By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer

Genie Francis is checking back into "General Hospital."

The 46-year-old actress again will reprise her role as Laura on the ABC daytime soap opera beginning Aug. 26.

The character's 1981 fairy-tale wedding to Luke (played by Anthony Geary) was watched by 30 million viewers and landed the couple on the cover of Newsweek magazine. Francis began playing Laura in 1976.

"This is a short visit," Francis told The Associated Press on Friday. "It's a mother-daughter story. Years ago when I started playing the character as a 14-year-old girl, it was a mother-daughter story, only I was the daughter. So it's kinda cool this is full circle. It's nice to come back for visits. `General Hospital' is my home."

Laura was last seen slipping in and out of a catatonic state in 2007. The upcoming appearance will feature Laura in a story line with daughter Lulu. Francis, who now runs a home-furnishing shop in Belfast, Maine, said she was told that Laura wouldn't be killed off during her latest guest stint.

"I would stay on, but `General Hospital' honestly doesn't seem to want that relationship with this character at the moment," said Francis. "They want little short doses during sweeps periods. It's not entirely up to me. I'm thrilled and delighted my audience stands behind me. If they didn't, you can be sure I wouldn't get to come back for these visits."

Francis won a supporting actress Daytime Emmy in 2007 for previously reprising the role.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080711/ap_en_...e_genie_francis

Why Genie why? She doesn't need to return if they only want her short-term.

So, she returns just to prop Lulu? WTF!?

Edited July 11, 200817 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I mean... What's the point?

If its not a full time return its not worth it, but it will be nice to see Genie/Laura again.

I was happy until I read short term.

PLEASE tell me Loserlu is going to end up in ShadyBrook?

Edited July 11, 200817 yr by Southofnowhere

Lulu is gonna go join mama in the crazy place.

I really love Genie/Laura but a short stint is not enough to make me watch this show again.

Such an obvious sweeps ploy...just ticks me off...like they want her for anything more than LooLoo propping...yeah right.

I can't believe GH doesn't have respect for Genie freakin' Francis. Ugh!

Disgusting.

They offer her a week maybe in what will probably be a delusion of Lulu's, and meanwhile Sarah Brown gets anything she wants and they have 4000 stories already planned for whenever Vanessa Marcil deigns to visit.

Weird that they would do this outside of a sweeps period.

I love that she doesn't dance around the truth in this article. She knows they're full of crap and isn't afraid to say it.

So I'm not the only one who could care less. The novelty of Francis returning has worn off for me, especially with GH in its current state.

I'm glad she's returning - even if it's short term. I'm glad she realizes and talks about the way GH uses her, which is so wrong.

"I would stay on, but `General Hospital' honestly doesn't seem to want that relationship with this character at the moment," said Francis. "They want little short doses during sweeps periods. It's not entirely up to me. I'm thrilled and delighted my audience stands behind me. If they didn't, you can be sure I wouldn't get to come back for these visits."

I find this statement tacky. She's agreeing to come back on one hand and biting the hand of her employer in the next. Being rude about it also.

Also she is returning at the end of August, how is that a sweeps month? Or September? Or October. Unless she's involved in a mob war at the end of November, how is this a sweeps stunt?