The thing about “The Young and the Restless” is that there are quite a lot of old people and a significant number of scenes that are in fact very calm and full of restfulness. Titles can be deceiving. But besides that, “Y & R,”as it is affectionately referred to by my mom and little sister, delivers what it promises at face value: one hour of unadulterated, melodramatic plotlines riddled with antiquated lines, more than often delivered poorly by reasonably attractive actors and actresses. The result is purely entertaining.
The show runs every weekday on CBS from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and has been on the air since 1973 with over 9,000 episodes. It has the highest ratings of any soap opera on TV today and has won seven Daytime Emmy Awards.
The plot is amusing, featuring everything from the typical lying about pregnancies to the more absurd kidnapping of senior citizens. The actors are decent, but the older cast members by far outperform the younger ones. Most lines are recited with more emphasis on eloquence than emotion, but the plot never ceases to capture your attention. Romance is exaggerated and complicated. One example is a love rhombus (which is like a love triangle but with four people) getting trapped in a cabin during a blizzard and then having to deliver a baby without the help of medically trained professionals. Surprisingly, everyone is able to stay eerily calm and even comfortable enough to use irony and sarcasm despite the pending emergency.
“The Young and the Restless” is not your cream of the crop television show. It has its flaws. But it’s held its own amongst other daytime programs for over 30 years. My grandmother used to watch it, and now my mother does and so does my 10-year-old sister. Any time entertainment can bring generations together it gains that lasting power, and “Y & R” has certainly proven it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Nicole Stawiarski
Entertainment Editor
