Hunter King will headline a new ABC comedy and the news has fans worried she is leaving The Young and the Restless as Summer Newman.
Kyle (Michael Mealor) just blew up his marriage to Lola (Sasha Calle) to give romance with Summer another try, but the couple’s days could be numbered. News Hunter King has another gig is adding fuel to the fire with speculation she will soon be leaving the CBS soap opera. This could mean Summer and Kyle may be finished before they even get started.
Hunter King’s new ABC comedy role
Deadline was first to break the news that Hunter has booked a leading role in the new ABC pilot Prospect. The sitcom is described as a “comedic Western with a feminist twist.”
Hunter plays Abigail, a young woman who moves to the frontier to be a schoolteacher. However, things take a turn when Abigail learns her students are not children but rather “rowdy ranch hands.” The Boston native must adjust to life in the prairie town of Prospect, which besides teaching adult men, includes less than desirable living arrangements.
Not long after the news broke about her new job, Hunter used social media to express how thrilled she is to be part of Prospect.
“Someone pinch me because I can’t believe this is real! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now. I’m so unbelievably excited to be a part of this amazing pilot. Thank you thank you to everyone who helped make this happen! And thank you to everyone at ABC!,” Hunter captioned her post.
Is Hunter King leaving The Young and the Restless?
This is not the first time Hunter has landed a primetime role while working on the CBS soap opera. She played Clementine on the CBS comedy Life in Pieces. Hunter was recurring during Season 1 but became a series regular for the final three seasons.
The talented actress was able to work on both shows, partly because CBS owned both the comedy and daytime drama. If ABC picks up the Prospect comedy pilot, it may be more difficult for Hunter to stay on Y&R.
Plus, she was part of an ensemble cast on Life in Pieces, where she had a smaller role. In Prospect, Hunter is the leading role, and that means more screen time, which means more time on set.
There are a lot of variables that will determine whether or not Hunter King will have to leave The Young and the Restless for the leading role she just landed in the ABC comedy pilot, Prospect.
If Hunter has to leave the daytime drama, should Summer be recast, or should she leave town?
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.