Martha Stewart’s return continues to gain ground

Whatever other toll it might have taken, jail time hasn’t hurt Martha Stewart when it comes to winning awards.

The homemaking guru was a double winner at the National Magazine Awards last month and on Saturday her defunct TV series “Martha Stewart Living” was named outstanding service show at the first round of Daytime Emmy Awards for 2004 programming.

The award was presented by the National Television Academy as part of the ceremony saluting more than 40 categories that don’t get covered on the national Daytime Emmy telecast scheduled for Friday on CBS.

Production on the syndicated “Martha Stewart Living” was halted last year after stations began dropping it because of legal problems confronting its host over a stock transaction. Stewart eventually was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice and spent five months in jail.

A new version of “Martha Stewart Living” is in the works for the fall.

Also winning Emmys were PBS’ “Sesame Street” for best preschool children’s series; PBS’ “Reading Rainbow” for best children’s series and TLC’s “Peep and the Big Wide World” for best animated program for children.