ABC Tops CBS in Daytime Emmy Nods

For the first time in memory, ABC received the most nominations in bids for the 25th annual Daytime Emmy Awards announced Wednesday, edging perennial leader CBS.

CBS still possessed the most-nominated program, its top-rated soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” which accounted for 18 of the network’s 49 nominations. ABC garnered 52 nominations--twice the total for NBC--while PBS tallied 48.

In what has become the most closely watched part of the annual ceremony, “All My Children’s” Susan Lucci also secured her 18th nomination as best actress in a drama, having never won for the long-running ABC soap.

“All My Children” received 17 Emmy bids in all, while 16 went to another ABC serial, “General Hospital,” which has claimed the Emmy as outstanding drama three straight years. Those two programs will again vie for honors in that category, along with “Young and the Restless” and NBC’s “Days of Our Lives.”

In its second year of eligibility, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” also reaped the most nominations of any series in the talk-show balloting, with 13, compared to eight for her top syndicated competitor, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and for ABC’s Barbara Walters panel show “The View.”

In addition to those three entries, best talk-show nominees are NBC’s “Leeza” and the syndicated “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee.” Last year, the Emmy voters chose O’Donnell as best host, but Winfrey’s program was named outstanding talk show.

The high-rated syndicated tandem “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” are again nominated in the game show category, joined by last year’s winner “The Price Is Right,” “Pictionary” and the offbeat cable series “Win Ben Stein’s Money.”

As usual, PBS’ “Sesame Street” walked away with the most nominations among children’s programs, with 11, followed by seven apiece for “Disney Presents Bill Nye the Science Guy,” “Reading Rainbow” and “Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?”

The WB network also totaled 10 nominations--twice as many as better-established competitors Fox Kids Network and Nickelodeon--for its children’s fare. Two WB programs that carry the imprimatur of director Steven Spielberg, “Pinky and the Brain” and “Animaniacs,” nabbed bids as outstanding animated program.

Other lead acting candidates include Lucci’s co-star David Canary, Eileen Davidson (“Days of Our Lives”), Jacklyn Zeman and Anthony Geary of “General Hospital,” “Guiding Light’s” Cynthia Watros and Kim Zimmer, Kin Shriner (ABC’s “Port Charles”), and Eric Braeden and Peter Bergman, from “The Young and the Restless.”

Programs airing between Feb. 6, 1997, and Dec. 31, 1997, were eligible for consideration. The awards, presented in 59 categories by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, will be televised May 15 as a prime-time special on NBC.

Some of the other major nominations:

* Lead actress, drama series: Susan Lucci (as Erica Kane), “All My Children,” ABC; Eileen Davidson (as Kristen), “Days of Our Lives,” NBC; Jacklyn Zeman (as Bobbie Spencer), “General Hospital,” ABC; Cynthia Watros (as Annie Dutton) and Kim Zimmer (as Reva Shayne), “Guiding Light,” CBS.

* Lead actor, drama series: David Canary (as Adam Chandler), “All My Children,” ABC; Anthony Geary (as Luke Spencer), “General Hospital,” ABC; Kin Shriner (as Scotty Baldwin), “Port Charles,” ABC; Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman) and Peter Bergman (as Jack Abbott), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.

* Supporting actress, drama series: Julia Barr (as Brooke English), “All My Children,” ABC; Amy Carlson (as Josie Watts Sinclair), “Another World,” NBC; Vanessa Marcil (as Brenda Barrett), “General Hospital,” ABC; Amy Ecklund (as Abigail Blume), “Guiding Light,” CBS; Victoria Rowell (as Drucilla Winters), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.

* Supporting actor, drama series: Michael E. Knight (as Tad Martin), “All My Children,” ABC; Ian Buchanan (as Dr. James Warwick), “The Bold and the Beautiful,” CBS; Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), “General Hospital,” ABC; Grant Aleksander (as Phillip Spaulding), “Guiding Light,” CBS; Scott Reeves (as Ryan McNeil), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.

* Service show: “Martha Stewart Living,” syn.; “The New Yankee Workshop,” PBS; “Newton’s Apple,” PBS; “The Pet Department,” FX; “This Old House,” PBS.

* Children’s series: “Beakman’s World,” CBS; “Disney Presents Bill Nye the Science Guy,” syn.; “Nick News,” Nickelodeon; “Reading Rainbow,” PBS; “Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?,” PBS.

* Children’s animated program: “Arthur,” PBS; “Disney’s 101 Dalmatians,” ABC; “Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus,” PBS; “Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs,” WB; “Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky and the Brain,” WB.

* Game show host: Alex Trebek, “Jeopardy!,” syn.; Pat Sajak, “Wheel of Fortune,” syn.; Bob Barker, “The Price Is Right,” CBS.

* Pre-school children’s series: “Amazing Animals,” Disney Channel; “Bear in the Big Blue House,” Disney Channel; “Blue’s Clues,” Nickelodeon; “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” PBS; “Sesame Street,” PBS.

* Performer in a children’s series: Fred Rogers, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” PBS; Bill Nye, “Disney Presents Bill Nye the Science Guy,” syn.; LeVar Burton, “Reading Rainbow,” PBS; Caroll Spinney (as Oscar the Grouch), “Sesame Street,” PBS; Lynne Thigpen (as the Chief), “Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?,” PBS.

* Performer in an animated program: Robin Williams (as the Genie), “Genie’s Great Minds,” ABC; Louie Anderson (as Dad/Little Louie), “Life With Louie,” Fox; Lily Tomlin (as Ms. Frizzle), “Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus,” PBS; Maurice LaMarche (as the Brain) and Rob Paulsen (as Pinky), “Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky and the Brain,” WB.