Since the TV show All My Children was cancelled in April, a soap-opera-like feud has erupted on Twitter with fans heckling “The Chew,” the new day-time talk show about food and nutrition taking its time slot.
Hundreds of fans have tweeted in disappointment and at least three have created pro-All My Children Twitter accounts specifically to gripe about its cancellation and criticize The Chew. And at least one of the show’s hosts has fired back.
Fan Kara Morgan, @karamorgan2, encouraged her followers to email Anne Sweeney, the president of ABC Television with their objections.
“Let’s e-mail this greedy lady so when she gets to work her e-mail is flooded,” Morgan tweeted, calling the show “stupid” and saying “even ABC knows it will fail. You belong on the Food Network, not replacing one of the most loved shows.”
“No matter how many promos they run, we ain’t watching!” tweeted @screwthechew.
“Does anyone feel like cast of @thechew are like ‘scabs’ crossing the picket line to get their 15 min. of fame?” tweeted @thechewandvomit.
The Chew’s hosts, chefs Mario Batali, Carla Hall and Michael Symon, are not just sitting back and taking it.
Symon responded directly on Twitter.
“And people wonder why Alton Brown (a TV personality on the Food Network) got off Twitter,” Symon tweeted. “It’s people like this that give you second thoughts @thechewandvomit. I’m excited 4 #thechew”
“All My Children” first aired on Jan. 5, 1970. The show featured the first legal abortion in TV history, addressed the AIDS epidemic and had its fair share of carnal relationships. Yet despite it’s storied history, viewers had been dwindling over the past seven years while production costs had gone up, leading to its demise, according to a New York Times blog item.
Since being canceled, “All My Children” has been sold to the Prospect Park production company. The company hopes to create new episodes in 2012, according to Soaps.com. The final episode of the show will air Sept. 23 on ABC.