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Is Dena Higley‘s reign as co-head writer of “Days of our Lives” over before it even hits the air? According to a report by Daytime Confidential last week, Higley asked for, and was granted, a leave of absence from the show citing personal reasons.

As previously reported, “General Hospital” will soon be saying goodbye to scribe Ron Carlivati and hello again to co-head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante when the team officially takes over writing duties next month, with material not expected to fully hit the screen until mid-October, according to insiders. But what forced ABC to make a change in its writing regime? Ratings, of course! Thirteen consecutive weeks of ratings lows that is.

With 13 consecutive weeks of record low ratings in the key Women 18-49 sales demo, ABC announced today that it has decided to oust “General Hospital’s” current head writer, Ron Carlivati, and replace him with newly appointed co-head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante. The duo, who will officially take over writing reins beginning Monday, August 10, previously served together in the same capacity at CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” up until January of this year. They won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team for their work on “Y&R” during their tenure.

After several months of disastrous ratings returns that has left many in the industry wondering if “Days of our Lives” would survive its next renewal talks between NBC, Sony Pictures Television and Corday Productions, producers of the soap, the daytime drama series will welcome back veteran writer Dena Higley, and former “One Life to Live” and “The Young and the Restless” head writer Josh Griffith, as its new head writers. The two replace outgoing head writers Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

It’s been almost eight months since “The Young and the Restless’” Adam Newman was declared dead following a horrific showdown and subsequent car crash with Billy Abbott. And since most of the town believed he’d perished in the fiery accident, they’ll be getting quite a shock when the very-much-alive CEO — now played by former “Passions” star Justin Hartley — makes a surprise return to Genoa City, which Soap Opera Network has exclusively learned will take place on Wednesday, November 5!

After nearly a year in a coma, CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” will once again say hello to Phyllis Summers when daytime veteran Gina Tognoni takes over the role beginning Monday, August 11, Soap Opera Network has learned exclusively. In our tribute to the character as she gets ready to wake up for the first time in the coming weeks, we take a look back at what Phyllis has missed while she was sleeping, including what former loves Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow) have been up to since last seeing their favorite feisty redhead.

CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” is currently living it up in Monte Carlo as it prepares for the Monte Carlo Television Festival’s International TV Audience Awards, where it is nominated in the “Telenovela/Soap Opera” category, which honors programs that garnered the highest number of viewers worldwide in 2013 across five continents. On the road to the big night, which takes place on Wednesday, June 11, the show’s cast celebrated the festival’s opening night of glamour and took part in a photocall and autograph signing.

Filmed in mid-August, episodes airing during the week of November 25 and on Monday, December 2, 2013 of NBC’s “Days of our Lives” found Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus), Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) and Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) seemingly unite for the first time as they worked overtime to hide their role in the apparent death of Nick Fallon (Blake Berris). Just before being hit over the head with a rock, Nick was trying to instigate sexual relations with Ms. Hernandez, who then made it clear that not only wasn’t she interested, but it wasn’t the time nor the place to get busy. In a recent interview with Soap Opera Network, Koslow gushed over the amount of effort that went into producing the episodes, particularly the river set. “It was kind of amazing what they created on the set,” the actress said. “It’s like the 90s, because in the 90s we had huge sets. I remember being on a raft, and the raft was on shocks. So we did some crazy stuff back then, and they recreated it for this story. It was actually an adventure.”

With news of Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell’s ascension to the top of the “Days of our Lives” writing team after the NBC daytime soap let go Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr., less than a year after the two were hired to replace Dena Higley, Soap Opera Digest in its newest issue (issue dated April 16, 2012) is reporting that Tomlin and Whitesell has added the multiple Emmy award winning talents of veteran writer Lorraine Broderick to its new regime.