For this chronology, I am continuing with the anniversary-based season structure we have been using for the early years. Because March 26, 1977 fell on a Saturday, the first weekday episode of the fifth year aired on Monday, March 28.
Season 5: March 28, 1977 – March 24, 1978
For the early Y&R years, CBS did not preserve a public season-by-season catalogue comparable to the modern B&B archive, so some episode totals and exact dates cannot be established with the same certainty. I distinguish confirmed information from reconstructed chronology below.
Episode count
The surviving global numbering places Episode #1014 on March 28, 1977, the first weekday after the show’s fourth anniversary.
On that basis, Season 5 contains approximately 255 weekday episodes, subject to pre-emptions. I would therefore currently record:
≈255 episodes — beginning with #1014
I would not yet lock the final global episode number until we locate a surviving production record for March 24, 1978.
Complete principal and recurring cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Stuart Brooks | Robert Colbert |
| Jennifer Brooks | Dorothy Green — until September 1977 |
| Leslie Brooks | Victoria Mallory |
| Lorie Brooks | Jaime Lyn Bauer |
| Chris Brooks Foster | Trish Stewart |
| Peggy Brooks | Pamela Peters Solow |
| Liz Foster | Julianna McCarthy |
| Snapper Foster | David Hasselhoff |
| Greg Foster | James Houghton → Brian Kerwin → Wings Hauser |
| Jill Foster | Brenda Dickson |
| Katherine Chancellor | Jeanne Cooper |
| Brock Reynolds | Beau Kazer |
| Phillip Foster / Phillip Chancellor III | child performers |
| Lance Prentiss | John McCook |
| Vanessa Prentiss | K.T. Stevens |
| Lucas Prentiss | Tom Ligon |
| Derek Thurston | Joe LaDue |
| Brad Eliot | Tom Hallick |
| Jack Curtis | Anthony Herrera |
| Joann Curtis | Kay Heberle |
| Ron Becker | Mike Hammett |
| Sally McGuire | Lee Crawford |
| Chuckie Roulland | child performer(s) |
The 1977 cast is unusually well documented because CBS produced a large ensemble portrait. Getty’s CBS Photo Archive identifies 17 actors in the photograph, including Robert Colbert, Dorothy Green, Jeanne Cooper, Brenda Dickson, David Hasselhoff, John McCook, K.T. Stevens, Tom Hallick, Anthony Herrera and Kay Heberle. (Getty Images)
The Greg Foster casting is particularly complicated in this period: James Houghton leaves, Brian Kerwin briefly assumes the role, and Wings Hauser subsequently becomes Greg. Contemporary cast chronologies list all three across 1977–78. (Jackson Dynasty)
Official 1977 CBS cast photo
This time we do have an authentic CBS ensemble photograph rather than merely a period publicity picture:
The photograph is catalogued by the CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images as “The Young & The Restless Cast Portrait, 1977.” Getty identifies, among others, David Hasselhoff, Anthony Herrera, Kay Heberle, Tom Hallick, K.T. Stevens, John McCook, Jaime Lyn Bauer, Julianna McCarthy, Janice Lynde, Beau Kazer, Robert Colbert, Brenda Dickson, Charles H. Gray, Trish Stewart, Jeanne Cooper, Dorothy Green and Pamela Peters Solow. (Getty Images)
One caveat: Janice Lynde is in the photograph, although Victoria Mallory had taken over Leslie in January 1977. The photo therefore reflects a cast assembled during the transition rather than the exact cast on every day of Season 5.
Major plots
Jennifer Brooks’ final months
Jennifer’s breast cancer story reaches its tragic conclusion.
After her earlier double mastectomy and reconciliation with Stuart, Jennifer knows her health is deteriorating. The Brooks family tries to make the most of the time remaining.
Lorie organizes a celebration for Stuart and Jennifer’s 30th wedding anniversary. Stuart gives Jennifer a diamond heart pendant, while Lance and Lorie give them a trip to Paris. Surviving contemporary story material describes Jennifer insisting that the family continue living rather than treating every gathering as a reminder of her illness. (SON Community)
Jennifer Brooks dies
September 13, 1977
Dorothy Green’s character record gives September 13, 1977 as Jennifer’s final appearance. Jennifer dies in her sleep after her long illness. (Les jeunes et les agités)
Her death effectively begins the dismantling of the original Brooks-family structure.
Stuart and Liz grow closer
Jennifer’s death leaves Stuart devastated.
Liz Foster has also experienced the death of her spouse, Bill, so their shared grief brings them closer.
Their friendship gradually becomes romantic.
This is particularly significant because Stuart Brooks and Liz Foster represented the heads of Y&R’s two original families. Their romance therefore begins to merge the Brooks and Foster families that had anchored the show since 1973. Historical summaries specifically identify Jennifer’s death as the event after which Stuart begins growing closer to Liz. (Jackson Dynasty)
Their eventual marriage, however, belongs to 1978 and the following season in our March-to-March chronology.
Jill, Katherine and Derek
This becomes the major Chancellor storyline.
Jill is financially struggling again and works briefly as a manicurist.
With Brock’s assistance she finds a job at a beauty salon managed by:
Derek Thurston — Joe LaDue
Although Derek had appeared briefly in 1976 with other actors, Joe LaDue takes over the role on April 28, 1977, turning Derek into a major character. (Wikipedia)
Jill is immediately attracted to him.
Unfortunately for Jill:
Katherine wants Derek too.
Katherine buys Derek
Katherine recognizes that Derek is ambitious and uses her wealth to keep him close.
She offers him the financial backing to own his own salon if he will remain married to her for one year.
Derek is actually attracted to Jill and initially has no intention of genuinely becoming Katherine’s husband.
Katherine therefore gets him drunk and arranges a quick wedding.
Derek wakes up to discover:
he has married Katherine Chancellor.
He wants an annulment.
Katherine, devastated by his rejection, attempts suicide. Derek and Brock save her. (Jackson Dynasty)
Katherine is shot
Derek’s past catches up with him when two men arrive seeking revenge over a previous business deal.
They intend to kill Derek.
Katherine throws herself in front of him and is:
shot.
She survives but is initially believed to be paralyzed.
Feeling responsible, Derek agrees to remain with Katherine and honor their one-year marriage arrangement.
Jill is furious.
This firmly establishes the new triangle:
Katherine → Derek ← Jill
and gives the long-running Katherine/Jill rivalry a new object of contention after Phillip Chancellor II’s death. (Jackson Dynasty)
Lance, Leslie and Lorie
Lance Prentiss is initially deeply attracted to Leslie.
Leslie, however, remains emotionally attached to Brad.
She eventually pushes Lance toward her sister Lorie.
Lance begins courting Lorie extravagantly, arranging romantic encounters in cities including Chicago, New York and London.
Lorie falls in love with him.
But there is a major obstacle:
Vanessa Prentiss.
Vanessa regards both Brooks sisters as threats to her relationship with her son and particularly dislikes Lorie. (Jackson Dynasty)
Vanessa Prentiss
Vanessa lives as a recluse and wears a veil because she says her face was badly burned while rescuing Lance from a fire.
Lance feels enormous guilt toward his mother.
Lorie becomes increasingly suspicious about the mysterious woman living in Lance’s house.
The Vanessa/Lorie hostility becomes one of the show’s defining late-1970s rivalries.
Lance and Lorie marry
Lance and Lorie eventually marry during this general period.
Unfortunately, surviving character references disagree over whether to classify the wedding as late 1977 or early 1978. Lorie’s character biography describes their spontaneous Lake Tahoe wedding, while different databases label the marriage 1977 or 1978. (Les jeunes et les agités)
Since both possibilities fall inside our Season 5 boundary, the season assignment is fortunately unaffected:
Lance Prentiss & Lorie Brooks
Wedding: Season 5 — Lake Tahoe
I would not yet assign an exact date until we locate the corresponding production record.
Brad and Leslie
Brad Eliot discovers that he has chronic neuritis and is losing his sight.
Rather than force Leslie to abandon her concert career to care for him, Brad tries to make her stop loving him.
Leslie becomes pregnant.
Brad eventually admits the truth about his eyesight, learns Braille and reconciles with her.
Then tragedy strikes.
Brad accidentally hits Leslie in the abdomen with a suitcase.
Leslie miscarries
The pregnancy ends in miscarriage.
Their marriage subsequently collapses and Brad leaves Genoa City. (Wikipedia)
Brad returns
Brad later undergoes risky surgery that restores his eyesight.
He returns to Genoa City hoping to reconcile with Leslie.
But Leslie rejects him.
Brad leaves again by 1978. (Wikipedia)
So Brad is unusual in Season 5:
departure → return → second departure.
Peggy, Jack and Joann
Peggy Brooks becomes involved with her college professor:
Jack Curtis.
There is a problem:
Jack is married to Joann Curtis.
Joann suffers from severe insecurity and problems surrounding her weight. Peggy initially hopes Jack will eventually leave his wife.
Peggy even tries to help Joann develop greater self-confidence.
Jack ultimately realizes that he still loves Joann.
Jack & Joann remarry
Jack proposes again, and Joann accepts. (Jackson Dynasty)
Peggy’s rape
Peggy is sexually assaulted.
Chris, herself a rape survivor, believes Ron Becker is responsible.
Ron had previously been accused of rape.
Peggy’s storyline becomes one of Y&R’s earliest attempts to revisit sexual violence through the experience of another member of the Brooks family. (Jackson Dynasty)
Chris and Snapper separate
Chris and Snapper’s marriage finally collapses after years of strain.
Their relationship had survived Sally, Chuckie and multiple crises, but by 1977 the marriage is no longer working.
Chris leaves Genoa City
Historical summaries explicitly record:
Chris and Snapper’s marriage falls apart and Chris leaves town. (teleserial.com)
This is not Trish Stewart’s permanent final exit from Y&R; Chris will eventually return.
Recasts & SORAS
Leslie Brooks
The major Leslie recast actually occurs immediately before Season 5:
Janice Lynde → Victoria Mallory — January 1977
Therefore Season 5’s regular Leslie is:
Victoria Mallory.
The CBS 1977 photograph still features Lynde, which explains why photographs and episode chronology can look contradictory.
Greg Foster
Greg undergoes the important casting transition:
James Houghton → Brian Kerwin → Wings Hauser
during the 1977–78 period. The annual cast records show Houghton and Kerwin in 1977 and Wings Hauser as Greg in 1978. (Jackson Dynasty)
Lorie Brooks
Jaime Lyn Bauer remains Lorie, although temporary substitute actresses are documented around this era. Character records mention Lezlie Dalton and later Victoria Thompson as temporary replacements. (Les jeunes et les agités)
SORAS
No major child-to-adult SORAS occurs during Season 5.
Phillip Foster remains a small child, as does Chuckie Roulland.
Births
There is no major completed live birth among the principal families during Season 5.
Leslie’s pregnancy
Leslie becomes pregnant by Brad Eliot but miscarries after the suitcase accident. (Wikipedia)
Therefore:
Major live births: 0
Miscarriages: Leslie Brooks Eliot — child with Brad Eliot
New characters
Derek Thurston — Joe LaDue
Strictly speaking Derek is not a completely new character: Caleb Stoddard and Jeff Cooper had briefly played him in July/August 1976.
But the version of Derek who becomes a major Y&R character effectively begins with:
Joe LaDue — April 28, 1977. (Wikipedia)
Lucas Prentiss — Tom Ligon
1977
Lance’s younger brother Lucas is introduced during this era and becomes increasingly important going into 1978. Annual cast/story records identify him as a 1977 newcomer. (Jackson Dynasty)
His major Leslie storyline belongs primarily to the next season.
Character departures
Jennifer Brooks — Dorothy Green
September 13, 1977 — dies. (Les jeunes et les agités)
Brad Eliot — Tom Hallick
Leaves after the collapse of his marriage to Leslie; briefly returns after surgery restores his eyesight, then leaves again by 1978. (Wikipedia)
Chris Brooks Foster — Trish Stewart
Leaves Genoa City after her marriage to Snapper collapses. This is not permanent. (teleserial.com)
James Houghton — Greg Foster
Leaves the role; Greg is recast rather than written out.
Brian Kerwin — Greg Foster
Brief tenure; Greg is subsequently played by Wings Hauser. (Jackson Dynasty)
Returning characters
Brad Eliot — Tom Hallick
Brad returns after undergoing risky surgery that restores his eyesight.
He hopes to reunite with Leslie, but she rejects him, and he leaves again. (Wikipedia)
I have not found another major long-absent character return that can be securely placed within the March 1977–March 1978 boundary.
Marriages
Katherine Chancellor & Derek Thurston
1977
Katherine gets Derek drunk and arranges a quick marriage. Derek wants an annulment when he discovers what has happened, but later agrees to honor their one-year arrangement after Katherine is shot protecting him. (Jackson Dynasty)
Jack Curtis & Joann Curtis
1977
The estranged couple reconcile and remarry after Jack realizes he still loves Joann. (Jackson Dynasty)
Lance Prentiss & Lorie Brooks
Season 5 — Lake Tahoe
They marry spontaneously at Lake Tahoe. Sources disagree between 1977 and 1978 for the calendar year, so I would currently keep the exact date open while confidently assigning the wedding to Season 5. (Les jeunes et les agités)
Deaths
Jennifer Brooks
September 13, 1977
Jennifer dies after her long illness, ending Dorothy Green’s run as one of Y&R’s original March 1973 characters. Her character record gives September 13 as her final appearance. (Les jeunes et les agités)
Major character deaths: 1 — Jennifer Brooks.
Season 5 at a glance
| Y&R — SEASON 5 | |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 28, 1977 – March 24, 1978 |
| Episodes | ≈255, beginning with #1014 — final count still to be verified |
| Major death | Jennifer Brooks — September 13, 1977 |
| Major newcomers | Lucas Prentiss; Joe LaDue’s definitive Derek Thurston |
| Major recast | Greg Foster: James Houghton → Brian Kerwin → Wings Hauser |
| Major SORAS | None |
| Major return | Brad Eliot |
| Major departures | Jennifer, Brad, Chris; Houghton/Kerwin as Greg |
| Births | 0 major live births |
| Pregnancy loss | Leslie & Brad’s child |
| Marriages | Katherine/Derek; Jack/Joann; Lance/Lorie |
| Main Brooks story | Jennifer’s death; Stuart and Liz grow closer |
| Main Chancellor story | Katherine/Jill/Derek triangle |
| Main romantic story | Lance/Lorie/Leslie + Vanessa’s interference |
| Children on canvas | Phillip Foster; Chuckie Roulland |
One important point for the next Season 6 sheet: the chronology changes dramatically during 1978 with the arrival of Casey Reed, Nikki Reed and Paul Williams, while Lucas becomes central to Leslie’s story. The 1978 cast record explicitly identifies Casey, Nikki and Paul as new characters, so I have deliberately not pulled them backward into Season 5 without evidence that their debuts occurred before March 24, 1978. (Jackson Dynasty)
Lance Prentiss found a summer home for his mother, Vanessa, in Genoa City. Vanessa wore a veil over the lower part of her face, supposedly to cover a horrific scar that she had received while rescuing Lance from a fire five years earlier. Embarrassed by her condition, Vanessa never ventured into public. When Lance found himself intrigued by Leslie Brooks, Vanessa feared that she would lose her son to another woman.
After Leslie’s divorce from Brad, she fell into a deep depression. Leslie continued to perform piano concerts and was surprised that a wealthy admirer, Lance Prentiss, followed her from town to town, faithfully attending every concert. Lance revealed to Leslie that he loved her. In a desperate attempt to forget Brad, Leslie had an affair with Lance. But when she realized that her heart still belonged to Brad, Leslie broke off the affair. Soon after, Lance fell for Lorie, who was still nursing a broken heart after her break-up with Mark. After being romanced by Lance–who thoughtfully arranged intimate dinners for them in such cities as Chicago, New York and London–Lorie gave into his charms. Lorie, however, was confused by Lance’s mysterious behavior whenever she visited his home. He specifically forbade her from entering one particular room in the house. She also couldn’t understand why she was constantly running across scarves monogrammed with the initial “V.”
Vanessa was none too thrilled by Lance’s involvement with Lorie and quickly developed a strong dislike for both Lorie and Leslie, both of whom she continued to view as a potential threat.
Peggy Brooks fell for her college teacher, Jack Curtis, a married man. Jack had a wandering eye because his wife Joanne suffered from an eating disorder and was overweight. Peggy was stunned to discover that Jack was married. Furthermore, he refused to divorce Joanne because she was emotionally dependent on him and he feared how she might react if he suddenly dumped her for a younger, more attractive woman. Nevertheless, Peggy held out hope that Jack would eventually divorce Joanne. Peggy even tried to help the disturbed woman gain self-confidence. One evening, Peggy, who was still a virgin, was raped. Chris, who had also been raped several years earlier, believed that Peggy’s attacker was Ron Becker, a married man who had previously been charged with rape. Chris knew about Ron because she had lent assistance to his family through her work at Legal Aid.
At Chris’s urging, Peggy filed charges against Ron, even though she wasn’t absolutely convinced that he had raped her. Thanks to a weak case, Ron was acquitted. But Ron’s wife Nancy discovered that he was the rapist. The revelation traumatized her and she became schizophrenic. Soon after, Nancy was committed to a mental institution. Good-natured Chris, who was experiencing difficulty having children, decided to seek custody of Nancy’s young daughter, Karen, even though Snapper feared that it would eventually lead to heartache for her. Ron agreed to give Chris and Snapper custody of Karen, believing that his wife would never recover from her mental illness. Ron also promised to stay out of their lives.
Nancy did recover and was released from the mental institution. She quickly set her sights on regaining custody of Karen. When Chris saw Nancy and Karen together, she realized that Karen still considered Nancy her mother and she reluctantly let the child go. Soon after, Nancy legally petitioned the court for custody of Karen and won. She then left town with her husband and daughter. Chris was so heartbroken that she separated from Snapper and also left town.
Eventually, Joann divorced Jack and became friends with Katherine Chancellor. The two women shared an immediate bond. Katherine enjoyed Joann’s companionship and showed her appreciation by buying Joann gifts and a new wardrobe. Brock became alarmed by the attention that Katherine showered on Joann and warned that it was unhealthy.
Joann, who had finally gained self-confidence, lost weight . With a slimmer figure, she opened herself up to the possibility of meeting a new man, which disturbed Katherine. The two women planned a trip together to Hawaii, but just before they were about to leave, Brock confronted Joann with the truth about his mother’s true feelings for her. Joann canceled the trip and distanced herself from Katherine.
At the same time, Peggy, who was still suffering from the aftermath of her rape, found it difficult to have sex with Jack. Eventually, she ended their relationship and moved back in with her parents. Jack found himself dazzled by Joann’s new confidence and realized that he still loved her. When Jack proposed marriage again, Joann agreed to remarry him.
Jennifer died from cancer, leaving the Brooks’ daughters without a mother, and Stuart without a wife. In time, Stuart turned to Liz Foster for companionship. Initially, the death of their respective spouses was a reason for bringing them together. But as Stuart got to know Liz better, he realized that he was developing romantic feelings for her.
Jill, who was once again financially broke, accepted a job as a manicurist at a barbershop. When Snapper overheard a customer proposition Jill, he insisted that she quit the job. Soon after, with Brock’s help, Jill landed a job at a beauty salon managed by Derek Thurston. Jill quickly found herself attracted to Derek, who was handsome and charismatic. Ironically, Katherine Chancellor was also romantically interested in Derek.
Katherine used her money to try and buy Derek’s affection. After she set him up in his own salon, Derek agreed to marry her. But there was a stipulation. The marriage would only last a year and, when it ended, he’d be sole owner of the salon.
Derek confided to Jill that he had no intention of marrying Katherine–he was only interested in her money. Katherine, however, was determined to make Derek her husband. One night, she deliberately got him drunk, and then arranged a quick wedding ceremony. The next day, Derek was flabbergasted to discover that Katherine was now his wife. When Derek told Katherine that he planned to get an annulment, the stinging rejection prompted her to try and commit suicide. Fortunately, Katherine was rescued by Derek and Brock. Soon after, two thugs arrived in Genoa City with a vendetta against Derek. They wanted revenge for a business deal that had gone bad. They intended to murder Derek, but Katherine saved his life by shielding his body with her own. Katherine was shot and, after being rushed to the hospital, doctors revealed that she was paralyzed. Derek promised to stay with Katherine until she was able to walk again. He then told Jill he had decided to honor his arrangement to be Katherine’s husband for one year. Jill was mortified
Previous year : Y&R 1976
Next year : Y&R 1978
Jackson Dynasty 