Daytime Emmy Awards: All the Soap Scoop!

The 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards took place last night and aired live from the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on The CW.

Daytime television fans were relieved when The CW stepped in after other networks including CBS and ABC passed on airing the awards show. The CW will be entering the daytime race this upcoming season as The Tyra Banks Show moves on over to the network after airing in syndication for its past four seasons. 

Here are all the soap highlights of both the pre-show and awards ceremony:

– The best thing from the red carpet had to have been Stacy Haiduk‘s arrival. The actress has taken on the breakthrough role of Mary Jane Benson / Patty Williams on The Young and the Restless this past year and appeared on the red carpet with the character’s infamous stuffed pussy cat, Kitty.

– Susan Lucci (Erica, All My Children) was the first daytime soap start to be featured and talked briefly about the ‘Daytime Gives Back: Feed the Children’ project she worked on with fellow soap stars Anthony Geary (Luke, General Hospital) and Kelly Monaco (Sam, General Hospital). The relief organization  delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack those essentials due to famine, poverty, war or natural disasters. 

– While no one knows when Victoria Rowell will return to Y&R as Dru, the actress did show up to the Emmy Awards…a ceremony which she has criticized in the past.

– Texas Battle (Marcus, The Bold and the Beautiful) confirmed that his character’s biological father would be coming to the show. This of course, confirms to what I reported last week when Aaron D. Spears had been cast. Interesting show fact, B&B films about 8 episodes a week.

– Gina Tognoni (Dinah, Guiding Light) revealed that a special tribute would be airing during the awards show. Rather than marking Guiding Light‘s end as a sad thing, the cast and crew would like to celebrate its achievement.

– When Anthony Geary was introduced, the whole “Luke and Laura” phenomenon was mentioned. Interesting since Geary and the current GH regime tainted the epic supercouple in the eyes of many fans this past year/

– Lori Laughlin reminded those that she got her start in daytime; she appeared on The Edge of Night. They showed a clip of last season’s 90210 finally where Laughlin teased that they could be setting up a triangle with Jennie Garth and Rob Estes‘s characters. This is interesting because last week Jennie Garth mentioned that she’d be against Kelly being involved in a triangle with a married couple as she’s worked too hard on having Kelly become a person that women don’t hate. Laughlin and Garth later presented the Outstanding Talk Show Host to The View.

– Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake, All My Children) insists that ABC was doing the “right thing” for the show by moving it to Los Angeles. 

– Rick Hearst (Whip, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Ric, GH) said that it was great being back on B&B and the Bell family is very welcoming.

– Host Vanessa Williams kicked off the ceremony with a musical number where she incorporated herself into daytime programs as love interests for many of the soap characters (such as Ron Moss‘s Ridge on B&B and Anthony Geary‘s Luke on GH) and talk/game show hosts.

– The first award given out was for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and was a tie! The awards went to Vincent Irrizary (David, All My Children) and Jeff Branson (Shayne, Guiding Light). Irrizary dedicated his award to his son Ash, who is fighting in Afghanistan. The actor who has also appeared on Guiding Light and most recently Y&R was happy to have worked on different shows in the same medium. He was also appreciative of the crew and production staff as “they are the heart of the medium.” Irrizary also thanked AMC head writer, Charles Pratt and was honored to have been nominated with the other men in his category like his fellow cast member Jacob Young (JR). Meanwhile, Jeff Branson thanked all his family at Guiding Light and his fans.

– Speaking of Jacob Young, looks like he’s taking JR’s cancer storyline seriously as the actor has shaved off his hair.

– ABC got The CW to run a promo for General Hospital featuring the upcoming “Carnival” stunt storyline which promises the “death of a beloved chracter”…whom will all know will end up being Martha Byrne‘s short term character, Andrea Floyd.

– There wasn’t much buzz around As The World Turns this year award-show wise…however moments after the ceremony had concluded, We Love Soaps (http://www.welovesoaps.net) announced that Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan, GL) would be joining World Turns in a new role. General Hospital was actively pursuing Pelphrey for the role of Dante this past year.

– The Bold and the Beautiful‘s Ron Moss (Ridge) and Heather Tom (Katie) awarded Cash Cab as the Outstanding Game Show. While Bindi Irwin joined General Hospital‘s Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) and Kirsten Storms (Maxie) in presenting the Racheal Ray Show as Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show.

– Guiding Light‘s Kim Zimmer (Reva aka the Slut of Springfield) and Robert Newman (Josh) presented General Hospital‘s Julie Marie Berman with the award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Daytime Drama for her role as Lulu Spencer. Berman was very shocked to have won and said she shares the award with her good friend and co-star Kirsten Storms who was also nominated in the same category. The young ingenue dedicated her award to her mother.

– Tyra Banks presented some fashions of daytime which included Shelly Henning (Stephanie, DAYS), Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH), Tyler Christopher (Nikolas, GH), Chrishell Stause (Amanda, AMC), Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake, AMC), Christel Khalil (Lily, Y&R), Daniel Goddard (Cane, Y&R), Trent Dawson (Henry, ATWT), Ewa Da Cruz (Vienna, ATWT), Mark Lawson (Jared, OLTL), Bree Williamson (Jessica, OLTL), Texas Battle (Marcus, B&B), Jacqueline MacInnis Wood (Steffy, B&B) and Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC).