-celebrate-a-major-milestone.jpg "The Newman family helps Melody Thomas Scott celebrate 45 years on The Young and the Restless")
Today -- February 20, 2024 -- marks 45 years since Melody Thomas Scott made her debut as the iconic Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless, and the show found a fun and interesting way to celebrate.
The entire Newman clan put on their black T-shirt finest featuring their matriarch through the decades and years. Joshua Morrow, who has played Nikki's son Nick since 1994, begins the video with a tribute to his on-screen mother.
"To my mama, Melody Thomas Scott, celebrating a huge, huge, huge anniversary, an absolute icon on the show," he said. "What better way to celebrate with these incredible T-shirts looking at all your best looks. We love you, the whole world loves you, and you deserve everything. Love you, Mama."
Indeed, the shirts feature Nikki through the years, big hair and all. We next see the other Newmans modeling the shirts, including Amelia Heinle (Victoria), Melissa Ordway (Abby), Hayley Erin (Claire), and Mark Grossman (Adam). Last but not least, a sly-smiling Eric Braeden, who plays the great Victor Newman himself, just holds the shirt, but it's easy to see that the celebratory sentiment and love are still there.
Y&R is also giving Scott her due this week on-screen as Nikki once again goes to battle with her latest (and perhaps one of her greatest) archenemies, crazy Aunt Jordan, played by the legendary Colleen Zenk. Jordan has once again set a trap for Nikki, cruelly using the character's alcoholism as the catalyst.
While Nikki first debuted on the Y&R scene in 1978, played by Erica Hope, the character and her beleaguered life didn't truly take off until Scott took over the role in 1979.
Of her 45 years in Genoa City, playing one of soaps' most famed characters, Scott recently told TV Insider, "In theory, I know it's been 45 years, and because I have real-life benchmarks in life -- getting married, the birth of my daughters and grandchildren -- so the length of time tracks, but looking back, it's also an unbelievable whirlwind of storylines and behind-the-scenes moments with cast and crew. And who can forget all of those hairstyles over the years?"
https://www.tvinsider.com/1122963/melody-thomas-scott-young-and-the-restless-nikki-newman-45-years-victor-jack/
What are your favorite Melody Thomas Scott memories as Nikki? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
