Comings & Goings

He’s been prancing around Genoa City only showing his hands to viewers, while the rest of the town thinks he’s dead, but Adam Newman is most certainly returning to CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” in the coming months with a new face after supposedly dying in a fiery explosion in late January as played by actor Michael Muhney. TV Guide’s Michael Logan is reporting that “Smallville” and “Revenge” star Justin Hartley is returning to daytime television to assume the role of the devilish Adam just in time for the all important November sweeps ratings period. Hartley, who will report to the CBS Television Center studio where “Y&R” is filmed in late September, previously portrayed the role of Fox Crane on NBC’s “Passions” from 2002 to 2006.

It’s been over 10 years since we last saw Grace Turner on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” as played by “The Bold and the Beautiful” star Jennifer Gareis, but anyone who saw the promo highlighting this week’s worth of shows where Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow) said to a mystery blonde, “It’s good to see you,” just before she makes sexual advances on him, could tell the woman in question was someone he had intimate knowledge of and not some random new character. In fact, with Grace being in revealing clothing so much during her tenure on the soap back in the day, anyone could recognize Gareis solely based on body and hair style (yes, Grace had plenty of fun with several of Genoa City’s hottest men).

Despite allegations of inappropriate behavior against one of his co-workers, which is said to have led to his firing from CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” last December, Michael Muhney revealed earlier this evening that he was this close to returning to the daytime drama series to reprise his role of Adam Newman.

With NBC’s “Days of our Lives” currently filming 4-5 months ahead of airdate, one has to wonder how the daytime drama series manages to keep storyline and casting secrets under wraps before the world begins chattering. Well one such secret is finally out of the bag. The drama series has cast daytime newcomer Billy Flynn in the contract role of Chad DiMera, who was previously portrayed by Casey Deidrick.

CBS Daytime’s slogan is that the network is one big family, and “The Young and the Restless” is making a small move to make it literal: They’ve hired the little sister of Jessica Collins (Avery Clark)!

“The Young and the Restless’” Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) is already getting a blast from the past in the form of booze bottles, but the sauced-up socialite is about to get another: “Family Ties” star Meredith Baxter is hitting Genoa City as Maureen, Nikki’s new drinking buddy!