SOAPnet has picked up another season of General Hospital: Night Shift, the primetime spin-off of daytime drama General Hospital, after it scored record ratings in its first year run.  Season 2, which will air in July, will be shot in high definition and will feature continuity between Night Shift and its original ABC root program.

For those show are not familiar with Night Shift, the show delves “deeper into the relationships, friendships and medical cases seen at the hospital.”  Prior to Night Shift's premiere, it has been revealed that General Hospital and Night Shift storylines would be separate.  (For instance, Steve Burton's Jason was in police custody on General Hospital, but was not on Night Shift.)  On the other hand, after Night Shift aired its season finale on October 4, 2007, most Night Shift storylines have been mentioned on General Hospital.

Now the transition between the two shows will reportedly be seamless.

Last year, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet president Brian Frons hinted that there will be a second season of Night Shift but revealed that he “won't repeat the mistakes of Season 1, when plots didn't sync up with those on the mother ship.”

And because Night Shift has smeared a big strain on the General Hospital team, Frons says that he'll bring in a new set of writers and producers to run season 2.  Lisa De Cazotte, who is best known as the executive producer of Passions during the show's nine-year run, will also serve as executive producer to Night Shift, while Sri Rao, who is credited for the TV series What Goes On, will be the show's head writer.

If you're fanatic about returning characters, then you'll also be pleased to know that aside from the characters from the first season of Night Shift, new characters will be added, as well as some "legacy characters" from General Hospital's past.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Soapnet
(Image courtesy of Soapnet)