The sunny shores of Australia are set to feature in special anniversary episodes of United States’ popular daytime series, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.
Australian national carrier Qantas has announced it will bring the cast to Australia from February 12-17th this year to film multiple episodes of the world’s most-watched daily drama.
Executive Producer and Head Writer Bradley Bell said, “This will be an epic celebration for our fans around the world. We are preparing to film the most glamorous location shoot in soap opera history. Collaborating with Qantas, Network TEN and CBS, viewers will witness romance, high style, jaw-dropping twists, harrowing stunts and major cliffhangers, all hallmarks of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.
Ashleigh Brewer (“Ivy”), Scott Clifton (“Liam”), Don Diamont (“Bill”), Thorsten Kaye (“Ridge”), Katherine Kelly Lang (“Brooke”), John McCook (“Eric”), Rena Sofer (“Quinn”), and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (“Steffy”) are actors confirmed.
Brewer, who previously played Kate Ramsay on Network TEN’s Neighbours, will be among a number of Australian celebrities featured in the episodes.
Qantas will provide round-trip flights from the United States for the cast and crew to travel to and within Australia. The partnership between Qantas and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL follows other successful partnerships with U.S. based TV productions including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Modern Family.
Qantas Group Executive Brand, Marketing, Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth said the national carrier was excited to help put Australia center stage to the show’s worldwide audience as part of its investment in tourism marketing. “This is a terrific opportunity to promote Australia, by featuring it in one of the most popular TV programs in the world.”
“We know from our experience with other successful shows that there is a spike in inquiry levels on qantas.com when these programs go to air, which then helps translate into more visitors in the months that follow,” added Ms. Wirth.
As an example of the effectiveness of these tie-ups, Qantas saw a 22 per cent spike in booking levels from the U.S. following its partnership with The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Multi-Emmy-award winning THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL is broadcast in over 100 countries including the United States, Italy, France, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Switzerland and Fiji.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL will celebrate its 30th Anniversary of broadcasting on March 23, 2017. According to Guinness World Records it is the most popular Daytime TV soap opera, with an estimated global audience of more than 30 million people per episode.
The show last travelled to Australia for a location shoot in 2007. Previous other international location shoots have included Italy (Venice, Lake Como, Portofino and Puglia), Amsterdam, Paris, Monaco, St. Thomas, Barbados, Mexico, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
In 2015, Network Ten signed a historic lifetime programming deal for the internationally popular drama to stay on TEN for the entire run of the series.
TEN aired the premiere episode of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL on November 23, 1987, and has been the Australian home of the iconic series ever since.
Network TEN Chief Content Officer, Beverley McGarvey, said, “We are thrilled to be welcoming some of the cast and crew from THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL to Australia. In a year when the show is celebrating 30 years on television, it is wonderful that they will film in some of Australia’s most iconic locations, showcasing our beautiful country to the world.”
Qantas is one of the world’s longest-established airlines. With almost 80 flights per week across the Pacific, including on its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft, it is the leading carrier between Australia and the United States.