‘Children’ racks up Emmy nominations

“All My Children,” with 17 nods, led the field in the 30th annual Daytime Emmy Award nominations, edging out “Guiding Light” (14), “Sesame Street” (13), “General Hospital” (12) and the most-watched daytime series, “The Young and the Restless” (12).

Nominations were announced Wednesday morning on ABC’s daytime talk show “The View.” “If we are not nominated, this could be one of the most embarrassing moments on ‘The View,’ ” executive producer and co-host Barbara Walters said at the start of the segment. “And, on this show, that is saying a lot.”

Not to worry. “The View,” which has never won an Emmy, and another perennial nominee, “Live With Regis & Kelly,” will vie for best talk show with newcomers “Dr. Phil” and “The Wayne Brady Show,” as well as “Soap Talk” on cable’s Soapnet. Oprah Winfrey, whose show won the prize nine times starting in 1987, hasn’t been nominated in that category since taking herself out of contention after a 1998 lifetime achievement award.

The awards, handed out by the National Television Academy in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, will be broadcast live on ABC on May 16 from New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. Art Linkletter, former host of “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” will receive a lifetime achievement award during the telecast, which for the first time will run three hours.

Two Showtime movies that premiered in prime time, “Bang, Bang You’re Dead” and “Our America,” were singled out in the children’s special category. Two programs relating to the Sept. 11 attacks were also cited: PBS’ “Zoom: America’s Kids Remember” and WAM’s “Table Talk: Talking Beyond 9/11.”

ABC was the most-nominated network, with 59, seven more than daytime ratings leader CBS. Rounding out the Top 10: PBS (47), syndicated shows (43), NBC (16), Showtime (13), Nickelodeon (10), Disney Channel (eight), Discovery Channel (five) and Kids WB (five).

Bypassed this time around: “All My Children’s” Susan Lucci, who received her 21st nomination as best actress in a drama last year. A longtime bridesmaid, she won the honor in 1999 but was out of the running the following year. Contenders in that category and some other major contests are as follows:

Drama series: CBS’ “As the World Turns,” CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful,” ABC’s “Port Charles,” “CBS’ “The Young and the Restless”

Lead actor in a drama series: Maurice Benard (ABC’s “General Hospital”), Anthony Geary (“General Hospital”), Ricky Paull Goldin (CBS’ “Guiding Light”), Grant Aleksander (“Guiding Light”), Thorsten Kaye (ABC’s “Port Charles”), Doug Davidson (CBS’ “The Young and the Restless”)

Lead actress in a drama series: Last year’s winner Susan Flannery (CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Nancy Lee Grahn (ABC’s “General Hospital”), Kim Zimmer (CBS’ “Guiding Light”), Eileen Davidson (CBS’ “The Young and the Restless”), Michelle Stafford (“The Young and the Restless”)

Game show host: Tom Bergeron (the syndicated “Hollywood Squares”), Alex Trebek (the syndicated “Jeopardy!”), last year’s winner, Bob Barker (CBS’ “The Price Is Right”), Donny Osmond (the syndicated “Pyramid”), Pat Sajak (the syndicated “Wheel of Fortune”), Ben Stein (Comedy Central’s “Win Ben Stein’s Money”)

Children’s series: The Discovery Channel’s “Assignment Discovery,” PBS’ “Between the Lions,” Disney Channel’s “Even Stevens,” PBS’ “Reading Rainbow,” PBS’ “Zoom”