Original run: March 30, 1992 – March 26, 1993
Episodes: 252, numbered #4827–#5078. The opening episode is dated and numbered in the episode record; the closing episode is listed in the broadcast guide. The total is calculated inclusively: 5078 − 4827 + 1. (IMDbPro)
This March-to-March boundary is important. Colleen was born March 5, 1992, before season 20; Billy Abbott was born July 7, 1993, after it. Nate Hastings’s birth belongs here. (en.wikipedia.org)
Cast and characters
Alphabetized by character surname. The list brings together the principal and identifiable recurring characters, including credited child performers. A complete accounting of every one-episode role or uncredited infant cannot be established from the surviving cast lists. Names separated by a slash indicate performers who played the same character during the period. (Jackson Dynasty)
| Character | Performer |
|---|---|
| Ashley Abbott | portrayed by Brenda Epperson |
| Jack Abbott | portrayed by Peter Bergman |
| John Abbott | portrayed by Jerry Douglas |
| Traci Abbott | portrayed by Beth Maitland |
| Douglas Austin | portrayed by Michael Evans |
| Michael Baldwin | portrayed by Christian Jules LeBlanc |
| Drucilla Barber | portrayed by Victoria Rowell |
| Olivia Barber Hastings | portrayed by Tonya Williams |
| Christine “Cricket” Blair Romalotti | portrayed by Lauralee Bell |
| Alexander “Blade” Bladeson | portrayed by Michael Tylo |
| Brad Carlton | portrayed by Don Diamont |
| Colleen Carlton | portrayed by Ashley, Kelly and Bobby Brown; later child casting may cross the 1993 boundary |
| Sheila Carter | portrayed by Kimberlin Brown |
| Molly Carter | portrayed by Marilyn Alex |
| Katherine Chancellor | portrayed by Jeanne Cooper |
| Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV | portrayed by Scott and Shaun Markley |
| Steve Connelly | portrayed by Greg Wrangler |
| Lauren Fenmore | portrayed by Tracey E. Bregman |
| Jill Foster Abbott | portrayed by Jess Walton |
| Scott Grainger | portrayed by Peter Barton |
| Scott “Scotty” Grainger Jr. | infant performers not securely identified for these dates |
| Nathan Hastings Sr. | portrayed by Nathan Purdee / Randy Brooks |
| Nathan “Nate” Hastings Jr. | portrayed by Shantel and Shenice Buford |
| Hilary Lancaster | portrayed by Kelly Garrison |
| Leanna Love | portrayed by Barbara Crampton |
| Ryan McNeil | portrayed by Scott Reeves |
| Victor Newman | portrayed by Eric Braeden |
| Victoria Newman McNeil | portrayed by Heather Tom |
| Nicholas Newman | portrayed by John Alden |
| Brock Reynolds | portrayed by Beau Kazer |
| Danny Romalotti | portrayed by Michael Damian |
| Gina Romalotti | portrayed by Patty Weaver |
| John Silva | portrayed by John Castellanos |
| April Stevens | portrayed by Cynthia “Cindy” Eilbacher |
| Heather Stevens | portrayed by Conci Nelson |
| Rex Sterling | portrayed by Quinn Redeker |
| Esther Valentine | portrayed by Kate Linder |
| Flo Webster | portrayed by Sharon Farrell |
| Nina Webster Chancellor | portrayed by Tricia Cast |
| Mary Williams | portrayed by Carolyn Conwell |
| Paul Williams | portrayed by Doug Davidson |
| Neil Winters | portrayed by Kristoff St. John |
The three Brown children are documented for Colleen in 1992; the available cast lists do not pin down the precise handover to Natalie and Victoria McCormick in 1993. Nate’s original infant performers are identified as Shantel and Shenice Buford. (en.wikipedia.org)
Main storylines
Sheila’s secret is exposed. Paul investigates the baby switch; Sheila kidnaps Lauren and Molly and confesses. After a farmhouse fire, she is presumed dead in Genoa City—but resurfaces in Los Angeles on The Bold and the Beautiful. Lauren and Scott are reunited with their biological son, Scotty. (Jackson Dynasty)
Victoria, Ryan and Nina. Victoria and Ryan secretly elope despite Victor’s opposition. Ryan’s continuing involvement with Nina undermines the marriage; Victor’s attempts to separate the couple deepen the conflict. (Jackson Dynasty)
Michael targets Christine. Michael sexually harasses Christine at work. She pursues a complaint, while his obsession with her strains her marriage to Danny and drives an increasingly threatening story into early 1993. (Jackson Dynasty)
The Newman–Abbott struggle. Jack and Brad challenge Victor’s control of Newman Enterprises. Nikki’s marriage to Jack is strained by her feelings for Victor and by her pregnancy with Jack’s child. (Jackson Dynasty)
Olivia’s pregnancy and Drucilla’s career. Olivia faces a serious health crisis while pregnant and gives birth to Nate. Drucilla’s modelling career and her relationship with Neil provide another major thread. Traci and Brad, meanwhile, struggle after Colleen’s birth, and Traci takes work in New York. (Jackson Dynasty)
Births
| Child | Broadcast date | Parents |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan “Nate” Hastings Jr. | September 22, 1992 | Olivia Barber Hastings and Nathan Hastings Sr. |
Colleen Carlton’s March 5, 1992 birth falls in season 19. Billy Abbott’s July 7, 1993 birth falls in season 21. (en.wikipedia.org)
New characters, recasts and SORAS
- Nate Hastings Jr. makes his first appearance at birth on September 22, 1992. Steve Connelly enters in 1992, although published character guides disagree on whether his first appearance was in April or June. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Nathan Hastings Sr. is recast: Randy Brooks succeeds Nathan Purdee in 1992. I could not confirm the exact changeover episode. (Soap Opera Digest)
- No verified SORAS occurs during season 20. Victoria’s recast as a teenager took place in 1990, while Nicholas’s later recast with Joshua Morrow occurs in 1994. (www.soapoperadigest.com)
Blade Bladeson is part of this season’s cast, but a character record places his first appearance on January 14, 1992—before season 20 begins. (Fandom)
Departures and returns
| Character | Event |
|---|---|
| Sheila Carter | Leaves Y&R on May 20, 1992 for B&B. Returns to Y&R as a guest beginning October 27, 1992, with further guest appearances in early 1993. |
| April Stevens | Returns beginning December 7, 1992. |
| Traci Abbott | Departs for New York during the 1992 story; her later visits should be distinguished from a permanent return. |
Sheila’s guest appearances after the move to B&B are returns to Y&R, even though Kimberlin Brown remains active on the other soap. (en.wikipedia.org)
Marriages and deaths
| Event | Date or qualification |
|---|---|
| Victoria Newman and Ryan McNeil marry | July 29, 1992. (www.soapoperadigest.com) |
| Katherine Chancellor and Rex Sterling remarry | 1992; exact broadcast date unverified. |
| Lauren Fenmore and Scott Grainger remarry | 1992; exact broadcast date unverified. |
| Michael Baldwin and Hilary Lancaster marry | 1992, during Michael’s harassment case; exact broadcast date unverified. |
| Dylan Fenmore dies | 1992. Dylan is the baby Sheila placed with Lauren in the switch; Lauren believes at the time that he is her biological son. Exact broadcast date unverified. |
| Nikki Newman Abbott miscarries | The pregnancy loss belongs to the developing Newman–Abbott story; I could not securely date its broadcast within this season. |
The three 1992 weddings involving Katherine, Lauren and Victoria are recorded in Soap Opera Digest’s retrospective. Scott Grainger’s death takes place in November 1993 on B&B and must not be placed in season 20. Billy Abbott’s birth and Jill and John’s remarriage belong to the later 1993 story, without evidence that they occurred before March 26. (Soap Opera Digest)
Y&R / B&B Crossovers
Y&R characters appearing on B&B
| Character | B&B appearances during Y&R season 20 |
|---|---|
| Sheila Carter — Kimberlin Brown | Transfers to B&B on May 21, 1992, immediately after her May 20 Y&R departure. |
| Lauren Fenmore — Tracey E. Bregman | Appears beginning September 17, 1992; returns September 24–October 1, 1992. Her next B&B appearances begin March 24, 1993, just before Y&R season 20 ends. |
| Molly Carter — Marilyn Alex | Appears October 8–November 20, 1992, and again January 6, 1993. |
B&B characters appearing on Y&R
Sheila Carter — Kimberlin Brown, now based on B&B, returns to Genoa City beginning October 27, 1992. Records also list visits in January and February–March 1993. This is the reverse leg of the Sheila crossover, rather than the introduction of a character who originated on B&B. I could not verify a season 20 Y&R appearance by a character originally created for B&B. (en.wikipedia.org)
As 1992 started, Molly Carter continued to be a threat to her daughter, Sheila. Things got worse for Sheila when Paul Williams started snooping around the hospital, asking questions about a baby-switch. During Paul’s investigation he learned that Sheila had made up the story about being trapped in a snowstorm when she had given birth to Scotty Junior. At the same time, the doctor who had treated Sheila for her real miscarriage ended up working with Dr. Scott Grainger and expressed his sympathies over the loss of Scott’s baby, which only perplexed Scott. Sheila was also disheartened that Scott wasn’t interested in making love to her. Sheila finally succeeded in locating a doctor who would remove Scotty Jr.’s birthmark. But soon after, a suspicious Lauren hatched a phony insurance scheme to get blood samples from Sheila, Scott and their baby. A resourceful Sheila managed to destroy her own blood sample. To Sheila’s dismay, however, her mom was bent on revealing the truth about the baby-switch.
Fed up with both Lauren and Molly, Sheila kidnapped Lauren at gun-point and held her, and her mother, hostage in a remote farmhouse. Intent on killing both Lauren and Molly, Sheila finally confessed to her baby-switch scheme. When a fire broke out, however, Lauren and Molly escaped from the farmhouse. After the flames were doused, authorities assumed that Sheila had died in the fire. Soon after, Lauren and Scott agreed to live together again so that Scotty Jr. would have both of his real parents under one roof. Eventually, Lauren and Scott arranged to remarry, which disappointed Paul. However, it wasn’t long until Paul’s former wife, April, resurfaced in Genoa City. And Lauren began a secret affair with Brad Carlton. Molly was shocked when her daughter, Sheila, suddenly showed up on her doorstep with an invitation to join her in Los Angeles, where she had forged a new life.
Victor Newman promised to drop his suit for custody of his children, Victoria and Nick, if his ex-wife, Nikki, would undergo surgery for her back pain. Nikki refused, and ended up collapsing during in a snowstorm. But Nick found her. At the hospital, Nikki regained consciousness and consented to the surgery. However, she pleaded with Ashley to raise her children if she didn’t survive.
After Nikki’s surgery, Jack Abbott pressured her to stay away from Victor. Jack also expressed his desire to have a baby with her. Meanwhile, Victor was angry to discover that Jack and Brad were plotting a hostile takeover of Newman Enterprises. In an emotional confrontation with Jack, Victor suddenly collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Regaining consciousness, Victor pleaded with Nikki to marry him. While Nikki struggled with Victor’s proposal, Jack announced their marriage was finished and he walked out on her. Soon after, Nikki accepted Victor’s proposal. But when Nikki discovered that she was pregnant with Jack’s baby, she quickly changed her mind. She reconciled with Jack, but chose not to tell him that she was pregnant. Eventually, Jack discovered the truth.
Dru’s career took a surprising turn when she discovered that Al and Vinnie had plans to feature her in a porno movie. When Dru refused to cooperate, they locked her in a closet, along with Nina and Chris. They were rescued by Danny and Neil. Later, Dru became aggravated when Neil stood her up in order to spend time with Olivia. To get even with Neil, Dru arranged for Nathan to see Neil and Olivia together. But Dru’s scheme backfired when Neil learned of it and canceled his plans to see Olivia. He also made it clear to Dru that things were over between them. Later, Dru agreed to pose nude for a centerfold in Sensuality Magazine. Meanwhile, a pregnant Olivia discovered that she had cancer. Olivia’s doctor urged her to immediately have a hysterectomy, but Olivia wanted to have her baby first. When Olivia’s blood pressure skyrocketed and put her health in jeopardy, her doctors said that they needed to induce labor.
Ryan went behind Victoria’s back and began sleeping with Nina. When Victor learned of the romance between Ryan and Victoria, he paid Ryan $10,000 to leave town. But a crafty Ryan only pretended to break off with Victoria. While Ryan considered ending his affair with Nina, he changed his mind when she presented him with an expensive sports car. After slipping into Ryan’s apartment to surprise him, Victoria learned of his affair with Nina. Upset, she broke off their involvement. A few days later, Victoria had a change of heart and arrived at Ryan’s apartment with a supply of condoms and hoping that they could make love. To Victoria’s disappointment, Ryan turned her down. Eventually, Victoria and Ryan smoothed over their differences and secretly eloped in Chicago.
In order to keep Victor from learning about his marriage to Victoria, Ryan led his boss to believe that he was marrying Nina. When Victor congratulated Nina on her upcoming wedding, she assumed that Ryan wanted to marry her. After Victoria and Ryan’s civil wedding ceremony, Victoria found it difficult to make love to Ryan because she kept having flashes of him with Nina. Victoria also suspected that Ryan was still seeing Nina. Acting under the impression that Ryan was no longer involved with Victoria, Victor rewarded him with a promotion and a substantial raise.
Concerned about Victoria’s secretive behavior and where she was spending her days, Victor hired Paul to trail her. Eventually, Paul saw Victoria enter a hotel with a man. Paul immediately phoned Nikki, who arrived at the hotel and found Victoria in bed with Ryan. When Victor learned of this, he fired Ryan and filed rape charges because Victoria was underage. Victoria tearfully blurted out that she was pregnant. Desperate to get Ryan out of jail, Victoria borrowed bail money from Katherine Chancellor. After Ryan’s release, Victor offered him a blank check to drop out of Victoria’s life. Ryan declined, claiming that he was in love with Victoria. Touched by Ryan’s gesture, Victoria moved in with him. Tension soon developed in their marriage, however, because of money problems. Realizing that Ryan was strapped for money, Nina slipped a hefty sum, saying that it was a loan. and rather than tell Victoria the truth, Ryan claimed that he had found a new job.
Rex and Katherine remarried after Rex pretended that he was dying from a heart attack. Meanwhile, Jill followed Mamie’s advice and moved out of John Abbott’s house, thinking that it would prompt John to pursue her. When John didn’t express any interest, Jill started to date Alex “Blade” Bladeson to try and make John jealous.
Jill also enjoyed a brief fling with Victor, and even mistakenly believed that he wanted to marry her. She impulsively told John that there was a new man in her life and that they were getting married. Later, Victor explained to a tearful Jill that he wasn’t in love with her, and that he hoped that she didn’t think he was only using her. Acting under the assumption that Jill had married Victor, an elated Jack threw a party to celebrate her final departure from John’s life. At the party, Jill quietly said that a mistake had been made and then dissolved in tears. When John spotted Victor comforting Jill, he deduced that she was involved with him. Touched by Jill’s vulnerability, John arranged to have her move back into the Abbott house.
With Brad Carlton’s help, Traci gave birth to a baby girl, Colleen. Soon after, Traci tried to seduce Brad, but he rejected her, stating that he didn’t want another surprise pregnancy sprung on him. Realizing that their marriage was a sham, Traci accepted a job offer in New York from publisher Steve Connelly.
Danny Romalotti disapproved of the late hours that Chris was spending with her attorney boss, Michael Baldwin. While Chris and Michael were working on a case, Michael impulsively kissed Chris, but she made it clear that she was happily married to Danny. Soon after, Chris was made a partner in the law firm. Unfortunately, Michael used Chris’s promotion to try and pressure her into having sex with him by suggesting that if she didn’t, she’d lose her job.
Even though Chris realized that her job was at stake, she turned Michael down. In retaliation, a rejected Michael spread vicious rumors about Chris’s moral character. When Chris learned of Michael’s smear campaign against her, she hired John Silva to help her file a sexual harassment suit. Worried about the negative publicity the law suit would generate, Chris’s law firm offered her a lucrative promotion to drop it, but Chris declined. In order to prove that Michael had harassed her, Chris secretly obtained a taped confession from him. She then played the tape for her bosses and Michael lost his job. Thinking that newlywed status would help him fight these charges, Michael quickly married a former employee, Hillary. However, when she heard the Michael’s taped confession, that promptly ended their relationship.
In retaliation, Michael arranged to make it look as if Danny was involved with a woman named Rebecca. When Michael quickly landed a job at another law firm, Chris was infuriated. At the court hearing, Michael defended himself against Chris’s charges of sexual harassment. Chris’s case was strengthened when Hillary testified against Michael
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Next year : Y&R 1993
