Doug Davidson (Paul Williams) celebrated his 40th anniversary with Y&R and was subsequently dropped to recurring status. Some of the show's veterans, however, found themselves without story. He also introduced a number of new characters, including the new-to-town 'blue-collar' Rosales family. Toward what would be the end of his time at Y&R, Young introduced elements of UK soap storytelling, where some episodes featured only a handful of characters. Fans have also praised Young for crafting Mariah and Tessa's love story, the show's first fully realized same-sex relationship.

Young, who made a name for himself helming British soap operas like EastEnders and Doctors, did, however, earn critical praise for developing the storyline that focused on Dina Mergeron's Alzheimer's diagnosis. While the show received praise for trying something new, the format was eventually abandoned as both fans and critics argued that too many things were happening off-screen, and the storyline payoff had waned. In the early part of Young's time at The Young and the Restless, the show adopted an 'every day is a new day' approach to its storytelling. Young's tenure at The Young and the Restless featured a lot of experimentation and innovation - and some history revision and casting decisions that didn't necessarily sit well with fans. Requests for statement have not been returned. A report surfaced online last night, stating that Young was, in fact, relieved of his duties. Whether the decision to leave The Young and the Restless was, in fact, Young's decision is unclear. Never a good idea to get too settled on a long running soap and I achieved all that I and CBS set out to do: improved scripts and production values,' Young said in a statement to showbiz411. I felt like it was a good time to move on. 'Just arrived in London for the holidays. Mal Young, who was named executive producer in June 2016 and given head writing responsibilities in July 2017, has departed the show.

When the calendar flips to a new year, the top-rated CBS soap will find itself needing a new head writer and executive producer. Major changes are ahead at The Young and the Restless.

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