Janice Ferri Esser bids farewell to The Young and the Restless after 35 years

Longtime writer Janice Ferri Esser has announced her retirement from the iconic CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (Y&R). After an impressive 35-year tenure, Esser has decided to step away from the Genoa City drama and explore new opportunities.

Janice Esser's contribution to The Young and the Restless makes her retirement an important milestone in the show's long history. With her departure, she leaves a legacy that has molded the narratives of American soap operas for the better part of their 50-year history.

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Janice Esser’s tenure and retirement

Janice Ferri Esser joined The Young and the Restless writing team in 1989. Her first episode, number 4,151, set the stage for a prolific career in crafting interesting storylines for the characters of Genoa City.

Her dedication to the show, with only a brief hiatus in 2007–2008 to work on the sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, underscores her commitment to the world of daytime drama.

She remained a constant in the lives of The Young and the Restless's characters, weathering various head-writer changes and contributing to the show's legacy.

In a heartfelt post on Facebook, Janice Ferri Esser shared her decision to retire from The Young and the Restless. Expressing gratitude for her 35-year journey, Esser reflected on her time with the show and the countless scripts she had written and edited.

The Facebook post also included her retirement letter to friends and colleagues, which starts with:

“Dear Friends & Colleagues, I wrote my first ‘FADE IN’ at The Young & the Restless in 1989—the year the Berlin Wall fell, Tiananmen Square erupted, and a British scientist invented the World Wide Web.”

She mentioned her desire to try something different and described her departure as a personal storyline veering off in a new direction. She concluded the post by saying,

“I feel grateful beyond measure to have been a part of this magnificent collaboration. I remain in awe of your talent and dedication to making this show the best it can be. Until we meet again, know that I’ll be watching with great affection and rooting for our beloved Y&R’s continued success. As always, Janice.”

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About The Young and the Restless

The Young and the Restless was created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS in 1972. Launched on March 26, 1973, the show, set in the fictional Genoa City, was designed to appeal to a younger audience in competition with ABC's youthful soap operas like General Hospital.

As a sister series to The Bold and the Beautiful, the show has shared many actors over the years and CBS has renewed the series to continue through the 2023–2024 television season. The soap opera is available to stream on Paramount+.