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Shocking Reason Y&R Lost Its #1 Rating
There have been a lot of disappointed fans of Young and the restless lately. They all say, it isn’t like what it used to be, and I think we know the reason they have fallen behind. So, without any further ado, let’s see why Y & R lost its number 1 rating.
William J. Bell believed in the half hour format
William J Bell, the soap opera maestro behind The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless, was more than just a legend. He was the storytelling genius, who knew soap operas inside out. Even today, his name is spoken with utmost respect among soap fans, and industry experts. When you talk about Y & R or soaps, his name always pops up. Co-creating two iconic shows with his wife, Lee Phillip Bell, his storytelling power is often considered unparalleled in the modern soap opera landscape. But even a soap legend like Bell had his some challenges, especially when it came to the expansion of The Young & the Restless to an hour.
So, here’s the thing about William J Bell. He believed in the magic of the half-hour soap. It was, in his words, “such a perfect form.” In a 1997 interview with On Writing magazine, Bell expressed his skepticism about the hour-long format. He was a staunch believer in the perfection of the half-hour soap opera, So much so that during his tenure as the head writer of Days of Our Lives, he stood his ground against NBC’s attempt to expand the show to an hour. His ultimatum was clear – “You go to an hour, you’re going without me.” It wasn’t until he left the show that NBC could proceed with its plan.
Fast forward to the glory days of The Young & the Restless. Eight years of pure soap success. CBS got a little greedy and decided they wanted more. They wanted an hour of just drama. Now, Bell, being the storytelling legend he was, resisted the whole idea again. So, it was CBS and Bell just like before. And eventually, the network got its way, and on February 4, 1980, The Young & the Restless became a full-hour episode.
Bell was still not happy with that expansion. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled, but we did it,” he admitted. And what happened next? They were the number one soap opera at the time of the change, but it took four years to reclaim that top spot.
Are shorter soaps more popular?
Despite the eventual success and enduring popularity of The Young & the Restless, one can’t help but wonder. was Bell onto something by resisting the move to an hour? Could the contraction of other soaps, like All My Children, and Guiding Light, have saved them from cancellation? The Bold and the Beautiful, which maintained its half-hour format, stands as a proof, thanks to international distribution deals.
In a world where viewers are constantly juggling various forms of entertainment, committing five hours a week to a soap opera becomes a considerable ask. Could shorter soaps be the secret sauce? Think about it – The Bold and the Beautiful has mastered the art of soap storytelling in 30 minutes, and it’s a global hit. Soap fans, wouldn’t you rather devour a soap episode like a box of bonbons? Short, sweet, and irresistibly addictive, even on those days when your favorite characters are MIA.
Would a shorter runtime make you more inclined to watch a soap, whether it airs during the day or at night? Maybe the soaps like One Life to Live and Another World would have been saved had they been trimmed back to their original 30-minute runtimes? The British have been rocking the half-hour soap format for ages, with shows like Hollyoaks and Eastenders. So, maybe the binge worthy 30 minutes episodes are the key back to the top 1 spot.
We might not know if that’ll do the job or not, but one thing we’re sure about is that, William J Bell, was and is the Icon, who left us with a legacy of drama, ratings triumphs, and the eternal debate of whether shorter soaps are the secret to soap success.
What do you guys think is the problem for Y & R right now? Let us know in the comments below.