The crossover between Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless begins June 9. When TV Insider visited the set during production of the groundbreaking episodes, excitement was palpable among members of both casts.
The storyline centers on a fundraiser for Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) in Fairmont Crest that draws several of Genoa City’s most prominent residents to town, including Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters), Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor), Devon Winters (Bryton James) and Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway).
“When they told me this was going to happen, I responded so quickly,” says Peter Bergman. “It’s always fun to go play Jack somewhere else, so I said, ‘Yes, I’d do it for free … Oh, did I just say that out loud?’ They didn’t make me do it for free, but it’s such a kick.”
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Bergman says he was immediately struck by the enthusiasm of the BTG cast and crew. “They’re so proud of their show, and they should be,” he adds. “I loved that spirit and I loved being around that. Clifton Davis [Vernon Dupree] jumped to welcome me. Tamara [Tunie, Anita Dupree] was doing As the World Turns [as Jessica Griffin] when I was on All My Children [as Cliff Warner], so we knew of each other, but didn’t know each other. But it was very easy to connect there. And everyone else was somewhere between, ‘I don’t know who he is,’ or, ‘I watched you with my grandmother.’ I just felt like a guest at a very special party.”
Susan Walters had a very different reaction when she first received the call about the crossover. “It was a funny thing because I was on my way to a hike and I get a phone call from Danielle [Unger, vice president, current programming, CBS] and Josh [Griffith, Y&R‘s head writer],” she recalls. “And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, God, I don’t know if this is good news.’ So, it was a little nerve-racking. But then I was super excited because I grew up two miles from the studio. And I’ve worked on Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries in Atlanta when we lived here briefly, so I’ve already seen crew members that I’ve worked with on both those shows and it’s great.”
She was equally impressed by the energy on daytime’s newest soap. “The atmosphere of this show is like that first year on a series where everybody’s really together and enthusiastic,” Walters observes. “Not that Y&R isn’t, but here it’s new, and you still smell the paint. It’s very exciting to be part of it.”
Walters offers a hint about what brings Diane to Fairmont Crest: “She’s there in support of Martin, and I don’t know — maybe she’s looking around since she and Jack are having marital problems. She’s got some options.”
Michael Mealor was surprised when he learned Kyle would be in the mix. “Honestly, I was blown away,” he says. “I was honored that they wanted me to come. I mean, they have rolled out the red carpet for this entire crossover, and it’s so much fun. CBS has really pulled out all the stops.”
As an Atlanta native, Mealor says his family was especially excited to hear he’d be working in town. “They were like, ‘Come sleep at home. Come sleep in your own bed,’” he shares. “I was like, ‘They’re getting a hotel for me. I think I’ll sleep there.’ [Laughs]”
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Kyle plays a key role in the plot — not only do he and Martin know each other from the past, but he also makes a new acquaintance in Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings). “Story-wise, Kyle and Martin were friends back when they were both living in New York,” explains Mealor. “Kyle was a bit of a cat; he did what he wanted. And Martin seemed to be the voice of reason for everything. He was on the straight and narrow and tried to calm Kyle down, but they were still the best of friends.”
Goings says she was caught off-guard by the connection Hayley and Kyle make at the fundraiser. “I was surprised more than anything when I read what was actually taking place,” she teases. “Just with the interactions and stuff like that with Hayley being a married woman. I’m just going to leave it at that.”
She adds that the crossover held special meaning for her as a longtime viewer. “I love Young and the Restless, just from growing up,” Goings explains. “My grandmother and my great-aunt watched it together.” Seeing Eric Braeden was a particular highlight. “Just to be on set with him, knowing that I was watching him since I was, like, five years old with my grandmother, was just a full circle moment.”
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BTG‘s Keith D. Robinson (Ted Richardson) had a similar reaction. “I grew up watching Young and the Restless after school, seeing Victor Newman,” he says. “So, to get a chance to work with him was like a full circle moment for me. He was laid back. He was cool. He was OG. I felt by him showing up with our cast, he kind of gave us the stamp. He’s the guy in this genre, so for him to pull up and play with us was a big deal.”
Sean Freeman (Andre Richardson, BTG) admits he was starstruck, too. “I’m a huge fan of the whole cast, but of course, the OG, the Victor Newman, I freaked out,” he relays. “I was texting production like, ‘Wait, is this the Victor?’”
Braeden more than lived up to the hype when they were in scenes together. “It was an amazing, amazing moment,” reports Freeman. “I was just staring at him like a deer in headlights, like, ‘Hello, my name is Sean. What’s yours?’ It was great.”
Freeman’s on-screen wife, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), already had ties to Y&R. In 2021, she briefly filled in for Mishael Morgan (Amanda Sinclair) during Morgan’s medical leave, and had a good catchup with her former costars. “I was so excited,” Mosley enthuses. “I was able to be on their show for a couple of weeks, and so I was just happy to be able to play with Bryton again. But also, this group of people coming here, who are all icons themselves and have been working on the show for so long, is a really big deal, so it’s an honor to have them here.”
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For Bryton James, the crossover marked a return visit to BTG, where he previously appeared in August 2025. “It’s definitely an honor to be asked back to do any kind of work, and I’m happy to do it,” he says. “Seeing the success of the show, being in their second season, knowing you’re part of daytime history, I feel even more at home.”
Devon has his own reasons for going back, James reveals. “Well, he’s donating to the campaign. He’s rich. All the rich people from Genoa City are here, so I think his wallet has brought him here.”
Joining Devon is his wife, Abby Newman, played by Melissa Ordway, who also hails from Atlanta. “I was so excited when they called and asked me to be a part of it because I grew up right down the street,” she explains. “I actually would drive by these studios, which used to be a General Motors plant, because my pediatrician was down the road. But I love this show. It’s such a groundbreaking show, so to have anything to do with it is super exciting.”
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Ordway admits she had some concerns before stepping on set. “I was so nervous because at Y&R, we do camera blocking in the morning, and then we rehearse and then film,” she relays. “Here, everything moves faster, and I messed up one time, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh — I can’t mess up on a new show! I want to do the best I possibly can!’ So, I was definitely nervous. But everyone’s just so cool, and they were like, ‘Don’t be nervous! We’re nervous to have you here.’”
At the center of the crossover storyline is Brandon Claybon, who grew up watching Y&R, and says filming the fundraiser sequence was an unforgettable experience. “To be honest, it felt like I had won the presidency,” Claybon muses. “As soon as I got to the podium, I was like, ‘Whoa.’ And that’s outside of the character. That’s Brandon in my head.”
And Claybon promises viewers fireworks as the main event spirals into disaster. “We had the cotillion, and now we have the fundraiser, and they’re not going to be ready for this,” Claybon previews. “It’s going to be a huge one-two punch, and it’s going to be awesome.”
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