B&B Turns 39: Relive Its Most Iconic Moments in Photos

On March 23, 1987, The Bold and the Beautiful debuted on CBS. The brainchild of daytime legends William J. Bell and Lee Philip Bell, it was conceived as a sister show to the Bells’ mega-successful The Young and the Restless — but it was far from a carbon copy. Set in glitzy Los Angeles against the glamorous backdrop of the fashion industry, B&B quickly established its own identity. Today, the show is a certified global sensation, with a massive distribution reach encompassing over 100 countries and an international audience of 25 million viewers.

From the start, B&B centered around the mega-wealthy Forrester family, their fashion empire (Forrester Creations), their romantic entanglements and their rivalries. Two of the show’s original cast members, John McCook (Eric Forrester) and Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) are still at the heart of the action. Over the years, the show has earned three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Drama, and five of its current cast members have nabbed Daytime Emmys in the Lead Actor and Actress categories: Scott Clifton (Liam), Thorsten Kaye (Ridge), McCook, Heather Tom (Katie) and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy).

In celebration of the show’s 39th birthday, we’re looking back at some of the most unforgettable and iconic moments that have made B&B such a success.

CBS/ courtesy Everett Collection

When the show premiered in 1987, the Forrester family was represented by (from row) Susan Flannery's Stephanie Douglas Forrester and John McCook's Eric Forrester, with their offspring played by (top row from l.) Clayton Norcross (Thorne), Ronn Moss (Ridge) and Teri Ann Linn (Kristen).

CBS

The show's first major love triangle saw Ridge torn between Caroline Spencer (Joanna Johnson) and Brooke Logan. He chose Caroline, marrying her in 1990, after she ended her ill-advised union with his brother, Thorne.

CBS

Sally Spectra (Darlene Conley), the powerhouse behind Spectra Fashions, did her darndest to compete with Forrester Creations. In 1990, she married the dashing (and sometimes dastardly) Clarke Garrison (Dan McVicar), who had once been Eric and Stephanie's son-in-law.

CBS

After a whirlwind romance, Eric secured a divorce from Stephanie and tied the knot with Brooke in 1991, surprising his bride with a honeymoon hot-air balloon ride. She and Eric had two kids, Eric III (Rick) and Bridget — though Brooke had also trysted with Ridge (while celebrating her successful creation of the BeLieF, a revolutionary formula for wrinkle-proof clothing), so she wasn't originally sure which man was her daughter's dad.

CBS

When Caroline succumbed to leukemia, Ridge found love again with psychiatrist Taylor (then-Hunter Tylo), who he married for the first time in 1992. They went on to welcome three children: twin daughters Phoebe and Steffy, and son Thomas.

CBS

In the landmark crossover event on daytime, notorious Young and Restless villainess Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) made the move to Los Angeles and set her sights on Eric, becoming Mrs. Forrester in 1993.

JPI

Brooke and Eric's son, Rick (Jacob Young), took up with his former babysitter, Amber (Adrienne Frantz), who also slept with old flame Raymond. She got pregnant in 1999 and wasn't sure who the father was. The baby was stillborn, so along with scheming mother Tawny, she passed off her cousin Becky's baby as her and Rick's son. Ultimately, the scheme blew up in her face.

JPI

Massimo Marone (Joseph Mascolo) was introduced to the canvas in 2001, and Ridge's life was turned upside down when he subsequently learned that Massimo, not Eric, was his biological father.

SEAN SMITH/JPI

In 2002, Brooke gave birth to baby Hope at the Forrester cabin. The baby was sired by Deacon — who was married to Brooke's own daughter, Bridget (then-Jennifer Finnigan), at the time!

John Paschal/jpistudios.com

In 2006, Brooke thought she had married the man of her dreams, Ridge's half brother Nick (Jack Wagner), but he fell into an affair with her daughter Bridget.

Susan Flannery, Betty White, Ally Mills "The Bold and the Beautiful" Set CBS Television City Los Angeles 10/26/06 ©Brian Lowe/jpistudios.com 310-657-9661 Episode # 4949 U.S. Airdate 12/5/06 JPI

Stephanie confronted her abusive mother, Ann (Betty White), in 2006, in a storyline that also ushered in the introduction of Steph's sister, Pam (Alley Mills).

Aaron Montgomery/jpistudios.com

In 2008, Storm Logan (William deVry) accidentally shot his younger sister, Katie (Heather Tom). Guilt-ridden, he took his own life so that his heart would save his transplant-needing sister.

Aaron Montgomery/jpistudios.com

In what she saw as justifiable behavior (because she wanted Eric to be with Stephanie), Pam tied up Eric's paramour, Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis), doused her in honey, and left her to be mauled by a grizzly bear in 2009! Fortunately for Donna, she survived this brush with disaster.

sean smith/jpistudios.com

In 2012, young lovers Hope (then-Kim Matula) and Liam pledged their troth in a sumptuously romantic setting: Polignano a Mare, a coastal town in Italy.

Katherine Kelly Lang, Susan Flannery "The Bold and the Beautiful" Set Location Los Angeles 10/23/12 © Sean Smith/jpistudios.com 310-657-9661 Episode # 6456 U.S.Airdate 11/26/12 JPI

Longtime rivals Brooke and Stephanie made peace before Stephanie succumbed to lung cancer in 2012.

JPI

Crafty publishing magnate Bill Spencer (Don Diamont, r.) saw his family expand with the arrival of not one but two surprise sons, Liam (Scott Clifton, l.) and Wyatt (Darin Brooks), pictured here in 2013.

JPI

B&B went all the way to Abu Dhabi for a 2014 location shoot in which Bill and Brooke were on the verge of saying, "I do" when Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) interrupted the ceremony to show the bride seeming proof of the groom's infidelity.

JPI

In a first for daytime, transgender Maya Avant (Karla Mosley) wed Rick in 2015, then welcomed a baby girl, Lizzie, in 2016. Maya's sister Nicole served as their surrogate.

Jessica Hromas/CBS

Liam and Steffy remarried in 2017, with the show traveling to Sydney, Australia to film the extravagant nuptials.

JPI

In 2019, Hope (Annika Noelle) and Liam were led to believe that their baby girl had been stillborn, when in truth, shady Dr. Reese Cunningham had sold the baby on the black market to cover his gambling debts. They spent many months grieving and were overjoyed when they discovered that baby Beth was very much alive (and being raised by an unsuspecting Steffy, who named her Phoebe) and Hope was able to reclaim her child at last.

Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

In 2020, Thomas's (Matthew Atkinson) obsession with Hope raged out of control — so much so that he carried on a pseudo relationship with a mannequin that was the spitting image of the object of his desire.

HOWARD WISE/JPI

While married to Eric, Quinn Fuller Forrester (Rena Sofer) fell in to a steamy affair with Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor). She and Eric divorced but she broke Carter's heart and left town.

SEAN SMITH/COURTESY OF BELL-PHILLIP TELEVISION INC.

Steffy found true love with dashing doctor Finn (Tanner Novlan); they welcomed a son, Hayes, and tied the knot. Their happiness was seemingly shattered when Finn's biological mother, Sheila, shot him while gunning for Steffy, and Finn was thought to have died. However, he was actually alive, and he and Steffy shared a romantic reunion in Monte Carlo in 2022.

Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

In 2024, Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) showed her true — and quite diabolical colors. She not only went on a killing spree, but took Steffy hostage and trapped her in a cage.

Sean Smith | Bell-Phillip TV Productions

In 2025, Ridge realized he was still in love with Brooke when Nick made a play for reconciliation with their mutual ex in Italy. Taylor was, sadly, left out in the cold once again as Ridge and Brooke remarried.

Bold and Beautiful

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The Bold and the Beautiful Turns 39: Its Most Iconic Moments in Photos

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