The messy legal saga between ABC and Prospect Park Networks, which picked up “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” for a brief online revival after the network canceled them, has entered another chapter.
ABC has filed a countersuit against Prospect Park, which had previously sued the network, claiming breach of contract on the producers’ part.
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The cross-complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, claims that Prospect Park defaulted on its licensing fees for the soaps that it agreed to when it picked up the series.
Prospect Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month. ABC was listed as its biggest creditor, with a little more than $1.7 million in debt.
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According to the countersuit, Prospect Park agreed to pay licensing fees totaling $145 million for the two soaps, to be paid in monthly installments. However, ABC alleges, Prospect Park quickly reneged, paying series fees for both shows in April, May and June 2013 — then only the fees for “All My Children” during July and August of that year. According to ABC, Park has not made any payments since.
As a result, ABC claims, it has suffered damages “of not less than $5 million.”
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Prospect Park is suing ABC for $25 million, claiming that ABC attempted to sabotage the soaps’ revivals by borrowing back characters and then killing off two of the characters — claiming that a third character was actually a “General Hospital” character.
The network has called Prospect Park’s suit “baseless.”
A spokeswoman for Prospect Park has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.