I know, I know: You’re still upset about ABC canceling All My Children and One Life To Live in favor of cheaper daytime talk shows. But here’s the thing: The shows aren’t really going away – they’re just going online.
News is breaking that both shows will continue as web series, with Disney licensing the shows to online production company Prospect Park.
According to the official press release, the shows will both “continue to be delivered with the same quality and in the same format and length,” marking not only some strange victory for those fighting to keep the series alive, but also a chance to grab a new audience for original web television content and, perhaps, the beginning of a new model for networks and production companies to keep beloved but unprofitable shows in production.
Forget Hulu and Netflix’s attempts to launch original web shows: If the soap opera faithful follow their favorites online, this could really be the start of something big for web TV.
MORE: Blip.tv Launches Hulu-Like Offering for Web-Only Series
Graeme McMillan is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @Graemem or on Facebook at Facebook/Graeme.McMillan. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.