Watch out, Crystal Chappell, Martha Byrne and Michael O’Leary! One of the soap genre’s most beloved and critically acclaimed actors, General Hospital super-spy Tristan Rogers, is in the midst of launching the web’s latest soap, the eagerly anticipated soap-within-a-soap series, Reality Bytes.
TVGuide.ca recently caught up with one of our favourite actors and artistic trailblazers to discuss new frontiers; why he hasn’t been invited back to GH; how Robert and Laura could have been Port Charles’ original super-couple; what’s wrong with network soaps and how to fix them; what soaps could’ve learned from the success of GH: Night Shift; and why he’ll never give up hope that the suds world will one day reinvent itself successfully.
TVGuide.ca: How are you? How is Reality Bytes coming along?
Tristan Rogers: I’m great! Reality Bytes is coming along great. I’m really excited about our cast, which includes myself, Drake Hogestyn, his stepson, Ben, and Tonya Walker. So far, everyone we’ve cast has a very loyal and large fan following, which will hopefully benefit the show. As for the rest of the characters, because we’re filming the show in West Palm Beach I’m going to cast the remaining characters from Florida’s local casting pool. There is a lot of untapped talent in that part of the country. Because we’re being very ambitious, including trying to pay everyone involved, it’s taking a little longer to realize the whole project. We’re making a lot of progress, but I’m not going to film until we have everything and everyone we need. If all goes according to plan, I’m hoping to start filming in June. |
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TVG: This past week, Reality Bytes made the current cover of Soap Opera Weekly.
TR: That’s great! I know some of the soap magazines are interested in covering the web genre because it may just be the only section in the magazines in a few years!
TVG: [Laughs] True that. I read that you’re planning on shooting 30-36 episodes in the first season. Are you mad? [Laughs]
TR: My idea is to shoot the program in 8-10 minutes blocks so we can link and craft the individual shows to make one 30-minute episode. And we plan on airing the individual episodes more than once a week to give the fans the feel of a soap, rather than a weekly series.
TVG: That’s smart because a lot of soap fans complain that the current crop of web serials is too short.
TR: We’re going to launch Reality Bytes on a multi-platform basis. I realized this when I visited Australia recently. Down there, all their web shows are aired on a multi-platform basis. That is something I think America needs to do. Right now, technology is evolving in such a rapid fashion that we have to all be on our toes and be amendable.
TVG: What’s the 411 on the financial front?
TR: Monetizing the web is a challenge. There’s no question about it. Heck, even network television is facing financial challenges. But, I think people are becoming much more comfortable with the idea of web shows now. The trick will be presenting a moneymaking formula to investors that doesn’t sound risky. At this point, that’s almost impossible. The public is really wary for paying for web shows — and understandably so. They’ve been beaten black and blue by sponsors and networks. eBay was built on cents and quarters, and they built their empire on loose change until they grew into the empire they are now. We may have to do that, too, but I’m not sure what will happen.
Listen, can we make money from web shows? I’d like to think so. Of course, there are some websites out there, like four or five, which have become extremely successful. Even Twitter and Facebook aren’t huge moneymakers. The only way to make money is to engage the public in a product everyone wants and/or can use. If you can do that, and once it goes viral, it’ll be unstoppable. I’m a big believer in that big demographic, which no one seems to want to have anything to do with — and that’s the 45+ demo. It’s a huge market, but for the large part, it’s mostly ignored. I’m doing a show that is not old, but it’s not young, either. Reality Bytes is a balanced show. We’ve lost sight of this balance in soap opera. You can’t have younger characters without older characters. And vice versa. We’re in an economy and society that forgets anyone who is over 35. In order to survive, you have to have balance in your demos, which is why The Young and the Restless is the No. 1 show on daytime TV.
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TVG: What have you learned from web shows like Venice and Gotham?
TR: What these web soaps have taught me is what I was saying back in 2006 has come true — the final resting place for the current soaps could be on the web. I also theorized that the genre could give birth to new soaps on the web. The next revolution in this business will be aired on the web. After Luke and Laura got married on GH, the industry didn’t evolve after that, which is why we’re in this dire predicament. While daytime serials are the purest form of soap opera, we have skipped around having depth in our stories in favour of short-term stunt storylines and characters to garner the interest of the viewing audience on a brief basis. Prime-time soaps haven’t done that — they have depth and reflect today’s diverse society. |
TVG: What do you think of Venice and Gotham? Do you watch?
TR: I’ve seen them all. I like what they’re doing. I like where they’re going. They’re evolving. What impresses me the most is that once they see a mistake, they clean it up right away. Daytime TV doesn’t have that luxury because we tape months in advance. The web is immediate. By the end of the year, I think we’ll have hundreds of web soaps. These things are popping up like mushrooms.
TVG: What do you think of Crystal Chappell’s decision to charge Venice viewers $9.99 per season?
TR: She has a very specific audience. On that basis, if that specific slice of the cake will support you, I say do it. But how many specific demos out there will unconditionally support a web show by paying a subscription fee each season? Not very many. She’s lucky — Crystal was smart because she satisfied an underrepresented market and niche out there. The fans needed and wanted Venice. And she catered to her fans — and it’s working. It’s simply supply and demand. At the end of the day, you have to give the viewers entertaining fare and what they want.
TVG: I think Reality Bytes’ soap-within-the-soap premise is brilliant. What was the genesis of that idea? And is anyone at GH worried that you’ll be using your own personal and professional experience in the show(s)?
TR: I have heard from people at GH. The show will definitely be political and act as a mirror to events that have actually taken place on GH. Some people will like it and some people won’t. The idea of showing the behind-the-scenes production of a soap has been circulating in my mind for a long time. In Reality Bytes, the soap-within-the-soap is called “Beyond Reason,” which is being written entirely by the public. We’ve got about 60 scripts in already. And whatever scripts we use on-air, the writer will get a credit. You’d be surprised with the high standards these scripts exhibit. The fans really understand how these shows are put together.
TVG: It sounds like, in addition to moving soaps into the future, you’re also mining new talent. Networks could learn a thing or two from you.
TR: Well, I’m trying to mine and find new talent on a different level. I don’t think anyone can change the current network system, but we can online. If you involve the fans in the production of the show, in a more personal way, and listen to their comments, then I think we may have something. In the end, the end user of the product is the public. If you’re not making a show for the public, then whom are you making it for? Unlike the networks, if our viewers don’t like it, we’ll change it.
TVG: GH writer Karen Harris wrote a web soap, Life in General, during the Writers’ strike. Have you seen it?
TR: Yes, I saw a couple of shows. Reality Bytes won’t be anything like Life In General. It’s funny because there is a lot of interest in this soap-within-a-soap premise. That’s what Steamboat is about, but Michael O’Leary’s show is more of a comedy-satire about soap operas. Ours will be dramatic with some humourous undertones. I expect to see more projects that take on some certain section of a soap in terms of behind-the-scenes drama because there is a lot of material there that is ripe for writers. Also, there is an element of frustration from people who left soaps and are like, “F*ck it! I’ve done this for 67 years and now I want to do it my way.”
One of the things that surprised me when I was doing Night Shift 2 was the interest in my behind-the-scenes footage of our show. Bad language and all. It was just the cast and crew talking in a home video format. Because of that unfinished, candid look into what we did, the public really went for it. I’m surprised that the industry — prime time and daytime —didn’t follow our lead in that respect. I will be utilizing that concept with Reality Bytes.
TVG: When you starred on GH, and please correct me if I’m wrong, I got the impression that you wanted to leave daytime for bigger things. And here you are now trailblazing the soap medium into the future. You’ve also become one of soap opera’s biggest advocates. Has that surprised you?
| TR: Yes. Because I’m tired of participating in a medium that isn’t evolving, I find myself extremely passionate about helping it evolve. This is a genre that I feel very strongly about because it’s beautifully simplistic in its own way and it’s great entertainment. Consequently, even though I understand why the networks are doing what they’re doing from an intellectually business point of view, I find it hard to believe it’s disappearing simply because it hasn’t evolved. I believe it’s possible that the soap medium can resurrect itself. C’mon — talent shows were history until American Idol came along. I have to believe that someone will come along and do the same thing for soaps again. The nature of soaps is just too compelling for it not to survive. |
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TVG: Do you ever wonder where you, or GH for that matter, would be today had you not quit in 1992?
TR: More than likely, we wouldn’t be having this conversation …
TVG: Do you regret leaving GH?
TR: I think I would have regretted not leaving [and trying something new]. Some people have said, “Maybe the show wouldn’t be where it is now had you stayed.” My answer is — look, at the end of the day, I’m just an actor. I never ran the show. I looked out for my character, sure, but I don’t think the show would have changed that much from what it is today if I had stayed. The only thing I can imagine would be that perhaps Robert’s presence may have kept the mob presence minimal or in check. I don’t know — that’s a hard question to answer.
TVG: Was your first run on GH the happiest time in your career? You were there for 12 years …
| TR: Start of the ‘80s — yes, no doubt about it. I was like a kid in a candy store. As actors, Gloria Monty gave us a lot of leeway to play and work. Sure, she changed and modified a lot of the craziness Tony Geary and I brought to the set and scenes, but she kept the emotional undercurrent in tact. The reason why GH became a phenomenon was because [there was this healthy, creative marriage] between the actors, producers, crew and writers. Back then, when soaps actually had rehearsals, Gloria would come down and communicate with us, and we’d find a way to make everyone happy. The reason why GH had something for everyone back then was because we were all having fun. That’s what is missing from soaps today. No one is allowed to have fun anymore. |
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TVG: Do you think it’s still possible that Robert may visit Port Charles to deal with this controversial and contrived Luke-Ethan-Holly history rewrite?
TR: GH is very malleable now. They don’t give up their options. Consequently, anything can change. But I’m not expecting them to ask me back.
TVG: But you’d be open to returning …
TR: Sure, why not. I would definitely sit down with them. I spent a significant and enormous part of my career on that show. I feel a very emotional connection to GH. The fact that we just don’t connect on a creative level is just a difference of opinion. I don’t have any bad feelings towards anyone at GH. It’s just business. If you don’t understand that, then you need to leave show business. I understand their side of things, I just don’t agree with them.
TVG: Do you think your honesty in the press has hurt your chances of returning to the show despite headlining Night Shift?
TR: I try to be upfront and honest. I don’t gild the lily. I don’t spin anything. I’m not going to deny that soaps are dying and why they’re being cancelled. And this isn’t new. It’s been happening since the late 1970s. People seem to forget that Gloria was hired to prepare GH for cancellation. Had that happened, there wouldn’t be a Luke and Laura — or a great resurgence of soap opera. GH would have been off the air by the early ‘80s and the rest of the ABC lineup would have been gone by the early ‘90s. It would have been a different landscape out there today.
TVG: Do you still watch GH?
TR: I have to be honest with you, I don’t watch. I don’t have a connection to the show anymore. Also, I’m really busy and focused on Reality Bytes.
TVG: Why do you think Tony Geary has endured on the show for so long?
TR: What he’s done is that he’s allowed his character to change. Or, he’s changed the character over the years. I’m not sure how much input he has with Luke, but I’d assume quit a bit. Luke has totally evolved. If you put Robert in that same situation, how much would have Robert changed? I don’t know. Back in ’06, Robert was still kick-ass, but some people didn’t like the fact that he was a deadbeat dad. There was no buildup to that new character development, and there was certainly no indication in Robert’s past that he’d be like that. Other than that, I felt Robert’s 2006 storyline was pretty good. He was older, crustier and wiser. There was a lot to work with there.
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TVG: Then you had Sri Rao brilliantly deconstruct Robert during his colon cancer storyline on Night Shift. Where do you think Robert Xavier Scorpio is now? Personally, I’d bring Robert back to the canvas to seek revenge on Luke and Holly for having an affair behind his back. Perhaps the cuckolded Robert could show up in town with Laura on his arm!
TR: At this particular point, we don’t know how Robert’s cancer affected his life. He did make a stronger connection with Anna … but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have an affair. It’s interesting you mention Laura because there was a time when Luke and Laura’s relationship could have gone either way, and Robert and Laura could have been paired up. I’m not sure if the public would have gone along with a Robert and Laura pairing, but Gloria pushed it in a way that there was a strong possibility it was in the cards. There was one scene on an island where Luke and Robert had a conversation about Laura, but after that, GH dropped it. But, there is always a possibility that Laura and Robert could hook up. Let me ask you a question — do you think at this point that the audience would go for that? |
TVG: Yes, I do because the audience is desperate to have you and Genie Francis back on the show in any capacity. At this point, I think a Laura and Robert pairing would make character sense for a variety of reasons. Mainly because Luke is a douche bag and he’s married to Tracy. Also, I think fans are finally accepting Ethan as Luke’s son. But, Luke still has a lot of explaining to do regarding his actions and that can only happen if you and Genie are on the canvas. It’s a hanging story thread that needs to be sewn up. The viewers and characters need to reach some kind of resolution and catharsis on this contrived plot twist in order to move on.
TR: You’re right — there are a few loose ends that need to be tied up. Also, there’s got to be some kind of confrontation between Sonny and Robert. When I was there for a year, they avoided us at all costs. Sonny and Robert are complete opposites, they’re coming from complete opposite sides of the spectrum. The dramatic possibilities there are endless. The recipe there is fantastic, if it happens. If they let it happen.
TVG: In the past six months, GH has improved a lot. In fact, it’s become must-see TV again. The show has become a lot more character driven than it used to be so who knows if head writer Bob Guza will finally see the possibilities available to him. Were you disappointed that Night Shift wasn’t renewed for a third season?
TR: Yes. I think we just hit the tip of the iceberg. It took a couple of episodes for viewers to adjust, but once they got it, they got it! They lapped it up. We shot it like a movie in HD and it could have gone so much further — and our producer and the director thought so, too. Little did we know that there wasn’t much support for Night Shift at a corporate level. Certainly, Night Shift was an indication of where soap operas could be headed in the future. Without spending any more money, you could’ve taken it three or four levels higher. Night Shift had real potential. In fact, NS was a significant evolution in soap opera.
TVG: You’re right. Do you still talk to Sri?
TR: Yes, we email each other often. I’d like to see him over at GH, but in order to do that there’d have to be a completely different change in direction. That would signify to the world that GH is doing a complete about face. Sri is a very different writer.
TVG: And a super talented one at that. Luckily, he has other irons in the fire. Did you realize you were having an extraordinary acting moment when Robert was fighting for his life on NS?
TR: I kind of knew when were filming it that the audience would go crazy for it. For me, the dream sequence was enormously significant. There was a lot going on there. Some people were wary of me playing Robert with cancer, but it worked. I thought it was very plausible especially after Sri mapped the story out for me. I told Sri we had to go for it. Both of us. And we both went for it. |
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TVG: Did your critically acclaimed performance make you hungrier to act and stretch yourself even further?
TR: Yeah. After NS, I got back in the game. I realized there was still a lot of life in me yet — if we can do it at that level. But to go from that to something superficial would have been selling out on my part. As it turns out, there was no offer on the table so we didn’t find out. The good news is if someone wants to pick that thread up, it’s still there.
TVG: We Love Soaps just named you one of the 50 best actors in soap opera history. Congrats!
TR: I’m flattered. Especially since I haven’t been on GH as long as Tony has or someone like Drake. It’s weird to say that 12 years is kind of brief in the grand scheme of things in the soap world. But it’s nice to know that Robert and I made an indelible impact on people.
TVG: Why do you think Robert resonated with audiences — and still does?
TR: He was tough, but fair. He was a world-wary individual who had seen more than he wanted to. And God knows what he has had to do in order to fight for justice.
TVG: The accent doesn’t hurt either. Would you do another soap? I know you starred in various Australian soaps early in your career, but for a soap vet, it’s quite the anomaly for an actor of your stature to have only done one soap and a brief cameo on The Bold and the Beautiful.
TR: If I got the call, yeah. I will always love this genre.
TVG: Hopefully, we’ll see you working the day shift again. And sooner rather than later.
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Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, OUT, and fab magazine, along with spearheading the soap coverage for TVGuide.ca's popular daytime TV hub. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1997, he moved from Toronto to New York in 1998 to take on the roles as senior news editor at Soap Opera Update. Branco first freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly as an intern in 1994, and after leaving Soap Update to help create and launch Bauer Publishing's In Touch Weekly in 2003, Branco continued to freelance occasionally for its sister publication, Soaps In Depth. Most recently, he helped create and launch Canada's first celebrity magazine, Weekly Scoop in 2005 as its news and entertainment director. Branco is also a contributor to a new TV show titled Planet Soap to air in Canada and America. |
