When did The Young and the Restless first air?
List of The Young and the Restless characters (2016)
"The Young and the Restless" is an American television soap opera. It was first broadcast on March 26, 1973, and airs on CBS. The following is a list of characters that first appeared on the soap opera in 2016, by order of first appearance. In the first half of the year, characters were introduced by executive producer Jill Farren Phelps until her replacement in the summer of 2016 by supervising producer Mal Young Young was first credited as executive producer on July 13, 2016. Co-executive producer and head writer Charles Pratt Jr. oversaw the creation and introduction of the characters until his replacement by Sally Sussman Morina. Sussman's tenure as head writer began taping on October 20, 2016, and is aired on December 7, 2016.
Kelly Andrews (The Young and the Restless)
In September 2013, "Entertainment Weekly" broke news that former "Guiding Light" and "Lost" actress Cynthia Watros had joined the cast of "The Young and the Restless" in the recurring role of "Kelly". Watros' arrival was said to have "profound influence" on several of the characters connected to the canvas. "Soap Opera Digest" confirmed Watros' debut for sometime in November 2013. "Entertainment Weekly" further confirmed that Kelly was a former school teacher whose son was killed in a hit-and-run car accident, and that she'd interact with Billy Abbott (Billy Miller), whose character recently lost his own child on-screen, and that they would meet in a support group for grieving parents. They further confirmed her first airdate as November 15, 2013. Watros attributed her casting in the role to executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, with whom she previously worked with during her time on "Guiding Light". She complimented, "She’s a perfect combination of someone who knows what she’s doing, and she’s a strong woman." Upon accepting the role, Watros knew there was a potential for her to vacate, due to her also being involved in a potential pilot series for MTV.
Christopher Anne Templeton
Christopher Anne Templeton (February 26, 1952 - February 15, 2011) was an American film and television actress who was best known for her performances in American soap operas,
especially her performances as Carol Robbins Evans on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" from 1984 to 1992.
William J. Bell
In 1972, CBS executives wanted a new daytime serial that was youth oriented. William along with his wife Lee Phillip Bell created The Young and the Restless for the network under the working title, "The Innocent Years". However, before the show went into production, he had to rename the series as Bell mentioned...""We were confronted with the very disturbing reality that young America had lost much of its innocence,"". ""Innocence as we had known and lived it all our lives had, in so many respects, ceased to exist."" They renamed the series to The Young and the Restless because they felt it "reflected the youth and mood of the early seventies." He spent between ten and sixteen hours a day writing stories.
Billy Miller (actor)
Miller's last appearance as Richie Novak on "All My Children" coincided with his first appearance as Billy Abbott on "The Young and the Restless" on September 19, 2008. He became the fourth contract actor to fill the role, a role that had been met with varying degrees of success in its three previous attempts to recast the part. Miller, who submitted the longest Emmy reel among all nominated performers (over 32 minutes long—an entire episode), was awarded for his work in an "It's A Wonderful Life"-styled episode of" The Young and the Restless" with his first nomination and win as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series on June 27, 2010 as well as June 14, 2013
Angell Conwell
In December 2010, Conwell began airing in the recurring role of attorney Leslie Michaelson on the number-one-rated CBS daytime drama, "The Young and the Restless". In December 2012, she was placed on contract however, was dropped back to recurring in August 2014 and later quietly left the show. In March 2015, Conwell returned to "Y&R" to reprise her role as Leslie for four episodes.
Jerry Birn
"The Young and the Restless" (Hired by William J. Bell)
Billy Abbott
Billy Abbott is a fictional character from "The Young and the Restless", an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell as the son of John Abbott (Jerry Douglas) and Jill Abbott (Jess Walton), the character is currently portrayed by Jason Thompson. He was born onscreen during the episode airing on July 7, 1993. For the character's first six-year period, he appeared as a minor, portrayed by various child actors. In 1999, David Tom began portraying Billy as a teenager. Tom was acclaimed for his portrayal, winning a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000.
Chip Hayes
"The Young and the Restless" (hired by William J. Bell)
The Young and the Restless
"Nadia's Theme" has been the theme music of "The Young and the Restless" since the show's debut in 1973. The melody, originally titled "Cotton's Dream", was composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. for the 1971 theatrical film "Bless the Beasts and Children". The melody was later renamed "Nadia's Theme" after the ABC television network's sports summary program "Wide World of Sports" lent the music for a montage of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci's routines during the 1976 Summer Olympics; despite the title, Nadia never performed her floor exercises using this piece of music. Instead, she used a piano arrangement of a medley of the songs "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" and "Jump in the Line."
List of The Young and the Restless characters (2010)
"The Young and the Restless" is an American television soap opera. It was first broadcast on March 26, 1973, and airs on CBS. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2010, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced to the series by its head writer that year, Maria Arena Bell. Doppelgänger Sarah Smythe first appeared in April. June saw the arrival of Meggie McClaine, Spencer Walsh and twin characters, Charles and Matilda Ashby, born on-screen. Vance Abrams and Sofia Dupre debuted in July, followed by Blake Joseph's stint beginning in October. Colin Atkinson made his debut in December.
Peter Brinckerhoff
The Young and the Restless
Sheila Carter
The role was portrayed by Kimberlin Brown for a total of 16 years. Her first run was on "The Young and the Restless" from May 1990 to May 20, 1992, when the character crossed over to "The Bold and the Beautiful" from May 21, 1992, to October 2, 1998, again from May 24 to November 5, 2002, and again finally from September 26 to October 10, 2003. Despite being a regular cast member on "The Bold and the Beautiful", Brown returned to "The Young and the Restless" for several guest appearances beginning on October 27, 1992. Brown departed on November 5, 1992, and reappeared for one episode on December 23, 1992. She continued making appearance from January 7 to 14, 1993, February 19, 1993, to March 2, 1993, October 11, 1993, October 19 to 27, 1993, January 12, 1994, and February 28, 1995, until March 2, 1995.
Malcolm Winters
Malcolm Winters is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Originally portrayed by Shemar Moore for two intervals, between 1994 and 2005, Darius McCrary took over the role from December 29, 2009 to October 17, 2011. Moore reprised the role for a guest appearance in September 2014.
Marla Kanelos
"The Young and the Restless"
Trent Jones
"The Young and the Restless"
List of The Young and the Restless characters (1990s)
A list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1990 and December 1999.
The Young and the Restless
Due to the success of the series, CBS and their affiliates pressured Bell to lengthen the series from 30 minutes to a full hour. Bell attributed this change to the show's fall from number one in the Nielsen ratings, since the lengthening of the show led to the departure of a number of cast members. "The issue of performing in a one-hour show had not been part of their contracts," Bell said. This forced the show to recast multiple main characters and eventually phase out the original core families in favor of new ones. The show expanded to one hour on February 4, 1980. It airs at 11:00am on most stations in the Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones, usually as a lead-in to the local noon news for most CBS stations in those regions (though some stations in the Central Time Zone opt to air it at 11:30am). It airs at 12:30pm Eastern.
John H. Martin
John H. Martin (born July 21, 1951) (commonly credited as John Martin) is an American actor who played the role of Frederick Hodges on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" from 2002 to 2004.
The Young and the Restless
As of 2010, "The Young and the Restless" has managed over 1,000 consecutive weeks in the #1 spot for daytime dramas. On the week ending April 6, 2012, "The Young and the Restless" was watched by a new low of an average of 3,960,000 viewers for the week, beating its previous low of 4.209 million in October 2011, as well as being the only week to date below 4 million viewers. Currently, the show is still the most-watched daytime drama; and for the season 2011–12, has a household rating of 3.5, and 1.5 for the Women 18–49 demographic. As of 2008, the Tuesday episodes of "The Young and the Restless" on average is the most-watched daytime drama showing.
Lauren Fenmore
Lauren Fenmore is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Introduced by William J. Bell, the character made her debut during the episode airing on January 21, 1983, portrayed by Tracey E. Bregman. In 1992, Bregman brought the character to "The Bold and the Beautiful", resulting in her migrating there fully in 1995.
Greg Foster (The Young and the Restless)
The character of Greg Foster was brought to life by James Houghton in the series premier on March 26, 1973. He played the role Greg Foster until his departure in the fall of 1976. Houghton was replaced by Brian Kerwin, who aired from November 1976 to April 1977 when the character was written out for a few months. He was followed by Wings Hauser from December 1977 to 1981 and Howard McGillin from 1981 to 1982. The character was then not seen again for 21 years - Greg's return on February 28, 2003. James Houghton only stayed until March 5, 2003. The character returned again seven years later in 2010, portrayed this time again by Wings Hauser, from June 17 to 21, 2010.
Phyllis Summers
Phyllis Summers is a fictional character from "The Young and the Restless", an American soap opera on the CBS network. The character was created and introduced by William J. Bell, and debuted in the episode airing on October 17, 1994. Phyllis was originally and most notably portrayed by actress Michelle Stafford, until August 2013 (other than Sandra Nelson portraying Phyllis for nearly two years, until Stafford was brought back by former head writer, Kay Alden, in 2000). Stafford has been praised for her portrayal, for which she has won two Daytime Emmy Awards, but left the series after nearly sixteen years, with the character being written into a coma; Stafford last appeared on August 2, 2013. The role passed to Gina Tognoni (debuting on August 11, 2014), who continues in it.
Ryan McNeil
Ryan McNeil is a fictional character from the American CBS Daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Created by William J. Bell, the character was portrayed by Scott Reeves, who made his first appearance On June 26, 1991 as a businessman who wanted to "work his way to the top of the corporation ladder". The character gained popularity upon his relationship with Victoria Newman (Heather Tom), which initially received criticism due to the characters' age gap. He was also involved with Nina Webster (Tricia Cast) and the insane Tricia Dennison (Sabryn Genet).
Robert Colbert
Colbert also appeared as the character Stuart Brooks on the television soap opera, "The Young and the Restless", from March 1973 to March 1983, being honored at the show's tenth anniversary.
The Young and the Restless
With the success of another iconic character, Kimberlin Brown's Sheila Carter, Bell successfully crossed her over from "The Young and the Restless" to his second soap, "The Bold and the Beautiful", in 1992. The success of the crossover was due to the creativity of Bell, as the nefarious character of Sheila was presumed to have died in a fire on "The Young and the Restless".
Patty Weaver
Patty Weaver (born September 23, 1955) is an American actress who played the role of Gina Roma on "The Young and the Restless" on a contract basis from 1982 until August 2005, when she was dropped to recurring status, and she last appeared in 2013.
Cassandra Rawlins
Cassandra Rawlins is a fictional character from the American soap opera "The Young and the Restless". She was portrayed by Nina Arvesen from March 3, 1988 to March 4, 1991. Hall was the character's maiden name.
Nina Webster
Nina Webster is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless", portrayed by Tricia Cast. She was introduced during the episode airing on June 26, 1986 as a pregnant teenager whom Christine Blair (Lauralee Bell) befriends. Cast remained a regular cast member for fifteen years before asking for a contract release and departing onscreen in February 2001. In 2008, the actress returned for several guest spots, and the following year, she returned for a bigger storyline, and has continued to make occasional appearances.
Kate Linder
In 1982 she was cast as Esther Valentine on CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". In addition to her work on television, Linder serves as a flight attendant for United Airlines. Linder has been starring on "The Young and the Restless" for 30 years and she's also one of two Daytime Governors at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, who present the Emmys. Linder is also the national spokesperson for The ALS Association and is active with TV Cares, ATAS's AIDS fundraising and awareness organization, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and national spokesperson for March of Dimes Canada's Conductive Education Program.
Paul Williams (The Young and the Restless)
Doug Davidson joined the cast of the show on May 15, 1978; the episode aired on May 23, 1978. Its creator, William J. Bell, discovered him during one of Bell's trips to Chicago, while Davidson was modelling for magazines. The actor learned that he had been cast as Paul when a costumer contacted him for measurements. Before joining the soap opera Davidson studied marine biology, abandoning his studies to pursue acting full-time. Former executive producer Wes Kenny had a profound impact on his career: "Wes taught me to listen, respond and to play the situation". In mid-1979 Davidson signed a five-year contract, and began receiving more airtime. In September 1994 he was hired to host "The New Price Is Right", which taped down the hall from "The Young and the Restless" at CBS Television City.
Mackenzie Browning
Mackenzie Browning is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". The role is presently portrayed by Kelly Kruger, who portrayed the role from February 19, 2002, to July 1, 2003; she returned to the role on March 28, 2018. Previously, the role was portrayed by Ashley Bashioum, Rachel Kimsey and Clementine Ford.
Charles Pratt Jr.
In September 2014, it was revealed that Pratt had been hired as head writer and co-executive producer of "The Young and the Restless". In September 2016, it was confirmed that Pratt was leaving his position at "The Young and the Restless" to become show-runner and executive producer of the primetime series, "Star".
Leslie Michaelson
Leslie Michaelson is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Created and introduced by former head writer Maria Arena Bell, the role is portrayed by Angell Conwell, who made her first appearance on the episode that aired on December 2, 2010. Bell introduced Leslie as a high-powered attorney who would air on a recurring status. In December 2012, after two years on recurring, Conwell was placed on contract by executive producer Jill Farren Phelps however, was dropped back to recurring in August 2014.
The Young and the Restless storylines
As a response, Tonya Lee Williams and Victoria Rowell joined "The Young and the Restless" in the early 1990s as the Barber sisters, Olivia and Drucilla, nieces of the Abbott's maid Mamie Johnson (Veronica Redd). They proved to be very successful and they interacted fairly well with the established characters. Nathan Hastings (Nathan Purdee/Randy Brooks/Adam Lazarre-White), the only other remaining black character on the show before 1990, was married off to Olivia, before dying in a hit and run car accident in 1996. Two more black characters, Neil Winters, played by former "Generations" alum Kristoff St. John and his brother Malcolm played by Shemar Moore, would be introduced in 1991 and 1994 respectively.
Rick Forrester
In February 2014, Young alongside Linsey Godfrey crossed over to "The Young and the Restless", airing from April 11 to 16, 2014.
Colleen Carlton
Colleen Carlton is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless", last portrayed by Tammin Sursok. The character was born onscreen during the episode airing on March 5, 1992, as the daughter of Brad Carlton (Don Diamont) and Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland). After leaving the soap opera three years later, the character returned as a teenager in 2001, portrayed by Lyndsy Fonseca, who remained in the role until 2005. The following year, the role was recast with Adrianne León, who portrayed the character for a year until Sursok took over. Colleen died onscreen in 2009. In 2010, an uncredited actress reprised the role in a dream.
Meg Bennett
"The Young and the Restless"
Noel Maxam
"The Young and the Restless"
The Young and the Restless
"The Young and the Restless" began airing on March 26, 1973, replacing the cancelled soap opera, "Where the Heart Is". Bell worked as head writer from the debut of the series until his retirement in 1998. He wrote from his home in Chicago while production took place in Los Angeles, California. Originally, Bell wanted to shoot the series in New York, however, CBS executives felt that Los Angeles would be more cost effective. John Conboy acted as the show's first executive producer, staying in the position until 1982. Bell and H. Wesley Kenney became co-executive producers that year until Edward Scott took over in 1989. Bell then became senior executive producer. Other executive producers included David Shaughnessy, John F. Smith, Lynn Marie Latham, Josh Griffith, Maria Arena Bell, and Paul Rauch.
Jeanne Cooper
Wilma Jeanne Cooper (October 25, 1928 – May 8, 2013) was an American actress, best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" (1973–2013). At the time of her death, she was eighth on the all-time list of longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States. She was the mother of three children, the eldest being actor Corbin Bernsen.
Snapper Foster
Snapper Foster is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless". An original character since the show's inception, the role was played by William Gray Espy from March 26, 1973 to July 1975, and David Hasselhoff from 1975 to May 1982. Espy briefly reprised the character from February 28, 2003 to March 5, 2003, and Hasselhoff briefly reprised the role from June 15–21, 2010.
The Young and the Restless
In New Zealand, "The Young and the Restless" aired alongside "Days of Our Lives" on TV ONE and ended on November 6, 2009. The soap was approximately four seasons behind the CBS season due to being preempted by holiday and sporting programming.
Alex Donnelley
Alexandra Donnelley (born August 13, 1959) is a German-born American actress. Her best-known role is that of Diane Jenkins on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" from 1982 to 1984, and again in 1986. Donnelley went on to reprise her role again from October 1996 to February 2001. She also appeared in other television shows and films, such as "Cruel Intentions 3".
Kyle Abbott (The Young and the Restless)
In January 2018, it was announced that "The Young and the Restless" was "actively" working to recast the role of Kyle. On March 1, 2018, it was announced that Michael Mealor had been cast in the role of Kyle. He made his first appearance on March 29, 2018, in celebration of the soap's 45th anniversary.
Opening credits
In the 2000s, some soap operas began using an opening sequence where the actors are credited. "The Young and the Restless" was the first such show to credit, at least, most of the actors on contract with the series. "The Bold and the Beautiful", which is produced by Bell-Phillip Television Productions (a subsidiary of "Y&R" producer Bell Dramatic Serial Company), began crediting all contract cast members in its opening titles in 2005, four years after "The Young and the Restless" implemented it (however, unlike "Y&R", "The Bold and the Beautiful" cycles between different title sequences depending on the episode's running time: two that feature credits – including one shorter sequence – and one that does not feature any credits or cast member visuals). ABC Daytime soaps began implementing the process in October 2002 with the debut of the "All My Children" 'Scrapbook" opening used until May 2004. "One Life to Live" began featuring character credits within the title sequence during the same time period with its "Blue and White" opening. The most recent soap to include credits for all contract actors in its opening titles was "General Hospital" after a February 2010 revamp of its opening credits (a credit-less introduction resumed in 2012 with the introduction of a shorter title sequence), though during the final years of its "Faces of the Heart" sequence from April 2003 to September 2004, the names of the main characters were shown alongside video headshots of the cast members in the opening title sequence.
The Young and the Restless
On September 21, 2016, Daytime Confidential reported that after ten years since leaving the soap, Alden had been re-hired to be a story consultant under Sussman's regime. Sussman's tenure as head writer began taping on October 20, 2016, and began airing on December 7, 2016. On June 20, 2017, CBS announced its decision to renew the serial for three years. On July 31, 2017, it was announced that both Alden and Sussman would retire from their positions; Young was named as Sussman's successor as head writer. Sussman last aired as head writer on October 24, 2017. Young's tenure as head writer aired on October 25, 2017. In December 2018, Young announced his decision to leave the serial, citing that it was a "good time to move on," and cited his desire to pursue his own project. Anthony Morina and Griffith were announced as executive producer and head writer, respectively.
Showoffs
"Showoffs" debuted on June 30, 1975 at 12:00 Noon (11:00 AM Central), replacing "Password" and inheriting its predecessor's ratings problems. Despite facing "Magnificent Marble Machine" on NBC, "Showoffs" could not make any sort of dent in CBS's "The Young and the Restless", which that year became a top-ten show.
Kevin Fisher (The Young and the Restless)
Kevin Fisher is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless", portrayed by Greg Rikaart. Created by former head writers Kay Alden and John F. Smith, the character made his debut during the episode airing on July 11, 2003.
List of The Young and the Restless characters (2012)
"The Young and the Restless" is an American television soap opera. It was first broadcast on March 26, 1973, and airs on CBS. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2012, by order of appearance. All characters that appeared before August 2012 were introduced by the show's former head writer and executive producer Maria Arena Bell. Beyond that point, all characters are introduced by Bell's replacements: executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and head writer Josh Griffith. Anita Lawson and Sarge Wilder. Carmine Basco first appeared in March, while April saw the birth of Johnny Abbott on-screen. Beth Hortense debuted in June with Sister Celeste beginning her short stint in August. Jamie Vernon first appeared in October, while Alex Chavez and Mason Wilder were introduced in December.
Lee Phillip Bell
After leaving her TV show, Bell joined her husband to co-create the popular CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" in 1973 and its sister show "The Bold and the Beautiful" in 1987. She also served as executive producer of The Bold and the Beautiful in the 1980s. She won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1975 for "Outstanding Daytime Drama Series" for "Y&R".
Albert Alarr
"The Young and the Restless"
List of The Young and the Restless characters (1990s)
Dr. Kurt Costner first appeared on November 26, 1996, portrayed by Leigh McCloskey. His first run ended after a year on August 21, 1997. In March 2013, it was announced that McCloskey would be reprising the role for an extended run; his first appearance in 16 years.
The Young and the Restless storylines
In late 2006, "The Young and the Restless" recast the role of popular daytime villainess, Sheila Carter. Originally played by Kimberlin Brown on both "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful", the character was later handed over to Michelle Stafford, who also plays Phyllis. Although this recast was mainly storyline-directed, since Sheila had plastic surgery to look like Phyllis, fans of Sheila have expressed mixed opinions regarding Brown's absence in the role.
The Young and the Restless
To compete with the youthful ABC soap operas, "All My Children", "One Life to Live", and "General Hospital", CBS executives wanted a new daytime serial that was youth oriented. William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell created "The Young and the Restless" in 1972 for the network under the working title, "The Innocent Years!" "We were confronted with the very disturbing reality that young America had lost much of its innocence," Bell said. "Innocence as we had known and lived it all our lives had, in so many respects, ceased to exist." They changed the title of the series to "The Young and the Restless" because they felt it "reflected the youth and mood of the early seventies." The Bells named the fictional setting for the show after the real Genoa City, Wisconsin, which was located on their way from their then-home in Chicago to their annual summer vacation spot in Lake Geneva.
Victoria Rowell
In 1990, Rowell was cast as street urchin-turned-ballet dancer Drucilla Barber on the CBS daytime soap opera, "The Young and the Restless". Rowell became a fan favorite and was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards in 1996, 1997, and 1998. She won 11 NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of Drucilla. Rowell's first run as Drucilla was from 1990 to 1998. She briefly returned in 2000, then returned on a regular basis from 2002 until early 2007. In 2007, Rowell became unhappy with the soap opera behind the scenes, labeling daytime television and "The Young and the Restless" as racist for not having enough African-American cast and crew. She also argued the directions of her storylines which were not heard, prompting her to leave. Within the storyline, Drucilla fell off a cliff and was presumed dead as her body was never found. Rowell has openly expressed pleasure in returning, and due to the character's strong appeal and popularity, viewers have begged the series to rehire her. However, CBS has stated that having Drucilla return is not the creative decision they are looking for, which has disappointed fans of the actress. In 2014, Rowell posted a series of tweets criticizing the show for not having enough African-Americans in decision-making positions. "Young & Restless on air for 40 years, loyally watched by their absolute competitive-edge audience (blacks) & not one black Exec producer?" - she tweeted. Her tweets coincided with the series' 41st anniversary.
Caroline Spencer
In February 2014, Godfrey alongside Jacob Young crossed over to "The Young and the Restless", airing from April 11 to 16, 2014.
The Young and the Restless storylines
The storylines of the soap opera "The Young and the Restless" have changed over the years since the show debuted in 1973. Originally examining the lives of the wealthy Brooks and the poor Fosters, a series of recasts and departures in the early 1980s turned the focus of "The Young and the Restless" to the Abbotts and the Newmans, including the corporate rivalry between their two respective companies. However, one basic plot that has run throughout almost all of the program's history is the rivalry between Jill Foster Abbott and Katherine Chancellor.
Frederick Johnson (writer)
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
In the 1990s, core black characters were introduced with the Barber and Winters families. Victoria Rowell (Drucilla Barber) and Tonya Lee Williams (Dr. Olivia Barber) were cast as the nieces of the Abbott's maid, Mamie Johnson, in 1990. The brothers Neil (Kristoff St. John) and Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore) were introduced as love interests for Olivia and Drucilla. "The Young and the Restless" became popular among black viewers, which Williams and St. John attributed to the writing for the black characters. "I play a CEO at a major corporation, that's something we don't see that often," St. John said. "And the show doesn't use the old African-American stereotypes that we have been seeing on TV, like the hustler, the pimp, the drug dealer. We have come a long way." Though the characters held prominent positions in the fictional work place of Genoa City, they had little interaction with other characters outside of their jobs.
Christopher Whitesell
"The Young and the Restless"
Sally McDonald
"The Young and the Restless"
Eden Baldwin
Eden Baldwin is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Created and introduced by former head writer Maria Arena Bell, the character made her debut during the episode that aired on September 22, 2008. The role was originally portrayed by Erin Sanders, who was let go shortly after her debut due to the negative response her portrayal received. The role was recast with Vanessa Marano, who took over soon after and portrayed the role for two years until January 2010. In June 2011, the role was recast a second time with Jessica Heap, who also portrayed the role for two years until January 2013.
The Young and the Restless storylines
One social issue which was too hot for "The Young and the Restless" audience of the mid-'70s was homosexuality. In the mid-1970s, Kay befriended an overweight, unhappy housewife named Joann Curtis. Kay moved Joann into her home and helped her get a better self-image. Soon, Kay's son Brock wondered about all the time the ladies were spending together, as Kay planned a special vacation to Hawaii for herself and Joann. The ratings dropped and outraged fan letters poured in. Bell quickly dropped the relationship, wrote out Joann, and the show stabilized.
Greg Rikaart
Rikaart is best known for his role as Kevin Fisher on the CBS daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless", which he originated in 2003. In May 2017, Rikaart confirmed earlier reports that he would be exiting the soap with his last taping date to be the following month. However, on August 3, the official Twitter account for "The Young and the Restless" confirmed Rikaart was back taping. In September, "Entertainment Weekly" reported that Rikaart was back for a 2-week stint.
Kate Hall (soap opera writer)
"The Young and the Restless"
Marla Adams
Marla Adams (born August 28, 1938; Ocean City, New Jersey) is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Belle Clemens on "The Secret Storm", from 1968 to 1974, and as Dina Abbott Mergeron on "The Young and the Restless". As Belle Clemens, she was the show's reigning villainess for the last years of its run, stopping at almost nothing to destroy the life of the show's leading heroine, Amy Ames. Like Vicky and Dorian later on "One Life to Live", the two rivals were at one time related through marriage. As Dina Abbott on "The Young and the Restless" from 1983 to 1986, in 1991 and again in 1996, she caused major disruptions in the lives of her three children and ex-husband John Abbott and his wife Jill. She reprised her role as Dina for three episodes on "The Young and the Restless" in 2008 when Katharine Chancellor was presumed dead. In May 2017, Adams returned to "The Young and the Restless". The following March, Adams' performance garnered her an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The Young and the Restless storylines
Along with every other daytime soap, "The Young and the Restless" has suffered audience erosion, with very noticeable losses during the O.J. Simpson trial. For many months, The Young and the Restless was not shown at its regularly scheduled time during the televised Simpson trial. A trailer sometimes ran at the bottom of the TV screen informing viewers to use their VCRs to tape Y&R at random hours like 2:27 a.m., 4:26 a.m. There was not a set re-broadcast time after midnight, and this was years before the internet was in homes, which would have allowed viewers to watch online as you can in 2014. Many long-time viewers simply gave up trying to figure out when to set their VCRs, and gave up permanently on the show. Y&R permanently lost millions of viewers as a result. Every year after the Simpson trial, Y&R has mostly lost viewers.
Owen Renfroe
"The Young and the Restless"
Kyle Abbott (The Young and the Restless)
Kyle Abbott is a fictional character from "The Young and the Restless", an American soap opera on the CBS network. Introduced on January 8, 2001, the character is the son of businessman Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Diane Jenkins (Maura West). For the character's first three-year run, he was portrayed by a series of infant toddler actors. In 2010, the character returned, portrayed as slightly older by child actor Garrett Ryan. After two years, he was rapidly aged to an adult, with Blake Hood stepping into the role in April 2012. Upon his return, Kyle began dating Eden Baldwin (Jessica Heap).
Tom Langan
"The Young and the Restless"
Angela Tessinari
"The Young and the Restless"
List of The Young and the Restless characters (2010s)
For lists of characters on the CBS Daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless" that debuted between 2010 & 2017, please visit the following articles:
Malcolm Winters
The role was originated by Shemar Moore on May 5, 1994, who received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his portrayal in 2000, with nominations for Outstanding Younger Actor in 1996 and 1997. After much speculation that Moore would exit the soap opera in 2000, he confirmed that he would depart at the end of his contract in the spring of 2001. However, in February 2001, Moore announced that he had extended his contract through the end of that year. In December, he announced that he was officially leaving "The Young and the Restless", and last aired on February 14, 2002. In September 2004, after a two-year absence, Moore was announced to reprise the role. Of Moore's return, former co-head writer John F. Smith stated: "We are thrilled to have Shemar back with us. His story will be something very unexpected, off the page, and exciting. The man is going to have impact." Moore made his return on November 1, 2004. However, within weeks, Moore's publicist revealed that his return would be short-lived, as he had only signed a six-month contract. The publicist stated: "He's auditioning now [for other projects] and he has two or three films coming out next year. You know how this industry is. At least [The Young and the Restless will] have him for six months." Moore made his final appearance as the character on September 1, 2005.
Mike Cohen
"The Young and the Restless"
Michael Eilbaum
"The Young and the Restless"
Cane Ashby
Cane's debut in 2007 received a mixed response. "Soap Opera Digest" praised the storyline as "a riveting tale". Nelson Branco of "TV Guide Canada" found the story unrealistic, but praised the addition of Goddard and Cane to the series, saying: "A few eyebrows were raised when "The Young and the Restless" decided to rewrite history by bringing in Daniel Goddard to play Jill's 'real' son, Phillip Chancellor. But as romantic rogue Cane Ashby, the talented newcomer seduced us into suspending our disbelief — for now!" Soon after the character's introduction, Cane and Goddard became popular among viewers and gained praise from critics. "BuddyTV" described Goddard as "spicing up "The Young and the Restless"" as Cane with "his character's storylines surrounding his true identity and his whirlwind relationship with Amber". Cane's romance with Lily later gained "a very vocal, and loyal fan base".
William J. Bell
"The Young and the Restless" debuted on March 26, 1973. Although slow to rise in the ratings (he got very frustrated and asked head of CBS Daytime Bud Grant to cancel the serial), CBS had faith in the show and gave it a chance. "Y&R" was credited for breathing new life into the daytime serial, with its brightness, humor and cutting-edge storylines. As he did on "Days of our Lives", Bell saw to sexuality also playing a major role in the stories. Bell guided "Y&R" as head writer from 1973 until stepping down in 1998, the longest tenure of any head writer in soap opera history. "Y&R" has been the highest-rated soap on the air since 1988 in households, and 1989 among viewers.
Tammin Sursok
In 2007, after a successful audition, Sursok became the third actress to portray Colleen Carlton on the American soap opera television series, "The Young and the Restless". Her debut was quickly met with criticism from a number of "The Young and the Restless" viewers. Despite the negativity, she received comparable positive viewer feedback. "The fans have been really great." In preparation for the role, Sursok tried to catch up on Colleen's history. "I watched the last six months of episodes," she said. "My boyfriend used to date a girl who was obsessed with "Y&R", so he knew everything about it and brought me up to speed, as well." Sursok earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Colleen the following year. After two years in the role, Sursok departed causing the writers to kill off Colleen. In an interview with "Soap Opera Digest" in October 2009, Sursok said it was difficult to pursue outside projects and appear on "The Young and the Restless" as well. Her departure was a mutual decision between Sursok and the showrunners.
Mal Young
On 31 December 2015, Young cryptically said on his Twitter about what is next for him in 2016, "This year I'm going to be Young and I'm going to be Restless." A few days later, Young sent several other tweets to the Twitter account of the American soap opera, "The Young and the Restless", announcing his hiring on the show. It was confirmed by CBS Daytime that Young had been hired as a producer. Young's first episode as a supervising producer aired on 1 February 2016 and his last episode aired on 12 July 2016.
List of The Young and the Restless characters (1980s)
A list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1980 and December 1989.
Janice Ferri Esser
"The Young and the Restless"
The Young and the Restless storylines
Eric Braeden joined the cast in 1980 as sinister tycoon Victor Newman, in what was originally a short-term role but soon became a permanent fixture. Victor was so menacing to his wife Julia (Meg Bennett) that he locked her boyfriend Michael Scott (Nicholas Benedict) in a bomb shelter constructed in the basement and forced him to watch Victor and Julia's bedroom via closed-circuit camera. Bell saw something in Braeden's performance and since the show had few strong male characters, elevated him to star status. Soon after, Victor went to a strip club and met Nikki, who at the time was working as a stripper. She married Victor in a lavish 1984 wedding and their love-hate relationship has gone through the birth of two children, Victoria (Heather Tom/Sarah Aldrich/Amelia Heinle) and Nicholas (Joshua Morrow), as well as many divorces, affairs, and remarriages since then.
Lisa de Cazotte
"The Young and the Restless"
Greg Foster (The Young and the Restless)
Greg Foster is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". A string of different actors played the role from 1973 to 1982, most notably James Houghton and Wings Hauser, who both reprised their roles as Greg in 2003 and 2010.
Victoria Newman
Victoria Newman is a fictional character from "The Young and the Restless", an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell, she is currently portrayed by Amelia Heinle. Victoria was born onscreen in 1982 and was portrayed by child actress Ashley Nicole Millan for her first eight years. Having been rapidly aged to a teenager, Victoria returned to the soap opera and was portrayed by Heather Tom. Tom portrayed the character into her early adult years and remained in the role for twelve years. Due to creative differences, Tom left the soap opera in 2003 and Heinle, who took over on March 21, 2005, was cast in the role.
Screening of soap operas in Australia
"The Young and the Restless" is an American soap opera that first aired in Australia on the Nine Network from 1 April 1974 to 23 February 2007. Nine paired "The Young and the Restless" with "Days of Our Lives", with the two shows airing one after the other. During its run on the Nine Network in the early 2000s, episodes ended up being nearly five years behind the United States (varying slightly between states), due to the network's coverage of cricket each summer. As was the case with "Days of Our Lives", Nine aired a one-hour special on 14 September 2004 titled, "The Young and the Restless: The Next Chapter", which summarized four years of storylines and caused mixed feelings among regular viewers . This special was followed by episodes airing at the same pace as the US.
David Rupel
"The Young and the Restless"
Rex M. Best
The Young and the Restless
Mark Derwin
After recurring roles on the shows "Hardball" and "Days of Our Lives", and a prolific career in commercials (including a notable spot as the "Fiesta" cigarette man in Mexico), Derwin was cast in his first contract role as Adrian Hunter on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Derwin was on the show from 1989 to 1990, and was featured in a high-profile storyline as a grifter and, ultimately, a murderer.
Melissa Salmons
"The Young and the Restless"
Patty Williams
Patty Williams is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". The character made her debut in 1980, and after a brief portrayal by Tammy Taylor, Lilibet Stern took over for three years, followed by Andrea Evans until 1984. The character was re-introduced by former head writer Maria Arena Bell twenty-five years later in 2009, with Stacy Haiduk taking over the role. She appeared sporadically for an additional three years. Much of Patty's history revolves around her romance with Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), as well as her repeated mental health issues.
Ashley Jones
Jones rose to fame on the long-running CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless", playing Megan Dennison from 1997 to 2000, and again in 2001. She received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her role on "The Young and the Restless". She played Dr. Bridget Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful" from December 2004 to February 2012 and again in 2013.
List of The Young and the Restless characters (2010)
Meggie McClaine first appeared on June 8, 2010, portrayed by actress, Sean Young. Her casting was announced by multiple sources in April 2010. On her casting and getting the role, Young said: "Getting the chance to work with my dear friend Eric Braeden, one of the true gentlemen in entertainment, was certainly a deciding factor for me as well as wanting to get back to work after taking a few years off to raise my kids." Young had previously worked with Braeden (Victor Newman) in a film "The Man Who Came Back". When introduced, Meggie is described as "a feisty barmaid who is involved in a mystery with Victor Newman." Young also described her character as being "Spunky!". In the same interview, Young stated that her character was "Kindhearted" however the character proved ultimately opposite.
In an interview with "TV Guide Magazine", Young said "Meggie’s not very sophisticated. She wears an apron and a plaid shirt. She breaks up a bar brawl. She reminds me of Joan Blondell in that old TV series Here Come the Brides. I just sort of walk onto a set that way. “Sultry” was their description. [Laughs] I just call it me." Initially a guest role only appearing for a 5-episode stint, Young returned to "The Young and the Restless" in July 2010, and "Entertainment Weekly" reported that she would stay until August, however her storyline ended in October 2010. She returned in February 2011, with brief appearances until March 2011, with the character still being jailed at the time.
Sam Gibson (The Young and the Restless)
Sam Gibson is a fictional character from the American soap opera "The Young and the Restless", portrayed by Sean Patrick Flanery. He made his first on-screen appearance on April 18, 2011. Introduced by head writer Maria Arena Bell, Sam was created as a love interest for long-running Sharon Newman while she was a fugitive. A rural veterinarian, Sam takes Sharon, posing under the alias Sheri Coleman, into his barn. They eventually fall in love; but she is located and arrested. Although they remained friends, the relationship ended when she returned to Genoa City. Flanery was let go after a few months, last airing on November 4, 2011.
Fenmore Baldwin
Fenmore Baldwin is a fictional character from "The Young and the Restless", an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by former head writers Lynn Marie Latham and Kay Alden as the son of Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) and Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman), the character was born during the episode airing on October 13, 2006, Initially portrayed by various child actors, including Robbie Tucker, the character was rapidly aged to a teenager in 2012, with Max Ehrich assuming the role through 2015. In 2018, the role was recast with Zach Tinker.
The Young and the Restless
In Australia, "The Young and the Restless" airs after "Days of Our Lives" on Arena. It previously aired on the Nine Network from April 1, 1974 to February 23, 2007, before joining the W line-up on April 2, 2007, to August 17, 2012, On July 20, 2012, it was announced that the show would move to Arena on August 20, 2012, after W rebranded as SoHo. Episodes are approximately one week behind those airing in the US at present.
Jim Sayegh
"The Young and the Restless"
The Young and the Restless
Botkin wrote a rearranged version of the piece specifically for "The Young and the Restless"' debut. The song remained unchanged, save for a slight remix in 1988 and a three-year stint in the early 2000s (decade), when an alternate, more jazzy arrangement of that tune was used, using portions of the longer closing version of the original theme.
Matt Clark (The Young and the Restless)
Matt Clark is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". The role was originated by Eddie Cibrian in May 1994, who left the show in 1996. After Russell Lawrence briefly playing the character in 2000, Rick Hearst took over the role that year, departing in 2001 after the character was killed off. Hearst returned for several appearances as an apparition. Matt was known as an antagonistic villain who created problems for Nick and Sharon Newman, beginning when they were teens in high school. He raped both Sharon Collins and Amy Wilson, and framed Nicholas Newman for multiple crimes.
The Young and the Restless
In the United Kingdom, "The Young and The Restless" has aired on many TV channels starting in 1990, when episodes from 1987 debuted on BSB Galaxy in a regular weekday timeslot. When BSB merged with Sky in November 1990, the soap moved to Sky's flagship channel Sky One and aired at 11:00 weekdays until the end of 1992. When BSB's original three-year contract to air the soap expired, Sky chose not to renew it. In 1993, "Y&R" was picked up by UK Living (then known as simply Living, now Sky Living) in a primetime timeslot, picking up where Sky left off. This lasted until late 1995. In 2007, Zone Romantica, now CBS Drama began broadcasting the show weekdays [four years behind US]. In 2009, when CBS went into partnership with and took over the Chellozone Channels the show was relegated to just one showing a day [in favor of repeating shows such as Dynasty and Dallas in the daytime]. It was attracting around 18–20,000 viewers at midnight in the last week of its broadcast in the UK in August 2010.