Series The Fires of Lovebroadcast in the United States since 1973, celebrated its 50th anniversary this Sunday.
They are less and less young, but still just as restless. The Young and the restlessbetter known in France under the title The Fires of Lovecelebrated its 50th anniversary on March 26.
Because if for French viewers, the love story with Genoa City began on August 16, 1989, in the United States, the CBS soap opera, created by Lee Phillip Bell and William J. Bell, was born on the small screen on March 26, 1973.
France, which never caught up, and where 3262 first episodes remained unpublished, began broadcasting in the 14th season (that of 1986).
12,581 episodes in the United States
If in the United States, the 12,581st episode of the fifty-year-old series has just been broadcast, on March 24, TF1 is broadcasting the 8683rd episode this Monday.
It would take almost a year (approximately 343 days) for a slightly crazy fan to watch all the episodes of the Flames of love without interruption, knowing that until 1980, the episodes lasted 25 minutes, and then went to 42 minutes.
Fifty years, then, that the Chancellors, the Newmans and the Abbotts have been vying for power and money in Genoa City. Eric Braeden, the actor who has played Victor Newman since 1980, and Melody Thomas Scott, who has been Nikki Abbott since 1979, are the longest-serving actors on the show, still in business. Eric Braeden has 3954 episodes to his credit, and Melody Thomas Scott, 3595.
Serial marriages
Nearly 50 years that they love and tear each other, Nikki and Victor. During these five decades, Nikki has also been married to Greg Foster, Kevin Brancoft, Tony DiSalvo, Jack Abbott (twice) Joshua Landers, David Chow, Deacon Sharpe. And Victor Newman, four times. Victor Newman is not left out, with his 10 wives!
Among the veterans there are also Doug Davidson (Paul Williams since 1980), Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott), who arrived in 1989, Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti since 1991), or even Kate Linder (Esther Valentine since 1982).
In fifty years of existence, the series has experienced only one interruption, during the Covid. Filming was then suspended for seven weeks and CBS had to offer reruns.
