Well, that’s awkward.
Cast members from the new Web versions of “One Life to Live” and “All My Children” will visit “The View” Thursday — while ABC, which canceled both soaps, is being sued for $25 million by the company launching the shows online.
Prospect Park, which licensed “OLTL” and “AMC” from ABC, claims that ABC breached its contract by having three “OLTL” characters who were on loan to “General Hospital” — played by Roger Howarth, Kristen Alderson and Michael Easton — return to “GH” next month, reportedly in new roles.
It claims that move was part of ABC’s plan to sabotage the online versions of “OLTL” and “AMC,” which premiere April 29 on Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes, because it regrets ceding rights to both shows.
(Howarth is contracted to appear on “OLTL” before returning to “GH.”)
Now, in the midst of all the bad blood, “The View” will feature Erika Slezak (“OLTL”) and “AMC” cast members Thorsten Kaye and Vincent Irizarry to promote those shows’ online versions.
Prospect Park officials had no comment, but inside sources say “The View” booking was made a long time ago, and that officials think “it makes great programming.”
“They think it would take acrimony to a whole new level if they canceled [‘The View’] appearance,” the source says. “ ‘The View’ is a great platform to promote the shows . . . and Prospect Park holds no prejudice toward ABC.”
Kaye is also good friends with “View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg — and “The View” devoted “farewell” episodes to both soaps when they were cancelled by ABC.
Officials at “The View” had no comment, but insiders there say the show’s co-hosts won’t mention the ABC-Prospect Park litigation on Thursday’s show.
“ABC is excited about the launch of the [online soaps] and wants them to be successful because it has a vested [financial] interest in them,” says a source — who also revealed that “OLTL” cast member Tuc Watkins will appear on ABC’s daytime show “The Chew” this Monday when the two soaps make their online premieres.