47 year anniversary collage Young and Restless
Credit: Image: Jesse Grant, Brian Lowe, Aaron Montgomery, John Paschal/JPI

CBS soap opera’s decades of storylines include scandals, rivalries, love, and tragedy.

When Young and the Restless debuted on CBS in 1973, Soaps.com readers may recall that the serial surrounded the the wealthy Brooks family and the working class Foster family, who resided in Genoa City, Wisconsin. Co-creators, the late Bill and Lee Phillip Bell, gave their soap opera town the name of an actual locale, which they would pass when traveling between their home in Chicago, Illinois and their summer vacation home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. After the show moved to a one-hour format in 1980, and a series of recasts and departures, changes were made so as to focus the show on different families. The Abbotts and the Williamses took center stage and were soon followed by others such as the Newmans, the Barber-Winters, with characters such as Jill Foster and Katherine Chancellor among the few to endure since the show’s inception.

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Over 47 years, Young and Restless has produced iconic characters, gripping rivalries, scandals, and intense drama and tragedy. Viewers have cried, laughed, and shouted at their televisions through storyline after storyline. Though there are simply too many memorable stories of too many different types to list, Soaps.com made a poll including a handful of notables and would love to hear about your favorite storylines in the comment section below in celebration of Young and Restless’ latest milestone. Cast your vote, then read Young and Restless spoilers to find out what’s ahead for your favorite characters on the CBS soap opera.

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