by Elizabeth Lee and Dan J Kroll

Posted Friday, January 18, 2008 9:33:48 PM

After a nearly 10-year absence from The Young and the Restless canvas, Victor Newman, Jr., is returning to Genoa City. Rumors of the character's return have been making the rounds on the 'net for some time, but now the CBS soap is finally confirming the news.

How do you feel about the return of Victor Jr. to Y&R?  It's good news, but I wish that the writers hadn't 'aged' him so much.   39%   It's great. I like the idea of expanding the Newman family on the show.   31%   It's too soon to tell. I need to see what type of story is planned for him.   12%   I don't want to see any new characters regardless of their last name.   9%   I have no interest in seeing Victor Jr. return to Genoa City at this time.   6%   I have no opinion about Victor Jr.'s return at this time.   2%   Other   0%     Poll Posted: January 18, 2008

Viewers will need to suspend some disbelief when Victor Jr. finally does return to the screen. When last seen on-screen in 1998, Victor Jr. was a pre-schooler played by Hayden Tank. Last year, however, the character was "aged" off-screen as a device to usher Victor out of the show's storylines for several weeks. The exit was necessary to allow actor Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) to have some time off from Y&R's shooting schedule to film the movie The Man Who Came Back.

During that time, Victor Jr. was said to be in trouble somewhere in the South Pacific. Reliable sources also indicated that the hinted reintroduction of the Victor Junior character was intended as a safety net in case Joshua Morrow (Nicholas Newman) did not re-sign his contract with the show. Morrow did eventually re-up and plans to reintroduce Victor Jr. were shelved.

This time around, 27-year-old actor Chris Engen has been tapped to take on the role of Victor and Hope Adams' only child. Quick math reveals that the character should only be nearing high school age in the real world. However, the writers' decision last year to fudge Victor Jr.'s age now allows them to explore alternate story ideas.

Though a newcomer to daytime television, Engen already has amassed an impressive acting portfolio. He appeared in recurring roles on Felicity and As If. More recently, Engen co-starred in the primetime series, Saints & Sinners. Not limited to a single medium, Engen has also appeared in a handful of feature films. He recently wrapped production on the indie-release God's Ears.

Engen tapes his first scenes on January 22nd. Those scenes will air on February 12th.