When SOAPnet launched back in 1999 it totally catered to the genre’s super fans and believe me, there were a lot of them. The network made it possible to watch same day programming later in the evening and they also brought back old fan favorites such as Another World and Santa Barbra. At the height of SOAPnet’s run it aired same day episodes of “All My Children,” “Days of our Lives,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live,” “Port Charles” and “The Young and the Restless”, of those soaps, “DAYS” and “GH” are the sole remaining currently produced soaps airing on the network’s prime time lineup. “PC” was canceled in 2003, “AMC” in 2011 and “OLTL” finished its network run in 2012. “Y&R” moved from SOAPnet over to TVGN in July of this year.
Soaps are quite obviously a dying genre and for that reason Disney has decided that SOAPnet will cease operation on Dec. 31st. This coupled with the news that the reboots of both All My Children and One Life to Live have amounted to a one season epic fail sure makes the future look pretty bleak for daytime television. Disney actually had contemplated ending SOAPnet’s run a few years ago but opted to let the network hobble along for a while longer because the fans that do exist are truly a diehard bunch.
Why do you think such long-running shows are now failing? Why isn’t the formula that worked for decades cutting it any more? If the audiences are thinning out then how much longer before the few remaining shows also bite the dust? Tell us your thoughts about all of this in the comments below!