The Bold and the Beautiful is a television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It is currently the only American soap opera with a running time of 30 minutes and the only remaining American soap broadcasting in the 4:3 standard definition picture format.

Since its premiere on March 23, 1987, the show has become the most-watched soap in the world, with an audience of an estimated 26.2 million viewers. As of 2010, it continues to hold on to the second-placed position in weekly Nielsen Ratings for daytime dramas. B&B has also won 31 Daytime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Drama Series in 2009 and again in 2010