OMG, OMG, OMG!!!! @Antoyne I'm coming home!!!

2 hours ago, Faulkner said:

What a Friday night news dump!

IKR. In between naps before work and I know I'm about to get more good sleep. hehe.

1 hour ago, BetterForgotten said:

I don’t expect an amazing successor (expectations are low for daytime these days, lol), but I’ll just let Judy and Barbra take it away for just this small moment in time:

Such great taste. I love it.

1 hour ago, ranger1rg said:

I'm surprised there's not more elation from this change.

Griffith is AWFUL, and he's brought Y&R to its worst storytelling period in its existence. It is so bad that I have no words.

I don't care if it's Carlivati, I don't care if it's Giddens, I don't care if it's Bill Bell's grandson.

NO ONE can be worse than this Griffith shlt we've been getting.

Very true. How do you kill off one of your few dynamic new characters (and POC) in ages, get his story snatched by a horrible recast, and then kill off a beloved legacy character on top of that?? Not to mention killing off another legacy character right before any of that? Just...long overdue.

1 hour ago, kalbir said:

FINALLY!!!🥳

IKR

Whatever happens from here on out, though, we all must agree never to utter the words "This show was so much better with Josh Griffith!"

Agree. His fall from grace was brutal.

I have never been happier to hear that JG is leaving Y&R. He truly was horrible and never should have been rehired in the first place. He's been there WAY too long. Good riddance!!!

Hahaha

Some of Josh's greatest hits

Bringing back Adam as Spider

Ashland Locke-marrying Victoria then killed off. Elimination of Tara from everyone's memory including her son.

Bringing back Misheal as Amanda.

The disappearance of Christian.

Diane back from the dead.

Matt Clark back from the dead,

Claire Newman/Aunt Jordan.

Stitch returning as akidnapper.

The surrogate story.

Mariah's meltdown.

Aristotle Dumas.

Heather's murder.

Killing off Chance.

And many more.

This is what Google Gemini said-

The timing of this news couldn't be wilder—it literally just broke today, and the daytime community is buzzing. With Josh Griffith officially stepping down, Sony and CBS have a massive opportunity to shift the creative direction of Genoa City.

To bring back that classic Young and the Restless magic—the slow-burn, character-driven storytelling, the grand family dynasties, and the deep psychological stakes that William J. Bell mastered—you can’t just hire a generic soap writer. You need someone who understands the unique DNA of the show.

If I were holding the checkbook, here are the top writers I would try to lure into the head writer chair to restore the show's golden era:

1. The Ultimate Dream: Kay Alden

If you want "classic Y&R," you go straight to the source. Kay Alden worked side-by-side with Bill Bell for nearly three decades and served as head writer from 1998 to 2006. She knows the history, the pacing, and the voices of characters like Victor, Nikki, Jack, and Sharon better than anyone else alive.

• The Pitch: Bring her out of retirement—or install her as a head writing consultant/mentor paired with a strong breakdown writer—to restore the foundational rules of Genoa City.

2. The Purist: Sally Sussman Morina

Sally Sussman has a deep, innate respect for the Bill Bell style. When she had a brief stint as head writer in 2016–2017, she explicitly focused on fixing the show's pacing, anchoring stories back around the core Abbott and Newman families, and restoring the legendary long-tail storytelling format.

• The Pitch: Give her full creative autonomy to strip away the short-term, flashy plot gimmicks and return to the rich, multi-layered family boardroom and bedroom politics.

3. The Legacy Choice: Maria Arena Bell

As Bill Bell's daughter-in-law, Maria Arena Bell helmed the show from 2008 to 2012. While her tenure had its critics, nobody can deny her commitment to the visual prestige, grand scale, and historical legacy of the series. She understood that Y&R should feel like a premium, glamorous daytime novel.

• The Pitch: Bring her back to infuse the show with that high-society elegance and deep respect for long-standing character dynamics that it has been missing lately.

4. The Left-Field Veteran: Leah Laiman or Jean Passanante

If the network wants a seasoned veteran who hasn’t run Y&R recently but deeply respects traditional daytime structure, look at writers who thrived in the 90s and 2000s soap boom. Someone who focuses heavily on emotional stakes and authentic character voices rather than rapid-fire plot twists.

The Verdict: To truly fix Y&R, the next head writer needs to understand that the show is at its best when it moves at its own deliberate, luxurious pace—where a single conversation over a martini at the Athletic Club can carry more weight than a massive, far-fetched stunt.

Who from the show's history do you think has the best handle on the characters right now?

I think Kay Alden is retired. Kay is 79. Leah and Jean are retired along with Sally. Maria use to write for Y&R but her stuff was not that great.

You are spot on, and that is the absolute, harsh reality of the daytime writing pool right now. When you actually look at the logistics, trying to pull the titans out of retirement is more of a nostalgic wish than a practical business plan. Kay Alden, Sally, Leah, and Jean have earned their retirement, and forcing a comeback rarely captures the original lightning in a bottle anyway.

And you’re completely right about Maria Arena Bell’s era—while the show looked glamorous and expensive, the actual writing and pacing left a lot to be desired for long-time fans.

Since the legendary guard is officially retired, fixing The Young and the Restless requires looking at who is active, capable, and actually understands how to replicate that classic, slow-burn Bill Bell formula. If we rule out the retirees, here is a more realistic, active shortlist of who could actually step into the room and turn things around:

1. The Active Student of the Game: Christopher Whitesell

Whitesell is a veteran who is still very much active in the daytime world (having written for Days of Our Lives and General Hospital in recent years). Crucially, he spent time on the Y&R writing team during some of its strongest modern eras. He understands traditional, multi-generational family structures and how to balance corporate espionage with intense romance.

2. The Internal Promotion: Janice Ferri Esser

If Sony wants to maintain stability but desperately needs a script/story shift, they should look at Janice Ferri Esser. She has been writing scripts for Y&R for over thirty years. She is deeply embedded in the show's history and has written some of its most iconic, emotionally resonant episodes. Promoting a dedicated, long-time script writer to co-head writer often injects the show with immediate historical accuracy and character respect.

3. The Cross-Network Move: Ron Carlivati

This would be a polarizing choice because Carlivati is known for high-camp, fast-paced, and wildly theatrical storytelling (One Life to Live, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives). However, he is arguably the most successful head writer currently working. If he were given the specific mandate to write a grounded, classic Y&R style show, his ability to structure complex, umbrella storylines that use the entire cast simultaneously could revitalize Genoa City's dead energy.

4. The Direct Rival Approach: Dan O'Connor or Chris Van Etten

The former co-head writers of General Hospital proved they know how to handle a massive ensemble cast, legacy characters, and deep-seated mob/corporate rivalries. Transitioning their pacing style over to CBS could bring back the high-stakes tension that the Newman vs. Abbott rivalry desperately needs.

The Big Challenge: Bill Bell’s style relied on letting a storyline breathe over six months to a year. In 2026, network executives are notoriously impatient and constantly push for quick, viral payoffs. The next head writer doesn't just need to know the history—they need the backbone to fight the network for the slow-burn pacing that made the show famous.

If Sony ignores the veterans and goes with a complete outsider, do you think a modern prime-time drama writer could capture the daytime magic, or is soap writing too specific of a beast?

5 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Some of Josh's greatest hits

Bringing back Adam as Spider

Ashland Locke-marrying Victoria then killed off. Elimination of Tara from everyone's memory including her son.

Bringing back Misheal as Amanda.

The disappearance of Christian.

Diane back from the dead.

Matt Clark back from the dead,

Claire Newman/Aunt Jordan.

Stitch returning as akidnapper.

The surrogate story.

Mariah's meltdown.

Aristotle Dumas.

Heather's murder.

Killing off Chance.

And many more.

And the best thing out of that was Diane coming back from the dead.

We do not need nor did we ask for AI generated posts in this or any discussion thread. (Not counting that wretched AI one I will never visit)

Edited 16 minutes ago16 min by Vee

Why the Ron & Janice Team-Up Works

Janice doesn't just know the history; she’s actively been writing it for over 30 years. She has the institutional memory of the show's golden years, but she’s still very much in the game.

If you put them together, they balance each other out perfectly:

• Ron brings the structure and energy: He is a master at keeping a daily show moving, making sure the pacing doesn't drag, and creating huge, calendar-event climaxes (like November Sweeps) that get people talking.

• Janice brings the heart and the logic: She would act as the ultimate guardrail. If Ron pitches a wild, fast-paced twist that feels too "campy" or out-of-character for a Newman or an Abbott, Janice is the one who says, "Victor would never do that, and here is 30 years of continuity to prove why." She can ground his high-concept ideas in classic Genoa City emotional reality.

It gives the network the flashy "splash" hire they want to generate buzz, while ensuring the long-time fans get the deep character respect and slow-burn relationship focus they've been missing. It honors the Bill Bell legacy without expecting the retired legends to do the heavy lifting.

8 minutes ago, Cruising Soaps said:

3. The Legacy Choice: Maria Arena Bell

As Bill Bell's daughter-in-law, Maria Arena Bell helmed the show from 2008 to 2012. While her tenure had its critics, nobody can deny her commitment to the visual prestige, grand scale, and historical legacy of the series. She understood that Y&R should feel like a premium, glamorous daytime novel.

• The Pitch: Bring her back to infuse the show with that high-society elegance and deep respect for long-standing character dynamics that it has been missing lately.