ABC’s “One Life To Live” ends; Does this mean soap operas have no more lives to live?

ABC’s hit soap opera, “One Life to Live” aired its final episode yesterday. It ended on a cliffhanger, because at the time of the writing, producers thought the show would transition online. Apparently, that won’t happen. (Same thing happened to “All My Children”) It’s a sad occasion for soap opera fans because our beloved soaps are being replaced with cooking and weight-loss shows. As of today, there are 4 soap operas remaining on television: ABC’s “General Hospital,” NBC’s “Days of our Lives,” and CBS’s “The Young and the Restless,” and “The Bold and the Beautiful. We can all agree that times are changing and so are viewers tastes, but it seems that the TV networks just replicate what’s already on TV. I mean, really. “The Chew” (which replaced “All My Children”) is really just ABC’s “The View”, but with food involved. And “The Revolution” (which replaces “One Life to Live” on Monday) is like “The Biggest Loser”, expect it’s all done in a TV studio (sadly enough, “The Revolution” is taking over OLTL’s old studio, ironically).

Is it me or does it seem that television is being taken over by the same old, tired, played-out talk/self-help shows and the stupid reality shows that have people who apparently couldn’t be better at anything else in life? Seriously, think about it. They replace two of the most beloved, ground-breaking soap operas (both AMC and OLTL have been on the air a combined 84 years) and replace them with cooking and weight-loss shows with 5 or 6 talking heads that we’ve seen before. I mean, at least try to get lesser-known folks and give them some exposure.

Neither “The Chew” nor “The Revolution” will last 84 years combined like their predecessors. OLTL’s executive producer and head writer both switched to “General Hospital” to “save” that show, which rumors for its cancellation grows. Katie Couric, who has a new talk show premiering in Fall 2012, is taking GH’s time slot, which has soap fans and the people who work on this show worried. Ms. Couric has been at ABC once, moved to NBC to host the Today Show (which she should have never left) bounced to CBS to host the evening news (which didn’t work) and now she’s back at ABC to host a talk show. Some say she’s the successor to Oprah. I just hate that. There will NEVER be another Oprah Winfrey. She’s one of a kind and that can not be replicated. Sorry Katie, but you can’t be Oprah, no matter how much you try to be.

I’m just grateful and blessed to have 2 jobs and be in school that I’m rarely at home during the daytime to stomach this mess and fluff these television networks try to call TV. They say viewers tastes have changed and ratings for soaps are down, but have they considered that people work and DVR the shows to watch them in the evening when they get home! (like me) And SoapNet, the channel dedicated to replaying our soaps is going off the air next month and being replaced with “Disney Junior.” Listen, nothing against the kids, but we have enough networks dedicated to kids and teens. Why do we need another?

All and all, I hope that our beloved soaps can come back in some form. I hope that another network could pick up AMC and OLTL and start from the cliffhangers, because I feel that that’s a big slap in the face to soap fans to end the shows like that. I, for one, am tired of being blinded be all these talk/self-help and pointless reality shows. What other value do they add to television  other than money and ratings? Think about it. These new shows are not interesting to me, because I’ve seen so many like them before. ABC is just making you think it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

In closing, here’s to the Soap Operas. Thank you for providing us with entertainment. With laughter, tears, joy, anger, sadness, suspense, steamy sex scenes, and iconic characters that we will never forget. May the Soap operas live on in our hearts and for the ones that are still on TV, live and prosper and not have to fall prey to the dumbing down of society.