The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful Replace March Madness

For as long as soap fans can remember, daytime dramas on CBS have been interrupted for March Madness, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament that gobbles up air time normally reserved for The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.

March Madness Cancelled

Because the Coronavirus has canceled the tournament for this year, both YR and BB will air in regularly scheduled timeslots on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20. At press time, it is unknown if the shows are airing new or classic episodes but we will keep you informed.

Current stories on BB include the fallout of Thomas (Matthew Atkinson) being exposed as a master manipulator, while Bill (Don Diamont) and Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) had that stolen kiss — will their secret destroy their relationships?

Meanwhile, on YR, Nick (Joshua Morrow) has temporarily stepped in as Newman Enterprises’ top executive, Abby (Melissa Ordway) and Chase (Donny Boaz) are concocting a plan to bring down Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), and newcomer Jared (Michael Maclane) has lost his grandfather, but is being supported emotionally by Devon (Bryton James), Elena (Brytni Sarpy), Nate (Sean Dominic), and Amanda (Mishael Morgan).

Both YR and BB were created by the late William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell. YR debuted on March 26, 1973. It was recently renewed for four more years, taking the show to its 50th anniversary. BB debuted on March 23, 1987. Today, Tony Morina serves as executive producer for YR; Josh Griffith is the show’s head writer and co-executive producer. Bradley Bell is both executive producer and head writer of BB.

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.