Things Only Massive Young And The Restless Fans Would Know

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13. Where Does Genoa City Come From?

The world of Y&R revolves around the fictional town of Genoa City. The Bells named the area after a real town called Genoa City in Wisconsin; however, the real one doesn’t hold a candle to the fictional setting. The Bells used the name after driving by it to reach their summer home in Lake Geneva from their then-home located in Chicago. It’s important to note that Genoa City is located in the state of Wisconsin, but does not mirror the real Genoa City that exists.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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12. Judith Chapman Before She Was Gloria

Who doesn’t love the work Judith Chapman does on the show playing the dynamic role of Gloria Bardwell? Longtime fans will recall this wasn’t the first time Chapman stepped into a role on Y&R. Years back, she filled in as Jill Abbott for Jess Walton for some days while the actress was dealing with an illness.
©Aaron Montgomery/jpistudios.com

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11. Longest-Existing Character?

Can you answer this question without having to really think about the answer? Some may think it’s Victor, but the truth is that Jill Abbott is currently the longest-existing character on the show. Abbott made her debut on Y&R in 1973 and was originally portrayed by Brenda Dickson, then Bond Gideon, Deborah Adair, Melinda O. Fee and finally Jess Walton. While Walton isn’t the first to play Jill, she certainly has been the best. She entered the role in 1987 and is still playing the legendary character today.
© John Paschal/JPI

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10. Longest-Performing Actor?

While Jill Abbott has been a staple on Y&R, so has Paul Williams. However, the difference between Paul and Jill is that only one actor has played the handsome and funny Williams, which is Doug Davidson. Doug originated the Paul role in 1978 and continues to dazzle and woo Y&R audiences — that is, whenever producers acknowledge that he exists!
© John Paschal/JPI

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9. It Rocks The Ratings

This is no big surprise to most avid Y&R fans; however, the show is currently the highest-rated soap opera on U.S. television. You can thank an incredible cast and amazing writers for that. In fact, December 12, 2013, marked an unprecedented 1,300 weeks for the show to hit the top in its Nielsen ratings’ category for 1,300 weeks (or 25 years) since 1988.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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8. Longer Time Slot

When Y&R debuted in 1973, the daytime drama actually had a time slot of 30 minutes versus the hour fans all enjoy today. Thanks to the show’s increased popularity and high ratings, the soap was given an additional 30 minutes to relay all the scandal, romance, and drama that unfolded in Genoa City. On February 4, 1980, fans got their first one-hour Y&R show, and the daytime drama moved from a 30-minute airing broadcast to 60 minutes.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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7. Sex In Soaps

Believe it or not, before Y&R, daytime dramas never dove into the sexy side of relationships; however, that all changed after soap fans were exposed to the wild world of Genoa City. One of the first soap storylines to explore a prominent sexual theme was when Snapper Foster cheated on his fiancé Chris Brooks with Sally McGuire. Y&R would move to create more sexually-charged storyline themes that hadn’t been explored in soaps, including premarital intercourse, incest, impotence and assault.

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6. Breaking Barriers

Some Y&R fans may not know that the show dove into many social issues early on that had not been seen on daytime dramas before. The Y&R told the first-ever mastectomy storyline on a soap opera when character Jennifer Brooks discovered she had breast cancer in the late ‘70s. Y&R also briefly touched upon lesbianism, which certainly was never seen on a soap opera before, when Katherine Chancellor had an interesting obsession with ‘friend’ Joann Curtis in 1977.
© Aaron Montgomery/JPI

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5. Brother And Sister Play A Couple?

Almost, but thankfully not quite. Heather Tom and her brother David are both Y&R alumni, playing Victoria Newman and Billy Abbott in the past. Heather entered the world of Genoa City as Vicky from 1990 to 2003, while her brother played Abbott from 1999 to 2002 and once again for a brief time in 2014. Billy and Vicky have had a rollercoaster of a relationship, but thankfully not during a time when both Heather and David were on the show together in their respective roles. That would’ve just been gross and awkward.
© Colin Knight/jpistudios.com

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4. Hollywood Walk Of Fame

Many miss seeing Jeanne Cooper’s smiling face daily as Katherine Chancellor; however, she left a soap opera legacy behind and many onscreen memories that fans can still view to this day. She also hit an incredible milestone in 1993, becoming the first-ever soap opera actress given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
©Aaron Montgomery/JPI

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3. Art Imitated Life

Speaking of Jeanne, back in the early 1980s, Y&R incorporated her real-life facelift surgery within Genoa City storylines. Producers went against the idea of writing the actress out of the show or having someone replace her (who could, right?) and simply dove into an arc that involved the entire facelift process for Katherine. The actress allowed for her surgery and recovery to be filmed and eventually shown to Y&R audiences everywhere!
©John Paschal/JPI

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2. Will The REAL Sharon Newman, Please Stand Up?

Many fans assume that Sharon Case, the actress who has played Sharon Newman for decades, was the one to originate the role. Not true. In fact, two other Sharons slipped into the role in 1994 before Case was cast later that year. First was Hollywood actress Monica Potter and then Heidi Mark. That’s three different Sharons in one year!
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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1. Esther Has A Part-Time Job?

Kate Linder has won over Y&R fans after years of playing Katherine Chancellor’s friend and maid, as well as Chloe Mitchell’s mom. Esther Valentine entered Genoa City in the early ‘80s and Kate thought the role would be a one-off thing. Well, she ended up becoming a staple on the show by 1985. All throughout her soap opera career, Kate has had a part-time job working as a flight attendant for United Airlines when she’s not on set! Who knew?
© Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass is an avid fan of daytime drama and has been watching Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless for over two decades now. As a full-time freelance writer, she gets to combine her love of soap operas and writing through her Fame 10 articles. Also a mother of two busy girls and a mommy blogger, she's been published multiple times over in Huffington Post Parents and Scary Mommy.