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EXCLUSIVE: Prospect Park, which in July acquired rights to ABC’s soon-to-be canceled daytime dramas All My Children and One Life to Live, continues to lock in key players from OLTL. One Life to Live executive producer Frank Valentini has signed a deal with the company to continue with the serial drama when it moves online. Additionally, Valentini has also been named VP Serial Dramas for Prospect Park’s new online network. In this role, Valentini will work closely with Prospect Park partners Jeff Kwatinetz and Rich Frank and their executive team on programming strategies, including the upcoming relaunch of All My Children. “Frank’s successful track record both creatively and produce-orially with One Life to Live has been stellar and we are honored that he has also agreed to take on more responsibilities at our new network,” Kwatinetz and Frank said. “Under Frank Valentini’s stewardship, One Life to Live’s popularity and ratings continue to increase, and his commitment to us is another milestone in our commitment to relaunching One Life to Live with the best possible quality and storylines for audiences everywhere.”
Prospect Park recently announced its first soap actor deals, signing OLTL co-stars Michael Easton, Ted King, Kassie DePaiva and the cast’s doyen Erika Slezak to continue on the show. With AMC star Susan Lucci recently turning down Prospect Park’s offer for a salary identical to her current one on ABC, the company shifted its short-term strategy to getting the higher-rated OLTL off the ground, while AMC is being moved to the back burner for the time being.
Valentini was named executive producer of OLTL in 2002 after serving both as a senior supervising producer and director. “I am thrilled to join the Prospect Park team continuing my role as the executive producer of One Life to Live,” Valentini said. “As we enter this new chapter, I must extend a very big, heartfelt thank you to the show’s creator Agnes Nixon who has always been generous with her support of our vision of her creation, ABC for affording me an incomparable experience for the past 26 years at One Life to Live and the fans with their unwavering passion determined not to let their shows go away. The cast and crew is my family and I am very proud to have this opportunity to continue working with this talented and dedicated team. And finally, I must extend a huge thanks to Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz of Prospect Park, whose pioneering innovation is giving us more life to live.”
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Yeaaaa!! Thank you Mr V from all of us fans! We look forward to many many more years and so many more stories with our Llanview and Pine Valley families!!! And thank you for all the past hard work you have put in on our stories…
Thank you!! I sincerely hope Robin Strasser will be joining our beloved ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Bene’ gracia Prospect Park!!
I suggest they look at the ratings again. AMC is improving, both in women’s demos and households, and it doesn’t need SL to be successful! Don’t let AMC die on the vine, Prospect Park!
AMC is only improving because viewers are tuning in to see the returning actors that are no longer with AMC, and stories being shown for the ending. Who wants to see an AMC with no original cast members but placebos? That’s not really AMC at all! The ratings will probably go right back where they were before or get even worse, because who wants to watch AMC without any of the cast members we’ve all come to know and love?……I certainly don’t!
I would watch it. In fact I can’t wait to see it. If they do a lot of recasting or completely different characters it won’t bother me. I will just see it as a totally different soap. If I don’t like it then I won’t watch it. If I do like it then that is just the cream on the pie. The two characters that I really don’t like are Marissa and Bianca. I just can’t seem to warm up to the actresses playing those characters. Oh yeah and Dixie please make her go.
I agree with you totally. One person does not make a show. SL does not appear on screen as much as she use to any way. I would prefer the originals and will miss them if they chose not to stay. However, there are a lot of them who are interested in staying on board. Will greatly miss Debbi Morgan, I think she is a wonderful actress. But her contract with Y&R is only two years, she may return. The same can be said for the others. MEK left the show in the past only to return later. The role of Jake has been played by several actors and I would not miss Ricky in that role at all. So I refuse to get down about anyone one not wishing to stay. I figure the desire to leave was already there and they would have eventually left even if the show stayed on TV. Chriselle is an example of this.
howard and john caylor please bring back all of the all my children cast prospect park because it is not a soap opera with out all of the original cast members of all my children howard caylor and loyal fans of the show
The issue is that a lot of AMC actors besides Lucci have already said they won’t join AMC online:
Debbi Morgan, Jacob Young, Alicia Minshew, Michael E. Knight, Chrishell Strause, Ricky Paull Goldin.
They are all the leading actors on the show who’ve driven story for years. Trying to revamp the show w/o those characters is hard. I think it can be done. I’m all in favor of the AMC making recurring deals that bring back some actors for short arcs to get the show launched. Why not bring back favorites from the past? Why not bring back Dimitri Merrick and his wife Alex Devane? Have Brooke English move back with her daughter Laura. What about all of the other Cortlands? Nina and Petey?
That said, Frank V. has been a miracle worker in getting OLTL on the air and under budget. OLTL needs Ron Carlivati as head writer.
Thank you for continuing AMC and OLTL. I will NEVER watch the Chew, and I refuse to ever watch it. I read something about Paula Dean suggesting this show, and why doesn’t she stick to cooking. The Soaps are part of our culture, and to just take two of them away is ridiculous. I read too that the viewers aren’t there. Well,many viewers had to go to work, and they either DVR’d them to watch at night, or they would watch on the weekends on the Soap Channel. I am sick to death of talk shows, and reality TV. A soap is a nice break from all of the junk that is now on TV and I think another talk show, or relaity (and I use that term lightly) is just disgusting.
I’m glad these soaps have been saved for us.
I couldn’t agree with you more Karen! I too am sick to death of the so-called reality programs and talk shows. Enough is enough. Soaps have been around forever even before television. Why are they messing with something tried and true? Soaps are a fun way to take a break from reality. I’m glad they have been saved too!
Soaps are also “junk” – as you put it. They are the lowest of the low when it comes to scripted programming. They are poorly written, with ridiculous stories about characters coming back from the dead, women falling in love with their rapists, and evil twins. And a great deal of them are poorly acted as well.
Stop acting like your ridiculous soaps are somehow better than talk shows. They’re not. They appeal to the moronic, the lazy, and the obese. They are for people who have very little taste when it comes to their entertainment choices.
this is the most offensive stuck up coment i have ever read.
you insult people because this is not your kind of fiction
who are you to judge people who watch soap oparas >
i am not moronic or lazy or obese. This is a very offensive remark that you made. The so called replacement does not offer healthy choices. if people want realty they get i every day. The people who i know who watch soaps have jobs , tape them to watch later when they are home. Just because you dont like soaps doesnt mean that they are no good. Who the hell do you think you are .
I agree with you, who is anyone to say what we love to watch!!!! what a moron!!!!!
Dear “Miffy” –
As an educated viewer with a degree in English literature and a Master’s degree, I take issue with your judgemental comments. Soaps are often the first genre to take on difficult societal issues including but not limited to – rape, incest, sexuality, mental health issues, reintegration of veterans into society, etc., and the list goes on.
It may be true that the storylines are far-fetched at times, but for me this serves two purposes – the first to add some humor to difficult issues, and secondly as an escape from the pressures of daily life. And above all, soaps have a deep respect for family and history, which not many shows today can claim.
saved for how long????
If this means that Trevor St John is not coming back, then his fans and followers will not support the move online. Fact is; we are done already!
Trevor St John decided not to renew his contract. That is why he is not on the show. HIS CHOICE ! At the last minute he said he would stay around a little bit longer, however, storyline and scripts already written and in the can. If you are angry that Trevor isn’t on the show anymore, then your anger should be directed towards him.
Thank you for posting this. I am so tired of reading the posts about TSJ and how he was wronged. He decided to leave, he was not let go. Not to many people seem to remember this fact. I loved what he did with the role of Todd. However, I am a RH fan and am excited he is back in the role he originated. Any one claiming to be a OLTL fan but states they will not watch because of TSJ, is not a true fan IMO.
good day for Frank Valentini
I hope the recent “Joey Bucchanan;” TOM DEGNAN continues on with the show. He was a wonderful actor, handsome as hell and a treat to watch.
His final scenes w/ Kelly, his parents as they left for London had me in tears.
He’s VERY special. Missed & a BIG mistake if they decide to keep those two in London!
Frank Valentini is the best thing to ever happen to OLTL! Plus, HE’S SOOO HOT!!! ABC and Brian Frons will feel the sting once he along with the show are gone and Prospect Park will flourish! Mr. Valentini is keen to popular trends in television entertainment, while honoring the history and notoriety of daytime serials. I haven’t missed a single episode of OLTL since Valentini became executive producer in 2003. I hope Prospect Park will hold up their end of the bargain and continue to support the best soap opera still around.
We need to get the shows on TV though! I desperately need to hear that these soaps will go to cable! There are no words for how much of the audience will be left out of this if the soaps don’t air on TV simultaneously. I personally know handfuls of people- younger and elderly- who won’t be able to watch if they only air online. Please join the facebook page ‘Boycott ABC 7′ as we continue to fight to get the soaps back on TV, i.e. on cable.
I’m not sure if the OLTL Prospect Park venture will be in a format I can watch.
I liked the ability to tape the daytime OLTL episodes, and also to re-watch on SoapNet in the evening if I so chose; a lot of flexibility to stay current and catch episodes. Don’t want to have to watch on my computer, which is slow anyway.
I so agree with you, my computer is to slow also and I also dvrd all of OLTL shows and also watched them on soap net in the evening if anything interupted it during the day…..
Smart move by Prospect Park. Valentini understands soaps, especially OLTL as he worked his way up there. He respects the viewers and innately gets the medium in a way that Frons is incapable.
Very smart move by Prospect Park, nobody can do a soap better or cheaper than Frank. Now if they get Ron Carlivati,Roger Howarth, and the incredible Robin Strasser One Life will continue to be great.
This is wonderful news! Thank you for Frank Valentini! I believe he gets along very well with the actors. Hopefully he can sway some of our favorites to go with Prospect Park! So far, OLTL has Erika, Kassie, Michael Easton (yay!) and Ted King!
I totally agree with what Amber said above: “Frank Valentini is the best thing to ever happen to OLTL! Plus, HE’S SOOO HOT!!! ABC and Brian Frons will feel the sting once he along with the show are gone and Prospect Park will flourish!”
Good luck to Mr. Valentini and thank you Prospect Park!
DON’T MAKE SUSAN LUCCI THE SCAPE GOAT FOR AMC NOT GOING ON THE NET. I DON’T THINK THERE WAS ANY REAL CHANCE IT WAS EVER GOING TO HAPPEN. NO ONE PUTS PEOPLE ON HOLD FOR MONTHS ON END WITHOUT PAY AND THE CERTAINTY OF A JOB AND EXPECTS THEM TO JUST HANG AROUND. WHO THE HE– DO THESE FOOLS THINK WE ARE..A BUNCH OF DUMMIES… THEY INSULT US AND HER. SHE GAVE THEM 41 YRS., NO MATTER HOW MUCH SHE MADE, SHE WORKED FOR IT.,
PLS. REMEMBER THE NIELSEN RATING ARE COMPLETELY WRONG AND HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS. I LIVE IN THE “BAY AREA” AND I HAVE LOADS OF FRIENDS AND NONE OF US HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED BY THAT COMPANY IF WE WATCHED ANY SHOW!!! THEY HAVE NEVER CALLED ANYONE I KNOW, NOR ANYONE ANY OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW…SOME RATINGS GIANT!!
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE IS YOU NEW SHOW THE CHEW WILL FAIL AND THAT’S SAD, BUT YOU WON’T HAVE ANY VIEWERS AND WE DON’T NEED NELSEN’S RATING TO TELL US THAT!!
It’s called a sample size – look it up. If the ratings are so wrong now, then they must have been wrong when they showed that the soaps were highly rated in the 1980s. And they must be wrong showing that One Life to Live’s ratings have increased a bit as of late.
For all of you who think Frank Valentini is so marvelous with One Life To Live, it was his fault, and the lazy writers that Trevor St John had to leave the show. Trevor’s contract with OLTL was coming to an end and Trevor said he would be willing to stay without a contract till the show ended, but Valentini decided they didn’t need him anymore after he had played the role of Todd Manning for eight great years. Valentini had his precious Roger Howarth back to play Todd and decided not to write anymore story for Trevor’s new character of Victor Lord, Jr. In other words They pushed Trevor out the door-Ron Carlavatti helped push Trevor out the door, too. Trevor himself told us what happened and we would believe Trevor long before we would believe The Idiots In Charge…I should say the LIARS in charge!
He chose not to renew his contract. They had no obligation to keep him on after that. Why can’t TSJ fans see that fact. It was his decision to leave.
Thank You Frank for supporting OLTL was hoping someone with pull would stand up and fight for the best soap on TV. not a big fan of AMC anymore, BUT saving OLTL is GREAT. Thanks again and good luck
I hope the online cast of OLTL continues to get larger. I am especially looking forward to them signing Florencia Lozano and Roger Howarth. They are great actors and are driving fantastic story right now for OLTL but I do admit the show won’t be the same without Trevor St. John. As for AMC I really don’t care what happens to it they have lost so many talented actors that I could care less anymore.
I am not moronic, lazy or obese and have been watching ABC soaps for 44 yrs and I strongly disagree with you and somewhat take offense. I think w/all the reality, talk shows and all the channels there is plenty of room for soaps. They will always have an audience. I have watched talk & reality shows but they get to be redundant and I lose interest. Soaps never lose my interest. Long live AMC & OLTL. Let’s c if the chew makes it to a 2nd season much less 44.
Prospect Park has to offer Roger Howarth a deal ASAP!!!! I can’t imagine OLTL without Todd Manning especially now that RH is back as Todd.
I just found out about this and am thrilled! I watch OLTL every evening while on the treadmill and just can’t imagine working out without it. I’ve watched since 1973 and was devastated when I heard it was going off the air. I hope they also play it on Soapnet for those without computers, like my elderly mother. This is my guillty pleasure and just the kind of entertainment I need after a hectic day of intense concentration.
I just wanna say thank god amc & oltl are saved. But I wish everyone would stop putting amc down. It still is a great show I agree that they need to keep erica kendall dixie angie amanda tad ryan jesse jr adam. and bring some of the old characters back. And to me Rodger Howarth is and always be the only todd manning. noone does it better than him it’s the true deal with it.