Tristan Rogers returns to General Hospital, but on Night Shift
There’ll be another big name soap star on the second season of SOAPnet’s General Hospital: Night Shift. In addition to Antonio Sabato, Jr. returning as Jagger Cates, Tristan Rogers will join Night Shift, reprising his role as secret agent Robert Scorpio, the Australian spy and former Port Charles police commissioner. His younger brother, Mac, is the current top cop in PC, so expect them to cross paths.
However, it’s as the father of Dr. Robin Scorpio, played by Kimberly McCullough. Robin, who is HIV-positive, that Robert will mainly drive story. She is currently in the midst of her first pregnancy. You would imagine that Robert’s back to check in on his daughter, but there’s more to his Night Shift stay.
Michael Logan in TV Guide reports that a rep for Night Shift said that Robert is suffering from “a major health issue that’ll have him grappling with his mortality.” Instead of Robert caring for Robin — to trying to — the situation will be reversed. Dr. Robin will have to treat her father.
“This’ll be a real departure wherever it’s headed,” says Mr. Rogers. “Robert and Robin will finally get a chance to connect as adults.”
You may wonder how relevant it is to cast an actor who’s last long run on General Hospital was 1992 (although he had brief returns in 1995 and 2006). I think it’s very relevant, and a sure fire way to get old time fans like me to be sure to tune in to Night Shift. Scorpio was always a fascinating character, and like Anthony Geary — who just picked up his sixth Emmy — Tristan Rogers is one of the iconic stars that symbolize what General Hospital is all about.
My only reservation about this casting note is that I also think Finola Hughes needs to be booked for a few episodes. Supposedly, GH has plans for Ms. Hughes, which is why they requested she not take a small role on The Young & the Restless. So, let’s get her on Night Shift, because you can’t have Robert and Robin without Anna along for the ride.
Antonio Sabato, Jr. checks in to General Hospital - Night Shift
SOAPnet has landed a big star to anchor the second season of General Hospital: Night Shift. As TV mentioned previously, Antonio Sabato, Jr., who was rumored to be returning as Jagger Cates, has signed on the dotted line. When Night Shift returns to SOAPnet on Tuesday, July 22, the character of Jagger, played by Antonio Sabato, Jr. will be front and center.
Jagger Cates has not been involved in General Hospital since 1995, so presumably he’s older and wiser. But since Antonio is still playing the role, he’s going to definitely be as gorgeous as ever. Interestingly, if Antonio is booked, what’s the likelihood that Steve Burton will be there as Jason?.
Jagger’s storyline includes Stone Cates, but that’s not the same Stone as before. Jagger’s younger brother, Stone, died of AIDS. This Stone is Jagger’s five year old son whom he’s named for his little brother. When Robin Scorpio meets Jagger again, and learns about Stone, it will be highly emotional
Stone was the love of her life — before Patrick Drake, who’s her current love and the father of her unborn child. Stone also is the man who passed on his HIV to Robin. She’s currently pregnant and handling the medical issues inherent with trying to have a baby when you’re HIV positive.
Antonio started on General Hospital before graduating to Melrose Place. His last soap gig was on The Bold and the Beautiful as Dante Damiano. As for non-acting, he’s currently appearing on NBC’s Celebrity Circus.
SOAPnet books another season of Night Shift
When something’s a success, a follow up is inevitable. Therefore, the news that SoapNet is launching a second season of General Hospital: Night Shift, commencing Tuesday, July 22, is no big surprise. The surprise will be who is going to be involved in the daytime soap spinoff that airs once a week on SoapNet at 11 o’clock. Last season, actors for General Hospital, including Kimberly McCullough, Jason Thompson and Steve Burton did double-duty. And they weren’t alone. Some new characters appeared on Night Shift, but the draw was definitely the daytime stars.
SoapNet ordered 13 new episodes of Night Shift and this year the show will be produced in high def. Production begins next month, and unlike last year’s edition, the show will be filmed on new stages dedicated solely to Night Shift instead of sharing space with General Hospital.
The new Night Shift will be executive produced by Lisa De Cazotte (Passions, All My Children, One Life To Live) and written by Sri Rao (MTV’s What Goes On), but General Hospital’s Jill Farren Phelps and Robert Guza, Jr., exec produce and headwriter respectively, will oversee their efforts.
“Sri has worked closely with Bob and Jill, scoping out where the storylines are going to be on General Hospital,” said ABC daytime chief Brian Frons. “One thing we heard from fans was that there were some disconnects. We’re working hard to make sure there will be more consistency tying the shows together better.”
That’s very true. Night Shift was fun, but it seemed to be playing in a parallel universe to General Hospital when it played in 2007. What you saw in daytime wasn’t reflected in the Night Shift storylines, so there was a jarring effect. Rumors have been flying about who may or may not be involved in the new Night Shift. One, which seems unlikely, is that Jack Wagner — currently on CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful as Nick Marone — would be lured to Night Shift to play his GH character Frisco Jones. Considering how ABC nixed GH’s Finola Hughes’ moonlighting on CBS’s The Young and the Restless, it would be unbelievable to think CBS would agree to let Wagner moonlight on ABC.
The other hot rumor suggests that Antonio Sabato, Jr. (Melrose Place) would be coming back to the GH world as Jagger Cates. He was last on the soap in 1995.
SoapNet mixes drama with hockey in new series
The success of last summer’s General Hospital: Night Shift was the harbinger of things to come. And now they have. SoapNet announced a new 10-episode drama series called MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives.
It makes sense that SoapNet would take another stab at creating its own dramas. Last year’s Night Shift, the channel’s first attempt at that kind of original programming, proved more popular than the reruns of daytime soaps it had been running at 11 o’clock at night. But the difference between this new offering — about the ladies in the lives of professional hockey players…hockey and soap? — is that Night Shift was based on General Hospital and used popular stars from the daytime show for the spin-off. If Steve Burton (Jason), Kimberly McCullough (Robin) and Jason Thompson (Patrick) were not in Nightshift, would SoapNet viewers have tuned in?
SoapNet is betting that they will, and thus the creation of MVP. It’ll be produced in Toronto and tells the story of the Canadian Mustangs hockey team, the men on the ice and the women who watch them skate — or something as riveting. It all sounds vaguely like a variation on Footballers Wives. The ABC version of that British hit is still to see the light.
According to Brian Frons, president of ABC daytime, they’re going to spend real money to make MVP look like a primetime soap. He said that MVP will have “five to six times” the budget of Night Shift. Of course, that begs the question that since Night Shift was a hit, why not use all that money to do another 13 episodes? Bueller? Beuller? Frons?
There is still no word on whether Night Shift is coming back, but if it does, I hear it will have to be done differently. Last year’s production schedule was a killer for the actors and production staff; principals were working on General Hospital during the regular daytime show and doubling up to participate in Night Shift. They were run ragged.
As for the prospect for MVP, SoapNet is promising that it will focus on “the shocking scandals of hockey players — who are living the life of instant wealth, excess and tabloid celebrity — with their girlfriends and wives joining the ride.” I don’t want to burst the soap bubble, but do the folks at ABC realize that ice hockey is not even as popular as golf and tennis on TV? Check the ratings. Even the Stanley Cup finals were miniscule when NBC aired them last year.
Yes, yes, I can hear it now: hockey is just a backdrop for all the drama. Okay, fine. The cast is composed of young stars including Lucas Bryant (Queer As Folk), Dillon Casey (Too Young to Marry), Mathew Bennett (Battlestar Galactica), Peter Miller, Kristin Booth (Supernatural), Anastasia Phillips, Deborah Odell, Natalie Krill and Olivia Waldriff. Mary Young Leckie and Heather Haldane are the executive producers.
The show starts on June 19 and will run every Thursday at 11 p.m. Will soap fans who are currently watching SoapNet to catch up on the daily repeats of The Young & the Restless, Days of Our Lives, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital, be interested in a hockey drama with no big names and no hook to an existing soap in production? I’ll reserve judgment till I see the show, but my gut reaction is — no.