Soap Opera Digest: March 23 marks your big anniversary. Congratulations on 30 years! Does it feel like 30?
Bradley Bell: In some ways it feels like 30, and in other ways it feels like yesterday. It’s very satisfying and gratifying and most important, it’s still fun. It’s loads of fun every day, so as long as we’re having fun, we’re all in.
Digest: It was clever to revive the Spectras to time with the show’s 30th.
Bell: Thank you. For the 30th anniversary, one of my goals was to bring the show full circle and take the characters on the original cast call sheet, or from the first few years, and reinvent them and revive the institutions that made the show what it is — and we’ve come very close. We’ve got Spectras, Logans, Spencers and Forresters 30 years later. I’ve watched other shows sometimes veer off-track, as we have at times, but it feels good to have these characters front and center as we celebrate 30 years.
Digest: Speaking of compelling stories, the Ridge and Quinn dynamic is discovered this week, which is going to be a huge moment. What can you tease about what’s ahead for Brooke/Ridge/Quinn/Eric?
Bell: Well, I think Brooke and Ridge both burn very hot. They’re both characters driven by their passions and desires. They haven’t always made the right decisions, but I think that that’s what’s brought them together. They love that about the other one, but here it’s a step too far. Ridge is drawn to the desire that burns within Quinn — and he knows it’s bad, he knows it’s dark, but it’s also, in a way, irresistible. Giving in to this desire is completely wrong, and yet it still happens. The big question is if this is something Brooke and Ridge can survive, and in the end, we’re going to see if Ridge is Brooke’s great destiny, as we’ve heard so frequently throughout these 30 years, or is it someone else? Someone like Bill Spencer, who’s very dedicated and devoted in his desires and love for Brooke. So, it’s a big climax that we’re building to for the 30th, and I’m so excited to be working with Rena [Sofer, Quinn] and Thorsten [Kaye, Ridge] and [Katherine] Kelly [Lang, Brooke] and John [McCook, Eric] as they bring this thing to life.
JPI
Digest: Let’s talk about those early days working with your dad, Co-Creator William J. Bell. What were your first roles at B&B?
Bell: Well, before we started working on B&B in ’86, I was a dialogue writer for YOUNG AND RESTLESS and for years prior — every summer during school breaks — I was spending time with my dad and the Y&R writers.
Digest: So, you’ve always wanted to write?
Bell: I did. Early on in college, I wondered if I wanted to do other things, but it wasn’t long before I knew without question that this is what I wanted to do. Writing was a part of who I am.
Digest: Was it always part of the plan that you’d take over the show?
Bell: It really evolved. My dad basically said, “We need to write the best scripts we can.” We were all focused on making that next show, that next story arc, as good as it could possibly be. But, as I spent time with him every day at the office, and every evening with him viewing shows, and every morning driving to the studio with him, we shared so much time together that I had an opportunity to see his style and formulate my own style.
Digest: How was the transition? Did you feel pressure to do a great job?
Bell: Well, he would edit my scripts and he would take out his red pen and the early ones would come back almost more red than white [laughs]. But, he really cared and he put in the time to teach me. He was writing both Y&R and B&B at the time, and he was just completely overwhelmed. He was working seven days a week, early in the morning till late at night. He would do Y&R Monday through Thursday, and then B&B Friday, Saturday, Sunday. He was burning out before our eyes and something had to happen. My mother insisted that he take a vacation. It was at that point I felt that I had the ability to write the show so while he was gone, I wrote ahead 10 or 12 episodes, and he came back and was furious! I said, “Well, the scripts are done and they’re going into production,” and he said, “You can’t do this!” and then he said, “All right, fine.” He wasn’t going to hand the show over because he was so passionate about it all but I grabbed it and ran with it, and it came at a time where he needed to lighten his workload.
Digest: What was the transition like?
Bell: He was keeping an eye on things but he was consumed with Y&R. He had the feeling that the stories were going well and the company was running well. It was an abrupt change but he had faith in me, and that was a wonderful feeling.
Digest: Did you ever have disagreements about the show?
Bell: When we were working together, we would have different opinions, and it would be passionate. We would have heated discussions but in the end, we had mutual respect and appreciated where the other was coming from. Of course, I was in awe of his story-telling ability. We knew when it wasn’t as good as it could be but when it was, he was just the master. He could bring such emotion out of the viewers and out of the actors. He really was a wizard.
Digest: Absolutely! Speaking of storytelling masters, your mom, Lee Phillip Bell, was a very important influence as co-creator. Does she still offer her input on B&B?
Bell: She does. We go to lunch every Tuesday, and it’s a business lunch. She watches the show every day and she has her favorite characters and favorite stories. She was a great influence early on, having done her talk show in Chicago for 30 years. She would tackle many social issues on her show, and she inspired Dad and myself to go that step further and tell stories with a social conscience and awareness. She’s always been about that. When we have these special shows, it comes from her.
Digest: Were there ever talks about taking B&B to an hour?
Bell: We’ve had discussions — and came somewhat close a decade or so ago — but it never really came to light. I love the half-hour format. We’re unique in the world to have a half-hour, ongoing daily drama. It’s fun to be one of a kind in the television landscape. It’s fast-paced. It’s a commitment but only half of an hour, which is great. I couldn’t be happier.
Digest: The downside of that, though, is you don’t get to feature as many characters. For instance, with the arrival of the Spectras, fans are worried about the Avants. Likewise, will Caroline ever come back? What do you say to viewers who are concerned about their favorite characters?
Bell: I am very committed to the Avant family. They’re incredible to the show and they’re going to continue to be a mainstay family. To work with Anna Maria [Horsford, Vivienne] and Obba Babatundé [Julius], they’re just amazing. Zende and Nicole are going to have a bright future. And in this case, we’ll see that the Spectra family is actually going to be good for the Avant family because there are going to be some interesting crossovers in the near future. With Caroline Spencer, if you look back in the history of the show, very often we tell stories that end with the birth of a child. That changes the dynamics of the character and the story. It was really a question of, at this point in time, did I want to play Thomas as a father all of the time? I really wanted to take the character in a different direction. He is a father, and he and Caroline share this child, and I suspect that we will be seeing Caroline back on the show in the future.
JPI
Digest: Speaking of crossovers, will we be seeing more B&B and Y&R crossovers?
Bell: Yes. It’s so great to have Sally [Sussman] and Kay [Alden] writing Y&R, two people that I’ve worked with ever since I can remember. Because of that, it’s very easy for us to communicate. We’ve had conversations, and there will be more between the shows. You can look forward to those.
Digest: Have any of your own children expressed an interest in following in your footsteps the way you followed in your dad’s?
Bell: We’ve been having conversations about that. My kids range from 23 to 14, and I know that one of them is going to get in this business. I’m going to insist upon it. It’s just such a special experience and I want to share it with at least one of my kids. I’m sure one will jump up — or if not, I’ll force them. Walk the plank [laughs]!
Digest: What would your father think of B&B today?
Bell: Well, since today is my dad’s 90th birthday, it’s incredible to think that if he were 90, it would be on the air now for a third of his life. It’s so far beyond our wildest imagination in 1987 that we would have this longevity and reach that we have around the world — and there’s still the enthusiasm we see and hear from our fans. It’s a wonderful thing. It’s a great success story that all started with the birthday boy, my dad.
Digest: Where do you see the show in the next 30 years?
Bell: I don’t know. I like the sense of adventure in the television landscape right now. Television is evolving in how it’s being broadcast and how it’s being consumed, and I think that makes it an exciting time for shows like ours. Television is very strong and there are a lot of options out there. The online viewing with CBS.com is very exciting. Happily, the networks continue to be strong, especially CBS. As the landscape continues to unfold, we’re very happy to be a part of it. I think it’s a new golden era of television, so it’s a great time. w
