Innovative soap spinoff snags big ratings

Don Day July 15th, 2007

ABC-owned all soap opera channel SoapNet wanted a cost-effective way to launch a new prime-time series. The answer? General Hospital: Night Shift - a weekly extension of the daytime soap that airs on ABC. Night Shift uses some of the same sets and actors from the original GH, but focuses on what goes on during the overnight hours at the namesake hospital. The series scored big for SoapNet - attracting its highest ratings ever, with 1 million viewers (especially impressive since SoapNet is primarily a digital tier product.). ABC has taken what some look at as a dying medium and found new ways to leverage and extend the content. General Hospital tapes Monday-Thursday, while Night Shift takes the stage on Friday, lighting up a former dark day - giving SoapNet its own show with