Fans of The Young and the Restless were ecstatic when the CBS soap opera took home this year's Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team trophy at the Daytime Emmy Awards held at the end of June. The writing team, led by co-executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith, crafted some of the most emotional episodes of the series yet, including the heart-wrenching death of Dina Mergeron (Marla Adams), who passed away after a several-years-long battle with Alzheimer's, and Sharon Newman's (Sharon Case) breast cancer diagnosis, which gave viewers brand-new insight into the heart and mind of the longtime character. The episodes were powerful, and voters from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) agreed, giving them the top honor they deserved.
In celebration of the show's Outstanding Writing Team Emmy win, Soap Central caught up with Griffith to get his take on why Y&R chose to tell those stories in the way it did, how the episodes were crafted, and what story elements are important to him and the show's writing team as they continue to craft stories now and in the future.
Soap Central: Congratulations to you and Y&R's writing team for your Daytime Emmy win! What does this win mean to you?
Josh Griffith: It's wonderful to be acknowledged for the work of my amazing team.
Soap Central: What was the planning like for Dina's death scenes, and what was important for you as writers to get across to the audience during those emotional scenes?
Griffith: We tried to craft an emotional arc that, while building to her death, at the same time celebrated family, love, and life -- signified by Jack's [Peter Bergamn] quest to find and return to his mother her teardrop of love necklace.
Soap Central: Marla Adams won the Emmy for her performances during this storyline. How do you feel about the way she delivered the material that you and the writing team crafted?
Griffith: She took what we'd written and elevated it to a whole new and beautiful level.
Soap Central: The episode in which Dina passed away is easily one of the most memorable episodes since Cassie died in 2005. Was there ever any thought that having Dina pass away during the pandemic might be too emotional for viewers? For example, B&B shortened its addiction storyline for this reason -- it was an important story to tell, but they didn't want to linger in sadness too long.
Griffith: We felt that if we could find within the story a strong message about the power of love and life, the audience would want to take the journey.
Soap Central: What inspired Sharon's breast cancer storyline, and what was important for you as writers to get across to the audience during your Emmy-winning episode?
Griffith: We are always looking for stories that can illuminate new aspects of a character. Taking Sharon on this journey gave us the opportunity to explore more sides of her persona and to examine (and strengthen) her relationship with her friends and family in the face of such a frightening ordeal.
Soap Central: Did Y&R's writing team have to alter any stories due to the pandemic?
Griffith: With physical contact not allowed, we were forced -- in a good way -- to dig deeper into the emotional contact and connections between the characters.
Soap Central: Did you use the "down time" during the production break to revise or plan/plot out long-term story? If so, what was it like to have a "breather" to really focus on writing?
Griffith: The one silver lining (if there could even really be one during this ordeal) was the opportunity to step back and look at the bigger picture, and to think about characters and story.
Soap Central: We're halfway into 2021. Do you feel like you've already delivered what could be Y&R's 2022 Emmy-reel episodes already, or are those episodes possibly coming in the second half of this year? If they're still to come, can you give a subtle tease as to the excitement ahead?
Griffith: We never really think in terms of Emmy shows as we plot. We just try to tell the most engaging stories we can. Out [of] that, certain episodes inevitably come together in ways we think would be the most appealing to Emmy voters.
Soap Central: What are the most important themes or story elements to you when it comes to writing for Y&R, and why are those important to you and/or the show?
Griffith: Love, hope, and mystery. We're exploring the secrets of the human heart.
What do you think about Josh Griffith's thoughts on Y&R's Emmy win, his insight into how the award-winning stories were crafted, and the story elements that are important to him and Y&R's writing team? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
