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?.

According to TMZ, Brian Dunkelman offended a Laugh Factory audience last week by bitterly joking during his stand-up routine, "If wishes came true Ryan Seacrest would have AIDS."

As you might recall, Dunkelman was Ryan's American Idol co-host during season one. After leaving the show, Dunkelman faded into obscurity while Ryan Seacrest went on to become one of the most recognizable faces on TV.

If you somehow found yourself feeling unsatisfied after last week's inspirational "Idol Gives Back" smorgasbord, you can always head over to iTunes for a second helping.

For a limited time, iTunes is offering video and audio versions of the performances as well as some exclusive content that wasn't televised during the original air date.

While you can expect to pay a nominal fee for everything you download, all proceeds will be distributed to relief organizations within the U.S. and Africa via the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund.

Although "Idol Gives Back" has already brought in $60 million in donations, it's nice to see some ancillary methods like this iTunes arrangement continuing to bring even more money to the charitable cause.

Check out the American Idol official Fox Site for more details.

We're halfway through American Idol's self-proclaimed "historic" charity event. Last night, News Corp donated 10 cents for every call received (up to 50 million calls).

Tonight, a bunch of celebrities (including Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, and a mystery duet) will take to the stage to entertain America and raise even more money and awareness.

And before one of the Idol finalists gets booted, the kids will perform a special anthem -- "American Prayer" -- written by Bono and Dave Stewart about the AIDS emergency in Africa.

Reality TV veteran Kelly Osbourne announced at a HIV/AIDS charity event in north London that a member of her family has been diagnosed as HIV positive. Photographers on the scene reported that Osbourne fought back tears as she left the stage. There has been no comment from any the Osbournes following the announcement.

For more information about Body and Soul, the HIV charity organization Kelly was supporting, you can check out Body and Soul's website. For general information on HIV/AIDS, visit the National Institute of Health's HIV and AIDS information site.

(As a brief aside to those of you who have been reading these all day - TCA is the Television Critics Association, a twice yearly event that brings TV critics together with networks, show creators, and actors to find out all about upcoming shows, films, specials, and what have you. I'm a newbie to it all as well, so now you know. And knowing is half the battle.)

Life Support is somewhat based on a true story about a woman who contracts AIDS from her intravenous drug-using husband, and becomes an angry voice an activist in her community. She hands out condoms, doesn't pull punches, and is modeled after the sister of director Nelson George, who was even more outspoken than Queen Latifah, if you can believe it.

Last year, shortly before being diagnosed with lung cancer, Peter Jennings was part of a documentary being taped for ABC News called Out of Control: AIDS in Black America. Jennings passed away in the midst of the documentary filming, and despite him appearing on screen over a year after his death possibly being disconcerting to some viewers, the network has decided to keep his segment intact. Jennings, who is not anchoring the program, will be seen interviewing a group of black men with HIV. Jennings became interested when a producer informed him of the current AIDS crisis in the black community. I can't imagine anyone would have issues with this, but who knows? It seems the makers of the documentary felt Jennings' contribution was vital to the story, and that seems like reason enough to keep his segment in. What do you guys think? The episode airs next Thursday at 10 pm.

New ABC World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson took the helm on Monday and already he's in a bit of hot water. In a question-and-answer style interview printed in New York magazine, Gibson appears to suggest that issues in Africa are not worth covering. When asked whether he'll be traveling as much as his rival, Brian Williams, who reported from Africa late last month on the issues of poverty and AIDS, Gibson answered, "Now he's in Africa. I don't know why you do that. Why the hell do you go to Africa? It's certainly an interesting choice. We'll do travel, when it warrants."

Gibson says he was quoting an e-mail he sent to a friend who works as a producer for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. In an interview with the Associated Press today, Gibson clarifies that he was questioning why Brian Williams had to go to Africa with a rock star (U2's Bono).

Queen Latifah has signed on to play an AIDS activist and former crack addict in an upcoming HBO made-for-TV movie called Life Support. The movie, based on the life and family of writer Nelson George's sister,  will focus on the AIDS and HIV crisis within the black community. Nelson George, who worked as a producer on The Chris Rock Show, penned the script and will also direct. Latifah, along with Jamie Foxx, will also serve as a producer on the film.

On April 12 (check local listings), PBS will air a two-hour documentary called Rx for Survival: The Heroes, a companion to the six-part series, Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge. I mentioned the series back in November, and recently saw an advanced screening of Rx for Survival: The Heroes.

The special, narrated by Brad Pitt, takes an in-depth look at something many of us take for granted, which is the men and women who work to both maintain and eradicate diseases most of us never think about. The special not only focuses on major epidemics like HIV and tuberculosis, but on diseases not so well-known, such as "night blindness" in Southeast Asia, an ailment cured by an eye doctor in Baltimore who simply administered drops of Vitamin A to the children, a nutrient their regular diet lacked. This treatment, which was initially slammed by the medical community, also helped prevent other series diseases, resulting in a cut in child mortality rates by as much as one third. The special also focuses on a tenacious effort to once and for all eradicate polio from the Earth, just as small pox was destroyed in the early 80s.

The most fascinating aspect of the special, besides the medical professionals, scientists, and community volunteers from these areas who work to both treat diseases and spread awareness of them, is how Western science is often challenged by religious belief. In one scene, a man refuses to give his son a polio vaccine, claiming it is the will of Allah to decide what happens to his son. The man eventually accepts the medication for his son, but it illustrates there is more to fighting these diseases than just administering drugs. There is also the challenge of trying to get two very different cultures to see eye to eye on a very important issue that has the potential to affect us all. 

The Family Guy episode titled "The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire," which was re-aired recently, has caught flak from some AIDS groups for a little barber shop ditty performed by Peter for the benefit of a dying AIDS patient. Using song, Peter tells the man, quite frankly, that he has AIDS and is definitely going to die. Seen in context, the joke is that Peter is having a flashback about his impeccable knack for breaking bad news to people. Nevertheless, AIDS groups aren't amused.

This Tuesday VH1 will be airing a 90-minute, commercial-free documentary titled Tracking the Monster, which will focus on the AIDS epidemic which has been ravaging Africa for many years. The movie will focus on two celebrities, actress Ashley Judd and singer India.Arie, as they venture into separate parts of the continent to speak with people both infected and affected by the virus.