By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman
What do you think of the 40th Annual Daytime Emmy nominees? The list is long and illustrative given the fact that there are only four soaps. Several categories are full of names that are most deserving. It would be very hard to cast a decisive vote should one have the opportunity.
Katherine Kelly Lang
Consider the lead actor category: You’ve got an actor who created a real splash in General Hospital this year, Jason Thompson, who was brilliant as his Patrick Drake mourned the death of his wife Robin. Then you’ve got the always dependable actors in the category — Peter Bergman (Jack, The Young and the Restless), Doug Davidson (Paul, Y&R) and Michael Muhney (Adam, Y&R). Although Muhney is a great personal favorite of mine, I don’t know who did the superior job of all these outstanding actors.
Then there’s lead actress: Who can beat Susan Flannery, who played Stephanie’s march to death so memorably on The Bold and the Beautiful? Or Heather Tom, who played Katie’s post-partum depression, also on B&B? Also excellent as was Days of Our Lives’ Peggy McCay who played Caroline’s Alzheimer’s suffering so skillfully. Formidable, too, is Y&R’s always dependable Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), who also shone in that category. Again, who to vote for?
For Best Supporting Actress, I’d definitely cast my vote for first time nominee (it’s about time) Katherine Kelly Lang of B&B, who played Stephanie’s best friend Brooke so beautifully and soulfully through Stephanie’s fabulously written final story. Here is an actress who has grown incredibly since her debut on the show 25 years ago, and definitely deserves recognition, not just for this year but for her long body of work.
And what about Best Show? Can anyone beat GH, which had one of the best years in its history? On the other hand, it’s hard to top B&B, with its brilliantly produced stories of Katie’s post-partum depression and the death of Stephanie.
Talk about killer choices. With only four surviving soaps contributing nominees, the work the voters had to choose from is all exciting and memorable. No matter who wins, the quality of all the nominees argues persuasively for the future of network soaps. Here’s hoping TPTB are paying attention.
This year’s Emmy Award ceremonies will be broadcast June 16 on HLN.
GH has it in the bag. But–I have said that before (AMC’s 2000 Bianca storyline losing??) so it all depends on the episodes they submit.
Marlena says: I agree with you about GH, Eric.
I have no way of knowing who will take home the Emmy, but what in the world has GENERAL HOSPITAL done that is award worthy? There were many times I enjoyed GH during the current regime. I looked forward to it. I found the show offbeat and campy. But I don’t think it deserves an award.
Everybody drools over Ron Carlivati. I’ve seen soap writers that did a much superior job with camp. Bridget and Jerome Dobson springs to mind. Their stuff played like a Jackie Collins novel brought to life.
I have to be honest and say that I didn’t watch any of these soaps last year. But I know who I’m rooting for most: Peggy McCay. What a career she has had, often in supporting roles. I know she has won an Obie and a prime-time Emmy, but I don’t think she has ever won a daytime Emmy. Whether in Cagney & Lacey, Gunsmoke, or Days of Our Lives, I’ve always enjoyed her real-ness, and her support for fellow actors.
Marlena says: Always so great to hear from you, Dave!
I think GH might get it for 2013, because of the 50th. I have a feeling B&B or OLTL, in a stunner, gets it. I think Susan Flannery has it in the bag. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Days take some trophies. This is one of the more wide open ceremonies in years, though. I just wonder what will happen next year, with the return of AMC and OLTL. I’ve heard conflicting reports on if they will be eligible. I’ve heard House of Cards, on Netflix, will be, so I wonder if the Prospect Park revivals will be, as well. Should be interesting to follow.
Dear Connie/Marlena,
I wouldn’t be surprised if your two lead-acting choices, from your 2012 year-end column, end up prevailing at this year’s Daytime Emmys: Doug Davidson and Susan Flannery.
I have been though enough of these Daytime Emmys that I feel foolish even bothering trying to predict them.
In response to DF: Peggy McCay won the 1991 prime-time Emmy for guest actress in a drama series for “The Trials of Rosie O’Neill,” a CBS vehicle for Sharon Gless. (It lasted two seasons. Gless was nominated for Emmys with both seasons.)
McCay’s 2013 nomination is now the second longest stretch between acting nods specifically in daytime: 26 years. (This follows the 27-year stretch for “All My Children’s” Darnell Williams, the best-actor winner from 1985 who didn’t get nominated again until 2012.) McCay was up for the lead-actress prize, as “Days of Our Lives'” Caroline Brady, in 1986 and she followed with a supporting-actress nod in 1987. (Coincidentally enough, that was the year which marked the debut of “The Bold and the Beautiful.”)
The fact that McCay is 85 years old, born in November 1927, might make her the oldest ever nominated for an acting award at the Daytime Emmys. Then again, that makes me want to research whether McCay has set a new record which also takes into account the history of nominated prime-time performances. Well, it was for the year 2012 that Emmanuelle Riva, for her work in “Amour,” became the oldest [best-actress] Oscar nominee at age 85. She turned 86 on Oscar night [Feb. 24, 2013]. New records do, from time to time, become establlshed. And it’s been happening even in daytime.
I’m glad quite a few people are pleased with the list of nominees. (Warts and all.)
Forgot to say that I find Brooke Logan’s behavior reprehensible. Imagine, having sex with every man in one family. And becoming pregnant by your son-in-law as well as your brother-in-law. Brooke disgusts me and Katherine Kelly Lang deserves an Emmy. When I see her cry and beat herself up because of her bad choices, I become even more disgusted. Hey, if she’s going to be a ho, do it with pride. Don’t apologize or boohoo about anything. Brooke makes me roll my eyes in disgust, raise my upper lip in revulsion. There have been times I wanted to slap her face. Any actress who can make me feel such a range of emotions is damn good and deserves a statuette for her troubles.
Do you think BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL’s Brooke will have the baby or have an abortion?
Remember today’s soaps are going to be edgier. Which I like. Though, I’m in my fifties and I recall a few abortion stories on soaps–ANOTHER WORLD’s, Pat Matthews aborted Tom Baxter’s child.
Erica Kane had an abortion.
On SOMERSET, Kate Thornton became pregnant by Julian Cannell, who married her. Tom Conway who wanted Kate for himself told Kate that when she became fat as a result of pregnancy and waddling around Somerset like a duck, Julian’s eyes would move in the direction of the svelte, comely Eve Lawrence, a woman Julian truly loved. Kate was vain and stupid, so she booked a flight to the Big Apple where she had an abortion and tearfully told Julian that she slipped on a bar of soap while showering.
Ah, I LOVED old school soap opera. Anything went. There was no such thing as political correctness.
Back to BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL’s Brooke. If she terminates her pregnancy, there could still be problems galore. Maybe someone like Taylor could get Brooke’s doctor’s receipt that shows she had an abortion.
Marelna,
I completely share your enthusiasm for the nominees and the B&B actresses were always top notch but I aimply cannot believe Finola Hughes and Kelly Sullivan were passed up. I think one has to really pay attention to Sullivan in order to see that she makes really interesting choices in her performance but Finola Hughes was just fabulous all year long.
Michael Muhney? What a joke of a person.
Poor “Days of Our Lives.” They better savor their record breaking amount of nominations because “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” will be back in the game next year and pushing that show back into no-Emmy nods territory where it belongs
Emmys are presented by The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and, therefore, the two rebooted soaps — AMC and OLTL — which are seen only via The Internet will not be eligible for Emmys.
I must say, I am so happy to see “OLTL” nominated for Best Drama, even though I see they have no shot at winning.
One thing that is disappointing me though is that Robin Mattson failed to get a nomination. It is a crime she has no Emmy.
I agree about Robin Mattson.Whatever show she has been on, everyone knew who she was. The women brings it and makes everyone sit at attention.