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‘All My Children’ Canceled by ABC On This Day in 2011 After 41 Years On-Air

Decades of success couldn’t keep the soap opera “All My Children” on the air. The show was officially canceled by ABC on this day (April 14) 10 years ago in 2011.

“All My Children” had aired for 41 years when its run came to an end. According to Wikipedia, the show followed a cast of characters living in the fictional Pennsylvania town of Pine Valley. The town was a suburb of Philadelphia. Inspiration for the soap opera’s location was Rosemont – a real-life town located outside the City of Brotherly Love.

Agnes Nixon was the creator behind the popular show. And, possibly its most famous cast member was Susan Lucci. Lucci played Erica Kane on the show. “Bonanza” actor David Canary was also part of the show during its run on ABC.

Soap Opera Started with Solid Ratings, But Those Faded as Decades Went On

One factor that makes “All My Children” significant to the history of television is that it was the inaugural daytime drama to begin airing during the 1970s. Its first episode aired on Jan. 5, 1970. Interestingly, the episodes of the show were only 30 minutes in length when it began its run. It began an hour-long show as of April 25, 1977.

The show had many decades of success during its long run. In fact, while it was on the air the show was the most recorded series on television. It topped the Nielsen ratings during 1978-1979. Also, it ranked as the second most popular soap opera on daytime television during the 1980s and 1990s.

However, like other soap operas, the popularity of “All My Children” faded during the early 2000s. By the time 2010 came around, the show had drastically dropped in the rankings.

While the cancellation of “All My Children” was announced on April 14, 2011, the show remained on the air for a few more months. The final moments of the show were filmed on Aug. 30, 2011. Its final episode on ABC was broadcast on Sept. 23, 2011.

Cancellation of ‘All My Children’ Opened Time Slot for Lifestyle Show

According to a tweet by TVLine.com, the cancellation of “All My Children” coincided with the cancellation of another soap opera. This television show was “One Life to Live.” Agnes Nixon was also the creator of this show.

The tweet reported that the two shows leaving the air opened up time slots for two “lifestyle shows.” You can check out the tweet below.

So, what is the answer to the question tweeted by TVLine.com? According to Wikipedia, “All My Children” was replaced by “The Chew.” “One Life to Live” was replaced by “The Revolution.”

Neither of these shows would be on the air all that long. “The Chew” aired from September 2011 until June 2018. “The Revolution” was less successful. It reportedly only aired from January 2012 until July 2012.