The Bold and the Beautiful

The Bold and the Beautiful is a US television soap opera, created by Lee Phillip Bell and William J. Bell. It debuted on March 23,1987, and still screens in the United States on the CBS network, and in almost 100 countries around the world. With more than 300 million viewers around the globe (most notably in Italy, where it airs under the title Beautiful, and in the Francophone world, where it airs under the title Top modèles), The Bold and the Beautiful is claimed to be the most watched television series in the world. It is also the only soap opera to simulcast in a Spanish language track for Hispanic viewers in the United States (under the title Belleza y poder).

The series focuses upon the Forrester family and its Los Angeles fashion empire, the Spectra family, and the seductions of Brooke Logan. Brooke has been showcased as a key character in the entire history of the serial. Originally from a middle-class background, her love affair with Ridge Forrester set up much story these last seventeen years.

Every so often, Ridge and Brooke would break up, and Ridge would invariably find comfort (in most cases, this would lead to marriage) with Dr. Taylor Hamilton. Ridge's mother Stephanie preferred Taylor over Brooke, as Stephanie thought Brooke had loose morals. The fights that resulted between Stephanie and Brooke impacted her children as well as her husband, Eric, who married Brooke once when he and Stephanie were divorced. Brooke gave birth to two of Eric's children and are still very close, but Eric eventually reconciled with Stephanie and the two have since remarried.

One infamous incident of conflict between Ridge, Taylor and Brooke occurred in 1994. En route to a psychiatrist's conference in Egypt, Taylor's plane crashed in Morocco and she was presumed dead. Taylor was whisked away to a prince's palace and since she had amnesia, she was led to believe that she was named Laila and was to marry the virgin prince so he could claim his right to the Moroccan throne. At home, Ridge grieved for Taylor; sensing her opportunity, Brooke was very understanding, so much so that they made love, got engaged, and held a surprise wedding on the beach in rapid succession. By the time Taylor remembered her love for Ridge and escaped the compound in Morocco, she was too late. Ridge was now again conflicted as he loved Brooke but their marriage was now annulled due to Taylor's presence.

U.S. soap operas

Currently on the air:

All My Children

As the World Turns

The Bold and the Beautiful

The Young and the Restless

Important cancelled soaps: