Browsing: The OnLine Network

Just a week after Soap Opera Network reported that The OnLine Network (TOLN) had revealed a second set of new logos for both “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” the production company has now revealed even more new logos for each show!

As part of their partnership with Universal Music Group, which allows The OnLine Network (TOLN) to “provide compelling recorded music and songs, and artist cross-promotion and integration, to a powerful new audience,” Prospect Park has cast Jessica “Jessie” Malkouti from Jessie and the Toy Boys in a role on “One Life to Live” as, what else, an aspiring musician.

Soap Opera Network has learned that television newcomer Caitlainne Rose Gurreri has landed the heavily recurring role of Eileen on TOLN’s “All My Children.” The actress is understood to be featured alongside Sal Stowers (Cassandra Foster) in a ripped from the headlines like storyline that sources say finds the characters of Jesse Hubbard (Darnell Williams) and Zach Slater (Thorsten Kaye) working together to bring down Vlad and Yuri, who are involved in a sex trafficking ring.

On Monday, March 18, Soap Opera Network was the first to report that Hulu had released a new premiere trailer for TOLN’s “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” We’ve now since learned that Prospect Park hired Catalano Productions (@TorreCatalano) to produce the pre-launch material with Mad Machine Films (@MadMachineFilms on Twitter) signed on as the masterminds behind the editing of the “Living in America” themed video.

Earlier this evening Corbin Bleu (Jeffrey King) tweeted to his more than 980,000 followers, “If @onelifetolive gets 5,000 followers today, we’ll tweet out a picture of me on my first day on set!” Soon afterward the series reached its goal and then some (total stands at 5,170 as of this writing). As a result, “One Life to Live” kept its promise when it tweeted out a pic of Bleu with his character holding his cell phone (see image on the right).

On Monday, March 18, “One Life to Live” begins filming for the first time in more than a year. Returning star Jerry verDorn (Clint Buchanan) posted pictures from the set, which shows construction underway (the soap was reportedly building sets last week) along with a look into what “All My Children’s” sets are expected to look like as well as some key sets (namely the hospital and coffee shop) will be shared by both series (with alterations). It’s understood that crew members will help transition certain sets from one show to another depending on which soap is currently in production.

As previously reported, singer/actor Corbin Bleu has joined the cast of TOLN’s “One Life to Live” in the contract role of Jeffrey King. The actor released the following statement to his 338,000+ Facebook followers:

“I’m very excited about joining the “One Life to Live’ family and beginning a new chapter in the shows long history. I can’t wait to meet the entire talented cast & crew and begin filming at ‘One Life to Live.”

Prospect Park’s The OnLine Network (aka TOLN) formally revealed its new re-designed logo. The logo is a step up from the original one Soap Opera Network first revealed back on February 18. Styled in a manner in which viewers will always know that TOLN is online and ready for network quality viewing of its programming, the Prospect Park created network will make its mark when it premieres “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” on Monday, April 29 at 12:00 PM ET on Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes.

Soap Opera Network has learned that during the week of March 18, ABC’s “General Hospital” will be departing the “One Life to Live” characters consisting of Starr Manning (Kristen Alderson), Todd Manning (Roger Howarth) and John McBain (Michael Easton). As previously reported, ABC Daytime and Prospect Park have been in a dispute over the characters and their appearance on “GH” vs “One Life to Live,” which Prospect Park is rebooting for the web along with “All My Children” later this spring. The actors are under contract to ABC, while Prospect Park holds the license rights to the characters.

UPDATE 3/4/13 11:42 AM ET: According to a TOLN representative and the actors team, Boyd’s character is that of a day player or guest star. No further information was provided.

PREVIOUS 3/3/13 8:40 PM ET: According to his Twitter page, “Rock of Ages” understudy Jake Boyd has joined the cast of TOLN’s “All My Children” in the role of Dylan Wilder. Information on the character was unknown at press time.

Sure it looks generic (and that’s just us being nice) and may not be the final product, but TradeMarkia.com has a posting on its website which shows that Prospect Park Networks, LLC has filed a trademark on the TOLN logo. There is also a posting for TOLN’s more widely known name – the OnLine Network.

Earlier today we reported on word that Prospect Park would not be airing online episodes of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” on TOLN/The OnLine Network, as had originally been expected, following today’s announcement by the company that Hulu, the green internet hub owned by The Walt Disney Company, Comcast and News Corp., had acquired digital distribution rights to both series via Hulu’s subscription and free-to-view platforms. In a blog posting on its website, Hulu clarified that news report.

Per recent comments made by TV Line’s Matt Webb Mitovich, it looks like Prospect Park’s plans to air new episodes of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” via its pending TOLN.com and TheOnLineNetwork.com web portal may not be happening after all. This is apparently as a result of today’s announcement that Hulu and its Hulu Plus subdivision, along with Apple’s iTunes, will be the digital places to be plugged (or unplugged if you have wireless capabilities) into for fans of the soap operas. It was initially expected that with the Hulu and Apple deals in place, TOLN.com and TheOnLineNetwork.com would be used for additional viewing opportunities as was done with the shows when they aired on ABC.com and Hulu.com.

According to a posting on his facebook page, “One Life to Live” co-head writer Thom Racina let it slip that the online reboot of the series may hit the web as soon as April. “I sincerely hope you will support us and tell your friends and start watching One Life To Live come April!” the writer stated in his message to his followers.

Prospect Park today announced an initial listing of writers, producers and cast members who have signed on for the online reboots of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” The company has formally announced Susie Bedsow Horgan and Thom Racina as head writers of “OLTL.” Thorsten Kaye and Jill Larson bring the “AMC” cast count to 7 stars signed. “OLTL” adds Erika Slezak, Tuc Watkins, Kassie DePaiva, Florencia Lozano, Melissa Archer, Hillary B. Smith, Kelley Missal, Josh Kelly and Andrew Trischitta, who join previously signed Robert S. Woods, Robin Strasser and Jerry verDorn. With the exception of Strasser, Woods, Smith and Watkins, Prospect Park has secured most of the actors signed on during the first round of plans to reboot the soaps back in 2011.

It was Tuesday, October 4 when Soap Opera Network first reported on the current status of union discussions between the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and Prospect Park following word back in July that Prospect Park would be launching “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” on the web. Now more than a month later, and with news that “AMC” is being delayed for various reasons, an AFTRA rep tells Soap Opera Network that they are “still in discussions with [Prospect Park].” This at some point could place a damper on the company’s plan of launching “One Life” online in January if a deal isn’t reached in the next several weeks.

There has been much discussed about “All My Children” 2.0 following a report by Soaps in Depth in which the magazine reported on its website that “All My Children,” as conceived by the minds behind the scenes at Prospect Park, has been placed on hold. This of course is after months of rumors and speculation stating that the company had planned to launch the show just days following its September 23 ABC finale and again in January 2012 following the network finale of sister soap “One Life to Live,” which in addition to “AMC” was licensed to Prospect Park for its Online Network (TOLN) in a deal brokered with the Disney/ABC Television Group back in July of this year. But is this really news to the fans or were we all just hoping something else was going on behind the scenes that would suddenly pace the show on the same trek as “OLTL?”