Winfrey announced she will not be coming to the rescue of the ABC soap operas. "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will air their final episodes in September 2011 and January 2012, respectively, after more than 40 years on the air.
Fans bombarded her with messages hoping she'd bring them to the Oprah Winfrey Network.
But on a YouTube video seen on tvweek.com, Winfrey said all good things must come to an end.
"I will not be taking on the responsibility of trying to revive an institution that for all intent and all purpose indicates that the time has come for it to be over," she said.
Winfrey pointed out that ratings for soaps have steadily slipped over the years.
Still, she said she understands the loss fans are feeling, saying she felt the same way when "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ended.
With the end of the two iconic shows, ABC will launch two new shows called "The Chew" and "The Revolution."
