I just could not get use to watching Soaps on a computer, watched part of the first episode and shut it off. I am so happy Oprah decided to air AMC & OLTL, a very smart move on her part. I know there will be lots of very happy Soap fans. Thanks Oprah!!

I am glad this is happening on OWN. I life on a fixed income and can’t afford the miner per month for Hula and my computer is as old as a dinosaur so this will give me a chance to watch it. Thank you OWN.

I love the idea of available online first and then on OWN. I also think that OWN should acquire the broadcasting rights for Crystal Chappells online only shows. Her new series, Beacon Hill has 3 time Emmy winner Sarah Brown leading the cast.

Can’t wait. I stopped watching on HULU so I can watch on OWN!! I’m a few weeks behind. Evan if I had watched I’d watch again as I want them to STAY on TV

I am up to date with OLTL and AMC on Hulu Plus . Because I am a big fan of the soaps I will support watching them on the OWN network. If you are a fan and want to see these shows succeed I hope you will do the same. Thank you OWN!

Whatever we say about Oprah, she is not stupid in business. Back when the shows were cancelled off ABC, people asked her to take them on. That would have been a HUGE, billion dollar investment to assume production of two entire shows that had just been cancelled. Her network was brand new then, and more than fledgling. It was too big of a risk. Now, when she has the chance to air pre-packaged, already produced shows that she has SEEN are getting high numbers elsewhere…she can swoop in and look like a soap saving hero. And she has….with her boisterous, self-promoting, horn-tooting “You asked, we listened!“ commercials. This is a test run, yes, but it has all but been decided that these shows will continue to air on OWN after the initial run. Oprah is not looking for quick- fixes, or summer flings. She is DESPERATE for the long term survival of her network. Unless AMC and OLTL completely tank and bomb during this summer run (which I can‘t see), then OWN will be airing the newly produced episodes of both shows. Oprah had NOTHING to lose and everything to gain here. She could bolster her image to soap fans, guarantee some viewers for the summer at least, and if things don‘t work, she can say “Hey, I tried?“ And if they do work, then she gets sure fire audience pleasing hits on her network without having to lift a finger or a production cost. This was a no-brainer and completely win=win for Oprah.

Sure..I think it’s a great idea.. Go for it!

In my opinion it is the best move she can make! I would watch all the soaps on her OWN network especially OLTL and AMC. This is what we need. It is ok to watch online but they shouldn’t be limited when all the other soaps can be aired on network television as well as online. 🙂 Would make me a happy girl again.

im gonna re watch the episodes. hopefully enough people will tune in and it will stay on tv also. thanks oprah

I absoluely will! Even though I currently am watching both episodes on Hulu plus, I totally look forward to OWN summertime soap fling. It’s great to be part of soap opera history!

YAY Oprah! Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!
However, if Soapnet is derailing, I do hope they continue airing the final repeat episodes of BOTH All My Children & One Life to Live. I have been watching them nightly since they went off the air, and it would be TORTURE to have them end before they conclude.
I am sure EVERYONE who watches the repeat episodes faithfully will agree.
Please keep them on at least until their conclusions.

I want nothing to do with Oprah or her network. Her statement about “hearing” us is too little, too late. I didn’t like her before and I don’t like her now. I’m not going to contribute to ratings that will boost her channel. She’s just using us. Here’s another thing – all those people who were complaining about having to pay for Hulu (which they don’t) are now okay with having to increase their cable package each month? I’m more than happy with Hulu and will support them because they were willing to take a chance on us. They didn’t tell us to bug off. Unfortunately this has the potential to end their run on Hulu. Many will opt to wait for these shows to come on cable instead of watching online.

First to Michael, as always i’m happy that you remain one of the most fair and accurate reporters covering soaps. I too caught that in the NY Post article that they didn’t quite get the relationship between Soapnet and Disney Jr. right and glad you noted that in the article.

I do a lot of rolling my eyes sometimes seeing how soap fans respond to news – even when it’s good news they find stuff to moan and groan about; it often seems soap fans are their own worst enemy. Oprah simply did not have the resources two years ago to produce the soaps. OWN was an upstart and didn’t have the financial clout to pick up what is some of the most expensive to produce programming. Lest we forget it took PP over a year to do so and that was after a couple of false starts, numerous obstacles, and a total restructuring of the traditional soap production model. Let’s be realistic – what if Oprah HAD attempted to pick up the shows as a producer two years ago? She would have bitten off more than she could chew, the effort would have tanked and we’d in all likelihood be without the shows in 2013. It was not the right time or right place back then.

Now that the shows are returning to television (something that has been a #1 priority for those of us in the save the soaps movement), people are still bellyaching. They complain…

**That it’s Oprah’s network airing them.** She didn’t have to. She did so knowing full well that her comments two years ago would be put on public blast and just said “Someone else should do it because it’ll just provide me embarrassment if I did it.” Yet she still did it anyway. Actions speak louder than words and she put her money where her mouth is. She couldn’t realistically produce the soaps in 2011 but she can broadcast them in 2013. Yet people still prefer throwing tomatoes rather than send the thank you notes.

**That she’s not yet announcing a place for them on the fall schedule.** That will come in due time. But there’s two reasons for only committing to the first 40 first: (1) Right now it’s untested how much the shows previously being available online would cut into the numbers. This would be a risk and concern to WHATEVER network eventually got the deal to air them on tv. This could be a huge ratings success or it could be a massive failure and until she actually broadcasts the episodes and the numbers have come in, no one knows which way it will go. Once soap fans tune in and prove that we’re still supporting the shows, the announcement for a fall pickup will come. (2) Oprah would have had to have been in talks with PP before the union dispute was fully resolved. Before they went on hiatus, PP knew they had enough material taped for at least 40 episodes. It would have been unwise of Oprah (or any other channel that picked them up) to announce a place on their schedule beyond those first 40 when there weren’t a good guarantee that there would indeed be actual episodes to air after those first 40 (especially after the snafu with FX Canada.)

***That they’re “repeats”*** Technically that’s not quite right. These will be the first time these have aired on TELEVISION. As far as the television audience is concerned. these are first-run. (Comparable to how when a movie is aired on tv for the first time; no one ever calls it a “repeat” even if millions may have seen it previously via a movie theatre – if anything it’s a “television premiere/debut”) True, many of us have seen them but tons more will be seeing these for the first time. This has nothing to do with being on OWN – ANY network that picked up the shows would have wanted to start with Episode #1 of the reboot. (If they didn’t there would be mass rioting in the streets!!) Yet what people are missing is that she’s airing them at a rate that gets not only new viewers caught up to the stories but also the tv airings caught up to the online ones. By the end of that ten week run, after airing episode #40, the tv airings will be closely caught up to the online ones…so if/when the shows are further picked up for the fall season (considered to be the real beginning of the tv season), they’ll be able to then air episodes as new as they’re contractually able to. (And how great is it that the shows are back on tv as early as July when we all thought September would be the earliest they’d be back on tv screens? And much cooler still that they’re kicking off their tv runs on OLTL’s anniversary date?!)

A final note to those upthread expressing confusion over the broadcast time – Day One is different than the regular schedule because they’re doing a special marathon of both shows on Monday the 15th. The next day they follow their regularly announced schedule. As with any cable show, you should confirm with your local listings the exact time due to time zone/cable provider variances.

leave soaps on

Let me say if Oprah was smart she would have picked up both All My Children and One Life To Live when ABC cancelled both shows as both shows have higher ratings then any show on OWN and would have brought a lot of new viewers to OWN which would have helped out every show on OWN.