CBS, Soap Poised to Clean Up at Awards

CBS received the most nominations for the 26th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, announced Thursday, returning to its perennial top spot after being uncharacteristically edged out in nominations last year by ABC.

CBS also had the top-nominated program, soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” which took 21 of the network’s 47 bids--a record number of nominations for any single show. ABC earned 41 nominations, followed by PBS with 34, and NBC with 28. Cable’s Showtime and the WB Network garnered 15 nominations each, all for children’s programs.

Susan Lucci, meanwhile, earned her 19th nomination, as best actress in a drama for her role on ABC’s “All My Children,” an award she has never won. Her program, which won best drama series honors last year, took a total of 10 nominations, compared to 13 for ABC’s “General Hospital.” Both shows will vie with “The Young and the Restless” and NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” for outstanding drama series honors this year, when the awards are presented in New York on May 21.

Among talk shows, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” again garnered the most nominations, with 11, just ahead of the 10 nominations accorded to ABC’s “The View,” a panel show hosted by Barbara Walters. The syndicated “Oprah Winfrey Show” took seven nominations; the three will compete with NBC’s “Leeza” and the syndicated “Live With Regis and Kathie Lee” for outstanding talk show, which O’Donnell won last year.

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Winfrey, who tied with O’Donnell for outstanding talk-show host honors last year and also took home a lifetime achievement award, took herself out of the running for best talk host and wasn’t nominated this year. Instead, O’Donnell will compete with Leeza Gibbons, of “Leeza”; Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford; Roseanne, host of “The Roseanne Show”; and the panelists on “The View,” including Debbie Matenopoulos, who was recently dumped by the show.

Among PBS’ nominations, 11 went to continual favorite “Sesame Street.” Other children’s show nominations included eight for “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and seven for “Reading Rainbow.” PBS’ controversial “Teletubbies” got a single nomination, for outstanding preschool children’s series.

In the game show category, syndication’s top-rated “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” will compete with the syndicated “Hollywood Squares,” CBS’ “The Price Is Right” and the Comedy Channel’s “Win Ben Stein’s Money.”

The awards, which this year are for shows that aired between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m. in 1998, are administered by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, based in Los Angeles. This year’s awards ceremony will air on CBS. Non-televised awards, primarily in the creative arts categories, will be handed out May 15.

Some of the other major nominations:

* Lead actress, drama series: Susan Lucci (as Erica Kane), “All My Children,” ABC; Elizabeth Hubbard (as Lucinda Walsh), “As the World Turns,” CBS; Kim Zimmer (as Reva Shayne), “Guiding Light,” CBS; Jeanne Cooper (as Katherine Chancellor), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS; and Melody Thomas Scott (as Nikki Newman), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.

* Lead actor, drama series: David Canary (as Adam and Stuart Chandler), “All My Children,” ABC; Anthony Geary (as Luke Spencer), “General Hospital,” ABC; Robert S. Woods (as Bo Buchanan), “One Life to Live,” ABC; Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS; and Peter Bergman (as Jack Abbott), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.

* Supporting actress, drama series: Jennifer Bassey (as Marian Colby), “All My Children,” ABC; Kelly Ripa (as Hayley Vaughan Santos), “All My Children,” ABC; Beth Ehlers (as Harley Cooper Spaulding), “Guiding Light,” CBS; Kathleen Noone (as Bette Katzenkazrahi), “Sunset Beach,” NBC; and Sharon Case (as Sharon Newman), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.

* Supporting actor, drama series: Michael E. Knight (as Tad Martin), “All My Children,” ABC; Stuart Damon (as Dr. Alan Quartermaine), “General Hospital,” ABC; Jerry Ver Dorn (as Ross Marler), “Guiding Light,” CBS; Kristoff St. John (as Neil Winters), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS; and Christian LeBlanc (as Michael Baldwin), “The Young and the Restless,” CBS.