The Bold and the Beautiful



The Bold and the Beautiful (often referred to as B&B) is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987 as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera The Young and the Restless; several characters from each of the two shows have crossed over to the other since the early 1990s. Set in Los Angeles, California, the show centers upon the Forrester family and their fashion house business Forrester Creations.

The program features an ensemble cast, headed by its longest-serving actors John McCook as Eric Forrester and Katherine Kelly Lang as Brooke Logan. Since its premiere, the show has become the most-watched soap in the world, with an audience of an estimated 26.2 million viewers. As of 2010, it continues to hold on to the second-placed position in weekly Nielsen Ratings for daytime dramas. The Bold and the Beautiful has also won 31 Daytime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Drama Series in 2009 and again in 2010, as well as in 2011.

On September 7, 2011, the series switched to high definition, making it the second-to-last American soap to make the switch, at the time. B&B was the last American soap opera to make the transition due to the cancellation of ABC's One Life to Live before it returned along with All My Children on April 29, 2013. It is the youngest airing daytime soap opera in the United States, celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary in March 2012. Since December 2, 2013, The Bold and the Beautiful now airs same day CBS repeats on Pop.

Premise


Set in Los Angeles, California, The Bold and the Beautiful centers around the Forrester family and their fashion house business Forrester Creations. Stephanie Douglas, a strong-willed woman, daughter of wealthy Chicago businessman John Douglas, met her husband-to-be Eric Forrester, who aspired to become a fashion designer, while they both studied at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. The young lovers hurried to get married after Stephanie became pregnant. They moved to Los Angeles, California, where they established Forrester Creations, designing and producing upscale men and women's fashion, based on Eric's designing talent and Stephanie's financial funding. While winning international recognition, fame, and wealth with their work, the couple managed to raise four children in a happy and caring environment, including the elder and favorite son Ridge, brother Thorne and younger sisters Kristen and Felicia. It was discovered years later, when the children were all adults, that Stephanie's elder son, Ridge, was actually fathered by Massimo Marone. Like many soap operas, The Bold and the Beautiful looks into the lives of wealthy families and how love affairs, scandals, and betrayals affect each of the family members and their relationships with each other.

Start and development of the series
The pilot episodes of the show focuses on the preparations of the wedding of the Forrester's eldest son, Ridge, to Caroline Spencer Forrester, the daughter of the media mogul Bill Spencer. At this time Ridge has already become a fashion designer and vice president of Forrester Creations. Many media outlets throughout the world, from the big television networks to the most honorable newspapers, to the last gossip newspapers publicize their wedding, declaring it "the wedding of the year in the fashion world". Thousands of women see the pictures of Ridge and speculate on the identity of the woman who has won the heart of the man who has, until recently, been a playboy, and who has refused to settle for one woman.

One of these women is a chemistry student named Brooke Logan, who comes from a working-class family and who lives with her single mother Beth, her siblings Storm, Donna and Katie in a typical American home in the San Fernando Valley in the city of Los Angeles. In an ironic twist of fate, Beth was Eric's college girlfriend before he married Stephanie. Brooke's life soon becomes a key element in the series. Originally from a middle-class background, her love affair with Ridge sets up much of the story-line, beginning in the first year. Every so often, Ridge and Brooke reunite only to break up due to various circumstances, and Ridge invariably finds comfort (in most cases, this would lead to marriage) with another love of his life Dr. Taylor Hayes. In addition, the rivalry between Ridge's mother Stephanie and Brooke plays a key role in the drama. Following one of her breakups with Ridge, Brooke marries his father Eric, who divorces Stephanie to do so. Brooke gives birth to two of Eric's children. They eventually divorce and Eric reconciles with Stephanie. Likewise, Brooke and Ridge resume their pattern of an on-again-off-again relationship, between Brooke's relationships with other men and Forrester family members, and Ridge's multiple reunions with Taylor. Eric eventually marries Brook's sister, Donna Logan and legally adopts her son Marcus. They later divorce due to their family's bitter history. Felicia and Kristen Forrester choose to follow their own paths, leaving the family company to be run by Ridge, Thorne, Rick, Marcus, and their families.

Subplotting
For many years, Spectra Fashions was Forrester's main rival, headed by Sally Spectra. Sally, a larger-than-life character with outrageous clothes and a sizable red coiffure, is a key element in both comedic and dramatic story-lines, with the help of ditzy receptionist Darla Einstein, and fashion designer Clarke Garrison, who fathered CJ Garrison, Sally's son. Though, at first, Sally and Stephanie Forrester are bitter enemies, in later years, they develop a friendship; Sally even ends up working at Forrester Creations after she finally makes the decision to shut down her own company.

Sally's daughter Macy Alexander, a singer, undergoes many traumas, most notably alcoholism. She and Thorne Forrester are involved in an on-again-off-again marriage. After she eventually loses Thorne to Brooke, Macy goes abroad and into hiding with her father, Adam. After being discovered in Italy, Macy returns to Los Angeles where she reunites with Thorne Forrester before developing an interest in fellow recovering alcoholic, Deacon Sharpe, whom she marries. Weeks later, Macy is gravely injured at a nightclub where she is headlining as a singer. She enters a coma and it is implied that her family pulls the plug off-camera.

The Spectra family and friends are supplanted by the introduction of Massimo Marone and his entourage. Marone, a billionaire shipping magnate, was a childhood friend of Stephanie and dated her in college. They slept together once just before Stephanie began dating Eric Forrester, and after forty-something years, a medical crisis reveals that Massimo is Ridge's biological father. Shortly thereafter, Jacqueline Payne, a former lover of Massimo, arrives on the scene and announces that her son, Dominick "Nick" Payne, a captain at Marone Industries, was also fathered by Massimo. Unlike Ridge, Nick wasn't a businessman and took the surname Marone.

In recent years, the Spencer family and their media conglomerate Spencer Publications have been part of the show's focus. Original character Bill Spencer's children Karen Spencer and Bill Spencer, Jr., along with Karen's daughter Caroline Spencer and Bill's sons Wyatt Spencer, Liam Spencer, and Will Spencer make up the Spencer family.

Development
In 1986, CBS was on the hunt to replace Capitol, and contacted several writers and producers for proposals. Paul Rauch created Grosse Pointe as a replacement. During her absence from Ryan's Hope, Michael Brockman, former President of CBS Daytime, asked Claire Labine to develop a new serial in 1986. Her proposal was entitled Celebration but never made it to the air. Had it been greenlit, Jane Greenstein would have been Assistant to the Head Writer like she was on General Hospital. William J. Bell created The Bold and the Beautiful, which was originally titled Rags.

Taping
B&B has been shot at Stage 31 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles for its entire run so far. The show typically uses the traditional soap opera look, featuring constructed sets such as the Forrester Mansion, the Shady Marlin, and the Forrester Creations offices. Like other soap operas, B&B is usually taped three to four weeks in advance. In recent times, the show has increased shooting on location, in the way fellow CBS soap Guiding Light did in its final two network years. Many of the characters have taken trips to the fictional "Bikini Beach" which is actually a nearby California beach, and there have been scenes around the Forrester Creations building which appear to be shot somewhere on the lot or inside of CBS Television City.

Theme song and title sequence
"High Upon This Love," the theme song of The Bold and the Beautiful, was written by David Kurtz and Jack Allocco and features a prominent saxophone sample played by Eric Marienthal. From November 1998 to July 1999 in the United States, a vocal version of the theme song performed by Dionne Warwick was played during the end credits.

Executive producers and head writers
Head Writers

Awards and nominations


Nominated for over two hundred prizes and accolades since its debut, the series has won several awards over the years, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Writing team also won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team in 2010 and 2013. Susan Flannery has personally won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series on three separate occasions.

Ratings
Upon its debut as the replacement of former soap opera Capitol in the CBS Daytime lineup, The Bold and the Beautiful ended eighth in the final year ratings. Initially CBS' lowest-rated soap, its numbers were still respectable and began to climb. By 1992, after a successful crossover involving villain Sheila Carter from The Young and the Restless, it had climbed to third. By the mid-to-late 1990s, following yet another crossover, it moved up to second and has consistently remained there since. Throughout the 2000s (decade), The Bold and the Beautiful and all the other remaining network daytime dramas have witnessed a steady erosion of viewers, mainly due to vastly altered viewing habits induced by cable networks and alternative genres such as reality, court shows, and talk shows on minor network affiliates.

Broadcast
Since the cancellation of Port Charles, it is currently the only American soap opera with a running time of 30 minutes (including commercials) and was the last remaining American soap broadcasting in the 4:3 standard definition picture format, until the show upgraded to 16:9 high-definition in September 2011. Episodes airing in the United States air for approximately 19 minutes, while international broadcasts air to a runtime of approximately 21 minutes.

DVD release
The earliest DVD releases of The Bold and the Beautiful came in 2008 and 2009, when "Fan Favourites Collection" and "Best of Weddings" were released in Europe and Australia. These DVD sets contained a random selection of 21 and 25 episodes, respectively, from 1987 up until that point in time. These sets sold well and from 2010-2011, Beyond Home Entertainment in Australia released another 3 sets containing a random selection of 25 episodes each. These sets, however, only contained episodes from 2003 onwards, frustrating some long-term fans, as a large proportion of the show was left out. One of these sets, entitled "Most Shocking Moments", was also released in the US on July 23, 2012 on the Amazon Video service, but only contained 15 episodes.

The series was released from the very beginning in Germany (April 29, 2011), Sweden (November 23, 2011), the United States (November 6, 2012) and Australia (December 3, 2012). All DVD sets contain 25 episodes, with the exception of the US release only containing 16. The German releases have sold well, with distributor Fernsehjuwelen having released box 2 later in 2011 and boxes 3-7 throughout 2012. Boxes 8, 9 and 10 are set for release in late 2014 through 2015.

Crossovers
There have been several crossovers among other CBS Daytime shows.

The Young and the Restless

 * 1992
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) was the first major character to cross over to The Bold and the Beautiful. Sheila appeared on The Young and the Restless from 1990 to 1992 (returning as a guest in 1993, 1994, and 1995), and again from 2005 to 2006 (Michelle Stafford took over the role of Sheila from 2006 to 2007). She was on The Bold and the Beautiful from 1992 to 1998, with shorter-lived stints in 2002 and 2003.
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Molly Carter (Marilyn Alex) appeared several times after her daughter, Sheila, was revealed to be living in Los Angeles.
 * 1993
 * The Young and the Restless:  Eric Forrester (John McCook) called Lauren from his office to invite her to Los Angeles.
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Brad Carlton (Don Diamont) crossed over to confront Sheila Carter about the photos of his tryst with Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman), fearing that he would lose custody of his daughter, Colleen, if they became public. Although Brad's threats were enough to make Sheila give up the photos, Lauren later discovered that there was still more evidence proving their affair.
 * The Young and the Restless: Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery) appeared on Y&R to inform Lauren of Sheila's marriage to Eric.
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Dr. Scott Grainger (Peter Barton) and Lauren Fenmore were vacationing on Catalina Island in November, where they were shocked to find Eric Forrester and Sheila Carter also on a romantic retreat. The character Scott Grainger died during this crossover, but not before he forgave Sheila for her past and begged Lauren not to reveal their history to Eric.
 * 1995
 * The Young and the Restless: Eric Forrester (John McCook) appears at his office in Los Angeles to inform Sheila that Lauren will be coming to town.
 * The Young and the Restless: James Warwick (Ian Buchanan) made a brief crossover when he called Lauren from Sheila's dungeon. Brad Carlton also makes an appearance.
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) crossed over to The Bold and the Beautiful, where she stayed until 1999, and briefly returned in 2002, 2004, and 2007. She had already appeared on the show several times prior to her becoming an actual cast member, mostly due to Sheila's crossover in 1992.
 * 1998
 * The Young and the Restless:  Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) crossed over to meet with Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) at his Newman Enterprises office in Genoa City, Wisconsin. In her effort to spice up the deal she's trying to work out, Brooke drops her jacket and reveals that she is wearing very little.  Much to Victor's chagrin (and possible enjoyment), Brad Carlton (Don Diamont) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) walk in on the scene.
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) crossed over to meet with Eric Forrester (John McCook), Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang), Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss), and Thorne Forrester (Winsor Harmon). The Forresters were looking for a new scent to go along with Brooke's Bedroom Line, and thought that Jabot Cosmetics could help.
 * 1999
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) appeared to meet with Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang), and to make Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss) jealous. With prodding from Brooke, Victor agreed to kiss her, thus enraging Ridge and ruining his night out with Dr. Taylor Hayes Forrester (Hunter Tylo). (January 25 – 28, 1999)
 * 2000–2001
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Dr. Tim Reid (Aaron Lustig), who was Phyllis Summers' therapist, moved to Los Angeles and helped Morgan DeWitt (Sarah Buxton).
 * 2003
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Lauren Fenmore's (Tracey E. Bregman) mother, Joanna Manning (Susan Seaforth Hayes), appeared in her capacity as a ranking employee of Fenmore's Department Stores. (May 15, 2003)
 * 2004
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) received an angered phone call from the husband of her employee Jacqueline Payne Marone, who demanded to know if the two had really gone out drinking the night before like he was being told. Although she was caught off-guard, Lauren said they had, assuming Jacquie had a good reason for lying to her husband. In truth, Jacquie had told her husband this to help cover up her one night stand with Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan).  (May 17–20, 2004)
 * 2005
 * The Young and the Restless:  Eric Forrester (John McCook) crossed over to warn Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) about Sheila Carter. (August 11, 2005)
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  While eating lunch at the Café Russe in Los Angeles, Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) was approached by Massimo Marone (Joseph Mascolo). Massimo introduced her to friend Stephanie Douglas Forrester (Susan Flannery), the daughter of an old business acquaintance (John Douglas) belonging to Katherine. It was learned that Katherine was the actual owner of Forrester Creations, via the Stephanie Douglas Trust, which her associate’s daughter sought to reclaim from her estranged husband (Eric Forrester). With Katherine's blessing, Stephanie achieved her goal, leaving the grand dame of Genoa City free to focus on her numerous other assets. (October 31 – November 1, 2005)
 * The Young and the Restless:  Eric Forrester (John McCook) crossed over to Genoa City, Wisconsin, a second time to attend the wedding of Michael Baldwin and Lauren Fenmore. (December 9, 2005)
 * Lauren's mother, Joanna Manning (Susan Seaforth Hayes), appeared on both The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless (the latter in December to attend her daughter's wedding to Michael Baldwin).
 * 2006
 * The Young and the Restless:  In November Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz) arrived in Genoa City to stay. (November 13, 2006)
 * 2007
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Lauren Fenmore appeared in January. (January 19–22, 2007)
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) crossed over in early March when Eric Forrester put plans in motion to launch a fragrance line for his new fashion house, Forrester Originals. (March 9, 2007)
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Traci (Beth Maitland), Ashley Abbott's sister, also appeared in March, while talking to her sister on the telephone. (March 20, 2007)
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Abby Carlton (Darcy Rose Byrnes) joined Ashley in Los Angeles. (May 11, 2007)
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Christine Blair (Lauralee Bell) arrived in Los Angeles in June to defend Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss) after he was arrested for the murder of Shane McGrath (Dax Griffin). Christine got the charges dropped after Rick Forrester's (Kyle Lowder) testimony. The Forresters thanked Christine and she returned to Genoa City. (June 12–21, 2007)
 * The Young and the Restless:  Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang), while at her office in Los Angeles, received a phone call from Cane Ashby (Daniel Goddard) regarding his wife, Amber Moore. Brooke filled Cane in on her history with Amber, leaving Cane with even more questions about his marriage.  (July 5, 2007)
 * The Young and the Restless:  Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) returned to visit her brother Jack Abbott and Victor Newman for the new year. (December 28, 2007 – January 3, 2008)
 * 2008
 * The Young and the Restless:  Eric Forrester (John McCook) met with Jack Abbott in February about the magazine Restless Style at Forrester Creations. During that same trip to Los Angeles, Jack and his wife, Sharon Abbott (Sharon Case), paid a visit to Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) and Abby Carlton (Darcy Rose Byrnes).  (February 26–28, 2008)
 * The Young and the Restless:  In March, Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) and Felicia Forrester (Lesli Kay) flew to Genoa City for the launch of the magazine Restless Style. (March 25–26, 2008)
 * The Young and the Restless:  Felicia Forrester (Lesli Kay) crossed over in April on recurring status. (April 8, 2008-August 2008)
 * The Young and the Restless:  Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) crossed over at the end of June to attend the wedding of Victor Newman and Sabrina Costelana. Her daughter with Victor, Abigail "Abby" Carlton, was also in attendance as a flower girl. While back in Genoa City, Ashley was shocked to learn that Nikki Newman had beaten Victor to the punch; her brother, Jack Abbott, had allowed their former stepmother, Gloria Bardwell, to move into the pool-house; and that Jack and his wife, Sharon Abbott, were about to redecorate her childhood home. (June 19–23, 2008)
 * 2009
 * The Young and the Restless:  In July Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) arrived in Genoa City to stay.
 * 2010
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz) returns from Genoa City to Los Angeles when Whip Jones asks her to work as a fashion designer at Jackie M, on July 1, 2010.
 * 2011
 * The Bold and the Beautiful: Olivia Barber Winters (Tonya Lee Williams) attends wedding of her cousin, Justin Barber (Aaron D. Spears) and Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis).
 * 2013
 * The Young and the Restless:  In May Oliver Jones (Zack Conroy) crossed over for two episodes. (May 21, 2013)
 * 2014
 * The Young and the Restless:  In April Rick Forrester (Jacob Young) and Caroline Spencer (Linsey Godfrey) crossed over for two episodes. (April 14, 2014)
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Gloria Abbott Bardwell appeared in November for a fashion show at Forrester Creations. (November 20, 2014)
 * 2015
 * The Young and the Restless:  The Forresters were mentioned by Devon Hamilton while planning for his wedding to Hilary Curtis.
 * Possible Connection
 * The actor Robert Clary played Pierre Roulland on Y&R from 1973 to 1974 before playing Pierre Jourdan on The Bold and the Beautiful from 1990 to 1992. Whether or not the two characters are related is unknown.

CBS Daytime Game Shows -- The Price Is Right and Let's Make a Deal

 * 2002
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Host Bob Barker and the Models of The Price Is Right appeared to discuss the new fashion line by Amber Moore.
 * 2008
 * The Price Is Right:  Bridget Forrester (Ashley Jones) makes an appearance during the Showcase to offer a contestant a spot as an extra for a segment. The contestant won the Showcase.
 * Immediately after the contestant won, she was whisked away to Studio 31 for hair, makeup, and wardrobe before taping her segment. The segment was later posted on the Web site for the two shows.
 * 2009
 * The Price Is Right:  Dominick Marone (Jack Wagner) interrupts taping of Price (which is taped in the Studio 33; The Bold and the Beautiful is taped next door in Studio 31) on March 6. Wagner talks to Carey about soap appearances and "crashes" the taping. At the end of the show, a Marone-themed Showcase is presented.
 * The Bold and the Beautiful:  Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis) and Pam Douglas (Alley Mills) take a trip to The Price is Right in June, and to their surprise Donna becomes a contestant, ultimately winning both showcases.
 * The Price Is Right:  Dominick Marone (Jack Wagner) and Bridget Forrester (Ashley Jones) appear together on June 19 to model wedding attire during a special "Ultimate Wedding Shower" edition of The Price is Right.
 * 2010
 * The Price Is Right and The Young and the Restless: Stephen Logan (Patrick Duffy) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) appear in a war of words in a One Bid, then each present their own themed Showcase at the end of the show.
 * 2011
 * The Price Is Right: A contestant on the March 2011 Ultimate Spring Break episode wins a walk-on role as an extra;  that episode airs April 19 and is linked to the Web site of the show.
 * The Price Is Right: Thomas Forrester (Adam Gregory) models wedding attire for the Ultimate Wedding Shower episode along with show model Rachel Reynolds.  The wedding attire is a prize on this episode.
 * 2012
 * The Bold and the Beautiful: Tiffany Coyne meets the Forresters and Pam Douglas (Alley Mills), asking Pam and Nick to appear on Let's Make a Deal.  Dominick Marone (as a lobster) and Pam Douglas (as a fisherman) appear in a deal.
 * Let's Make a Deal: Wagner appears to offer a contestant a walk-on role on the show, a common practice now with both CBS Daytime game shows with this show.
 * 2013
 * The Price Is Right: Starting with Season 42, guest models often appear on the show.  B&B stars Karla Mosley and Lawrence Saint-Victor appear as models after this practice begins, which continues into Season 43 (2014–15).
 * The Bold and the Beautiful: Executive Producer for both CBS Daytime game shows Michael G. Richards, and models Rachel Reynolds (Price) and Danielle Demski (Deal; substitute model for most of 2013-14) are employees of Forrester Creations, meeting with Thorne (Winsor Harmon) and Ally (Ashlyn Pearce).

CBS Primetime Shows -- Big Brother

 * During numerous times of the show, former Big Brother houseguests have guest starred, occasionally mentioning their history in the house.