Broadcast period: March 27, 1989–March 23, 1990. Episode count: 254, calculated from the consecutive episode numbers for this period. Historical season listings are incomplete, so this is a reconstructed count rather than a figure published by CBS. (noctra.tv)
A note on the cast: the surviving records do not establish every performer who appeared during these 254 broadcasts. The list below covers the identifiable regular and significant recurring characters, including children; it should not be mistaken for a complete episode-by-episode credit roll.
Cast, alphabetized by character surname
| Character | Performer |
|---|---|
| John Abbott | portrayed by Jerry Douglas |
| Jack Abbott | portrayed by Terry Lester; Peter Bergman from November 1989 |
| Ashley Abbott | portrayed by Brenda Epperson |
| Traci Abbott | portrayed by Beth Maitland |
| Douglas Austin | portrayed by Michael Evans |
| Christine “Cricket” Blair | portrayed by Lauralee Bell |
| Joe Blair | portrayed by John Denos |
| Jessica Blair | portrayed by Rebecca Street |
| Brad Carlton | portrayed by Don Diamont |
| Katherine Chancellor and Marge Cotroke | portrayed by Jeanne Cooper |
| Phillip Chancellor III | portrayed by Thom Bierdz |
| Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV | portrayed by Chuckie and Kenny Gravino; subsequently Scott and Shaun Markley |
| Carol Robbins Evans | portrayed by Christopher Templeton |
| Skip Evans | portrayed by Todd Curtis |
| Lauren Fenmore | portrayed by Tracey E. Bregman |
| Dr. Jim Grainger | portrayed by John Philip Law; John O’Hurley |
| Dr. Scott Grainger | portrayed by Peter Barton |
| Nathan Hastings | portrayed by Nathan Purdee |
| Mamie Johnson | portrayed by Marguerite Ray |
| Diane Jenkins | portrayed by Alex Donnelley |
| David Kimble | portrayed by Michael Corbett |
| Leanna Love | portrayed by Barbara Crampton |
| Joanna Manning | portrayed by Susan Seaforth Hayes |
| Matt Miller | portrayed by Robert Parucha |
| Nicholas Newman | portrayed by Marco and Stefan Flores; Griffin Ledner in 1990 |
| Victor Newman | portrayed by Eric Braeden |
| Victoria Newman | portrayed by Ashley Nicole Millan |
| Nikki Newman | portrayed by Melody Thomas Scott |
| Clint Radison | portrayed by Morey Amsterdam |
| Cassandra Rawlins | portrayed by Nina Arvesen |
| Casey Reed | portrayed by Roberta Leighton |
| Andy Richards | portrayed by Steven Ford |
| Danny Romalotti | portrayed by Michael Damian |
| Gina Roma | portrayed by Patty Weaver |
| George Rawlins | portrayed by the performer credited in individual episodes; I could not verify a reliable season-wide attribution |
| Rex Sterling | portrayed by Quinn Redeker |
| Tim Sullivan | portrayed by Scott Palmer |
| Esther Valentine | portrayed by Kate Linder |
| Mary Williams | portrayed by Carolyn Conwell |
| Carl Williams | portrayed by Brett Hadley |
| Paul Williams | portrayed by Doug Davidson |
| Nina Webster Chancellor | portrayed by Tricia Cast |
The cast identification draws in part on a contemporary-period compilation published under the Fred Colby byline, checked against a surviving CBS broadcast in the Paley Center archive. That archive confirms, for example, that Brenda Epperson, rather than Eileen Davidson, played Ashley in November 1989. (Jackson Dynasty)
Principal storylines
- Victor takes Jabot. His takeover strips Jack of control and places Brad above him, deepening the Abbott–Newman feud. Jack’s pursuit of Nikki develops as that conflict continues.
- Nina and Phillip marry, then Phillip apparently dies. Phillip’s drinking and car crash leave Nina a young widow. Jill contests Nina’s control of his estate and access to little Phillip IV. The death was presented as genuine to viewers at the time; a later storyline revealed that Phillip had survived.
- Katherine meets her double. Clint recruits waitress Marge Cotroke, Katherine’s lookalike, for a scheme to seize the Chancellor fortune. The impersonation plot carries into the following season.
- Cricket’s family history changes. Her relationship with Scott Grainger ends when they discover they are half-siblings. She subsequently survives Derek Stuart’s rape and pursues charges against him.
- Paul is framed. George Rawlins’ death points suspicion at Paul, who stages his own death while investigating Cassandra and Adrian.
Births
- Skylar Carol Evans is associated with 1989 in character records. I could not establish a dependable original CBS broadcast date for her birth.
- Nicholas Newman and Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV are sometimes placed in 1989 cast lists, but their births precede season 17: Nicholas was born at the end of 1988, and Chance earlier that year. They belong in this season’s child cast, not its births. (en.wikipedia.org)
Recasts and SORAS
- Jack Abbott: Terry Lester’s last appearance was September 1, 1989; Peter Bergman took over later that year and is credited in the November 30 broadcast. Sources give November 27 as Bergman’s first airdate.
- Nicholas Newman: infant twins Marco and Stefan Flores were succeeded by child actor Griffin Ledner in January 1990. This is the season’s identifiable child-age recast, though a precise first-episode date remains unverified.
- Phillip IV: child-actor listings move from Chuckie and Kenny Gravino to Scott and Shaun Markley around 1989; they do not establish the exact changeover broadcast. Ashley’s switch to Brenda Epperson occurred on December 5, 1988, before this season. (Wikipedia)
Arrivals, departures and returns
| Category | Season 17 developments |
|---|---|
| New characters | Clint Radison and Marge Cotroke enter the Chancellor story; Dr. Jim Grainger becomes central to Cricket’s parentage; Derek Stuart enters Cricket’s storyline. Exact debut dates have not been reliably established. |
| Departures | Phillip Chancellor III is presumed dead after his car crash. George Rawlins dies. Derek Stuart falls to his death. Terry Lester departs as Jack’s actor, while Jack remains in the story. |
| Returns | Danny Romalotti returns to Genoa City and reunites with Cricket. Other appearances described as “returns” in annual summaries cannot confidently be assigned a first return date within this season. |
Marriages and deaths
- Marriages: Nina Webster and Phillip Chancellor III marry in 1989;
- Gina Roma and Clint Radison also marry in 1989.
- Deaths shown or reported during the season: George Rawlins and Derek Stuart die. Phillip Chancellor III’s 1989 death is subsequently retconned as a faked death; Paul Williams’ death is staged within the story. (Jackson Dynasty)
While Lauren and Jack were on a skiing getaway weekend, Lauren noticed Brad’s ex-wife, Lisa. Suspicious of Brad’s prolonged disappearance, Lauren, on a hunch, followed Lisa and discovered that she was holding Brad prisoner in a cage in a remote cabin. Lisa spotted Lauren and also tossed her into the cage. Lisa’s intent was to ditch the cabin and gas Brad and Lauren to death. Fortunately, they were rescued by Jack Abbott, who had trailed Lauren to the cabin.
Although weakened by pneumonia, Brad Carlton quickly made his way back to Genoa City, hoping that he could catch Traci before she filed for divorce from him. To his disappointment he was too late. Traci explained that she thought Brad had deserted her and that the time apart made her think about their relationship. She felt she could have more of a life with her former lover, Tim Sullivan. Brad, however, competed with Tim for Traci’s love. Fed up with the macho competition, Traci surprised both men by packing her bags and leaving town alone.
With the support of the Abbott family, Skip Evans and Carol Robbins married, despite Carol’s disability–she wore a leg brace as a result of a childhood illness. As newlyweds Skip and Carol were heartbroken to discover they weren’t able to have a baby. Because of Carol’s disability, adoption agencies rejected their applications. Instead, Skip and Carol placed an ad in the paper, hoping to find an unwed pregnant mom who would give her baby to them.
Victor Newman decided to stay with Leanna, even after he found out their marriage wasn’t legal because he was still married to Nikki. But Victor changed his mind about Leanna when he learned that she was lovers with Jack Abbott. On her own, Leanna used her wiles to land a job as an advice columnist for the lovelorn. Meanwhile, Victor devised an ingenious way to punish Jack for his role in the publication of Leanna’s tawdry book about Newman’s life. Victor orchestrated a takeover of Jabot, displaced Jack and made Brad Carlton his superior.
Cricket and Danny helped Nina to soften her rough edges. Phillip Chancelor admitted that he was impressed by the appealing changes in Nina’s personality, but maintained that he wasn’t interested in a relationship with her. Ironically, Jill Abbott, who couldn’t keep her nose out of Phillip’s life, served as the catalyst for finally bringing Phillip and Nina together. Repulsed by his mom’s hostile attitude toward Nina, Phillip became very protective of the reformed young woman. When Phillip realized that he had fallen in love with Nina and proposed marriage, she quickly accepted.
Jill, who was sickened by the idea of having Nina for a daughter in-law, persuaded Chase to try and seduce Nina on her wedding day. Nina nearly fell for Chase’s charm, but ultimately pushed him away. Nina, however, did agree to Chase’s invitation to drive her to the church. On the way, he had an accident and an unconscious Nina was rushed to the hospital. When Nina regained consciousness, she quickly departed for the church, where she was relieved to find Phillip still waiting for her. They exchanged vows and began their lives as a married couple.
The role of husband and father proved too demanding for Phillip, however, and he eventually turned back to booze to relieve the pressure. One evening, on the way home from an office party, Phillip, who had way too much to drink, crashed his car and died. Jill held Nina responsible for Phillip’s death and challenged her right to his inheritance. The judge, however, ruled in Nina’s favor and also gave the young widow leeway in deciding visitation terms for Jill and her grandson.
Clint Radison, an ex-cell mate of Rex Sterling, settled in Genoa City, where he pursued Gina Roma. When Clint proposed marriage, Gina quickly accepted, much to Rex’s disappointment. Clint tried to make Rex believed that he had reformed his criminal ways, but at the same time, Clint was hatching a diabolical plot involving Rex’s wife, the wealthy Katherine Chancellor. Meanwhile, Nina, who was still adjusting to her new wealth, lured Esther away from Katherine Chancellor by offering a higher-paying maid’s position. Katherine replaced Esther with a couple, Richard and Shirley, who conspired with Clint to bilk the wealthy matron out of her fortune. Soon after, Clint came into contact with an earthy waitress named Marge, who bore a striking resemblance to Katherine.
Cricket Blair fell in love with her mom’s doctor, Scott Grainger, and they became engaged. But the engagement soon ended when Cricket discovered that Scott was her half-brother. Scott’s father, Dr. Jim Grainger, once had an affair with Cricket’s mother, Jessica, which had left her pregnant. Although Cricket was disappointed to end her engagement, she enjoyed finally meeting her real father.
Soon after, Cricket began dating Derek Stuart. After an enjoyable evening together, Derek accompanied Cricket to her apartment and then raped her. Although traumatized by the incident, Cricket found the courage to press charges against Derek. Her strength inspired another woman to step forward and testify that Derek had also raped her. Angered by the prospect of a long prison sentence, Derek vowed revenge against Cricket. He cornered the young model in her apartment and aimed a gun at her, but just as he fired, Scott burst into the apartment and took the bullet instead. Derek tried to escape by jumping through a window. Instead, he fell to his death. Scott survived his gunshot wound and the near-death experience prompted him to propose marriage to his new girlfriend, Lauren, who agreed to marry him.
Scott and Cricket’s dad, Jim, became romantically involved. Nikki, who was enamored of Jim, had hopes of marrying him. But Nikki’s dream died when John Abbott graciously agreed to divorce Rebecca because he had realized that she was still in love with Jim. Jill quickly stepped in to be with John, her ex-husband.
Cassandra insisted to Paul Williams that she loved him and was willing to divorce George Rawlins. But when George was stricken with a heart attack, a compassionate Paul suggested that she wait until her older husband was fully recovered. Unknown to Paul, George’s doctors informed him that he was suffering from a terminal illness. At the same time, George discovered that Paul and Cassandra were lovers. In a twisted act of revenge, George made it look as if Paul had murdered him. Before George’s death, he also arranged to argue with Paul, while Victor Newman was nearby and able to overhear the heated exchange. After George’s death, an astute Victor wisely surmised that Paul had been set up.
During the investigation into George’s death, it became clear that Cassandra was also involved in the frame-up. Victor succeeded in proving Cassandra a lethal black widow when he successfully seduced her. For a brief period, Cassandra tried to string along both Victor and Paul. Meanwhile, she promised a mysterious man named Adrian Hunter that she was desperate to leave Genoa City and start a new life with him. When it appeared that Paul would be convicted of George’s murder, Paul and his father, Carl, decided to fake the young private eye’s death. While Cassandra was convinced that Paul was dead, he faded into the background and worked to prove his innocence.
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Next year : Y&R 1990
