SoapNet Swings Into Second ‘Night Shift’
Production Begins In June On Second Season Of 'General Hospital' Spinoff
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 5/25/2008 12:59:00 AM
There will be a second shift for SoapNet’s General Hospital spinoff series.
The 68.1-million subscriber SoapNet has ordered 13 episodes of General Hospital: Night Shift, with production set to begin next month. Produced in high-definition this go round, the sophomore series, again shifting some storylines from its daytime progenitor to late night, will premiere Tuesdays at 11 p.m., starting July 22.
Drawing/sending viewers back and forth between the 
shows is emblematic of the ways Brian Frons, president, daytime, Disney ABC Television Group is leveraging the resources of the unit, comprising ABC Daytime, Buena Vista Productions and SoapNet, which was formed last May.
Frons said that while the second season of Night Shift is being led by new executive producer Lisa De Cazotte (NBC’s Passions, ABC’s All My Children, One Life To Live) and head writer Sri Rao (MTV’s What Goes On, off-Broadway’s Precipice), they are sharing the acumen and advice of Robert Guza, Jr. and Jill Farren Phelps. The head writer and executive producer of GH, respectively, they served in those capacities for the first season of Night Shift as well.
“Sri has worked closely with Bob and Jill, scoping out where the storylines are going to be on General Hospital,” said 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.”
To that end, ABC has built Night Shift its own stage, but, when needed, it will transport sets from General Hospital.
The launch of Night Shift played huge for SoapNet. Stoked by its July 12, 2007 debut, which was the network’s most-watched telecast ever with 1.15 million viewers and among women 18-to-49 target audience with 381,000 of those watchers. Overall, the series’ 13 installments averaged 833,000 viewers and 381,000 of the aforementioned demo group, according to Nielsen Media Research data, based on live + 7 measurement. Additionally, the rookie season was SoapNet’s best show ever among women 18 to 34, averaging 125,000 with that set.
Attracting younger women is part of Frons’s goal of expanding SoapNet’s audience past the viewers tuning in for same-day encores of daytime soaps airing on the Big 3 networks.
“We have to find ways to move the network beyond its day-and-date roots, by redefining what’s ‘soapy’ beyond the traditional daytime soaps,” he said. “To bring in new and younger viewers, we have to come up ideas and shows that tap America’s fascination with celebrity and reality programming.”
The strategy began manifesting with the additions of former primetime dramas like Dallas and Dynasty, then Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place and, more recently, with teen sudsers, One Tree Hill and The O.C.
Frons has also pushed a little SNM at SoapNet viewers -- the service entered the Sunday Night Movies game with Dangerous Indiscretion last Dec. 2 and has been airing other thrillers and romance comedies in the 10 p.m. time slot that night. The telefilms and features have performed well, with SoapNet securing a second batch of movies, including Romy and Michelle: In the Beginning and Hello Again, which have serve to double the first group’s original ratings performance.
SoapNet has also tasted success with Relative Madness, a series of six specials running between Mother’s and Father’s Days, counting down the top 25 most over-the-top TV and real-life celebrity family moments. More are on tap.
“We’ll revisit Relative Madness between Thanksgiving and Christmas, that other time of year when relatives our foremost on our minds,” said Frons.
Next up, the network is importing MVP, the story of the on and off-the-ice exploits of the Canadian Mustangs, a fictional hockey team, and the women in their lives. The 10-episode show, which premiered on Canada’s CBC last fall, will debut Stateside June 19 at 11 p.m.
“I’m not sure if MVP is going to bring more men to the network
,” said Frons, but he thinks women will be happy with an ad campaign akin to Calvin Klein underwear creative.
In addition to multimedia campaign, the show will gain er, exposure as the lead-out from ABC’s presentation of the Daytime Emmy Awards June 20 from 8-10 p.m.: the pilot will air on the Alphabet following the awards show.
“There will be opportunities for fans of SoapNet and the soaps from the other networks tuning in to the Emmys to learn about MVP,” he said.
Digitally, SoapNet has also widened its net. On April 15, it unveiled a revamped site -- “We changed from Web 1.0, largely a promotional vehicle, to a much more robust offering,” Frons said -- dipping into more soapy fare, relative to pop culture, celebrity and style.
For example, the site this past week included stories/content surrounding Jenny Garth’s return to the CW’s Bevery Hills 90210 remake; updates on the Mariah Carey/Nick Cannon nuptials; and a peak into the ongoing Charlie Sheen/Denise Richards contretemps as the latter prepares to launch a reality series on E! There was also a look at Lost theories, the latest fashion line from stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe and a shopping spree built around the Samantha (Kim Catrell) character from the upcoming Sex and the City movie.
Time spent at the site has improved by a fourth since the re-launch, according to Hitbox data, and Frons likes the opportunities emanating from the affiliate connections. “We’ve doubled our reach,” he said.
SoapNet’s ad sales team handles inventory on 45 sites, including BeautifulStranger.tv, StyleHive.com and ShoeBlog.com, that are part of the affiliated network.
SoapNet’s dissemination of information about its stars and shows, in turn, extends its imprimatur of genre authenticity around the Web, according to network officials.
Looking ahead, Frons is ratcheting up development on more original dramas under the watch of Sara Saedi, director, west coast programming for ABC Daytime and director of development, original scripted for SoapNet; and in the alternate arena through Ann Lewis Roberts, the head of Buena Vista Productions and alternative programming and development for SoapNet.
“I think we can make some big noise with a docu-soap area, focusing on a personality-driven show or on a certain group in the work place. We see that our viewers are watching those types of shows.”
Frons expects original additions to SoapNet’s lineup either late this year or early in 2009.
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