Why Three Of The Young And The Restless' Leading Ladies Decided To Return To The Soap
"The Young and the Restless" is celebrating a remarkable landmark: The show makes television history this, with its 50th anniversary special underway, which includes several major comebacks and a big logo change. Per Parade, special anniversary episodes began airing earlier this March 27 as the Genoa City townspeople celebrated the town's bicentennial with a lavish masquerade ball. If you know anything about "Y&R," then you know that drama is never very far away — particularly if any kind of ball is involved.
The show has remained the number one soap opera for the last 35 years, and the anniversary gives those involved with the show a chance to reflect on and honor the show's legacy. "I think a huge reason why the audience has stuck with us for so long is because we are the same people. We are family members. We show up every day — sometimes more than a regular family member," Lauralee Bell, daughter of the soap's creators and star on the show, told the Associated Press. She's proud of the show's willingness to tackle important themes, adding, "My dad was not afraid of being first. All the social issues he dealt with — date rape, AIDS, alcoholism, all of that ... If we could even help one person, it was worth it." And what would an anniversary episode be without some familiar faces returning to Genoa City?
Saying hello again to Nina, Leanna, and Gina
When bringing former stars back to "The Young and the Restless," it doesn't seem like it was too difficult to get the show's alumni on board. And fans of Nina Webster (Tricia Cast), Leanna Love (Barbara Crampton), and Gina Roma (Patty Weaver) are in luck — all three are back for the anniversary episode. "I actually saw on social media that the 50th anniversary was coming up, so I told my agent to call them and say I want to be part of it," Barbara Crampton told Soap Opera Digest. "They had asked me several times through the years to come back, but it never worked out ... since 'Y&R' had asked me before to come back, I decided it wouldn't hurt to reach out and basically say, 'I want to celebrate with you.'"
For Cast, it seems like the decision to return had much to do with the chance to reunite with old friends. "Seeing Lauralee [Bell, Christine], Patty, and Michael [Damian, Danny] was like old folks' week, but still felt like no time had passed," she said. Weaver, for her part, was simply honored that they thought of her, saying, "To tell you the truth, I never expected to be asked to come back ... When you're gone from something for so long, you don't really expect to be remembered, so when they did call, it was a very beautiful moment for me." We're sure the series of celebratory episodes will be full of beautiful moments for fans as well.