BEVERLY HILLS —Bradley Bell’s highly successful daytime drama “The Bold and the Beautiful” took home the gold in 2009 for Best Outstanding Drama at the Daytime Emmys. Although 2008 was a great year for “B&B,” 2009, which the series is in consideration for this time around, was even better. Bell brought on powerhouse actor Don Diamont as Bill Spencer to shake things up with the Forrester family and Diamont did just that. Bell also brought back veteran actor Betty White to complete a storyline arc as Ann Douglas, played by Ms. White was dying from pancreatic cancer. Add to that, Kyle Lowder’s mesmerizing performance as Rick Forrester when he found out that Thomas Forrester played by Drew Tyler Bell was his stalker and the person who tried to kill him, and you know why Bradley P. Bell makes daytime drama more exciting than it’s been in decades.

“B&B” is the most successful daytime show in television history. When Bill and Lee Phillip Bell created the iconic drama 23 years ago, no one expected a soap to survive more than a decade. No one but Bill Bell knew that he had a secret weapon that would not only keep his show popular but his secret weapon would make the show the most watched show on the planet. Bill’s secret weapon? Youngest son, Brad who not only learned from his father, but perfected the soap genre to the point that he has surpassed the great Bill Bell’s talent as a writer and executive producer, and now “B&B” is an international phenomenon. So is Bradley P. Bell.

Brad secured his show’s success by keeping seasoned greats on his daytime series like Susan Flannery, the late Darlene Conley, Ronn Moss, John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang. Then he brought on superb actors like Kyle Lowder, Jack Wagner, Lesley-Anne Down, Brandon Beemer, Lesli Kay and Ashley Jones. However, last year’s casting of Don Diamont has proved to be one of daytime’s greatest achievements and only one more success for Brad himself. No one can deny that “B&B” is the most entertaining drama on the air. “The Bold and the Beautiful” is television’s “Avatar.” James Cameron had a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars and 12 years to create a world that was so unbelievable that fans flocked to theaters in order to see the planet Pandora and the blue inhabitants. Brad sometimes shoots two or three episodes a day, and still the Forrester, Logan, Spencer and Marone clans are more fascinating than anything on the big screen. Clint Eastwood, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and even Martin Scorcese could learn a lot from watching “B&B” and seeing what dynamic actors like Diamont, Wagner and Flannery can do when they have the best writer in television history cranking out scripts that greats like Bette Davis and Clark Gable would beg for a part in.

“B&B” had so many wonderful storylines last year that makes it not only eligible but worthy of an Emmy. One critic recently suggested the pacing of the show was too fast. In fact, the pacing of the show is perfect. It moves fast enough that fans feel like they have to watch to see what’s going to happen next. Brad has no room for lazy writing or acting and the show is lean and in great shape. With Bradley Bell at the helm, and his distinguished actors playing so many amazing scenes and storylines, “B&B” will continue to be a world-wide success. My suggestion for storylines that were Emmy-worthy last year include, Bill Spencer’s emergence as a power the Forresters could not defeat and Ann’s death. Don Diamont, Betty White and Susan Flannery pulled off tour de force performances and their leader, Bradley P. Bell does so on a daily basis.

Academy voters need to take a look at the little engine that could. “B&B” the only half-hour soap in the U.S. rarely receives the credit it richly deserves. Last year’s storylines were among the most entertaining on daytime and primetime TV.

Head writer and executive producer Bradley P. Bell is a local Holmby Hills resident and his mother, Lee Phillip Bell, who co-created “B&B” and “Y&R” is a Beverly Hills neighbor as well.

“The Bold and the Beautiful” airs weekdays on CBS.