OCR Text |
Show > CLOSE TO HOME Daytime Emmys ready — for a Hollywood debut I'm go encouraged by your progress that I'm going to conduct the next gecSion Beth Harris THE ASSOCIATED PRE Without, the shinguards. oe > lhe cads and vixens who stir up heartbreak and trouble on daytimetelevision are throwinga party in Oscar's house Friday night. The Daytime Emmy Awards, honoring everything from soap operas to talk shows to kids programs,will be handed out at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, the site of March's Academy Awards telecast. It's the first trip out of New York in the 33-year history of the Daytime Emmys (ABC, 6 p.m. MDT.) “They're going to the Oscar showcase as if to demand the samerespect as the film glitterati,” said Tom O'Neil, columnist for theenvelope.com.“This is an industry that is desperate for respect.” The movewas triggered by NBC'sdecision not to takeits turn televising the awards because of the network'slimited daytime presence. The networkairs just two of the nine daytime soaps (“Days of Our Lives” and the highly a medleyofhis greatest hits. Actresses from the network's “OneLife to Live” will sing SDJINODS BIZARRO Broadway show tunes and the cast of ABC’s prime-timehit “Grey's Anatomy” will turn up. Caroll Spinney, who portrays “SesameStreet” favorites Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, will receivea lifetime achievement award. CBS's “The Youngand the Restless” — the most-watched soap — earned leading 18 Daytime Emmy nominations, but nonein the lead-acting categories. The lead-actress category appears to be a two-diva race between Kim Zimmerof CBS's “Guiding Light” and Susan Flannery of CBS's “The Bold and the Beautiful.” » Zimmer has 10 nominations and three wins, but none in 16 years. Flannery is a four-time winner. : “Flannery is great every year,” Hinsey said. “Let’s get someone new in there.” Springfield might not be the only ’80s throwback in the spotlight Friday. Anthony Geary, half of the blockbuster Luke and Laurastory line on “Gen- eral Hospital” in the big-hair year as president of the New . York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which oversees the Daytime S. I NEED A HUNDRED BILLION TO BUILD AN OCEAN CITY ON BARGES. Mares ©2005S00n Adame, Inc /Diet by UFS, Inc. VITAY, THE WORLD'S MOST DESPERATE VENTURE CAPITALIST ‘Wwww.dilberl.com scotiadame@sclcom The showis expanding to three hours for the first time since 2003, whenthe ABCtelecast drew 8.6 million viewers —down more than 1.4 million » from the previous year. “That's a brilliant ploy because they can get in so much morematerial than just awards presentations,” O'Neil said. Former'80s teen idol Rick Springfield, who recently returned to ABC's “General Hospital” after 23 years,is set to kick off the telecast with decade,is the front-runner for lead actor. Hinsey andO'Neil predict the 58-year-old actor will take home his fifth Daytime Emmy. “Hehad all these great scenes with his son beforepull- ing the plug,” Hinsey said. “It was really moving — the mate- rial they give him and what he does with it.” How the Daytime Emmys telecast fares in the ratings will factor into the day-after discussions about its future location. Ratings for the Daytime Emmys — like the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys — have been in freefall. | The numbers for the Daytime Emmyshaveslipped six years straight, tumbling from 14.2 million in 1999, when Susan Lucci of “All My Children” brokean 18-year losing streak by winning leadactress,to 7.6 million ih2005. “Weall know in the television business it’s getting fragmented and harder to be heard among the voices out there,” Price said, crediting ABC for increased promotion ofthis year’s show,including a national mall tour by soap actors. “How that translates into eyeballs in prime-time Friday night, I don’t know,” he said. ‘On the Net: http:/Wwww.emmys.org be e 9002 ‘22 dy “Aepsinyy ‘pieiaH Alea children’s shows — among the major categories. “Tt was little small-minded of NBC to take their marbles and go home andI don’t think the actors appreciated that,” said Carolyn Hinsey, editor of Soap Opera Weekly. “NBC showsarereally popular with the fans.” ABC stepped in, moved the show west and chose Tom Bergeronand Kelly Monaco as hosts. Both appeared on the network's hit “Dancing With the Stars.” “We've gotten more coverage and morenoise and more fan response and more buzz” than he’s experienced before, said Peter Price,in his fourth |