Charles Pratt, Jr. named Y&R head writer

The Young and the Restless is getting a new head writer: Emmy winner Charles Pratt, Jr. Pratt has served previously as head writer on All My Children, General Hospital, Santa Barbara, and Sunset Beach.

Though CBS has yet to issue a statement, multiple sources report that Charles "Chuck" Pratt, Jr., has been named the new head writer of The Young and the Restless. The Emmy-winning writer will also receive an executive producer credit.

Pratt joins The Young and the Restless with an impressive rsum that includes work on four other daytime drama series.

From 1984 to 1990, Pratt served as head writer of Santa Barbara, earning two Daytime Emmys and four additional Emmy nominations. In 1997, Pratt returned to daytime as the head writer for Sunset Beach.

From 2002 to 2006, Pratt partnered as co-head writer on General Hospital with Robert Guza, Jr. During that time, Pratt earned three Daytime Emmy wins (one for Outstanding Writing Team and two for Outstanding Drama Series). He also picked up three other nominations.

Pratt's most recent stint as a soap head writer spanned from 2008 to 2009 on All My Children. While Pratt's style was trumpeted as "contemporary storytelling" with "warmth and sense of humor," many critics feel that Pratt's storytelling was just the opposite -- and blame the stories told during his tenure as a key factor in AMC's ratings decline and eventual cancellation.

Outside of daytime, Pratt has worked on primetime series including Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, and Melrose Place. His most recent project, the ABC Family series The Lying Game, was canceled last year.

Daytime Confidential reports that Pratt will be given an executive producer credit on The Young and the Restless, but the second job title "will be more about money than anything else."

The status of Y&R's current head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante is unclear

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Jill Farren Phelps will remain on as executive producer.

What do you think of the decision to hire Charles Pratt, Jr., as Y&R's new head writer? Tell us in the Comments section below or share your thoughts via Feedback by clicking here.

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