'The Young and the Restless' renewed for 4 more seasons, 2023 will mark CBS soap opera’s 50th anniversary
‘The Young & the Restless’ the iconic CBS soap opera that has been a staple of the network’s daytime schedule for an astounding 47 years seems to have found itself an even longer lifespan. On January 30, a day after NBC renewed ‘Days of Our Lives’ for another season, CBS closed a deal with producers Sony Pictures Television to keep the soap running through the 2023-24 broadcast season.
According to Variety, CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said, “Having the No. 1 show for any length of time in any daypart is a tremendous accomplishment. But ‘The Young & the Restless’ has been daytime’s top drama for over three decades. The last time any other show was on top, Ronald Reagan was president, and the Berlin Wall was still standing. It’s a remarkable achievement and a testament to the extraordinary cast, gifted writers, talented producers, and supremely passionate fans, as well as our tremendous partnership with Sony Pictures Television."
The soap opera’s gigantic cast includes Marla Adams, Lauralee Bell, Peter Bergman, Donny Boaz, Eric Braeden, Tracey Bregman, Sasha Calle, Sharon Case, Doug Davidson, Sean Dominic, Melissa Claire Egan, Cait Fairbanks, Camryn Grimes, Mark Grossman, Amelia Heinle, Elizabeth Hendrickson, Bryton James, Tyler Johnson, Christel Khalil, Hunter King, Christian J. Le Blanc, Kate Linder, Beth Maitland, Michael Mealor, Mishael Morgan, Joshua Morrow, Melissa Ordway, Greg Rikaart, Brytni Sarpy, Melody Thomas Scott, Michelle Stafford, Jason Thompson, Jordi Vilasuso and Jess Walton.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ‘The Young & the Restless’ leads all daytime dramas in total viewers with an impressive 4.1 million viewers. The report added that this renewal arrived at an opportune time, considering how the future of daytime soap operas has been in question over the past few years. The reason being that networks had to grapple with rising costs and dwindling viewers. Moreover, syndicated talk shows, another daytime TV staple, are often cheaper to produce. The show’s five wins at the 2019 Daytime Creative Arts Emmys was perhaps the push the network required to renew it.
Steve Kent, the senior executive vice president of programming at Sony Pictures Television, according to Variety, said, “We are thrilled to continue the legacy of ‘The Young and the Restless’ at CBS, as this renewal will take us to our 50th anniversary in 2023, and beyond. The iconic characters created by William J. Bell and Lee Philip Bell 47 years ago continue to captivate audiences in the U.S. and across the globe, and we look forward to building on the dynamic storylines featuring these beloved characters.”