Since its debut in 1973, The Young and the Restless has been dazzling our TV screens
and has established a huge fan base in the process.
The addictive but somewhat ludicrous plot lines and dramatic twists and turns of the
show have managed to captivate audiences of all ages.
On December 1, 2020, the series achieved the rare feat of being the fifth-ever American
soap opera to cross the 12,000-episode threshold.
One would assume such a loyal fan base would be familiar with every single detail about
their favorite show.
But there’s still a high chance that many of the interesting facts slipped through the
noses of even the most ardent viewers.
Here’s a countdown of a few interesting and fun facts you probably didn’t know about
the daytime drama: The Innocent Years
The Young And The Restless was initially given the working title ‘The Innocent Years’
until the co-creators William and Lee Phillip Bell came to the ‘inescapable conclusion’
that America’s youth had lost their innocence.
They also quickly realized that youth in the 70s were wild, free, and anxious and weren’t
keen on watching ‘innocent shows’.
They went back to the drawing board and tried to come up with a title that encapsulated
the 70’s restless culture.
“We needed another title, one that reflected the youth and mood of early seventies,”
the married couple wrote in the preface to their 1996 book Thus was born The Young and
the Restless.
It’s funny that this title was even considered when there is nothing remotely ‘innocent’
about the CBS program.
The Real-Life Event
Back in 1985, Jeanne Cooper who played Katherine Chancellor on the show made history when she
suggested the producers include her real-life facelift surgery into her character’s storyline.
Since the producers couldn’t find the right candidate as her stand-in, they accepted her
rather bold suggestion.
They wrote a facelift story for Katherine and even filmed her actual hospitalization
and recovery process.
When the bandages came of revealing Cooper’s new face, the cameras were already rolling
and captured her genuine reaction.
That was unprecedented even for a show adorned with drama!
Kate Linder: The Flight Attendant
Successful and long-running TV programs bring in so much fame and money for actors; many
of them never work on another project again in their lives.
But that was not the case for Kate Linder who was working as a flight attendant while
also acting.
In 1982, she essayed the role of Katherine’s maid Esther Valentine which initially was
a temporary character.
But as the show developed, so did her character, making her a permanent cast member.
Still, the actress continued to work as a flight attendant for United Airlines during
her entire tenure on the sudser, an impressive feat, considering she worked on it for over
30 years.
The Tom Siblings
Most TV programs hesitate from showing incest relationships as they are generally frowned
upon.
But real-life siblings Heather and David Tom played a married couple on the popular drama.
Thankfully, it’s not as appalling as it sounds!
Heather was cast in the role of Victoria Newman from 1990 to 2003.
Later the character was portrayed by several other female actors with Amelia Heinle eventually
bagging the position permanently.
Meanwhile, the actress’ younger brother David landed the role of Billy Abbott in 1994
and played the character for the next two decades.
Back in 2003, when Heather was replaced by Amelia, Billy and Victoria became a couple.
The $10 Million Lawsuit
For the daytime soap that has run over four decades, it’s hardly surprising when the
actors and the producers get enrolled in some kind of drama.
Brenda Dickson played Jill Foster Abbott from 1973 to 1980 and returned briefly in 1983
before she was eventually fired.
Frustrated with the decision, Dickson filed a $10 million lawsuit against Columbia Pictures
alleging that she was canned for having an affair with the soap’s creator William J.
Bell.
She further claimed that Bell blacklisted her after their affair and ruined her personal
and professional life by hiring ‘mafia cartel judges and attorneys’.
She said the incident left her broke and homeless, and she has been blocked from working ever
since.
The Off-Screen Drama
Of all the disputes that took place between actors in Genoa City, the one involving Eric
Braeden and Michael Muhney, who performed a father/son duo, made the biggest headlines.
The rift between the co-stars started when Muhney allegedly used the ‘N’ word on
the sets much to Braeden’s dismay.
Muhney was eventually dropped after six years of playing Adam Newman.
Sometimes behind-the-scenes drama is more scandalous than the actual show itself!
The Fast and the Furious
When a show airs daily, actors have the daunting task to memorize huge chunks of dialogues
within a limited time frame.
They can’t afford the luxury of time to either learn their lines or take multiple
takes.
In an interview with ET, Jason Thompson who portrays the character of Billy Abbott confessed
that 95% of the Y&R’s scenes are all captured during the first take.
That’s mighty impressive!
The Love Scenes
The Young And The Restless features plenty of steamy scenes.
While those love scenes are choreographed right to the T, there have been cases of occasional
slip-ups.
However, if such situations do occur, the crew is fully prepared in advance and works
right away to ensure that nobody’s ‘unmentionables’ are exposed.
In case of a wardrobe malfunction, the monitors are immediately blacked out and the set is
closed until the situation is back in control.
In an interview with ET, director Owen Renfroe said that he not only works hard to ensure
love scenes look good but also aims to protect the actors from exposure.