The Rise & Fall of SOAPnet

The rise of SOAPnet was an incredible gift to teen soap fans and its fall still saddens nearly eight years later.

SOAPnet launched in January 2000, just months before the series finale of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” It was conceived by the Disney-ABC Television Group to capitalize on interest in ABC’s current daytime soap operas and the soaps of yesteryear. The cable channel broadcast same-day airings of ABC’s soaps, in addition to showcasing classic soaps that had long been off the air.

Programming later expanded to include chat-focused shows like “Soap Talk,” the reality competition “I Wanna Be a Soap Star,” and even a primetime “General Hospital” spinoff, but it was a few years before I became a viewer. The turning point came in 2005 when the network acquired the syndication rights to “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which had previously aired in syndication on FX and WGN. That made SOAPnet the most important channel on my television.

Over time, the SOAPnet lineup continued to grow, but the next significant milestone for this TeenDramaWhore was in 2007. That’s when the channel scored the syndication rights to “The O.C.” and “One Tree Hill.” Featuring the latter was a particularly big deal for me as it allowed me to catch up on the seasons of “One Tree Hill” that I didn’t watch in real time.

The three teen dramas were, naturally, put together to form a programming block (for a number of years the weekend block was called “Breakfast in Bed”). While the exact show order varied over the years, it typically meant multiple episodes of each show over, say, a six- or eight-hour time span each day. At one point, the network was airing 54 hours’ worth of the teen dramas each week. To say I was in my glory would be an understatement.

And being glued to SOAPnet for hours at a time allowed me to fall in love with another show: “Being Erica.” This Canadian import wasn’t in the teen drama genre, but it was a heartwarming blend of comedy and drama with a thought-provoking, twisty premise that ultimately got me hooked.

SOAPnet also aired themed marathons of the teen dramas, with my absolute favorite being one on the day after Thanksgiving in 2012 that was all about Kelly and Dylan. I remember being on cloud nine that night, staying up til 1:00am to watch every hour.

The other huge way SOAPnet had an impact on me? On the channel’s website were message boards for various shows, including the three teen dramas it aired. In 2009 I started regularly posting on them and formed a friendship with one fellow poster in particular who became one of the most important people in my life, with our bond growing tremendously over the last 10+ years. It’s amazing that I have the teen dramas and SOAPnet to thank for one of my closest friends.

But roughly 10 years in, the rise of SOAPnet was torpedoed by the slow decline of something else: the daytime soap genre. ABC canceled two of its soaps, and, well, if Disney-ABC Television Group didn’t value the shows for one of its primary networks, it wasn’t all that logical to keep running a spinoff channel exclusively devoted to those types of series.

Of course, there were other factors at play too. It was increasingly commonplace for TV watchers to have DVRs — soap fans could record that day’s episodes and watch them at their convenience instead of tuning into SOAPnet for the same-day rebroadcasts. And while we were still a long way off from the streaming heyday we find ourselves in today, audiences were beginning to fragment as cable providers offered literally hundreds of channels to capture viewers’ attention.

By mid-2010, it was announced SOAPnet would be rebranded as Disney Junior, although the launch wouldn’t be until 2012. I was pretty devastated. But there was a silver lining: When Disney Junior did eventually debut, some providers continued to carry SOAPnet anyway, even though the channel would ultimately, one day, fade to black.

I was fortunately one of the lucky ones — my provider continued showing SOAPnet and “Veronica Mars” was even added to the lineup, which led to the discovery of what is now one of my favorite couples outside the core teen dramas. But the end was nigh.

It was announced SOAPnet would officially finally cease on December 31, 2013. So what did I do that night? I waited for the inevitable. I don’t remember exactly what happened onscreen when the moment came, but I do recall feeling a profound sense of sadness, one that has stayed with me all these years later.

The SOAPnet website stuck around for a long while after the network wrapped, but like the channel itself, is now no more. “One Tree Hill” hasn’t aired in syndication since the days of SOAPnet, while “Beverly Hills, 90210” moved to the TV Guide Network, which is known today as Pop TV. It aired “Beverly Hills, 90210” pretty steadily for a number of years, and also showed “The O.C.” for a short time (as well as “Dawson’s Creek”!), but neither currently has a regular place on the network’s schedule.

And so I lament that — the advent of Pluto aside — there isn’t a channel to regularly watch our favorite teen soaps today. Sure, I could pop in my DVDs at any time, but I have always loved watching them on regular television. It’s hard to explain why. It’s just felt more special and organic to watch the shows airing on a set schedule, commercials and all. I’m the same way with the Harry Potter movies. I can watch them anytime on the DVR, but I never do. Yet every time there’s a marathon on SYFY, USA, or E!, it’s a must-watch that brings me such joy.

That’s what SOAPnet did — it brought me joy every single time I tuned in. Its main focus might’ve been the daytime soap opera genre, but it was a real present for those of us who love the teen dramas. (In fact, soap purists would often complain about the teen dramas taking up vital air time on the network!) So almost eight years since SOAPnet fell, I remain in mourning. But what a lovely rise it was.