Maybe ABC Is Paying Attention to Beyond the Gates’ Success: Will Another Soap Join General Hospital?
The heartbreak of April 14, 2011, is still felt by ABC Daytime fans. It was the day All My Children and One Life to Live were put on the chopping block and axed by then-ABC Daytime president Brian Frons. The soaps landscape has never looked the same after the two legacy shows went off the network for good, but 14 years later, there might be hope on the horizon.
What’s Going on at GMA3?
The show, currently hosted by Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan, has had trouble finding its footing after co-hosts with undeniable chemistry, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, were let go for their off-screen relationship. Their reported affair played out in the headlines and ABC News terminated them for what was described as “an internal and external disruption” after a short suspension, per Variety. After their departure, the show continually falls at the bottom of the daytime TV rankings, slightly leading NBC News Daily and Today With Jenna & Friends, per Soap Opera Network.
That’s why a return to a scripted show might be the breath of fresh air that ABC needs. That begs the question: Which soap should ABC revive? All My Children might be the go-to answer for many dedicated fans, but a revival is already in the pipeline with Lifetime. The network announced in September 2024 that it was in pre-production for an All My Children holiday movie set in Pine Valley. That leaves One Life to Live and Ryan’s Hope as delicious possibilities for a renaissance.
In January, we toyed with the idea of One Life to Live coming back as a primetime drama with Erika Slezak’s Viki serving up a modernized version of The Banner and her daughters Jessica and Natalie running the day-to-day operations. With the chaotic news landscape, this premise could easily slide into daytime — it’s the perfect companion show after The View‘s Hot Topics roundtable. Of course, the story can’t just stay in the newsroom, it would have to capture the women’s romances, family dynamics and sibling rivalry, too!
Ryan’s Hope might have the most organic way to revive the soap because General Hospital‘s Delia (Ilene Kristen), aka Ava Jerome’s mom, got her start in daytime on the classic show. Delia could be the epicenter of the drama in 2025, running Ryan’s Bar and still serving up her Irish menu to the doctors and nurses who work across the street. It could spawn crossover episodes with General Hospital and make perfect sense in ABC Daytime’s lineup.
There’s something to be said about Beyond the Gates helping to revive the daytime soap genre — whether it’s the opportunity to follow a show from the very beginning or share stories with an “underserved audience.” Co-CEO of CBS parent Paramount Global George Cheeks told Variety in February that there’s a unique “business opportunity” to be explored.
It’s working well for CBS, so it might be the solution to fix ABC’s GMA3 woes. If they’re smart, the network might be able to revive a classic (or two).
