'The Young and the Restless' finds its new head writer

                       Jean Passanante 

After much speculation, it appears The Young and the Restless has found its new head writer. After the current head writer, Josh Griffith, announced his exit last month, rumours were flying high that executive producer Jill Farren Phelps was urging to have him fired. Phelps has been met with overwhelming negativity with fans on social media; she even has her own hash tag on Twitter (#FireJFP). She is being called a "soap destroyer", and many think she is behind the soap's crummy storylines. 

After the announcement of Griffith's exit, speculation arose that Shelly Altman, a writer currently on the Y&R team, would take over. Before long, Jean Passanante's name joined the rumours. Passanante, who previously head wrote Another World and As the World Turns, was heavily rumoured to be co-head writer with Altman. Passanante herself confirmed her hiring on Twitter yesterday, despite the fact that there has still been no confirmation from the series. In response to a fan, she wrote: "I'm still at GH right now!!  But Shelly has taken over and she's fab." 

Passanante has been associate head writer of General Hospital since last May, and many are speculating that Phelps is trying to steal staff away from her old stomping grounds (a show she executive produced for 11 years). Passanante is also being met with much negativity, some saying she was the cause of both Another World and As the World Turns' cancellations as she was head writer at the time. I think this is merely coincidental. How can we criticize a writer when she hasn't even put pen to paper? We have to give these ladies a chance! Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.