A Rosy Reception for Rosie at 24th Daytime Emmy Awards

Rosie O’Donnell captured a Daytime Emmy Award on her first try while Susan Lucci came up short on her 17th attempt.

Just three weeks shy of her first anniversary on the air, the star of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” was named best talk-show host Wednesday night at the television industry’s 24th annual salute to daytime’s top programs and talent. She beat out Oprah Winfrey for the honor, but “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was named best talk show for the fourth year in a row.

Lucci, who hosted the Emmy telecast on ABC with Regis Philbin, failed again to win as best actress in a soap opera for her role as Erika Kane on ABC’s “All My Children.” The Emmy instead went to Jess Walton, who plays Jill Abbott on CBS’ “The Young & the Restless.”

Justin Deas of CBS’ “Guiding Light” was selected as best actor in a daytime drama, and ABC’s “General Hospital” won as best soap opera for the third straight year.

Counting the awards that were handed out last weekend in non-televised ceremonies, CBS wound up as the most honored network with 16 Daytime Emmys--seven of them for “The Young & the Restless.” Syndicated programs accounted for 12, with PBS getting 10, ABC nine and NBC six. HBO and WB won three each, WB got two and Fox picked up one.

PBS shared in four others for the children’s series “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which airs on the public network and in syndication. CBS similarly shared in two for the animated series “The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa.”

The Emmys, covering the period from Feb. 6, 1996, to Feb. 5, 1997, were handed out at Radio City Music Hall in New York City by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

O’Donnell cried as she accepted her award and talked of sitting in Radio City Music Hall as a child, watching the “Nutcracker Suite” with her mother and sister.

“I feel as though they have guided me in my life,” she said.

Fred Rogers of PBS’ long-running “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was a double winner this year, honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and with an Emmy as best performer in a children’s series.

Pat Sajak was chosen best game show host for “Wheel of Fortune,” and Martha Stewart won as best service show host for her syndicated series, “Martha Stewart Living.”

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Here is a complete list of winners.

* Drama series: “General Hospital,” ABC.

* Preschool children’s series: “Sesame Street,” PBS.

* Children’s series: “Reading Rainbow,” PBS.

* Children’s special: “Elmo Saves Christmas,” PBS.

* Children’s animated program: “Animaniacs,” WB.

* Animated program, special class: “Freakazoid,” WB.

* Talk show: “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” syn.

* Game/audience participation show: “The Price Is Right,” CBS.

* Service show: “Baking With Julia,” PBS.

* Special class program: “1996 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” NBC.

* Lead actress, drama series: Jess Walton (as Jill Abbott), “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Lead actor, drama series: Justin Deas (as Buzz Cooper), “Guiding Light,” CBS.

* Supporting actress, drama series: Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Romalotti), “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Supporting actor, drama series: Ian Buchanan (as James Warwick), “The Bold & the Beautiful,” CBS.

* Younger actress, drama series: Sarah Brown (as Carly Roberts), “General Hospital,” ABC.

* Younger actor, drama series: Kevin Mambo (as Marcus Williams), “Guiding Light,” CBS.

* Game show host: Pat Sajak, “Wheel of Fortune,” syn.

* Talk-show host: Rosie O’Donnell, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” syn.

* Performer, children’s series: Fred Rogers, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” PBS.

* Performer, children’s special: Donna Murphy, “Lifestories: Families in Crisis--Someone Had to Be Benny,” HBO.

* Performer, animated program: Louie Anderson, “Life With Louie,” Fox.

* Service show host: Martha Stewart, “Martha Stewart Living,” syn.

* Writing team, drama series: Agnes Nixon, Lorraine Broderick, Millee Taggart, Hal Corley, Frederick Johnson, Jeff Beldner, Christina Covino, Courtney Simon, Karen L. Lewis, Elizabeth Smith, Michelle Patrick, Bettina F. Bradbury, Judith Donato, Kathleen Klein, Jane Owen Murphy, “All My Children,” ABC; William J. Bell Sr., Kay Alden, Jerry Birn, John F. Smith, Trent Jones, Eric Freiwald, Janice Ferri, Rex Best, Jim Houghton, Michael Minnis, “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Writing, children’s series: Kit Boss, Erren Gottlieb, Michael Gross, James McKenna, Bill Nye, Ian Saunders, Scott Schaefer, Darrell Suto, William Sleeth, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” PBS/syn.

* Writing, children’s special: Bruce Harmon, “Lifestories: Families in Crisis--Someone Had to Be Benny,” HBO.

* Writing, special class: Terrence McDonnell, Steven Dorfman, Kathy Easterling, Debbie Griffin, Jeff Pierson, Frederik Pohl IV, Steve Tamerius, Billy Wisse, “Jeopardy!,” syn.

* Directing team, drama series: Heather Hill, Frank Pacelli, Mike Denney, Kathryn Foster, Betty Rothenberg, Sally McDonald, Dan Brumett, Robbin Masick Phillips, Randall Hill, Donald Jacob, “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Directing, talk show: Duke Struck, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” syn.

* Directing, game/audience participation show: Dick Carson, “Wheel of Fortune,” syn.

* Directing, service show: Russell Morash, “This Old House,” PBS.

* Directing, children’s series: Darrell Suto, Michael Gross, Erren Gottlieb, James McKenna, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” PBS/syn.

* Directing, children’s special: Juan Jose Campanella, “Lifestories: Families in Crisis--Someone Had to Be Benny,” HBO.

* Directing, special class: Laszlo Pal, “Sailing the World Alone,” PBS.

* Art direction/set decoration/scenic design: Jim Fenhagen, Erik Ulfers, Laura Brock, Erik Cheripka, Hank Liebeskind, “Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?,” PBS.

* Art direction/set decoration/scenic design, drama series: Chip Dox, Wade Battley, Tom Early, Sheree Miller, Lance Zeck, Steve Nibbe, “Days of Our Lives,” NBC; Bill Hultstrom, David Hoffmann, Norman Wadell, Joe Bevacqua, Fred Cooper, Andrea Joel, “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Single-camera photography: Kevin Lombard, “Reading Rainbow,” PBS.

* Music direction and composition: Richard Stone, Steve Bernstein, Julie Bernstein, “Animaniacs,” WB.

* Music direction and composition, drama series: Ken Corday, D. Brent Nelson, Dominic Messinger, Cory Lerios, John D’Andrea, Amy Burkhard Evans, Stephen Reinhardt, “Days of Our Lives,” NBC.

* Original song: Gloria Sklerov, Stan Bush, for “Until I Was Loved by You,” “Guiding Light,” CBS.

* Graphics and title design: Thalia Kalodimos, Harriet Seitler, Suzanne Kiley, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” syn.

* Individual achievement, animation: Kexx Singleton, “The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa,” CBS/syn.; Barbara Schade, “The Magic Pearl,” ABC.

* Makeup: Keith Crary, Anna Lujan, Judith Silverman-Orr, “Leeza,” NBC.

* Makeup, drama series: Gail J. Hopkins, Nina Wells, Croina C. Duran, Joleen Rizzo, Gail Brubaker, “Days of Our Lives,” NBC.

* Hairstyling: Andre Walker, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” syn.

* Hairstyling, drama series: Terrie Valazquez, Tom Real, Natascha Ladek, “Days of Our Lives,” NBC.

* Single-camera editing: Darrell Suto, Michael Gross, Felicity Oram, John Reul, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” PBS/syn.

* Multiple-camera editing: Michael Mabbott, John Strolia, Joseph Puglise, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” syn.

* Multiple-camera editing, drama series: Jim Jewell, Fred Rodey, “The Bold & the Beautiful,” CBS.

* Sound mixing: Jon Taylor, Kevin Burns, Todd Orr, Craig Walmsley, “Flipper,” syn.

* Sound mixing, special class: James C. Hodson, Melissa Gentry-Ellis, Michael Beiriger, Daniel Hiland, Joseph Citarella, Allen L. Stone, Michael Jiron, Deb Adair, “The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa,” CBS/syn.

* Live and direct-to-tape sound mixing: David Vaughn, Denise Palm Stones, Maryann Jorgenson, Jack Beller, “The Price Is Right,” CBS.

* Live and direct-to-tape sound mixing, drama series: Terry Fountain, Jan Hoag, Gary Bressler, Fred Fryrear, Paulette Cronkhite, Christina Tyson, Sandy Masone, Sylvia Almstadt, Willie Earl, Donald Smith, Fritz Curtis, Steve Burch, “General Hospital,” ABC.

* Costume design/styling: Durinda Wood, “ABC Afterschool Special: Educating Mom,” ABC; Bill Kellard, Terry Roberson, Ed Christie, Mark Zeszotek, Lara McLean, Stephen Rotondaro, Carlo Yannuzzi, “Elmo Saves Christmas,” PBS.

* Costume design, drama series: Bob Miller, Steve Howard, “General Hospital,” ABC.

* Sound editing: Thomas McGurk, Michael McAuliffe, Dave Howe, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” PBS/syn.

* Sound editing, special class: Paca Thomas, Melissa Gentry-Ellis, Marc Perlman, Kris Daly, Phyllis Ginter, Paul Holzborn, William B. Griggs, Nicolas Carr, Jeff Hutchins, Ken D. Young, Bill Kean, David Lynch, Otis Van Osten, Jennifer E. Mertens, Eric Hertsgaard, “Mighty Ducks,” ABC.

* Lighting direction: Carl Gibson, “Secrets of the Cryptkeeper’s Haunted House,” CBS.

* Lighting direction, drama series: William Roberts, Ray Thompson, Rudolph Hunter, Rod Yamane, “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Technical direction/electronic camera/video control: David Hallmark, Allen Latter, Cesar Cabreira, Wayne Getchell, Edward Nelson, Martin K. Wagner, “The Price Is Right,” CBS; Gregory Aull, Richard Sansevere, Robert Batsche, Leonard Wechsler, Michael C. Inglesh, Ken Decker, Damien Tuffereau, Manny Gutierrez, Manny Torres, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” syn.

* Technical direction/electronic camera/video control, drama series: Janice L. Bendiksen, Jim Dray, Donna Stock, John Bromberek, Sandra Harris, Dean Lamont, Tracy J. Lawrence, Sheldon Mooney, Roberto Bosio, Scha Jani, “The Young & the Restless,” CBS.

* Life achievement: Fred Rogers.