Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Happy 23rd Anniversary to THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL debuted on Monday, March 23, 1987, replacing CAPITOL, which ended the previous Friday with Sloane standing in front of a firing squad. Instead of seeing the resolution of that story on Monday, CBS soaps fans saw the launch of the Forrester and Logan families that are still going strong today. Executive producer and head writer Bradley Bell recently spoke with ET about the anniversary.

ET: What does 23 years mean to you?

Bradley Bell: It is a great feeling. It is a feeling of success. It is so much fun to look at, especially our four original cast members -- John McCook (Eric Forrester), Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester), Ronn Moss (Ridge Forrester), and Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan) -- we have been together for so long. When we started out in 1987, we were never thinking about the year 2010. It is a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

ET: Especially in this climate in which soaps are being cancelled.

Bradley Bell: Yes. It is amazing that we are the last one to succeed to still be on the air -- [note: "The Bold and the Beautiful" is the youngest of the soaps still on the air] -- the only half-hour show and things are still looking bright for us.

ET: Not only are you a success in the U.S. but you are the most-watched soap in the world. What do you think makes "The Bold and the Beautiful" internationally appealing?

Bradley Bell: I think it has been about the Logans and the Forresters for so long. It has remained focused and consistent on these characters. As difficult as it is to keep them front and center -- Brooke against Stephanie and Taylor and Ridge -- I think it has been a big key to our success that we are presenting the same actors, the same families, while trying to keep the story fresh. When you turn into "B&B," you are going to see your favorite actors. You know the players, whether you like them or not. It is that consistency that we have had with the writing and acting that, I think, has paid off for us.

Since its premiere, the critically acclaimed series has received 143 Daytime Emmy® Award Nominations and 41 Daytime Emmy® Awards, including their first for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series in 2009, by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Additionally, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL has garnered worldwide acclaim, and in 2009 was named the recipient of the Golden Nymph Award at the International TV Audience Awards in the “Telenovela/Soap Opera” category at the Monte Carlo Television Festival awards ceremony for the fourth consecutive year, confirming that in its genre, with an estimated 35 million daily viewers, it remains the most watched daily drama in the world.

Created by the late daytime drama legend William J. Bell and his wife, Lee Phillip Bell, their son Bradley P. Bell took the helm of the show in 1992.

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