Could the ABC soap opera One Life to Live have potentially given birth to a blood-sucking vampire spinoff series? It's not a complete fairytale scenario, as the soap's then-head writer, Ron Carlivati, reveals that he pitched a vampire-themed OLTL spinoff called One Life to Live: Resurrection to the network back in 2008.
Carlivati's behind-the-scenes nugget comes hot on the heels of the news that ABC has picked up The Brides, a vampire soap opera from the team behind Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and the upcoming Katy Keene.
"I pitched a vampire soap spinoff of One Life to Live to ABC in 2008 for SoapNet," Carlivati tweeted. "Alas, they didn't go for it."
Carlivati, who currently serves as head writer at Days of our Lives, also reveals that his vampire series ideally would have starred some pretty awesome people. He lists Renee Goldsberry (ex-Evangeline Williamson, OLTL), Michael Easton (Hamilton Finn, General Hospital; ex-John McBain, OLTL), Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Zach Slater, All My Children), Melissa Archer (ex-Natalie Buchanan, OLTL), Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe, GH), and Kelly Monaco (Sam McCall, GH) -- to start.
I pitched a vampire soap spinoff of One Life to Live to ABC in 2008 for SoapNet starring Michael Easton, @ReneeGoldsberry @_MelissaArcher @Iamthorstenkaye @TheLynnHerring @kellymonaco1 and more. Alas, they didn't go for it. #oltl #gh #soapnet #vampire #soapopera #soaps https://t.co/HwjFWm25Fo
- Ron Carlivati (@carlivatiron) January 8, 2020
Sadly, soap fans never got to see Carlivati's OLTL vampire series come to life. However, ABC Daytime fans did get to see vampires invade the General Hospital spinoff series Port Charles, where Michael Easton played a bloodsucker named Caleb Morley. Could the series, which ran from 1997 to 2003, have been the reason why ABC didn't bite on Carlivati's vampire idea? He doesn't think so, sharing, "That ended in 2003. This would have been a follow-up series."
As for what fans can expect from the vampire soap opera that ABC eventually did pick up, Variety reports that The Brides is a contemporary reimagining of "Dracula" with a trio of female leads. The show will follow these immortal women and the things they do to maintain wealth, prestige, legacy, and their nontraditional family.
The Brides will reportedly be just one of many primetime soaps coming to ABC in the months ahead, as the network has been shopping for soapy dramas in a concerted effort to recapture ABC's female audience.
What do you think about Ron Carlivati's OLTL vampire spinoff idea? Would you have tuned in to One Life to Live: Resurrection? What are your thoughts on the premise of the upcoming vampire soap The Brides? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
