Chuck Pratt Not Returning for 'Star' Season 2

Chuck Pratt will not return for the previously announced Season 2 of the music drama, Star, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting.

Reps for Pratt note that he only planned to stick around for the first season. Sources say it was an amicable split and done after season one was completed. A search for a new showrunner for the previously announced second season of the series starring Queen Latifah is under way. Production on season one has already wrapped and will not be impacted by the change.

This is the second time that Star has made a showrunner change. Pratt replaced original showrunner Charles Murray, who exited the freshman drama in September after having a different vision for Star than Daniels and co-creator Tom Donaghy. It's unclear when a replacement will be announced. Also unclear is if the 13-episode second season of Star will be scheduled for the fall or another midseason debut.

Daniels co-wrote the pilot alongside Donaghy for the Atlanta-set drama that revolves around three girls (newcomers Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O'Grady) who come together to form a band.

Prior to joining Star, Pratt was head writing and co-executive producing The Young and the Restless.

'Empire' Fall Finale and Premiere of 'Star' Set to Air on December 14

Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O'Grady. Photo Credit: FOX

On Wednesday, December 14, FOX is presenting a night of music and drama. Airing one night only at a special time, Empire's Season Three fall finale (8 p.m. ET/PT) kicks off the night, followed by the special premiere of Star (9 p.m. ET/PT). From Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Lee Daniels and Tom Donaghy, Star will then premiere in its regular time period with an all-new episode Wednesday, January 4 (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Featuring a soundtrack of original music and stunning music performances, Star is an emotionally powerful drama that follows three talented young singers -- desperate for a new start and with ambitions of stardom -- as they navigate the cut-throat music business. The series stars Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award, Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award winner Queen Latifah as Carlotta and Emmy Award nominee Benjamin Bratt as Jahil, and newcomers Jude Demorest as Star, Ryan Destiny as Alexandra, Brittany O'Grady as Simone and Amiyah Scott as Cotton. The series also will feature guest stars Grammy Award winner Lenny Kravitz, supermodel/actress Naomi Campbell and Grammy Award-nominated musician and actor Tyrese Gibson.

Watch a sneak peek of Star below.

New Primetime Gig for 'The Young and the Restless' Head Writer Chuck Pratt Jr.

Chuck Pratt Jr., the head writer and executive producer (with Mal Young) of CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, has been named showrunner and executive producer of the upcoming FOX series, Star. According to TVLine, filling the void left by departing producer-writer Charles Murray.

In early September, Murray left the show after he and Star co-creators Daniels and Tom Donaghy amicably parted ways over creative differences.

Pratt’s TV resumé includes The Lying Game, Desperate Housewives, Melrose Place and Ugly Betty, as well as soap staples All My Children, General Hospital and Santa Barbara. There has been no official word for The Young and the Restless on how Pratt's position at the show will be impacted. It seems unlikely he could keep his daytime gig, which might be music the ears of some Y&R fans.

The Atlanta-set Star follows three young women (Ryan Destiny, Jude Demorest and Brittany O’Grady) who form a musical group and experience the music business’ highs and lows on their road to fame. The cast also includes Queen Latifah, Benjamin Bratt and Nicholas Gonzalez.

Star will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT when it premieres in early 2017.

NEWS: Michael E. Knight, Carmen Duncan, 'Mistresses' Renewed, Alan Cumming, Krista Allen, Tyrese Gibson

Michael E. Knight

New Young and the Restless cast member Michael E. Knight doesn't think Chuck Pratt was given a fair shot at All My Children
"I don’t think Chuck was given a fair shot at AMC," Knight tells TV Insider. "I suspect he got his marching orders from [former ABC Daytime chief] Brian Frons, who only wanted the under 35 audience. Chuck had to turn AMC, which was moving very slowly, into a show that demanded your full attention, not something you could half-watch while you were making a ham sandwich. He really had to mix it up. But he was only there for what, seven months? I think he’s a funny, progressive guy. And hey, Y&R is doing pretty well under him!"

ABC renews Mistresses, but Jennifer Esposito will not be returning
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Tyrese Gibson: I’m going to romance Cookie on Empire
“I’m coming to get my girl back,” he told Wendy Williams, referring to he and Taraji P. Henson’s previous work together on the 2001 film Baby Boy. He added: “All them dudes on there kissing on my girl … I’m kinda done with seeing all that."

Why fewer men are watching TV this fall
In the first three days of premiere week the number of young men turning on their TVs dropped by a stunning 22 percent compared to last year, Nielsen ratings show.

“That the [young men] figure is down to that amount is very interesting and speaks to the point there are other activities besides TV,” Horizon Media’s senior vice president of research, Brad Adgate, told The New York Post.

Alan Cumming developing 1980s AIDS crisis drama for Showtime
Florent is set in the mid-1980s against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis. Morellet rose to prominence in that era with the popular restaurant Florent that drew a broad range of clientele, from cops to foodies to literati. The eatery helped revitalize the city’s Meatpacking district and became a hub for gay rights and AIDS activists. Morellet was famously open about his own HIV-positive status, posting his T-cell counts on a board alongside the restaurant’s daily specials.

Carmen Duncan. Photo Credit: Dylan Robinson

At home with Another World star Carmen Duncan and her eclectic collection of beautiful things
Duncan has worked in London, New York, Los Angeles and Europe but the mother of two eventually returned to Australia and has lived in her apartment in Sydney’s east for 10 years.

“I came back because of family and decided to stay for a while and now, I guess, I’ll be wherever my grandchildren are,” Carmen says.

5 Ways Kermit The Frog & Liz Lemon Are Totally Alike
Much like Kermit the Frog, Liz Lemon had a large TV production to keep in check. But that’s not the only thing these two have in common.

The Holy Return of Shondaland: The Blessedly Insane Premieres of Grey’s, Scandal, and HTGAWM
Writes Kevin Fallon: "The pontiff arrived just in time to bless Shondaland, TV’s Garden of Eden, where things are handled and murders are gotten away with and dreams are McDreamed. The gates to Shondaland were opened again Thursday night, with the returns of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder. And, as St. Shonda decreed, it was good."

One Life to Live alum Andrea Evans will emcee 17th Annual Wiggle Waggle Walk
The 17th Annual Wiggle Waggle Walk is just around the corner and the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is inviting animal lovers and their canine friends to its community fundraiser for animals at Brookside Park adjacent to the Rose Bowl on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Organizers have set a goal to raise $400,000 from the event, which will be used for food, shelter and medical care for homeless animals, nearly 12,000 of which are taken in by the PHS every year.

Evans, who won an Indie Series Award earlier this year for her work on DeVanity, will emcee the event.

"The battle for the BBC is lost" warns former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies
Davies says he is convinced the Government will make the BBC a subscription-only service in ten years' time - which will rob the British viewer.

Jason Bateman is returning to TV to star in a drama series
Bateman will be the star, executive producer and director of Ozark. The Missouri-set drama, which doesn’t have a network attached, takes place in the Lake of the Ozarks, and focuses on the "dark and dangerous world of drug money laundering.”

Days of our Lives alum Krista Allen sues David Spade for $1M claiming he made ripoff version of reality TV show they agreed to make together
The former model claims the comic originally agreed to split the proceeds from a show based on an idea she came up with equally, and after she refused to take a smaller share he instead made the program without her.

Elizabeth Bogush Nabs Recurring Role on 'The Young and the Restless'

Former Titans star Elizabeth Bogush has joined the cast of CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless in a recurring role, according to Soaps in Depth.

Titans was a primetime soap that aired on NBC in 2000, created by current Y&R head writer and executive producer Chuck Pratt. Bogus played Jenny Williams.

Her new Y&R character, Dr. Anderson, is described as "kind and sympathetic," and will be assigned to care for a Genoa City resident.

Bogush makes her Y&R debut on Friday, September 18.

Her other credits include Masters of Sex, October Road, Scrubs, NCIS: Los Angeles and this summer's The Messengers.

'The Young and the Restless' Head Writer Chuck Pratt: "I Never Want to Plan Things Out Too Carefully"

Charles Pratt Jr.

Tim Teeman from The Daily Beast recently visited the set of CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. His latest feature is a behind-the-scenes-look at the show, which includes a number interesting quotes, including from head writer/executive producer Chuck Pratt.

“I never want to plan things out too carefully; you need to let the story dictate how it twists and turns, always on the look-out for something different, surprising and emotionally compelling,” Pratt said.

“It’s the things you find in the middle that can explode a story, and those things usually come from certain ‘goals’ you set up. Many times I’ve started with the end of a story and worked backwards, ultimately timing the big reveals to correspond with sweeps periods, and an ultimate climax—and if you’re talking a perfect story, its ending is the next story’s beginning.”

Thinking what he calls “long story,” says Pratt, “is the ultimate joy of the job [alongside his co-head writer Tracey Thomson], the meringue on the pie! Just sit back, grab a few hours, a weekend, and spit-ball story.”

He tries to identify “a new character who is exploding… Our goal is to make them a pivotal part of a big story. Couples are another goal. Putting them together. Breaking them up. Giving them children. There is absolutely no formula to a successful story. My goal is to have story come out of character—and usually a successful character will almost dictate the story to us. They speak to us in our dreams!”

Read the entire story at thedailybeast.com.

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- 'The Young and the Restless' EPs Chuck Pratt & Jill Farren Phelps on Two Jacks, Victor, Using African American Cast Members, A Gay Story for Kevin, and Copying Stories from Other Shows

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Amanda Peterson

A Year in the Life actress Amanda Peterson dead at 43
Amanda Peterson, a TV and film actress best remembered for playing the love interest of Grey’s Anatomy‘s Patrick Dempsey in 1987’s Can’t Buy Me Love, has died at age 43.

Though a cause of death has not been confirmed, Peterson’s family tells TMZ that she recently suffered from several medical issues, including pneumonia, sleep apnea and sinusitis. Her body was discovered on July 5.

Peterson’s most notable television work was as on NBC’s A Year in the Life, which started as a 1986 miniseries before being turned into a drama series the following year.

Adan Canto joins ABC primetime soap Blood and Oil as series regular, replaces Yani Gellman
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Canto will play AJ Menendez, and take over the role previously played by Yani Gellman (The Young and the Restless) in the pilot.

Kelly Rowland joins Season 2 of Empire
The 34-year-old R&B singer will play Lucious Lyon's mother in a flashback.

'Queens of Drama' returning for second season?
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Colleen Zenk, Corbin Bleu, Randy Brooks among best in Dayton’s 2014-15 Theater Season
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Orange is the New Black filming fourth season in Rockland County, New York
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Amazon and Netflix pass on picking up Hannibal
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Lifetime renews UnREAL for second season
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Matt Dallas and Blue Hamilton. Photo via Instagram

Kyle XY star Matt Dallas marries musician Blue Hamilton
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Mr. Robot gains viewers with second episode
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Whoopi Goldberg and Raven-Symoné are still sticking up for Bill Cosby, despite his Quaaludes admission
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FBI raids Subway spokesman Jared Fogle's home as part of a child porn investigation
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'The Young and the Restless' Spoiler: Nikki Needs Intervention After Reaching Shocking New Low

Nikki's family stages an intervention on May 28.
Photo Credit: Sean Smith/JPIstudios.com

On May 28, The Young and the Restless will air a standalone episode in which Nikki's friends and family stage an intervention because her drinking is out of control. TV Insider spoke with Melody Thomas Scott about Nikki's story and to get her thoughts on the show's latest executive producer/head writer team, Jill Farren Phelps and Chuck Pratt.

"I don't know where [head writer] Chuck Pratt is taking this but, as a selfish actor, I do not want this intervention to be successful," explains Thomas Scott. "I have too much fun playing her as a drunk. There is a lot of humor in Nikki's sloppiness. And her drinking creates conflict. It's a soap! The fans don't want to see happiness. If Nikki sobers up and becomes June Cleaver, where is the drama in that?"

Nikki hits a new low which leads to the intervention.

'The Young and the Restless' EPs Chuck Pratt & Jill Farren Phelps on Two Jacks, Victor, Using African American Cast Members, A Gay Story for Kevin, and Copying Stories from Other Shows

The second part of TV Insider's interview with The Young and the Restless executive producers Jill Farren Phelps and Chuck Pratt, who is also the show's head writer, covers everything from Michael's cancer storyline to Eric Braeden's (Victor) reaction to the Two Jacks storyline. Below are a few interesting excerpts.

Greg Rikaart recently gave an interview stating that he wants his character, Kevin, to be gay. What are the chances of that happening? There's a rabid camp of fans who want Kevin to get it on with Detective Harding.
Phelps: Really?

Yep, Harding and Fisher. Their squish name is Harder.
Phelps: I never heard that before. I don't go online.
Pratt: With the right circumstance and right character—it could be Kevin or someone else—I would love to tell that story. I've told a gay storyline on every show I've ever been on, and it's odd that there isn't a gay relationship on Y&R.
Phelps: It would need to feel fresh and not just a box we check, just because that's what people expect. It needs to be more than that. It needs to be about characters the audience cares about. You can't do a gay storyline just for the sake of it.

Victor seems more and more like a Stefano DiMera-type supervillain. Is this the Mustache of the future?
Pratt: I talked to Eric Braeden about this a lot, before the story started, and said, "If you object to this, tell me now." He wanted to know Victor's endgame, so I discussed how this is a Frankenstein story where Victor has created a monster and there's no way you can make a monster do everything you want. Victor gets to the point where it's, "Oh, my God, how the hell am I going to get out of this?" The audience will be rooting for him as he tries to protect his family. Meanwhile, we're playing what I feel is the coolest part of the story—Victor's plan to merge Jabot and Newman Enterprises. I've written a lot of business stories in my time and this one is my only favorite.

There's a widespread feeling on social media that the African-American characters aren't seen as often since Chuck took over. What's your comment on that?
Pratt: I completely understand when people say that. We're not intentionally playing those actors less. But budget is budget. Money is money, and that affects some decisions. Sometimes a story is really thriving so other stories that are finishing up or moving into a new area will temporarily slow down. Actresses get pregnant. Certain things get in there and mess with us as we rebuild the show, but these characters and actors are of great importance to us.

On Michael's cancer storyline:

Pratt: Nothing about this story is exciting me that much, but at least something's happening and there's some conflict now. I want the story to account for something. You don't want people to look back and say, "Oh, remember when they tried that story…" and roll their eyes. If there's anything that hurts daytime, it's telling a story and ending it too quickly or ending it dishonestly. And that was happening a lot on this show.

Michael and Lauren were an interesting couple at one point, but they had become a little bit boring and I felt the same thing about Lily and Cane, so the idea was to push Lauren and Cane together. This was one of the most successful stories we did on Melrose Place. Marcia Cross' character was dying of a brain tumor and she pushed her cheating husband together with a hooker, Kelly Rutherford's character, never expecting they would fall in love. And that plot went on for years! I thought the two Y&R couples were mired in the same-old same-old and needed a fix. Yes, the audience likes them right where they were but, to me, in the show I envision, they weren't playable.

On going with Sharon and Dylan as a couple and why Dylan and Avery never became as popular as expected:

Pratt: I don't know why the thing with Avery wasn't as big as it should have been, but we will take it to a satisfying level and we'll come out of it with the right people elevated in the show.

Could Avery and Joe be headed out of Genoa City permanently? It wouldn't be surprising.

Read the complete interview here.

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Chuck Pratt on Unhappy 'The Young and the Restless' Fans: "They Hate It But They're Watching"

Jill Farren Phelps, Charles Pratt Jr.

The Young and the Restless executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and head writer/co-executive producer Chuck Pratt spoke with TV Insider in a new interview about the state of the show, unhappy fans, and the use of Prattastrophes.

The angry fans on Twitter are loud but they're a sliver of the total Y&R audience, which, judging from the ratings, appears to be quite happy, or at least willing to go along for the ride. How do you account for so much upset on social media?
Phelps: If you've been watching Y&R for years or even decades—40-plus years in the case of some of our viewers—you feel a real sense of ownership. Most will go along for the ride, even when you take a sudden, unexpected right turn. They're happy to do it. But social media has unleashed a lot of people who play "Gotcha!" especially when it comes to the history of Y&R. They want to see us stay within a certain comfort zone, but if we don't take chances, if we don't do things outside that comfort zone, then we're robbing our audience of the opportunity to get excited about the show in a whole new way. We can't become risk averse and afraid of audience reaction. I'm not saying the fans aren't really important or what they think doesn't matter. I'm saying that if we are afraid to do something because of potential blowback then you just get the same old thing you've gotten before.

And this new way of doing things needs to be seismic?
Phelps: Seismic gets attention. Safety gets you nothing.
Pratt: It stirs up the audience and sometimes that negativity is a vote to keep going forward. Yeah, they hate it but they're watching. When I hear that they want the status quo, that they want to see a certain couple stay happy—"We love to see them together, keep it going!"—then I'm thinking, "There go the ratings." Social media is finally giving people a voice, people who have been sitting frustrated in their living rooms, and now they can get it all off their chests, and other people will read it. It attracts a lot of newer viewers. When we do something controversial or take a character to a new, different place, I want to hear from the longtime viewers.

In the most recent Live+Same Day Nielsen ratings, Y&R was up 370K viewers since last year.

In 1999, Phelps spoke with Soap Opera Digest about the unhappiness many One Life to Live fans felt about the show and her decisions as executive producer, despite the ratings being up. "That’s proof positive that people are watching and even though some of them are a little angry, they care."

Are angry and upset fans a good thing? Sometimes? Always? How do you feel about The Young and the Restless of the Pratt-Phelps so far (his stories began airing in January)? Weigh in below in our Comments section.

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- Jean Passanante Confirms She Is No Longer on 'The Young and the Restless' Writing Team

Charles Pratt Sr. Teases What's Ahead on 'The Young and the Restless' (Spoilers)

The Young and the Restless head writer and executive producer Charles Pratt Jr. previews what's ahead on the soap in a new interview with THR.com.

"Victor and Jack will go head-to-head, and a mysterious new person will come to town," Pratt reveals. "A major storm is on the way, guaranteed to turn lives and loves upside down. Secrets will be revealed. And when a plane goes down, lives are rearranged."

Watch a sneak peek of the Y&R plane crash below:

Charles Pratt, Jr. Named 'The Young and the Restless' Head Writer and Executive Producer

The Young and the Restless is bringing a familiar face on board to write for the top-rated daytime soap opera. Emmy winner Charles "Chuck" Pratt, Jr. will take over as the new head writer, replacing the team currently helmed by Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante, along with Tracey Thomson. Daytime Confidential is reporting that Pratt will also receive an executive producer credit, although Phelps will still reportedly be in charge.

Pratt is known for scripting primteime serials Melrose Place, Titans and Models, Inc., as well as daytime soap operas Santa Barbara, Sunset Beach, General Hospital and All My Children. His credits also include Pacific Palisades, Ugly Betty, The Colbys, Desperate Housewives, and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Pratt most recently created and produced The Lying Game for ABC Family, a solid effort starring Alexandra Chando that ran for 30 episodes from 2011-2013.

Highlight Hollywood first reported the news of Pratt possibly joning Y&R.

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- Charles Pratt, Jr. Named 'All My Children' Head Writer and Consulting Producer (May 2008)

Pratt's Fall: Helpful or Hurtful?

Charles Pratt Jr. has been fired as the head writer of All My Children. This comes at a pivotal moment in the show's history, as they are coming up on their 40th anniversary on the air, and are making a move to Los Angeles from New York, something only The Brighter Day has done in the television soap era.

It also comes the week after All My Children delivered the most viewers in seven months (2.75 million for the week of November 9-13). AMC also hit a five month high last week in women 18-49 viewers.