All My Children
Former SOAPnet General Manager Deborah Blackwell Has Passed Away!
Courtesy/ABC
Sad news to report today. Deborah Blackwell, who was in charge of bringing SOAPnet to the forefront in its original version passed away on Friday after a seven-year battle with Pick’s disease, a rare neuro-degenerative disorder. According to Deadline.com, “Blackwell passed away at the age of 63 in Virginia, surrounded by family.”
Blackwell was named the cable channel’s General Manager from its inception in 2001 through to 2007. During her tenure, SOAPnet grew its programming slate via a slew of acquisitions of primetime and daytime soaps as well as its distribution as the genre enjoyed popularity. Deborah brought Soap Center, Soap Talk, I Wanna Be A Soap Star, Soapography, One Day With...” and other series and specials to the all-soap network along with ABC same day and date episodes of ABC’s All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital and later added Sony shows Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless.
When Blackwell left her post in 2007, there was clearly a shift away from original programming to more programming acquisitions. It was after Blackwell left that daytime soaps began to lose traction, leading to Disney’s recent decision to rebrand SOAPnet as Disney Jr.
Before joining SOAPnet, Blackwell served as president of Idealab’s MyHome.com, an internet start-up. From 1993-99, Blackwell headed the TV movie and miniseries department of the William Morris Agency, packaging projects with such clients as Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover, Alec Baldwin and Drew Barrymore. Before becoming an agent, Blackwell was a development executive at Hearst Entertainment, rising from director to SVP.
So what do you think of the news of the passing of Deborah Blackwell? Do you enjoy SOAPnet in its original incarnation before it became watered down and away from its original concept? Let us know!
All My Children
TONIGHT: All My Children’s Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams Together Again on All-New Episode of ‘Our Kind of People’
The Fox drama, Our Kind of People (9 pm ET/8pm CT), will feature a reunion, of sorts, on tonight’s January 18th episode when Debbi Morgan (Ex-Angie, All My Children) once again shares screen-time with her former on-screen soap opera love, Darnell Williams (Ex-Jesse, All My Children).
While mum’s the word as to Williams role, we know that Debbi plays Angela’s Aunt Piggy on the series, and in last week’s installment, Piggy went to the police station to turn herself in for the murder of her ex-boyfriend years ago. However, Darnell’s character could hold the key as to what really went down in the murder.
Photo: JPI
Debbi spoke to TV Line about acting again with Darnell: “We were shooting the scene when Darnell’s character walks through the door for the first time. And it was the first time we see this character on the show, and I looked at him and shouted, ‘Jesse!’ The director had to yell cut and everyone fell out laughing. It was hilarious. I knew that wasn’t his name on Our Kind of People but I couldn’t help myself. We worked together for so many years as Angie and Jesse and that’s the first thing that came to my mind.”
Photo: FOX
For those who have not checked out Our Kind of People, it takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful Black elite have come to play for over 50 years.
In story, strong-willed single mom Angela Vaughn (Ex-AMC star, Yaya Decosta) sets out to reclaim her family’s name and make an impact with her revolutionary hair care line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women, but she soon discovers a dark secret about her own mother’s past that will turn her world upside-down and shake up this community forever. The show is a soapy, thrilling exploration of race and class in America and an unapologetic celebration of Black resilience and achievement.
The series is from writer and executive producer Karin Gist (Star, Grey’s Anatomy) and executive producer Lee Daniels (Empire, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday).
So, will you be watching Debbi and Darnell together on tonight’s Our Kind of People? Comment below.
All My Children
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All My Children
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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Nina Helps Sonny After Realizing He is Off His Meds
Lisa Brown to be Honored In Virtual Interview With ’42nd Street’ Co-Star Lee Roy Reams
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Brooke Reels When Hope Says Douglas Saw Grandma Kissing ‘Santa Claus’
B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang and Ashley Jones Reveal They Want Brooke & Bridget To Deal with Their Shared Past with Deacon
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Helena, Jennifer Smith & The Ice Princess: What Did You Think of Luke Spencer’s Memorial?
All My Children Alum William Christian to Debut on Days of our Lives
(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Brooke Reels When Hope Says Douglas Saw Grandma Kissing ‘Santa Claus’
Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Michael at a Crossroads; What Did You Think of Christian LeBlanc’s 30th Anniversary Episode?
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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: A Shocked Brooke Exclaims: “Oh, My God! I Was Drinking Last Night!”
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General HospitalJanuary 19, 2022FRIDAY: Luke Spencer’s Family and Friends Gather To Say Goodbye On General Hospital
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Days Of Our LivesJanuary 24, 2022Days of our Lives Preemption Schedule During 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
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General HospitalJanuary 21, 2022(WATCH) GH’s Genie Francis Shares: “I Just Have a Hard Time Believing, In My Heart, That The Great Luke Spencer Died in an Accident”
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Days Of Our LivesJanuary 19, 2022DAYS OF OUR LIVES: What Did You Think of the Life-Sized Duke and Ava Scene?
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Days Of Our LivesJanuary 22, 2022All My Children Alum William Christian to Debut on Days of our Lives
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NewsJanuary 24, 2022B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang and Ashley Jones Reveal They Want Brooke & Bridget To Deal with Their Shared Past with Deacon
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General HospitalJanuary 23, 2022GENERAL HOSPITAL: Helena, Jennifer Smith & The Ice Princess: What Did You Think of Luke Spencer’s Memorial?
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General HospitalJanuary 27, 2022GENERAL HOSPITAL: Nina Helps Sonny After Realizing He is Off His Meds
Sad to hear about her passing…i miss soapnet…maybe had they kept it like its original incarnation and continued with original programing it might still be with us…i didnt even get Disney Jr., the channel is completely gone from my line up!!!
She sound like a lovely woman who made a great contribution to her industry. Condolences to her family and friends.
I am sorry to hear that Billy Miller is leaving the Y & R. He made Billy Abbott believable and likable despite his many sins. I’ve never seen the original actor, Tom David, in this role. I’ll give him a chance. We’ll see.
That is so sad. My condolences to her family.
Sad news. I loved the original SoapNet.
The years she was in charge of SoapNet were the best, I loved all the original programming plus having the chance to see my daytime shows at my convenience, to watch again even if I’d seen them earlier in the day. It was a comfort to turn to SoapNet late at night & see my shows again. I am sorry she is gone at such a young age & sorry for her friends & family.
Thank you, Michael, for noting this woman’s contributions and successes. Clearly, Deborah Blackwell was a savvy programmer and researcher and an ally of daytime. SOAPNET was an immediate hit with me and now I know who was responsible for that entertainment and opoprtunities for disucssion and education about the genre.
This is sad news indeed. I repeat what others have said, the first few years of SoapNet were the best. Anyone remember “Disfunctional Family Night”, replaying some of the best nighttime soap episodes. A true champion of the soap genre, may she rest in peace.
Such awful news!!!!! My condolences to Deborah Blackwell’s family.
Sad news. I loved SOAPnet and it was truly at its best under her leadership. She saw the potential and brought it to the fans. She impacted viewers’ lives in a very positive way by bringing great entertainment into our homes. I hope her family and friends find peace and know that her business accomplishments were truly appreciated.
My condolences to Ms. Blackwell’s family, friends and all who worked with her at SOAPnet. While I never knew of her until the announcement of her untimely passing, I am certainly very familiar with her work. I thoroughly enjoyed many of the original shows named above. As soap fan I was pleasantly surprised by what I found when I discovered the existence of SOAPnet and I am confident my enjoyment of that network’s programming is what Ms. Blackwell envisioned as she created original shows for soap fans. If there is ever a Soap Opera Museum created, I do hope there… Read more »
ya,id love watching soapnet.if i missed it.it still be on…