‘Young and the Restless’: Mal Young Confirms Exit – Says He Made Y&R Better – Fans Disagree
The Young and the Restless news is true! Mal Young confirmed today he’s gone from Y&R. He’s already back in London, but his parting words show he continues to be out of touch with fans. Ratings dropped and fans are annoyed. Plus the long-running soap is in disarray, yet the Brit director seems to think it’s a job well-done judging by his final words on the matter. See for yourself what ousted Y&R showrunner Mal Young said about his firing.
Young and the Restless – Mal Young Confirms Exit, Denies Firing
For someone that has pushed so many out the door at Y&R, Mal Young is shy about his own exit. He denied the firing in his statement through clever word choice. Showbiz411 got exclusive last words from the exiting showrunner. Here is what he said. Mal said he had “just arrived in London for the holidays”. He then makes it seem like it was his choice to go saying: “I felt like it was a good time to move on”.
Mal Young then said he achieved all that he wanted to do at The Young and the Restless. He claimed that he “improved scripts and production value”. For sure, some of the camera work he’s implemented is far more cutting-edge and visually interesting than was done in the past. But most fans would disagree on the script comment since many recent storylines were unpopular and heavily criticized.
Wahooo @YandR_CBS.. #malyoung out and #joshgriffith in.. Let’s get this show back to what it was.. Bring back our faves @DougDavidsonYR, @michaelmuhney.. I wish @MClaireEgan, @gregrikaart and so many more.. ???
— Christine Stafford (@cstaff0507) December 19, 2018
Y&R Writer and Producer Back in the UK
Other claims Mal Young made in his exit statement from London were that he has a new project that he’s developing and wants to pursue. He also said running Young and the Restless was “all consuming” and that he wants “to get a bit of my life back”. Mal joked that he wants to “see his family occasionally!”.
I'm glad #MalYoung is gone from #CBS' #YoungAndTheRestless! #GoodRiddance! #YR #Soaps #GreatNews https://t.co/599U0QoXnw
— Spencer Karter (@SpencerKarter) December 19, 2018
He said also: “It’s never a good idea to get too settled at a long running soap”. That doesn’t make any sense given that Y&R was created and run successfully for decades by the Bell Family. As we reported, the Bells sold the soap to CBS/Sony and that took its fate out of the hands of its creators. It also gave Mal Young rein to run it into the ground.
Soap opera writers that don’t research the rich show history drive me nuts. Nikki’s drink of choice is vodka, not wine. If #MalYoung writes Mrs. Newman as a drunk again, get it right. #knowyourhistory #yr #offthewagon #alcoholic #nikkinewman #boozehound @YRInsider pic.twitter.com/FzHG7fwdTI
— Jon Taylor Carter (@jontaylorcarter) December 8, 2018
What’s Next for CBS Soap Post-Mal Young?
The Young and the Restless storylines from Mal will continue into the New Year. He wrote scripts a month or more ahead. So fans haven’t seen the last of his work. As of now, Mal Young left Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) dying in a coma. Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) returns soon but only in Nikki’s coma dream, say new Y&R spoilers.
Mal Young axed many legacy characters. Christmas in Genoa City this year looks unlike in any past year. Fan comments on social media reflect overwhelming approval that CBS fired the showrunner. Now we just need someone in charge that respects the history of the show. Speculation says Josh Griffith and Tony Morina will co-helm the show in the wake of Mal’s firing.
Watch CBS weekdays for new Y&R episodes. Plus, head back to Soap Dirt for the Young and the Restless spoilers and news you need.