‘The Young And The Restless’ Head Writer Talks Eric Braeden’s 40th Anniversary As Victor Newman Tribute

Last week marked Eric Braeden’s 40th anniversary as Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless. The show is celebrating the legendary character with three days of episodes honoring Braeden’s work on the No. 1 rated CBS Daytime drama. The show’s head writer and co-executive producer, Josh Griffith, told Soap Opera Digest about what went into creating a memorable storyline that celebrates Victor, Braeden, as well as the soap opera.

For weeks now, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) has been preparing for a lavish gala honoring her husband, Victor, and his company, Newman Enterprises, on its milestone anniversary. For now, Victor and Nikki are in an excellent place in their relationship, and she is incredibly proud of her husband. Nikki is working hard to surprise Victor.

Of course, the people who are really planning the momentous occasion are actually the show’s writers and producers, and they have worked hard to honor Braeden’s contribution to the iconic soap.

“Victor shares a rich history with so many characters on the canvas, so the guest list almost created itself once you look back and recall Victor’s incredible history. Viewers can expect to see all of our legacy characters in attendance,” previewed Griffith.

The great news is that at least one of the episodes, which are slated to air February 18, 19, and 20, will feature plenty of heartwarming and fear-inducing flashbacks. The scenes will show how Victor earned his nickname The Mustache and became the legend he is in Genoa City as well as throughout the world of daytime television. The people who planned and put together the episodes dug back into the archives to ensure that they provide viewers with some of the top moments from Victor Newman’s time on the show.

“Producing a tribute for a legacy character’s anniversary is twofold, as you are celebrating and honoring both the show and the actor,” noted the scribe. “We hope to find the right balance in celebrating Victor’s milestones, as well as remembering special moments/scenes that might not have been seen by the audience in quite a long time.”

The Inquisitr previously reported that Y&R released a sneak peek preview video of some of the flashbacks that will air as part of the tribute next Wednesday, February 19. Among them are scenes from Victor and Nikki’s fairy tale first wedding, the moment when Victor held his newborn son Adam, confrontations between Victor and his nemesis Jack (Peter Bergman), and touching scenes of Victor with his family throughout the years. Many excited viewers anxiously await the storyline and flashbacks as the show honors the legend.