There are two reasons for the change in philosophy, said Jack Smith, one of the industry's veteran writers: to survive, and also to attract younger viewers.

"The diehards are still with us," said Jack Smith, about viewers who have kept "The Young and the Restless" at the top of the heap for an unprecedented 810 weeks, or about 16 years. "But soaps have changed a lot, both in the kinds of stories we tell and in the demographics of the audience. This, in turn, affects the financial aspects of producing the show."

Soaps used to be money machines, he said, and were cheap to produce; they created revenues to finance the network's more expensive prime-time shows.

"But cable and satellite TV has diluted the soap audience," said Smith, who used to write "Y&R" and another soap, "The Bold and the Beautiful," from his home at Diamond Head; he then electronically sent scripts to the Mainland.

"Over the last five years, fewer are watching. We're still attracting the 18 to 35 crowd and the 25 to 39 demographics; the younger viewers are more challenging to maintain. It used to be that kids were brought up in homes where mothers watched the shows; now, parents watch at night (taping the episodes) and kids are doing other things, like working on their computers. The younger demos are what we're after; that's our future. So we strive for story elements that appeal to the young."

As executive producer and head writer of "Y&R," Smith said he sacrificed views of the Pacific Ocean and perpetual sunshine to write from an office at CBS Television at Fairfax and Beverly Boulevard, amid the hustle and hype that marks Los Angeles.

"I always told my friends that if ever I move back to the Mainland, the one place I would not live in is Los Angeles, because it was too crowded, with too much traffic. Well, since 2002, it's become my city. It's a great town if you're successful, if your career's successful."

Opportunity knocked when his contract renewal was coming up in late 2001.

"It was a big transition time," he said in a phone interview. "I was in a wonderful situation where people were bidding for my services. 'Y&R' offered to make me a producer. But I had to relocate the family."

Wife Norma, a Filipina, and daughter Asia, then a Punahou School student, were supportive and willing to take the plunge together.

To help his daughter ease into the soaps business, and concoct story angles involving teens, Smith created a secondary role for Asia, 15, on "Y&R," which initially challenged both the young actress and her producer dad.

"There were a few eyebrows raised," said Smith, who has a 25-year association with "Y&R." Nepotism "came up, and from the very start, I told Asia she'd have to earn the slot and take acting lessons."

Asia initially was "an under-five player, meaning she had less than five lines," said Smith. "I told my colleagues, if she was having problems, tell me. But she did well, so we moved her to a day player."

As a father, Smith didn't want to see Asia go through the typical Hollywood angst.

"I figured I could help her get into the business; I didn't want to see her groveling for parts," said Smith. "I didn't want her to go through the rejections. She's serious about acting, but not serious about the celebrity status. She's having fun, and when I brought her into the show, it was pretty groundbreaking — a story line that involved an Internet predator, who was hitting on Sierra (Asia's character) and her girl friend Lilly. It was a story angle I've always wanted to play out."