All My Children
Why was OLTL sacrificed in the daytime line-up when its ratings were up & at creative high?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Associated Television International’s, Jim Romanovich took to posting his latest thought-provoking blog at Baseline Intelligence. In it, Romanovich brings to light and for discussion, why One Life to Live was also canceled along with All My Children when clearly the show was higher in the ratings, creatively successful, and under budget. Was it perhaps that ABC was set to cancel it all along and not AMC, and then OLTL out performed AMC at every level thus causing the network a conundrum? Did ABC make OLTL a sacrificial lamb? Here are just a few excerpts from Jim, but we encourage you to read his entire post.
Romanovich: “So what’s with the urgency that both of these shows have to go… like yesterday? ABC spent millions of dollars on bringing All My Children to Los Angeles in what appeared to be the biggest show of support for the soaps since we took over the Daytime Emmys. At the time, I truly believed ABC felt that way too. I believed that this was the only way to save both this show and One Life To Live. Maybe on the surface that’s what they had hoped. But it seems apparent to me that deep down they knew then that One Life was down to its last life. This was just borrowed time until they could find the show to replace it. Essentially ABC was telling Frank Valentini to make bricks without straw. He made the Taj Mahal instead much to ABC’s shock. By being the lone soap in NY without any real support system the network felt that if they left it alone, it would die on its own. But it didn’t. It rose in the ratings! Creatively, it was by far the best storytelling soap around that utilized its whole canvas of talent equally. The whole cast and crew brought their A game every single time and the viewers…noticed! When I grow up, I want to be Frank Valentini because the man is simply amazing to me.”
“The following is my opinion of what I think must have occurred with the cancellation of both soaps as I can think of nothing else that makes sense. What the network was not prepared for was the diminishing ratings of All My Children. When ABC chose this show to be relocated to Los Angeles, they seemed to put great faith into its longevity while knowing that one of their soaps, the New York one, was going to be sacrificed eventually. When One Life started pulling ahead of All My Children, ABC had a little bit of a conundrum. How could they now seriously cancel One Life, which they were planning to do all along at some point, and spare All My Children? They felt the backlash would have been so monumental that it would have been a PR disaster. So they did something that they felt that would get some serious backlash, but one that was easier to explain. Cancel them both and place two other shows quickly in those slots and say that this new direction adheres to the current daytime audience that prefers shows with some take away value. This way, it doesn’t sound personal. If they tanked One Life which is doing well and kept AMC which is not doing quite so well, then that comes across as personal to the fans in the network’s thinking.”
“With regards to the cancellations of One Life To Live and All My Children, the network acted too hastily and was nowhere near prepared for the onslaught of criticism that was to follow. I had always believed that soaps on daytime television were living on borrowed time, but that didn’t mean the end of their time. It meant that these shows were ready to be placed elsewhere. I still think SoapNet could have been a success if Disney had planned on making it a success. I’d say forget Disney Jr., which is redundant anyway, and keep SoapNet or at least re-brand it and make it the place to find your daytime soaps twice a day and other shows that have that same flavor and style that appeal to that demo. Everybody loves soaps. Hell, the NBA finals are nothing more than soap opera! Build upon what Night Shift started and create other soaps. The new re-branded SoapNet could continue on in new ways. I like what they did for the web with the What If… series and could see that kind of forward thinking evolve into television or maybe even break the fourth wall more often like One Life did with their Glee episodes or The Bold and Beautiful did with their homeless story. But this is all just wishful thinking as the audience is there and those with the power don’t see it.”
All My Children
TODAY: John Callahan ‘iHub Radio’ Tribute With AMC Stars: Julia Barr, Walt Willey, Bobbie Eakes and More Guests
Saturday morning at 10amPST/1PMEST on Palm Springs iHub Radio, there will be a special hour tribute to the late soap veteran John Callahan who passed away last week at 66.
Callahan hosted his own show on the station, and to honor him the stations owner John McMullen, along with several of Callahan’s former All My Children co-stars including: Bobbie Eakes (Ex-Krystal), Walt Willey (Ex-Jack) , and Julia Barr (Ex-Brooke) will also be part of the live broadcast special event, along with LIVE magazine TV host Melissa Neiderman, and other longtime friends and colleagues of Callahan’s.
As some know, John Callahan was a longtime resident of the Coachella Valley. From 2018 on he continued to be a part of the station with his weekly show all the way up until his death.
John’s soap resume was impressive, not only from his time as All My Children;s Edmund Grey, but also as General Hospital’s Leo Russell, Santa Barbara’s Craig Hunt, and Days of our Lives, Dr. Baker, plus his primetime roles including on Falcon Crest.
Following iHub Radio’s special broadcast, the tribute program will be available as an on-demand show via the iHubRadio.com home page.
So, let us know if you will be listening or caught the special broadcast honoring John today in the comment section below.
All My Children
Kelly Ripa Shares Her Grief and Remembrances of John Callahan on ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’
There was always something special about the wonderful actors and the cast pictured here from ABC’s All My Children. After all, this is where Kelly Ripa (Ex-Hayley) met her husband, Mark Consuelos (Ex-Mateo) and where Eva LaRue (Ex-Maria) met her ex-husband John Callahan (Ex-Edmund).
Then, over this past weekend this family picture from Pine Valley was forever changed, when the soap world was rocked by the news that John Callahan passed away at only 66/
Heartbreaking remembrances poured in on social media …. and none more so than from Eva LaRue, who also shares a daughter with John, named Kaya. Eva and Kaya rushed to John’s bedside where he has been put on life-support following a reported massive stroke.
Now on Monday’s episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, which is being done remotely from the hosts individual hosts due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kelly Ripa shared her grief over the loss of her dear friend John Callahan with Ryan.
Kelly said “I had a really a bad weekend this weekend. A very dear friend of mine for many, many years, almost 30 years, passed away over the weekend. He was a great actor, a really good friend. One of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He was the ex-husband of my first-born son’s godmother, Eva LaRue. His name was John Callahan. He was 66 years old—way too young to be taken from us.”
Ripa went on to to tell her co-host: “A gentleman of, I mean, Ryan, you two would have loved each other. He would say the funniest things and we were all going through our brains about all of the funny, like the funny ‘Callahan-isms’ over the years. He was just one of these guys and you know and he just died way too soon. His daughter and my daughter are good friends, they’re the same age and I just want everyone to know, Eva and Kaya, that we are thinking of you and we are just so sad and so devastated. So, I apologize in advance if I seem out of it. I really actually am, I’m terribly out of it. You know, forgive me for it.”
Watch Kelly discuss the death of John Callahan with Ryan Seacrest below. Then share your thoughts on what Ripa had to share and more on the loss of John Callahan via the comment section.
All My Children
Soap Vet and All My Children Alum John Callahan Dead At 66
Absolutely heartbreaking news this Saturday afternoon. John Callahan, best known to soap fans for his role as Edmund Grey on All My Children has passed away after suffering a massive stroke. The stroke happened on Friday, March 27th when paramedics responded to a call at his home in Palm Desert, California. He was 66-years-old.
According to reports, Callahan was rushed to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, CA, where he was put on life support. John’s daughter Kaya, and his former wife, and AMC co-star Eva LaRue (Ex-Maria) rushed to the hospital to be by his side from Los Angeles. John died Saturday morning.
Photo: JPI
In a statement, Eva La Rue shared: “We are extremely saddened and distraught over the loss of John. He was my great friend, co-parent and amazing father to Kaya. The absence of his bigger than life, gregarious personality will leave a hole in our hearts forever. Words cannot express the shock and devastation we are feeling at this time. The Yankees just lost one of their greatest fans.”
John played Edmund on All My Children from 1992-2005. He also appeared throughout his soap career on: Santa Barbara, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, The Bay and primetime’s Falcon Crest and Desperate Housewives; in addition to many more television appearances.
Michael Fairman TV will continue to follow this breaking story as remembrances are shared by John’s former co-stars throughout the day and night.
Below is LaRue’s touching tribute to John via Instagram:
Please share your condolences with Kaya and Eva and the Callahan family below, and let us know your thoughts on this heartbreaking loss on the death of John Callahan via the comment section.
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All My ChildrenMarch 28, 2020Soap Vet and All My Children Alum John Callahan Dead At 66
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General HospitalMarch 29, 2020The Triumphant Return of Kelly Thiebaud As GH’s Dr. Britt Westbourne
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As The World TurnsApril 3, 2020WATCH The Replay: ‘As the World Turns’ Reunion With Maura West, Michael Park, Martha Byrne, Don Hastings & Kelley Menighan
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All My ChildrenMarch 30, 2020Kelly Ripa Shares Her Grief and Remembrances of John Callahan on ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’
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General HospitalApril 1, 2020Happy 57th Anniversary Today to General Hospital
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NewsApril 1, 2020Greg Rikaart Gives Coronavirus Health Update; He Is On The Mend
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NewsApril 2, 2020FRIDAY on Y&R: Rebroadcast Of Victor and Nikki’s Classic 1984 Wedding
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People grow up I said it before.. Frons was purposely sabotaging the soaps so they would fail… He thought He had harmed OLTL enough that it would fail all on its own.. but the show broke out running once frons left it for dead… When he quit meddling the soap took off… He Frons moved Amc to California so he could have it close to GH and work on killing them both at the same time.. He has really Fuck General Hospital up… and he did the same to all my children.. If you look at both shows and why they failed or are failing you can see that one hand has left its hand print the soaps were not to prosper… That is not the way Frons wants or wanted it.. He has his own idea for day time… I am so done with ABC and really done with Disney for letting him get away with this… I guess Mickey is quite the little Rat bastard.. And i hope people have enough sense to boycott Disney along with ABC. Because they didn’t care about the fans they cared about the dollars they could save by doing horrible reality t.v.
kudos to my son who opened for snoop dog in ALLENTOWN PA.. they were Nik nemesis crew. any way I was going to try to get to snoop Dog and hand him a sign which said save our soaps… I couldn’t get past the bigger then NFL players (body guards) In any Event its not just the little people who love the soaps… if someone larger then life could just speak up and help-GOD how nice would that be….
Amen and Amen…..
In the final analysis – it doesn’t really matter how you slice it and dice it…….
Unless by some eleventh hour miracle – both shows will be gone within months.
Sad,sad,sad.
I personally would rather watch repeat episodes from the humble beginnings of both shows (though I do profess -I love OLTL more),than to watch the proposed shows that are going to air in AMC and OLTL’s time slot.
And frankly I won’t be watching.
Time will tell …..and I think ABC,Brian Frons,Disney et al – will rue the day they made their decision.
I think they may -nay THEY HAVE committed network suicide.
Tragic !!
Oops! Computer hiccuped !!
NO DOUBT THEY HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE-TWO FAILED REPLACEMENTS FOR OUR SHOWS.THEY THINK WE WILL GET OVER IT NOOOOOOOOO! THE REST OF THE PEOPLE WATCH DAY TIME REPLACEMENT SHOWS FAT MARIO SWEATING OVER FOOD AND DR,OZ 20 SOMETHING DAUGHTER HOSTING BECAUSE SHE IS HIS DAUGHTER AND WROTE CAMPUS DIET.HOW HORRIBLE TV IS THAT.
Actually All My Children was doing poorly before the move and they thought it could be resurrected with more energy. One Life To Live has been placing higher for some time.
The fact is that ABC/Disney barely did any advertising at all for OLTL and still it managed to climb higher and higher because of savvy writing dealing with social and civic issues and some of the best talent on daytime.
It is further reported that it was Frons intention from the get-go to get these shows off the air which is further supported by the lack of advertising and marketing, or getting the actors on talk shows to promote the shows.
If someone wanted to not only save them, but the bring ratings up and more money in, the fix would have been very easy and would required the least little bit of creativity and desire.
As I too am saddened , A show Called INSTANT STAR wasnt allowed for be finished fulling ITS potential yet a petition as well as fans of the CTV TV Series still remain in hope for it. Just a COMPLETION of a SEASON 5 (NOT ASKING FOR THE WORLD )www.saveinstantstar.com
I am sorry to hear about the dual cancellation of AMC and OLTL. However, I was a regular watcher of As The World Turns and not of these serials. I was really bothered by the cancellation of ATWT, a show which had a far longer history than either of these shows and still was viable. Frankly, it irks me that the cancellation of ATWT received little attention while the cancellation of AMC and OLT appears to leave viewers irate (cancelled by their v. Both the producers, writers, actors, and fans should have realized that the warnings they were getting when ATWT was cancelled.
I was a fan of Atwt turns also. It wasnt owned by cbs. It wasnt doing well ratings wise when cancelled. It was terrible that it had to go off when luke and reid were really gaining steam. Its cancellation didnt resonate because it wasnt 2 at once. This is a network getting out of the soap business. Oltl is the last ny soap and really signals the end of an era. I still will never watch the talk. Im am still mad.
Folks, you are delusional. CBS cancelled two soaps, and they are still the number one network the last time I checked. And being the second highest rated show out of six low-rated shows is NOT an accomplishment. There is no huge “outcry”, either. There was a protest at ABC a few weeks ago, and a whopping 30 people showed up!
Low-rated shows get cancelled all the time.