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GH’s Maurice Benard States That ABC “Made a Huge Mistake Cancelling All My Children and One Life to Live” Citing They Underestimated “Power of the Soap Audience”

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC

In a day that will live in soap infamy, it was 14 years ago on April 14, 2011 that then ABC Daytime President, Brian Frons called a meeting to be attended virtually by both cast and crew of All My Children and One Life to Live. In that meeting, it was announced that in one fell swoop both soap operas were canceled. For AMC, that ended its 41-year run, and for OLTL that would end its 43-year run,

The original replacements for those series are also gone with The Revolution lasting only six months in OLTL’s time slot, and the cooking show The Chew put in AMC’s time slot lasting seven years before exiting the air. A far cry from soap operas that to this day has legions and legions of fans and that lasted four decades.

On the latest edition of General Hospital star Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) You Tube talk show and mental health series, State of Mind that dropped on Sunday, he welcomes his co-star, Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain). During their discussion, Cameron talks about his time as Ryan Lavery as Maurice touches upon his time as Nico Kelly on All My Children.

Courtesy/SOM

At one point, Mathison recalls the moment he found out from then All My Children executive producer, Julie Hanan Carruthers (who is now at Beyond the Gates) that the meeting he needed to attend was mandatory; which gave him pause realizing this was the end of the line for the soap on ABC. Sadly, both shows were created by the late, great Agnes Nixon.

Benard acknowledged that: “They (ABC) made, and they know they did, a huge mistake cancelling All My Children and One Life to Live. They didn’t know the power of a soap opera audience!” The three-time Daytime Emmy winner also added about ABC daytime’s flimsy attempts at replacement shows, “Nothing worked, and that’s why it’s difficult to cancel a soap … now. I think they (ABC) learned from that, and that’s my opinion.”

Photo: JPI

Mathison responded about losing the viewers who watched both AMC and OLTL: “That’s a big chunk of the audience, and you see how General Hospital is doing, not only on network television, but on streaming … there’s revenue internationally. It’s a bigger entity than just that time slot, and the fans and the loyalty and what Frank Valentini (executive producer, GH) is doing over there to make sure they get new eyeballs on it, but yeah, I bet you’re are right. Those people absolutely regret it.” It was Maurice who summed it up best, expressing, “I think year’s ago … they knew they messed up!”

Photo: JPI

Since the cancellations of All My Children and One Life to Live, the mainstream has had a doomsday attitude about the soaps, but this year on February 24, 2025, CBS launched the first new daytime drama in over 25 years on network TV with Beyond the Gates, and that gives some hope that all is not lost to keep the genre vital and still a part of pop culture while maintaining its core fanbase.

You can catch Maurice and Cameron’s discussion about the cancellation of All My Children and One Life to Live and so much more below.

So, are you glad that GH’s Maurice Benard spoke up and agreed that what ABC did over 14 years ago was a monumental mistake that forever changed the daytime television landscape? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Although I wasn’t an AMC or a regular OLTL viewer, I lived through the cancellations of 4 soaps I adored ( Dark Shadows, The Doctors, Search for Tomorrow and Passions) so I know how it feels. I will watch GH, DOOL, Y&R and BTG until the end…. whether they or I go first…

I still look for Guiding Light at 2pm sometimes it was such a part of my life. I still miss it so much.

The millions and millions of dollars they are saving every day by showing lower rated, but waaaay cheaper shows? Yea, I’m sure they regret canceling them – NOT.

They need to bring them all back

Of course they realized that it was a mistake. Fans protested by hitting Disney where it hurt, the wallet. Yes, Disney is still making money today but in those few months it was a loud statement to them. There was lots of talk that GH was scheduled next, but they were still working on a replacement show for that time slot. They reversed that choice rather quickly!

It seems to me Maurice Benard is speaking out against the cancellations of OLTL and AMC because he knows GH will soon be closing its doors. A brand new Mickey Mouse Club might do well for ABC.

Nah I don’t think so. I don’t watch GH anymore but it seems to me the real fans are so loyal it wouldn’t go down without a fight or else get scooped up by another network. It could easily replace Beyond the Gates which isnt doing zilch.

I don’t think so!I stream Gh everyday it is nostalgic and a.fresh episode every day unlock series I wait for a week or a.whole year.later.i.forget about

I don’t know. They’ve brought in so many new sets over the last few years and there seems to be no end in sight. Lulu’s new home, the metro court pool. Laura’s apartment. Drew’s new home. Valentine/Sonny’s home. Lots of little restaurants and alcoves. The Q stables.

And some of those new sets are well appointed. The Q solarium, Sonny/Valentin. Drew and Lulu’s sets are repurposed from older sets. The MetroCourt pool is not a cheap set. So, they’re keeping it fresh.

Lulu somehow ended up with the old Spencer family home. You can tell by that weirdly shaped door under the stairs. Guess it’s appropriate, as she is a Spencer, but I seem to remember that house blowing up during the “Fluke” storyline, so that’s one Hell of a remodel.

I hope her grandpa Tim’s skeleton isn’t still in the basement.

Thanks Satan for confirming what I felt, that Lulu’s new house resembled the childhood home of the Spencer’s.

It was also Elizabeth’s house prior to the current one (which is a re-engineered version of Mac’s old house).

I would watch them again if they brought back All my Children and OLTL again. Omg that would be so awesome and to keep the same characters they had back then and bring them back if they are willing. Soap fans are diehard for life. Please whoever reads this, bring them back so I can stop watching the stupid reality crap they have on now. Lol

Me too! Canceling especially OLTL crushed me and for several years I refuse to watch daytime on ABC. I still don’t really.

Maurice is totally correct and I’m glad he not only said that ABC made a mistake, but that they know they did! The soaps are a moment during the day when you get to get engrossed in others problems and blessings and forget your own stresses, we need this now more than ever!

I agree 100%

Soaps are the best live drama and it was a terrible mistake to do away with the popular ABC soaps.

I 100% Totally agree with Maurice!

I would start watching All My children and one life to live again if they brought them back

I would as well.

Diane Azzopardi I definitely would l loved both shows as l ways home everyday raising my kids.Loved Loved Loved All my children l say those words everyday.I have 3 kids 8 grandchildren and 1 greatgrand child!! All My Children love them all!!!

They’re right. I’m a 36 year old male and I grew up on AMC and to some extent OLTL in the 90’s as I would watch with my momma after half day kindergarten. I only started watching GH around 2006 or so.

It was a sad day in my household I use to watch AMC & Oltl with my dearly departed mother even though some of my favorites have shown up on GH I still today call them by their former characters name for example Maria Santos Tad Martin and Todd Lloyd , even Erica Kane name is mentioned on GH ♥ now bring on Vicki Buchanan my favorite ,sad thing we didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to Adam Chandler& his twin brother whose name has slipped away

His name was Stuart

AMC and OLTL have such a strong fan base. If they wanted to make fans happy they could go onto a streaming site and release ALL of the episodes starting at the very first one. There are many fans who would pay to rewatch. I grew up with those soaps. Another option would be open a soap channel on cable TV again. A lot of money lost from this decision and the new soap is not up to the same standard.

So many early episodes were not saved. Videotapes were often recycled and episodes were recorded over as well. A sad decision in hindsight.. but large holes in the shows do exist, unfortunately.

True – but that applies mostly to episodes prior to 1978 when they went to hour long shows. The golden age of the 80s is mostly intact – and there are many clips from that decade on YouTube.

Yes they did make a mistake the country was not looking for more news they love soaps more often so it was a bad idea.

It’s interesting to hear how many references are being made about Erica Kane and Llanview lately on GH. It’s almost as if a resurrection were looming! But it also indicates to me that ABC doesn’t see the cancellations as a mistake. Otherwise, GH would be “encouraged” not to send out reminders to disgruntled fans that only in the world of Port Charles does their exist a Pine Valley and Llanview.

Yes. I agree with Bernard. I miss those soaps so much. I started watching soaps with my grandma when I was a little girl about 10 or so. And by the time my teenage years came along. I was hooked. I remember recording them on my VCR so I could watch them when I got home from work. Now I’m 63 and still watching them. I watch all of what we have left daily. I do miss the other soaps. So glad we have another one to watch. Somebody bring on another one. I wish the others that you spoke of could come back. With a older and new generation. I love the soaps.

Big mistake Bring them back

ABC really messed up canceling All My Children and One Life to live. I watch both and when returning to work would VHS them to watch on weekends get caught up. And Generally Hospital too. Line for View show terrible along shows there after. Except GH.

its has always been about money for the powerful people that run the networks they dident care that many people lost there jobs but it came back and bit them in the the butt when they canceled all my children and one life to live afer they canceled them i desided that i would never support any of the shows that replaced them and i have not i will say this they better not get rid of general hospital because if they do ill be done forever with ABC.

Yes Dottie Simpkins I agree with you. I would love to see Viki again. She was the best and her character was real and down to earth. She could bring Dorian down quicker than a heartbeat without even trying like nobody’s business. Now that was true performance. Viki was definitely Viki Lord Riley Buchanan!!

I was watching Erika Slezak interviewed many years ago on YouTube and she is smart and talented I would love to watch her on tv as Viki again.

Boy did they mess up and I mean really messed up. I had watched them as a very young teenager. As far as the new CBS Soap. I have no desire whatsoever to watch it. I am a Y&R and B&B fan and the new one doesn’t even appeal to me. I will not be watching it. I will only be watching the ones that are on now including G&H and Days. That’s it. So long, fair well.

I was raised on soaps and I hated that they took away AMC and one life to live and of course the replacements didn’t make it either so ABC should really regret this. And the new one I’ve like to live pretty much sucked that they tried to pass off. It didn’t have most of the characters we cared for from the beginning

I agree! It was a huge mistake and out of the soap’s cancellation the housewives franchise was introduced. Not comparable at all. Soap operas are about storytelling and generational viewership. BTG is reintroducing the mystique of years past. Bravo

I cannot stand any of those “housewifes” shows. Not one bit !

I agree with Maurice 1000% ABC WAS stupid in letting go of All My Children and One Life to Live

Reviving AMC and OLTL would be a TV coup of legendary proportions. I do not understand why not. We understand the new landscape that is TV and technology now, and the programs can adapt to it. Broadcast TV can remain viable, but minimizing content will not help. We need robust programming and commitment to the business. Fans will follow.

Don’t y’all see what this is really about? This is a preemptive strike by Maurice because he’s privy to talks of the possibility of GH being cancelled. Some people call it General Hospice, and it’s close to flat lining. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

No, Mo is not in the loop on any network cancellations. ABC has nothing in the works to replace GH and is concentrating on fixing the anemic performance of GMA3.

I absolutely concur with Maurice and Cameron! Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos were considering bringing back AMC, but I don’t where they are – or IF they are in the process of doing so.

To this day, I’m still in mourning over the cancellation of All My Children. Sydney Penny lives in Wilmington, NC and the film industry is thriving here. Perhaps AMC can be revived and produced here, while the setting remains Pine Valley? Food for thought.

I agree with Maurice, canceling long running soaps is not a good idea. I have been one of those watching these for 40 years.

But get rid of the ones just starting that give the audiences an ok for a wild, sex starved adventure. It’s “all ok theory” seems to be the audience they want to attract.

I am not at all happy with BTG. I watched for about a month, when the final straw was introducing 3-somes, a married couple with one more. (As if the sexually addicted wife buying escorts and the old age executive breaking up his marriage to marry his daughters best friend wasn’t enough.)

Some things should just be left alone when it comes to TV entertainment.

I’m seeing things sneak in, like cussing words, that have seemed to start in the long running night series of Chicago PD,Chicago Med and Law & Order Special Victims,
(I hope I don’t have to stop my recordings of Chicago Fire now, so far the writer has not used that cussing word in his story yet, PLEASE DONT!!! These shows have been a favorite for me in the evenings. Now I only have the one I support…Chicago Fire.

I stopped watching as soon as I heard the cuss word using God’s name in it. And believe me, my heart was sooo broken to let them go. I will not allow myself to support any programs to have to bring that particular cuss word in when there are so many others to use for anger.

Chosing to dishonor our God’s name is NEVER a good idea in success.

TV is a powerful tool, and I would like to see it help clean up society, educate society and not sell, “it’s ok” theories.

TV can help bring our nation back to God and I promise it will bring greater ratings.

I haven’t watched ABC since the soaps left. I watch GH, then turn the channel. Not everyone wants cooking shows…will watch the view sometimes, even it’s not the same . CBS..here

I miss All my Children, and One Life to Live. It was stupid to cancel them.

I think they made a big mistake for taking All My Children & One life to live was a big A big mistake by taking them off everything they put in them 2 hrs has failed all of them

I really miss all my children and one life to live i used to love general hospital but I didn’t like the direction it was taking I miss my soaps

I didn’t get into AMC as much, but I was an avid OLTL fan from as far back as I can remember. (1985?)
They made a huge mistake canceling it, and daytime TV has gone to the craphouse over the last decade and a half.
What’s it gonna take for them to compile and digitize everything so we can go back to the beginning and watch it all over again?

You can’t digitize something that doesn’t exist in physical form. As mentioned in a few posts, ABC soaps reused their master tapes (recorded over) until episodes of OLTL and GH went to an hour-long in 1978. Only select scenes and barely and full episodes are thought to exist prior to 78.

Should have NEVER CANCELLED ALL MY CHILDREN & ONE LIFE TO LIVE EVER!!!

I still miss All My Children and One Life To Live. I loved both shows!!!

I loved OLTL. I watched all of them as a teenager. Ryan’s Hope, AMC, OLTL and General Hospital. Then I had to get a job. Thus was before video recorders. Then I had a baby. So my child’s nap time was during OLTL, so I watched that and my mom taped at that time, years later GH. So I got to watch those. Then they cancelled AMC and I thought, they better not cancel OLTL and they did. It broke my heart. So I watched GH and saw many of the characters come to GH. I was very happy. Now I love GH. Please stay on!! Thank you Maurice for doing State of Mind!

I’m a loyal GH and DOOL watcher!!! Please don’t cancel either of those!!

I LOVED All My Children , One Life to Live and General Hospital! I used to watch them with my momma. I stopped watching EVERYTHING on ABC after they canceled AMC and OLTL. STUPID ABC should have kept the soap Chanel and put All My Children and One Live to Live on that channel and put all the canceled soaps on .I will NEVER watch STUPID ABC or buy any Disny products EVER again. You want to rob us of our beloved soaps ,I’ll hit you in your pocket!!!

A real shame on ABC for cancelling OMC and OLTL. Never watch ABC for any reason now.

I’m so so happy that Maurice Bernard said it , he said what I could never express out loud for everyone to hear , Big mistake !! Yes Huge mistake when both of our very Dear Soaps were so merciless eliminated . So they were low on ratings and so many other reasons, what about now ? Is anyone out there making time to watch all the shows that they have Unsuccessfully have been pushing ? Since they have tried all this new replacements without Holding up to All My Children And One Life To Live then why not try bringing them both back .
They have tried everything else and Failed , so listen to the Experts like Maurice Bernard and the Faithful Audience who has for years been holding out hope to see them both come back. Bring back to ur audience what we Love. Probably nothing else will ever work, in the meantime why not give it a try on our Televisions , not everyone is technologically savvy, not everyone likes or knows the streaming thing , You have created a monster much bigger than you could of ever imagined and then you made a poor choice by cancelling on us , but perhaps you can still fix it .

All My Children

‘All My Children’ Episodes to Stream on Pluto TV Canada

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Starting on May 1, All My Children fans in Canada will be able to see classic episodes of the beloved former ABC soap opera when they stream on Pluto TV Canada. 

Pluto TV picked-up the All My Children Channel that the Nixon family has created in partnership with BEONDTV +. The show which aired for 41 years on ABC and ended on the network in 2011, had so many memorable storylines and characters; the least of which is the enduring run of Erica Kane played by soap icon, Susan Lucci.

As previously reported, starting with episodes from the year 1995, which was the 25th anniversary of the soap. Pluto TV Canada viewers will be able to catch 8 episodes on repeat per day. With the success of the venture, the Nixons are hopeful that they will bring viewers many more years of the show to come.

Photo: ABC

Sarah Nixon, producer, shared with Michael Fairman TV exclusively, “We are thrilled that Pluto TV has launched All My Children in Canada! Let’s hope the engagement from our incredibly loyal fans across the border will encourage ABC to bring it to the U.S.!  We share what Aggie (Agnes Nixon) always felt, that it is the enthusiasm and love from the fans that has kept this legacy beloved and relevant – to this day!”

In addition, 0ne week ago, during Susan Lucci’s visit to Los Angeles promoting her book La Lucci, she was joined by her former Pine Valley castmates, Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee, AMC, now Taylor, B&B) and Eva LaRue (ex-Maria, AMC) and the trio posed for a pic. At that time, LaRue shared via Instagram, “NEW All My Children channel streaming classic episodes 24/7 now on Pluto TV Canada! Fingers crossed to watch soon on Pluto US.”

That was also confirmed this week by TV Watercooler’s Jeevan Brar who took to X and expressed,The All My Children channel begins streaming this Friday, May 1 on Pluto TV Canada.

So, Canadian viewers, excited about Pluto TV’s All My Children channel? United States fans, hopeful from Sarah’s message that perhaps soon, we can see the beloved soap once again as well? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

 

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All My Children

Mark Consuelos Mourns the Loss of His Father

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Saul Consuelos, the father of All My Children alum and Live with Kelly and Mark co-host, Mark Consuelos (ex0-Mateo, AMC), has died. During an emotional moment on this mornings, April 6 edition of the syndicated talk show, Mark shared, that his dad, “passed away peacefully” back on March 23 following a long illness.

His wife and co-host, Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC) paid tribute to her her father-in-law expressing, he was, “the greatest person I’ve ever known. I can honestly say I will miss him every day for the rest of my life, as I know you will, as our children will. He really is so symbolic of everything you are.”

Kelly and Mark’s children, Joaquin, Michael and Lola Consuelos are said to be taking this extremely hard. Ripa added, “This is the first loss they’ve ever experienced in their lives. And I said, ‘By the time I was 8, I had no grandparents. You got to grow up (with grandparents). You got to have deep, meaningful conversations (with them).”

Photo: KRipaIG

In another moment, Mark reflected on his dad. “It’s funny, I used to make a joke about my dad … if you asked him what time it was, he would tell you how to build a watch. There were a lot of lectures, a lot of lectures and I learned so much. If he was fixing something in the house, he’d make me watch and do it. And I didn’t know at the time why he was doing that. But now at the house, I’m able to do at least half of the stuff that he did. I learned the most by just watching him.”

Mark added that Saul Consuelos came to the U.S. from Mexico in his early teens and served our county for decades, detailing, he “Ended up at Special Operations Command in Tampa. This young kid from Mexico just got his education from the navy. Was always going to school. Was brilliant. Got his Masters while I was a kid.  He loved his country so much, If you’re going to put a face to an immigrant, he would be the prime example of what this country promises people.”

In a very heart-tugging moment, Consuelos shared that now its important they be there for his mother, Camilla. “We gotta take care of mom. We’re trying to convince my mom to move to New York. She’s such a character, she’s stubborn. What do you think, a cooking segment here on Fridays with Camilla?”

Now below, watch the very touching and emotional moments as Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa mourn the loss of Saul Consuelos.

Let us know, what you thought of the remarks made by Kelly and Mark on the death of Mark’s father via he comment section.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar Visits ‘The View’ Where Hosts Sidestep Controversial ‘Buffy’ Reboot Axing, But Talk ‘All My Children’

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On yesterday’s March 17 episode of The View, All My Children alum, Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall Hart), was the special guest. Since Monday, Gellar has been the subject of a hot-button issue since about the surprising turn of events that the highly-anticipated Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, in which she stars, and which was directed in the pilot by Oscar-winning director, Chloé Zhao, was no longer moving forward.

Gellar‘s appearance on the ABC morning talk show was devoid of any mention of Hulu cancelling its planned Buffy: New Sunnydale, in which Sarah was set to appear along with Ryan Kiera Armstrong. However, Gellar did discuss her new movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come from Searchlight Pictures.

It should be noted that both Hulu and Searchlight Pictures are owned by The Walt Disney Company, while The View is produced by ABC News, which is also owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Courtesy/ABC

During the awkward interview, when it became clear the ‘Buffy’ reboot topic was off the table, The View co-host Sunny Hostin, talked about the “intense fight scenes” that have become a staple of her TV and film career starting with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scream 2, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

The ladies of The View also brought up Sarah’s beginnings on All My Children as Kendall Hart (1993-1995), showing a scene with her and her on-screen mother, the iconic Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci. The discussion sprung out of another All My Children alum, Michael B. Jordan (ex-Reggie Montgomery) winning the Oscar this past Sunday for Best Actor for his role in Sinners. The View’s Joy Behar was quick to point out with Gellar, the All My Children alums that have gone on to great fame.

Photo: ABC

Previously on Monday, Gellar opened up to PEOPLE about being blindsided before while at the SXSW Film & TV Festival premiere for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. “I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie. And it’s also the weekend of Chloé going to the Oscars as a best director nominee for Hamnet. For them to call us on the Friday of what should have been Chloé’s victory lap for an incredible film, and my world premiere of something that I worked very hard for is… that says something.”

She went to say, “We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him.” Deadline reports that “multiple sources” identified the executive as Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich.

“I loved the duality that we had with this new, younger slayer who was where Buffy was when the show started, and then we would pick up with where Buffy was now,” Gellar told People about the setup.  However, according also to Deadline “After the pilot was completed and delivered, according to multiple sources, Hulu’s main note was that it played too young, with some indicating that the streamer also felt the show was too “small.”’

In the rewrite, sources also told the outlet that the writers did not take big enough swings, so they set out to do a rewrite it again. The last revision was more adult, featuring a lot more of Gellar’s Buffy, and was described as a more of a streaming show than a network one. When all is said and done there is hope that another Buffy IP will be up and running within the next couple of years.

You can check out Sarah Michelle Gellar’s full segment on The View below. Now let us know, bummed there is no Buffy reboot? What do you think about how this high profile Hollywood saga was side-stepped on the morning show? Did you love Sarah as the original Kendall Hart on All My Children? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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