 30 by Jacob Martinez who takes over the role.
NBC decided to cancel the Brilliant Minds, after it split up the airing of its second season which began in the fall of September of 2025 and the back-half started airing after a long break this past May. Calderon joined the medical drama staring Zachary Quinto for the new season, which sadly was its last.
So, will you miss Al on Days of Our Lives and Brilliant Minds as his time on-screen has come to an end? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
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Not a fan! My kids are grown. This station will be OFF my TV the same as ABC! So sorry to see Soapnet go because I work all day and do not own a DVR recorder to watch whatever soaps are left. Guess its time to invest in one. Thanks for keeping us informed on all the fun stuff, Michael!
im trying to remember ,where have I see these cartoons before?I dont know, all over the place ,looks like its going to happen, no change of heart from abc/disney,they are proving there hate for the soaps ,by insulting us with another network for kids,and they are killing the one and only soap channel that we have .they dont hear us ,this is why I will not watch anything that network puts out there ,abc could have kept that channel played the old soaps create new ones ,and let the continuing stories in pine valley and landview go on,and those stupid cartoons that will be showing on disney junior put them where there other kid shows are, how many disney channels are there ,I cant get rid of the dam things ,because I live in florida, disney lets us have it for free ,no package ,if I could get rid of those channels I would,wish there was a way without disrupting my other channels ,I have to call my provider today see what I can do.I know they have to get some money for the places that do show the disney garbage.the channels are never allowed in my home ,but I wonder if there still on, with the cable that you have and its counted as a rating boost,I hope not .heather thats another question for you ,is it counted if its on your package ,but you dont watch it.I would like to know .Im sick over this, even though we knew it was going to happen.I hope we dont loose general hospital.abc is killing everything Im farmiliar with.after march 22 gh is all abc owns ,whats going to happen next?
how many 3-7 year olds are up past 9:00 at night, this is sooo stupid!! Barbara, if the ratings do not go up on GH it will be gone in September.
I know,my kids were never up that late ,they should be in bed ,I dont get it ,and I am worried about general hospital,the ratings have to get better abc has no problem cancelling soaps.
Disney, you stink! As my moniker indicates, I am a “mom of 3” and I can tell you the last thing my household needs is another TV Channel for kids! My soaps are my “me” time. As a hard-working wife & mother I don’t think that is too much to ask.
I am in full-boycott of ALL things Disney because of the cancellation of the ABC soaps & SoapNet.
I’m sure CEO Robert Iger has plenty of “me” time with his $50,000,000+ 2011 earnings. Give the rest of us 99% a break. I even paid more for my cable bill for SoapNet.
I should add, I contacted my cable provider to complain about the change and will change my cable plan once SoapNet is off the air. I’ll save some money, but I’d rather have my soaps.
By the way, advertising sponsors, I make the purchasing decisions in our households, not my kids. I am watching who advertises on all ABC/Disney channels and actively boycotting them too.
Another reason to hope Anne Sweeney gets fired ala Brain Frons. I wish soapfans would unite on March 22nd and create a plan to boycott ABC for one entire day/week. I LOVE SoapNet- I really hate ABC.
I havent watched anything on abc since my soaps were canceled,all I watch is general hospital,television goes on at 3 off at 4.abc/disney will never have me as a fan anymore.Once I make up my mind to do something ,I stick to it.Ill never change my mind about that network ,unless all my children and one life to live are brought back where they belong.
We, as in our family and friends are continuing our boycotting of ALL THINGS ABC and Disney for their having canceled “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.” In response to these cancellation policy decisions, decisions made by Disney’s Robert Iger and ABC’s Anne Sweeney and Brian Frons, evidence is emerging suggesting that ABC is witnessing half of the Daytime audience fan base fleeing its network programming entirely, as some acutely perceptive observers (i.e. including among others, the acutely prescient Robin Strasser, et al.) many months ago had well predicted would be the tragic outcome. In an honorable business culture, these three individuals would have already committed a form of corporate “hari kari” for having offended and injured as many parties as they have through their rank incompetence, poor business decision making, and despicable treatment of their customers/loyal viewers of many decades duration. And, moreover, for their manifest classless crude abuse, deception, and disrespect they rained on the ever talented casts and crews of “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.” Iger, Frons, and Sweeney are disgraces to the honorable traditions that have historically prevailed in the American entertainment and broadcasting industries, and the latter Ms. Sweeney in having been complicit to the extreme in Mr. Frons’ notorious in the public record, chronic repeated ageist and sexist conduct, is a disgrace to the American womens movement that tragically paved the opportunity for her; powerfully witness her wrecking operations in a Bain Capital-like looting fashion of a great American storytelling genre birthed by writer Agnes Nixon that sustained primetime programming on this country’s networks for decades. Moreover, the three of them, Iger, Sweeney and Frons went on to replace such iconic American classics (and their millions of LOYAL daytime viewers) with junk programming a la The Spew and The Revulsion in further debasing the American contemporary television medium. Shame on the three of them and let damn be done! ABC/Disney: Release the rights now being held “hostage” to those shows and allow another network or cable provider to bring these shows back to their audiences. For once, do the right thing and cease your contemptuous conduct toward your customer base that is inimical to every sound contemporary business practice. Begin, then, to advertise ABC in a positive public light. Or perhaps better that Disney “do you” (Karma) as you did unto others, and denigrate and humiliate, and sell you off at a fire sale…now, there’s an idea….why, thank you Fortune Magazine….
I hope that abc /disney has spies and they come here and read what all of us have to say about there cancellation of our soaps and how many people were hurt in there decision to do so,and again you tell it like it is .I wish we could get agnes nixons rights to her stories,I dont understand abc/disneys ,keeping the stories hostage ,they say the soaps are dead,so give them up,how can they loose ,I think I read it here ,someone wrote if they dont have them, no one else will get them ,now thats greed.I really wish we could sink abc ,daytime and prime time.again ,another good post,dr donald g.boudreau.
Nice having a doctor on the site, LOL.
Doc, Shelly and I (1loveabcsoaps) have some good idea’s posted below. What do you think of them and do you have any to ADD to our list?
The last thing we need is another reason for kids to stay indoors, Disney & ABC you really did not think this through. I have enjoyed soapnet for years ( also paid extra on direct tv ) Missing all my stories, I will contune to Boycott all ABC shows ( except GH) and ALL DISNEY ( already cancled family fun magazine & movie club) now i record All My Children, One Life to live & General Hospital. guess i will have plenty of room on my recorder after Soapnet is gone. You really don’t pay attention to the consumer , we as parents, grandparents & aunts are the one who buys for the kids. and we choose what they watch on TV. wish more could be done to bring our stories back. On another note i find it funny that ABC has blocked several of us from posting on thier facebook pages (If they don’t agree with us they delete our post and block us)
“A 24-hour basic cable/satellite channel expressly for kids age 2-7 and their parents/caregivers.” To watch together? Or does Disney mean parents/caregivers can park their kids in front of the television and forget about them? What children ages 2-7 are awake and watching television 24 hours a day? Add a vending machine to dispense food and you can leave the kids alone for a week at a time. Disney Junior–the substitute parents/caregiver–addicts your children to mindless television, freeing up more of your time for what’s really important.
I know, who lets there kids watch tv in the middle of the night?alot of parents today do use the tv to baby sit there kids,no wonder the family is dying .I like your vending machine to dispense food,and leave them for a week ,the last thing I ever wanted to do was to bond with my kids in front of a dam tv.someday I would love to count all the kid channels out there ,then ask abc/disney why they were hell bent in destroying the only soap channel for another kid show.
Gag me. This is another stupid move by ABC/Disney. I detest both of them-only watch ABC for GH. That is it. Why on earth can’t the Disney Kids get a channel of their own? Why, why, why, are soap lovers losing everything? Damn it. This is frustrating. Just sick over it all. Today I was watching GH on the treadmill & during a commercial actually reached for the remote, just for a second to see what was happening on Guiding Light! Crazy, huh? But I used to love to switch back & forth & watch all the soaps. I hate 2012.
I don’t understand when there is a channel for every conceivable type of human interest that there cannot be one channel on this planet for soap operas. Are children ages 2-7 a bigger spending consumer audience than the people who watch soaps? Last time I checked, most kids this age don’t have credit cards, disposable income, or shop for their families.
Oh, I have been screaming this from the rooftops since last April. I mean, seriously, there is literally a channel devoted to interest you can think of but they are robbing soaps fans blind. I love SoapNet, just love it-I loved Soap Talk with Ty & Lisa Rinna, and I loved One Day with Wally Kurth & Soapography. I don’t know what happened to these shows but they were so good. And you would think, not expensive to produce. I was hoping SoapNet would pick up shows like Another World, Santa Barbara, Loving, there are so many to choose from. If the networks are gonna cancel our current shows why can’t someone just have a channel for reruns of old soaps? Aren’t tapes just gathering dust somewhere, how expensive could that cost to rerun old shows?? That would be better than nothing. This Disney Kids sickens me.
To be honest, I’m NOT upset by this. They’re re-airing all of my childhood shows so I can’t be too bittersweet about it. And yes, soap fans will slam me but I’m trying to see my own positive about this. I can re-live my childhood and share with my baby cousin.
as soon as soapnet is gone,so is my cable bill,thats 70$ amonth I can save for gas and food
I had my cable shut off July 2008, (to save $50 a month) so this boycott will be easy!! 🙂 I don’t know why they can’t play old soaps and have kids programming too. Like others said, play one during the daytime, other at night! I still wouldn’t pay $50 tho!
why couldn’t tptb & tiic show programs during the day for the kids & still show the soaps at night????
Because Ethel that would involve ABC/Disney actually have a heart and brain and compromising with the fans.
If Disney wanted to added Disney Jr i am not to upset about that but they could have seen if the cable companies would add the station and kept Soapnet on the air instead of replacing one network with another one.On Comcast Cable in Sacramento their are more then one network that has the exact same programming on at the same time on more then one channel like our local CBS Channel which has the same shows on at the same time on channels 13 and 90 and the GSN is on more then 1 channel with the same shows and thats not including the HDTV Channels they could put on CBS and the GSN on one channel each and free up 2 stations.
Let’s continue to find other ways to BOYCOTT abc.
1. Send soap to the abc studio
2. Cancel cable and get the dish (support no disney shows)
3. Call Disney 818.460.7477/ 663 818.560.1000
4. Watch no abc channels BUT support General Hospital at 3pm, and change channel.
5. Tell your friends and family to do same, and REMIND them to make sure they are.
6. Post abc boycott on your Facebook accounts
7. Sign all petitions and start your own petitions. We want OLTL back.
8. Email Oprah, Call her, Twitter her, Facebook the HELL out of her & ask her to reconsider. Noone will care about her back-tracking. She needs viewership, and that calculated to income. Get your friends & family (especially young people who love ALL things social media) involved in getting their friends to bagger Oprah like hell.
9. Get together with your soap friend pal’s and take out an add in a Newspaper, (especially if you live in a major market, Phili, Chicago, NYC, LA) about the lost of your soap and disappointment. This will attract publicity and make the news, then someone will see it as a gold mine as a Market X, that isn’t being forfilled.
10. Do these things everyday, get other’s involved, remind them. If you forget a day, not lose stamina-get back with it the next. DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT.
PS. Brainstorm with other people about what else we can do.
I have a plan and it’s very simple:
1) For the time being, I only watch GH on ABC.
2) My trip next 2 weeks to central FL, for the first time ever, will not include a visit to the Mouse House.
3) On March 23, I intend to contact my cable company and have all the Dis channels removed from my lineup.
4) IF GH is cancelled, I will draft a letter to my local ABC affiliate explaining why I will no longer watch their channel. Local affiliates survive by local advertising. If I have the time, I will personally phone those who advertise during GH, and explain, sorry, I’m no longer watching.
5) As I did when OLTL went off on 1/13, I posted a very negative response to the affiliates FB post: (paraphrasing) “Arent you excited for the Monday debut of the ______?” It started a deluge of negative posts, NO ONE wanted to see that show.
Im with you 1loveabcsoaps .cant think of any more we can do to ,you pretty much covered it all. we cant give up,im not .and I continue to call and e mail abc/disney every day sometimes more .keep signing the petitions on facebook.we cant give up.
This is really upsetting. At least for now, I can watch classic episodes of OLTL & AMC. It has softened the blow of losing them both. When SoapNet goes off the air, I don’t know what I’ll do. I really miss my soaps! I have watched both since day one. This is just too hard to take. ABC/D, I wish someone would cancel your existence, you evil, rat bastards! Have an effing magical day.
I know what you mean, having SoapNet & the reruns was a comfort-this is just another blow to soap fans. I agree with every word you said. ABC & Disney can go straight to hell.
Im with you liz ,I love you calling them , the rat bastards <I have a few choice words to call them to, but I cant use them here.I hope abc/disney has a magical day and there new shows, all of them ,make them wish upon a star that they never would have canceled our soaps ,they sure wanted to get out of the soap business ,didnt they ?another disappointment for us.
i cant agree more i love my soaps i hate 2012 i rather get hit by a astriod then lose my soaps thanks for nothing abcd and disney i really hope this is the end of the world this year then i will die laughing at you guys hahahaha
Where will I get my Gilmore Girls fix on the weekends? Damn them! Looks like my cable bill will be a little less money as well.
I’ve already been boycotting ABC. The only show I watch is GH and if it’s cancelled, bye bye ABC for good.
This sucks.
I fell in love with Brothers & Sisters on SoapNet, never watched it on ABC but recently I realized SoapNet was starting it over with the very first episode. I have been dvr-ing it like crazy but March 23 will be here before I get all the shows recorded. Damn it. Will have to buy dvds or something. I was hoping to get into Gilmore Girls next but I guess not. I love SoapNet & will miss it like I miss everything else that is being taken away from us.
dont stop watching brothers and sisters, another show abc/disney got rid of that they shouldnt have ,there family meals are so funny reminds me when my gang gets together,I dont think abc/disney likes family shows, not like they use to.there prime time shows are getting trashier and trashier .so abc/disney is not missed in my home.
Arent some cable proviuders still carrying soapnet past March 23rd?
I dont see how if its been turned into disney junior ,on march 23rd.of all the networks that are out there we cant have one soap channel, makes no sense.
Yes but only temporary until they are able to carry Disney Junior.
Yes, brother and sister’s was a Great Show…., and could have used better marketng and advertising…. I love Sally Field. A Big Sally Fan…
it was one of my favorite shows ,another killing by abc/disney that show had a lot of life left in it.I was so disappointed when it was canceled but I wasnt surprised.seems that abc is getting away from family programming .I miss the walkers to.also think the time should have been changed put on earlier.
Why can’t they atleast throw us a bone & show old episodes of AMC & OLTL? It won’t cost them anything & they can leave Soapnet alone! We don’t need anymore kids channels! There must be a dozen already! They’re only used to sell products to kids so they can bug their parents to buy them junk!
This is complete s***!!! Disney already has Disney Playhouse in the morning for little kids, why spoil it for us soapfans with yet another one when this is not needed?
I for one do not understand WHY children would need a 24 hour station, when children are supposed to be in bed !!! I am one show away from blocking ABC and Disney from my televisions. If General Hospital goes, so does ABC and Disney right off my remote, I PROMISE I will block the channels. No more purchasing Disney products either !!! Tired of their total disregard for all of us loyal soap fans !
Sign me ” pis**d off and had enough” !!!
i’m excited to find where disney jr is or will be in march, 2013. “that’s fresh” sounds totally fascinating. guess it’s a cooking show to show how to cook healthier. i’ve gained two sizes due to a foot problem. can’t wait to learn to cook healthier.