On the heels of the passing of The Young and the Restless' Jeanne Cooper, the Bell television dynasty has been rocked by the death of another longterm employee and friend. Ron Weaver, who for almost three decades worked as a producer on The Bold and the Beautiful, died on May 11. He was 75.

Before entering the world of daytime dramas in 1986, ahead of the launch of B&B, Weaver was part of the original creative team behind Sesame Street. I reached out to B&B showrunner Bradley Bell for his thoughts on Weaver's passing and his legacy.

"I am saddened to learn of the passing of Ron Weaver," said Bell. "Ron was talented, a good friend to all of us, and a 26 year producer of The Bold and the Beautiful.  He will be missed, will always be remembered and will forever remain in our hearts."

  READ MORE

 

The Bold and the Beautiful showrunner Brad Bell got his start in showbiz writing for his father, the late Bill Bell, for characters like Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) on The Young and the Restless. It's for this reason, and many more, the passing of Cooper has to be a trying, poignant time for Bell and his entire family.

Bell released a statement earlier today on the passing of his family friend and colleague: "Jeanne Cooper - A genuine person, gifted performer, good friend to all. Never before and never again. A true artist and legend. She will be missed. My thoughts and my love are with her family. – Bradley Bell – Executive Producer and Head Writer, The Bold and the Beautiful." READ MORE

They say it's an honor simply to be nominated, but is that still the case when everybody who could receive a shout out did? All five soaps eligible for Outstanding Drama Series consideration received Daytime Emmy nominations today. READ MORE

Count how many times someone dramatically says "YOU!" in the teaser video below from The Bold and the Beautiful. I suspect YOU will have a headache when YOU'RE done. Brad Bell, we love ya, but we're really gonna need for YOU to do better than this... READ MORE

The man who has been putting words in Stephanie Forrester's mouth for practically his entire adult life, will be live-tweeting her The Bold and the Beautiful swan song on Monday. Join Brad Bell @BandB_CBS, where he will be engaging fans during the airing of Susan Flannery's last episode. We suspect there won't be a dry eye in cyberspace!    

In celebration of Stephanie's (Susan Flannery) trip down the Big Catwalk in the Sky, The Bold and The Beautiful will host a huge party featuring the female band Celtic Woman. On Nov. 12 and 13, the group will be showcased throughout the party to pay homage to Stephanie's Irish roots. In a released statement, head writer and executive producer Brad Bell said:

I can't think of a more beautiful way to pay tribute to the character of Stephanie Forrester and her Irish heritage than to bring in Celtic Woman to serenade her. Their distinctive voice and angelic melodies were the perfect accompaniment to this powerful and emotional storyline. READ MORE