LOS ANGELES, (Reuters Life!) – ABC television said yesterday it was canceling its long-running daytime soap operas “All My Children” and “One Life to Live”.
The final episodes of the two shows will air in September 2011 and January 2012 respectively, ABC said in a statement.
“General Hospital”, the second-most popular show in daytime TV, will remain on the air, the network added.
ABC said the two soap operas would be replaced by new programming focused on “transformation, food and lifestyle”, saying that audience research had shown that these issues were of more interest to viewers.
“All My Children”, about the lives of resident in fictional Pine Valley, made its debut on ABC in 1970. “One Life to Live” set in the fictional town of Llanview, began airing in 1968. Both shows have won multiple awards, including daytime Emmys, and earned praise for tackling social issues including alcoholism, AIDS and illiteracy.
