Posted by RabbitEars

“Other People’s Children” Coming up in the second General Hospital: Night Shift episode of the new season, airing July 29 at 11pm ET on SoapNet, an adopted girl from China is rushed into the ER, and Robin races to find a donor match. But she gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a secret about the girl. Meanwhile, Claire is pursued by a drunk patient, but she’s more interested in his sober buddy, and Leo and Kyle stop fighting long enough to have a drink and be civilized for a moment. Later, Jagger storms out after a fight with Robin about Stone.

Tags: "Night" Moves, General Hospital, Night Shift, Soap Operas by RabbitEars
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Posted By RabbitEars

SoapNet has announced a second season of the popular series General Hospital: Night Shift, the network’s top-rated original scripted drama, which was a huge hit last summer. Production begins in June, with the series debuting in July and airing Tuesdays at 11pm ET. Season 2 is expected to feature favorite characters from the first season, along with some new faces, and the return of some legacy General Hospital characters. The series will be shot in high definition. New head writer Sri Rao comes on board, as does new executive producer Lisa De Cazotte.
More information on cast and premiere date as they are announced.

Tags: "Night" Moves, General Hospital, Night Shift, Soap Operas by RabbitEars
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Posted by TVita

This is it, folks – the last of my interviews from the set of General Hospital: Night Shift. (Sniffle) Who better to wrap things up than the much loved (or much hated, depending on who you ask), Steve Burton? During his more than 10 years as Jason Quartermaine/Jason Morgan, Burton has been a straight-A student, worked for a mob boss, entered a marriage of convenience, acquired a hacking sidekick and, most famously, lost his memory – twice. Just three days from the premiere of Night Shift, Burton tells us a little about his new gig as GH’s newest janitor.

What differences did you first notice between “General Hospital” and “Night Shift”?
The storylines are going to be faster; you don’t have to play the same story for two weeks or two months. It’s going to be like an episodic prime-time series, where stories do wrap up in the hour and then some stories can get strung along a little bit. I think there’s probably much more closure, which is nice, because that’s why we watch prime time. Then you have some new characters, and you have some characters they’re familiar with from General Hospital – I think it’s a great combination of everything.

It’s different in we’re shooting a lot more in a day, we’ve got new people so it’s a different energy, it’s a new show so there’s that air of, “Wow, this is kind of fun; it’s new, it’s for prime time, for SOAPnet,” so we’re doing something different from our show. We’re using a green screen, which is new for us. I think it’s going to be a bigger show, in the vastness of it, compared to General Hospital.

You told me that actors new to soaps “have to learn quick” – how’s that going?
The new people I think are getting used to it now. Last week was an “OK, this is how it is!” kind of thing. People will say, “Well, I –,” and the director will be like, “Moving on!” They just don’t care. Usually they can fix [it] in the edit, but it’s a different animal than other shows or movies. We’ve got to tell the story, get the shots [and] do the blocking in one or two takes and move on. People come here from TV and film and tell us, “You guys are nuts!”

Is that pace second-nature for you?
It’s just like a job now. The memorization part is a lot of time management for me, because I have kids. I just plan everything out as much as I can and try to do it.

Do you think “Night Shift” is going to attract new fans?
Obviously, [we’re] trying to get new viewers. I think they’re going to get GH fans. A lot of people, I can’t believe it, still don’t have SOAPnet! People are asking me all the time, “How do I get SOAPnet?” I’m like, “Call your cable company!” It’s going to be interesting. It’s new for SOAPnet, too; it’s a new adventure for them, and for us. It was going to happen sooner or later. Daytime’s in such trouble as it is.

Are you worried about soaps disappearing entirely?
No, not a bit. It means I don’t have to act or memorize anymore! I’ll be a janitor! Yeah, man – I’m blue collar!

Tags: "Night" Moves by admin
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Posted by TVita

After two days of 4th of July celebrations, I might be nursing an unfortunate badminton injury (Playing badminton in flip flops, on a driveway? Not the greatest idea. Just a little tip, from TVita to you.), but I’m still here to share some more of my day on the General Hospital: Night Shift set!

Today, get to know more about new doc on the block Dominic Rains. From his “heady” thoughts on Justin Timberlake’s movies to the head-scratching “condiment question” and so much more, Dominic weighs in.

What’s on your TiVo?
I don’t have a TiVo! I hardly watch TV. I was very athletic as a kid, so I didn’t pay too much attention to reading and watching movies. I make that a point now, when I’m at home and not working or in the gym, I like to read as much as I can. I try to keep up with reading and current events — and watching movies. I like to get an old flick and a new flick. Recently, I got Midnight Cowboy and Alpha Dog. [Alpha Dog] had an effect on me, because i went to a high school where I had a lot of friends end up in prison. The characters remind me of people that went to my school; I knew a lot of people — girls and guys both — who got into a lot of trouble. They’re good-hearted people who just get swayed … but I’m getting a little heady!

[Read more →]

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Posted by TVita

Now that you’ve seen the sexy promos for General Hospital: Night Shift, you’re no doubt wondering who that mysterious, dark-haired doc is. Lucky for you, I met that mysterious, dark-haired doc during my day on the set, and am ready to give you the goods! Joining Billy Dee in the ranks of newbie at NS, Dominic Rains brings a breath of fresh air to those familiar hospital halls as Dr. Leo Julian, a silver-spoon guy with blue-collar sensibilities and a youthful idealism. The Iranian born actor is a relatively new face in Hollywood – you may have seen him in the Emmy winning A&E original Flight 93, or in guest-starring roles on NCIS and 24, but his turn as Dr. Julian marks his daytime debut.

I’m happy to report that Rains is the real deal: a young actor who couldn’t be more thrilled to find himself in Port Charles, and more than willing to tell me all about it. Not only was he a great interview, but he was the first — and only – castmember to take the time to introduce himself — hours before we ever sat down to chat. He’s earnest, enthusiastic and genuine — and he completely won me over. Let me know if he does you!

[Read more →]

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Posted by TVita

Joining General Hospital’s regular staff of doctors and nurses is the legendary Billy Dee Williams. As head janitor Toussaint DuBois, Williams brings a little mystery to the Night Shift. I sat down with the former Lando Calrissian in his temporary digs, the dressing room normally home to John Ingle (Edward Quartermaine), for a quick chat about getting used to a faster pace, where he’d rather be on a Friday afternoon, and Billy Dee-crazy ladies.

What’s the story of Toussaint DuBois?
He was very well known at some point, but at some point, his life started going downhill. He bounces back, and recreates himself at some point … and ends up becoming pretty philosophical about everything. And he’s into everybody’s business! He knows everything that’s happening at the hospital.

How do you like the pace of daytime?
It goes so fast! I’m ready to go for another take. [Sometimes] I know what I just did is not satisfactory, at least from my perspective.

Has it been tough coming into an established cast?
No, not really. I’m happy to meet everybody that I’m working with. This is a wonderful company. You’ve got your producers and your writers, and they’re all very lovely people. I think when you have that kind of an atmosphere, everything is good.

What would you normally be doing on a Friday afternoon?
I’d rather be outside. Or at a restaurant having lunch and some vino! Either that or I’d be in the gymnasium.

What else is on your plate?
I have a fragrance that’s going to come out. I had a fragrance in the 80s, through Avon, and I decided to do another one. I also paint. I sold a lot of paintings to this company that auctions paintings on cruise lines.

So you’ll be going on a little working vacation?
I’m not a vacation person. I prefer working, or being busy doing this. I’ve been fortunate; I end up going on vacation when I’m working. I just got back from Australia and New Zealand. I was signing autographs for a sci-fi thing. It’s a pretty interesting way to exist!

Will you always be Lando Calrissian to fans?
People know me for a lot of other things: Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, lots of movies. There’s a pretty wide variety of [my] characters that people are really into, but certainly Lando. After Lady Sings the Blues, I became this kind of matinee idol, and women used to do lots of crazy things. Well, I won’t tell any of those stories!

After talking to the folks on the Night Shift set, it’s clear that it’s not just Lady Sings the Blues fans who can’t get enough Billy Dee. Feel the love.

Bradford Anderson, on the last time he was starstruck: “Last week, when I met Billy Dee Williams! It was more of an honor and a privilege to meet him. One of the actresses on our show was short of breath. I was able to breathe, but really honored to be in the same [scene as him.]

Steve Burton, on how it’s been to work with Billy Dee: “Great. He’s cool as heck, man. It’s crazy! I wouldn’t say I was nervous, but he’s definitely got a charisma about him. You can see why he is who he is. It’s cool. Even when you’re an actor … you watched him [as you were] growing up and you’re like, ‘Wow!’ Anyone on that big screen … He’s a very nice guy, very low key. I don’t know if he’s reserved more than shy. This is a whole new ballgame for him; I said, ‘I like this pace,’ and he was like, ‘Are you crazy?’”

Dominic Rains: He’s a great human being. He’s very relaxed, very perceptive, very … he’s got this interesting energy about him; you can tell he’s seen it all. I wanted to pick his brain as much as I could the first day, but I got to the point where I was like, ‘Wait a minute – he probably thinks you’re a lunatic!’”

Tags: "Night" Moves by admin
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Posted by TVita

Next week? Who wants to wait until next week?! Let’s get to the next General Hospital: Night Shift interview now! Kimberly McCullough has been a presence on GH since she was seven years old, hanging out with aliens and mobsters and what not. Here’s what the lovely Robin Scorpio had to say about her new job, soap-watching bouncers and more.

What differences have you noticed between “Night Shift” and “General Hospital?”
It takes a lot longer! It takes longer [to film] because the scripts are longer and there aren’t as many commercials. No. 2, there’s new people, so they’re not necessarily used to the pace. I just think it’s a matter of time before it starts to run like General Hospital does. I like it, just because I get bored very easily! I love having new people and new stories – it’s exciting for me.

What are some of your favorite Robin storylines?
I think the most notorious, especially among my friends that like to make fun of me, is the alien storyline. I had a friend Casey the alien, and his homing beacon was in my bedroom. That was pretty fun, actually! He was from Lumina; they named him after a car. I also liked the story we did about the pearls in the doll’s eyes, because I got to go to Vancouver, and it was a lot of action stuff and exteriors. Just a change of pace. Like the first night of Night Shift – a lot of the stuff we shot was outside, and that was a lot of fun. But it costs a lot of money to do that!

What are you giving up to work Fridays this summer?
The only thing I’m really giving up are weekend trips. I can’t really go to Vegas with my friends because they leave on Friday night, and I don’t get out of here until 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, so it kind of screws my Saturdays up. But that’s ok – it’s worth it!

Do you have any really memorable fan encounters?
What I like is when someone I really wouldn’t expect to watch the show recognizes me. I was going into one of my favorite spots in Venice – I live in Venice, and there’s this bar called Hinano’s that has the most amazing burgers. It’s my spot to go after surfing. I go in there and have a beer and a burger, and one time there was this big dude, a bouncer who was, like, 6’4”, who was like, “What’s up, Robin?” I like those kind of experiences.

Do you have a favorite condiment?
I’m a condiment queen! I’d say mayo. I’ll dip my French fries in the mayo.

When was the last time you were starstruck?
Did you see Grindhouse? In Quentin Tarantino’s part, Death Proof, there’s this stunt woman who he wrote a part for, and she’s incredible. I wouldn’t even ruin it by telling you what happened, but she did all of her own stunts, and she’s insane. Her name’s Zoe, and she was Uma Thurman’s stunt double in Kill Bill. I saw her in Venice, and she looked exactly like she did in the movie. Same outfit, same hairstyle, same purse. It was like, “Oh my God, you’re a badass!”

Why do you think soap stars aren’t as dogged by the paparazzi?
Because we have our own magazines! It’s like having a different awards show. It’s such a specific genre. The difference is, fans see Tom Cruise as Tom Cruise – not as his character. We are our characters. People see us that way; they don’t see us as our real names. So maybe that’s it, too. I think they’re still interested in their private lives, but I don’t see as much emphasis on that.

Tags: "Night" Moves by admin
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Posted by TVita

Time to make the rounds again at General Hospital: Night Shift! My day at ABC Studios continued with some one-on-one time with Dr. Patrick Drake himself, Jason Thompson (I’m telling you, I could definitely get used to this). The St. Albert, Canada, native and daytime heartthrob filled me in on everything from his favorite magazines to what’s in store for “Scrubs” on Night Shift. I just tried not to drool …

You’re here on your “day off” – what would you normally be doing on a Friday?
Not much. Really not much! Hanging out – I’m still working on my house. I like hanging out with my friends, getting dinner, maybe a drink if that happens. Other than that, I really don’t get that crazy.

So you like being a DIY guy?
As much as I can, yeah. I really don’t mess with the big stuff – electrical and plumbing – but any of the other stuff, I like to get my hands in there and do as much as I can. [Read more →]

Tags: "Night" Moves by admin
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Posted by TVita

Sometimes, my job really doesn’t suck. Like, say, when I fly to L.A. to spend the day on the set of SOAPnet’s new prime-time series General Hospital: Night Shift. Not only was it exciting to walk into my favorite daytime world, but it was a rare treat to get the inside scoop on a show that features a setup that’s new to both the network and the daytime genre as a whole. Taking the action out of a long-arc format and into one of stand-alone episodes, the show, as the name would suggest, focuses its action on the night shift of the titular hospital’s ER — with locations including, I’m told, a tryst-ready supply closet or two. There’s none of that tawdry action going down today (darn), but there’s plenty else for me to see.

Hanging out in the green room with Bradford Anderson, Jason Thompson, Steve Burton and more of the Night Shift cast was fantastic, and I just had to share the love. We’ll be covering the show and my set visit in our July issue of Channel Guide Magazine, of course, but I just couldn’t let all of my stories from the set wait until then. We’re a little more than a month away from the show’s July 12 premiere now – just enough time to really get you excited about it with some interviews and insight from the set.

Nestled just below the Hollywood Hills on a largely residential street, ABC Studios could be easy to miss. Up past the gate, the tree-lined parking lot is unassuming enough — until you spot the rows of trailers that usually house the actors of Grey’s Anatomy, which also films there. Entering the General Hospital building, I was a little surprised at how nondescript it all is. Dorm-like hallways are lined with dressing rooms, hair and makeup, and such. I quickly found that the real hub was the centrally located green room. Lined with comfy couches and stocked with a healthy supply of tabloids, this room multi-tasks as a home base for extras, a meet-and-greet lounge for fans, and is where I sat down with Spinelli himself, the hilarious Bradford Anderson (who, by the way, took the day’s “I’d love like to get a beer with this guy!” honors).

[Read more →]

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