It’s Official: Bell Out, Phelps In

Sony has replaced THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS executive producer and headwriter Maria Arena Bell with former GENERAL HOSPITAL EP Jill Farren Phelps and veteran daytime scribe Josh Griffith.

“We are excited to have such a talented daytime veteran leading our team at Y&R,” says Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, U.S. Programming at Sony Pictures Television. “Jill has a stellar record of success in the daytime genre,” said Kent. “We are also happy to welcome Josh back to Y&R and are looking forward to his creative input and ideas.

“On behalf of everyone at Y&R, we extend our sincere thanks to Emmy Award-winning Maria Bell for her contributions to the show over the last five years. We wish her the best of luck and continued success,” he added.

A seven-time Emmy winner, Phelps has helmed SANTA BARBARA, GUIDING LIGHT, ANOTHER WORLD, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, GENERAL HOSPITAL and the first season of that soap’s primetime spin-off, GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT, which aired on SOAPnet. Together with Griffith, Phelps recently wrapped production on the Nick At Nite daily serial drama HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS.

Griffith’s past includes tenures at ATWT, OLTL, SANTA BARBARA, SUNSET BEACH, GH, and a previous stint at Y&R. He has received four Emmy Awards and four Writer’s Guild Awards.