Changing Of The Guard

Y&R Executive Producer Anthony Morina and Head Writer Josh Griffith Unveil Their Plans For The No. 1 Show

- Stephanie Sloane

Soap Opera Digest: What excited you about the prospect of taking over the show?

Josh Griffith: Well, just coming back and working with this cast and crew again. I love the show so much. The opportunity to write for this cast and the characters again. How could you pass that up?

Anthony Morina: For me, it was just helping find our way closer back to the original design that Bill [Bell, co-creator] had. Since I’ve been here 12 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes. Not that they were all good or bad, but maybe away from Bill’s vision on some level. So for me, and with Josh coming back, we have similar mindsets and it’s just a hope to slowly find our way back to more of what that was.

Digest: What was your first order of business?

Morina: Well, I think the first time we had our very first meeting early on with the network, we had a discussion about what the vision was for the show and for me, personally, and I know Josh felt the same way because we talked about it, was, “How do we get an identity, to start?” I think we have to have a specific identity, so when the audience turns the TV on, whether they hear it or see it or who they see, they’re looking at their Y&R. I think the one thing the audience felt was, a lot of things have changed, good or bad, but it didn’t feel like their show. So our first intent is, “How do we get back closer to that feeling?” The music, how we edit, how we shoot, how we costume them. It’s a big process. It takes time. We’re slowly getting there. And cast.