Daytime Emmy Awards in Jeopardy
Susan Lucci and Vincent Irizarry
Doesn't anyone want this golden gal anymore? The Daytime Emmy nominations will be announced May 4, but so far no network has agreed to air the ceremony. A rep for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences claims negotiations are still in play, but insiders say a live Internet feed may be more likely than a telecast. The awards, even if they're a no-cameras affair, are expected to take place June 23 in Beverly Hills.
"CBS wanted the show, but at the last minute, the deal fell through," says Jim Romanovich of Associated Television International, which produced the awards on The CW in 2009 and CBS in 2010 and 2011. "Money-wise, it was just too prohibitive, and that's a shame because this year is the last chance to honor [canceled soaps] All My Children and One Life to Live."
ATI was able to finance the 2011 awards only by turning the show, airing from Las Vegas, into a veritable infomercial for charities, hotels and entertainment acts. Folks were peeved. "It was a vulgar Vegas nightmare," says The Young and the Restless' Peter Bergman (Jack), a three-time Emmy winner. "The awards need to return to what they were years ago, a private, elegant event." General Hospital Emmy winner Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) concurs, noting, "It's gotten to the point where even the nominees don't care."
True enough. Kelly Ripa, Judge Judy and most of the women from The View have snubbed the ceremony in recent years. Last year, Oprah Winfrey failed to show to pick up an honorary award even though she got a 15-minute tribute. Concludes Grahn, "If the awards can't air with dignity, they shouldn't air at all."
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