[Archive 2008-03-26] Popular soap opera 'The Young and the Restless' celebrates 35 years on the air

Historical archive — originally published 2008-03-26. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

The popular American soap opera The Young and the Restless, currently the reigning Emmy Award-winner for best daytime drama, celebrated 35 years on the air Wednesday.

The 35th anniversary also comes after the series, known colloquially as Y&R, marked its 1,000th straight week as the highest-rated soap opera in a daytime slot. In addition to keeping the #1 spot every week since December 1988, Y&R has also been the top-rated soap in the African-American demographic since 1991.

A trend-setter since the beginning, Y&R relied on character-driven storytelling, accentuated with understated sexuality from its cast, which at that time was mostly young, in order to bring in teenage and twentysomething viewers who were ignored by soap producers and networks up to that time. These traits immediately set Y&R apart from other soap operas, and other soaps have since mimicked Y&R's formulaic approach to offering something for everyone, especially younger viewers.

Since premiering on March 26, 1973, Y&R has become a worldwide cultural institution in its own right, racking up an impressive 100 Emmy Awards between the writers, producers, cast and crew since 1974. The show has aired in over 100 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, and Turkey, and reaches a worldwide audience of ten million daily. So far-reaching was Y&R's appeal that Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci chose the serial's theme song as accompanying music to her floor exercises at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In Australia, where Y&R has aired since 1974, the show was canceled by the original network that aired it in 2007, prompting a widespread fan backlash in that country. It was quickly moved to a pay channel.

Over the past 35 years, countless characters, marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and every joy and trauma in between have visited the residents of Genoa City, where Y&R is set. To commemorate the milestone, Mike Halterman from Wikinews interviewed three actresses who have played long-running characters on Y&R, and asked them to share their memories. All three responded to questions about what being on Y&R means to them, what their favorite storylines were, what they perhaps would have wanted to do all over again, and what they'd love to tell their fans directly.

Throughout March, Mike Halterman spoke to three Y&R actresses: Melody Thomas Scott, who has portrayed Nikki Newman since 1979; Michelle Stafford, who has portrayed Phyllis Summers Newman since 1994; and Tricia Cast, who portrayed Nina Webster from 1986 to 2001.

Mike Halterman: How do you feel about the way the show has evolved from the day you started the show, to what it is now?

Melody Thomas Scott: Our show has always reflected the pertinent issues of the real world, so of course, that is constantly changing. Making the transition from a half hour to an hour was seamless, and that happened in 1980, my second year on the show. As long as we have riveting character-driven stories, excellent actors and someone at the helm to make sure the look of the show remains unique and mesmerizing, we continue to hold the tradition that Bill Bell created.

Michelle Stafford: Yeah, it's changed a lot but anything that goes on for a long time changes. Nothing stays the same. I liked it then and I like it now too.

Tricia Cast: Well, to be honest, I don't watch a lot of TV. To be really honest, I didn't watch it much when I was on it either, and oftentimes didn't know what was going on with the other characters. Is that bad?

Source and licence

Text adapted from Popular soap opera 'The Young and the Restless' celebrates 35 years on the air by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.