A look into General Hospital

Intriguing facts I learned from the General Hospital cast this weekend:

• There used to be about a month between filming and air dates. But now, there is only a week, if not a few days. This is because the show tries to cram production into a smaller time frame, so everyone can be off during certain weeks of the year (or "dark weeks"). Last week, they shot nine episodes.

• Since one day in Port Charles may spread across multiple episodes, actors will have to wear that same outfit for several days of shooting.

• No one is actually naked under the sheets. They wear adhesive bras or strapless slips and strategically tuck the sheet in around it. Though some said they saw, on other shows, men wear a sock to cover their privates.

• No one is actually being slapped, either. The camera's angle and the performers' blocking make fights appear realistic.

• Maura West (Ava Jerome) said the reason she and Laura Wright (Carly Corinthos) can make their arguments so believable is because they unequivocally trust and support each other. Raise your sisters up, West said; do not undermine them. Support them as artists, women, and mothers.

• These people may look good on camera, but they are even more amazing in real life. Really. I could feel their passion for their craft and their admiration for each other.