 | |
| Industry | Television broadcast |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Rebecca Campbell (president) |
| Parent | American Broadcasting Company |
ABC Daytime (sometimes shortened toABC-D orABCD) is a division responsible for thedaytime television programming block on theABC Network and syndicated programming. The block has historically encompassedsoap operas,game shows andtalk shows.
ABC Daytime is the daytime programming division of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network, which has been in operation since 1948. ABC Daytime originally began as a block of programming featuring game shows and soap operas, and it quickly became a popular destination for viewers during the daytime hours.
Brian Frons became president of ABC Daytime in 2002.[1]
In May 2006, ABC Daytime was enlarged with the addition ofSoapnet andABC Media Productions.[4] ABC Daytime was criticized bySusan Lucci for putting profits above their legacy for the 2011 cancellations ofAll My Children andOne Life to Live in favor of lower-cost talk programming such asThe Chew.[1] ABC Daytime was folded into ABC Entertainment in 2011.[5]
Times Square Studios (TSS) was created on December 2, 2011, under Vicki Dummer to oversee operations of ABC Daytime and thesyndication programs[1] replacing separate daytime and syndicated units. Times Square took over ABC Daytime when Frons' employment contract ended in January 2012.[6] Except forLive with Kelly and Ryan, Times Square took over their remaining soap, all ABC syndicated and lifestyle shows.[7] On October 30, 2014, The View talk show was transferred intoLincoln Square Productions, anABC News subsidiary, from ABC Entertainment after struggling in ratings and a change in hosts.[5]
One of the earliest and most popular shows in the ABC Daytime lineup was the game showWho Wants to Be a Millionaire which debuted in 1999 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The show's popularity helped to revitalize ABC's daytime programming and drew in a large audience of viewers.
Another popular show in the ABC Daytime lineup was the soap operaAll My Children which aired from 1970 to 2011. The show was known for its dramatic storylines, complex characters, and talented cast of actors.All My Children helped to establish ABC as a leader in daytime programming, and it won numerous awards and accolades over the years.
In addition toWho Wants to Be a Millionaire andAll My Children, ABC Daytime has featured a number of other popular shows over the years, includingGeneral Hospital,The View andOne Life to Live. These shows have helped to establish ABC as a leader in daytime programming, and they have attracted a large and dedicated audience of viewers.
Times Square Studios reverted to the ABC Daytime name by the time of the appointment of ABC Owned Television Station President Rebecca Campbell as president of ABC Daytime, which still contains syndication, as an additional position.[8]
| 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | The View |
| 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | GMA: The Third Hour |
| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | General Hospital |
NOTE: All times areEastern; local schedules may differ.
ABC Daytime has not had a regular daytime game show block since 1986, and has not had any daytime game shows since a revival ofMatch Game ended in 1991.
One game show aired in syndication on the network's owned-and-operated stations:
Gail Starkey;[11] Beth Wicke;[12] Sue Johnson;[13]Barbara Bloom (Vice President of Daytime Programming: 1996–2000); Mary Burch (Director of Daytime Programming)
| Name | Title | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armand Grant | President of Daytime Programming | 1960–1965 | |
| Harve Bennett | President of Daytime Programming | 1965–1967 | |
| Leonard Goldberg | President of Daytime Programming | 1967–1968 | |
| Marshall H. Karp | Vice President of Daytime Programming | 1969–1971 | |
| Michael Eisner | Vice President of Daytime Programming | 1971–1977 | |
| Jackie Smith | Vice President of Daytime Programming | 1977–1988 | |
| Jo Ann Emmerich | Vice President of Daytime Programming | 1988–1993 | |
| Patricia Fili-Krushel | President of Daytime Programming | 1993–1998 | Served until she resigned to join an internet company.[14][15][16] During her tenure, the network published the 1995New York Times bestsellerGeneral Hospitaltie-in novelRobin Scorpio[17] and debuted theGeneral Hospital spin-offPort Charles. |
| Felicia Minei Behr | Vice President of Daytime Programming | 1999–2002 | |
| Angela Shapiro | President of Daytime Programming | 1998–2002 | The co-founder ofSoap Opera Digest who had been ABC's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Promotion since 1995.[18] Assumed the position of President in 2000.[19] Called "a champion of the soap fans", Shapiro is credited with adapting the prime time series practice of "refreshers" and "previews" —recapitulation the previous episode immediately before showing the current one and previewing the next episode at the end – and applying the concept to daytime serials.[18] The idea is still in use today, and other networks have adopted it.[18] Shapiro also utilized the established interconnection of ABC's three soap operas (General Hospital,One Life to Live, andAll My Children) in a boldersynergy concept designed to "entice viewers to tune into soap operas that they might not have usually watched."[18] Over the course of six months in 2000,Daytime Emmy Award-winnerLinda Dano's characterRae Cummingscrossover among all four ABC daytime series.[18][20] Shapiro also createdABC Super Soap Weekend, a fan event held atWalt Disney World in Florida from 1996 (the yearThe Walt Disney Company bought ABC) to 2008.[18] She left ABC Daytime in 2002 to head theABC Family channel.[18] |
| Brian Frons | President of Daytime Programming | 8/2002–2011 | Joined in August 2002. In May 2006 Frons was promoted to President of Daytime for the newly createdWalt Disney Television, an entity overseeing all ABC andDisney networks andSoapnet.[21] CancelledAll My Children andOne Life to Live and replaced them withThe Chew andThe Revolution. In December 2011, Frons announced that he was resigning as president after nine years with the network.[22] |
| Vicki Dummer | Vice-President ofTimes Square Studios | 2011–2020 | Joined ABC in 1996. Cancelled lifestyle talk showThe Revolution after less than 3 months on the air. Oversees duties of unscripted shows were transferred in 2013 to colleague Lisa Hackner, whileGeneral Hospital remains under Dummer's management.[23] Dummer was let go along with Senior Vice President of ABC Daytime, William Burton, in December 2020. No replacement was announced.[24] |