yr fun facts
Credit: CBS; Aaron Montgomery/JPI

From the opening scene to things in between.

Of course anyone who watches The Young and the Restless knows who Victor Newman is and that he and Jack Abbott have been rivals for years. But how many years? We’ve listed just that, as well as 9 other fun facts surrounding the number one daytime drama — some that you might not have heard about.

1. It Wasn’t Initially Called Young & Restless

The soap started out with the working title The Innocent Years before co-creators William J. Bell and his wife Lee Phillip Bell realized they needed a different one — one that reflected the youth and mood of the early 1970s.

2. A Not-So Fictional Town

Genoa City is the home to the Newmans, Abbotts, Baldwins, Winters and so many before them since its debut on March 26, 1973. However, it’s also a very real, small town in Wisconsin with almost 3,000 residents.

3. Theme Song

“Nadia’s Theme” was composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin Jr. in 1971 and was originally called “Cotton’s Dream.” It wasn’t until later when Botkin Jr. rearranged an instrumental version for the soap. So, why the name change? After a montage using “Cotton’s Dream” was created surrounding the routines of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci during the 1976 Summer Olympics, the association between the tune and the gymnast was cemented in the public’s mind, therefore the song was renamed “Nadia’s Theme.”

More: Young & Restless cast portraits

4. Opening Scene

Tom Hallick appeared in the opening scene as Dr. Brad Eliot who hitched a ride into Genoa City after being mugged.

5. Iconic Line

Lee Crawford played the role of Sally McGuire and uttered the first iconic line on the soap, “Kind of a drag, isn’t it? Stuck in a place like Genoa City. God, I feel so restless.”

6. The First Facelift on Television

The late, great Jeanne Cooper played Katherine Chancellor from 1976 until 2013. In 1984, Cooper planned to take some time off to have a facelift but Bill Bell convinced her to allow Katherine to go through the procedure as well for the world to see onscreen. Watch an interview with Cooper to find out what condition she had before agreeing to base the storyline around a time in her real-life.

7. Star On the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Speaking of Cooper… She was the first daytime star to be honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993.

8. Crossovers

Though many Genoa City characters have crossed over to sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful over the years, the first crossover took place in 1992 when Sheila Carter turned up in Los Angeles. This was all during Sheila’s rivalry with Lauren Fenmore, who then crossed over to Bold & Beautiful in 1993.

More: Young & Restless’ most memorable rivalries

9. Ratings

In 2018 The Young and the Restless celebrated 30 consecutive years as the number one daytime drama.

10. Jack and Victor’s Rivalry

Both characters debuted in the early 1980s and butted heads from the get-go in their business dealings and personal lives. Jack, first played by the late Terry Lester, was always irked by the praise the great and powerful Newman received from his father John and the family’s close friend Katherine. And the fact that Victor had a relationship with Jack’s sister Ashley, and Jack had one with Victor’s wife Nikki, only fueled the fire that continued to ignite throughout the years — and still sparks to this day!

More: Fun gifts for Hallmark fans

Are you Team Jack or Team Victor? Do you want to know more fun facts about the show? Take a look through our photo gallery below filled with Young & Restless gifts to show your support for two of the soap’s longtime characters, trivia books, a fun Guess Who board game and more!

Video: FoundationINTERVIEWS/YouTube