SOAPNET ANNOUNCES FIRST ORIGINAL SCRIPTED DRAMA �GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT� A WEEKLY CONTINUATION OF THE EMMY AWARD WINNING, TOP RATED DAYTIME DRAMA �GENERAL HOSPITAL�
FOUR ORIGINAL SPECIALS WILL ALSO PREMIERE THIS SPRING AND SUMMER
New Original Programming Will Join SOAPnet�s Recent Acquisitions �The O.C� and �One Tree Hill�
BURBANK, CA � (February 12, 2007) � SOAPnet, the new way to watch soaps, has greenlit 13 episodes of its first serialized drama �General Hospital: Night Shift,� (working title) a storyline extension about the lives and loves of �General Hospital�s� favorite characters during the night shift at the hospital. This is the first time a soap has extended its current storyline beyond what is seen in daytime.
In addition the network will continue to produce its signature coverage of the Daytime Emmys with a live red carpet pre-show and a post-show wrap-up and it will extend its �SOAPnet Reveals�.� franchise with the premiere of two new half hour specials.
Last week (2/7/07), the network also announced that it had acquired the rights to all four season�s of Fox�s hit soap, �The OC� and all four season�s of CW�s �One Tree Hill� from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution.
�We are committed to growing the soap genre and the �General Hospital� franchise by expanding its storyline only on SOAPnet. �General Hospital: Night Shift� will launch with an audience that is already dedicated and compelled to know more about what happens on the night shift at the hospital,� said Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group.
�Now that we�re in almost 60 million homes, the time is right for SOAPnet to launch its first serialized drama,� said Blackwell. �Our continued growth enables us to give our viewers more of what they want � original series that go deeper into characters, stars and storylines and acquired series that feed their soap habit. Our new line-up will do all of that and more.�
�General Hospital: Night Shift,� has been picked-up for 13 one-hour episodes and will air exclusively on SOAPnet. The series is set during the night shift at General Hospital and will delve deeper into the relationships, friendships and medical cases seen at the hospital. At launch, an episode of �General Hospital� on ABC will push to the �General Hospital: Night Shift� premiere on SOAPnet. Robert Guza Jr., head writer for �General Hospital� and Jill Farren Phelps, executive producer, �General Hospital� will write and executive produce �General Hospital: Night Shift.� The series will premiere this summer.
SOAPnet will continue is successful coverage of the Daytime Emmys with its signature pre and post shows. On Friday, June 15th, SOAPnet will broadcast a live two-hour special from the red carpet getting the scoop from the industry's brightest stars leading up to the Emmy broadcast on CBS. SOAPnet will also recap who wore what, who said what and who won what in the half-hour special �SOAPnet: Daytime Emmys�.Unzipped.�
Two new specials will be added to the �SOAPnet Reveals�.� franchise when SOAPnet premieres �SOAPnet Reveals A Candid Conversation with Susan Lucci� and �SOAPnet Reveals A Candid Conversation with Tony Geary and Genie Francis.� Taped on location at Super Soap Weekend, these half-hour specials give an intimate look at soaps biggest stars. Rosie O�Donnell hosts the special with Susan Lucci which will air in March and Laura Wright hosts the conversation with Geary and Francis which will premiere in April.
�The OC� and �One Tree Hill� will air Monday-Friday beginning April 9. �The OC� will air at 6PM, �One Tree Hill� at 5PM. SOAPnet�s number 1 acquired soap with women 18-34, �Beverly Hills 90210,� will lead into both new series at 3PM and 4PM.
Mary Ellen DiPrisco, Vice President, Original Programming, SOAPnet will oversee the original productions. Claire Zrimc, SVP Program Planning, Scheduling and Acquisitions, SOAPnet facilitated �The OC� and �One Tree Hill� acquisitions.
SOAPnet, the new way to watch soaps, offers same-day episodes of popular daytime dramas including �All My Children,� �Days of our Lives,� �One Life to Live� �General Hospital� and �The Young and the Restless� at night for convenient viewing. In addition, the network provides inside access to stars and storylines with original programs, including the biography show �Soapography,� �1 Day With�� and the reality series �I Wanna Be a Soap Star.� Wrapped in a 24-hour environment, SOAPnet also offers primetime classics including �Beverly Hills 90210,� �Melrose Place,� �Falcon Beach� and �Dallas,� as well as former daytime series �Port Charles,� �Ryan�s Hope,� and �Another World.�
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