Defending 'The Bold and the Beautiful'

Twenty-two years is a tremendously long run for any television show. This is especially true for a thirty-minute drama that airs five days a week throughout the entire year save for a few holidays and special occasions. This past Sunday for the first time that drama, “The Bold and the Beautiful,” was named “Best Drama Series” at the low-rated Daytime Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, the people who received that hard-earned award were not allowed the chance to bask in their long-awaited victory.

As the Associated Press reported, “The live telecast on the CW went off the air just as the cast and crew was assembling on the stage to accept its trophy.” In addition to the longevity of the show, the article noted the familial nature of the show’s production. The article noted, “It was a poignant victory for executive producer Bradley Bell, whose late father William J. Bell co-created ‘The Young and the Restless,” a show that was honored seven times in the same category.”

This award was a major victory for the show but one overshadowed by time constraints. When long victory speeches run over it’s frequently inevitable that music begins to play to cut off that person. However, the people who represented B&B on stage regretfully did not even have a chance to address the television audience and thank them for their support.

Now, for much of their history, daytime dramas have been ridiculed by some critics for their weaknesses. Many people criticize the acting of daytime drama actors while others mock the shows for over-the-top plot-lines. Neither of these weaknesses for some daytime dramas is enough to minimize the victory of a television show being named the best in its field at the climax of the Daytime Emmy Awards. Despite their flaws, millions of Americans watch daytime dramas every day and these shows have boosted the careers of some fine actors including Julianne Moore and Meg Ryan, and these shows continue to provide entertainment for a wide and eclectic audience.

As I noted at the beginning of this piece, twenty-two years is a long time for a show to be on the air and “The Bold and the Beautiful” seems to have only gotten started. Although daytime dramas can be over the top, I think a show that is named the best in its field after twenty-two years on the air deserves a moment in the limelight.

For that, I say to the actors and producers, the directors and the writers, and the rest of the people who have worked on the show, congratulations.