"The Young and the Restless" Celebrates 40 Years

Photo Credit: CBS/Sony

The Young and the Restless debuted on March 26, 1973 and has become the most successful daytime drama in history. Of course, I am somewhat biased because Y&R has been my favorite soap opera for decades, give or take a few years here and there when the show was simply not at its best. I have followed the exploits of the Chancellors, Fosters, Abbotts, Newmans, Fenmores, Brooks and Williams families faithfully for the past three plus decades and since the series remains the highest rated among its daytime peers (and has since 1988!), I expect it to be around for quite some time to come.

Created by Bill and Lee Phillip Bell, The Young and the Restless has remained on top largely because of the continuity of the characters and cast members, as well as the writing. The series currently boasts 16 contract and recurring players who have been on the series for at least a decade and some much longer, including Jeanne Cooper (debuted in 1973), Doug Davidson (1978), Melody Thomas Scott (1979) and Eric Braeden (1980). Indeed, even if you have been away from Genoa City for a while, you can still tune in and see Katherine, Paul, Nikki, Victor, Esther, Lauren, Christine, Jill, Jack, Neil, Michael, Phyllis, Nick and Sharon. From time to time, members of the Abbott family will pop in, including Traci, Ashley and even John, who died on screen several years ago. During Bill Bell's tenure as head writer and co-executive producer, the series featured outstanding story telling that hit its stride during the 1980s, when Y&R won three of its seven daytime Emmy awards for Best Drama Series and was simply the best soap on the air for well over a decade.

In the mid 1990s, the cast of Y&R had grown very large and, beginning in 1994 and lasting until 1996, several beloved characters were written out, including Rex Sterling (Quinn Redecker), Brad Carlton (Don Diamont) and Col. Douglas Austin (the late Michael Evans). In addition, Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) moved over to The Bold and the Beautiful and Brenda Epperson vacated the role of Ashley Abbott. It was during this time that I stopped watching regularly for a few years, but would still keep tabs on the show.

The late 1990s saw a resurgence and rebirth of the series. One key reason for this resulted from moving Katherine (Jeanne Cooper) front and center, where she has remained, for the most part, for the past 15 years. The incredible Jeanne Cooper, now 84 years of age, is still a force to be reckoned with and has always been my favorite character. In addition, 1999 brought the return of the original Ashley, Eileen Davidson, who has since left the series again, thanks to the ineptitude of the former executive producer/head writer. Although Ashley did return just recently for a guest appearance to celebrate the 40th anniversary, she needs to return full time. Also during the turn of the century, Lauren returned to Genoa City, along with the original Phyllis, Michelle Stafford, and a group of young characters (Billy, Raul, Brittany, Mac and JT) who would make up the "teen scene" that had been lacking for many years.

The Young and the Restless regained its momentum until around 2004 when many beloved recurring characters were phased out, including Mary Williams (the late Carolyn Conwell), Miguel Rodriguez (Anthony Peńa), Doris Collins (Karen Hensel), Liz Foster (Juliana McCarthy), Mamie Johnson (Veronica Redd), Brock Reynolds (Beau Keyser), John Silva (John Castellanos) and Lynne Bassett (Laura Bryan Birn). They were all long running characters who played an essential role in the success of the series and are all missed, although Doris and Brock still make occasional appearances. Then, in 2005, Bill Bell passed away and the shake up behind the scenes would play out like a soap opera, with many veterans departing, including Kay Alden and Jack Smith, who now work on another Bell family staple, The Bold and the Beautiful.

The executive producers and writers who knew Y&R best were now gone and in their place came a few producers and writers who simply did not "get it" and changed the series by writing out beloved veterans, including John Abbott (Jerry Douglas) and once again dismantling the Abbott family. In addition, too many new characters, mostly portrayed by young, inexperienced actors, made the canvass crowded and continues to do so to this day. While I understand the need to introduce new characters and hire attractive (ok, sexy) actors, they should possess some talent or they should not be onscreen.

Last fall, former General Hospital executive producer Jill Farren Phelps was named executive producer of Y&R and Josh Griffith returned as head writer. Until recently, I had not tuned in regularly because I wanted to give them the chance to put their own mark on the show. After recently watching two weeks worth of episodes, I am cautiously optimistic about a return to classic Y&R. First of all, the veterans have remained front and center, which is essential to the success of the series. I am very pleased with the recent news that Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren Fenmore) is now back on contract after being on recurring status for over a decade. I am also pleased to see the writing team exploring Lauren's past dark side by pairing her with Carmine (Marco Dapper), even though Lauren is still married to Michael (Christian LeBlanc). I am also pleased to see Lauralee Bell return as Christine, on a recurring basis. The legacy characters and their families need to remain the focus of the series.

I also applaud the removal of many big name stars who were hired on from other shows with no vision whatsoever for their characters. How sad that so much talent went to waste with characters who simply did not fit in to the Genoa City canvass. No offense to any of the former cast members who I am sure will find other work soon, if they have not already. However, I am concerned with the large number of new characters who are clearly being exploited by being asked to appear in various states of undress. Yes, Carmine (Marco Dapper), Tyler (Redaric Willams) and Summer (Hunter King) are attractive, but viewers need to care about more than their chests. The large number of recasts of the newbies is also distracting. With so many former and still popular cast members to choose from, why not bring back JT (Thad Luckinbill), Danny (Michael Damian), Olivia (Tonya Lee Williams), Traci (Beth Maitland) and Nina (Tricia Cast)? Also, find a way to bring back Eileen Davidson full time as Ashley. It is easy to make room - just look at the characters who are not working out (and have been given adequate time) and write them off.

No, The Young and the Restless is not perfect, but it is still the best daytime drama currently on the air (although I do like what has been happening at General Hospital with all of the returning veterans). Over the years the series has given me great memories with the Kay/Jill feud, the Jack/Victor feud, the Traci/Lauren rivalry, the classic Masquerade Ball episodes from 1991, the Victor/Nikki/Ashley love triangle, several storylines featuring Lauren being stalked by a madman/madwoman (could Carmine be next?), Paul's detective adventures, the many clever schemes designed by Phyllis, Jack's need to live up to the man his father was (and usually not succeeding), Esther's comic relief, Cassie's heartbreaking death, and the beautiful and unforgettable theme music that has stood the test of time. I also want to point out the unforgettable  characters that were developed during the early 1990s, including Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John), Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc), Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford), Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon Collins (Sharon Case). All of those characters and the actors who portray them have become integral to the success of the series over the past two plus decades.

Finally, the cast introductions that are currently airing at the beginning of each episode have been sensational and are an appropriate way to pay homage to the series and the unforgettable characters that is has produced. Here's to another 40 years of The Young and Restless! Thanks for the memories!