'The Young and the Restless' Celebrates its 50th Anniversary! See Photos of the Cast Through the Years
'Y&R' celebrates its 50th anniversary with a primetime special tonight.
The Young and the Restless kicks off a 50th anniversary celebration with a gala in Genoa City today.
The long-running CBS daytime soap, one of the few still standing, marks its actual 50th anniversary on Sunday, but the celebration begins today, when Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) host Genoa City’s posh Bicentennial Gala ball. The occasion brings back several fan favorites while business as usual continues, meaning no secret can stay buried forever. A prime-time retrospective special airs Monday night.
While there are no original cast members left on The Young and the Restless, something that would be really difficult to do considering the CBS soap will celebrate its 50th anniversary on March 26, it does have some longtime cast members: Eric Braeden, Melody Thomas Scott, Joshua Morrow, Tracey Bregman, Peter Bergman and Beth Maitland, who will all be helping to mark the occasion.
Related: Photos: The Young and the Restless Wedding Album Celebrates the Show's Decades of Nuptials
And they will be joined by a group of returning fan favorites, including Michael Damian as the iconic Danny Romalotti, Patty Weaver as his restaurateur sister Gina Roma, Tricia Cast is back as reformed bad girl Nina Webster, Barbara Crampton will reprise her role as colorful celebrity journalist Leanna Love, and Veronica Redd will reappear as Mamie Johnson, the surrogate mother to the Abbott family.
The anniversary is celebrated on Y&R with special episodes beginning March 23, 2023, when romance, intrigue, and suspense will take center stage as the residents of Genoa City celebrate the town’s bicentennial at a glamorous masquerade ball hosted by the Victor (Braeden) and Nikki Newman (Scott). It will be a night to remember with visits from fan favorites and secrets are revealed, forever changing the lives for the residents of Genoa City.
Launch the gallery to take a stroll through memories of the daytime drama from early days to the present.
Melody Thomas Scott, Eric Braeden (April 16, 2004)
Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Doug Davidson, Tracey Bregman (June 14, 2004)
Photo by Tony Esparza/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Eva Longoria (September 01, 2002)
Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Victoria Rowell, Kristoff St. John (May 04, 2004)
Photo by Tony Esparza/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Jerry Douglas (November 02, 2005)
Photo by Robert Voets/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Tracey Bregman (November 02, 2005)
Photo by Robert Voets/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Melody Thomas Scott, Eric Braeden (December 12, 2000)
Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Laura Lee Bell, Tricia Cast (1984)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Tracey Bregman, Beth Maitland, Michael Damian (1984)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Patty Weaver (1986)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Jeanne Cooper, Beau Kazer (2000)
Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images
Shemar Moore (1996)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Steven Ford, Michael Damian, Doug Davidson (1982)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Terry Lester (1985)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Don Diamont, Beth Maitland (1986)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Scott Reeves, Tricia Cast (1991)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Mark Derwin (1989)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Peter Barton, John O'Hurley (1989)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
John O'Hurley, Laura Lee Bell (1989)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Peter Bergman, Michelle Stafford (2001)
Photo by Tony Esparza/CBS via Getty Images
Jaime Lynn Bauer, Tom Selleck (1975)
Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images
Amelia Heinle (2005)
Photo by Robert Voets/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Imag
Daniel Goddard, Christel Kahlil (2013)
Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Justin Hartley, Melissa Claire Egan (2015)
Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images
Eileen Davidson (1985)
Photo by CBS via Getty Image
Jess Walton (2006)
Photo by Cliff lipson/CBS via Getty Images
Laura Bryan Birn (1989)
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Joshua Morrow, Sharon Case
Photo by CBS via Getty Image
![<p>Eric Braeden</p><p>Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022</p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/k62pOFfHLj_QpSo04LFjuQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE0NDA-/https://parade.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk2MDI2NDU5MDEyMjEyMTkz/119077_0588b.jpg)
Eric Braeden
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Melody Thomas Scott
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Michelle Stafford
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Eileen Davidson
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Jess Walton
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Peter Bergman
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Beth Maitland
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Melissa Ordway
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Sharon Case
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Laura Lee Bell
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Joshua Morrow
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Christian Le Blanc
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Tracey Bregman
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Amelia Heinle
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Christel Kahlil
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Bryton James
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Camryn Grimes
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Mishael Morgan
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022
Episodes starring the returning alums will begin airing in mid-March.
In its long history, The Young and Restless has also been instrumental in helping to launch the careers of several stars, including Tom Selleck, Shemar Moore, Justin Hartley, Eva Longoria, Penn Badgley, and David Hasselhoff, several of whom are included in the gallery.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS at 12:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. PT.