Praise for THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS LIFE OF WILLIAM J. BELL "A beautiful dedication to Bill and the pioneering legacy of the Bell family. Their endless commitment, passion, and creativity have left an indelible mark on the genre."—Frank Valentini, executive producer of General Hospital and Emmy-winning director of One Life to Live "Reading this book is like rolling in the arms of soap opera's greatest lover...Bill Bell!"—Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes, Emmy-nominated actors on Days of our Lives and authors of the novel TRUMPET "An informed, insightful look at the inner workings of the Bell Empire—the most successful dynasty in daytime television history. It's a great read."—Peter Bergman, three-time Emmy-winning actor on The Young and the Restless "Michael Maloney has complied an impressive amount f details into an entertaining and fast-moving book. Read this book if you want a fascinating insight into one of television's original show runners and the legacy he left behind."—Cady McClain, Emmy-winning actress, All My Children and As the World Turns "One of the reasons for Bill Bell's legendary success in daytime drama was his immense respect for the genre and its audience. Longtime daytime journalist Michael Maloney uses the same respect for the genre to reveal the man behind the legend. For any fan of soap operas, this book is a must-read."—Dave Rupel, executive producer, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Emmy-winning writer for Guiding Light "Nobody 'gets' daytime like Maloney! A fascinating read for the dedicated soap fan!"—Michael Bruno, daytime talent manager "A fitting tribute to the man who brought daytime's most memorable characters to life, with great insight into his passion for the genre and dedication to his family...THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS LIFE OF WILLIAM J. BELL honors the legacy of daytime's 'Drama King.'"—Angelica McDaniel, senior vice president, CBS, Daytime "I cannot remember the last biography I enjoyed reading as much as THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS LIFE OF WILLIAM J. BELL. Together with Lee Phillip Bell, Michael Maloney has done a masterful job of weaving private family memories, never-before-told anecdotes, and an insider's knowledge of the soap industry together to create a tapestry as rich and colorful as Bill Bell himself. A must-read for any soap opera fan!"—Roberta Caploe, former managing editor of Soap Opera Digest and author of MELROSE CONFIDENTIAL "The carefully selected photographs alone are worth this beguiling trip down memory lane."—Lynette Rice, Entertainment Weekly Millions of fans worldwide know his soap opera and his characters, but few know the story of the man who brought them to life. William J. Bell, television's most prolific writer, reinvented the soap opera genre with his groundbreaking serial The Young and the Restless in 1973 and went on to co-create The Bold and the Beautiful with his wife and successful TV host Lee Phillip Bell, which debuted in 1987. The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell tells the inside story of daytime's greatest storyteller, including his role as an advertising executive in the era of Mad Men, working for legendary serial creator Irna Phillips, and his move from Chicago to Los Angeles, which resulted in Y&R taking the top spot in the rating. This book offers an unprecedented look into the life of the man who defined the soap genre and draws readers behind the scenes into the captivating world of the daytime soap they know and love.

Since the debut of These Are My Children in 1949, the daytime television soap opera has been foundational to the history of the medium as an economic, creative, technological, social, and cultural institution. In Her Stories, Elana Levine draws on archival research and her experience as a longtime soap fan to provide an in-depth history of the daytime television soap opera as a uniquely gendered cultural form and a central force in the economic and social influence of network television. Closely observing the production, promotion, reception, and narrative strategies of the soaps, Levine examines two intersecting developments: the role soap operas have played in shaping cultural understandings of gender and the rise and fall of broadcast network television as a culture industry. In so doing, she foregrounds how soap operas have revealed changing conceptions of gender and femininity as imagined by and reflected on the television screen.

The renowned actress who played Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless opens up about her sixty-year career in this scintillating memoir. Melody Thomas Scott admits she is nothing like her character on The Young and the Restless, who’s seen it all in her forty-year tenure on America’s highest-rated daytime serial. But there’s plenty of drama beyond her character’s plotlines. In this captivating memoir, Melody reveals the behind-the-scenes saga of her journey to stardom and personal freedom. As Nikki went from impoverished stripper to vivacious heroine, Melody underwent her own striking transformation, becoming a household name in the process. Raised by her abusive grandmother, Melody acted in feature films with Alfred Hitchcock, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood—and endured abuse of industry men before taking control of her life and career in a daring getaway move. Melody shares all this, plus juicy on-and-off-set details of what it’s like to be one half of the show’s most successful supercouple, “Niktor.” In witty, warm prose, readers meet the persevering heart of an American icon. Prepare to be moved by a life story fit for a soap opera star.

Soap star Don Diamont's most interesting storyline to date is being the real-life father and ringleader of his seven rambunctious boys. Called a "daytime deity" by Soap Opera Digest, Don Diamont is best known as the dashing publishing titan with steel abs, "Dollar Bill Spencer," on the most-watched daytime drama in the world, The Bold and the Beautiful. But all of that takes second place to his most important role to date: father to seven boys. By turns hilarious and poignant, My Seven Sons and How We Raised Each Other is a family memoir for our time. Don writes with openness and courage about the ways his family came together: by marriage, divorce, the death of his sister, and marriage again. Today's blended families might look different from the households of even a few decades ago, but the first dates, first cars, busting curfew, talking back, grounding, broken hearts, laughs, tears, and the love are the same. From his childhood growing up in LA, to his Zoolander phase as a model in both Paris and Los Angeles, to the iconic place he now occupies in daytime television, Don also gives us a glimpse into a life that at times could have been scripted for a soap opera. And, with brutal honesty, he tells of the personal devastation he suffered after the deaths of his father, brother, and sister. My Seven Sons is required reading for everyone who is a parent, and all those who have one.

It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian émigrée living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and trust no one, including those she loves most. Since the war, Eva has carefully rebuilt her life as a typically English wife and mother. But once a spy, always a spy. Now she must complete one final assignment, and this time Eva can't do it alone: she needs her daughter's help.

SEX ON SOAPS looks at love and lust on television daytime dramas. It's a must read for any soap fan, student of the genre, or anyone interested in the presentation of sexual content on television. SEX ON SOAPS is divided into four sections and includes an interactive table of contents so you can easily maneuver to desired section or subsection. SECTION 1 - SEX ON SOAPS Enjoying the dual role of soap fan and soap researcher, Matthew W. Grant earned his degree in Mass Communications after completing his thesis, Sex On Soaps which includes original soap opera viewer research and analysis looking at sex on daytime soap operas. This material examines how sex and its ramifications are presented on daytime television, how men and women perceive sex on soaps differently, and how they think this portrayal affects them. Text in this section of the book utilizes inline citations to the comprehensive soap opera bibliography which contains over 50 sources including soap opera books, media websites, communications journals, and episodes of network soap operas. An annotated version of the original Sex On Soaps Viewer Survey is included in its entirety. The original version was compiled in 1992. This revised edition includes additional material added in 2006 and 2011. SECTION 2 - SOAP OPERAS: SILLY SUDS OR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE? Does your GUIDING LIGHT come from your television screen? Do your friends think your PASSIONS for soap operas are overwhelming? This essay takes a look at soap opera morality, soap medical storylines, and the way daytime dramas tackle social issues. It concludes with the value of soap operas to society and illustrates why it's perfectly acceptable to fill your afternoons with some LOVING and let those wonderful soap operas take you away to ANOTHER WORLD. SECTION 3 - DAYTIME SOAPS TRIVIA Discover fun facts about your favorite daytime soaps, past and present. Find out the answers to questions such as: Which two soap operas premiered on the same day and went off the air on the same day? Which real life twins played the same role (of a character who wasn't a twin) on the same soap opera at different times? Which actor, actress, and soap opera won the first Daytime Emmy Awards? How many times was Susan Lucci of ALL MY CHILDREN nominated as Outstanding Lead Actress before she won her first Daytime Emmy? Which four NBC soap operas were cancelled on New Year's Eve? Who convinced Elizabeth Taylor to guest star at Luke & Laura's GENERAL HOSPITAL wedding? How? Which DAYS OF OUR LIVES actress's mother was once the headwriter of the show? Which actress from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS had her real-life face-lift broadcast during the show? SECTION 4 - WELCOME TO SLATERS FALLS Find out who comes out on top when a dirty cop pulls over a take-no-prisoners bitch on a deserted country road in this bonus short story featuring a crossover storyline with characters from Matthew W. Grant's novels Secrets Of Slaters Falls and Welcome To Northbridge.

Produced in association with the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, the Encyclopedia of Radio includes more than 600 entries covering major countries and regions of the world as well as specific programs and people, networks and organizations, regulation and policies, audience research, and radio's technology. This encyclopedic work will be the first broadly conceived reference source on a medium that is now nearly eighty years old, with essays that provide essential information on the subject as well as comment on the significance of the particular person, organization, or topic being examined.