Who's in/Who's Out as of 1/2/06

Who's In?

Nothing new to report on this front except to look for Mandy Musgrave to return to her role of Chelsea Brady in mid-January for a short-term run (see below).

Who's Out?

Brock Pierce (Josh)- The recurring actor was let go for storyline reasons. The character simply never took off and it was decided to take Abby in a different romantic direction. The role will not be recast. The actor last aired December 21. Josh will simply leave town and never be heard from again.

Mandy Musgrave (Chelsea Brady)- In a stunning move, the actress will be leaving the show again just one week after being re-hired. Musgrave was brought back to replace Rachel Melvin, who as a recast for Musgrave never took off, and was signed to a 3 year contract after much negotiating to bring her back. "It was decided to change direction on this and only committ to this short-term," says Executive Producer Ned Yadroc. "We simply felt the character didn't have staying power and that she had no rooting value. We are cutting our losses and trying not to waste space with characters that no longer fit. That is what are process was here." The character will leave the canvas in the spring but will have plenty of story coming up for the next 3 months. Look for her exit to leave a huge impact on several characters on the canvas.

Brody Hutzler (Patrick Lockhart)- It appears that time is up for the character when he leaves the canvas this winter. However, this may not be his final exit as he may return at a later point to stir up some trouble in Salem. Expect to learn all about Patrick and his past before he leaves as that will play a huge part in his "possible return."