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.
|
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.