It would make sense since prime-time telenovela, HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS, which has proven a big hit for Nick At Nite, has finished production (the show will air until October). HEIGHTS is co-produced by Sony, who probably decided to keep JFP-Griffith on to produce and write both HEIGHT and Y&R. If this intel is indeed true, there is no way Bell will stay on the writing team because our sources have maintained for years that Griffith and Bell do not like each other. “He was fired from Y&R because of Maria,” reminds one insider. While beloved ex-Y&R head writer and William Bell protégé Sally Sussman Morina is writing for HEIGHTS, she is not joining Y&R at this time, report my moles. This is a shame… because Bill Bell always wanted her to take over the show, along with Kay Alden.
Recently, UNCENSORED heard CBS/Sony wanted Maria to let go of a lot of dead weight on the show and change creative course but she refused. Now with McDaniel in charge, “CBS wants a patsy to do their bidding — and no one is better for that job than JFP, who has expertly dismantled every soap opera she has been [in control of],” says another source.
Moral of this story? Be careful what you wish for, soap fans. For those Y&R fans who are unfamiliar with JFP: She has killed off vets, destroyed legacy families, fired actresses because of their weight and plastic surgery, relied on plot-driven sweeps events over character-driven story, and fired beloved stars like GH’s Becky Herbst, GUIDING LIGHT’s Ellen Parker and ANOTHER WORLD’s Alice Barrett just to name a few.
Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 40 Page 3