New Era for Y&R
Y&R Appoints Emmy Winners Dan O'Connor and Jamey Giddens as New Co-Head Writers
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Key Points
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Josh Griffith stepped down as The Young and the Restless head writer in June after relinquishing executive producer duties in May, with Sally McDonald taking over as sole EP; reports described his exit as stemming from creative differences.
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Jamey Giddens is currently the head writer on CBS's Beyond the Gates and is the creator of the primetime drama Ambitions for OWN, in addition to prior soap work on Days of Our Lives and Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.
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Dan O’Connor began on One Life to Live and moved to General Hospital in 2013; early in his career he interned at ABC’s One Life to Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and later served as co-head writer at GH with Chris Van Etten.
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The Young and the Restless earned 16 Daytime Emmy nominations this year, reflecting the show's wide recognition as the new writing team prepares to take over.
The Young and the Restless has named Dan O'Connor and Jamey Giddens as its new co-head writers, according to People. The duo takes over from Josh Griffith, who stepped down in June after more than two decades with the show. It marks the first time since 2013 that Y&R has run with two co-head writers at the helm.
Griffith had already handed off his executive producer duties in May, with Sally McDonald stepping in as sole EP. His full exit was tied to reported creative differences, Yahoo News noted. O'Connor and Giddens are expected to begin work in early August.
Who Are the Two New Writers Taking Over
Jamey Giddens brings a deep soap résumé to Genoa City. He founded the industry site Daytime Confidential and has written for Days of Our Lives and Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem. He is also the creator of the primetime drama Ambitions for OWN and is currently serving as head writer on CBS's Beyond the Gates, per AOL.
Dan O'Connor started his career at ABC's One Life to Live and interned at Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He joined General Hospital in 2013 and later served as co-head writer there alongside Chris Van Etten. Both O'Connor and Giddens are Emmy winners and Writers Guild of America award winners, according to Just Jared.
Josh Griffith's Long Run and Quiet Exit
Griffith had been with Y&R for over two decades. He won four Daytime Emmy Awards during his tenure, Yahoo News reported. In May, he gave up his co-executive producer role before fully stepping away in June. Reports pointed to creative differences as the driving force behind his departure.
The shakeup signals a clear desire for a fresh creative direction. The show's new team is expected to push the series back toward its classic storytelling roots, a goal that reportedly drove the leadership change from the start.
Y&R's Big Storylines Waiting for New Leadership
The incoming writers will step into an active story slate. Key arcs in motion include Nikki Newman's return of eyesight and ongoing storylines for Cane and Lily. The show earned 16 Daytime Emmy nominations this year alone, per People, showing the audience and industry still have strong interest in the series.
A Co-Head Writer Structure Not Seen Since 2013
The decision to pair two writers at the top is notable. Y&R last used a co-head writer setup in 2013. Running a writing team solo is the norm for most soaps, so the move suggests the show wants a broader creative vision, Just Jared noted. Paired leadership has worked at other soaps — O'Connor himself used that model at General Hospital with Van Etten.
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