| William J. Bell | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Full Name |
William Joseph Bell |
|
Birthdate |
March 6, 1927 |
|
Birthplace |
Chicago, Illinois, USA |
|
Date of Death |
April 29, 2005 (age 78) |
|
Cause of Death |
Complications from Alzheimer's disease |
|
Occupation |
Writer; Executive Producer; Creator |
|
Years Active |
1956-2005 |
William J. Bell daytime career began as a writer for Guiding Light in 1956. Bell soon moved to writing for As the World Turns and helped create Another World with Irna Phillips. In 1966, Bell was hired as the head writer of Days of our Lives. Bell created The Young and the Restless in 1973 with the help of his wife Lee. Bell was head writer of both Y&R and DAYS until 1975. In 1987, Bell and his wife created another soap The Bold and the Beautiful. Bell was actively involved with both B&B and Y&R until the early 2000's when his health started to fail. Bell died on April 29, 2005 due to complications of Alzheimer's disease. Bell's legacy continues and between B&B, Y&R and DAYS, over 30 of the characters Bell helped create during his tenure on those shows are still active characters today.
Personal Life[]
Bell was married to Lee Phillip Bell from 10/1954 until his death. They shared three children: William Joseph Bell Jr., Bradley Phillip Bell (b. 06/29/1964) and Lauralee Kristen Bell (b. 12/22/1968).
Soapography[]
- Writer at Guiding Light (1956)
- Writer at As the World Turns (1957-1966)
- Co-Creator of Another World
- Co-Head Writer at Another World (05/04/1964-03/1965)
- Co-Creator of Our Private World
- Co-Head Writer at Our Private World (1965)
- Head Writer at Days of our Lives (07/05/1966-05/06/1975)
- Co-Creator of The Young and the Restless
- Executive Producer of The Young and the Restless (03/26/1973-04/2005)
- Head Writer of The Young and the Restless (03/26/1973-1998)
- Co-Creator of The Bold and the Beautiful
- Executive Producer at The Bold and the Beautiful (03/23/1987-1996)
- Head Writer at The Bold and the Beautiful (03/23/1987-1993)
- Executive Story Consultant at The Young and the Restless (2000-2003)
Awards and Nominations[]
Daytime Emmy Awards
| YEAR | CATEGORY | SHOW | W/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Writing Team | Days of our Lives | N |
| 1975 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1975 | Drama Series | Another World | N |
| 1975 | Drama Series | Another World | W |
| 1976 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1976 | Writing Team | Days of our Lives | W |
| 1977 | Writing Team | Days of our Lives | N |
| 1978 | Writing Team | Days of our Lives | N |
| 1979 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1983 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 1985 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 1986 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1986 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 1987 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1987 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1988 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1989 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1990 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1990 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1991 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1991 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1992 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1992 | Lifetime Achievement | W | |
| 1992 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 1993 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1993 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 1994 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1995 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1995 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1996 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1997 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1997 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 1998 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1998 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1999 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 1999 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2000 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2000 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 2001 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2001 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2002 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2003 | Writing Team | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2003 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2004 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | W |
| 2005 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
| 2006 | Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | N |
Soap Opera Digest Awards
| YEAR | CATEGORY | SHOW | W/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Editor's Choice | W | |
| 1992 | Editor's Choice | W |
Writers Guild of America
| YEAR | SHOW | W/N |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Days of our Lives | N |
| 1976 | N | |
| 1978 | N | |
| 2000 | The Young and the Restless | N |