This Thanksgiving, Soap Hub’s editors and writers are taking a moment to look back at the storylines, performances, and surprises that made The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, Days of our Lives, and Beyond The Gates such unforgettable shows to spend our afternoons this year. From dramatic confrontations to emotional reunions, each soap delivered moments that reminded us why this genre still captures our hearts — and why we’re truly thankful to be part of it.
Giving Thanks
I’m Rachel Dillin, Editor-in-Chief of Soap Hub, and this Thanksgiving, I’m especially thankful for the incredible year daytime television has given us. After decades without a brand-new broadcast soap, BTG officially debuted in February, delivering the rare kind of excitement that reminds us why this genre still matters. With its ambitious storytelling, strong cast, and confident world-building, it’s been a thrill to watch a new daytime drama take its first steps. I’m forever grateful to be here since day one with this new soap, learning more about the Duprees and all that happens in Fairmont Crest.
I’m also grateful for the growth we’ve seen behind the scenes. B&B’s move into a new studio brought a renewed energy and a fresh aesthetic to the show, proving that even long-running soaps can evolve in meaningful ways. On DAYS, celebrating 60 years felt like honoring the very heart of daytime television — a milestone full of history, love, and legacy that few series ever attain.
On Y&R, I’m thankful for a year packed with twists, high-stakes rivalries, and unforgettable character returns like Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) that kept Genoa City as compelling as ever. And GH continued to deliver powerful reunions, emotional surprises, and the kind of generational storytelling that makes Port Charles feel like home for longtime fans, especially with its memorial to Monica (Leslie Charleson).
This was a year of reinvention, resilience, and remarkable television across all five soaps, and I couldn’t be more grateful to share it with our readers.
I’m Tina Charles, Managing Editor and Writer/Critic. The biggest thing I’m thankful for is CBS’ Beyond the Gates. It has been nice to get in on the ground floor of a groundbreaking new soap that continues to go big day in and day out. It features an electric and gorgeous cast that not only provides entertainment on screen but also impresses on social media. They are a refreshing bunch, as they display their excitement for what they’re doing through fun videos, dance Instagrams and TikToks, and simply checking in to give advice or share a slice of their lives.
But I’m not just grateful for BTG. I’m thankful for the fact that GH has done amazing things with its next generation of actors. The teens and young adults have been spectacular this year. I’m in awe of them all. DAYS is the soap that has probably moved me to tears the most in 2025, with tough and emotional storylines, such as saying goodbye to John Black and the adoption story. And thank you for the amazing flashbacks — there were so many of them!
I’d like to raise a glass and toast the casts and crews for all five soaps. It takes a village and then some to produce so many episodes a year. Thank you for your time, energy, effort, and creativity. Believe me, you are all appreciated and valued.
I’m Alina Adams, contributing writer. 2025 brought BTG, the first new soap opera to debut on CBS since 1987 and the first new show for Procter & Gamble Productions, the company that put the “soap” in “soap opera,” since As the World Turns went off the air in 2010. While others celebrate BTG being the first soap to debut with an African-American family front and center, I also want to focus on it being a show that is Executive Produced and Headwritten by women, something we haven’t seen on daytime in quite a while. Thank you, soap gods!
I’m Roger Froilan, a contributing writer. I’m thankful that soaps never stop tossing curveballs — the kind of chaos that keeps you leaning forward even when you swear you’re done for the day. One minute you’re watching some quiet hospital scene, and the next someone’s making a choice so wild you have to rewind just to make sure you saw it right. And while everything else in the world is now sliced into tiny, forgettable clips, soaps still let stories breathe — they wander a little, stall a little, swing back around in ways that feel almost stubborn, and I love them for it.
And the weirdness…The campy detours, the dramatic flourishes, the “don’t ask questions” science labs, the ghosts popping up where they absolutely shouldn’t — it’s all part of the charm. This genre has never apologized for being bold, and I’m thankful every day that it keeps swinging for the fences even when it could play it safe. I’m also thankful for the longevity of it all — for the strange comfort of realizing I’ve spent decades with some of these characters and can look at them the way you look at old friends from school, like, “We kind of grew up together, didn’t we?”
I’m Chanel Adams, a contributing writer at Soap Hub. I’m thankful for CBS’s new soap, Beyond The Gates. It’s exciting to watch a soap opera from the beginning and to get to know its legacy families. I’m eager to see what the second season has in store since so much has already happened. This soap has consistently delivered in terms of drama, mystery, and love in the afternoon.
At Y&R, one thing I’m thankful for is the change of scenery. Maybe I can thank Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) for that, as he brought some fresh energy to the show. The scenes of Nice led to exciting drama that’s still playing out in Los Angeles. The different sets and locations have brought a different vibe to Y&R. It’s like watching a new show, especially with the addition of characters like Holden (Nathan Owens) and Sienna (Tamara Braun), as well as the new Noah (Lucase Adams) and Mitch/Matt Clark (Roger Howarth).
On B&B, there are new sets I’m thankful for. It’s made the show so much brighter and fresher. I also love the return of fashion shows and fashion wars. I can’t wait to see what the Forresters and Logans will compete over in the new year.
I’m Bryan Beckly, a contributing writer here at Soap Hub. I am thankful for soap’s 2025 Scene Stealers, Rory Gibson (Michael, GH), Trisha Mann-Grant (Leslie, BTG), and Ambyr Michelle (Eva, BTG). Gibson has breathed new life into a pivotal character on GH, while the BTG mother/daughter duo is always on its A-game.
I’m Carol Cassada, a contributing writer at Soap Hub. I’m grateful for the premiere of Beyond The Gates. After the cancellation of so many beloved soap operas, it’s great to see the soap genre making a comeback. BTG is definitely bringing the sizzling romance and enticing drama back to daytime TV.
On B&B, I was thankful for the returns of Nick (Jack Wagner) and Thomas (Matthew Atkinson), even if they were brief. I also loved the return of Little D aka Deke. Harrison Cone is the perfect addition to the cast and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Deke.
For Y&R, they brought plenty of casting surprises this year. I must admit, I’m enjoying Billy Flynn as the new Cane, especially his blossoming romance with Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). The same goes for Lucas Adams as Noah. Although he’s only a few weeks into the role, Adams is the perfect choice as Shick’s son. And I like that they’re delving into Noah having a bad boy side.
I’m Tiffany Bailey, a contributing writer at Soap Hub, and the biggest thing I am thankful for this year is the return of several of my favorite daytime actors across all five soaps. From Karla Mosley back on screen as Dani Dupree on BTG to Erika Slezak doing a small stint on GH, it has been a big year for returns. Y&R has added quite a list of talent, with Roger Howarth, Billy Flynn, and Tamara Braun on the roster.
BTG has been excellent from the beginning, and with names like Tamra Tunie and Clifton Davis at the helm, how could it not be? And since the CBS soap will be eligible to submit for the Daytime Emmys next year, it should see more love.
Between GH and B&B, there has been plenty to be thankful for storyline-wise. Last year gave us Luna (Lisa Yamada) the villain, and she continues to turn everything upside down. GH gave us the back-from-the-dead siblings, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) and Nathan (Ryan Paevey), which has been an exciting turn of events shrouded in mystery.
I am Rachelle Lewis, a contributing writer at Soap Hub, and I am thankful for the excitement around the soap genre again. Between BTG bringing new life into daytime, DAYS celebrating 60 years, and the new Soapy podcast hosted by Greg Rikaart and Rebecca Budig, there seems to be a new life and love for soap. As a die-hard soap fan since the 1980s, I am all about it.
This year, I appreciated that soaps gave me an escape and a sense of community, even if it was simply to complain about them. Yes, B&B and Y&R, I am talking about you. All in all, it’s been a pretty interesting year for soaps, especially with all the casting shake-ups and stars doing soap hopping. I am looking forward to the soapy goodness that GH, BTG, DAYS, Y&R, and B&B will bring in 2026.
Happy Thanksgiving, Soap Hub readers! This year, I’m grateful for B&B continuing to write stories beyond infidelity and broken marriages. They still do those plots, too, but we’ve also had a stalker, a stolen company, a shoot out, a faked death, a near drowning, extortion via fake brain cancer diagnosis, and a jail break, just to name a few.
I’m also happy we’ve got to see the young talent on the soap get some meaty storylines, especially Lisa Yamada, who killed it in the role of Luna Nozawa. Her Emmy is more than well deserved. As for Y&R, I’m thankful they leaned into the chemistry between Holden and Claire. Their sweet and spicy dynamic is the kind of fun with a bit of mess that makes soaps such a good time.
Lastly, I can’t gush enough about BTG bringing CBS Daytime Soaps to a trio of dramas. It almost feels like the days of yore when fans could look forward to a four-hour block of romance, schemes, and ridiculous behavior. It’s been a joy to see the soap find its audience and its footing as it makes TV history. – Sabrina Reed, Contributing Writer
