William J. Bell

William Joseph Bell (March 6, 1927 – April 29, 2005) was the creator and Executive Producer of the extremely successful soap operas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.

He started out as a comedy writer at WBBM in Chicago, and one day he made a call to Irna Phillips' secretary, Rose Cooperman, asking, "Does Irna have an opening?" He was told that Phillips did, but by the time he got there, the person who was leaving had decided to stay.

Two years later, when Bell was in advertising business, Irna's niece mentioned him to Irna Phillips, who remembered him. She also knew his wife, a Chicago celebrity. He started at $75 a week and ended up living in what once was Howard Hawks' villa. His mother regularly listened to radio soap operas: Life Can Be Beautiful, The Romance of Helen Trent, Our Gal Sunday and The Guiding Light.

He began on The Guiding Light and then moved to As the World Turns. Phillips' other protégée at the time was Agnes Nixon. In 1964, Bell and Phillips created the popular soap opera Another World for NBC. In 1965, he co-created the primetime ATWT spinoff Our Private World.

In 1966, he was hired as head writer of the struggling daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Bell was credited with the show's initial surge of popularity. He stayed as head writer until 1975.[1] In 1973, he co-created The Young and the Restless. Y&R was credited for reviving the daytime serial with fresh storylines. Bell guided Y&R as Head Writer from 1973 until 1998, the longest tenure of any head writer in soap opera history. Y&R has been the highest-rated soap on the air since the 1988-89 TV season. In 1998, he became executive storyline consultant and chose longtime Y&R scribe Kay Alden to be Y&R's new head writer. Bell remained the senior executive producer of the serial until his death.

In 1987, he co-created The Bold and the Beautiful, set in the fashion industry. Bell executive produced and acted as head writer for the serial until 1994 when he passed on both titles to his son, Bradley Bell.[1]

Bell was married to former talk show host Lee Phillip Bell, who co-created Y&R and B&B with him. Their three children, Bill Jr., Bradley, and Lauralee, are all involved in their parents' soaps in some capacity, as well as his daughter-in-law Maria Arena Bell.

On April 29, 2005 Bell died from complications of Alzheimer's disease, aged 78.[1]

TV career

Another World

Co-Creator (May 4, 1964); Co-Head Writer (May 4, 1964 - March 1965)

As The World Turns

Writer (1957 - 1966)

The Bold and the Beautiful

Co-Creator; Executive Producer (March 23, 1987 - 1996); Head Writer (March 23, 1987-1994)

Days of Our Lives

Head Writer (1966 - 1975); Story Editor (1975 - 1976)

The Guiding Light

Writer (1956)

Our Private World

Co-Creator (1965); Co-Head Writer (1965)

The Young And The Restless

Co-Creator (March 26, 1973); Executive Producer (March 26, 1973-1989); Senior Executive Producer (1989-2005); Head Writer (March 26, 1973 - 1998); Executive Storyline Consultant (2000 - 2003)

Current Y&R Main Crew

HWAssociate/Breakdown/Script Producers/Consultants Directors Josh Griffith; Maria Arena Bell [1]LML, Lynsey DuFour, Marina Alburger, Bernard Lechowick, Scott Hamner, Cherie Bennett, Darin Goldberg [2], James Stanley, Robin Burger [3], Neil Landau, Christian McLaughlin, Sandra Weintraub, Linda Schreiber, Tammy Ader [4], Shelley Meals, D.M. Stanley [5], Barbara Bloom, Michael Montgomery, N.M. Slater, Eric Freiwald, Kathryn Pratt [6], Jeff Gottesfeld, Valerie Ahern, Linda Gase [7]J. Griffith (EP), John Fisher, Anthony Morina, Josh O'Connell, Matthew J. Olson, Steve Kent, Bill Bell Jr., S. McDonald Susan Strickler, Phideaux Xavier, S. McDonald, Andrew Lee, Jill Ackles, Marc Berutti, Dean LaMont, David Shaughnessy, John Zak [8]

Awards

Daytime Emmy NOMINATIONS (1975-1976, 1979, 1986-1987, 1990-1995, 1997-2001, 2003; Best Writing; The Young and the Restless)
Daytime Emmy WIN (1992, 1997, 2000; Best Writing; Young and the Restless)
Daytime Emmy WIN (1976; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)
Daytime Emmy NOMINATION (1975-1978; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)

Writers Guild of America Award NOMINATION (For 1999 Season; The Young and the Restless)

Preceded by
Irna Phillips Head Writerof Another World
1964-1965 Succeeded by
James LiptonPreceded by
Peggy Phillips Head Writer of Days of Our Lives
July 5, 1966 - May 6, 1975 Succeeded by
Pat Falken SmithPreceded by
none Head Writer of The Young and the Restless
1973-1998 Succeeded by
Kay AldenPreceded by
none Head Writer of The Bold and the Beautiful
1987-1994 Succeeded by
Bradley Bell