Get ready for some major waterworks, because The Young and the Restless is celebrating Peter Bergman's upcoming thirtieth anniversary as Jack Abbott in a very special way.
Bergman will be front and center in a stand-alone episode slated for Monday, November 25 (that could change due to preemptions) in which Jack toasts his sister's newly completed memoir about the family. As seen in a special sneak peek preview released by EW, the business mogul gets pretty teary-eyed as he talks about the Abbotts' history and future, and there's no doubt that Bergman's performance is partially fictional but mostly real -- after all, that's three decades of his own history he is speaking about, as well!
"I want to commemorate this moment. Writing this book was my idea, and I thought it would be a good idea for future generations, but I personally have learned so much from it," Jack begins his emotional toast. " I look at my mother and my sisters and my niece, my brother and my son, and I feel our shared family history. I feel this connection through John and Dina Abbott. They have shaped all of our lives. I just want each of you to know how very special you are to me. You are a part of me, part of who I am, and that's never going to change. And I am so grateful for every moment we have had in the past, and for every moment ahead."
Jack then raises his glass and concludes his touching toast with, "To us. To all the Abbotts -- those who've come before us, and those yet to come."
In addition to the toast seen in the preview clip above, the special stand-alone episode will feature vintage clips from the soap as Jack reads the memoir written by his sister Traci (Beth Maitland).
Bergman joined The Young and the Restless as Jack Abbott on November 22, 1989. He was a recast for the role's original portrayer, Terry Lester, who had quit the show and exited earlier that year. As Bergman recently revealed in an in-depth interview with Alec Baldwin, he landed the role of Jack not long after he'd been let go as All My Children's Cliff Warner because Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman) suggested him as a recast to her husband, Edward J. Scott, who was executive producer of Y&R at the time.
In addition to the upcoming stand-alone episode focused on Jack, Bergman's anniversary at Y&R was recently celebrated with a stunning new photoshoot for CBS Watch! magazine. For more information and to see the fabulous photos, click here.
What do you think about Y&R honoring Peter Bergman's 30th anniversary with a special stand-alone episode? What are your thoughts on the preview clip that has been released? 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.