'The Bold and the Beautiful' Updates Original Opening for 30th Anniversary

CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful aired its 30th anniversary episode on March 23, and surprised view with an updated version of its original opening credits.

"When you hit 30 years, you think about the history of your show, and this is really a treat for all those people who have stayed with us since the beginning who remember the original opening," executive producer and head writer Brad Bell tells Soap Opera Digest. "It's fun for us to relive those years."

Watch the new version of the old opening below.

People Magazine's 'The Bold and the Beautiful: Three Decades of Love, Lust & Drama!' on Sale Now!

The Bold and the Beautiful, the world’s most-watched soap opera, turns 30 this month, and People is helping Forrester fans celebrate with a a family album of shocking plot twists, runway catfights and lots and lots and lots of weddings.

“I think we've created a true sense of extended family for our viewers,” executive producer Brad Bell tells People in an interview about the show his parents started in 1987. “It's hard to find things in life you can count on.”

The 96-page special collector's edition issue The Bold and the Beautiful: Three Decades of Love, Lust & Drama! features behind-the-scenes photos, scenic destination shoots and interviews with cast members including series-long veterans Kelly Katherine Lang and John McCook.

“How long can you be a troublemaker?” Lang says of her character Brooke Logan's 12 walks down the aisle. “She's learned from her past. She’s made a lot of mistakes and become a different person because of them. People still loved Brooke during those havoc-wreaking years, but I like the fact that she’s become the heroine.”

McCook also looks back on his first day on set: “I thought, 'Great! This is going to be on for 5 or 10 years!'”

The Bold and the Beautiful: Three Decades of Love, Lust & Drama! is on sale now.

Next Round of Presenters Revealed for the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards

We Love Soaps and the Indie Series Network are excited to reveal the next round of presenters for the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards, which celebrate the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Web. Stars from Television, Film, Broadway and the Internet are coming together to celebrate the very best of the World Wide Web.

The Indie Series Awards, hosted by Carolyn Hennesy, will take place on April 2, 2014 at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

Previously announced presenters include Charlene Tilton, Christine Lakin, Colleen Zenk, Sebastian La Cause, Eric Martsolf, Kyle Lowder, Jillian Clare, Rachael Hip-Flores, Van Hansis and Walt Willey.

The next 10 presenters are listed below:

Anthony Anderson
Anderson is the most-nominated individual in ISA history, with 16 total nominations for his work as a producer, writer and actor on Anacostia, and including a nomination for his guest appearance in Pretty. He won in 2010 (Best Ensemble), 2011 (Lead Actor) and 2012 (Best Writing - Drama). Anderson is currently finishing production on his new reality series, City Boyz.

Brad Bell
Bell won in 2013 in the Best Lead Actor - Comedy and Best Writing categories for his work on Husbands, and is up for those awards again this year. He is also executive producer of Husbands, which received six nominations this year including Best Web Series - Comedy. Bell has received nine total nominations in the past three years.

Darin Brooks
Brooks is nominated for his work in Bloomers. He is currently starring as "Wyatt Fuller" in CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful. He received two Daytime Emmy nominations for his work on Days of our Lives, winning in 2009. Brooks starred for three seasons as "Alex Morgan" in the TBS sitcom Blue Mountain State. His other credits include Super Fun Night, Castle, CSI: Miami and the hit teen drama Miss Behave.

WATCH: HUSBANDS Season 3 Premiere

Smash comedy HUSBANDS received 12 Indie Soap Awards nominations for the show's first two hilarious seasons, and won two ISAs this year for Lead Actor (Brad Bell) and Best Writing (Bell and Jane Espenson). Today the show kicks off its third season on CW Seed with guest star Amy Acker in an episode entitled "I Do Over."

Tabloid darling Cheeks (Bell), and star athlete Brady (Sean Hemeon) are preparing to re-do the "I do"s they neglected during their first accidental drunken wedding, when Acker shows up as Claudia, Brady's ex-fiancee-with-an-agenda. Additional guest appearances include Seth Green, Michael Hogan), Beth Grant and Deb Theaker).

HUSBANDS is created and executive produced by Brad Bell and Jane Espenson (ONCE UPON A TIME, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER).

Check out the Season 3 premiere below:

ISA4: Brad Bell Wins Best Actor (Comedy)

At the 4th Annual Indie Soap Awards, HUSTLING stars Sebastian La Cause, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Jessica Press presented the Best Actor (Comedy) award.

The nominees were:
Ben Baur, HUNTING SEASON
Brad Bell, HUSBANDS
Sean Hemeon, HUSBANDS
Dane Joseph, DRAMA QUEENZ
Rob Michael Hugel, I HATE BEING SINGLE
Ed Robinson, PAIRINGS

Brad Bell won and gave one of the most memorable speeches of the night.

Oh crap, I really should have written a speech. And earlier I won for writing so the irony is not lost on me that I didn't write anything. This is the second thing I've ever won in my life. This really means a lot because I think some people look at the character of Cheeks as a stereotype or caricature or something two-dimensional. What I really wanted to do with this script and this story was to show that even if you have stereotypes, even if you are feminine and have long eyelashes, or you love Madonna, or you sashay down the street, it doesn't mean that you're not a fully developed human being and you don't have depth or dimension. My femininity is actually what gives me strength. It is not a weakness. To Jane Espenson and Jeff Greenstein, who directed a performance that I never would have delivered on my own, and my co-stars Sean Hemeon and Alessandra Torresani, I would not have been able to deliver without them giving me that energy, thank you. And really thank you so much for this. This means a lot to me.

Watch a montage of the nominees and the speech below:

Susan Flannery Leaving THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Exit Plan Revealed For Stephanie Forrester

As shown in the CBS preview for THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL earlier this week, Stephanie Forrester learns her lung cancer is back and now beyond treatment. But what happens next? In a new interview with TV Guide Magazine, executive producer Bradley Bell reveals that Stephanie will die in December.

TV Guide Magazine: So Stephanie is told there's no hope whatsoever?

NEWS ROUNDUP: At Home With Pete Rich. Plus, Stella Sisters, Freddie Smith, Drake Hogestyn, Sally Struthers

Pete Rich and Matt Brenneis / Photo by Cloe Poisson

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: At Home In Litchfield Hills With Soap Writer Pete Rich
Remember when Reva Shayne of GUIDING LIGHT stripped in the downtown fountain and announced, "I baptize myself the slut of Springfield, scarlet woman, common tramp?" Or when Tad Martin on ALL MY CHILDREN proclaimed to his wacky mother Opal, "I am swimming in one scary gene pool?" Or when GL's H.B. Lewis stoically told son Josh, "Love the lord, love the life he's given you and the rest will take care of itself?" Pete Rich. Pete Rich. Pete Rich.

Rich is no longer writing for soap operas and is now working with partner and editor Matt Brenneis on two new TV projects. "I did not want to see mess or depressing or chaos," says Rich, who is also now doing commissioned decorating work as well. "I need the opposite of the insanity that I was writing."

NEWS ROUNDUP: B&B's Brad Bell On Lesbian Storyline & Rick! Plus, Maurice Benard, Susan Lucci, Kelly Ripa

B&B's Brad Bell says lesbian story will return, Rick is the new Ridge
"Joanna will definitely be back, if only for a day or two here and there," says Bell. "And once her [EMILY OWENS] schedule backs off a bit I want her back for something meaty. We may not see Karen for the time being but we'll play her as if she's still around and that she and Dani are still a happy couple. [Laughs] I'm not going to have Dani go off and seduce one of our guys."

"Rick is a young man sick of sitting on the sidelines and will finally come into his own," says Bell. "He'll become a passionate, sexy, driving force of the show, making a strategic play for Caroline [Linsey Godfrey] and going after Ridge's position as head of Forrester Creations."

Brad Bell: Ridge Will Return To THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; Ronn Moss Last Airs Sept. 14

Brad Bell, executive producer and head writer of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, tells TV Guide Magazine that Ronn Moss will air for the final time as Ridge Forrester on September 14. But we have not seen the last of the character.

Right now I can only tell you this: Ridge will not be dead or presumed dead. He will just not be in the picture. I don't want to do a presumed death because I don't want the story that follows to be all about Ridge. This will be a Brooke story. Ridge is a pivotal part of the show and he will be back in a matter of time...and probably not all that much time. I will continue writing for the character. I'm looking at this in two phases, really. There will be a period of time without Ridge, which is where some new, interesting avenues for Brooke will come into play. But at some point it will be necessary for Ridge to return to the show. Who will be playing the role at that point remains to be seen.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 3.32 BOLD & BEAUTIFUL Turns 25: Brad Bell & Lee Phillip Bell Reflect

WE LOVE SOAPS TV recently traveled to the set of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL in Los Angeles as the show celebrated 25 years on the air.

In this new interview with Damon L. Jacobs, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL executive producer/head writer Brad Bell and co-creator Lee Phillip Bell reflect on the show's 25th anniversary.

Watch our latest episode below.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Roger Howarth Signs GH Contract, Missing EASTENDERS Actress, Michael E. Knight Auditions For Marc Cherry, Lisa Rinna Names Joe Mascolo Worst Actor

British police searching for missing former EASTENDERS actress find torso in London canal
British police say the headless and limbless body was found in Regent’s Canal, near east London’s hip Broadway Market area, after a passer-by spotted something in the water. London police also said Wednesday that detectives suspect the remains found Tuesday are those of Gemma McCluskie, who has been missing since last week. McCluskie starred on the popular soap EASTENDERS in 2001.

Roger Howarth put on contract at GENERAL HOSPITAL
TVLine is reporting Howarth signed a contract with the show. Kassie DePaiva is still recurring.

VIDEO: Kristen Alderson talks about working on GENERAL HOSPITAL

President Obama at Brad and Colleen Bell's Estate: Knew It Was Going To Be A Long Journey

President Barack Obama attended two fundraisers at Brad and Colleen Bell's estate on Wednesday night. Two fundraising events took place at the estate where THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL producer/writer lives. About 1,000 people attended the first, which featured a concert by the Foo Fighters. Rashida Jones and Jack Black spoke at that event.

The second was a $38,500-per-person dinner for about 80. Clooney, Belushi, presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant were among the guests at the smaller dinner.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Brad Bell Estate Hosting Two Obama Fundraisers, PBS Yanks DOWNTON Jewelry, Jessica Lowndes Video Premieres

Two Obama Hollywood Fundraisers Set for Brad Bell's Holmby Hills Estate
Barack Obama's Hollywood fundraisers have begun selling tickets to $35,800-per-person dinner for the president at the Holmby Hills estate of soap opera producer and writer Bradley Bell (co-creator, executive producer and head writer of of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) and his wife Colleen, according to an invitation obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

Actor Will Ferrell and his wife Viveca Paulin are among the co-sponsors of the dinner. Event organizers are also working on a line-up of musical acts to perform on the lawn of the Bells' house for earlier in the day. Those tickets start at $250 per person.

PBS pulls DOWNTON ABBEY-inspired jewelry after show objects
A "Lady Mary knotted pearl necklace and earring set” ($184.99) and a “Lady Sybil black pearl bracelet and earring set” ($159.99) were among the accessories that ShopPBS.org took off its shopping site on Tuesday afternoon.

B&B Exec Producer/Writer Brad Bell Among Investors Purchasing Chicago Sun-Times

A local investment group is acquiring the media company that includes the Chicago Sun-Times, taking over from owners who purchased it out of bankruptcy under the direction of the late James Tyree.

The buyers include Michael Ferro Jr., chairman of Merrick Ventures LLC, a private equity firm that deals with technology companies. Ferro, who will serve as chairman, is bringing in media executive Timothy Knight to run the company as chief executive and as an investor.

Also among the investors is Bradley Phillip Bell, president of Bell-Phillip Television Productions, which produces THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. He is the son of Chicago TV pioneer Lee Phillip Bell who had a long-running talk show on WBBM-TV.

To accomplish the deal, the investors created a new company with the pun-laden name Wrapports LLC. Knight said the name refers to a mix of old media — the “wrapping” of a newspaper — with the rapport promised by new technology. He said the company will buy other ventures or launch its own tech startups.

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Mary-Ellis Bunim & Michael Eisner Added to TV Hall of Fame, Sherry Stringfield Movie, Justin Hartley on CASTLE

Mary-Ellis Bunim & Michael Eisner among nine added to Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Hall of Fame
Mary-Ellis Bunim’s unique talents in producing daytime soap operas (SEARCH FOR TOMORROW; AS THE WORLD TURNS; SANTA BARBARA) combined with Jonathan Murray’s experience in news and documentaries proved to be the perfect ingredients to develop The Real World. This groundbreaking MTV show quickly became part of the cultural DNA, and it has now endured for almost 20 years, having been renewed through its 28th season. During their 14-year partnership, Bunim and Murray broke the boundaries of conventional television to create more than just a show. Instead they pioneered a whole new genre known as “reality television.”