From Celebrating The Soaps:

Lynn Marie Latham, who joined The Young & the Restless as executive consultant in 2005, is the show's new headwriter. Current headwriters Kay Alden and Jack Smith will continue as co-headwriters but will report to Latham. Additionally, Jack Smith no longer holds the position of Executive Producer. Latham's previous soap experience includes headwriting duties for Port Charles from 1997-99. NEW 2/16

Despite news of his dismissal, Jerry Douglas (John Abbott, The Young & the Restless) may not be leaving permanently. There is talk that his exit from the canvas will only last a few weeks or a couple months, not years. The show has no comment on whether this is true. NEW 2/16

awesome

So they do have a new headwriter? One down, about three to go?

Something big must have happened for this to change as dramatically as it has. I wonder what made the higher-ups at Y&R make the changes that they did.

Roman, EVERYONE has been complaining about the quality of the show for the past year or so, lol. I'm only surprised that they listened! I thought that since Y&R was #1 they'd think we were just being ungrateful.

As for Douglas, I'm not too pleased about this. I was willing to sacrifice him if it meant Gloria could be out as well.

I wonder if the Sheila story flopping had any sort of internal decision in this? I mean, Y&R stayed #1, yes, but I think they were counting on the story to revitalize the show in some ways and...it didn't. Hmm. And the Cassie story.

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Roman, EVERYONE has been complaining about the quality of the show for the past year or so, lol. I'm only surprised that they listened! I thought that since Y&R was #1 they'd think we were just being ungrateful.

As for Douglas, I'm not too pleased about this. I was willing to sacrifice him if it meant Gloria could be out as well.

I was afraid that Gloria was going to take over the Abbott mansion or something. Oh, LAWD! Not that it won't still happen.

At lease if he's sticking around, Glo (who's been looking like Cruella DeVille lately, LOL) will be the slightest bit more tolerable. Just slightly.

Oh my gosh. I'm excited!

Everyone has been !@#$%^&*]ing about Jack Smith forever and now he's no longer headwriter. I hope this new headwriter is good and will keep my Jack and Phyllis together and write for Kay and Jill.

Yay to the Jerry Douglas news!

Glo (who's been looking like Cruella DeVille lately, LOL)

I though she were. I always guessed Y&R simply couldn't afford Glenn Close and had to settle for second best...

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Roman, EVERYONE has been complaining about the quality of the show for the past year or so, lol. I'm only surprised that they listened! I thought that since Y&R was #1 they'd think we were just being ungrateful.

As for Douglas, I'm not too pleased about this. I was willing to sacrifice him if it meant Gloria could be out as well.

I think focusing SO much air time on the Fishers at the expense of everyone else, not using the veternas worth a damn (Katherine, Jill, even Victor), and the whole Sheila fiasco doomed this man. This was my first time watching Sheila, and I didn't see what the big deal was.

It proves one thing above everything else. CBS is paying attention to MBs, and listening to the fans of all their shows. If they didn't, these changes would not have been made. This is what he gets. I really got sick and tired of him giving intervoews and all this round-about talk he would do when discussing what was coming next. Also, the slapdash way he has been writing his stories was frustrating.

I also think EB had something to do with this. He probably said, even though he just sighned a new contract, that if he didn't start getting used, he'd walk.

Wow, I had forgotten all about Braeden's bitching! And to think, people were upset when he started going off on them. I think he was completely right about them neutering Victor and that the show sucks. I guess we can add him to the list of those to thank if Y&R improves.

I LOVE outspoken actors myself.

My only complaint is now another soap can't pick up Jerry. LoL.

My only complaint is now another soap can't pick up Jerry. LoL.

Well, IA. But, if he's used properly on Y&R, I do ffel it would be to his benefit to stay. Even with its faults, it's still the best show on daytime t.v. It just has to be tweaked to get it back to what it should be.

As long as it doesn't trun back into the "Victor Newman Show", I'll be ok with the changes.

I hope this is true that Jerry Douglas isn't leaving permanently.....

Speaking to the fact why Y&R decided to make a drastic dhange

well fans (including me) have been flooding message boards and sending lettings about the decline in quality Y&R has suffered since Jack the Hack took over.... if you look at when Jack Smith first took over as HW the ratings werre still in the 6-6.5 million viewer range...... fast forward to now and thay have lost over a million viewers and a full HH point... where as most of the other soaps for the most part are still bringing in the same HH numbers give or take a few pts..... so I think that tells the tale. Y&R was still miles ahead of everyone else then and now still #1 but the gap has been narrowed. This is great news for Y&R, I only hope that Lynn will make positive changes.... break up couples fans don't want, put back together couples fans do want (Jack and Phyllis for one) I absolutely have what Smith has done to this pairing.... he has completey destroyed it... for what, Nick and Phyllis romp.... dsigusting filth. So I am glad Y&R has finally made some changes.

Y&R has been quite unstable behind the scenes these past few years. Strange. I hope LML much success so that Y&R can regain that stability it once had.