We asked you to vote to determine each show’s top tales. Here are the results.
1 of 5
Photo credit: JOHN PASCHAL/CELEBRITY PHOTO
The Brooke/Ridge/Caroline Triangle
B&B’s first love triangle kicked off in 1987, when wealthy playboy Ridge found himself torn between sheltered heiress Caroline and earthy have- not Brooke. Ridge’s push-and-pull between the two likable contend-
ers for his heart drove much of the action for the show’s early years (and sparked the decades-long Brooke/ Stephanie feud) — but late in 1989, the ladies tired of his waffling and told him to make up his mind. Ridge realized that one of the women made him feel truly free, and he summoned that mystery someone to a romantic dinner. Viewers were on the edge of their seats waiting to find out who he’d invited — and it turned out to be Caroline, who he proposed to that night. They married in January 1990. Tragically, Mrs. Forrester succumbed to cancer shortly thereafter, dying in her beloved’s arms.
2 of 5
Photo credit: JPI
Brooke Takes Over Forrester
Brooke got her sweet revenge on the Forresters in 1993, when she shocked the family who had so underestimated her by tak- ing a controlling interest in their fashion biz. Brooke had been willing to negotiate a fair deal for her patent on the revolutionary anti-wrinkle formula she had developed (BeLieF), but when she learned that they were trying to cheat her, she demanded — and received — 51 percent of the company for the patent. Fans took glee in watching Brooke stand up for herself and finally slap Stephanie (and relegate her to a cramped cubby after taking over her office!) after enduring years of her abuse.
3 of 5
Photo credit: JPI
The Beth Baby Switch
In a story that dominated the canvas throughout 2019, devious doc Reese led Hope to believe that her daughter with Liam, Beth, had died — but the kiddie was actually living as Phoebe, the adopted daughter of an unwitting Steffy. Over the course of eight excruciating months, Hope’s incalculable grief decimated her marriage, while more and more people became privy to the secret (giv- ing rise to a new villain in Thomas), before sweet little Douglas finally blew the drama sky-high by revealing Beth’s true identity. The payoff was huge, in the form of Liam and Hope’s beautiful reunion with their child — as was B&B’s boffo ratings gain when this long-awaited moment was delivered.
4 of 5
Photo credit: JPI
Maya Is Transgender
Maya had been a well-liked player for two years, and was in a popular roman- tic pairing with Rick, when the 2015 arrival of her sister, Nicole, introduced her unexpected original story — and viewers learned that she was transgen- der. In what remains daytime’s most in-depth and sustained exploration of this timely subject, viewers rooted for Maya to be accepted and understood by her family, and by Rick. It was a tri- umphant moment for Maya when, at her wedding to Rick, she booted her igno- rant father, Julius, from the premises, refusing to sacrifice her own self-worth and happiness. It was a poignant, enlightening character journey.
5 of 5
Photo credit: JPI
Stephanie's Death
For 25 years, Stephanie was B&B’s iron lady, an immovable force to
be reckoned with, but when Susan Flannery decided to retire from the role in 2012, the show scripted a return
of the matriarch’s lung cancer. Never maudlin, Stephanie made the most
of the time she had left. She hosted
a raucous party, touchingly reminded her loved ones just how much they meant to her — and then, in a richly satisfying stroke of writerly inspiration, Stephanie’s last breaths were shared with Brooke. Though they had been bitter rivals for decades, the women made peace, and in the end, realized that they were each other’s unorthodox best friend. Brooke sang Stephanie to her eternal sleep with her favorite song, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, a beautiful moment years in the making.
The Brooke/Ridge/Caroline Triangle
B&B’s first love triangle kicked off in 1987, when wealthy playboy Ridge found himself torn between sheltered heiress Caroline and earthy have- not Brooke. Ridge’s push-and-pull between the two likable contend-
ers for his heart drove much of the action for the show’s early years (and sparked the decades-long Brooke/ Stephanie feud) — but late in 1989, the ladies tired of his waffling and told him to make up his mind. Ridge realized that one of the women made him feel truly free, and he summoned that mystery someone to a romantic dinner. Viewers were on the edge of their seats waiting to find out who he’d invited — and it turned out to be Caroline, who he proposed to that night. They married in January 1990. Tragically, Mrs. Forrester succumbed to cancer shortly thereafter, dying in her beloved’s arms.
Photo credit: JOHN PASCHAL/CELEBRITY PHOTO
Brooke Takes Over Forrester
Brooke got her sweet revenge on the Forresters in 1993, when she shocked the family who had so underestimated her by tak- ing a controlling interest in their fashion biz. Brooke had been willing to negotiate a fair deal for her patent on the revolutionary anti-wrinkle formula she had developed (BeLieF), but when she learned that they were trying to cheat her, she demanded — and received — 51 percent of the company for the patent. Fans took glee in watching Brooke stand up for herself and finally slap Stephanie (and relegate her to a cramped cubby after taking over her office!) after enduring years of her abuse.
The Beth Baby Switch
In a story that dominated the canvas throughout 2019, devious doc Reese led Hope to believe that her daughter with Liam, Beth, had died — but the kiddie was actually living as Phoebe, the adopted daughter of an unwitting Steffy. Over the course of eight excruciating months, Hope’s incalculable grief decimated her marriage, while more and more people became privy to the secret (giv- ing rise to a new villain in Thomas), before sweet little Douglas finally blew the drama sky-high by revealing Beth’s true identity. The payoff was huge, in the form of Liam and Hope’s beautiful reunion with their child — as was B&B’s boffo ratings gain when this long-awaited moment was delivered.
Maya Is Transgender
Maya had been a well-liked player for two years, and was in a popular roman- tic pairing with Rick, when the 2015 arrival of her sister, Nicole, introduced her unexpected original story — and viewers learned that she was transgen- der. In what remains daytime’s most in-depth and sustained exploration of this timely subject, viewers rooted for Maya to be accepted and understood by her family, and by Rick. It was a tri- umphant moment for Maya when, at her wedding to Rick, she booted her igno- rant father, Julius, from the premises, refusing to sacrifice her own self-worth and happiness. It was a poignant, enlightening character journey.
Stephanie's Death
For 25 years, Stephanie was B&B’s iron lady, an immovable force to
be reckoned with, but when Susan Flannery decided to retire from the role in 2012, the show scripted a return
of the matriarch’s lung cancer. Never maudlin, Stephanie made the most
of the time she had left. She hosted
a raucous party, touchingly reminded her loved ones just how much they meant to her — and then, in a richly satisfying stroke of writerly inspiration, Stephanie’s last breaths were shared with Brooke. Though they had been bitter rivals for decades, the women made peace, and in the end, realized that they were each other’s unorthodox best friend. Brooke sang Stephanie to her eternal sleep with her favorite song, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, a beautiful moment years in the making.