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Y&R's 11,000th Episode On Set Celebration: EP Mal Young Touches On Legacy, Vision, & Superlatives Of Top-Rated Soap!
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Earlier this week on Thursday, members of the cast of The Young and the Restless along with a bevy of special guests that included: Y&R co-creator Lee Phillip Bell, Y&R EP and head writer, Chuck Pratt Jr, senior executive vp programming at Sony Pictures Television, Steve Kent, who oversees daytime’s Y&R and DAYS, and new Y&R EP Mal Young were all on hand for an afternoon celebration for the series 11,000th episode milestone.
With the number 11,000 made into delicious cupcakes for those to taste, the cast, crew, producers and press gathered together to honor this special moment in the series 43-year-history. Cast in attendance included: Melody Thomas Scott, Tracey E. Bregman, Bryton James, Christel Khailil, Greg Rikaart, Mara McCaffrey, Robert Adamson, Hunter King, Sean Carrigan, Melissa Ordway, Elizabeth Hendrickson, Eric Braeden, Kristoff St. John, Eileen Davidson, Peter Bergman, Gina Tognoni, Jason Thompson, Melissa Claire Egan, Kate Linder, Beth Maitland, Lauralee Bell, Daniel Goddard, and Mishael Morgan.
Viewers of the series witnessed on September 1st the airing of the 11,000th episode of the top-rated daytime drama which featured the tragic turn of events for the exited Justin Hartley’s character of Adam Newman.
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
For this on set celebration on stage 41 at CBS Television City, only two speeches were given: one by Mal Young. and the other by Steve Kent. While Kent recalled how his career lead him to be the champion of the series over at Sony Pictures Television, Young offered up thoughts on being a Brit in charge of Y&R, Bill Bell’s vision, and what makes Y&R most unique and beloved around the world.
Below are some excerpts from the the newest executive producer’s speech as he addressed the cast, press, CBS and Sony executive notables, and more in attendance:
Mal Young: “As the only Brit involved in the history of the show, Y&R is known all over the world. Growing up I knew about it, and heard about it. Recently, my wife (singer, Mari Wilson) was on tour in Jamaica and this woman came over to her and said, ‘Are you Nikki the stripper from The Young and the Restless?‘ So she called me up and said, ‘Is that a compliment, or not?’ (Laughs) I said, ‘With the lovely Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) playing it, that’s a compliment!’ So, even in Jamaica we are huge.”
“There are so many amazing people that it takes to make 11,000 episodes of anything. We love you all … you are all hugely important to the show … but so is anyone who has been over the threshold of stage 41 and 43 at CBS over all these 43 years.”
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
“I will single out Bill Bell (Co-creator, Y&R). What an amazing vision he had. If you consider back in 1973, he came up with this amazing idea, and it was originally called The Innocent Years. They realized with what was going on in the world, The Innocent Years, didn’t really work. It was a few days after Y&R first came on to CBS, that the last Vietnam solider left and came back to America. We had kind of lost our innocence and the world was different, and that’s what grew into this new younger-type of soap which was The Young and the Restless. And I think that spirit of reflecting America, and reflecting all of these amazing characters as they have grown over 11,000 episodes has remained true to the spirit of the original vision of Bill and Lee Bell’s (Co-creator, Y&R), and that is my inspiration every day when we come over the threshold to these stages. I think, ‘What are we going to do today? What stories are we going to tell?”’
“If you were to binge watch Y&R – you need to get on your sofa with your pizza, and a lot of ice cream, and it’s going to be 10,126 ½ hours of TV, and if you were to watch it in one big go, it would take you 1 year, 1 month, and 26 days, and ½ hours to complete. That is a fun-feat we have pulled off, and we will continue to do so.”
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
“I was trying to find a superlative to describe in one word this fantastic show and what Bill Bell gave to us and the vision that he pulled out that gave us 11,000 episodes. I thought of ‘Amazeballs’, or ‘OMG!’ or ‘RAD!’ But that’s not going to be right coming out of a British person’s mouth. (Laughs) So there is one word I said I would never use around this place, but I am going to break that rule today, because it does best describe what you all are, and most importantly what the show is. The Young and the Restless is very, very ‘awesome”’!
So, what did you think of the excerpts from Mal’s speech? Y&R’s final stop on their 11K celebration tour which included retrsopective clip packages opening episodes of the series, the social media images of the cast showing the first episode number that they appeared in, and more? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and look for video interviews with the cast next week at On-Air On-Soaps!
Y&R has become very good, it has gripping plots!
GH has a boring mess ……….. sigh
Total agree especially about GH…
This soap originally started with the Brookes and Foster families but by the 1980s so many actors left Bill Belll decided instead of recasting characters he introduced three new families the Newmans and the Abbotts and the Winters…and they have been front and center over 30 years now…fans tune in and can see familiar characters they love and enjoy….the years brought in new producers and writers and yet those same three families remain…this is why it remains the number one soap…meanwhile GH and Days depends on too many gimmicks and too many cast changes…Days Horton family is still there but not as many as there was in its hey day and some are completely forgotten…its Brady family isnt what it used to be…many newbies are introduced that dont work and written out…gimmick story telling like the three convicts is somewhat interesting but it just adds more gloom in doom in a show which focuses on too much darkness…i need some brightness in my Days and a touch of humor…GH has its good moments but the stories are all over the place and feel disjointed-the cast is bloated and they keep adding characters to move a story instead of utilizing the cast its had…a murder mystery at the hospital showed promise but where are all the doctors like Brad and Lucas who arent featured when this story is so front and center…both Days and GH are ok but they will never have the numbers like Y&R because that show has better continuation in its storytelling(but it does have a few problems keeping some characters involved like Lauren for example)…it isnt the great powerful soap like it was in its Bill Bell era but not of the remaing soaps are…it still above all the rest…it knows how to do drama and keep its fans tuning in tomorrow the way a good serial should,,,
What an accomplishment if they actually watched the entire series. That rich history would reveals the highs and lows of the program, what made it click and where its shortcomings were.
I do want to add that I felt it was a HUGE oversight or omission on the part of the 11,000th celebration to fail to show scenes from the first decade of the program or even cameo interviews with those original cast members who are still alive: they made the program work and I felt there should have been a tribute to them, hearing what they thought about the groundbreaking show, what were their memorable moments, etc. I hope Y and R NEVER FORGETS its past, its origins and its purpose.
Ron, I totally agree with you 100 percent, that would of been so awesome to show scenes from the first decade and bring in the actors/actresses that portrayed them. I am sorry to bring this up again, the show doesn’t feel the same as it use to…from the acting, the way it’s directed and missing the classic background music. Back in Y&R heydays, the actor’s with their fantastic acting along with the show’s direction and background music where the audience/fan’s were drawn into their lives and felt what the character’s were going through and wanted to continue to tune in and see what happened next, to me that era is gone and I continue to hope that it will happen again someday.
You are right on target regarding a few of the features that distinguished the show, especially the way a scene was directed and the use of background music. Someone else mentioned on this thread that the program has become so much more plot driven rather than character driven and there’s a great deal of truth to that. Right now (after watching the program as a kid when my mom watched it, and actually meeting and working with Bill Bell through a college gig) I am so distant from any character ties, not caring one bit what happens to any of them. Well, there are always 70s and 80s clips online here and there! Thanks for the written support.
Considering the show’s longevity I personally would rather heard from LPB herself and not Mal Young who’s been working on the show for what a minute?
The biggest difference between soaps then and now is now they are plot driven, while in the older days characters were the driving force behind plots instead of plots determining characters For examples they weren’t thinking lets do a story about abortion but rather what would happen to Ashley if she had an abortion– it is a subtle but big difference in how a story is told
If they would write for characters instead of using characters to tell stories the show would most likely make it to its 20,000 episode and beyond, as is, I don’t know, but if there is one soap that stands a chance of outlasting all of them — it would be this one.
Mary,
You are right-on with your post here! If anyone lasts, it will be Y and R… and here’s wishful thinking that we’ll return to the era of character-driven stories.
No Pratt sighting. He’s so out of there soon…
I’ve been watching y.r . For a very long time and since Jeanne Cooper was on there playing two different characters I loved it then she was Mrs. C. The person everyone fell in love with but now she is gone. I will always remember her character. The writers of the soap have done a great job never had they made it Boring but dramatic, romantic and interesting!!!!!! Keep it going .
Tony, given what has transpired in the past week, your comment was 100% correct and a great observation.
To Y&R fans that bitch about Pratt & Mal—
I will happly send Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante back to Y&R.
Yes, Pratt & Mal to GH and Shelly and Jean to Y&R ..
What a deal!! You’ll love it !!
I have been moved beyond words by Mal Young’s speech . I am so glad that he acknowledged that there is an international audience for all these beloved soap operas . here are just a few countries that young and the restless airs in : Australia , France , Jamaica , Belgium , Switzerland , Quebec ( canada ) … it used to air in New Zealand . I am sure it airs in other countries too . Bold and the beautiful is aired in almost every country around the world . Days of our lives used to air in France and New Zealand , it still airs in Australia and came back in South AFRICA recently . General hospital used to air in Australia and New Zealand , France tried 3 times with it but ended up cancelling it all 3 times ( low ratings ) . The French discovered the daytime soap genre when the very first daytime soap started there back in october of 1985 , the soap in question was Santa Barbara and the french loved it , it was a smash it over there . Marcy Walker , A Martinez , Robin Wright and all the others graced the covers of all the french tv magazines back then . The french had no soap opera digest or any magazine devoted to soaps so the french tv magazines of the day regularly featured front covers and articles on the soap . Now the french have the young and the restless , bold and beautiful to enjoy and had until the beginning of this year days of our lives but it was cancelled in France this year although it was winning its timeslot . I would wish that Young and restless could release on a streaming platform like youtube all the episodes from 1973 to 1993 so that all viewers from the us and around the world can watch or rewatch these classic episodes . This should be done for all these soaps . These great soaps should be made available worldwide . Think of icons like Guiding light , As the World turns , All my children , Another World . These soaps should be passed down to the next generations but if we don’t rerun them of course they will be lost for good . With streaming platforms available now i can’t believe we can’t access these soaps . Long live the daytime soapies !
Nicholas, How I wish they would stream all the present and the past soaps from the beginning, that would be so wonderful but I don’t think it will happen. As I am aging, I notice I am looking to the past more, lol…
The writing still sucks – still too plot-driven and schizoid for this long-time viewer
BTW – the shows is still down in demos and viewers.
This summer beginning on July 21, Netflix streams the return of WWE: Unreal for its third season. The behind the scenes docudrama series gives fans a glimpse of life in WWE and inside the writers room, as injuries, last-minute pivots, and career-defining decisions reshape WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania 42.
WWE Unreal is taking fans deeper than ever inside World Wrestling Entertainment’s creative process, The hit docuseries will once again pull back the curtain on some of the biggest moments, boldest decisions, and unforgettable storytelling with some of the WWE’s greatest legends who’ve shaped the industry and new stars who are emerging as prominent parts of the future.
In the new season of ‘Unreal’ which consists of 5 episodes at 50 minutes each: John Cena says goodbye, a fan favorite returns, and the next generation of Superstars rise to the occasion.
Photo: WWE
The cast and WWE superstars featured include: the aforementioned Cena, plus Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, CM Punk, AJ Lee, Trick Williams, Lash Legend, Stephanie Vaquer, Oba Femi, Bron Breakker, Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
As previously reported AJ Lee revealed on General Hospital star Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, that she was part of the cast of WWE: Unreal.
WWE: Unreal production credits include: Directors/Showrunners: Chris Weaver and Erik Powers Executive Producers: Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser, Marc Pomarico Sr. Producers: Harley Glantz, Brian Decker, Michael Flynn Producers: John Galiani, Dan Gati, Jeremy Lundblad Production Companies: Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, WWE.
So, what do you think of the loglines for the new season of WWE: Unreal? Who are you most excited to see featured in the behind the scenes drama from the list of WWE superstars and the twists and turns leading into this past April’s WrestleMania 42? Let us know via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
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Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
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