A Historic First for Daytime Television—Three U.S. Soap Operas Led by Writers of Color
jamaey giddens, michele val jean, and ryaN QUAN - INSTAGRAM/CBS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
For the first time in daytime television history, three American soap operas are simultaneously being creatively led or co-led in the head writing room by people of color. Significantly, CBS’s The Young and the Restless (1973-) has recently appointed Jamey Giddens as co-head writer alongside fellow soap-writing vet Dan O’Connor. This move was prompted by the end of Josh Griffith’s run as head writer, a position he held for seven years from 2019-2026. The appointment of Giddens as co-head writer is an important milestone in the history of The Young and the Restless, as Giddens is the first writer of color to hold such a position on the soap. Additionally, the soap frequently ranks last among all five daytime dramas in representation for people of color, so Giddens’ position leaves hope for more diversity on The Young and the Restless.
At the same time, co-creator of Beyond the Gates (2025-), Michelle Val Jean serves as co-head writer, with Tracey Thomson, and showrunner for America’s youngest soap opera. Significantly, Beyond the Gates is the first American daytime drama to feature a predominantly African-American cast since NBC’s Generations. Furthermore, it’s the first new daytime drama to debut on American television since NBC’s Passions (1999-2008), and since the cancellation of ABC’s One Life to Live (1968-2013). On Peacock’s Days of Our Lives (1965-), Ryan Quan is returning for a second stint as the co-head writer. All these developments have the potential to significantly improve the writing and presence of people of color on the aforementioned daytime dramas.
Jamey Giddens - Instagram
Jamey Giddens: Outside of his tenure on The Young and the Restless, Giddens has an impressive resume of soap opera writing. Giddens served as a script writer and an associate head writer for Days of Our Lives (2020-26) and has worked as a breakdown writer on Beyond the Gates since 2025. Giddens began his career in primetime television and served as an associate producer for the comedy web series Workshop in 2011. In the years following, he worked on television shows with predominantly Black casts. He later wrote for the television comedy series The Rich and the Ruthless for its first season in 2017.
The end of the 2010s and beginning of the 2020s marked a career turning point for Giddens. In 2019, the primetime family soap opera Ambitions debuted on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which Giddens created, executive-produced, and wrote. The series was cancelled after one season, but Ambitions laid the groundwork for Giddens’ career as a successful soap opera writer. Giddens then held the position of story writer for the BET comedy-drama series Sisters during its seventh and eighth seasons (2024-25). Giddens now brings his talent to The Young and the Restless and is sure to take things in a new direction and make positive changes to the soap, while retaining the classic elements that are responsible for its legacy.
Michelle Val Jean - CBS
Michelle Val Jean: Beginning her career in the 1990s, Val Jean is an accomplished television writer and producer. Her first role in daytime was as a writer for NBC’s Generations (1989-1991), the first soap opera to feature a predominantly African-American cast. Her writing for NBC’s Santa Barbara (1984-1993) earned Val Jean her first Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Daytime Serials.
One of Val Jean’s most significant and longest-tenured positions began in 1993 with General Hospital (1963-), the longest-running American soap opera currently in production. Val Jean began as a script writer and wrote the critically acclaimed 1998 re-visitation of Luke Spencer's rape of Laura Spencer and the rape of Elizabeth Webber. Beginning in 2000, Val Jean was promoted to co-head writer with Elizabeth Korte, becoming the first person of color to serve as a co-head writer for not just General Hospital, but any American daytime drama. She won four Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team for her work on General Hospital before leaving in 2012. Val Jean now serves as a writer, showrunner, and executive producer of Beyond the Gates, after more than three decades of hard work in the industry.
Ryan Quan - Associated Press
Ryan Quan: Before Days of Our Lives, Quan already boasted an impressive background in soap opera writing. Quan started as a script typist for NBC’s Passions (1999-2008), before becoming co-head writer of Days of Our Lives (2008-2025). During this time, he also held the position of associate story writer for the spinoff Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem (2021-22), and won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Team for a Drama Series with co-head writer Ron Calivari. Quan served as a breakdown writer for General Hospital (2025-26), bringing his unique perspective and storytelling abilities to the heart of the soap’s stories. Returning for a second stint as a co-head writer, viewers can expect Quan to take Days of Our Lives in a positive direction in the coming months.
The simultaneous appointments of Giddens, Val Jean, and Quan have a significant impact on a broader scale. In more than 70 years of American soap opera history, there has never been this much diversity in the creative space. Giddens, Val Jean, and Quan, respectively, have worked for decades in the industry before earning positions that, by comparison, their white counterparts secure with relative ease. With the debut and success of Beyond the Gates, there is hope for greater diversity and representation in soap operas, both on screen and behind the scenes. On a larger scale, Giddens, Val Jean, and Quan have the potential to increase interest in the soap opera genre as a whole.
Conclusion: Diversity and inclusion in American daytime television is more than just what viewers see on their screens. Representation begins behind the camera. The key to diverse storytelling on soap operas is the perspectives of creative teams from all backgrounds. The inclusion of people of color in the writer’s room is essential to writing authentic stories for a diverse canvas. Finally, after decades of stagnant representation, American daytime dramas are seeing positive changes, both behind the scenes and on camera.
