‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Cast Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Set Tour at New Sunset Las Palmas Studios (EXCLUSIVE)
Annika Noelle considers Hope’s triangle drama and Brad Bell teases more ‘B&B’ fashion showdowns
After 38 years at the famed Television City, The Bold and the Beautiful moved into new stages at Sunset Las Palmas Studios—and Woman’s World was on hand for the ribbon cutting, set tour and celebration with John McCook, Katherine Kelly Lang, Scott Clifton, Annika Noelle, Don Diamont, showrunner Brad Bell and more.
In addition to exclusive details on The Bold and the Beautiful’s new Sunset Las Palmas set, we’re breaking the news that episodes filmed in their new home will begin airing the last week of September (barring preemptions).
The move promises to bring even more Forrester fashion moments to the screen. Plus, Scott Clifton opens up about filming what was meant to be Liam’s swan song—only to be saved in the final hours!
Plus, with Hope now torn between Carter and Liam, Annika Noelle considers her character’s romantic and professional future.
Katherine Kelly Lang & John McCook say ‘welcome’ to their new ‘B&B’ home
Since its premiere in 1987, The Bold and the Beautiful set has been located across the hall from sister soap The Young and the Restless in the studios that were once home to classics like The Carol Burnett Show and All in the Family. Now, however, the entire production has moved to new stages in Hollywood.
“Welcome to our new set here at Sunset Las Palmas Studios,” cheers Brooke’s portrayer Katherine Kelly Lang, who has a top-secret script tucked under her arm.
The ribbon-cutting to commemorate the first official day of production on August 19 was highlighted by a marching band playing the show’s theme song, a tour of the stages, lunch from Habit Burgers and Grill and chats with some very pleased soap stars.
“I was freaked out that we were moving,” admits Daytime Emmy-winner John McCook, who’s played Eric since day one. “But I’ve been watching the progress and it’s all so beautiful, now. We have new lights, lots of permanent sets. My [dressing] room is a lot smaller… but I got a bar, my leather couch, and all my stuff in there. I’m so happy to be here. We’re very lucky!”
Brad Bell teases ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ set is helping ‘put fashion in the forefront’
Having been at Television City for decades, The Bold and the Beautiful has made the most of the move, embracing both the larger space and the opportunity to modernize.
“I was fortunate enough to do a test day, working out kinks, checking out the lighting, and stuff like that,” Scott Clifton shares. “I expected to be a little homesick for CBS. Nope. I know that sounds like rude, but it’s unbelievable here! CBS had been around so long, and we just had to work with what was already there. They spent the entire summer designing this and figuring it out. We’re basically primed and ready to be a well-oiled machine!”
As an example of a game-changing update, Forrester Creations is now a row of permanent sets with doorways connecting the design room to the executive hallway to Eric’s CEO office and then to the fashion runway and showroom. Not only does this mean the drama can flow seamlessly through the fashion house without cutting the action, but the writers also no longer have to pigeonhole their storylines to fit into the sets that are “up” as they did before.
“We are headed into an era that is going to be highlighting fashion much more—and also getting back to a two battling fashion house way of storytelling, like we did with the Spectras and the Forresters,” teases showrunner Brad Bell. “We’re putting fashion in the forefront again! [We’ve got] lots of space, lots of positive energy and lots of Hope for the Future.”
Annika Noelle is ready for Hope to ‘learn to get along… or finally go her own way’
Speaking of Hope for the Future, with more fashion wars ahead, it sounds like Annika Noelle wouldn’t mind seeing her character become part of a dueling house!
“I’m hoping Hope gets her line back,” Noelle says. “But I was really hoping maybe we’d see her go off and create her own house or line somewhere else. As long as she’s at Forrester Creations, she’s always going to be under their thumb a little bit. So she either needs to learn to get along… or finally go her own way.”
As for Hope’s romantic life, Liam’s survival has thrown her into flux once again. With her character caught between Carter and her baby daddy, the actress warns it could go either way.
“Hope is always messy,” she says with a sigh. “Right now, I think she needs to be in timeout in a corner and spending some quality mother/daughter time with Beth before she makes the next significant decision for her love life. And then, I just want her to make a decision and stick with it for at least two years!”
Liam’s ‘B&B’ swan song has Scott Clifton’s ‘dripping with gratitude and relief’
Interestingly, when we talked to Clifton about life as a single dad last year, he suggested Liam needed a time out of sorts, himself! Nothing straightens out one’s head like dying—or believing you’re dying, making peace with it, and then finding out it was all a scam.
“I’m dripping with gratitude and relief,” Clifton says of his character’s unexpected reprieve. “Even when Brad believed the character had run its course, he had written me a beautiful goodbye. I really was prepared to go, and even thinking I was going to die, I viewed as a gift, because it was a great storyline.
“Not every soap actor gets to have this an ending,” he adds. “I’ve been let go from soap operas before where you work your last day without even knowing it’s your last day. But Brad said, ‘This is the story I want to tell, and I want it to be like a sort of love letter.’ To get to tell that story almost all the way to its conclusion… and then get to stay? I feel karma is coming for me or something. I’ve had it a little too good.”
B&B soap hunk Crew Morrow talks having ‘Y&R’ dad Joshua Morrow in his corner
With Will currently caught up in a soapy storyline that saw Luna rape him while he was drunk, young Crew Morrow is also getting to do some meaty work on The Bold and the Beautiful right now—and while The Young and the Restless is no longer right across the hall, he’s still got his soap star father Joshua Morrow in his corner. In fact, the last time we spoke to the senior Morrow, they were living together!
“He lets me do my own thing, which I appreciate,” Crew Morrow says of his The Young and the Restless dad. “But he’s always there if I have any questions. For that, I’m grateful.”
As an up-and-coming soap star, Will’s portrayer is thrilled to be representing The Bold and the Beautiful’s next generation on the show’s new Sunset Las Palmas Studios stages.
“I’ve watched old stuff, especially of Scott and Jacqui,” Morrow tells Woman’s World, referencing Emmy-winners Clifton and McGinnis Wood. “You can see all the youngins grow up, and I think you’re kind of watching that right now [with me], so I love it. Happy to be here.”
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