Say what you want about the state of the soap opera. For those of us who still watch, Jeanne Cooper, who played Katherine Chancellor on "The Young and the Restless," is worthy of being mourned. With her regal manner and sharp tongue, the actress played a matriarch, a woman who married money and then transformed into a formidable and shrewd businesswoman. Even Victor Newman stood in awe.

In real life, she was the mom of Corbin Bernsen, and we thank her for him too.

Enjoy this short clip of Ms. Cooper in an interview from the Archive of American Television.

Rest in peace, Duchess. We'll miss you.

It's kind of giddy making when you hear Eric Braeden's voice on the phone.
This is the man, after all, who has played the iconic Victor Newman -- The Mustache as his nemesis Jack Abbott calls him -- the bazillionaire anti-hero on "The Young and the Restless" for more than 30 years.

It's that voice; the elegant German accent that's both lilting and masculine and that makes saying stuff like "I'm Victor Newman and I do as I damn well please. I always have and I always will" sound pretty fabulous.

So you can imagine the glee when the first thing he says on the phone during a break from a "Restless" shoot is, "Can you believe it? Yesterday, I was at a pig pickin' in Bath and today I'm working in Los Angeles."

Why am I not taping this?!

Seems Braeden was in the Tar Heel state recently screening "The Man Who Came Back," a film he starred in and produced in 2008. "You live in a beautiful state," he says. "The people could have not been more hospitable."

Happiness got to speak with Christian LeBlanc, who plays lawyer Michael Baldwin on CBS soap "The Young & The Restless."

He's the host of this weekend's "Soap Star Spectacular," an event featuring CBS stars, and fan interaction. There's a Q & A session, a trivia game, a chance to learn about soap directing and another chance to act with the stars. Along with stars from "Y & R" (including Jeanne Cooper (Katherine Chandler), and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Newman), there are stars from "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "Guiding Light" -- well just Kim Zimmer.

Because of his Green Beret dad, LeBlanc was born in Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville. In truth, he's a Louisiana boy, like his character.

You can read more here, but here's some scoop not in the article:

"Young and the Restless" fans can relax. Victor Newman is returning to Genoa City.

Sony Pictures Television cut Eric Braeden's salary from $1.5 million to $1 million and the actor opted earlier this month to leave the show. His last episode was to have aired on November 2. 

But TheWrap.com was the first to report last night that Braeden, who has played Victor Newman for almost 30 years, has agreed to accept the pay cut and return to the show. 

Braeden told Entertainment Weekly just over a week ago that he had "pulled the plug" on negotiations. He also explained that he had taken a 10% pay cut two years ago and had offered during negotiations this year to take an additional cut on top of that, but that it wasn't enough for Sony.

It looks like Colleen's heart is going to waste.

TV Guide magazine is reporting that Eric Braeden, the iconic big man of Genoa City, is leaving CBS' "The Young and the Restless."

It seems Sony took advantage of a standard clause in soap contracts that leaves a star’s salary prone to renegotiation every 26 weeks. Sony demanded that Braeden take a major pay cut; Braeden chose to walk.