The first half of 2005 saw many cast changes for "General Hospital". In April, Tamara Braun left the series, and the role of Carly was recast with former "One Life to Live" star, Jennifer Bransford. By the fall, Bransford was let go and replaced by former "Guiding Light" actress Laura Wright. Earlier that May, Kristina Wagner opted to leave the role of Felicia Jones and was replaced with former "Another World" star Sandra Ferguson. Also that month, the character of Maxie Jones was recast with former "Days of Our Lives" star Kirsten Storms, who took over for Robyn Richards, the main portrayer of Maxie since 1993. The character was slightly aged and introduced in a revisit to the 1994 heart transplant story as Maxie's health falls near-death. 2005 also saw the continued decline in ratings, leading to budget cuts and product placement advertising across all soaps. In February 2005 it was reported that "General Hospital" viewership was down 23% year-over-year.