CBS Soaps Stop Production Due to Coronavirus

Following in the footsteps of soap operas Days of our Lives and General Hospital, CBS shows The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful are stopping production due to Coronavirus concerns.

CBS Soaps: Production On Hold

Deadline broke the story Monday night that the two eye network serials will stop taping effectively immediately.

“In the face of a fast-escalating health crisis and new restrictions by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti aimed at slowing the epidemic, YR and BB are stopping production,” Deadline reported.

The current suspension is set for two weeks. YR was recently picked up for a four-year renewal which will take the show to its 50th anniversary. Meanwhile, BB is one year into a three-year renewal, taking the show through 2022.

As shows tape several weeks in advance, viewers should not expect any interruption in original programming. YR is daytime’s top-rated serial in total viewers.

Both YR and BB were co-created by the late William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell. YR debuted on March 26, 1973. BB premiered on March 23, 1987. Tony Morina is the executive producer of YR. Josh Griffith serves as YR’s co-executive producer/head writer. Bradley Bell is BB’s executive producer/head writer.

More on Soap Opera History

Soap opera began in the early 1900s, as radio broadcasts. Soap companies were behind the conception of the daytime dramas because they wanted to sell soaps to stay-at-home-moms. They did their job and also launched a lifelong programming format, the soap operas.

Spanning more than five decades, American sudsers have seen the rise and fall of daytime soaps. In the heyday of soaps in the early 1980s, there were up to 13 different soap operas broadcasted. However, over the years, the number has declined. Currently, there are only four American soap operas on the air.

Bringing the Drama

The four remaining soap operas currently on the air include Days of our Lives, The Young and the Restless (YR), General Hospital (GH), and The Bold and the Beautiful (BB). Check your local listings for air times.