GENOA CITY

That's where my favourite daytime soapie is based. It's been Number 1 in the US ratings for over 16 years and hasn't been see on British screens for nearly 10. It's THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. What other show has 2 main characters battle against each other for nearly 30 years on screen before revealing that they're actually mother and daughter? The same mother, Miss Katherine Chancellor also had a facelift in the mid 80s as actress Jeanne Cooper underwent the process.

Y & R is a more grounded soap although I remember seeing one character supposedly catatonic be wheeled into a courtroom to oversee his own trial for a good 3 months on a hospital bed. The guy, David Kimble was then chewed up by an industrial machine. Today I've also managed to find a website where I can download episodes.

Another Y & R star is Lauralee Bell. She plays Cricket Romalotti. Well she gets called Chris Williams now but she'll always be Cricket to me! Lauralee is the daughter of the creator of the show. Now that's nepotism.

The action nowadays surrounds the Abbotts and the Newmans and their struggles in the boardroom and bedroom. I love it and don't get me started on Nikki's year long painkiller addiction or the fact that her children aged 18 years in one episode or that Ashley Abbott was played by 3 actresses before reverting to the original actress. Daytime soapies are known for having one scene end with a mini cliffhanger and resume the scene exactly where it left off later in the episode. So one day in Genoa City can actually be 8 days viewing, although they always manage to change their outfits at least 3 times a day!!

And shoulder pads have never gone out of fashion - or having a hispanola maid - or a black one - or the need to backcomb and blowdry hair to the max.