Josh Griffith will no longer be head writer. No replacement has been announced.

This is good news but I hope the replacement is much, much better and not just a slight improvement.

I'm back from my hiatus from the show and caught up on almost a year and was very disappointed. Hopefully the new HW will shake things up. The show is pretty boring.

And to think I was just starting to think how boring soap news had been lately with nothing happening/changing. We finally get the news we’ve all been waiting for. Should be an interesting summer of speculating on what’s to come. Kind of reminds me of the summer MAB’s firing was announced in 2012. (I was on here reading everything back then under a different account I’ve since been locked out of 😪)

I do wonder what Y&R will look like this fall/winter when the new material starts to air. I do feel like it will look like a very different show eventually just because of how LONG JG has been writing on this damn show. Is this the longest a head writer has been at Y&R in recent history? Sure feels like it. Glad I missed most of his run though cause I only started watching more regularly again in 2025. I tuned back in to watch the Sharon/Phyllis kidnapping storyline and have been consistently disappointed in everything that has happened since.

Frankly, I'm shocked CBS/Sony did anything, since JG's storylines didn't appear to affect the ratings very much. I do wonder what, if anything, was the straw that broke that camel's back.

2 minutes ago, Khan said:

Frankly, I'm shocked CBS/Sony did anything, since JG's storylines didn't appear to affect the ratings very much. I do wonder what, if anything, was the straw that broke that camel's back.

I am surprised too. I thought the crossover bump might've helped his security, though I suspected when he left the EP perch (and I believe Steve Kent departed) that he was not long for the show. I wonder if it's just been coming awhile, and I would not be shocked if the Matt Clark stuff had a hand in it at this point. ABC has come down hard on rape, etc. stories in recent years which did cost Roger Howarth both Franco and Todd.

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by Vee

Flirting with the idea of a Matt/Phyllis hook up was certainly a new low for him. I wonder if that’s what finally got him pushed out. Considering soaps try so hard these days to be PC I find it ridiculous and appalling that something like this would fly but at the same time they’re too afraid to push the envelope and tell stories that are actually relevant to things going on in the world today. We’re too scared to really go there with a real gay storyline to the point we’re gonna actually UNgay Mariah and Tessa, but HEY let’s hook up Phyllis with Sharon’s rapist.

This show used to tell stories about STDS, illnesses and socially relevant things which they no longer do. I am scared to know how far JG actually goes with this Phyllis and Matt thing before he’s gone.

11 minutes ago, Vee said:

ABC has come down hard on rape, etc. stories in recent years which did cost Roger Howarth both Franco and Todd.

And for his and his children's sake, I'm sorry it did. On the other hand, if all you can land in the way of acting gigs these days is "irritating rapist," maybe it's time to consider another line of work? (I mean, there's always Avon!)

10 minutes ago, Ryanc2 said:

I am scared to know how far JG actually goes with this Phyllis and Matt thing before he’s gone.

All I can say is, I'll be sure to be near a wastebasket or a toilet when it happens!

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

And for his and his children's sake, I'm sorry it did.

Roger seems like a solid, kind guy but I'm not. Todd has had his day and Franco was repulsive. Matt is just as bad.

FV and Carlivati could've potentially cemented Roger if they'd cast him as Stephen Lars/Steve Webber or Tom Hardy at the hospital in 2013. They opted against it for the edgy factor. Here we are.

5 minutes ago, Vee said:

Roger seems like a solid, kind guy but I'm not. Todd has had his day and Franco was repulsive. Matt is just as bad.

I agree. But my point is that Roger Howarth, IMO, isn't capable of playing anyone who isn't a sexual predator. When he tries - like when he played Paul Ryan - he just falls back on "insufferable, tick-laden jerk." So, again, Avon, lol.

8 minutes ago, Vee said:

Roger seems like a solid, kind guy but I'm not. Todd has had his day and Franco was repulsive. Matt is just as bad.

FV and Carlivati could've potentially cemented Roger if they'd cast him as Stephen Lars/Steve Webber or Tom Hardy at the hospital in 2013.

Ugh. I'm kinda glad they didn't go there, lol.

When he was on OLTL, Roger did interviews indicating his stance about not glamorizing rape storylines.
But since he got hired on Y&R, he's done interviews saying how fun it is to play Matt Clark and gushing about Josh Griffith's storyline for him.
Completely different tone from his OLTL time.
So, no sympathy from me.

3 hours ago, Khan said:

Frankly, I'm shocked CBS/Sony did anything, since JG's storylines didn't appear to affect the ratings very much. I do wonder what, if anything, was the straw that broke that camel's back.

Yeah, I would love to have that tea.

17 hours ago, janea4old said:

When he was on OLTL, Roger did interviews indicating his stance about not glamorizing rape storylines.
But since he got hired on Y&R, he's done interviews saying how fun it is to play Matt Clark and gushing about Josh Griffith's storyline for him.
Completely different tone from his OLTL time.
So, no sympathy from me.

Imagine if RH and Billy Flynn had been brought in as brand new characters without the baggage of Matt and Cain.

2 minutes ago, 1974mdp said:

Imagine if RH and Billy Flynn had been brought in as brand new characters without the baggage of Matt and Cain.

For sure, RH could've come in as just Mitch Bacall (or some better-sounding name), husband to Noah Newman's new, older lover. There could've been a classic, Bell-esque story about Mitch being a successful businessman who nevertheless can't satisfy his wife, Sienna, sexually. Maybe he's jealous that this young stud CAN satisfy her. Maybe he goes along with their affair, because he cares more about business than he does about what goes on in his bedroom. Heck, maybe he wants Noah for himself! I dunno! There are a hundred different ways you could've gone with that scenario besides "yet another Nick/Sharon nemesis returns from the dead."

"You know he won't leave her side." Cut to Victor sitting next to an empty hospital bed. I know he's likely waiting for her to be brought back, but still, it's hilarious to visually see. And him just going over the recent conflict between Nikki and him, starting from the most recent events to more from the past. And of course he is flashing back to when he noticed her experiencing the pain she did during their meeting at the athletic club. And Victor not knowing who Stephanie Simmons is while oiling her up with compliments is hilarious to me. 🤣

The fact that now is when Noah and Sharon (who is looking doe-eyed and lost) are hearing about what's going on with Nikki, which progressed almost at lightning speed overnight, is ridiculous. The emotional beats of this storyline are absolutely non-existent, which leaves an immediate void. And the emotional notes we're getting from Claire talking to Holden in the park just... do not hit at all.

I appreciate Nicholas admitting that the temptation to use is always going to be there, as so many believe once you're in recovery you are "cured" of being an addict, but you are always an addict with a craving to dip back into your addiction. It's about learning how to handle those cravings, whether on your own or through the help of rehab/meetings.

Hello Jill! Hello Lauren Koslow! So happy we got a voiceover (courtesy of the ever-dreamy Joshua Morrow). This is going to be fun. I imagine this must have been such a change for her, acting with actual actors and being on a set that is not the size of a redressed box and being fashioned in proper clothing. As is the same with Stacy Haiduk as Patty, the way in which Koslow is presented as Jill (both in terms of costume/hair/makeup) is how I envision Kate should be on Days of Our Lives.

Lauren Koslow’s Jill is a more demure version but she did great. I could also picture her being a much more glamorous Jill, and a little more akin to Brenda Dicksons take on the role. I wouldn’t mind a new interpretation on the character of Jill for the future. If we could recast Phyllis after years of Michelle Stafford in the role then, why not? And there’s still loads of people to this day wishing for GT to return to the role of Phyllis because they liked her version better.