Bill Spencer, Sally Spectra, Stephanie Forrester and others have made The Bold and the Beautiful memorable.
Other soaps are hitting milestone anniversaries this year but producing over three and a half decades worth of daytime drama is something worth celebrating too! Soap Hub is taking a look at seven memorable stories from The Bold and the Beautiful as the half-hour soap opera, which debuted on March 23, 1987, turns 36 years old.
The Brooke/Ridge/Taylor triangle took an unexpected turn last year when Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Taylor (Krista Allen) informed Ridge that who he was choosing no longer mattered; they were choosing themselves. We can’t help but feel there’s more to come with this story, as the torrid triangle fueled storylines for years. While there’s no denying that Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Brooke are each other’s “destiny,” Ridge likely would still be with Taylor today had she not been presumed dead back in 1994.
B&B was doing fine in its first few years, but what truly put the show on the soap opera map was the arrival of Darlene Conley as Sally Spectra in 1989. Soap viewers love watching “have’s” v. “have not’s” and Sally certainly fit the bill when it came to the latter. Viewers cheered for Sally whether she was dressing up as a man to crash a Forrester Creations fashion show or showing up at Stephanie’s mansion uninvited. “Hello, Stephanie,” became Sally’s trademark salutation. Conley earned two Daytime Emmy nominations in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Sally. Conley passed away in 2006, but Sally is living the high life abroad.
It was B&B’s gain when The Young and the Restless and Don Diamont (ex-Brad Carlton) parted ways in 2009. The half-hour soap smartly scooped up the available actor after Brad died a heroic and icy death saving Noah Newman from drowning. Diamont was cast as “Dollar” Bill Spencer Jr., the son of original B&B character Bill Spencer (Jim Storm). “Dollar” Bill wasted no time romancing women and establishing himself as a power player.
B&B excels at triangles, and for years the back and forth between Liam and Hope and Liam and Steffy set the B&B tone. Liam has fathered daughters with both women. However, it appears that Hope has won his heart in the long term as Steffy is head over heels in love with her handsome doctor husband Finn (Tanner Novlan). We suspect, though, that this triangle still has some unexplored angles.
Kimberlin Brown brought her fan-favorite villain character Sheila Carter from Y&R to B&B in 1992 after Sheila’s wicked ways caught up with her on Y&R. Several months later, Lauren (Tracey Bregman) and Sheila had a showdown resulting in Sheila’s arrest. Psyche! It turned out to be a nightmare of Sheila’s — but the encounter was a dream come true in terms of ratings. B&B took the No. 2 spot for the first time, thanks to the naughty nurse and the department store owner having an imaginary brawl.
B&B creator Bill Bell valued the role music played in soap opera storytelling. Why say I love you when you can sing it? The scribe was likely over the moon after finding out that two of his cast members — Jeff Tracta (Thorne) and Bobbie Eakes (Macy) — were extremely talented crooners. The duo performed such songs as What’s Forever For, When I Fall in Love, and Open Arms and played to sold-out crowds in European nations where B&B aired.
Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery) had Brooke Logan’s (Katherine Kelly Lang) number pretty early on in their volatile relationship. Steph referred to Brooke as a “consummate opportunist” as she wanted to become Mrs. Ridge Forrester. The two women were rivals for years. Not only did Brooke seek a relationship with Ridge, but she also wed Steph’s true love Eric (John McCook), twice. As the years passed, things mellowed between the women. It was only fitting that when Steph went to that great soap in the sky in 2012 that Brooke was by her side.
The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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