'All My Children,' 'One Life to Live' Moving to New Production Facilities

Soap operas move into new production facilities but still air at same times.

ByABC News
August 4, 2009, 12:12 PM

Aug. 4, 2009 — -- "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" are getting new homes -- but you can still catch them at their old times.

ABC Daytime announced today that it would move production of "All My Children" from New York to Los Angeles and that "One Life to Live" would move into "All My Children's" former New York space, giving both shows facility upgrades and streamlined production models.

"All My Children's" new facility is twice as large as its current one. It includes two stages, which will allow it to keep more standing sets. It will also allow the series to switch immediately from standard-definition to high-definition TV.

"One Life to Live" will enjoy similar upgrades when the show moves into "All My Children's" old home, which is 30 percent larger than "One Life to Live's" current space.

After the show relocates in December, "All My Children" will begin taping episodes in Los Angeles the week of Jan. 4, 2010, and will begin airing in HD in February. The move of "One Life To Live" to its new home takes place soon after "All My Children" relocates.

"All My Children is one of the most recognizable brands in television, and we are committed to continue telling and enhancing the stories of the residents of Pine Valley," said Brian Frons, president of the Daytime division of the Disney/ABC Television Group. "The move to Los Angeles enables both 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' to dramatically improve the series production models and achieve significant efficiencies while enhancing each show. We had to examine every option on the table to combat the current economic realities, and rising costs of production, and we are doing it in a way that makes each of our shows stronger."

"I am so grateful for the wonderful commitment from ABC to 'All My Children,'" said Agnes Nixon, creator of both shows. "While I will miss being able to run over to the show ... it feels a little like I am sending one of my children off to be married. ... I am glad the network is making moves that will enable the team to continue telling stories about Pine Valley. ... There are many more secrets to be revealed."

"All My Children" has been on the air for 39 years,"One Life to Life" for 41, and both have enjoyed critical acclaim since their inception. "One Life to Live" was the most honored show at the 2008 Daytime Emmy Awards, with a total of 13 nominations that garnered six wins. "All My Children" earned 19 Daytime Emmy nominations.

Despite the changes in production location, "All My Children" will still air from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET every weekday on ABC, with "One Life to Live" following from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET.