Daniel Goddard, Peter Bergman, Jeanne Cooper and Joshua Morrow

The number one-rated daytime soap, The Young and the Restless, has always known how to do drama on a large scale, and it has seven Out-standing Drama Series Emmy Awards to prove it. However, on October 19 and continuing through the following week, the size of its set will now equal the level of drama and suspense.

A shocking tragedy occurs at Clear Springs, a spa, resort and upscale shopping centre that has been a source of contention between the Newmans and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) for quite a while. Due to faulty construction, a building collapses, trapping several Genoa City residents in its rubble and changing (and possibly ending) several lives forever. Enemies are forced to work together, and bystanders perform heroic measures.

Y&R's cast and crew, including stunt professionals, have worked overtime to make this event realistic, including building a set on a larger soundstage than the show is accustomed to, which was divided into underground and aboveground levels. More than 50 extras were used on the scene, and my source promises me that Y&R fans have never seen anything like this before.

The question is, Who will survive the catastrophe? Victims whose lives may or may not be on the line include: Jack and Sharon (Sharon Case), and her ex, Nick (Joshua Morrow), who are all trapped together; JT (Thad Luckin-bill) and Cane (Daniel Goddard), who find themselves caught underground with the elderly but feisty Katherine (Jeanne Cooper); and Lauren (Tracey Bregman), Paul (Doug Davidson) and Maggie (Tammy Lauren), who await rescue while tending to an injured child.

Up above, Victor and Nikki (Eric Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott) wait for word on their children, Nick and Victoria (Amelia Heinle), while Michael (Christian LeBlanc) and his family worry about his wife, Lauren. Jill (Jess Walton), who recently lost her fiancé Ji Min, is anxious to hear if her mother, Katherine, and son, Cane, are safe.

Meanwhile, on Y&R's sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, it's business as usual. The soap has been must-see TV lately ever since Donna (Jennifer Gareis) seduced Thorne (Winsor Harmon) and then later his father, Eric (John McCook). However, even when the soap is at its best, it could always use the talents of the beloved Betty White. Good news: White is back on October 19 as Stephanie's (Susan Flannery) mother, Ann.

Off-screen, Ronn Moss (Ridge, B&B) gets in touch with the Other Side when he visits with medium John Edward on John Edward Cross Country. The episode airs on the WE Network on Octobet 27, but make sure to check your local listings for time and channel to confirm.

Tracy Scoggins has put the sizzle into many a prime-time soap, including roles on Dynasty and its spinoff, The Colbys, but she's also back as Grace on the new season of Dante's Cove, a gay soap opera that takes place in a beachside community. Season 3 finds a new dark force wreaking havoc on the island's residents. The gorgeous cast also includes Reichen Lehmkuhl, best known as former NSYNCer Lance Bass' ex-boyfriend and as the winner of Season 4 of the globe-hopping reality show The Amazing Race.

Dante's Cove airs on here!, a gay television network available via subscription from all major cable providers. The new season begins October 19 and airs through December.

- Dana Block