News
Janice Ferri Esser Retires from The Young and the Restless Writing Team After 35-Year Tenure
Throughout its 50-year history, The Young and the Restless has seen multiple head writer changes, following co-creator and head writer, the late William J. Bell’s decision to step away from the show in 1998. Bell had been the driving creative force of the show for 25 years.
With all the changes in regimes, there was one writer who remained, and was a constant in the lives of the characters of Genoa City, Janice Ferri Esser.
However, in a post on her Facebook, Esser revealed she is stepping away from the CBS daytime drama.

Photo: CBS
Janice began her post expressing: “Today, I am retiring from the writing team at The Young & the Restless. I’ve been there for 35 consecutive years this spring (with a brief sojourn down the hall’ in 2007-2008 to our sister show, The Bold & the Beautiful). That’s 70% of the show’s run, a tenure that’s pretty unheard of in television. But I’ve decided if I’m ever going to try my hand at something different…now’s the time.”
The scribe then shared the letter she was sending out to friend and colleagues. Esser stated, “Dear Friends & Colleagues, I wrote my first ‘FADE IN’ at The Young & the Restless in 1989—the year the Berlin Wall fell, Tiananmen Square erupted, and a British scientist invented the World Wide Web.”
Citing her first Y&Rscript, Esser continued, “Meanwhile, in Episode #4151… Cricket [Lauralee Bell] faced some harsh realities about her upcoming testimony against Derek [Stuart, the man who raped her]; while at The Embers, an irritated Jill (Jess Walton] tossed a glass of water in Leanna’s [Barbara Crampton] face (and much hilarity ensued). Fast-forward 35 years, as our 50th anniversary has come to a close, having written and edited thousands of scripts from my home near the real Genoa City, I’ve decided it’s time for my personal storyline to veer off in a new direction. As of today, I’m retiring.”
Explaining her reasons for her departure, Janice concluded with, “Call it a recharge, or just wanting to try my hand at something different. Either way, I’m saying farewell for now, and THANK YOU ALL for sharing this amazing journey with me,” the scribe wrote. “It’s been a magical career, filled with remarkable memories and friendships I will treasure forever. I feel grateful beyond measure to have been a part of this magnificent collaboration. I remain in awe of your talent and dedication to making this show the best it can be. Until we meet again, know that I’ll be watching with great affection and rooting for our beloved Y&R’s continued success. As always, Janice.”
Share your well-wishes for Janice as she completes her journey writing for The Young and the Restless and moves on to a new chapter in her life via the comment section below.
Well, the last glimmer of hope for this soap has left the building. Damn.
Best of luck to Janice after dedicated so much of her life to the show! This is the type of longevity that kept Y&R consistently at the top of the soap world. It’s too bad that the last few years have seen the quality of the show deteriorate so much, especially with Josh Griffith at the helm. Hopefully Y&R will take a note from GH and relieve their head-writer of his duties. A changing of the guard is desperately needed.
My thoughts exactly!!
Why has Josh Griffith kept this job for so long? I have a fear that after the 4 year renewal in 2020, and now that the 50th anniversary has come and gone, the show is in danger of being cancelled. I can’t understand why a head writer so hated by the audience has remained other than there is an ulterior motive at Sony to have reason to justify cancelling it. I hope this is not true and the show will ultimately change head writers soon. Enough is enough.
You are so right. For a long time now we gave heard basically the same dialog, different days. Boring.
This is the very thing that has happened to previous soaps too numerous to mention. They will slowly but surely make it unwatchable, and the end result is the shows’ demise. If any show is not bringing in the desired profits, out it goes.
Watched this soap from the beginning. The writing has changed so much it is now totally boring. Bring in new writers who know what they are doing.
News
Susan Flannery and Ian Buchanan Visit the Set of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’; Daytime Emmy Winners Reflect on Show Then and Now

The one and only Susan Flannery (ex-Stephanie Forrester) dropped in to see her former co-stars on The Bold and the Beautiful at their Sunset Las Palmas Studio in Hollywood, along with her good friend and another B&B co-star Ian Buchanan (ex-James Warwick) on Tuesday October 20.
It was the first time in a very long time that The four-time Daytime Emmy winning actress was reunited with Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, Jennifer Gareis and even her TV sister, Alley Mills (Pam, B&B now Heather, GH) showed up for the day too!
Flannery played the Forrester matriarch from 1987 until 2012. It was then that after playing the part of Stephanie for 25 years that Susan made the decision to retire from acting and in one of the most heartbreaking sendoffs, passes away from lung cancer in Brooke’s arms in November of 2012. During her B&B tenure, Flannery won 3 of her 4 Daytime Emmys, the other being for her first soap role as Laura Horton on Days of our Lives back in 1975.

Photo: Bell-Phillip TV
As for Ian Buchanan, he played Dr. Warwick, psychiatrist, from 1993 to 1999. He returned for other runs in 2014 and 2017. Buchanan took home his Daytime Emmy in 1997 for his work as James. Soap fans also remember, Ian as mobster Duke Lavery on General Hospital, and Dr. Greg Madden on All My Children,
Both Susan and Ian shared their thoughts on coming back to The Bold and the Beautiful, for Susan 14 years later since he exited and for Ian close to 9 years since his last appearance below.
Susan said, “It’s definitely like coming home in a way, even though it’s not the same studio. It’s really lovely to see old faces and old faces with new faces. It takes you back mentally. You start remembering what it was like back then, even things like how much your feet would ache at the end of the day from wearing six-inch heels. It was just lovely to be back and see everybody.”

Photo: Bell-Phillip TV
Ian expressed, “It’s a mind trip, you know. When I was sitting looking at the big Forrester set, it was like stepping back in time, almost. It takes you back mentally, and you start remembering what it was like when you were here before.”
“It’s lovely to see all these people again, even if you don’t know everybody,” explained soap vet Buchanan. “There’s something really special about coming back and seeing the show and the people who have been part of it for so long.”
So, happy to see Susan and Ian with some of their former castmates? Do you think Stephanie and Brooke is one of the greatest frenemy stories in daytime history? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Beyond the Gates
Tabitha Brown and Kandi Burruss Guest Star on ‘Beyond the Gates’ for Dani’s ‘Welcome to Your Life’ TV Special; What Could Go Wrong?

As previously announced, Beyond the Gates is bringing chef, author and actress Tabitha Brown and Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer and actress Kandi Burruss to Fairmont Crest in a special episode of the CBS daytime drama airing Thursday, October 22.
In the episode, Dani’s (Karla Mosley) best friend Pamela Curtis (Cady McClain), arranges a “Welcome to Your Life” television special for her. As it turns out, Brown will play the show’s host, Tia Allen, while Burruss takes on the role of Dani’s first modeling agent, Kalista Kilroy, who turns the celebration of her life into a bad trip down memory lane.
Dani’s parents Anita and Vernon (Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis), sister Nicole (Daphnee Duplaix), and daughters Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) and Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) all join the show to celebrate and support her but also witness how things so south. Also appearing in the episode are Molly Figueroa as Tatum Stewart and fan-favorite Anita Williams (Tunie) impersonator Jackie Tyree!

PhotoL JPI
THE 411 ON TIA AND KALISTA
Speaking with TV Insider, about their soapy experience in Fairmont Crest, Tabitha Brown previewed about her host with the most, “Tia is very professional, but she’s a girl’s girl. She is a protector of women and wants to tell their stories in a beautiful way, but she also wants to make sure they’re seen in a very good light.”
However, Burruss previews that Kalista arrives with a score to settle. “She’s spicy,” shared the recording artist. “I always love playing somebody that has come to start trouble. It’s always fun to play a villain of sorts, but Kalista feels like she’s been done wrong and she’s hurt by what she feels has been done to her. So Kalista is stirring up trouble, but she feels justified putting Dani on blast. Kalista is ready for some payback.”
Beyond the Gates is produced by CBS Studios, as part of the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. Created by head writer Michele Val Jean, executive producers include Val Jean, Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thomson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Anna Saalfeld and Lela Coffey.
Beyond the Gates is broadcast weekdays on CBS (2:00-3:00 PM, ET/1:00-2:00 PM, PT) and is available to stream on Paramount+**.
So, looking forward to this special episode of Beyond the Gates when Dani is put on a blast during a blast from her past and Welcome to Your Life TV special? Share your thoughts via the comment section.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!
Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.
He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.

Photo: Peacock
Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2. In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.
Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.
So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.
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