Y&R-Mal Young Out, Josh Griffith Taking Over

[DramatistDreamer]

The only storyline of Griffith that I can remember as having a modicum of success/interest was the Lauren/Carmine affair storyline. 

Sure, it was a ripoff of Unfaithful with Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez but that was the most engaged I'd seen Tracey Bregman in years and she had definite physical chemistry with Marco Dapper.  

Then Griffith chose to resolve the storyline in the worst, most basic and clichéd way possible.  It took away all of Lauren's agency in the situation and crystallized Carmine's character into an overplayed soap stereotype.  It made me especially irritated because the setup was good enough that the story could have played out in a far more complicated way. 

I do think that Griffith cracked under the pressure of Y&R's insidious fanbases, which Y&R has courted for years in a cynical push for ratings over quality.

[Roman]

JMO, but this sounds like SONY/CBS got wind of what people thought about JG coming back on again to destroy Y&R that they backtracked to this.

[Vee]

 

You should read more interviews and write less soap opera fantasy football fanfic in the Staff Writers threads. This is not how Malone has described their '90s collaboration.

 

 

Another thing easily disproven by research you don't do. It was well known at the time on soap forums that Brian Frons approached Malone first and only to return in '02. Malone refused to do it as HW and refused to do it without Griffith, who he considered indispensable. Griffith agreed provided Malone be de facto co-HW, while Malone insisted on being listed as 'creative consultant.' He was never just a consultant, though. Within a month he officially became a co-head, and Griffith later left due to being fed up with Frons.  Malone was right; Griffith was indispensable to their process, but both of them did badly at OLTL in the 2000s. Their second stint was a very colorful disaster.

 

This is all well known in our circles. Do you even bother looking things up, Raven, or do you just spend so much time reading end of episode credits and obsessing over them here based on a thinly-sourced conception of these mostly-anonymous writers in your mind that you assume you know everything?

 

Again: I think the Josh Griffith of the 21st century is a messy hack with a trail of ruin who is not fit to run any soap. But your facts are wrong, and your claim about 90s OLTL is laughably untrue.

 

 

LOL, no. She was also very, very disliked BTS among cast and crew.

[John]

I could see Morina stay as EP while Y&R hires another HW

Agreed plus Slezak who up to then was a company gal, spoke out about Dena which many assume led to Higley being fired

[Vee]

 

It was a great idea mangled by no one at the show having the courage of conviction to break up Michael and Lauren. They are beyond boring together now. (Of course, I would've had Michael and his brother come out of the closet years ago, so what do I know?)

 

 

It did, but there was a lot more to her drama at every soap she's ever worked on than that. Including at the EP level.

[John]

Oh I buy that 100%

[titan1978]

Was JG the return of Adam and the gothic character played by Sally Kellerman?  That was a couple of characters that were intriguing ruined by JFP casting Connie from GH and the story getting rid of Kellerman so fast.

 

I remember people posting that it was a shallow reminder of the gothic period of Y&R, pre Abbotts, and people responding to it positively.

[Toups]

 

 

They sold the music?!  I had no idea.  That is so disappointing.   

[YRfan23]

Ughhhh JFP you b*tchhhhhh!!!!

[Errol]

 

No. That was all Shelly Altman and Jean Passante. 

 

Josh Griffith was head writer until 2013. He was replaced by the above two (and to a less extent Tracey Thomson). Chuck Pratt took over in 2015.

[ajsp35801]

 

Who is this friend you speak of? 

[Faulkner]

Probably Jacqueline Wickert. She and Angelica both worked on the Tyra Banks show.

[Eboneece]

I am so sad that Mal is leaving. He was the strongest EP and HW since Jack Smith. I wish they would get him back :(

[slick jones]

Mal has been ruining the show as badly as JFP and Pratt. His departure is nothing to cry over.

[Eboneece]

I guess I would just prefer that Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman to return over Josh Griffith. The gothic period between September 2014 and January 2015 with Adam’s and Phyllis’s returns was spectacular and felt like core Y&R.