ABC's Brian Frons on soaps: "We're down to the last few that are still strong, viable & economically sound!"

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56 April 14th, 2011 ABC’s Brian Frons on soaps: “We’re down to the last few that are still strong, viable & economically sound!”

Courtesy/ABC

In another interview today, this time with TheWrap, ABC Daytime President Brian Frons, offered up this statement, when asked about the landscape of the soap genre (now that he decided to end the lives of One Life to Live and All My Children, thus leaving daytime soaps within only four surviving members), “It’s like any other genre on TV, the strongest will survive. Right now we’re down to the last few that are still strong and viable and economically sound. ”

Frons then made a few other comments about his new replacements, The Chew and The Revolution, that will join The View, and General Hospital, forming the ABC Daytime line-up. He also adddressed, if there is any hope that somehow he would reconsider bringing back OLTL and AMC. Here are a few excerpts:

Frons on soap fans lobbying to get OLTL and AMC back on-air and if there is any hope: “No. We really spent a lot of time learning from our success with The View, talking to viewers about what they’re looking for and we have tremendous respect for the passion of our serial fans. But we’re at a point with these two shows, as much as they’ve done for the network, and as much as we appreciate them — their time here has come to an end. And we’re going to spend our efforts trying to make a success out of the two new shows, The Chew and The Revolution, which are in genres that, as we talk to viewers, they want more of.”

Frons on if a 40-year old plus show can survive in this day and age anymore: “Hm. Well, I’ll answer that in a non-way. I once said to Agnes Nixon, Agnes, did you ever think these shows would have been around for 40 years? And she said ‘Honey, I was hoping for six months.’ So I don’t think anybody can ever predict that something can be around that long. I certainly hope that these shows can be around for a quarter that long. I’d be thrilled.”

So it looks like General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless have the strongest chance of surviving, but for how long? That, will be the ongoing question in the months and year ahead.

Tags: agnes nixon, All My Children, Brian Frons, One Life To Live, The Chew, The Revolution, The Wrap