‘The Young and the Restless’: 3 Changes the Soap Needs to Make Right Now
The Young and the Restless has undergone many changes during its 50 seasons. A lot has happened, from recasting characters to writing and producing regime switches. While the CBS soap opera is still popular, a few tweaks could return it to its former glory.
‘The Young and the Restless’ needs to change its head writer
There have been many head writer changes throughout The Young and the Restless. Some writers created suspenseful and captivating storylines, while others bored fans with their lack of creativity. Like many soap operas, the show has lost its glory.
The show used to have exciting drama like Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) tossing a chair out a window or Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) and Katherine Chancellor’s (Jeanne Cooper) iconic feud. But those days of glamourous excitement are gone. Currently, Josh Griffith is the show’s head writer, and his creativity has been criticized for being boring. As one Reddit user said, “Josh plays it safe with boring storylines that simply drop into space and are so predictable.”
Griffith has been with the show on and off since 2007. In March 2019, he began his third tenure as head writer for the CBS soap opera. After three years of no improvement, it’s time for Griffith to leave. Maybe getting a new head writer will add life to the series.
‘The Young and the Restless’ needs to focus on the younger characters
Soap operas are criticized for neglecting their veteran characters. The Young and the Restless doesn’t have that issue because they give lots of screen time to their older, established characters. Yet, that’s also one of their major problems.
The teen scene crowd on the CBS serial is one of the things that made it popular. Viewers watched legacy characters like Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) grow from teens to adults. Teenage angst was a familiar storyline; characters faced issues like underage drinking, bullying, and teenage pregnancy.
But these days, the younger crowd doesn’t get much love. Faith Newman (Reylynn Caster) is a perfect example. The show could’ve followed up with Faith’s bullying storyline after her hospital stay, but nothing more came of it. They also could’ve explored her romance with Moses Winters (Jacob Aaron Gaines).
Yet, Faith and Moses were treated as secondary characters and eventually were written off to college.
Bring back former characters
One of the changes The Young and the Restless faces are the characters leaving. Whether it’s a veteran or a new character, a Genoa City resident’s stay may not last long. Many adored characters have said goodbye to the Wisconsin town throughout the decades and left for greener pastures. But the door is always one for a return.
This year the show saw massive returns from Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) and Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John). They aren’t the only ones returning; Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei) and Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) are also coming back to Genoa City. Since it is the show’s 50th season, having a few other former character return can help reignite interest in the show and bring back memories of the good ole days.
