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The Bold and the Beautiful is entering a new era!
The cast and crew came together for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 19 during their first day of taping the beloved soap opera at Sunset Las Palmas Studios after moving from its home of 38 years, CBS Television City.
“It feels wonderful,” Brad Bell said of the move. “We are in a very celebratory mood. We’ve done it. This move has been unbelievable. In record time, we moved from TV City here to Sunset Las Palmas and it feels great, lots of space, lots of positive energy, and lots of hope for the future.”
When asked if there would be any subtle nods to the move onThe Bold and the Beautiful, he teased, “Actually, the first episode you see that airs here, there will be some hidden little Easter eggs in that episode.”
“If you look closely, I think you’ll find them,” he added.
Bill Inoshita/CBS
Bell believes the new studio will allow the soap opera, which debuted in 1987, to put “fashion into the forefront.”
“We are headed into an era of The Bold and the Beautiful and it will begin here,” he explained. “That is going to be highlighting fashion much more than we have in the past, much more frequently, and also heading back to a two-battling fashion house way of storytelling like we did with the set for the Forresters.”
“We’re getting back to fashion. We’re putting fashion into the forefront,” he added.
Sean Smith/CBS
The move to the new studio is bittersweet for Bell, whose father William J. Bell co-created The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless.
Bell recalled his memories of working at the show’s former home for nearly four decades, saying, “38 years at Television City and prior to that I was going there since I was like, 10 years old… It’s been just my family of course, working side by side so closely with my father for a decade or so.”
“We would drive there together, eat lunch together in the office, drive home together. We were really inseparable and I felt so fortunate to spend that time with him,” he continued. “I just feel that he would be so proud of where we are, what we’re doing now. He would say, ‘Just go. Just go be you. Make it your own.’ It’s beautiful memories.”
Bell admitted that the new studio “goes beyond my wildest dreams because I never even dreamt this could happen.”
“The idea of the world of The Bold And The Beautiful, I feel like just a little sprinkling of Walt Disney or something,” he shared. “This is our world and if you’re interested in coming to our world, we can show you a world that we’re so proud of and that really represents what we do.”
Sonja Flemming/CBS
In June, it was announced that the soap opera was moving to Sunset Las Palmas Studios from CBS Television City after 38 years.
“It’s been an extraordinary 38 years at Television City, where we have produced over 9,600 episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful,” Bell said, per Deadline. “As we look ahead, we’re excited to begin this next chapter at Sunset Las Palmas Studios — continuing our production in the heart of Hollywood and the great state of California.”
Don Diamont, who plays Bill Spencer Jr. on the soap opera, commemorated the move on Instagram earlier this month.
“The Bold and the Beautiful’s first shooting day at our incredible new home, Sunset Las Palmas Studios,” he wrote alongside a series of photos behind the scenes on the lot.
“This legendary lot was founded in 1919 and numerous motion picture and television productions have been shot there since,” he continued. “It’s a pretty special place! Feels like going back in time. ONWARD AND UPWARD 😎❤️‼️”
Annika Noelle, who stars as Hope, shared her excitement in the comment section, writing, “I can’t wait 💖,” and Jennifer Gareis, who portrays Donna, added, “Woohoo!!!!! 👏👏.”
Diamont, 62, later shared photos of the photos and videos from the ribbon cutting.
“With the official ribbon-cutting by @bradleybell , a new era begins for @boldandbeautifulcbs at Sunset Las Palmas Studios @sunsetstudios.global !” he captioned his social media post. “Congratulations everybody, and huge applause to all involved who got us up and running in a matter of weeks!!! ‼️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼‼️LETS GOOOOOO‼️”
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The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS (check local listings).