The Young and the Restless made its’ television debut on March 26, 1973.  The show was created by the late William J. Bell and his wife, Lee Phillip Bell. Prior to the show’s debut, soap operas were primarily based around kitchen tables, story lines were subtle dramas about everyday life. The Bells not only changed the dynamics of daytime, but introduced an aesthetic philosophy that has gone unmatched in the daytime world.

 

The show originated around two families, the Brooks and the Fosters. By the early 80’s, due to poor ratings and recasts, the storyline shifted towards the Abbott, Newman and Chancellor families. Since that time the Williams, Winters and Baldwin/ Fisher families were introduced as well.  There is no love lost between many members of these families and ironically a lot of love gained among them too. So much so, Y&R has been the highest rated soap in daytime since 1988.

 

The show originally aired in a half-hour format and changed to an hour format on February 4, 1980. The opening theme is Nadia’s Theme, best remembered as the music Nadia Comaneci performed to during the 1976 Summer Olympics.

 

Y&R can be seen on CBS in the afternoon, check you local listings for times. You can also view the show online at http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_young_and_the_restless/.  Or watch on Soapnet at 7:00 EST.