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
I agree that it sucks that Soapnet is gone. I did not know anything about it. I watch this station 90% of the time because I enjoyed watching all the shows. I also had to pay extra for this. Please reconsider and put it back on the air. I also agree that we don’t need another Disney Channel. Don’t get me wrong. I do love Disney but you only can take so many channels for Disney. You need something for the older adults. Please put it back on.
I’ve been watching GH for 40 yrs. This sucks. I work and look forward to catching up after dinner. Hope there will be another network to pick soapnet up.
Bummer. I ♥ Beverly Hills 90210. I watch it almost everyday. Is there a different channel to watch that on? No more Disney channels…jeez. How many more do we need? Bring Soapnet back, PLEASE!
I will miss Soapnet. I have enjoyed watching the shows in the evening after work. I don’t think we need another Disney show.
I was Too Very Saddened to see it go off the air tonight!! I Loved watching my shows in the Evening. What Ever will we do now??? Are they still airing Day’s at all??? At Least we Still have General Hospital during the day which is Fine for those of us that are Home at that time. Just Very Very Sad now 🙁
And Also… I Paid to have this Channel. Out of ALL the Channels there is on Cable, Surely there can be ONE for Soapnet???
Whenever there is something good, it’s taken away. Many people want Soapnet to remain on the air. There are so many good shows on there and now they’ll be gone for what? Yet another Disney channel? How many of those do we really need? There’s already too many! There was only one channel that catered to Soaps and Soap like shows. I will miss Brothers and Sisters. I will miss Gilmore Girls. When I can’t sleep at night it takes my mind off of my problems. Now that will be gone. There is nothing else on to replace Soapnet! I hope that someone out there will take over these shows.
Yes Indeed.. I so agree!
I don”t agree that your taking away soapnet because I watch Beverly hills 90210.I will miss soapnet.
I am going to miss SoapNet a lot!! There are endless cable stations with NOTHING on! I have been a GH for such a long time and this was my chance to start watching it again. Also loved Brothers and Sisters on Saturday and Sunday morning. Also loved catching classic episodes of All My Children and GH. I had the station on all night and when I would wake up I would watch for a while, fall back to sleep watch more, etc. It’s not real important but then again nothing on TV actually is. There goes my entertainment, thanks!!
Just not right to take off our soap net
Really sad that Soapnet is going off the air. If others would not have interfered, I think the station could have really done more and attracted more viewers. There are so many Soap Opera type shows out there that they could have put on if they weren’t blocked by other people. I personally don’t want to watch General Hospital at night on line. I think I can see it on demand though. Don’t know where I am going to see One Tree Hill, etc, but I guess I can get the dvd’s. The station was great for those who worked during the day. Again, really sad it is going off the air.
I love watching AMC have watched it since it began. When it went off the air, I found it on Soapnet and was happy. Now that is being taken from me too. this is not right!!!
I hate to see it go. I always recorded from Soapnet as well as from ABC in the event of power outages which we have a lot of in my area or breaking local news or just when there might be a recording conflict. I will definitely miss doing that. Plus I did watch a few shows on there. Will just have to catch those occasional mishaps on the internet. Not as nice as recording it and watching it on my big screen tho. Oh well. All in the name of progress I guess. I find it amazing that they pulled all the daytime “soap” operas off and replaced them with things like Katie which we soap fans knew wasn’t going to last. All of the failed boring talk shows or cooking shows that end up losing viewers after a couple of years and yet people watched their soaps for years and years. I’ve watched GH since 1973 and when I was a stay-at-home mom, my afternoon lineup started at 1 and went thru 4, catching All My Children, One Life to Live and then ended with General Hospital. This was all contingent with my kids’ naptime. Then VCRs came along was the best thing that ever happened to us soap fans so you could still watch your favorite “story” when you had to work or something. My very first one, you had to manually start the recording as the show started, but then came VCRs that you could program. Then of course DVRs, etc. A soap fans best friends. Really, how many people actually record talk shows and cooking shows on a daily basis to watch later or just again. And there were times in my life when I couldn’t afford cable and I recorded my soaps on my Dad’s VCR on a weekly basis and then took it home and watched it the following week and left another tape in his VCR for the next week and just kept changing out. I was always a week late in viewing the episodes but that was ok. I must say there is not anything else on TV that I have ever followed or cared to record like that. Maybe some day the PTB will wake up. There are so many talk shows and cooking shows and reality shows on that I barely watch TV other than GH and most of the evening programming, I usually lose interest after a few episodes or maybe make it through a full seanson and then stop watching. I guess when they decide to take GH off, it will be pretty much the end of my TV viewing.
Yes, i agree, they should just leave Soapnet alone! They should add Melrose Place and ER and I will miss 90210…^~ ~^
Is anyone going to pick up 90210, One Tree Hill, and Veronica Mars? This is all I watch and will go crazy without them being on. Please help
Veronica Mars – saw a commercial on DirecTV it will air on Pivot TV starting mid-January I think. Not sure about the other shows, but yes: would like to continue watching BH90210, too…for my 100th time! 🙂
I am going to miss it too. I dont watch the soaps on the computer. I watch GH and Days, it sucks that they are both on at the same time at 1:00. Now I will have to buy another DVD recorder. IT SUCKS.
I think they need to live it on I am so tried of nothing on tv I am about to cancel cable and get dvds this sucks I am tried of giving my money to cable when nothing is on it Mybe when we stop paying they will listen to the people and put good shows on tv. again tired of nothing on tv
so many same shows on, only one soapnet, want it on
Programming on SoapNet needs to expand not go away. Its nice to see reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 but they should show old reruns of shows like Melrose Place, Dallas, All My Children etc as well as same day air of Days of Our Lives etc. Sucks to see that no channel is going to take this over.
Hi every one calls me sherry
I just had to say something about Dis taking of soapnet I think its a sin our kids are ether on their pcs or tv or games when they need out learning how to get along with people and doing thing out of the house God people our kids they say may not live as long as we well and we all know why do I have to say it their getting over wait so I feel dis is a lier they don’t care about family or kids God how meny kids shows can they whach in a day its cazy the gov should not let this happen we have a right to some fun to dis I think has got away with to much and our kids are going to pay we can’t let this go without a fight God help our kid save them from dis god bless happy Christmas and new years to thank you sherry
I WANT SOAPNET BACK ON. THERE AE TOO MANY TALK SHOWS. THERE ARE ENOUGH SHOWS FOR CHILDREN. THERE WAS ONLY ONE STATION THAT CAPTURED THE SOAPS OR SOAP LIKE SHOWS. PLEASE BRING SOAPNET BACK ON . IF NOT BRING ON A STATION THAT WILL COVER THESE TYPE SHOWS. NOT EVERYONE HAS A COMPUTER OR CAN AFFORD TO HAVE A COMPUTER. THEREFORE, COMPUTER DOES NOT WORK FOR A LOT OF US. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO FOLOW OUR SOAPS. IN KANSAS, GENERAL HOSPITAL RUNS AT SAME TIME DAYS OF OUR LIVES DOES SO YOU MISS ONE WHILE WATCHING THE OTHER. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO WATCH BOTH SHOWS IN THERE ENTIRETY. YOU HAVE CREATED A GAP BY STOPPING THE AIRING OF SOAPNET. PLEASE FILL THAT GAP WITH A TV STATION THAT WILL AIR OUR SOAPS. I AGREE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE RERUNS OF DYNASTY, DALLAS, FALCON CREST,SANTA BARBARA, AND OTHERS AS WELL AS, DAYS AND GENERAL HOSPITAL. PLEASE CORRECT THIS PROBLEM YOU HAVE NOW CREATED.
I’m going to miss Soapnet. People keep saying that Disney Jr is replacing soapnet but, I already have Disney Jr. I’ve had it since about June of this year. It has its own channel and Soapnet stayed on its regular channel. So now I’m curious what directv will replace soapnet with.
I also agree with this. I have Comcast and we already have a Disney Jr and my Soapnet has already been taken off the air. I watch this channel constantly. My favorites our 90210, Veronica Mars and One Tree Hill. Why take away this channel when Disney Jr has its own?