‘Young and the Restless’ Shakeup: Head Writer Josh Griffith Stepping Down
Exclusive
What To Know
- Josh Griffith, the seven-time Daytime Emmy-winning head writer of The Young and the Restless, is leaving the soap, TV Insider confirms.
- Griffith has had a prolific career in soaps, stemming back to 1988.
- He’s been involved with soaps like Santa Barbara, One Life to Live, Sunset Beach, As the World Turns, and more.
Seven-time Daytime Emmy winner Josh Griffith, head writer of The Young and the Restless, has decided to leave the CBS soap, TV Insider can confirm.
The show’s cast and crew were informed of the news earlier today.
Griffith has enjoyed a lengthy career in soaps and has deep ties to The Young and the Restless. He began his daytime tenure in 1988 as a writer on Santa Barbara. Three years later, he was named associate head writer of One Life to Live, before being promoted to co-head writer alongside Michael Malone in 1992. After earning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team in 1994, Griffith departed the ABC soap the following year.
In 1997, Griffith teamed with veteran General Hospital writer Robert Guza Jr. to co-create Sunset Beach. The soap was the first and only daytime drama to be produced by Aaron Spelling and remained on NBC until 1999. Griffith and Malone briefly returned to OLTL in 2003 before Griffith moved on to As the World Turns.
Griffith joined The Young and the Restless in 2006 as a writer and soon added co-executive producer to his résumé, before leaving in 2008. After a brief return from 2012 to 2013, he moved to Days of Our Lives in 2015 as co-head writer, a position he held until 2016.
He returned to Genoa City in 2018 as supervising producer. Following the departure of then-head writer Mal Young, Griffith was promoted to head writer in 2019 and later added executive producer to his duties in 2023. Last month, Griffith stepped down as executive producer, with Sally McDonald taking over those responsibilities, allowing him to focus exclusively on writing.
In TV Insider’s preview for what Griffith had planned for 2026, he teased, “You’ve got to just keep that momentum going. It’s going to be a very exciting, suspenseful, and romantic winter and spring. It’s going to be jam-packed with intrigue, mystery, suspense, and love. We have some fun surprises up our sleeve for 2026.”
Griffith continues in the role for now. There is no word yet on who will be tapped as his successor.
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D
The storyline is so ridiculous it makes me mad. I record so l can skip the Jack, Diane and Patty nonsense! Time to stop recycling characters and storylines.
80
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C
Great news, especially if it will hasten the end of this ridiculous Patty Williams storyline! Her non-stop, stuck-in-high-gear libido is at first comical, but soon nauseating and beyond obnoxious! For crying out loud, if they were going to bring back a Williams, it should've been Paul. Y&R has been too good for too long to end up like this. Sad.
69
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F
Finally! Josh Griffith is a horrible writer. I started watching Y&R as a child back in 1973, but I had to stop five years ago. He seemed to believe his ideas were superior to those of the creator, Bill Bell, and wrote solely for his own satisfaction. I really hope the next writer understands the essence of the original soap or does their research and returns to the foundation laid by the creators. The only reason I continued watching any of Josh Griffith's Y&R was because of the original cast, but I just couldn't handle the writing any longer.
63
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S
You're absolutely correct, The Young & The Restless of the early 1970's, was a totally, different & by far better "Y&R" , oppose to the "Y&R" that we've been seeing of today and for the past couple of decades, It's like watching two (2) totally different, The Young & The Restless, soaps. The original writers of "Y&R" without a doubt, were the very best. I truly miss the old original, format of the "Y&R" soap opera and their excellent & very creative writers. There was a world of differences between the two, the old original "Y&R" and today's "Y&R", it's hard to believe that it's all the same show. I only continued to watching"Y&R" all of these decades, only because of a few, of the original cast members, as-well. There's nothing like original things. 💯💖
36
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N
Lost opportunities..Kane could have been the next Victor. Instead turned him into another boring character and story line. Phyllis and Matt really. The Newman's story lines are so predictable.
48
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S
I quit watching it a few months ago as I got very sick of victor and his family. They didn’t ever have a problem when victor would steal business from other people, but when they lost everything the kids went nuts. Hopefully things might change and maybe I will start watching it again.
47
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H
There is a God… 🙏🏿 hopefully now the show will be watchable again… 😒
43
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B
I stopped watching it also
15
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S
I could not be happier to learn Josh Griffin is leaving Y&R! His writing has been awful gorgeous a LONG time! Maybe now some better scripts for the show. It has gone downhill for quite a while. THANK YOU!
41
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Y
I think there's brilliant character dialog* writing on the show....but the storylines became too repetitious and dependent on (250 kidnappings) and addiction.
I would have liked them to have brought Reiza to Genoa City, ...and I don't understand Noah being with Sienna, given shes the age of his mother Sharon.
35
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S
Regarding the kidnappings, they're getting old. There needs to be a different storyline.
3
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R
Most of the comments are about the poor storylines and I agree.
Enough of Nikki and Victor separating for the 100th time. Crazy Lady Patty coming back. Give us some new storylines, the Newman's are boring. Except maybe Adam when he's the villain.
Everything is so predictable. I would hate to see the only soap opera I watch and have watched since the beginning get canceled.
New writers, new material, and maybe some new characters would be AWESOME.
33
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N
I'll be sooo happy when they get rid of the ridiculous Patty Jack Diane story! The actress who plays Patty is the worst we've seen in years!!
33
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M
No, the actress is not the worse; the written character is the worse
This actress is very talented. She was outstanding on her other soap. Sickening how she has to be portrayed now, but she is doing a good job of a wretched character.
8
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E
I agree. I, so time ago, began watching Days on Peacock, so I've been catching up. I came to know her there as Rachel's mom (I forget her character's name) who recently went to jail for confessing to shooting EJ her brother even though she didn't do it, her daughter did. Which coincidences with her coming to Y&R. (Even though I'm almost a year behind lol).
1
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W
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!
33
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J
I think people need to be reminded that Phyllis was no angel and her and Matt would make a great team. If everyone would remember, years ago Phyllis killed Daniels biological father and she also tried to kill Christine and Paul with her car.
25
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N
Thank god!! I’m 64 and have been watching for a very long time and am so sick of the tired Victor story line because of him, I’ve stopped watching. I think it his age it would be reasonable for Victor to enter an assisted living facility.
23
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C
Wash, rinse, repeat. I COULD WRITE THESE STORYLINES.
20
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M
It’s gotten so bad on this show that I can make up dialogue in my head to keep it interesting. There are many times Young writes the exact same verbiage, or close to it. I’ve been watching since 1976. I think what he writes is wash, rinse, repeat! Characters should grow and evolve and move into different phases. He’s got them rooted into what he believes and ignores the audience and actors.
20
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S
This might be a good idea because whoever is riding the storyline between Jack and Patty and Diane it's just too much Patty needs to go this is not this is not help the show at all. Please get on different story lines and get rid of this one
20
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E
Yeah it's time to wrap this up
4
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S
Have lost interest over the past few years. Their storylines last forever, like months in the mountains with Kane, too many mental health issues. It's gotten ridiculous so hopefully it can become good again.
16
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S
I would be surprised if he ever gets another writing job after the agony he has put us through for the past few years. Good riddance.
16
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P
When was the last show he wrote? Because it’s crazy writing now.
16
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I
If he is responsible for the Patty, Jack, Diane saga, I want him to know it is an epic fail. I fast forward through all of those scenes.
11
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V
I do not like Jacks story line why the hell is patty still running around they should call her brother to come get her Iam sick of her!!!!
11
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P
Unfortunately, they killed off Paul a few years ago. Another bad decision on the writers part.
1
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L
Lisa Marie
I am so bored of this soap. The story lines are lame and repetitive. I have been recording for years now so I can fast forward the boredom. I think there needs to be a younger generation to lead the stories in a different direction. The same old Newman and Abbott stories are so OVER
10
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S
I have watched since the beginning. I am so disappointed in the writing. It is so hypocritical and poorly executed. I have stoped on and off this year. Hoping it will get better, and then only disappointed again. It would have been a much better story to gave Phyllis finally get over on Victor. After Victor, ruined Kanes company, no one thought the same should happen! No, they turned Phyllis's children against her. Hypocrisy. Eony waste my time until another writer comes in.
10
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M
Thank God! We fans have been wanting him gone for a long time. Bye bye, don't come back!
10
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M
Getting tired of same story line of kidnapping.Need more realistic storyline.If there is another kidnapping have to stop watching!👎
7
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F
Good Luck with Future Plans, Y&R characters are on a Slippery Slope! Need New Writing
7
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G
Thank god, Josh doesn’t know how to do interesting stories or end them well. The whole Matt having amnesia is just so stupid and convoluted
5
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S
This is, hopefully, good news! I have lost interest in a show that I have watched almost since the beginning. The storyline are always recycled, old characters coming back from the dead. The through line of all the character relationships is rinse and repeat. Brilliant characters, like Phyllis and Adam, are left whining and sniveling for entire weeks like washed up losers. I need to have my favorite soap back with some new blood and new twists or it will be time to let it go for good.
4
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P
The powers that be finally opened their eyes and realized the writing on this soap has gone down hill so far it’s going to take a miracle worker to get it back on track. I record the show and it takes about 15 minutes to watch it now.
4
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S
I am glad he is leaving, everything is a repeat. Ready for new stories.
4
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J
Is everyone mentally ill on Y&R. Half the CAST. Isn't there anything else writers can come up with? Jeez!
4
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B
I hate to say it but the writting has gone down hill....I have been watching since the early 80's and recently thought to myself that the show is getting really pathetic. The storyline's are weak. I miss Jeanne Cooper's character.
4
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J
I'm so glad other people think what I've been thinking. Its terrible story lines. We're not in the 1060's and naive! I also stopped watching weeks ago.
3
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N
Oh! And the Matt storyline? Roger Howarth is an excellent actor. He can do more than play multiple personalities /amnesiacs! Again, a tired storyline. And Patty? She’s SO good at playing someone gross!!
3
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G
Finally he's out of there need new writer so happy. Goodbye hope to see much improved story lines
2
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T
Mel Young was a better writer then Josh. The year he was let go, he won the writer, for Young and Restless
2
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S
Glad he’s leaving… this show desperately needs help.. 50 years vastly going down the drain!!! Sad!!!!
2
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S
It's about time hopefully the next writer will know how to end a story before it runs a year or more
2
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J
I stopped watching the show ever since the Paris thing. Stupid storylines, repetitive boring.
1
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O
30 year fan... now don't even follow... i thought bringing back Diane was dumb move and the turning point for me. I still had hope but Then he completely lost me when Cane Ashby turned out to be behind everything. Lame
1
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J
So tired of the PATTY and JACK story line. Just let Jack have his happy ending and Patty and Victor finally get what's coming to them. To repetitive and predictable story lines. Getting bored with it.
1
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E
I stopped watching in 2019.....
1
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S
The writing and acting have been pretty bad lately. Everyone just standing waiting for their turn to talk like robots.
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R
Will Ron Carlivati be tapped to take over???
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M
Hopefully
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