“The Young and the Restless” will air its 10,000th episode on Sept. 27

In an era when long-running daytime dramas seem to be getting the axe in favor of more lifestyle-oriented series, a few stalwarts remain. Chief among these is CBS’ The Young and the Restless, which the network has wisely not been tinkering with up to this point, and for good reason — it has been the No.1-rated daytime drama for more than 23 years.

As it approaches its 40th anniversary next March (it premiered March 26, 1973), The Young and the Restless will also be hitting another milestone this coming Thursday, Sept. 27, when it will air its 10,000th episode. In the episode, surprises await the characters as they gather for the funeral of presumed dead billionaire Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).

“We’re proud to have reached this milestone,” says Angelica McDaniel, Senior VP of Daytime for CBS Entertainment. “10,000 episodes of a show is almost unheard of in television, and on behalf of everyone at CBS, Sony and the Bell Dramatic Serial Company, congratulations to the wonderful cast, the crew and the fans of The Young and the Restless. We have many more stories to tell and are excited for what lies ahead.”

Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President of Programming for Sony Pictures Television, adds, “The Young and the Restless marking its 10,000th episode is a testament to the solid storytelling, compelling characters and the production elements, earning the loyalty of daytime audiences for over four decades. We honor all of the producers, writers, actors and crew who have contributed to this amazing achievement.”

UPDATE 9/25/12: The Young and the Restless stars Joshua Morrow and Sharon Case will appear on CBS’ The Talk Sept. 26 (2pm ET; 1pm PT/CT) to preview the 10,000th episode.

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS at 12:30pm ET; 11am PT. The 10,000th episode airs Sept. 27.