Hogan Sheffer Joins Y&R Writing Team
by Dan J Kroll
Posted Thursday, May 22, 2008 4:41:42 PM


Top-rated CBS soap The Young and the Restless is getting a top-notch addition to its writing team. Four-time Daytime Emmy winner Hogan Sheffer has been hired as co-head writer. Sheffer served previously as the top writer for As the World Turns and Days of our Lives.


Emmy Award-winning writer Hogan Sheffer has been named co-head writer of CBS's The Young and the Restless. Sheffer has served previously as the top scribe for As the World Turns and, most recently, NBC's Days of our Lives.


In June 2000, As the World Turns raised some eyebrows by hiring then-unknown Hogan Sheffer as its head writer. At the time, Sheffer had no previous experience writing for a daytime drama series. In fact, it was widely reported that Sheffer wasn't even a soap opera fan. Despite that apparent in experience, within one year the former Director of Screenplay Development for Dreamworks SKG, propelled the show to its first Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series in 14 years.


In February 2005, Sheffer stunned industry insiders by announcing that he'd "elected to take a 17-week sabbatical effective immediately." The four-time Emmy winner was expected back to work in May of that year - but several weeks later it was announced by Procter & Gamble Productions, the production company of As the World Turns and sister soap Guiding Light, that Sheffer would not be returning.

How do you feel about Y&R hiring Hogan Sheffer for its writing team?  I don't know much about Sheffer's work, so I can't offer an opinion.   30%   I'm very excited. Sheffer is a great writer and will be great for Y&R.   27%   I am not a fan of Sheffer's work and wish Y&R hadn't hired him.   19%   I have no opinion about Sheffer being hired by Y&R.   13%   I think Sheffer is a good writer, but I he's not the right fit for Y&R.   5%   I've heard good things about Sheffer so I am curious to see what happens.   5%   Other   1%   I'm annoyed because I hoped Sheffer might be hired by my favorite soap.   1%     Poll Posted: May 22nd, 2008

The following year, Days of our Lives hired Sheffer to help turn the show around. The hiring was widely viewed as NBC's last effort to help save Days of our Lives from cancelation. Under Sheffer, DAYS did see a ratings rebound, but the ratings boost was short-lived. Sheffer was dismissed as DAYS' head writer during the 100-day work stoppage by the Writers Guild of America. While many writers walked the picket lines, Sheffer opted to take the financial core option so that he could continue to work on the show. However, an insider tells soapcentral.com that show executives refused to let Sheffer contribute during the strike and moved forward with plans to change up the writing team. Sheffer's tenure with Days of our Lives officially ended in April when the show confirmed it had hired a new head writer.


Despite having multiple Emmys, Sheffer does have his critics. Some fans have accused Sheffer of playing favorites with certain characters, noting that he quickly latches on to characters that he likes and pushes those characters front and center on the show while other characters are relegated to the back burner.


At The Young and the Restless, Sheffer will serve as co-head writer with Maria Arena Bell, who was elevated to the top scribe position earlier this year.

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