GL rocks the Emmys

Wow! Guiding Light really took over in the acting categories. They were represented as follows:

Female Lead: Kim Zimmer as Reva
Female Supporting: Gina Tognoni as Dinah
Male Supporting: Jordan Clarke
Male Younger Lead: Tom Pelphrey

CBS took 5 out of the 6 acting categories when Jennifer Landon won Younger Female Lead for her role of Gwen on ATWT.

Emmy Comment: Who picked the order

Well, I didn't completely hate that the Daytime Emmys were not in New York this year. I could have done without all of the fan stuff outside the ceremony. It was just fluff to fill the extended show (from 2 hours to 3 hours), which could have been better used to present additional award during the telecast.

Speaking of presenting awards, who picked this order. Did ABC know who the winners were and thus stacked to end the evening on a GH high? Leading Female is one of the biggest awards of the night (more so than Male lead) and was bumped up to the first half of the program.

Daytime Emmys: All the Experts

Now that I have finally finished posting my picks for tonight, I thought I would venture out and see what other experts are picking. We seem very agreed in some categories and not in others.

Here is a link to all the experts picks.

http://www.thesoapgoddess.com/Expertpicks.xls

2005 Daytime Emmys: Outstanding Series

The most exciting category of the night. Here are the nominees and the episodes they picked:

As the World Turns – Episode#1 Les terrorizes Lily and Carly and is revealed to be Julia's killer. Episode#2 Gwen and Jennifer go into labor at same time (beginning of baby switch).

General Hospital – Episode #1 Train crash Episode #2 More post-train crash drama, a few episodes after the first.

Guiding Light – Episode #1 Reveal of Alan as Philip's "killer". Episode#2 Sandy and Tammy's wedding.

Young and the Restless – Episode #1 Cassie dies. Episode #2 Lauren and Michael's wedding reception and the beginning of the Phyllis/Nick affair.


As the World Turns has a nice package in the first episode. There is no cliff-hanger and stands alone nicely. The beginning of the baby switch (as opposed to the conclusion) is quite a choice—but you see the beginning of the storm that is about to unfold and how it ties to many storylines.
General Hospital's episodes are heavy on special effects, which make for a win in directing but a crutch in series and maybe the reason why they are overlooked for writing. The good is that they use EVERYBODY in these episodes, which showcases some of the great acting talent that they have.
Guiding Light has a better second episode than first. This can work in their favor as it leaves the voter with a good "taste in their mouth."
Young and the Restless: pass the Kleenex, please.



Who will win: Young and the Restless
Who should win: Guiding Light


Guiding Light should win just on that beginning when the minister asks "does anyone object". The use of flashbacks from various characters' point-of-view is great. When this episode originally aired everyone was on the edge of their seat to see what would happen. And to eliminate the "Ew" factor, I don't believe it is mentioned that Tammy and Jon are cousins in that episode.
However, Young and the Restless has a killer first episode. The second episode is great in that it begins the Nick/Phyllis affair—however if voters are not full-time viewers and don't realize that impact….


Who could win: General Hospital could pull it off if there are a lot of male viewers who love the special effects that cloud over the actual story. If they do win, and after winning last year for the hotel fire, GH viewers should expect some major catastrophe each year, which will lessen their impact for viewers but be great Emmy bait.

2005 Daytime Emmys: Directing

Another category where I came in thinking Y&R was the definitive winner. They always have great camera angles, put together great shots for some of the great editing they do later. But, who knows….

Here are the nominees and the episodes they picked:

Bold and the Beautiful – Episode#1 Christmas episode where Felicia's baby is christened. Episode#2 Nick confronts Bridget on a bluff about her supposed abortion; Stephanie dares Brooke to shoot herself.

Days of Our Lives – Episode #1 Belle goes into labor, aftermath of Sammie and Lucas' interrupted wedding. Episode #2 Frankie returns, Mimi in Jail, Belle torn between Shawn and Philip.

General Hospital – Episode #1 Train crash Episode #2 More post-train crash drama

Young and the Restless – Episode #1 Cassie dies. Episode #2 Lauren and Michael's wedding.


Bold and Beautiful picked a location shoot—extra points for degree of difficulty.
General Hospital's episodes are heavy on special effects which make them more difficult to direct. Possible bonus points.



Who will win: General Hospital
Who should win: General Hospital

GH will probably win for special effects alone, something that should cause them to lose in the drama series category.

Who could win: Young and the Restless is consistently good, but the judging is just on the two episodes presented.

2005 Daytime Emmys: Writing

What makes good drama—good writing. It's the "if it's not on the page, it ain't on the stage" mantra. Oddly enough, two shows that are in contention for Outstanding Drama are NOT in the running for outstanding writing.

I came into this category thinking Y&R was the definitive winner. They always write stories that reach out across storylines. It is one of the things that make them a ratings leader. But, will it make them an Emmy winner? Again, they are judged on two episodes alone so it can be anyone's game.

Here are the nominees and the episodes they picked:

As the World Turns – Episode#1 Jennifer and Gwen go into labor at the same time; Episode#2 Dusty realizes Meg's role in the Jennifer/Gwen baby switch.

Bold and the Beautiful – Episode#1 Stephanie and Brooke gun episode; Episode #2 Christmas episode where Felicia's baby is christened.

One Life to Live – Episode#1 Rex finds Jennifer's body, Vikki tricks David and Dorian into getting together. Episode#2 Lindsey deals with Jen's death, Dorian and David start an anonymous online relationship.

Young and the Restless – Episode #1 Daniel is arrested as Cassie is barely hanging on to her life. Episode #2 Consecutive episode where Cassie dies.


One Life to Live should have picked the Daniel as killer and gay reveal. It was really strong and was the culmination of great story. The first episode was good, but the second was all over the place.
As the World Turns could have picked the baby switch culmination also, instead of the pseudo-culmination of the Meg/Dusty reveal. The former had strong acting which can only help their strong writing.
Bold and Beautiful should not have picked the Christmas episode. Those are always so contrived—although if you are looking for sappy, this is your episode.



Who will win: Young and the Restless
Who should win: Young and the Restless

I cry every time I watch the Cassie dies episode (and I had to watch four times for Emmy picks plus the original airing). Y&R picks two consecutive episodes that make it easy to follow the storyline. The second episode is stronger than the first, which is something the other shows did not accomplish. Like the other shows, Y&R start big. Unlike the others, they end strong.

Who could win: As the World Turns is a perennially favorite in this category. And, in the back of my heart, I would not mind if home-girl Jean Passanante brings home a win.

2005 Daytime Emmys: Younger Male Lead

Will the voters give Tom Pelphrey the Emmy he deserved to win last year? They have been known to try to make up for prior mistakes. Another strong contender is Jesse Soffer; his only negative is that one episode is almost entirely with Jennifer Landon who is so great she outshines him. Scott Clifton gives good blend of humor and drama but nothing overwhelming. He scores big on versatility, but low on strength of any one moment. Michael Graziadei's reel is too short for any type of lead consideration, even if it is younger lead.

Scott Clifton (Dillion, GH) - Dillion fights with Georgie and deals with Lucas admitting he's gay; Dillion blames himself for Michael's death.

Michael Graziadei (Daniel, Y&R) - Daniel reflects on Cassie's hospitalization and his role in it; Phyllis visits Daniel in jail and gives him new hope.

Bryton McClure (Devon, Y&R) - Devon worries about his dying mom; Devon catches his mom buying drugs in the park.

Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan, GL) - Jonathan lashes out at Reva, cuts his hair with a knife and realizing Dinah faking her pregnancy; Jonathan goes to see Tammy the night before her wedding to Sandy and pushes her to admit her true feelings for him.

Jesse Soffer (Will, ATWT) - Will blasts Gwen for having taken money from Paul; a jailed Will denies having poisoned Iris.

Who will win: Tom Pelphrey
Who should win: Tom Pelphrey

Tom Pelphrey can play Jonathan very strong sometimes and makes you wonder if it is overacting or just his take on Jonathan. It should not overshadow all the other great stuff on his reel. My only question on this is: will they play the theme song from Guiding Light he wins or will it be the overplayed Unbelievable when they call his name?

Who could win: Scott Clifton and Jesse Soffer also have good tapes.

Daytime Emmys: Supporting Male

Oh they love the dual roles, so Tyler Christopher does have a chance. However, I am not sure he picked the best episodes he could and could confuse voters. Trent Dawson proves he is more than a clown this year and picks two episodes that show range. Jordan Clarke has always been awesome, but really broke our hearts when he fell off the wagon. But, never rule out Greg Rikaart to repeat.

Tyler Christopher (Nikolas/Connor, GH) - Connor rapes Emily; Nikolas reels as Emily says she no longer loves him.

Jordan Clarke (Billy, GL) - Billy falls off the wagon; Billy fights the urge to crack open a bottle of whiskey.

Trent Dawson (Henry, ATWT) - Henry tries to convince wife Katie to leave him for Mike; Henry faces off with Olga with BJ.

Grayson McCouch (Dusty, ATWT) - Dusty tries to gently reject Jen's advances; Dusty blasts Meg for keeping silent about the baby.

Greg Rikaart (Kevin, Y&R) - Kevin deals with the death of his abusive dad; in therapy, Kevin addresses his feelings for Mac and anger towards J.T.

Who will win: Trent Dawson
Who should win: Jordan Clarke

Trent shows diversity and the voters seem to like that, especially in supporting roles. His comedy shows vulnerability, his dramatic moments show humor. However, I believe Jordan Clarke should win because you can just feel his pain, his embarrassment—he takes you on the ride.

Who could win: Greg Rikaart could repeat.

2005 Daytime Emmys: Male Lead

Ahh! The Lead Male Actor. Somewhat of an anomaly in the female-dominated world of soaps. Which leads to the question: can you have a "lead" male or all they all really supporting? The exception to that question is always General Hospital where almost all of the storylines are driven from male characters (ya know, mobsters, rapists). And that soap brings us the two strongest contenders.

Maurice Bernard (Sonny, GH) - Worried about Michael and Carly, Sonny confesses to A.J.'s murder; Sonny convinces Carly to get professional help.

Anthony Geary (Luke, GH) - Luke sings to a comatose Lucky; Luke begs Lucky to come out of his coma before taking him off of life support.

Robert Newman (Josh, GL) - News of Reva's supposed pregnancy leaves Josh reeling; after angrily urging Jonathan to be a better person, Josh warns Reva that he might not always be there for her.

Ron Raines (Alan, GL) - After paying a visit to a very much alive Philip, Alan is arrested for his murder; Alan confesses to Philip's shooting.

Thorsten Kaye (Zach, AMC) - Maria and Zach say farewell; Zach stuns Kendall and himself by admitting that's he falling in love.



Who will win: Anthony Geary
Who should win: Anthony Geary

Two outstanding episodes from Mr. Geary will garner him another win. Like his female version in the lead category (Susan Flannery), Anthony Geary is the standard bearer of consistently good performances (even if I hate his character).

Who could win: Never rule out Maurice Bernard, but his tapes were not as good as Geary's.

Daytime Emmys

Argh! The Goddess has been busy with some school work. I promise to have my final daytime emmy picks up this morning.

ATWT: Oakdale Confidential is bestseller

According to the writer of Oakdale Confidential, the book will be ranked at #3 on next week's New York Times bestseller list. (BTW, the NYT list always seems to be weeks behind actual sales.) The book debuted on the USA Today bestseller list at #15 this week. It has consistently be ranked on Amazon's top sellers list.

Way to go ATWT!

Now, let's all guess on whose bones (them bones, them bones, them dry bones) are in the basement. Anyone? Anyone?

GL: LIzzie's pregnant

Since soaps can be known for slow-moving storylines, I am amazed at how fast this one is moving along. First, that Lizzie is pregnant and she is realizing it.

I can't remember when she slept with Coop, but in the Lizzie Inside the Light on Wednesday she stated she slept with Jon on 4/10. There is NO WAY you would realize you are pregnant, have symptoms, and consistently test positive 9 days after conception. Pregnancy tests are making leaps and bounds but still the best only work a day or two after a missed period. If she was ovulating on 4/10 she wouldn't have even had a missed period yet. However, this should be good news that Coop, and not Jon, is the father.

Also moving along, in such a Lizzie fashion, is the purchase of baby furniture. She is like 2 minutes along in the pregnancy and she is buying baby stuff. Whew. I know if I was 19-20 and found out I was pregnant, I would still be in denial, not be in Babies R Us.

GL: Ewww, gross Ava!

Why was Ava allowed to work in a restaurant without having her shoes on. I believe they aren't allowed to serve people without shoes (No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service), so why was this allowed to happen. It was distasteful and I can't believe they kept mentioning it.

And, in the end, when Lizzie stole her shoes they were high heel boots. What kind of waitress wears high heels to wait tables. Well, besides a strip club waitress. Company is more "burger joint."

ATWT: Step Away from the Carly

What is up with Nick?! He really needs to stop sniffing around Carly. She has only brought him trouble and will now only bring him heartache when he finds out how she and Jack will never really be apart.

GL: Ross' plane crash

Well, a few weeks back on an Inside the Light we find out that Ross (who's portrayer Jerry Ver Dorn has been over at OLTL for months!) has died in a plane crash. This week, it is being investigated as a possible murder by the FAA--and subsequently the Springfield PD.

Back a fefw weeks, Alan-Michael and Alan discuss A-M's secretive dealings with Ross. Well, perhaps "discuss" is too comprehensive--it was more like mention. So, somehow Spaulding and A-M will be tied to this investigation.

However, something Alan says at the funeral makes me wonder if Ross is actually dead. Alan stated something along the lines of "Ross being up their with his son, and Ross's nephew, Philip". Uh...does Alan know something we don't? After all, we and Alan both know that Philip is really alive--something the rest of Springfield is not privvy.

Just looking for hidden meaning.

YR: DA Will Bardwell

I truly believe that Judith Champman is doing a marvelous job in the role However...

I only slightly wish that Gloria Abbott was still being played by Joan Van Ark. Then, I would love them to write in a scene where Gloria is questioned by Ted Shackelford's Will Bardwell character. The first question could be: "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

YR: Phyllis is kicked out by Victor

Of course, I am not sure what will happen today (Mon 4/17), but Friday's episode ended with Victor asking Phyllis "Where should we send your stuff" or something along those lines.

Wha?! Who is Victor to fire Phyllis from NVP. He is striclty the finanancing on this project and wasn't to have anything to say on the running of NVP. In addition, aren't Phyllis and Nikki equal partners--so no one is really the "boss".

And, shouldn't Nikki stand up for her partner. It would set a bad precedent. How is Nikki supposed to really accomplish anything in the work world when it appears that she is just a puppet and Victor pulls the strings. Noone would want to deal with her--they will want to deal only with Victor.

This says nothing that Phyllis is the creative part of NVP. She has more ideas in her pinky than Victor and Nikki have combined.

BB: Massimo's Meddling

Well, I must say I find this turn of events very interesting. We have seen Massimo act controlling in the past, but he has been kind of laid back since his stroke. Now, we see him meddle in the Ridge/Brooke/Nick triangle in an attempt to seperate Brooke and Nick. He has gone as far as to have Jackie (Nick's mother) arrested on various tax charges.

It is so very "Stephanie" of him. Hmm...I wonder what Queen Stephanie will think when she finds out he has been pushing Brooke and Ridge together (something she has always dreaded).

2005 Daytime Emmys: Female Younger Lead

Female Younger Lead

Another tough, tough category in my mind before viewing the episodes each of these delights picked for us.


Emmy Reels:
Mandy Bruno (Marina, GL) - With Michelle preparing to leave town, Marina worries she's going to lose Danny; realizing Danny loves his ex-wife, Marina breaks things off.

Camryn Grimes (Cassie, Y&R) - At the hospital, Cassie talks to the police and prepares to have surgery; with her family gathered, Cassie dies.

Christel Khalil (Lily, Y&R) - Lily confronts Malcolm and Dru about her paternity; Lily says farewell to her friends, family, and Daniel.

Jennifer Landon (Gwen, ATWT) - In consecutive episodes, Gwen learns that her baby is dead and later pays a visit to the child she'd been raising as her own.

Leven Rambin (Lily, AMC) - Zach and Lily talk about life and parenting; Sam's visit with Lily is interrupted by Aidan.


Who should win: Jennifer Landon
Who will win: Camryn Grimes

I think the voters might like to give this one to Camryn as a nice goodbye present. Then again, maybe the voters might like to show respect to Michael Landon via a vote for his daughter. Both had spectacular tapes and Camryn's was especially heart-wrenching. This might be what puts her over the top. However, Jennifer Landon's tape shows vulnerability, a maturity beyond her years, and complete devastation.


Who could win: rule out no one!

I really wondered how Mandy Bruno and Christel Khalil were nominated until I saw their episodes. Mandy's shows a nice mix of comedy (in the form of manic-talking Marina) and drama (when she breaks up with Danny). The voters tend to like when actors show a range. However it wasn't anything that just jumped out at you.
Christel Khalil really picked a dynamic episode where she confronts her mom and uncle/dad about paternity test results they left lying around the house. The other episode is sad, but not as great as the first which might hurt her chances.
Leven Rambin is a complete dark horse. She plays the role of Lily quite well. If you have ever spoken to her or seen her in other roles you realize how great a job she is doing. However, that is not necessarily the case with the Emmy voter. And, she may be another victim of bad episode picking. She has some good stuff out there and I wonder why she picked these two particular episodes. If/when she gets a really meaty storyline she will be a definite winner!

GL: Inside the Light

Oh no! Not another Josh and Reva "Inside the Light". Is the plan to have at least one of these each month? Aargh!

ATWT: The Oakdale Library

Just a quick note that as a librarian, I am thrilled to see that the Oakdale Library is hopping! Too bad they don't have more sense than to hire Jade. (Then again, she came with Lily's recommendation--probably something Lily will later regret.)

2005 Daytime Emmys: Female Supporting

I really thought this would be the most difficult category to pick. However, I have seen the tapes and now there is such a clear-cut winner, that I can't imagine my pick is that far off from the actual voters. The reason: it is all in what you pick for your reels. It can make or break you (ask Michelle Stafford) and this year it quickly culled some of the competition.


Emmy Reels:
Tracey Bregman (Lauren, Y&R) - Michael and Lauren play strip word association; Lauren accepts Michael's proposal.

Crystal Chappell (Olivia, GL) - A gun-toting Olivia is taunted by Gus, who wants her to confess to Philip's murder; Olivia copes, as Bill walks out on her.

Jennifer Ferrin (Jennifer, ATWT) - Jen reacts to the death of her baby; Jen tries to keep Dusty from realizing she is on drugs.

Renee Elise Goldsberry (Evangeline, OLTL) - Evangeline ends things with John; Evangeline reflects on her relationship with John, as her portrayer sings.

Gina Tognoni (Dinah, GL) - Dinah tells Edmund that she lost the baby and is comforted by Jonathan; Dinah leaves a drunken message for Mallet, which leads to them making love.


Who should win: Crystal Chappell
Who will win: Crystal Chappell


Oh my gosh, what was Tracy Bergman thinking when she picked the "strip word association" episode? It was cute and all, but hardly showing her talents. Why not pick any of the Sheila drama that ended the year?
Renee Elise Goldsberry didn't show much range in her stuff, which is too bad since I really like her character. And enough with the singing (that goes for all soap stars—are you listening Jack Wagner?!)!

Who could win: Gina Tognoni or Jennifer Ferrin
I thought both of these daytime divas had a chance before I saw their reels and really would make this the toughest race. Jennifer picked some good stuff and could pull it off, however Crystal Chappell's stuff is just so strong. And, I can't help but secretly pull for Gina.

ATWT: Oh Jack!

Oh, why is ATWT playing with my emotions?! Another Jack and Carly split. The longing in each other's eyes, but the refusal by Jack to forgive Carly. I know, I know-Carly does stuff that is just so off the wall, but she has good intentions. BTW, I did like how Hal compared her to Barbara (who is also always claiming "good intentions") and when Carly objects, he states that their rap sheets are practically identical. Hmmm..good point.

However, what I would like to see happen is the point of this post.

I would love to see Jack tie this drugging Nick and the sexual setup to his past experience of being drugged and raped by Julia. ATWT never dealt with the trauma associated with male rape. And macho police-officer Jack isn't going to admit that he is suffering or ask for help. I would like to see this tied together, along with Carly's drugging Gwen, as sort of a PTSD storyline.

2005 Daytime Emmys: Female Lead

When the nominations came out, there was a lot of buzz around Kelly Monaco. I am not sure if this was because of the whole Dancing with the pseudo-Stars or what. I will admit that I don't watch GH. However, I did watch Port Charles and was never impressed with her acting, yet maybe she has matured. That said, I did watch the episodes that were submitted for the reels (Thanks, SoapNet!) and still don't see it. Here are the episodes each female choice for their reel.

Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, AMC) - In consecutive episodes, Krystal tries to talk Babe out of reuniting with JR and later plays sexy mind games with Adam.
Beth Ehlers (Harley, GL) - Harley lashes out at Mallet for "killing" Gus; before being sentenced, Harley pushes Gus away.
Susan Flannery (Stephanie, B&B) - Stephanie suggests Brooke shoot herself; Stephanie confronts Eric with proof that she owns Forrester.
Kelly Monaco (Sam, GH) - Sam gets drunk while playing dominoes with Jason; Sam urges Jason to have brain surgery.
Kim Zimmer (Reva, GL) - Reva reacts to news that her pregnancy is actually menopause; Reva admits to Josh that he's not enough for her.


It only takes two episodes to win. So, you can have crap all year and just pull off two stellar episodes. Of course, it's hard to get your show to make you a pre-nominee if you have crap, but…


Who will win: Susan Flannery
Who should win: Susan Flannery

Susan Flannery is the most consistently great performer on daytime. I personally, don't like her character, so this isn't a "playing favorites" type thing. She picked reels that mixed humor (although it was only us at home ROTFLAO) and some high drama. Of course, I could have done without the knee to the groin. But, that was the writing not the acting. The only Emmy question surrounding Susan Flannery is "will she ever 'pull an Oprah' and take herself out of the running?"

Who could win: Bobbie Eakes or Kim Zimmer. When Reva tells Josh he isn't enough for her it would just break your heart right along with Josh's.

2005 Daytime Emmy Awards

Oh time to pick the Emmy winners. I will include a list of what each actor chose for their emmy reel and then my choices. I will start with Lead Female as it might be the easiest to pick and try to end with Oustanding Show. My goal is to do a few each week and end by the time of the telecast. Let me know what you think and if you agree/disagree with my picks.