‘The Young and the Restless’ Fans Love Classic Episodes So Much They Wish They Could Stream Them
The entire world has been disrupted by the pandemic, and the entertainment industry is no exception. In fact, it’s impossible to practice social distancing measures on the set of most shows, so creators are having to get innovative when it comes to keeping fans tuned in. The Young and the Restless is just one of the soap operas among the shows that have the hardest time adapting to the crisis. Because they tend to air every weekday, they do not have a lot of episodes saved up in advance. This means that the shows are running out of content quickly. The Young and the Restless has taken a novel approach to stretching out their content as long as possible and keeping fans engaged.
The Young and the Restless ran out of content
They knew that it was likely to happen, but it still comes as a shock to loyal viewers that they’re out of content on their favorite shows. The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful both ran out of their stock of pre-recorded episodes and are unable to make more for the foreseeable future. Even as some of the restrictions have lifted, it’s difficult to see how a show that has so many people in close contact with one another could resume filming anytime soon.
The last new episodes of the two shows ran on April 23. Since then, fans have been getting their fix by tuning in for classic reruns that bring them some of their favorite storylines from the past. These nostalgic episodes even feature some characters portrayed by actors who have since passed away, giving fans a glimpse at a time that they thought they’d never see again.
Fans were already watching older content
The Young and the Restless is not the only show to experiment with the allure of nostalgia to keep fans tuned in while they await a resolution to the most pressing plot lines. General Hospital had already reduced its schedule and taken to airing “Flashback Friday” episodes based on the same idea.
These blasts from the past have been carefully curated to keep modern-day viewers interested by making sure to showcase characters and plot lines that have continued to resonate over the years. Whether they are picking episodes with characters who have had a long-running presence on the show or choosing iconic fan favorites, these soap operas are dedicated to giving fans the emotional roller coasters they’ve come to expect from their favorite programming.
Fans love the programming so much they want more access
While the decision to run older episodes was one based on desperation, it turned out to be an unexpectedly popular move. Now the show creators have a new problem, and it’s one that they probably never would have thought about when these original episodes aired back in the 1970s: fans want more streaming access.
Obviously, not everyone is able to tune in during the live airing on network television. Soap operas are famously daytime television fare, which means that a lot of people — yes, even in a pandemic — are occupied with jobs and other responsibilities when the shows air. CBS, the network that airs The Young and the Restless, has its own streaming service. While fans can catch up with the latest season there, they aren’t able to access these classic reruns.
Many fans are angry enough to threaten to drop their subscriptions to the streaming service since they aren’t getting the classic episodes. While CBS’s platform does include some past episodes, they don’t date back very far, and fans are upset that they’re missing out on this enjoyable experience.
