So remember how, earlier this week, I was talking about the rise of alternative distribution channels and how they might be the savior for the hordes of job-seeking graduates pouring out of film schools?

The long-running U.S. soap operas “All My Children,” and “One Life to Live,” are set to air their final episodes in September and January, respectively. But after the final credits roll, the soaps will migrate online where the tangled storylines much beloved by fans will pick up right where they left off.

Here’s the nut graf from The Washington Post:

“Like the phoenix rising from the ashes — or the cockroaches you just cannot kill, depending on your perspective — ABC’s long-running, destined-for-cancellation soap operas “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” turn out not to be terminal after all.

ABC announced Thursday that it had sold online rights to the two soaps to a Hollywood production company that wants to keep them going as Web series.”

Read the full story here.

Once ubiquitous, soap operas have been dropping like flies from U.S. network schedules in recent years, reflecting the change in viewership and the current mania for filling up programming blocks with cheap and easy to produce reality and lifestyle shows.

But soap fans are a dedicated lot and they’ve fought hard for their favorite shows. This is proof of what happens when fans take ownership of the medium and creatives use alternative distribution channel to heed the needs of their market.

Hollywood needs to take heed here. Pretty soon, it won’t just be competing with the immaculately scripted shows that have been popping up on broadcast and cable. They’ll have to worry about viewers departing for the Web as well. The only question is whether they’ll be smart enough to get in front of it.