Tome, Sweet, Tome
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, B&B has released a hardcover book, The Bold And The Beautiful In Celebration of Twenty Years Of Television, with year-by-year summaries, interviews, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and lots of photos. Priced at $39.95, this limited edition can be purchased on the show’s official Web site (www.boldandbeautiful.com) until it hits bookstores (the launch date will be announced later). We talked with the author, Eva Demirjian, who happens to be B&B’s Director of Communications & Talent Relations (that’s a publicist, folks) and asked her what it was like to work on the project.
Soap Opera Digest: Were you aware of the Herculean effort you were taking on?
Eva Demirjian: Absolutely not! I was totally off the mark in how much time the research would take. I literally read every synopsis for every episode made in the last 10 years! And I did a tremendous amount of reading on the first decade of the show. I also spent quite a bit of time interviewing the cast — past and present — key executives and the Bells.
Digest: How did this book idea come about?
Demirjian: Approximately a year before our 20th anniversary we began to have discussions about all of the ways B&B was going to celebrate. The subject of a book came up and as we discussed possible authors and publishers, I asked to be considered. I wrote [Executive Producer/Head Writer] Brad Bell and [Senior Producer] Ron Weaver a formal proposal and both were very excited that I would be willing to author the book, with Brad as co-writer. They liked the format I proposed and had confidence in my writing abilities, so I was hired!
Digest: What was your vision?
Demirjian: What I outlined in my original proposal to Brad was that it be a “yearbook” of sorts; fun and colorful, as well as different from what we’ve seen in the past with these sorts of books. It was my goal to weave in quotes and photos that were never before released and to make it very anecdotal. My first priority when writing the book was ensuring it paid tribute to the amazing Bell family. [Brad’s parents, the late William J. Bell and his wife, Lee Phillip Bell, co-created B&B and YOUNG AND RESTLESS].
Digest: When did you officially start working on the project?
Demirjian: In June 2006, eight months before our actual 20th anniversary.
Digest: Were you in constant meetings about the book?
Demirjian: I spent a lot of time in interviews, all of which I taped and transcribed. Then there were meetings about the content, as I received approval for each chapter along the way. Additionally, and probably the majority of meeting time, was spent with Anthony Ferrari [VP, International Services, BBL], who initially co-designed the concept of the aesthetic look of the book with me, and then with Dan Boland, who, as graphic artist extraordinaire, also co-designed the book and laid it all out to create what you see. I oversaw every facet of the book, so it was very time-consuming.
Digest: What was the most challenging task about putting this together?
Demirjian: Keeping the bigger picture in mind while writing and laying out each chapter, which was about the history of BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL and the stories told by Bill Bell and then Brad. It needed to maintain the integrity of being an homage to this wonderful, brilliant family, without whom there would be no B&B.
Digest: There was undoubtedly a lot of inspiration and input from others, but who was the biggest help to you?
Demirjian: This is a difficult question. My biggest inspiration definitely came from Lee Phillip Bell. The time I spent with her during the writing of the book will forever be one of my most cherished memories. It was staggering to me to be in the presence of such a brilliant woman who blazed such a path for all women in television, whether it be in journalism or in daytime drama. She is the epitome of grace and kindness. In terms of the biggest help to me, that would be Jennifer Mulhall, my assistant here at B&B, who worked tirelessly with me after hours and on weekends to physically put the book together. But there are so many other people, too; Brad and Ron for believing in me and all the cast members who were so giving of their time and their personal memories. I have a whole page of acknowledgements in the book dedicated to just this question!
Digest: You also included a very lovely homage to the late Darlene Conley, who played Sally Spectra.
Demirjian: Darlene passed away just two months before our 20th anniversary. I had come to know and love Darlene and I recognized how many people around the world loved her.
Digest: What were your feelings when you first saw the finished product?
Demirjian: It’s so funny. I became really ill the day that the book came out and ended up being hospitalized. I missed the whole debut of the book at the annual fan event. So, my first reaction, after relief at it being finished and having made the deadline, was one of wondering how Brad and the Bells would feel about it.
Digest: What will be your answer if 10 years from now, they ask you to write B&B’s 30th anniversary book?
Demirjian: Where do I sign?Check It Out!
Feed your B&B addiction with the November 20 issue of Digest, which includes: news of a return (page 5), a salute to Susan Flannery (Stephanie, page 37) and a Rick Forrester timeline (page 76).
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