The Young & the Restless - Eighteen Years at Number 1

Since 1989, the soap opera The Young & the Restless has been the number one drama in daytime television. I will look at how The Young & the Restless has been able to maintain the top position.

The Young & the Restless was created back in 1973, by William J. Bell Sr. and his wife Lee Phillip Bell. The show is about a small town called Genoa City, where the residents have plenty of romance and business intrigue to occupy their daily lives. Back in the 1970s the show was center around the wealthy Brooks family and the working class Foster family, but the show really begin to hit its stride when the Newman and Abbott families emerge in the 80s. Today there are several different families living drama filled lives in Genoa City.

One of the main reasons The Young & the Restless has been number one for so long is that the show was always more character driven than plot driven. This was especially true doing Bill Bell's tenure as head writer and producer. Through the years the audience has gain a real familiarity with these characters and the audience feels like they can relate to the characters triumphs and failures. The show has also done a good job of dealing with social issues through the years, without becoming to preachy. They have done a good job of making the public aware of such issues as AIDS and HIV, teen pregnancy, drinking and driving, domestic violence, cancer, meningitis, and many other social issues.

Another reason why The Young & the Restless has been number one for eighteen years is because they have maintain a diverse cast. This is one of the few daytime dramas that allows the African Americans in its cast to have a front burner storyline on a consistent basis. Through the years the show has also had front burning storylines for Hispanics and Asian cast members.