Earlier this month, “The Bold and the Beautiful” became the first soap opera to launch a dedicated streaming app and accompanying website that houses thousands of episodes from the show’s 39 years on television, with the first 37 seasons available at launch.
In conversation with Variety television editor Michael Schneider, “The Bold and the Beautiful” executive producer and head writer Brad Bell took time out to explain the decision behind the app, and why fans should subscribe.
“Fifteen-20 years ago, soap operas were dropping and dying off. They went from 20 or so now to just a handful — us and ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Days of our Lives,’” noted Bell of the state of the industry then vs. now. “It was really attention to detail, making sure that every show was special and never taking your eye off the ball, keeping the drama there, keeping people addicted to the characters in love with the families and being really an extension of their families.”
As for the BBTV app, he says the idea was implemented to help engage fans in the U.S. and attract new and lapsed viewers internationally, particularly as some global markets no longer carry the show as they did in the early years.
“We really want to build our community in the United States and have our viewer base even stronger and more committed as they have more access to the product,” said Bell. “We’ve had such reach over the years. The 1990s was a great time for selling American product overseas. And we were hitting all over Europe and Africa, Australia, India and over the years, some of those countries have dropped out. So this is really an opportunity to reach back to them and say that we’re here, we’re back. And wherever you left off, you can now pick us up and just continue the series as though it was never changed.”
In addition to a library consisting of more than 9,000 episodes over 37 seasons, additional features available through the app and website include more than 4,000 extended “director’s cuts” of episodes never seen before in the U.S., specials produced over the years, show bloopers and outtakes, original cast auditions s – including star Katherine Kelly Lang’s (Brooke Logan) original 1987 screen test – cast party footage, behind-the-scenes videos, online chat forums for fan connection and community, past and current talent interviews, as well as the documentary “Becoming Bold and Beautiful,” produced in 2016 when the show filmed in Monte Carlo, and much more.
Episodes from Season 38 and all subsequent episodes will be added as they become available.
A premium subscription is required to watch and is currently priced at $5.99/month or $49.99/year.
For more information about the app or to subscribe, click here.
