ABC Shifts Daytime Strategy

BURBANK: ABC is canceling two long-running soaps to make room for a pair of lifestyle series as it shifts its daytime strategy toward providing informative, "authentic" content about health, transformation and food.

The network has pulled the plug on All My Children and One Life to Live, with their final episodes to air in September 2011 and January 2012, respectively. The former will be replaced by The Chew, focusing on food with one-hour episodes to be hosted by the likes of celeb chefs Mario Batali and Michael Symon and nutrition expert Daphne Oz. One Life to Live‘s slot will be filled by The Revolution, from JD Roth and 3 Ball Productions. The daily show will focus on health and lifestyle transformations, with a team of experts and rotating guest contributors helping viewers change their lives. The team will be led by Project Runway‘s Tim Gunn and will include celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and American Idol alum Kimberley Locke.

“While we are excited about our new shows and the shift in our business, I can’t help but recognize how bittersweet the change is,” said Brian Frons, the president of daytime at Disney ABC/Television Group. “We are taking this bold step to expand our business because viewers are looking for different types of programming these days. They are telling us there is room for informative, authentic and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on ‘real life’ takeaways. A perfect example of this is The View, and that factored into our decision. The Chew and The Revolution are in the same vein and will be great additions to the lineup, with The View serving as an ideal foundation from which to launch these programs. They will also provide enormous opportunity for the creation of ancillary businesses and growth.”

All My Children, which turned 41 this year, and One Life to Live, which launched in 1968, will wrap in a manner that respects their heritage and devout fanbases, ABC said. “All My Children and One Life to Live are iconic pieces of television that have made an indelible mark on our culture’s history,” Frons said. “Each of the shows has touched millions and millions of viewers and informed the social consciousness. It has been a privilege to work with the extraordinary teams who brought the residents of Pine Valley and Llanview to life each day, and we thank the cast, crew, producers and most especially the fans for their commitment to the shows through their history.”