TVSquad

There'll be another big name soap star on the second season of SOAPnet's General Hospital: Night Shift. In addition to Antonio Sabato, Jr. returning as Jagger Cates, Tristan Rogers will join Night Shift, reprising his role as secret agent Robert Scorpio, the Australian spy and former Port Charles police commissioner. His younger brother, Mac, is the current top cop in PC, so expect them to cross paths.

However, it's as the father of Dr. Robin Scorpio, played by Kimberly McCullough. Robin, who is HIV-positive, that Robert will mainly drive story. She is currently in the midst of her first pregnancy. You would imagine that Robert's back to check in on his daughter, but there's more to his Night Shift stay.

Michael Logan in TV Guide reports that a rep for Night Shift said that Robert is suffering from "a major health issue that'll have him grappling with his mortality." Instead of Robert caring for Robin -- to trying to -- the situation will be reversed. Dr. Robin will have to treat her father.

"This'll be a real departure wherever it's headed," says Mr. Rogers. "Robert and Robin will finally get a chance to connect as adults."

SOAPnet has landed a big star to anchor the second season of General Hospital: Night Shift. As TV Squad mentioned previously, Antonio Sabato, Jr., who was rumored to be returning as Jagger Cates, has signed on the dotted line. When Night Shift returns to SOAPnet on Tuesday, July 22, the character of Jagger, played by Antonio Sabato, Jr. will be front and center.

Jagger Cates has not been involved in General Hospital since 1995, so presumably he's older and wiser. But since Antonio is still playing the role, he's going to definitely be as gorgeous as ever. Interestingly, if Antonio is booked, what's the likelihood that Steve Burton will be there as Jason?.

Occasionally, you'll see an actor being allowed to be on more than one show at a time, like when Heather Locklear was a regular on Dynasty and T.J. Hooker. The catch is that it's usually one actor working two shows for the same network. Finola Hughes, apparently, was trying to do the two-show tango with General Hospital and The Young and the Restless, but ABC put a stop to that before it ever started. In the May 26 issue of TV Guide, you'll read a report that Finola was cast as Sabrina's hot mom on Y&R, while continuing to pop up throughout the summer on ABC's GH as Anna. After the magazine went to the printers, ABC contacted Finola Hughes -- probably her agent -- and she backed out of Y&R.

Presumably, ABC leaned on Finola to give up the opportunity to appear on the number one daytime drama, promising her a heavy storyline in the months ahead. The actress has been an ABC soap star for a long time, having been front and center on GH and All My Children in the past. She's also the host on How Do I Look on the Style Network. The network has never objected to the actress doing Style, so it would seem that the conflict here is about Finola drawing soap fans from the ABC lineup to CBS's.