The Bold and the Beautiful
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The Bold and the Beautiful (often abbreviated to B&B) is an American television soap opera, created by William J. Bell, who also serves as show runner, and Lee Phillip Bell as a sister show to their other soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Set in Los Angeles, California, the show centers around the Forrester family and their fashion house business Forrester Creations. The show features an ensemble cast, headed by its longest-serving actors Susan Flannery as Stephanie Forrester, John McCook as Eric Forrester, Katherine Kelly Lang as Brooke Logan and Ronn Moss as Ridge Forrester.
B&B is currently the only American soap opera with a running time of 30 minutes, and the only one to simulcast in Spanish utilizing SAP technology for Hispanic viewers in the United States. Since its premiere on CBS Daytime on March 23, 1987 the show has become the most-watched soap in the world with an audience of an estimated 26.2 million viewers in more than 110 countries worldwide.[1]
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[edit] Plot and history
[edit] Background of the Forrester family
Stephanie Douglas, a strong-willed woman, daughter to a rich family, met her husband-to-be Eric Forrester, a young talented guy that aspired to become a successful and famous fashion designer, while they both studied at the Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. The young lovers hurried to get married after Stephanie became pregnant and, in a certain stage they moved to live in Los Angeles, California, where they established Forrester Creations, a company focused on designing and producing dresses, mainly based on the designing talent of Eric and on Stephanie’s financial funding. While winning international recognition, fame and wealth with their work, the couple managed to raise up three children in a happy and caring environment, including their eldest son Thorne and his younger sisters Kristen and Felicia. Stephanie’s eldest son, Ridge, was biologically fathered by Massimo Marone, but raised by Eric. He, Eric, also has two grown children: Rick and Bridget, from his marriage to Brooke Logan.
Eric and Stephanie’s marriage has been on-and-off on the series since the premiere in 1987 and they have recently divorced for the third time.
[edit] Start and development of the series
The pilot episodes of the show focused on the preparations of the wedding of the Forrester’s eldest son, Ridge, to Caroline Spencer, 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 as “the wedding of the year in the fashion world.” Thousands of women see the pictures of Ridge in the newspapers 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 at a typical American home at the San Fernando Valley next to Los Angeles. Brooke’s life soon became a key element in the series. Originally from a middle-class background, her love affair with Ridge set up much of the storyline beginning in the first season. Every so often, Ridge and Brooke reunite only to break up due to 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 has played a key role in the drama since its inception. Following one of her breakups with Ridge, Brooke married his father Eric, after first divorcing from Stephanie. Brooke eventually gave birth to two of Eric’s children, before they divorced and Eric eventually reconciled with Stephanie. Likewise, Brooke and Ridge resumed their pattern of an on-again-off-again relationship, in-between Brooke’s relationships with other men and Forrester family members, and Ridge’s multiple reunions with Taylor.
[edit] 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, helmed both comedic and dramatic storylines, with the help of ditzy receptionist Darla Einstein and fashion designer Clarke Garrison. Though at first Sally and Stephanie Forrester were bitter enemies, in later years they developed a friendship; Sally even went to work at Forrester Creations after she finally made the decision to shut down her own company.
Sally’s daughter Macy Alexander, a singer, underwent many traumas, most notably alcoholism. Having an on-again-off-again marriage to Thorne Forrester, whom she eventually lost to Brooke, Macy went abroad into hiding with her father Adam. After being discovered in Italy, Macy relocated back to Los Angeles where she reunited with Thorne Forrester just to found interest in fellow recovering alcoholic, Deacon Sharpe, whom she married. Weeks later, Macy was gravely injured at a nightclub where she was headlining as a singer. She went into a coma and it was implied that her family pulled the plug off-camera.
In recent years, the Spectra family and friends have been supplanted by the introduction of Massimo Marone and his entourage. Marone, a billionaire shipping magnate who was a childhood friend of Stephanie dated her in college. They slept together once just before Stephanie first slept with Eric Forrester, and after forty-something years, a medical crisis revealed Massimo was Ridge’s biological father . Shortly thereafter, Jacqueline Payne, a former lover of Massimo, arrived on scene and announced that her son, Dominick “Nick” Payne, a capitan at Marone Industries, was also fathered by Massimo. Unlike Ridge, Nick wasn’t a businessman and also changed his name to Marone.
[edit] Theme song and title sequence
The theme song of B&B, “High Upon This Love,” was written by Jack Allocco and David Kurtz. A saxophone is played by well known saxophonist 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.
The title sequence for the first seventeen years featured still photos of the show’s current cast members interspersed with photos from fashion shoots. The sequence ends with a spool of pink fabric unrolling while the title “THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL” in black 1920’s style Huxley Vertical font zooms out the white area revealed by the roll (with the letters being from in a disarranged to a rearranged order). The theme tune was tweaked slightly through the years, and the cast photos were replaced occasionally.
On July 2, 2004, the theme was revamped to go along with a completely revamped title sequence, featuring a “B&B” monogram logo above the show’s title and video headshots of the current contract players (accompanied by the character name and since 2005, the actor’s name). Recurring actors are rarely added to the opening, with the exceptions of William deVry (Storm Logan) and Daniel McVicar (Clarke Garrison), who are often added back in as fillers. Most of the cast members are dressed in either black or gray in these opening shots. Four versions are used, the full open with the cast video headshots, a shortened open with the cast video headshots, and two without the cast video headshots. Three out of the four title sequences open with a mock magazine cover which morphs into a photo shoot. The fourth open was added in December 2005 and is the shortest opener currently on B&B.
On July 3, 2008, a new updated version of the current theme aired. The new version had the cast reordered in their appearance in the sequence and even updated some of the physical appearances on some actors too. Hunter Tylo had her physical appearance refilmed, with the cast of William deVry, Daniel McVicar, Alley Mills and Eileen Davidson removed from the credits. Newcomers Robin Riker (Beth), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), Texas Battle (Marcus), and Brandon Beemer (Owen) were added to the credits.
[edit] Ratings history
When it debuted, The Bold and the Beautiful replaced Capitol in the CBS Daytime lineup and also took its eighth place in the final year ratings (oddly enough, .4 ratings points ahead of Capitol, which it had replaced). However, B&B aired at 1:30 p.m. ET following The Young and the Restless, while Capitol had aired an hour later at 2:30 pm ET. Initially CBS’ lowest-rated soap, its numbers were still respectable (reflecting the strength and consistency of the CBS daytime lineup) and began to climb. By 1993, after a successful crossover involving villain Sheila Carter from Y&R, it had climbed to third. By the mid-to-late 1990s, following yet another crossover (this time involving Sheila’s nemesis Lauren Fenmore) it moved up to second and since has consistently remained there.
Some CBS affiliates such as KFMB-TV in San Diego, WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida, and KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma have moved the show to the morning in order to expand their local midday newscasts to an hour.
The series reached a record low of 3,048,000 viewers on Friday, August 3, 2007. (Nielsen Media Research)
[edit] Criticisms
The show has enjoyed success by focusing on telling stories involving the core Forrester family, in particular sticking to a core group of characters: Eric, Stephanie, Ridge, Taylor, Brooke, Thorne, and Macy. However, the show has been criticized at times for not having a well-developed “B” storyline and for, at times, overexposing the core characters. Unlike other US soaps currently on the air, it is not uncommon for B&B to devote entire shows or even a week’s worth of shows to a single storyline.
The show has also been criticized for the sometimes breakneck speed in which it changes storylines, in particular with changes in romantic pairings. It is important to note that although the show is sometimes criticized for rapid changes, several leading soap critics, including Carolyn Hinsey, have lauded the show for knowing when a story isn’t working, and changing or ending the story as a result (such as the 2005 romantic story involving Bridget and Ridge). It is, however, disconcerting that storylines are sometimes dropped without any kind of resolution.
Recasting is also a controversial, yet ongoing, fixture on the show. In the show’s 20 year history, many characters have been played by two or more actors, often leading to a viewer backlash. One such instance was the 2004 recast of Bridget Forrester from Emmy-winner Jennifer Finnigan to relative newcomer Emily Harrison. Viewers did not adjust well to the new Bridget and Harrison was soon downgraded to recurring status. The mistake was rectified later that year when former The Young and the Restless star Ashley Jones stepped into the role. Jones has consistently remained with the show since. B&B has also had many other successful recasts, such as Winsor Harmon’s Thorne Forrester, Lesli Kay’s Felicia Forrester and Patrick Duffy’s Stephen Logan. The recast of Rick Forrester from Emmy-winning Justin Torkildsen to ex-Days of our Lives star Kyle Lowder in 2007 met a mixed reaction from fans. It was announced in July 2007 that three-time Emmy winner Heather Tom, famous for portraying Victoria Newman on Y&R from 1991 to 2003, would join the cast of B&B as Katie, the younger sister of Brooke and Donna Logan, a role previously played by Nancy Sloan. Tom first aired on August 30, 2007. In December 2007, Tom, who had only signed a three-month deal initially, renewed her contract through 2011.
Finally, the relatively small cast has led to many romantic pairings and love triangles involving family members and in-laws. Some of the most controversial ones have been the romantic attraction shared between Ridge and his former half-sister/stepdaughter Bridget, as well as the recent attraction shared by Rick and his much younger step-niece Phoebe. Though the characters were not biologically related, this had not been established on the show until the 2002 reveal of Massimo being Ridge’s biological father. Additionally, many of the show’s storylines have featured siblings or a parent/child in love with and/or competing for the affections of the same character. The character of Brooke has been famously married to several members of the same family: Besides once being married to Nick, she has also had a long-running romance with Nick’s half-brother Ridge, which has led to several marriages and a child. She was also previously married to Ridge’s half-brother Thorne and Thorne’s father Eric, with whom she also has two children. Finally, she had an affair with her daughter Bridget’s husband Deacon, which resulted in yet another child. Notably, Nick was also recently married to Bridget for a while. A saving point for many viewers with respect to Brooke’s romantic pairings has been Katherine Kelly Lang’s notable chemistry with most of her male co-stars.
[edit] Current cast members
- Further information: Current characters of The Bold and the Beautiful
[edit] Comings and goings
[edit] Deceased cast members
[edit] Notable former cast members
[edit] Notable celebrities who have appeared
[edit] Crossovers
- There have been several crossovers between The Bold and the Beautiful and its sister show, The Young and the Restless
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- 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 Young and the Restless from 1990-1992 (returning as a guest in 1993, 1994 and 1995), and again in 2005-2006. She was on ‘‘The Bold and the Beautiful’’ from 1992-1998, with shorter-lived stints in 2002 and 2003.
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- The Bold and the Beautiful: Molly Carter (Marilyn Alex) appeared several times after her daughter, Sheila, was revealed to be living in Los Angeles.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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 and 2004. 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.
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- The Bold and the Beautiful: Brad Carlton made another brief crossover when James Warwick (Ian Buchanan) called Lauren from Sheila’s dungeon.
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- 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)
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- 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 01, 2005)
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- Lauren’s mother, Joanna Manning (Susan Seaforth Hayes), appeared on both ‘‘The Bold and the Beautiful’’ and Young and the Restless (the latter in December to attend her daughter’s wedding to Michael Baldwin).
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- The Bold and the Beautiful: Lauren Fenmore appeared in January. (January 19 – 22, 2007)
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- 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)
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- 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, 200
- Possible Connection
- The actor Robert Clary played Pierre Roulland on Young and the Restless’’ from 1973-1974 before playing Pierre Jourdan on ‘‘The Bold and the Beautiful’’ from 1990-1992. Whether or not the two characters are related is unknown.
[edit] Writing and producing team
- Executive producer(s)
- Head writers
- Current writing team
- Current producing/directing team
[edit] Broadcasts outside the United States
 In Australia, B&B airs at 4.30pm weekdays on Network Ten and is the most popular daytime soap. It is also timeshifted on the network’s High Definition channel at 5pm. Episodes are 3 months behind those being shown in the U.S.
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 In Austria, B&B airs in double episodes and German dubbing from 6.25pm to 7.20pm weekdays on ATV.
 In Belgium, B&B airs in on weekdays at 6.00pm on VijfTV. It is also available through Video On Demand, a world premiere, because of the popularity of the show in Flanders.
 In Botswana, B&B airs an episode from 10.20pm to 10.50pm weekdays on BTV.
 In Bulgaria, B&B airs in double episodes from 10.15 am to 11.00 am weekdays on Channel 1.The episodes are 4 years behind the USA.
 In Canada, B&B airs from 1:30pm to 2:00pm ET weekdays on CTV, simultaneously with CBS. It also airs in double episodes from 4.00pm to 5.00pm ET on weekdays in French on TVA, with the title Top modèles. The French episodes are 3-4 years behind the US.
 In Egypt, B&B airs on Dream 1 at 21:00, 3 years behind USA
 In Estonia, B&B airs from 18.25 pm to 18.55 pm weekdays on TV3.
 In Finland, B&B airs an episode from 5.00pm to 5.30pm weekdays on MTV3.
 In France, B&B airs an episode from 9.30am to 10.00am weekdays on France 2.
 In Germany, B&B airs an episode from 11.15am to 11.35am weekdays on ZDF. Episodes are 10 months behind the US.
 In Greece, B&B airs in double episodes from 2.30pm to 3.30pm weekdays on ERT3. Episodes are 2 years behind the US.
 In Iceland, B&B airs everyday at 09:00 and 17:28hrs and on Saturdays 12:30 to 13:50hrs on Stöð 2
 In India, B&B airs an episode from 3.00 pm to 3.30 pm weekdays on Star World.
 In Israel, B&B airs at 6.10pm Sunday to on Yes Stars 3. Due to a change in the broadcasting network, episodes are currently 5 months behind the US.
 In Italy, B&B airs from 1.40pm to 2.10pm weekdays on Canale 5. Episodes are 6 months behind the US. The title for the Italian edition is simply “Beautiful”.
 In Kenya, B&B airs an episode from 10.20pm to 10.50pm weekdays on KBC.
 In Latvia, B&B airs from 6.30pm to 7.00pm weekdays on LTV1.
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