With news that Eden Riegel would be reprising her role of Bianca Montgomery on TOLN’s “All My Children,” for what Deadline calls a “cameo guest arc,” the actress has taken to Twitter to thank fans for their kind words and to welcome her “daughter” to the show.
Browsing: TOLN
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.
With just a week to go before production is set to begin once more on “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” after more than a year since both series aired their last episodes on ABC, a number of behind the scenes personnel have been hired on to help spearhead the soaps into the digital world via Hulu and iTunes later this spring.
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.
With Prospect Park now signing agreements with key unions SAG-AFTRA (actors), the DGA (directors), and the WGA (writers), with an expectation to begin filming episodes of “All My Children” as soon as next month, we wondered who you wanted to see act on the soap when it moves to the web. Your choices can include past actors as well as wishful casting (recast and new characters are welcomed). We also wondered who you want to join the writing team now that thousands of writers are at Prospect Park’s disposal courtesy of their agreement with the WGA, as well as who you want to direct episodes of the series. Keep in mind that Agnes Nixon, who created both “AMC” and “One Life to Live,” is currently working as a consultant for Prospect Park, according to Foz McDermott, head of production for TOLN (Prospect Park’s The Online Network). Also note that actors Jordi Vilasuso (Dr. Griffin Castillo), Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard), Debbi Morgan (Dr. Angela Hubbard), Vincent Irizarry (Dr. David Hayward) and Lindsay Hartley (Dr. Cara Castillo) are all confirmed as signing on to return to “AMC” when it moves to the web. Alicia Minshew (ex-Kendall Hart) has reported that she’s been approached, while Cameron Mathison (ex-Ryan Lavery) hope’s he can be involved. There’s no word yet on the status of Susan Lucci (ex-Erica Kane), who was the only original cast member from the first season of “AMC” that had remained with the show without interruption from its debut on January 5, 1970 through its final ABC broadcast on September 23, 2011.
Jordi Vilasuso, who tweeted, “Wishing everyone a happy and safe NYE! BTW, Is someone paging Dr.Griffin Castillo? 😉 #AMC @prospectpk,” back on Monday, December 31, 2012, has just announced via SoapCentral Live that he has in fact signed on to return to the drama series when it moves to the web later this year. The actor portrayed Girffin Castillo on the soap from November 2010 until the program concluded its ABC run in September 2011. He re-teams with on screen sister Lindsay Hartley, who was the first actor to have been confirmed as returning when the show resumes production for episodes set to air via Prospect Park’s TOLN (The Online Network) website.
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?”
In an effort to save costs before uprooting the show to more permanent digs, sources have confirmed to Soap Opera Network that Prospect Park and its Online Network (TOLN) division have sealed a deal with the Disney/ABC Television Group to continue filming “One Life to Live” at its current ABC Television Center Studio in New York City located at 320 W 66th Street.
Prospect Park executives Jeff Kwatinetz and Rich Frank have confirmed to Soap Opera Network that the production company has signed “One Life to Live” cast members Tuc Watkins (David), Josh Kelly (Cutter), Florencia Lozano (Tea), and Shenell Edmonds (Destiny) for the online version of the ABC soap pending final Guild agreements.
“Good Morning America” will pay tribute to the canceled daytime drama “One Life to Live” before the show leaves ABC Daytime for Prospect Park.
Prospect Park continues to forge ahead with plans for their new Online Network in preparation of its January launch by signing a new deal with Universal Music Group. As part of deal, music from UMG’s record and publishing companies will be featured in upcoming episodes of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” when the soaps transition to the new online venue early next year.
“All My Children,” aired its series finale on Friday, September 23, 2011 with its largest weekly audience in over four years (since week of August 20, 2007), its largest single day episode in more than 4 1/2 years (since the May 11, 2007 episode) and tied its highest weekly household rating in four years (since week of September 24, 2007). The canceled ABC soap managed to place second in households for the first time in 16 years (since week of July 10, 1995) and placed second in viewers for the first time in nearly seven years (since week of December 6, 2004).
Nearly three months after licensing the rights to “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” from ABC, Prospect announces the launching of a new web channel, The Online Network, which will air both soaps along with the upstart company’s other current and future programming.
