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The CW steps in to save the Daytime Emmy broadcast.
A huge step for the industry was announced today by Gold Derby. The site has learned exclusively that the Daytime Emmys will be held in Los Angeles in late summer at the Orpheum Theatre, telecast by the CW network. Details are still being worked out, but the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hopes to have everything ironed out and unveiled by late next week.
Soap fans are well aware that the fate of the Daytime Emmy broadcast has been up in the air this year after the trifecta of ABC, CBS and NBC refused to broadcast the show due to a decline in ratings year after year. Fans had hoped that maybe the Disney run SOAPnet channel would broadcast the show, but those plans were quickly put to bed. Still, news was coming out that there would be a telecast somehow, but information was not exactly forthcoming.
The young network does not currently air any daytime serials.
Famous for teen dramas such as “One Tree Hill” and “Gossip Girl,” the network does air programs like “Maury” and “Judge Mathis” that do compete at the award show. The network does target the young demographic that could save the soap industry. If the same 18-34 year old women that are addicted to “America’s Next Top Model” and “90210” were to tune into the Emmy broadcast and get interested in some of the daytime soaps that are showcased, this could be a quick fix for a declining genre. It remains to be seen how the CW plans to promote the broadcast, but promos airing during Gossip Girl summer reruns certainly couldn’t hurt.
Today, March 25, DVD samples of the pre-nominees work are being sent to voters for evaluation. Ballots will be sent out in about a week and are due back by April 20th. Just as last year, there will only be one round of voting, so whoever gets the highest scores will win the Emmy, but it won’t be announced until the broadcast, which will probably be on August 31st.
Some nominees will be announced May 14th during the fourth hour of the “Today” show on NBC with Kathie Lee Gifford, such as drama series, talk show and lead acting. Some nominees, like supporting acting, will be announced during a reception at the Hearst Building in New York the evening of May 14th, and a full list of the nominees will be released minutes later.
At this point, NATAS is currently exploring ways to alter the voting system so that it can eliminate the controversial pre-nomination system that requires the casts of TV soaps to put forth two actors per category to be judged by voters who view the sample DVDs. This is the same process that allows actors who aren’t exactly on-set favorites with their fellow cast members to be ignored for their quality performances. Next year it may be possible for all actors to put themselves up for nomination and be evaluated by the judges. TVSource Magazine hopes that the Academy continues to make these kinds of evaluations and modifications to the same system that would allow such talents as Melody Thomas Scott, Kimberly McCullough, and Trevor St. John to be overlooked due to set-side politics. It’s no secret that the Emmy process has been flawed for many years.
Here’s to hoping that these wrongs may be righted and respect may return to the Daytime Emmys and its recognition process.
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