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As previously reported, Susan Flannery is leaving CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” after 25 years portraying the role of Stephanie Forrester on the world’s most watched daytime drama series. With today’s airing factored in, more than 6,450 episodes of the soap will have aired since she debuted on the series (she started airing on the show’s second episode on March 24, 1987).

In celebration of Flannery, Executive Producer and Head Writer, Bradley P. Bell will be tweeting live during today’s east coast broadcast (1:30 PM ET) via the show’s official twitter handle @BandB_CBS.

In addition, fans are being asked to tweet live with the hashtag #TeamStephanie as a way to support the character.

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After more than 25 years and over 6,450 episodes, CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” will say goodbye to one of its own as Susan Flannery says farewell to the drama series when her character, Stephanie Forrester, succumbs to lung cancer on the Monday, November 26 episode. In celebration of Flannery’s tremendous career at the soap, Executive Producer and Head Writer Bradley P. Bell will Tweet live with fans via the soaps official Twitter handle @BandB_CBS.

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With a lineup consisting of soaps “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” game shows “The Price is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal,” and talk show “The Talk,” the home of daytime television’s most watched soap opera and broadcast game show, announced just before the Thanksgiving holiday that its daytime division is now available on Facebook.

The CBS Daytime Facebook page launches months after the network first brought the daypart into the social media age with its very active Twitter page, which now has over 7,000 followers. Both social media sites promise to bring fans of the lineup up close and personal with behind the scenes coverage of current events. Earlier today the Facebook page posted a picture of Lee Phillip Bell, co-creator of “Y&R” and “B&B,” playing the role of DJ last month as the younger soap celebrated Susan Flannery‘s final day taping at Stage 31 in the CBS Television City Studios in the role of Stephanie Forrester.

As previously reported, Susan Flannery will air for the final time on CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” as Stephanie Forrester on Monday, November 26, when the character succumbs to her battle with cancer. When she takes her last breath, 6,456 episodes of the drama series will have aired.

For a sneak peak, watch the clip below.

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, ratings for the week of November 12-16, 2012 will be delayed. Check back on Monday, November 26 to see how your favorite shows fared.

Gilles Toucas

For those of you wondering or secretly hoping that Ronn Moss would be back on CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” as Ridge Forrester just before Susan Flannery airs for the final time on the Monday, November 26 episode as Stephanie Forrester, you’re going to have to settle with the fact that it’s not happening.

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While millions of fans may love the tantalizing tales of the Forrester’s and the Logan’s on CBS’ ”The Bold and the Beautiful,” many of them may not think twice about what it takes to make the world’s most watched daytime soap opera come alive each and every weekday. In a new book released earlier this month by Sourcebooks, entitled “Becoming Bold & Beautiful: 25 Years of Making the World’s Most Popular Daytime Soap Opera” with foreword by the soaps “core four” Susan Flannery, John McCook, Ronn Moss and Katherine Kelly Lang, the hardcover release provides detailed insight from the 1987 debut year of the soap to present day. Included throughout are over 200 photographs featuring cast and crew members on Stage 31 of CBS Television City in Los Angeles, and on location in Malibu, Cabo San Lucas, and Aspen.

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For more than 10 years fans of daytime soap operas have been coming to Soap Opera Network to find out how their favorite soap was faring in the weekly ratings report. From time to time we would also provide analysis of how they stacked up when compared to their broadcast counterparts in the talk show and game show genres, but we’ve never looked at how the broadcast soaps (and to a lesser extent the broadcast talk and game shows) compared to syndicated television. Not that it wasn’t easy to provide a comparison, it was just never something we found necessary. In recent months, with the introduction of several syndicated talk shows including “Katie” and “The Steve Harvey Show,” which together took over the 3:00 PM slot from “General Hospital” in much of the country this past September after “GH” moved to 2:00 PM, and the second season without “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” things have changed. Recently, Broadcasting & Cable came out with a report that showed how syndicated programs might be a solid alternative to our soaps in the key demographics when it comes to Madison Avenue buying advertising time. While we wouldn’t want advertisers to give up on our favorite shows, B&C does provide a solid rationalization and even highlights the value of soap operas when it comes to the all important key women demos (Women 18-49, Women 25-54, etc).

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On Saturday, November 17, 2012, Gene Bua (“Somerset,” “Love of Life” and “How To Survive a Marriage“) passed away after battling Parkinson’s disease for the past 13 years according to a posting on the actor and his wife Toni‘s website Bua Acting for Life. ”The great Master Teacher and my hero and Lion King for 47 years, Gene Bua, passed into the Light on Sat. Nov. 17th at 1:40, after battling 13 years of Parkinson’s and yet still going on to teach, write songs, be a mighty friend, and enjoy much of his life. I am surrounded by his power, love and radiance as I walk through these coming days with as much Grace as God will allow me. Very much love to you all,” said Mrs. Bua of her husband on the website.

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Just over a week before she airs for the final time after 25 years portraying Stephanie Forrester on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” CBS has released a video montage of  Susan Flannery as she got the ultimate send-off from cast and crew of the popular daytime soap opera with some help from other CBS Television City employees, including those from “The Young and the Restless,” “The Price is Right” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

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