HOLLYWOOD─For those watching CBS during the daytime, you probably know by now that “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” are NOT currently airing new episodes, they’re airing classics. At first I was not a fan of this, but as it turns out, it is actually a great idea and harkens back to a time when soaps were really focused on character development and storytelling if you ask me.
I mean watching last Friday’s episode where audiences were treated to the greatness of Katherine Chancellor portrayed by Jeanne Cooper was fantastic. I mean I totally forgot Katherine had married Murphy, and it was great seeing the continued rivalry between Katherine and Jill Abbott. Those ladies loved and hated each other more than one can count. In addition, we got to see the late great Kristoff St. John, Victor and Ashley as an item, many of our staples now in their younger years. It’s like a reflection of how much the characters have grown and aged since years ago on the soap, heck we were even treated to John Abbott, not to mention a few other soap favs who have now moved on to portraying other iconic characters on the remaining soaps still on the air.
The one thing I’m learning about these classic episodes of “Y&R” is just how much drama was reinvigorated in soap operas way back than what we have nowadays. Today, it seems like things are just so melodramatic and unbelievable it sometimes takes the fun out of the soap actually. I really love what “Y&R” is doing with delivering the random episodes that don’t necessarily take on a trajectory, but deliver something new each day.
On the flipside, we have “The Bold and the Beautiful” which is following theme weeks. Last week it was all about Monte Carlo, which reminded me of several things, Quinn was never liked by many, Bill has ALWAYS had a torch for Brooke, Wyatt and Liam shared too many of the same women and Sally has been delivered more mishaps than I can remember. Do I love a theme week? Yeah, but it depends on rather the audience is being delivered the best of the best in the bunch people.
You cannot have a theme week and deliver lackluster episodes; it has to be the best of the best of the week people. This week it was all about weddings, and if there is one thing I know about weddings in the soap world, it’s the fact that no daytime wedding EVER goes off without a hitch. The only time I can recall his transpiring is the FANTASTIC wedding between Luke and Laura on “General Hospital” that made ratings history in the 80s on broadcast TV.
With that said “B&B” delivered the weddings between Liam and Steffy (who cares, they’re been married so many times it has no validity if you ask me), Hope and Liam, and a few others. I will make the argument that “The Bold and the Beautiful” is not known for delivering weddings that have stunning results. Well, I can take that back, the recent wedding between Thomas and Zoe was a dramatic one and damn fun if I must say. Just a few suggestions for both “Y&R” and “B&B” since they’re airing classic episodes: how about a fantastic villain week? There are some great daytime villains who don’t receive the notoriety and accolades deserved. In addition, how about a stunning surprises week?
I will NEVER forget that moment that Quinn Fuller was shot at and everyone thought it was Katie, and too the viewer’s surprise, we learned Sheila was looking at that scope! Whenever the writers are able to deliver a stunner to the audience that is damn good storytelling people. There is so much that can be done with classic episodes, I just hope the soap arena does not disappoint.
I mean you’re talking about “The Young and the Restless” which has been airing for over 40 plus years, and “The Bold and the Beautiful” which has been airing for over 30 plus years. There is plenty of content to keep audiences entertained for weeks to come people, weeks, during this quarantine, which many of us have no idea when it will come to an end.
