Do you agree with soap opera stars Peter Bergman, Joshua Morrow, Beth Maitland and Christian LeBlanc?
The Young and the Restless is celebrating its 13,000th episode – which is set to air on Wednesday, November 13 – and Woman’s World got to join the party. Over cupcakes and tacos, The Young and the Restless veterans Peter Bergman, Kate Linder, Beth Maitland, Lauralee Bell, Christian LeBlanc, Joshua Morrow and Camryn Grimes reflect on their soap opera’s epic run and share their favorite episodes.
After all their years in Genoa City, picking favorites wasn’t easy. As star Peter Bergman pointed out during the onset festivities, 13K episodes of The Young and the Restless equals more television hours than all of the Law and Orders and CSIs, NCIS, Gunsmoke, Lassie, Criminal Minds, Dallas, Knotts Landing, Murder, She Wrote, Two and a Half Men, and Blue Bloods – combined!
Read on to see which episodes they picked… and whether you agree!
Y&R star Christian LeBlanc loves cracking up costar Michelle Stafford
Christian LeBlanc likens The Young and the Restless’ success to a love of storytelling that goes back to Homer and The Odyssey – but his first favorite scene as Michael was not about telling a great story.
“There was one episode where Michael and Lauren went to a dump in a hazmat suit, looking for evidence, and after that, came a scene where I talked to Phyllis about it,” he sets up. “It was a serious scene, but I knew I could crack Stafford up. I don’t do it on purpose, and she cracks me up too! So they had written Michael as a germaphobe and I just went for it. Michelle was laughing so hard that she was gradually sinking down her chair and out of the scene. Because of that, I loved it.”
When it comes to the drama, his standout episode is the one that found Michael’s brother Kevin hospitalized after a brutal beating.
“I had to stand on the other side of the window, looking through that chicken wire glass at Greg Rikaart in this astounding makeup by Patti Denney, and just react,” he recounts. “I had to fill this blank space! What was I going to do?
“Right before, I put my hand out and said, ‘Hold my hand,’ and a producer jumped in with no questions and held my hand,” he continues. “Then I said, ‘Okay,’ she let go, and I looked through the window at Kevin – not Greg – and it just all happened. It was wonderful and it worked and when I saw it, I said, ‘Wow, I did that. That’s me.’ I didn’t know I could do that. As an actor, no better thing. The show requires you to be challenged so that you can continue to improve and continue to learn. This show has given me that.”
‘Y&R’ star Peter Bergman’s favorite episode as Jack didn’t air that long ago
With his 35th anniversary on The Young and the Restless this month, Peter Bergman couldn’t quite wrap his head around what 13K means, so he broke it down into time.
“It’s 12,113 hours,” he marvels. “That is one year, four months, and 19 days of non-stop, 24 hours, seven days-a-week episodes of The Young & the Restless. A binge-watcher’s dream! It’s insane.”
The veteran who came to Genoa City from All My Children has a few favorites – including that fateful episode that saw Jack throw himself off the wagon to save Nikki.
“It was Melody Thomas Scott and I for an entire episode – just two actors, and that was a giant and very rewarding challenge,” he says. “I felt something really happened in that show – and indeed it has fueled so much that has happened since, in terms of Jack and Victor and Jack’s family and Diane. That was powerful stuff to play.”
‘Y&R’ star Camryn Grimes got to play two characters, so has two favorites
Camryn Grimes was still just a kid when her character Cassie died, but then she got to return as her character’s full-grown twin, Mariah.
“I’m lucky because I have played two characters,” she says. “I go back to the two pivotal stories. Obviously, Cassie’s death, and Mariah’s coming out. Those were career-defining storylines, scenes, and episodes. I’m extremely grateful.”
If pushed to pick one, she has to go back to Cassie’s death.
“I didn’t have a lot to do in that episode, granted!” Grimes cracks. “So it’s not even about me. It’s about the powerhouse performances of Sharon Case, Joshua Morrow (who play Sharon and Nick) and everybody in the cast during those episodes. What they were able to bring to the screen is what made it so great.”
‘Y&R’ star Joshua Morrow favorite episode is all about Nick’s ladies
After 30 years in Genoa City, Morrow also counts Cassie’s death as a highlight.
“I think it’s the best story we’ve ever told,” he says. “We still mine material from it. We’re still telling it – and just to watch what Sharon Case is doing in her storyline right now is nothing short of magnificent.”
That said, more recently, Morrow enjoyed the episode where Nick reflected on his life – and loves.
“I thought the episode of Nick going down memory lane with all his love interests was pretty good,” he says. “I had to work my butt off for it, but I enjoyed that. I’ve been so blessed to work with the most amazing women, so to be able to share a whole episode with all of them is pretty cool.”
‘Y&R’ star Kate Linder remembers the Masquerade Ball and Jeanne Cooper
Having premiered as Esther on April 16, 1982, in what was supposed to be her only episode, Kate Linder is thrilled to still be getting in on the drama. While giving birth on the show was a “scary” highlight, the famous Masquerade Ball wins the honor of her favorite.
“I loved being able to sing and dance on the show,” the tap dancer says. “And the ball was just amazing. Everyone was sleeping in their rooms! We were here for hours and hours, and it turned out really great.”
Her other favorite memory goes back to meeting the late Jeanne Cooper, who played Katherine Chancellor.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Linder shares. “Jeanne was sitting in the makeup chair and I walked up and said, ‘Hi, I’m playing your maid today.’ She took a beat, she looked at me… and she said, ‘Well, it’s about time!’ I just loved her and I still feel Jeanne’s presence here in the studio. She’s here today, watching us. That’s why I love that they keep the character alive by mentioning her and Chancellor Industries.”
‘Y&R’ star Lauralee Bell honors her parents – and those Danny Romallati concerts!
When Lauralee Bell told friends that she was celebrating 13,000 episodes of the show her parents, William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, created in 1973, they assumed she was mixing up her commas.
“But then they hear that I’ve been here 40 years, and it makes more sense,” Bell shares with a laugh. “My parents were a part of so many milestones like this one and they loved every single event on stage, every Emmys, every cast party. They set the tone of this family feeling that’s still a huge part of the show and it resonates with fans. We couldn’t do this without the fans. It’s not Us and Them. We’re all one big team.”
As for her favorite episode since she started playing Christine “Cricket” Blair on July 15, 1983, she got some help from a fan.
“It’s so hard to narrow down, but we have a fan that posts old videos every day, so I’ve been seeing a lot and oh my, the concerts!” Bell raves. “When it was a Danny Romalotti concert day, that was pretty impressive – with the horns, the people, the camera work. It was really a production. Those were fun.”
She and Michael Damian brought the music to The Bold and the Beautiful earlier this year, and are now set to bring Christine and Danny back home, again.
“We come back from our world tour soon, so we’re excited about that,” she teases, cracking that after a year on the road, “She better come back a rocker with tats!”
Beth Maitland loves a good ‘Y&R’ party as much as any of Traci’s drama
Back in the day, Traci Abbott was part of those wild concerts and portrayer Beth Maitland certainly gotten into big drama since debuting in the role on June 17, 1982. The Young and the Restless legacy player is currently reveling in getting to play a mature romance – and rooting for her leading man to be the good twin! – but when pushed to play favorites, it’s all about partying with her costars.
“My favorite thing is celebrating landmarks like 13,000 episodes,” Maitland tells Woman’s World. “We are all a big family, and as corny as that sounds, it’s the truth. We’ve grown up together. I’ve known my costars that are my siblings (Peter Bregman and Eileen Davison) for decades. It’s incredible.
“And 13,000 episodes is the biggest, coolest and most amazing thing ever,” she adds. “Every time a big one rolls by, we can’t believe it. We’re still here! People are still watching! People want to tune in! We are so grateful, so thank you to the fans and the viewers that have watched all these years – some since the first day! It is so meaningful to all of us that these dedicated people are still tuning in.”
