‘The Young and the Restless’ Actor Eric Braeden Loves What Josh Griffith Has Done With the Show
Eric Braeden has played the role of Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for over four decades. He’s notoriously comfortable offering his criticism, so it’s no surprise he has some thoughts about the show and the people who work on it. The current head writer is Josh Griffith. So what exactly does Braeden think about his job? Read on to find out.
Who is responsible for the success of ‘The Young and The Restless’?
If you’re looking for the scoop about what’s happening behind the scenes at Y&R, Braeden is the person to ask. TV Insider reports that he’s been a part of the popular daytime drama since 1980, and he has some thoughts that he’s happy to share.
Braeden thinks soap operas don’t get the respect they deserve, including the writers. Bill Bell was the original head writer for the first 25 years of the show, and Braeden believes that he set it up for success. “I always go back to Bill Bell,” Braeden explained. “He laid the groundwork, the foundation.”
The writers who came after Bell did well because they stuck to the world he created. Braeden does mention one writer who “veered away,” and he doesn’t seem too impressed.
When asked how the show was currently doing, he had positive feedback about the writing today. “I like what Josh [Griffith, head writer] is doing.”
Josh Griffith’s career in soap operas
It should be no surprise that Griffith knows his way around a daytime drama. According to People Pill, he’s been a writer for soaps since 1988, when he worked on Santa Barbara. After his stint there, he wrote for One Life to Live. He left to become co-creator of the short-lived Sunset Beach, then went back to One Life to Live. After that, he worked as a writer for As the World Turns.
It seems that the world behind the scenes of daytime dramas has almost as much intrigue as what happens on screen. Griffith came to Y&R as a creative consultant and breakdown writer in 2006, eight years after Bell left as head writer. But Griffith’s climb from where he started to Bell’s old job was anything but linear.
A twisted path to head writer and back again
After three months at Y&R, Griffith was promoted to co-executive producer with Lynne Marie Latham. The next year, in 2007, the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike, and Latham joined their ranks. As a result, she was fired for abandoning her duties.
Griffith, on the other hand, accepted Financial Core status with the union, and he continued working. He not only kept his job, but he also stepped into Latham’s role as executive producer and head writer. Maria Arena Bell (daughter-in-law of Bill Bell) became his co-writer.
In 2008, it was Bell’s turn to take over the top spot, and Griffith was fired. He worked as a writer for General Hospital for a while. But in 2012, Bell was fired, and Griffith returned as head writer. However, that only lasted for a year before he left Y&R again. He went back to write for Days of Our Lives in 2015.
According to Ultimate Soap Fan, Griffith returned to Y&R in 2019, where he’s still in the position of the head writer today. Who knows what the future holds for him, but at least Braeden has his back. The soap star may have some complaints, but none are about his current head writer.
