DREAMING OF GENIE

Genie Francis is jumping back into the daytime suds. Not to “General Hospital,” where she played Laura to Tony Geary’s Luke. She’s joining NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” making her entrance April 13 in an emergency room--and in a coma!

Francis has a two-year contract to play Diana Colville, a spunky, intelligent journalist and the potential love interest of Dr. Mike Horton (played by Michael Weiss).

Why return to daytime? Francis told us, “I’m young, I’m healthy, I want to work every day.”

Which wasn’t the case in her bid for prime-time stardom: “I’d do a miniseries and not work for a year. There wasn’t too much action for me.”

Her agent approached “G.H.” about rehiring “Laura.” But, said Francis, “I wasn’t invited back.”

She took “Days”: “I think it’s the most interesting daytime soap on the air. And they seem to understand my needs and will allow me some breathing space.”

Meaning her contract has an out clause allowing her to still give prime time a shot when opportunities knock.