News that Young and the Restless‘ Lauralee Bell is developing a primetime soap with As the World Turns vet Martha Byrne is music to our ears. It’s been some time since broadcast has aired a series in this genre at night. While it’s early days and development doesn’t always lead to a pick-up, given Bell and Byrne’s history with CBS, the Eye Network would be the best place for the soap to land. After all, the broadcaster just successfully launched Beyond the Gates, the first new daytime drama in over 25 years.
Key Takeaways
- The Bell family’s soap history
- BTG’s success could usher in a new era for soap operas
- CBS is the best home for a new primetime soap
The Bell Family Legacy on CBS
There’s a reason for the buzz around Lauralee Bell and Martha Byrne’s quest to launch a primetime soap, and it’s not only because they’re two soap stars looking to make a splash behind the scenes. There’s also the fact that Bell is soap royalty. Her parents, William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, created Y&R and The Bold and the Beautiful, two of the longest-running soaps still on air.
William Bell was also mentored by Irna Phillips, the creator behind Guiding Light and As the World Turns, with whom he collaborated for NBC’s Another World. The actress’s brother, Bradley, is the executive producer of B&B. He took the reins from their parents in 1998. As a result, she has a wealth of knowledge and industry pull to get the ball rolling.
Besides acting, Byrne is also a writer and served as EP of the web series Anacostia, which was a soap opera that streamed on YouTube. Bell and Byrne’s partnership could make for a strong showing that brings the world of soaps back into the primetime conversation.
Soap Opera Renaissance?
Now is certainly the time for a resurgence in storytelling that’s proudly, unapologetically, and firmly rooted in the soap opera genre. BTG has pulled in viewers who have never watched a soap before, and they’re coming to learn and love the hallmarks of the medium. It’s also caught the attention of longtime soap watchers, to whom viewing daytime dramas is a family tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.
What’s made BTG exciting for fans is that it’s a chance to get in on the ground floor of a series that’s being built to last years, if not decades, like its predecessors. There isn’t an overwhelming amount of history to know or understand because it’s relatively new, making it easier to invest in. However, it still airs daily, Monday through Friday, which may be difficult for some viewers to keep up with. But for those who are hooked and want a more manageable soap experience, a primetime drama in this genre would be right up their alley.
The Soapy Primetime Drama to Primetime Soap Opera Pipeline
While people mock soap operas, it’s rather telling that some of the most popular primetime series are full of the same tropes and melodrama that soap fans eat up with a spoon. Grey’s Anatomy, Fire Country, and 9-1-1 all dabble in over-the-top storytelling that has their audiences on the edge of their seats. 9-1-1: Nashville is up front about it. The showrunner shared that Dynasty is an influence.
None of these procedurals is actually a soap opera, but they have primed broadcast viewers who watch during these blocks for similar storytelling, which means they’re ripe to enjoy a soap that airs during primetime. This is especially the case for ABC’s audience, who enjoy Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy productions. But CBS is the network that’s more likely to succeed with a primetime soap. Not only do they have three daytime dramas to ABC’s one, but they’re also the most-watched broadcast network in America.
CBS Could Do a Primetime Soap Opera Well
These days, broadcast is mostly known for procedurals. Law enforcement shows, medical dramas, firefighter series, and the occasional legal/courtroom drama are par for the course. However, CBS, in particular, has room to experiment with a primetime soap opera because the network has a devoted daytime drama fan base, and it has successful franchises.
Y&R, B&B, and BTG all share a universe thanks to the network’s push to tie them together. BTG wasn’t left to be its own entity. Two of its biggest stars—Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree) and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree)—are well known to the CBS audience for their roles on GL, B&B, and ATWT, respectively.
A fourth soap, one that airs weekly at night instead of daily, would likely involve a less intensive production process and could potentially be less costly. It would also be an opportunity to draw the daytime audience to primetime and vice versa, particularly if it shares a universe with the other three CBS soaps.
The network has a proven formula for success in this genre. It stands to reason that they could try their hand in primetime with it and succeed again. Especially if there’s a strong story to dive into, and also because of the marketing strategy that could be shaped around it, involving its predecessors.
We’ll have to wait and see if and where Lauralee Bell and Martha Byrne’s primetime soap gets picked up. Stay tuned to Soap Hub for more news and coverage.
READ: Golden Globe Nominees for 2026 Include Several Soap Opera Veterans
