Thoughts on Daytime Emmy Nominations 2010

The list for the Daytime Emmy nominees came out yesterday morning. For a full list visit the Emmys website here. Here are my thoughts as a long time soap viewer who doesn’t claim any sort of authority beyond watching soaps for years. The Daytime Emmys are a celebration of all the programs that air in the daylight hours. For the sake of this blog entry I am just writing about the major soap opera categories.

The broadcast of the Daytime Emmys will be on CBS at 9 pm EDT on June 27, 2010. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Agnes Nixon this year. The multi-Emmy winner, soap creator and writer also received a Trustee’s Award back in the 1980s. The tallies for soaps from most to least including technical nominations are the following: GH – 18, Y&R — 16, ATWT— 13, OLTL — 13, B&B — 11, AMC — 10, DAYS — 9, GL — 3. If one looks at just acting nods: GH – 6, ATWT – 5, Y&R – 5, DAYS – 5, OLTL – 3, GL – 3, AMC – 2 B&B – 1. It is interesting to note that All My Children and The Bold & the Beautiful are nominated in all top three categories, but both have the least acting nominations. Due to how the Daytime Emmys work it wouldn’t be an act of parity, just a coincidence. I wonder if As the World Turns having a strong showing is a sign of support due to 2010 being its last year of production. Guiding Light only got nominations in acting categories this year, which makes me wonder if they submitted material in the technical categories. I am glad that none of the soaps were completely shut out of the awards, so viewers who watch one show still have someone to root for to win. This year there are many first time nominees along with others who have never won, which usually makes for surprises.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
All My Children
The Bold and the Beautiful
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless

Reading comments from different viewers it seemed like all four shows didn’t have the best year. Will The Bold and the Beautiful repeat and if so will we hear a full speech this year? Will one of the shows filmed in HD, General Hospital or The Young and the Restless get the gold? Will All My Children which recently moved to California have a reason to celebrate?

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES WRITING TEAM
All My Children
As The World Turns
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Young and the Restless

Since this is based on one episode, it makes me feel a bit better. I wonder who will win. All My Children was written last year by the much maligned Charles Pratt, who is now out of a job. The now canceled As the World Turns, has a good number of writers that have moved on to other shows. The Bold and the Beautiful is the butt of jokes on The Soup, but stable in the writing room. The Young and the Restless is a show that has been traditionally well-written, though many feel has lost its way. Last year’s winner OLTL did not make the final four.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES DIRECTING TEAM
All My Children
The Bold and the Beautiful
General Hospital
One Life to Live

For this category, I would really like to see what was submitted. What is pleasing visually doesn’t necessarily equate to a good story. Last year One Life to Live won, which is a show that is still not in HD.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jon Lindstrom, Craig Montgomery As the World Turns
Michael Park, Jack Snyder As the World Turns
James Scott, EJ Dimera Days of our Lives
Peter Bergman, Jack Abbott The Young and the Restless
Doug Davidson, Paul Williams The Young and the Restless

Looking at this list my first thought was ABC doesn’t have any lead actor nominees. No Tony Geary from GH, no David Canary from AMC. Wow. My second thought was about Jon Lindstrom, James Scott and Peter Bergman and how they are all ABC alumni. My third thought isn’t it nice to not see the same five names, so perhaps we will have a first time winner this year. Will an actor who plays a villain, a hero or someone who is ambiguous with their motives win the prize? Last year’s winner Y&R’s Christian LeBlanc was not on the pre-nomination ballot this year.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bobbie Eakes, Krystal Carey All My Children
Maura West, Carly Tenney As the World Turns
Sarah Brown, Claudia Zacchara Corinthos General Hospital
Crystal Chappell, Olivia Spencer Guiding Light
Michelle Stafford, Phyllis Newman The Young and the Restless

Maura West, Sarah Brown, Crystal Chappell and Michelle Stafford all are former Emmy winners, though not all of their wins were in the lead category. The buzz is for Chappell due to her work on Guiding Light and how it also would be a parting gift to that show. If Brown won, I think this would be the first time someone in daytime won for two different roles on the same program (that weren’t supposed to look alike or caused by mental illness) with a more than five year gap between wins. What is kind of unique is each of the actresses played their roles with a shady or a villainess bent even if over time they became good. Last year’s winner OLTL’s Susan Haskell was not on the pre-nomination ballot this year.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ricky Paull Goldin, Jake Martin All My Children
Bradford Anderson, Damien Spinelli General Hospital
Jonathan Jackson, Lucky Spencer General Hospital
Brian Kerwin, Charlie Banks One Life to Live
Billy Miller, Billy Abbott The Young and the Restless

Jonathan Jackson is a three time Emmy winner in the younger actor category. All of the others have never won. The actors nominated play characters which range from a doctor, a computer genius who works for the mob, a policeman, an alcoholic who in a stupor murdered someone, and a bad boy from a good family. Last year there was a tie in this category. Jeff Branson from GL put his name in contention; Vincent Irrizarry from AMC moved up to lead actor but neither made the final ballot.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Julie Pinson, Janet Snyder As the World Turns
Arianne Zucker, Nicole Walker Days of our Lives
Carolyn Hennesy, Diane Miller General Hospital
Beth Chamberlin, Beth Raines Spaulding Guiding Light
Bree Williamson, Jessica Brennan One Life To Live

This category seems to be wide open as any winner will be a first timer. Since I have no idea on the reels, and all the actresses are on different programs and play very different characters I have no idea who will or should win. Both Zucker and Williamson were leads in the opinion of some viewers and felt they should have appeared in that category. Pinson and Chamberlin had a lot of story, but neither is on contract. Hennesy isn’t on contract, and has less to do on GH, but also appears on the prime time series Cougartown. Last year’s winner Tamara Braun from Days was not eligible to win in 2010.

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Marnie Schulenburg, Alison Stewart As the World Turns
Molly Burnett, Melanie Layton Days of our Lives
Shelley Hennig, Stephanie Johnson Days of our Lives
Julie Marie Berman, Lulu Spencer General Hospital
Christel Khalil, Lily Winters The Young and the Restless

Last year Julie Marie Berman won this category and she is the only actor or actress nominated, who can be a back to back winner for 2009 and 2010. That is atypical. In comparison to the younger actor category, which follows below this one, is a lot more logical. The nominees are younger performers who carry a decent amount of story for much of the year. We’ve had some who’ve won this award become famous, some who have disappeared and others who spent their career in daytime.

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Drew Tyler Bell, Thomas Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful
Dylan Patton, Will Horton Days of our Lives
Drew Garrett, Michael Corinthos III General Hospital
Zack Conroy, James Spaulding Guiding Light
Scott Clifton, Schuyler Joplin One Life to Live

As far as I know none of the nominated performers are on contract with the shows that they have been nominated for anymore. Drew Tyler Bell appears on B&B without a contract. Dylan Patton and Drew Garrett were replaced with other performers. Zack Conroy is on B&B as GL has been canceled. Earlier this year, Scott Clifton was fired, his character went off the deep end and went to prison. Last year’s winner Darin Brooks from Days was not eligible for this category in 2010 as he left daytime.

The Daytime Emmy show in 2010 from Las Vegas may be its last telecast event. Back in the 1980s there were years were the awards were announced during a press conference, so there is precedence. We shall see how the ratings go for CBS next month. Regardless of whether or not I enjoy a particular Emmy ceremony, or happy am about the nominees and winners, having the program no longer being broadcast is a bad sign. I’m rooting for the Daytime Emmys to continue. I hope for the 2010 show we see an entertaining program, which does not forget what makes these shows special to the audience.