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It's A Wrap For Y&R's Longtime Associate Producer Josh O'Connell!

On Friday and throughout the weekend rumors circulated that a change had been made on the production team of The Young and the Restless, and as we have come to find out it was the series longtime Associate Producer Josh O’Connell who was let-go after 20 years with the daytime drama.  It would seem that at present, Y&R is making a few shifts behind the scenes.

O’Connell started in the production offices and being associated with the show back in 1994, and has always had a close relationship with the Bell Family – the late great Y&R creator Bill Bel,l and his wife and co-creator, Lee Phillip Bell.  In 2003, Josh was promoted to Associate Producer where he has been for the last 11 years during his tenure with the number one soap opera.

Today on his final day on his job, Josh send out a special message to those colleagues and friends whom he has worked with for decades.  We asked Josh if it would be OK to share a part of his message with you.

Josh wrote: “Twenty years ago I began an incredible journey at The Young and the Restless which has changed my life in more ways than I can begin to express.  Since my tenure began in 1994, I’ve had the privilege of working with a number of extraordinary teams, starting with the creative genius of the late Bill Bell Sr. and with the remarkable co-creator Lee Phillip Bell.  I believe in this unique generation-spanning genre as much now as I did my first day on the job. As I move on to my next journey, I want you all to know how grateful I am to each and every one of you for irreplaceable memories and friendships that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.”

Share your thoughts below on the exit of Josh O’Connell from The Young and the Restless team!

 

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I think that Pratt is to blame. and Cady McClain tweeted an ominous tweet also, like she may be leaving. I think Young and Restless may be in DEEP trouble!

Cady….pass on the banana pancakes!

it’s the saddest thing… I mean this… seriously

having watched serial… for generations… over 3 decades plus

I’m lost without this… devoted… soapbox me… I care

I’ll fight this

LOL… Cady McClain stirred… does fit… if she’s next in line of… let go

along with this associate producer… it’s a crime

a pull to the heart of what television IS

a staple that rips tears and lets go a piece of this everlasting genre that doesn’t need to budget a piece of history…

I think of all the other actors… who once shared

ATWT
AW
Santa Barbara
Guiding Light
AMC

and so on and so on and there it goes

salute

I know I needed to include OLTL

What did Cady tweet?

Notice he did not mention the current PTB as being “extraordinary teams” Y&R seems to have a way of ruining people’s holidays. Last year it was Billy Miller and Michael Muhney…this year it’s Josh and I am sure others are yet to come. How about getting rid of the real problem, Jill Farren Phelps!!!!

wow..

Y&R has lost their core true-characters with the loss of their actors, the ones that made Y&R great..
(BM, MS, MM) and top of heap others.. all gone..
their replacements are all a fail, not doing well..

Too many people are walking out of Y&R..
where there is smoke there is fire / burning behind the scene….
Now– we have Pratt as head writer/producer.. that is good..
I see a huge change on the horizon for Y&R, and that is good thing..

I hope so but if he was any good he would get rid of the dead-wood. Did anyone see today’s show. Poor Nick remembering everyone that hurt him. Good grief Sharon never had issue’s until she got involved with the Newman’s, although Phyllis went after Nick when he was married and grieving Cassie he still loved Sharon & Phyllis knew it. He broke Amy’s heart but that didn’t stop him from taking advantage of her, and Grace was someone he used when he felt down & out. What a prize. Come-on writers how about the truth? And while your at it Nikki saying she didn’t like Sharon!!! Many times Nikki said Sharon made her think of herself when she was younger so give Sharon a damn break.

The actors are fine. Its Jill and co.that arent!

Jill Farren Phelps is the problem First it was her group of friends she brought in from H.H, then the scenery, then favorite actors. Now this please stop her!

There is no one to replace Jill Farren Phelps that has her experience..
And– there are few, very few, who even wants the job..
Who would even want the job and have the experience to do it..
I doubt there are any eager takers or any CBS would hire / outside of Pratt, perhaps..
Jill Farren Phelps is going nowhere ..

How is Pratt a good thing? He hates soaps. thinks that they are beneath him and was part of the team that almost killed GH. He’s a great friend of JFP. So happy I left and all of the most talented actors are gone.

It seems to me that he was fired because he was one of the last links to the Bell run drama– many of the behind the scenes people who worked for the Bells for years were fired the first year JFP came on board. I guess they will spin this as they don’t need an associate producer when the got two producers in Pratt and Phelps, although Pratt is supposed to be in name only— we shall see. It does seem the predictions about Pratt are coming true if they fired the one guy left who might have fought to keep the formula and style the Bell’s created—-

JFP will let go anyone that was under the bell tenure. Look at all of the new directors and writers for y and r. There is nothing classic left and they might be killing off Michael. I will give this show 5 years before its cancelled.

Michael, Christian isnt leaving

Eileen… I hope you know something I don’t because the rumors have him leaving the show. If you know otherwise, please put my mind at ease! 🙂

Not a JILL FAN… I just don’t trust her or her motives.

Jill and Angelica, again. It will never stop.

Instead of hiding behind the facade that Y&R is still the great daytime serial it was, JFP should just admit to trying to cut every last tie to the Bill Bell era the show has. Firing popular and talented actors, getting rid of long-time production staff, bringing in newbie actors, characters and and crew members is all part of JFP’s grand plan of systematically destroying Y&R. Now with Pratt on board, things will likely only get worse. Sony and CBS need to start doing things RIGHT for Y&R, by first getting rid of the biggest problem of all – JFP. And right behind her, Pratt needs to follow.

Not a smart move there!

More firings to come in the next months

I believe they want Y&R to fail. Why else would the HACK JFP still be here. I despise that arrogant Bitch!

Don’t the Bells own the soap? Why are they letting Sony get away with all of this?

Can’t Brad Bell step in and do something??? His family owns this soap, do they not?? I know he’s got his hands full with B&B but he shouldn’t let this show go down the drain!!!!

Nope, the Bells dont own the soap now.

The Bell’s do own a share of The Young and The Restless but unfortunately they do not own the majority of it, Sony does. Unless the Bell’s can purchase some stock back from Sony or a 3rd party buys it, Sony has the control. Sony has allowed the Bells over the years to have creative control, but that too has been taken away. The show is solely the people Sony put in charge Jill Farren Phelps, and soon to be Chuck Pratt. As far as The Bold and The Beautiful, Bill Bell didn’t have to give any shares away so his family owns that serial outright. I would love to see one day Brad oversee both shows and Kay Alden, Susan Morina be Head writers, and Ed Scott move across the hall and re take the Executive Producer position. YR desperately needs a Bell touch, and who better to do it than the people he mentored over the years.

Why did Bell have to give away shares of Y&R?

If memory serves correct Bill Bell was under contract with the Corday Family at Days of Our lives. He wanted out of his contract to start The Young and the Restless. In order for him to get out of his contract it was agreed that he would give shares to them. In turn they later gave their shares to Sony, who also owns Days of Our Lives. The Bold and The Beautiful was created after Bill started The Young and the Restless so he was able to retain full control of that serial. It’s a good thing he did. It’s nice having his son Brad Bell run it, and Ed Scott as Executive Producer, not to mention he was able to bring on a few former YR actors Heather Tom, and Don Diamont. He also has John Smith on his writing team, and for awhile had Kay Aldan (two of Bill Bell’s writing staff), among others.

Loath as I am to defend JFP, or appear to, I am not so sure I would lay this particular move at her feet (though she may not have done anything to stop it). I suspect it’s Sony, rather than JFP, that does not value the ties to the Bell years and the Bell family. It has become clear from Sony’s hiring decisions, and from the direction the show has taken as far back as when Lynn Marie Latham was in charge, that Sony doesn’t understand what made the show so popular and isn’t interested in following the principles that Bill Bell followed. I am guessing they don’t think that those principles will get the ratings they want. (That might be defensible–if the things they were trying WERE getting high ratings, but they’re not.)

Well look what happens after Chuck Pratt is hired, one of the people that have been part of the classy Y&R for years is fired.

And sad that Cady McClain has to go through this again. The same soap hack once again.

Time to sit back with popcorn and see what Pratt will do to Y&R.

REALLY?!?!? Oh, Y-E-T ANOTHER nail in the coffin……….

Wow. After 20 years. Well, hopefully he save his money.

Days Of Our Lives

Peacock Raising Subscription Prices $2 Dollars a Month This Summer; Includes Days of our Lives

As the Paris Summer Olympics are a few months away, the Peacock streaming service has revealed its plan for a two dollar summer price hike on its subscription plans, beginning in July for its content which will include Days of our Lives.

According to Deadline, in July, look for the monthly price for Peacock Premium to increase to $7.99. Premium Plus, which offers limited advertising, download capability and live local programming, will now be $13.99, while  Annual plans will go up to $79.99 for Premium and $139.99 for Premium Plus.

This price hike will effect new customers starting on July 18th, while existing subscribers will notice the price change on their next billing date on or before August 17th.

Photo: JPI

This marks the second price change in two years for the streaming service, the previous one being in 2023, which was the first since the service launched back in 2020.  The Summer Olympics in Paris which will be on NBC and Peacock run from July 26 to August 11.

The bright spot for Days of our Lives fans, is that unlike if the show was still on network television and NBC, the show would be preempted for two weeks, but with it being on Peacock it will continue with all-new episodes without interruption.

Photo: Peacock

At the recent Days of our Lives 15K episode celebration, Michael Sluchan the EVP, Current Scripted Programming & Limited Series for NBC/Peacock shared that the soap opera is doing extremely well for the streaming service, and they were very happy with its performance.

If you want to join Peacock now, there is still some time to get in on the current rates to watch DAYS and all of the programming and series it offers.

So, what do you think about the Peacock streaming service next price hike? Comment below.

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Breaking News

Haley Pullos Receives 90-Day Jail Sentence Following DUI Charge And Wrong-Way Car Crash

Former General Hospital actress, Haley Pullos (ex-Molly Lansing-Davis) is going to be doing time in jail, exactly one-year after her arrest from a hit and run wrong-way car collision.

The crash resulted in bodily harm and damages to the other driver, and now Pullos who pleaded “no contest” to the charges and will serve 90 days in jail. She was taken in custody on Monday, April 29th, after the ruling.

According to Haley’s attorney, Mark Daniel Melnick, the 25-year-old actress struck a plea deal and after her three months in jail will be sentenced on July 29th. As part of that sentencing, she must serve five years probation, 200 hours of community service and pay $8,260 in restitution to Courteney Wilder, the other driver in the crash and her driver’s license is revoked for a year.

Courtesy/ABC

According to TMZ, the plea deal for Pullos has the “no contest” to one DUI, while the judge dropped the felony DUI causing bodily injury and misdemeanor hit and run charges.

Melnick said in a statement to PEOPLE, “Haley is very grateful to the court for a minimum sentence and for recognizing her remorse and the strides she has made in her sobriety.”

Pullos had played the daughter of Alexis Davis (played by Nancy Lee Grahn) on the ABC soap opera since 2009, but after her car crash and DUI she was replaced by three different actresses until the show finally settled on the current Molly, Kristen Vaganos.

Photo: Pasadena PD

Back in April 29 of 2023, and at the scene of the crash, the police found edibles and mini-bottles of tequila in Pullos’ vehicle and that she was intoxicated. As it turned out, this was to be the second hit and run in the evening for Pullos who had an earlier collision with another car.

The courts decision follows a year-long legal battle with Haley’s pleas changing throughout it, ranging from “not guilty” to “no contest”. She sought treatment for her drinking at a rehab following the crash.

Nancy Lee Grahn, who portrayed Pullos’ on-screen mom took to X on Monday night, April 29th and shared on the sentence and the specific jail, Haley will be serving time: “As Haley’s TV mom I can tell some truths about her as I’ve loved her since she was little girl. She made a HUGE mistake, knows it, owns it & has spent the last yr doing EVERYTHING imaginable to take responsibility 4 it. It’s not that I oppose jail. It’s that I oppose this jail.” The jail in question by Grahn is the L.A. county jail.

So, what do you think about Haley Pullos serving a 90-days jail sentence, and the other rulings that will be part of her sentencing? Comment below.

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News

Kimberlin Brown Back to The Bold and the Beautiful

As expected, although viewers didn’t know exactly when it would be revealed, on today’s April 29th episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, Sheila Carter is found alive and well.

Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Deacon (Sean Kanan) make the discovering that Sheila didn’t actually die; and that it was her plastic surgery makeover lookalike, Sugar, that met her maker. That means, Sheila’s portrayer, Kimberlin Brown, is back on the show and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) killed Sugar in self-defense, not Sheila.

Speaking on what was a shocking return for her, Brown chatted with Deadline about her getting the opportunity to resurrect Sheila one more time and with a new contract to boot.

Photo: JPI

When asked if she thought B&B’s executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell changed course midstream in the story, Kimberlin expressed, “Either that or he had this in mind all along and just didn’t tell me about it! But I can’t see anybody doing anything that evil, however. That would be a Sheila moment.”

Photo: JPI

Kimberlin also shared how she first learned she was being let go from the show, recalling, “Brad called me upstairs to talk to me about what he had in mind for Sheila. It was a hard pill for me to swallow. It had been years of playing Sheila, and I consider her my baby, so to speak. And that was definitely not news I was anticipating or hoping to receive.” She added “When I walked into his office, he looked at me and went, ‘We’re killing off your character.’”

As to what the future holds for Sheila, enduring villainess and fan favorite, Kimberlin Brown, shared some intel: “I am happy to say that I have been asked to negotiate another contract.’

So, glad to know that Kimberlin Brown is back as Sheila Carter? What do you think will be Sheila’s next move? Did you believe for a second, maybe two, that Sheila would really be ‘dead-dead’ on the soaps? Comment below.

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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