The Abbott mansion has undergone an overhaul on The Young and the Restless. Last week, the show unveiled the new design for the iconic set. It was a tough job for the production crew, but they had help from actor Peter Bergman.
Input From Jack Abbott
The Abbott mansion has been an important part of Y&R history for the past four decades. Fans have watched the beloved Abbotts have their famous breakfast in the dining room and holiday gatherings in the living room. But over time, the set began to show its age, and producers decided it was time for a makeover.
When it comes to redesigning an iconic soap opera set, the crew has a tough task. They’ve got to give it a fresh new look, while maintaining some of the set’s character. For the Y&R crew, they received input from Bergman, who plays Jack Abbott.
In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, production designer David Hoffman revealed how the Bergman helped with the design process.
“We began assembling research pictures of elements that we wanted to incorporate into the final design. Then we asked to have a sit down with Peter Bergman, to present to him our plans for the set his character had called home since he started on the show. In fact, because of his long attachment, we decided to conduct the meeting as if we were having a conversation with Jack Abbott, not the actor who played him. This was a lot of fun, and Peter never broke character until the very end of the meeting.”
Aside from helping with the designs, Bergman also suggested the storyline of Diane (Susan Walters) redecorating the mansion. For Walters, she was thrilled with the idea. “It was so generous of Peter Bergman to suggest that it’d be a story between Jack and Diane and a way for them to test how Jack trusts her,” Walters told Soap Opera Digest.
Diane’s new design of the Abbott home is a hit with Jack and Y&R fans.
