Is Michael Muhney finally coming back to “The Young and the Restless”?
Soap opera fans have noted Muhney’s complete radio silence on his favorite venue of communication, Twitter, since the beginning of May. The last time the actor who played Adam Newman Tweeted something of interest was April 28. He replied to a fan’s query about his status with the show with instructions to contact CBS Daytime exec Anjelica McDaniel, Sony TV’s Steve Kent, “Y&R” producer Mal Young, and, oddly, Billy Hayes, the real life subject of the famed 1978 Alan Parker movie “Midnight Express.”
Billy Hayes? What’s the connection there? Well, it turns out that current headwriter of “Y&R” Sally Sussman is the writer, producer, and director of a highly regarded documentary about Hayes called “Midnight Return.” Sussman chronicles what happened to Hayes after his escape from a Turkish prison — including the movie and the aftermath.
Sussman, who came to the soap a few months ago, vowed not to bring back the Adam Newman character. But fans have continued a persistent drumbeat with petitions and Twitter campaigns. Maybe the correlation is that if drug smugglers deserve a second chance, so do talented but arrogant actors.
Muhney left “Y&R” three years ago for a whole bunch of reasons. The main complaint was that he was difficult and didn’t get along with the show’s star, Eric Braeden. Braeden made reference to this in a recent autobiography, but he’s also not considered the friendliest team captain in town. Muhney was also subject of a vicious rumor concerning a young actress on the show, but it was nothing more than that– and the actress has since left the show, promoted — incidentally — to CBS prime time.
Now Braeden also seems to be cutting back his on air time. At age 75, he’s not on the show every day. The time may be right for Muhney’s return. Certainly with ratings down, a Muhney comeback would be potent stuff. The fans will go wild. Muhney remains mum. Stay tuned…
