'The Young and the Restless' Writer Shakeup: Sally Sussman & Kay Alden Retiring, Executive Producer Mal Young Taking Over!

Mal Young will pull double duty as Y&R executive producer and head writer.

The Young and the Restless head writer Sally Sussman and story consultant Kay Alden are retiring from the top-rated daytime drama, according to Daytime Confidential's Jamey Giddens.

Giddens reports that executive producer Mal Young will take over the head writing duties, with his material set to hit the air in October. With the sheer amount of work that goes into writing a daytime soap opera, it is not clear how Young, or anyone, could successfully do both jobs. It seems like a co-head writer should be named soon if young indeed plans on keeping the job.

Kay Alden Returns to 'The Young and the Restless'

Kay Alden

Writer Kay Alden, who joined The Young and the Restless during its very first year, is returning to the iconic CBS soap opera as a story consultant, reports Daytime Confidential. Alden joins another longtime Y&R writer, Sally Sussman, who was recently named the show's new head writer.

“Welcoming Kay back to The Young and the Restless, joining Sally Sussman and Mal Young [executive producer], continues our commitment to telling the most powerful stories while honoring the legacy of daytime's No. 1 drama,” said CBS Daytime and CBS Entertainment Executive Vice-President Angelica McDaniel.

With the addition of Young, and the returns of Sussman and Alden, it looks like the light finally went off in the heads of Sony and CBS about what is needed to make Y&R top notch soap again. Let's hope they let them tell the stories they want to tell without too much interference.

NEWS: ABC Desperately Seeking Katie Couric Replacement; Plus, Joanna Johnson, Kay Alden, Heather Tom, Lee Phillip Bell, Brenda Greenberg

Sources: ABC desperately seeking Katie Couric replacement
“It’s an unmitigated disaster,” one seasoned studio executive said. “One of the biggest failures ever in syndication. Terrible ratings, no growth, shouldn’t be on the air. Where did it miss the mark? Let’s start with her, she is dreadfully boring. The show offers nothing new to the audience, nothing to say.”

In January, Disney-ABC Domestic Television officially renewed Couric’s syndicated talk show, which airs in stations spanning more than 95 percent of the country, for a second season through fall 2013. A source closely connected to Couric insisted that the news woman is working closely with ABC and is still very much wanted by the network. But as it stands, we’re told it is almost a certainty there will be no season three.

Lee Phillip Bell will make another cameo on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Mrs. Bell will next appear on the show July 23.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Joanna Johnson Dishes The Fosters and Her "Gayest Year Ever"
"There are so many interesting issues that come up in this series (THE FOSTERS), and Stef and Lena being a same-sex couple isn't a big one because the series is set in California where gay adoption is increasingly common. But in many other states this is an issue, because gay couples or single gay people are not allowed to adopt or foster, and that's a real shame. There are a lot of wonderful families willing and wanting to get into the program but the law in some places just won't allow it."

"Yes! I do feel bad [about abandoning THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL], even though [B&B exec producer] Brad Bell always knew that was the deal. My writing-producing always comes first. But it does look like I'll be going back to B&B pretty soon. Brad and I are talking about my returning for a really fun story in July when The Fosters has wrapped for the season. I really do miss B&B — both the people and the news. I went to the GLAAD awards a while back with Crystal Chappell [Dani] and Linsey Godfrey [Caroline] and found out that Karen's daughter has turned into a total badass crazy person since the last time I was on the show. I couldn't believe it! [Laughs] Clearly, I need to come back. That girl needs some mothering!"

NEWS ROUNDUP: Jill Farren Phelps, Kay Alden, Max Page, Tom Cullen, Shirley MacLaine

Y&R executive producer Jill Farren Phelps "pleased" with Josh Griffith's writing
"I’ve been pleased with the response to Josh’s [Griffith] writing, to the new characters, to the new actors on the show, to Steve Burton’s [Dylan] entrance, and to their commitment [to the show.] We are playing the core characters. We are building story around the core characters and we are bringing in these other young new people in support of them."

Max Page returning to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
age underwent open heart surgery last summer, but was soon on the mend, and now will be making another appearance on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS as J.T. and Victoria's son, Reed. The tyke has been living in Washington DC with J.T. and Mac, but on March 18 will be back in Genoa City to join his mom at Victor and Nikki's nuptials.

A Map of Television Show Locations in America
Graphic artist and physicist James Chapman has designed a detailed poster titled “AMERICA:the home of television” which is a map of television show locations in the United States.

How writer Kay Alden turned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity into a successful career in daytime television
Bill Bell said, "Write for the ear, not for the eye." And then it clicked. Even now, I tell my writers, "Read your material out loud." Because if you can't say it, an actor can't say it.

J.R. Ewing getting proper sendoff
"For me, personally, it should be an event," Linda Gray said in an interview this week from the Texas city that made her famous.
"It shouldn't be just another show. I told (the writers), I said: 'Look, make this not just another episode. Make it longer, make it more meaningful, make it matter to Larry and I think people would respect that.'"

Tom Cullen joins the cast of DOWNTON ABBEY
[SPOILER ALERT] Cullen will play Lord Gillingham, an old family friend of the Crawleys who has known Lady Mary since childhood.

Shirley MacLaine Returning To DOWNTON ABBEY, 6 New Cast Members Join
MacLaine will be returning to Downton Abbey next season as Martha Levinson and six new cast members will be joining the show as well, Carnival Films and Masterpiece on PBS announced over the weekend.
Opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is joining the cast as a guest who sings in the house, as confirmed last night among three other new cast members including Tom Cullen who will play Lord Gillingham, an old family friend of the Crawleys who visits as a guest for a house party. Plus Dame Harriet Walter arrives as Lady Shackleton, an old friend of the Dowager played by Maggie Smith and Julien Ovendon comes aboard as aristocrat Charles Blake. Additions revealed in this morning’s announcement were Nigel Harman who joins the household as Green, a valet, and Joanne David who has a guest role as the Duchess of Yeovil.

RED WIDOW debuts with soft ratings
The crime family drama soap, which scored less than a 50 out of 100 among TV reviewers on Metacritic, launched to 6.8 million viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49. That’s 36 percent lower than the debut of ABC’s short-lived GCB in this slot last year.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's John McCook on Eric and Taylor's romance: 'We have to sit back and watch'
Right now, people who are looking at it from a negative point of view are calling this his rebound. "It doesn't mean anything." Then on the other side, they're saying it's not real for Taylor, either. "She's just being manipulative and trying to get the business for her family." We have to sit back and watch. We don't know what the end game is for Eric and Taylor, if there is one. Are they going to get married in a year? Or next week?

Cady McClain shares her thoughts on Michael E.Knight: 'He's doing what he needs to do'
Watch a video of McClain commenting on Knight below: