Like many a soap opera storyline, the saga of SOAPnet’s ultimate fate has been stretched out for a long time now, with many fans of the channel wondering, “When is SOAPnet going off the air?” ever since word started in 2011 that the network would be ending and making way for Disney Junior.
ABC has confirmed with us that SOAPnet will be ending at the end of 2013, and it doesn’t seem likely to pull the “back from the dead” maneuver that so many characters in soap history have managed.
“SOAPnet goes off the air at 11:59pm Dec 31st” read an email from an ABC publicist, in answer to my request for further information about the fate of SOAPnet and any potential new network homes for soap opera re-airs.
SOAPnet had managed to stay on a few systems over the past few years thanks to the outcry from soap fans, but this finally looks like the end. With very few daytime dramas left on the air, SOAPnet, at the end, was only showing same-day re-airs of Days of Our Lives and General Hospital (The Young and the Restless re-airs went to TVGN earlier this year), along with some very old re-airs of All My Children, which is no longer on the air. Aside from those two soaps, SOAPnet also aired old TV programs like Beverly Hills 90210 and Veronica Mars to fill up its schedule.
But while SOAPnet may not have shown as many actual soap operas as it did during its heyday, the ones it did attracted some decent Twitter conversations among fans during its evening re-airs. So, while the ABC publicist assured me that “Fans can catch GH repeats on abc.com, iTunes, hulu, by DVR’ing, it, etc. … check with NBC for Days info,” and that is all very true, what may end up missing is the sense of community tweeting while first-shifters watch the SOAPnet re-airs all together in the evening.
But soap fans are a hardy bunch, and will likely find a way to live with this development. And SOAPnet was able to at least hang on through the 50th anniversary year of General Hospital, allowing evening viewers to catch up on those events (and perhaps even help draw them back into the show’s daytime airings, as it has had a ratings surge in recent months).
As the intro to a legendary soap informs us, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” And after nearly 14 years on the air, the days of SOAPnet’s life are rapidly running out.
What do you think? Will you miss SOAPnet, or are you fine with watching soap opera re-airs online?
SOAPnet goes off the air Dec. 31 at 11:59pm to make way for Disney Junior.
(Note: We’re hearing from some readers that their systems have pulled SOAPnet within the past few days. Other systems such as DirecTV are still airing SOAPnet, but it will be gone on all systems after Dec. 31).
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Ian Buchanan and Finola Hughes in “General Hospital” — Courtesy of ABC
This is Ridiculous to take SOAPnet off the air. Their are so many fans who would like to see it stay like me! What can we do to see about bringing the channel back? I’ll sign anything. This is sad I loved this channel
I woke up this morning and soapnet was gone. I watched beverly hills 90210 and gilmore girls. since all my other shows are on netflix i won’t be paying so much money to wow. Thanks!!
I am so disappointed that soap net is gone. I spent 30 minutes on hold with Comcast and finally decided to do my own research. On days I work I would watch Days of Our Lives at night. It was my de stress time. I also enjoyed Gilmore Girls on the weekend. Yet another channel gone. I was also recently bummed when the Style Network left.
So disappointed that Soapnet went off the air las night on Comcast. Could you not at least wait until the end of the year? My only pleasure of the day after a long work day was to watch General Hospital. Ridiculous that we have to have another kid’s show. Kids do not pay the cable bill. Bring General Hospital back!
Ughhhh. Why would you cut a channel that so many people love! Is there not enough channels for kids? C’mon. You can’t just add another channel? It was very disappointing to turn on my tv today and soap net is now gone! No warning! Stupid move if you ask me!
It is VERY disappointing and annoying to turn on the T.V. to catch up on some of my favorite shows only to find they are no longer there!! Why do we need another channel showing cartoons and kid shows? Even more frustrating is that the powers that be don’t seem to care about what the people who pay for cable want. We need another kid channel like we all need to have two heads!!!! We have no choice but to pay for television and every year it seems we pay more and get less!!!!
What really pisses me off is that during the day I record GH to watch later as I’m busy with my little one. Sometimes when there is “breaking news”, the show gets cut into, maybe a minute and then the whole show…when that happens, I RELY on Soap Net to re-record the episode. Thanks a lot Soap Net/ ABC Disney. There are already enough Disney channels/shows on during the day. SMH!
What really upsets me about the early loss of SoapNet, is there was no advance warning! I missed today’s Days of Our Lives, so that my sick 3yr old niece could watch Sprout. Imagine my shock, when I went to watch Days just to find the channel no longer exists on Charter!! Thanks a lot!!
we got the bigger package of cable to for soapnet . i heard it was ending at the end of dec but turn to it to find out it was gone . i myself enjoyed it at night when relaxing . the kids have enough cartoon channels to watch . so bring back soapnet so all the viewers can watch their soaps at night when we all can relax
Thanks Disney-ABC! You all just saved me 90 bucks a month! I’m saving for as cruise and cancelling my cable today is going to help me reach my goals that much quicker. It’s a sure bet I will NOT be going on Disney cruise lines.
I boycotted everything Disney sand ABC, except General Hospital and SoapNet when All My Children asnd One Life to Live were taken off the air. No more thousands of dollars a years for expensive annual passes and food sand gift shop costs at the theme parks. Obviously, Disney did care about or need me as a viewer or a consumer. Well, I certainly don’t need them and have no urge to line their greedy pockets. My boycott is for life.
Wow it seems like it does not matter what people want anymore ,I am so disappointed .
I am another Soapnet fan who is sooooooooo disappointed right now. I noticed the soap channel was missing last night 12/17 /13 so, I immediately called my provider (closed). We’ll , I was just informed by my cable company that I will NO longer be able to watch soapnet . I too switched providers in order to enjoy my soaps in the evenings. In return, I only get $10.00 compensation and no soaps for switching. Really Soapnet Really!!!! I agree with Dorothy “seems like devoted fans of these programs should have a say “.
So why did this go off the air in the middle of the day in the middle of the week?
It was supposed to be 12-31. We watched this and supported it for a very long time and this is how we are treated? Do you not have any care for your viewers?
Not everyone has a computer–I have to work all day so night time is the only time I can watch it..But like everything else I am sure it is about money–Too bad because without your viewers where would you be? And come on another Disney channel–There are a lot of older people in the viewing area–I guess we just forget about then…
I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF LIKING A CHANNEL AND THEN THE NETWORK EXECUTIVES DECIDING WE DON’T NEED THAT CHANNEL ANYMORE THERE ARE ALOT OF SOAP OPERA FANS THAT CANT WATCH THE SOAPS DURING THE DAY BECAUSE THEY WORK OR THEY HAVE A FAMILY TO TAKE CARE OF SO THEY COUNT ON SOAPNET TO WATCH THERE FAVORITE SHOWS WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND RELAX SO I THINK I WONT WATCH ANYMORE SHOWS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DISNEY TV
Willetta I totally agree with you on this one 🙂 I am busy during the day and so SoapNet is my one way to see the soaps I love!What a shame they would take it off fkr a disney channel too cause there are already tok many cartoon and disney channels already and only one channel to watch the soaps on other than the channels they come on in the daytime.If you ask me it shou,d be the other way around they should be getting rid of some of the disney channels and keeping soapnet and make way for more soaps.
i cannot see beverly hills 90210 epispodes anymore, comcast dropped soapnet last year
I switched to another cable company so that I could get soapnet. Now its going of the air. I enjoy the re-airs I do not own a computer so I could not watch them on hulu. But they were playing them on own. They were not the same many of the characters are not on it. Just not the same. Soap net will be missed. I liked the idea I could watch General Hospital in the evenings. If I missed it at 2.
yea, I was wondeirng yesterday what happened to soapnet too. I like it as could stay up late and watch the reruns of general hospital, and days of our lives since I work during the day but I guess will have to tape then daily. also started liking the reruns of Veronica Mars too. yea, one of my reasons to go to cable was do you have soap net and now I hear cable and direct tv lose the station too.
I watched One Tree Hill and the old episodes of All My Children that I missed when I was working. Sorry to see it go. Charter dropped Soapnet yesterday so I don’t even get to the end of the year:(
I was so unhappy to see Soap net gone, I watched it every night. And I didnt see Brothers and Sisters when it originally aired, so now I wont get to see that either. We lose so many good channels by our cable company, seems the more we pay, the more channels we lose. I am very disappointed. Seems like devoted fans of these programs should have a say. After all we pay to watch your shows.
when i got home from work on Tues. (12/17/13) to find Soapnet channel no longer existed on my TV, i was very upset. To me watching TV on HULU, iTunes, or abc.com is very inconvenient. Well i guess you did what you thought was best, not what is best or liked by the consumer.