Original CBS run: March 28, 1988–March 24, 1989
Number of episodes: 260 weekday installments
Global episode range: approximately #3816–#4075
Archival warning: CBS has never released a complete public episode guide for this season. Some databases incorrectly begin Season 16 on September 1, 1988. The anniversary-based CBS chronology—consistent with Season 17 beginning on March 27, 1989—is used here. (DuaFile)
Official cast photograph
A genuine 1988 cast photograph exists, but I have not found evidence that CBS formally labelled it “Season 16.” It is nevertheless the closest period-appropriate ensemble photograph available.
Complete principal and recurring cast
The list covers identifiable contract and recurring characters who appeared during the season. Day players, unnamed doctors, nurses, police officers and courtroom personnel are excluded.
- Ashley Abbott portrayed by Eileen Davidson / Brenda Epperson
- Jack Abbott portrayed by Terry Lester
- John Abbott portrayed by Jerry Douglas
- Traci Abbott portrayed by Beth Maitland
- Douglas Austin portrayed by Michael Evans
- Lynne Bassett portrayed by Laura Bryan Birn
- Chase Benson portrayed by Stephen Gregory
- Christine “Cricket” Blair portrayed by Lauralee Bell
- Jessica Blair portrayed by Rebecca Street
- Joe Blair portrayed by John Denos
- Brad Carlton portrayed by Don Diamont
- Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV portrayed by Chuckie and Kenny Gravino
- Katherine Chancellor portrayed by Jeanne Cooper
- Phillip Chancellor III portrayed by Thom Bierdz
- Michael Crawford portrayed by Colby Chester
- Skip Evans portrayed by Todd Curtis
- Lauren Fenmore portrayed by Tracey E. Bregman
- Jim Grainger portrayed by John O’Hurley
- Scott Grainger portrayed by Peter Barton
- Nathan Hastings portrayed by Nathan Purdee
- Diane Jenkins portrayed by Alex Donnelley
- Mamie Johnson portrayed by Marguerite Ray
- David Kimble portrayed by Michael Corbett
- Steven Lassiter portrayed by Rod Arrants
- Leanna Love portrayed by Barbara Crampton
- Joanna Manning portrayed by Susan Seaforth Hayes
- Lisa Mansfield portrayed by Lynne Harbaugh
- Marc Mergeron portrayed by Anthony Peña
- Matt Miller portrayed by Robert Parucha
- Nicholas Newman portrayed by infant performers, followed by Marco and Stefan Flores
- Nikki Newman portrayed by Melody Thomas Scott
- Victoria Newman portrayed by Ashley Nicole Millan
- Victor Newman portrayed by Eric Braeden
- Cassandra Rawlins portrayed by Nina Arvesen
- George Rawlins portrayed by Jonathan Farwell
- Casey Reed portrayed by Roberta Leighton
- Andy Richards portrayed by Steven Ford
- Carol Robbins portrayed by Christopher Templeton
- Danny Romalotti portrayed by Michael Damian
- Gina Roma portrayed by Patty Weaver
- Rex Sterling portrayed by Quinn Redeker
- Tim Sullivan portrayed by Scott Palmer
- Esther Valentine portrayed by Kate Linder
- Nina Webster portrayed by Tricia Cast
- Carl Williams portrayed by Brett Hadley
- Mary Williams portrayed by Carolyn Conwell
- Paul Williams portrayed by Doug Davidson
Main storylines
Victor, Nikki, Leanna and Ruthless
Jack secretly encourages Leanna Love to write Ruthless: The Victor Newman Story, an exposé designed to destroy Victor. Leanna includes intimate details about Victor’s relationship with Ashley and Ashley’s abortion. Victor initially blames Nikki for the scandal and hurriedly obtains what he believes is a divorce.
Victor takes Leanna to Las Vegas and marries her in October 1988. The marriage is later declared invalid because Victor and Nikki’s divorce was never legally completed. The revelation does not immediately end Victor and Leanna’s relationship, but Victor eventually discovers Leanna’s involvement with Jack and her responsibility for Ruthless. (Jackson Dynasty)
The battle for Jabot
Victor retaliates against Jack for his role in the publication of Ruthless. He manoeuvres himself into control of Jabot, removes Jack from power and places Brad Carlton above him in the company hierarchy.
The corporate warfare intensifies the longstanding Newman–Abbott rivalry and leaves John caught between protecting the family company and dealing with Jack’s increasingly reckless schemes.
Brad’s kidnapping and Traci’s miscarriage
Brad’s former wife Lisa Mansfield returns and attempts to reclaim him. After Brad rejects her offer of a new life in Chicago, Lisa drugs him and imprisons him in a cage inside an isolated mountain cabin.
Believing Brad has abandoned her, a pregnant Traci suffers a miscarriage and turns to Tim Sullivan for comfort. Lauren eventually traces Lisa to the cabin, only to be imprisoned alongside Brad. Jack follows Lauren and rescues them before Lisa can kill them with gas. Lisa disappears on March 3, 1989. (Wikipedia)
Nina, Phillip and baby Chance
Jill and Katherine remain united in their determination to keep Nina away from Phillip. They question the paternity of her baby, offer her money to leave Genoa City and employ Chase Benson to seduce her.
Nina refuses to abandon her son. When baby Phillip—later known as Chance—becomes seriously ill, Phillip supports Nina and gradually begins to see her differently. Their eventual romance and marriage belong principally to Season 17.
Jessica Blair’s AIDS storyline
Christine’s estranged mother, Jessica Blair, arrives in Genoa City and reveals that she is living with AIDS. Initially, Jessica keeps her illness secret from Christine and John Abbott, with whom she falls in love.
She is treated by Dr. Scott Grainger. The story also begins uncovering Jessica’s past relationship with Scott’s father, Jim Grainger, and the eventual revelation that Scott and Christine are half-siblings. Jessica’s illness and family reunion continue into Season 17. (Wikipedia)
Ashley and Steven
Ashley marries psychiatrist Steven Lassiter after moving away from Victor. Leanna, one of Steven’s former patients, remains dangerously obsessed with him and hostile toward Ashley.
The marriage ends tragically when Steven is shot by the disturbed son of one of his patients. Steven dies on December 2, 1988, leaving Ashley widowed. (Wikipedia)
Paul and Cassandra
Paul falls in love with mysterious interior designer Cassandra Hall. He is stunned to discover that she is married to his wealthy client, George Rawlins.
George, who is unable to father a child, asks Paul to impregnate Cassandra. The arrangement produces an emotionally charged triangle involving love, money, deceit and George’s increasing suspicions. George’s murder and Paul’s prosecution occur after the end of Season 16.
Births
- Nicholas Christian Newman — born on screen December 31, 1988, to Victor and Nikki Newman. His birth year was subsequently revised several times as the character was aged. (Fandom)
- Phillip Robert Chancellor IV, later called Chance — born on screen March 15, 1988, to Nina Webster and Phillip Chancellor III. His birth technically occurred during the closing days of Season 15, although many yearly retrospectives group it with the 1988–89 stories. (Fandom)
Recasts and SORAS
- Ashley Abbott: Eileen Davidson left the role in December 1988. Brenda Epperson assumed the part immediately afterward. This was a conventional adult recast, not a SORAS.
- Nicholas Newman: introduced as a newborn and played by infants. Marco and Stefan Flores are generally credited as the first identifiable child performers in 1989.
- Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV: Chuckie and Kenny Gravino played the infant during this period.
- No major SORAS occurred during Season 16. Victoria Newman and the other established children remained approximately within their existing age ranges.
New characters
- Lisa Mansfield — first on-screen appearance: March 31, 1988; Brad’s previously unseen former wife.
- George Rawlins — introduced in spring 1988 as Cassandra’s wealthy husband.
- Chase Benson — introduced in July 1988, hired to seduce Nina.
- Nicholas Newman — born December 31, 1988.
- Jim Grainger — introduced in early 1989 as Scott’s father and Jessica’s former lover.
Lynne Bassett, Scott Grainger and Cassandra Rawlins debuted in March 1988, shortly before the commonly accepted beginning of Season 16, but remained important throughout it. Lisa’s documented run was March 31, 1988–March 3, 1989. (Wikipedia)
Departures
- Steven Lassiter portrayed by Rod Arrants — killed; final appearance December 2, 1988.
- Lisa Mansfield portrayed by Lynne Harbaugh — fled after Brad and Lauren were rescued; final appearance March 3, 1989.
- Andy Richards portrayed by Steven Ford — moved to Pittsburgh after Farren chose to remain with her daughter; his appearances became intermittent.
- Traci Abbott portrayed by Beth Maitland — temporarily left Genoa City after rejecting both Brad and Tim.
- Eileen Davidson as Ashley Abbott — departed in December 1988, although Ashley remained through an immediate recast.
Returns
- Lisa Mansfield entered the story as Brad’s returning former wife, although this was her first actual on-screen appearance.
- Michael Crawford portrayed by Colby Chester returned in December 1988 after an earlier absence.
- Casey Reed portrayed by Roberta Leighton made further family-related appearances.
- Matt Miller portrayed by Robert Parucha appeared again around the Newman family.
Marriages
- Victor Newman and Leanna Love — Las Vegas, October 1988. The marriage was invalid because Victor’s divorce from Nikki had not been legally finalised. (en.wikipedia.org)
- John Abbott and Jessica Blair — married in late 1988 after John learned about Jessica’s AIDS diagnosis. They divorced in 1989 so Jessica could fulfil her wish to remarry Jim Grainger before her death.
- Skip Evans and Carol Robbins — married around early 1989, with the support of the Abbott family.
Two weddings often associated with “1988” actually precede Season 16 under the anniversary-based chronology:
- Katherine Chancellor and Rex Sterling — February 25, 1988. (IMDb)
- Ashley Abbott and Steven Lassiter — early 1988, before the season’s March 28 starting point.
Deaths
- Steven Lassiter — shot by the son of one of his former patients; died December 2, 1988. (Wikipedia)
- Traci and Brad’s unborn child — Traci miscarried while Brad was being held captive by Lisa.
- There were no other firmly documented deaths of established characters during the season. George Rawlins, Phillip Chancellor III, Derek Stuart and Jessica Blair died during the following broadcast cycle.
The mysterious Faren regained her memory and arranged to reconcile with her first husband, Evan, and to be a mother to their daughter, Betsy. Evan’s housekeeper and lover, Janet, felt rejected by Evan because he had promised to marry her. Angered, she fired a gun at Faren, but shot and killed Evan instead. Faren told Andy Richards that she needed to stay with her daughter to avoid adding any further trauma to her life. Andy abided by Faren’s wishes and moved to Pittsburgh.
Lauren wasn’t thrilled to learn that Traci was pregnant with Brad’s baby. But Brad Carlton had bigger problems than Lauren. Lisa, his ex-wife, wanted him back. Brad divorced Lisa after he had been paid a huge sum of money by his ex-father in-law, who didn’t approve of Brad. Lisa, however, was determined to resume her life with Brad. She arranged for him to be offered a lucrative job in Chicago. Instead, Brad accepted a job from Lauren. Eventually, Lisa went off the deep end and kidnapped Brad. She held him prisoner in a deserted lodge for several weeks. Meanwhile, Brad’s apparent desertion caused Traci to miscarry. In order to get through her loss, Traci turned to her writing, and to her former lover, Tim Sullivan.
After Jack Abbott’s scheme to swindle the Mergeron stock away from Victor Newman backfired, Jack was hounded by the IRS. There was, however, a bright side. Brittany, Jack’s auditor, soon felt an attraction toward the playboy and began dating him.
Marc Mergeron, who experienced a series of financial setbacks, became romantically involved with JoAnna, who soon began footing his bills. When Lauren learned that her mother was supporting Marc, she schemed to end that relationship. Her first step was to give Marc a job as a male model for the Fenmore Department Store chain. Marc also modeled for Jabot, but his arrogance eventually cost him the lucrative assignment.
Jill Abbott chose to ignore company procedure during the launching of her men’s line at Jabot. She spent huge sums of money to promote the new products, which enraged her ex-husband, John Abbott. Meanwhile, Jill pursued an affair with her handsome assistant, David Kimball.
Katherine Chancellor discovered that Rex Sterling had been hired by Jill to romance her. Nevertheless, she accepted Rex’s marriage proposal, which infuriated Jill, who was hoping for a proposal herself from Rex.
In a surprise move, Jill and Katherine teamed up to scheme against Nina Webster, who was pregnant with Phillip Chancellor’s baby. Katherine offered the pregnant young woman room and board in her home. To Nina’s disappointment, her living space was a cramped room in the attic. During Nina’s stay, Katherine and Jill tried unsuccessfully to prove that another man had fathered the young woman’s baby. They also offered Nina a huge sum of money to move to another part of the world, but Nina refused to take the bait. She was convinced that Phillip would eventually marry her and be a father to their baby son. Jill also arranged for a young man named Chase to romance Nina. Jill hoped that Chase would succeed in taking Nina away on a romantic vacation for three weeks, which would provide enough time to have Nina legally charged with deserting her baby. Nina, however, cut the vacation short when she discovered that baby Phillip was seriously ill. Phillip stood by Nina during the ordeal, which fueled her hope that they’d marry. Fortunately, the baby survived the illness.
Cricket’s mom, Jessica, arrived in Genoa City after she had dropped out of her daughter’s life for several years. Initially, Cricket didn’t want anything to do with Jessica, but sentiment got the better of the young model and they were soon reconciled. Jessica and John Abbott also fell in love. Jessica, however, neglected to tell her daughter or John that she was suffering from AIDS. Her secret came out when Jessica was suddenly hospitalized with a serious illness. She was treated by Dr. Scott Grainger.
Leanna Love, a former mental patient of Dr. Steven Lassiter, surfaced in Genoa City. Steven and Ashley Abbott had met and fallen in love. Leanne, however, believed that she was madly in love with and hated Ashley with a deadly passion. Her plans did not work, and eventually, Leanna abandoned her plans and her lunacy. She became involved with Jack Abbott, who arranged for Leanna to write a sensational tell-all biography, “Ruthless: The Victor Newman Story,” which would destroy Victor. Ironically, the wealthy businessman, who didn’t know about Leanna’s project, also hired her to write an authorized biography of his life. Without Jack’s consent, or knowledge, Leanna added an extra chapter to the unauthorized book that chronicled Ashley’s ill-fated affair with Victor, and included details about the young woman’s abortion.
Victor decided to postpone divorcing Nikki after he learned that Ashley had married Steven Lassiter. Nikki, who was also pregnant with Victor’s baby, hoped that Victor would eventually drop his divorce plans and resume their marriage. But when “Ruthless” hit the bookstores, Victor assumed that Nikki was responsible for the dirt on Ashley. In order to take the media’s attention off Ashley, Victor quickly divorced Nikki. In a surprise move, he married Leanna Love. Nikki, however, discovered that her divorce from Victor wasn’t legal. Meanwhile, Steven was killed, leaving Ashley a widow.
Paul Williams fell for a mysterious and beautiful woman named Cassandra. When Paul learned that Cassandra was an interior designer, he hired her to decorate his office. Soon after, Paul became romantically involved with Cassandra, but she was unwilling to take things beyond being just lovers. One evening, while dining at the home of George Rawlings, a client of Paul’s, the young private eye was surprised to discover that Cassandra was Rawlings’ wife. While socializing with George, the older gentleman confided to Paul that he was impotent. Nevertheless, George wanted to raise a child with Cassandra. To Paul’s surprise, George asked him to father the baby!
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