"General Hospital" shocked viewers when the announcement of Steve Burton returning was released. Speculations had been around for months, but fans didn't believe he would return to the show he left six years ago. His exit was one of the biggest things talked about among "General Hospital" enthusiasts. Burton went to "The Young and the Restless" after exiting Port Charles, but he left there at the end of 2016.
New details on Steve's return
There have been several attempts at guessing how Steve Burton will fit back into "General Hospital" again now that Billy Miller has assumed the role and held it for a few years.
Conflicting reports are everywhere, but the twin scenario seems to be what everyone is going with at this point. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, Steve Burton will begin taping his first scenes at the end of July. This means that his "General Hospital" return will be in August at some point. The idea behind this is likely a set up for November sweeps and leads fans to believe that the reveal of how he is back and who Billy Miller is to him will drag out. The most recent "Jason reveal" lasted for an eternity and caused a lot of pushback from viewers.
Everyone on the "General Hospital" set has been quiet about Steve Burton's return. There have been a few inside sources planting bugs around the various soap sites, but none of the actors have spoken out just yet.
Burton will likely be working with Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Kelly Monaco (Sam) more than anyone else.
Is this going to get the ratings they hope for?
Steve Burton returning is something the writers are banking on to pull out ratings. They did a lot of cast changes to reportedly be able to afford him and now, they believe he is the fix all for the decline in ratings.
As of now, Rebecca Budig was let go, Kathleen Gati is rumored to be exiting the show, and William deVry is at a standstill with negotiating his contract. Getting Burton back was a lot of work and the writers and producers may not see the return they are looking for if social media reactions are any indication.
There are several happy fans who are anticipating Steve Burton's return, but there are also some angry viewers who feel like he abandoned "General Hospital" when he left to go to "The Young and the Restless." It is anyone's guess how this will play out, but it is happening. The next month will show plenty of changes in Port Charles and the arrival of Steve Burton is just the beginning.
