Before I begin my interview with Martha Byrne, we commiserate on the stunning news that As the World Turns, a show that Byrne called home for nearly two decades as Lily Snyder, had just been canceled. "It's very sad," Byrne notes, "It's like a death in the family. I spent half of my life there. But as Kim Zimmer once said, at least you could turn it on and see familiar faces, you could see your friends, catch up and see what's happening....I believe in the medium. I know that there is a following, I know there's support. I know it's there, I see it on a daily basis....I know that there's an audience. So it's particularly upsetting as a viewer, and a fan, which I am first, is a fan."

A year ago, Byrne began working on the project that would eventually become her new web series, "Gotham," and shares on how this venture was born. "I wrote a pilot about a year or so ago, an hour soap pilot," says Byrne. "And based on being a soap fan and what I like to see as a viewer - I've always loved to write. It was something I've always felt very close to, having been on daytime for so long. I felt it was something that I could do. And my writing partner also worked at As the World Turns in production, so we spent a lot of time talking about storylines that we loved, the characters that we liked to see and so we wrote the pilot. I shopped it and had a big production company that was really interested in it - and then the writer's strike happened, and a lot of other things happened." Undaunted, Byrne was urged to bring attention to "Gotham" by making the show herself. Taking it to the internet as a web soap, a format that is already showing signs of being a viable outlet for the genre of daytime serials, was an added bonus. "The climate changed in general in the industry with soaps," she continues, "There seemed to be a fear of investing. The kind of investment to start up a show financially is huge. But I kept knocking on doors and met with other people. I was in Los Angeles during the Emmys and I met with Fox Television studios and through that meeting, I was really encouraged to start it myself.... I really like having the show online because it really gives (director) Lisa Brown (ex-Iva; As The World Turns) her creativity, and us the chance to tell the stories the way we would like to....We want sponsors, we want support in the industry and we're getting it. We have people looking at the show and following it, so it's baby steps!

"The opportunity for sponsorship is there," adds the actress, who made the choice to allow "Gotham" to be aired at no charge to it's viewers. "You just have to one, find them, and two, show them what you're doing. I've had meetings with potential sponsors, people that are already interested in the show, so I think that's going to happen. I will continue to do the show for as long as I can! That's my goal. To keep it going and to build an audience from scratch takes time. I'd rather build the audience this way, get new fans, use the fan base that's there to hopefully get their support and give them something for it. That's always been the goal of this show is to give back something to the fans for the decades of support. And not just me, but Lisa too. We really have so much to be grateful for in our lives, based on the support of the fans... Really, that was it. That was where it ("Gotham") came from, where the creativity came from - what do the fans want to see, what do we like to see. I think everyone is trying to figure out how to do this the right way and profit is the gravy, obviously. The profit helps you keep going. So however you do that is your call."

The web series recently debuted to much success and the cast not only boasts the talents of Byrne and Brown but also a host of former and current daytimers, including Byrne's former World Turns co-star Michael Park (Jack). "I've never worked with him in that way!," she laughs, of her scenes with Park. "But it was such a pleasure and so easy. Both of us were like, this is like a breeze, so natural. It felt right." That feeling is clearly shared by the others involved with the show. "We want to eventually make the show longer, to build a fan base to the point where it can function on it's own, kind of like a snowball effect. That is a goal, to keep expanding the show, keep expanding the cast. We have some wonderful people involved in the show, and the cast just makes me very excited, they are fantastic actors! I'm just really lucky to have these people. They are volunteering their time, because it's important to us." Referring to the show's innovative editing, Byrne says, "We want soap opera but we also wanted to give it a little bit of an edge - especially when you only have a few minutes. You want to capture people's attention with how you do that.... I hope (web soaps) will enhance, or at least be a nice sidebar to what is already in the industry"

Beyond being a type of creative outlet, Byrne also sees "Gotham" as a way to say 'thank you' to soap fans who have supported her and the genre for so many years. "The beauty of it (making the show) is that the fans decide whether they want it or not. It is literally in their hands. The power of the fans is something that I respect. It's really the best way for the fans show their voice because it's a direct response to what they see. With a network show, there's a lot of things fans can do but it's not necessarily going to be heard. That's just the nature of the business. This ("Gotham") is something that will succeed or fail based on the fans response. And that's the way it should be.... It really starts with the fans. With their love. To me, that is the most important part of all of this."

"I spent my whole life in front of the camera, and because of that, I've been given an incredible life, because of that support. For me to give back in some way as a thank you...There are no words to thank the people for the blessed life that you've been given. How can you put that into words? By doing this, it's a way to say, 'I'm trying to thank you in some way.' The fans have given me so much love and support over the decades. I can't not be around them, I can't not be connected to the audience.... This genre is in my blood and to not do it in some way feels wrong. It's not only a way to be creative but to feed your soul."

       Photos courtesy of JPI Studios, PGP and Martha Byrne.