It really was no surprise when the news hit that Steve Burton was returning to General Hospital. We predicted the move when he announced his exit from The Young and the Restless last fall. The writing was on the wall for his character, and it made sense that he be written off the show. Now, it looks like Burton’s back on top with a return back to his old GH stomping grounds.
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With the current state of daytime ratings in decline, GH is looking for a boost with viewers and the producers hope a Burton return to Port Charles is just the remedy they need. Unfortunately, it seems that his casting is forcing the exit of other cast members.
Rebecca Budig, who signed a new four-year contract last summer, has already exited the series. She shared that her character Hayden Barnes was being written off the show without much fanfare.
https://twitter.com/RebeccaBudig/status/880161565198008320
https://twitter.com/RebeccaBudig/status/880162158650183680
In addition to Budig, contract negotiations with William deVry, who plays Julian Jerome, have reached a standstill as well according to Soap Opera Digest. It’s being reported that deVry already filmed his last scenes before the show’s summer break, so there is a good chance he will be gone when the cast returns.
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“Nobody knew it was maybe his last day,” reported an insider to the soap magazine. “I think we all just assumed there was lots of story planned for ‘Julexis’ [the nickname for Julian and Alexis].”
Other names that are being bandied about for possible exits include Michael Easton (Hamilton Finn), Michelle Stafford (Nina Clay) and Anthony Montgomery (Andre Maddox), but everything is a rumor at this point. Even Daytime Confidential’s Jamey Giddens is questioning GH’s behind-the-scenes moves.
This soap is putting all the chips behind one blue-eyed bet. Hope it pays off…
— Jamey_Giddens (@Jamey_Giddens) July 3, 2017
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Will this strategy pay off if Burton is the one who is supposed to save the show? It puts a lot of pressure on one actor to deliver ratings and viewers. With the state of television in 2017 and dwindling audiences, let’s hope GH producers know what they are doing.
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