Silbermann Talks WORLD TURNS and Boundary Busting

OUT.com writer Christine Champagne talked to the newest star of AS THE WORLD TURNS, actor Jake Silbermann ("Noah Mayer") about the historical import (and potential) of his gay teen character's upcoming summer romance and his "natural" chemistry with on-screen love interest Van Hansis ("Luke Snyder").

Which isn't to say that the road to gay iconography has run smoothly. Silbermann tells Champagne of his first ATWT public appearance, a trip to the GLAAD Media Awards before he had even aired as Army brat-turned-news intern (turned-supercouple's son-scoping charmer) Noah. His first mistake? Not knowing to be fashionably late...

Read Champagne's story here.

RELATED - "GENERAL HOSPITAL's New Gay Hottie," the Out.com interview with Ben Hogestyn

UPDATE: JERICHO Saved!

Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, has announced via the network's official message boards that the canceled serial JERICHO has been givne a reprieve, with the network ordering seven addtional episodes to be aired, most likely, mid-season of next year.

In her post, Tassler noted, "On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of Jericho in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference."

The digital elements of the show will apparently continue apace until the show makes its return to the small screen, and, should ratings improve for the final seven episodes, a long future could be ahead for the newly revived, and likely just as creepy, prime-time soap.

Jericho Fan Campaign: Just Might Be Nuts Enough to Work

Fan protests of the decision to cancel shows are nothing new. In fact, the Internet is lousy with petitions, old and new, devoted to dearly departed network and cable offerings. Soaps, however, are in a league of their own...something the editors of Soap Opera Digest (who occasionally have to beg fans to stop sending a particular item in) or executives at Proctor & Gamble, drowning in the fruits of whatever fan campaign ("place these two characters together!", "break these two up," "give _______ a new contract!") happens to be active at the time, can tell you.

[ed. note -- I even admit to to participating once, protesting Jennifer Branson's firing from GENERAL HOSPITAL--and as much as I love, love, LOVE Laura Wright's amazing take on "Carly Corinthos," I still think Bransford got screwed, and that ABC Daytime owes her a second chance someplace else...]

But such campaigns are more rare, and less successful, as a rule, in the realm of prime-time, though dissapointed fans of the canceled JERICHO, are redefining the creative fan campaign playing field.

In a recent report filed by Scott Mayerowitz for the ABCNEWS Business Division on ABCNEWS.com reports that a fan campaign to deluge CBS with thousands and thousands of pounds of peanuts to protest the network's decision to cancel the show appears to be working.

So far, nearly 8 million, or 40,000 lbs. of peanuts have arrived at the offices of multiple CBS executives, and the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source, reports that the network is now reconsidering the cancelation, with a decision on whether to revive the show for mid-season next year, due soon.

Read the full story here.

Network Honchos Tackle the State of Nighttime Soaps

Scott D. Pierce writes an absolutely fantastic piece entitled "To Be Continued..." for the Deseret Morning News on the place and future of the nighttime serial on network television. I've included a highly truncated version below, but recommend reading Pierce's full article here.

From the Deseret Morning News:

Last fall, network executives were…declaring this the Season of the Serial — in addition to the [many] shows with storylines that continue from week to week returning—[execs] added 19 more.

By midseason, some critics were declaring the effort a big flop and predicting the end of serialized shows on network TV.

<…>

As with all things in TV, this is cyclical....if the executives were wrong last fall, so were those critics at midseason. The truth lies in the middle. Of those 19 new serials, four — BROTHERS & SISTERS, HEROES, MEN IN TREES, and UGLY BETTY — have already been renewed for next season [a success rate of 21 percent].

A 21 percent success rate is just about [the same] for all new network shows. If one or two more get picked up…this year's crop of serialized newcomers will exceed that average.

Part of the thinking [is] that serials are a risk, but offer a big reward. If they prove popular with [viewers], those viewers will come back week after week.

"Serialization is still one of the biggest hooks that we have into an audience," NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. "[It's] rocket fuel when you hit it."

The risk comes because you're asking viewers to tune in to every single episode [and] the risk increases when there are so many serials on the air, because viewers can't commit to all of them.

Fox's Entertainment president Peter Liguori thinks that serials have to be not just good, but better than other shows. "It seems to me that in order to put on a serialized show, you have a higher standard," he said. "If we're going to ask viewers to make that kind of commitment, you better be great."

<…>

It would be nice if quality always wins out [but] some good shows get canceled; some very bad shows succeed.

The thinking is that there were just too many serialized shows on the air at one time...if a viewer is already watching 24 and LOST and GREY’S ANATOMY, how many of the 19 new shows did he or she have time to start watching [also]?

Reilly acknowledged that critics "were right to acknowledge the overabundance of serialized shows." Particularly too many shows that were so much alike in tone….but [that] you can't argue serials don't work, "because there's Heroes, completely defying the logic," Reilly said. "Highly serialized, highly complex and it's the breakout hit of the year."

And ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson believes that "escapism" equaled success, pointing to Betty and Brothers & Sisters.

Liguori postulates that "shows that have a more singular focus and a singular goal may have a leg up. PRISON BREAK — get out of prison; 24 — save the country."

Network programmers…expect to program fewer new serials this fall. "We're...looking and saying. 'How much [of a] commitment can an audience make to an overall schedule?"' McPherson said. As a result, he's looking at more "stuff that is procedural or closed-ended" for next season.

"We're not running away from it," said NBC's Reilly. "But we are balancing it out a little bit more."

Soaps on the Ropes? Broader Impact of Falling Soap Ratings Explored

John Consoli of MediaWeek authors "Soaps on the Ratings Ropes," exploring the changing soap ratings landscape. As a long-time industry watcher, I wish the piece had included some historical context (the advent of alternative cable programming, the year's worth of O.J. trial pre-emptions) that would have been helpful, and explored the highly relevant question of what channels like SoapNet have done for overall ratings (I would be very interested in knowing what GENERAL HOSPITAL's ratings come to when you combine the ABC showing with the ratings for each of the SoapNet repeats), but it does tackle the subject in a balanced way, noting that while soaps may not pull in the viewers they once did, they still are an efficient way to reach a valued audience, and for that reason, still draw advertisers. It's worth a read.

[Editor's Question: The ratings numbers/trends regarding the shows which have benefited from the inclusion of college students are practically the polar opposites from those featured in this Variety story a few weeks ago. If anyone knows the reason for this discrepancy, e-mail me at the address to the left.]

A substantial excerpt of the full article:

Daytime soap operas on the broadcast networks have continued their steady audience decline this year, drawing concern from media buyers who say there are still a large number of clients that want to reach the shows’ largely female viewership. But some nets at least are doing something about it.

While NBC announced earlier this year that after eight years it will pull the plug on PASSIONS this fall, the network will stick with DAYS OF OUR LIVES. And both CBS and ABC insiders say they are committed to keeping their combined seven soaps on the air. But despite the networks’ commitments, the audience shortfalls, combined with advertiser demand, have tightened the avails and driven up prices.

“We always hate paying more for less,” said Andy Donchin, executive vp and director of national broadcast for Carat USA.

“Daytime ratings are bleeding and it’s a problem for advertisers,” added Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer for GroupM, who said he wants soaps to survive, “It’s an efficient way to reach women, and if they go off the air, I can’t think of any efficient alternatives.”

Donchin agreed. “Even though I am concerned about audience falloff, it hasn’t reached a point where our clients would abandon the daypart,” he said, “The total number of viewers each day is still substantial when compared to alternatives like cable or syndication.”

To read the full article, go here.

'InTurn' World to Turn Again

From Reuters and the Hollywood Reporter:

CBS has ordered a second season of the original Web series INTURN in which nine young acting hopefuls compete to land a recurring role on CBS' AS THE WORLD TURNS. Slated for launch in the summer, INTURN 2 will again document the challenges of participants as they undergo screen tests, cold readings and other acting challenges while residing under the same roof. A new episode will debut on CBS.com twice a week for eight weeks.

After six of the contestants are voted off by the judges -- with actors from the on-air daytime drama serving as judges -- viewers will determine the winner through an online vote. The first season of the Web-based reality show, which debuted in the summer, wound up becoming the most-streamed program of those specifically created for CBS' broadband channel Innertube.

Happy 51st Birthday to AS THE WORLD TURNS!

On April 2, 1956, AS THE WORLD TURNS premiered on CBS. The Proctor & Gamble show, serves (or served) as sister show to CBS's GUIDING LIGHT, NBC's SOMERSET, TEXAS, and ANOTHER WORLD and, at various times, became home to six AW characters after that show's cancellation. ATWT is up for 16 Emmys this year, including nominations for Best Directing Team, and every acting category but one. Congratulations on 51 years!

(April 2 was also the date of the premiere of the much beloved law and order soap THE EDGE OF NIGHT.)

How Branson, Mo. Courted ATWT

More on the AS THE WORLD TURNS remote shoot in Branson, MO. Read it here.

Happy Birthday Y&R!

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS turns 34 today. Y&R premiered on March 26, 1973, with a distinctive visual and musical "signature" and a new focus on storylines geared to younger audiences. Created by the late William J. Bell and his wife, Lee Phillip Bell, Y&R has been number one in overall viewers for more than 18 years.

Soaps' New Media Ventures: Coming of Age?

Business Week asks, "Can producing soap operas for online viewers breathe new life into daytime programming?" in Tom Lowry's piece 'As The World Wide Web Turns':

In late February, CBS launched a Web-only soap opera called L.A. DIARIES it hopes will attract young women. The nine episodes are
streamed for about six minutes a pop on the network's innertube.com site.

The action centers on "Amber [Moore Forrester," portrayed by Adrienne Frantz], an existing character on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, and on "Alison [Stewart," portrayed by Marnie Schulenburg], a new character who emerged from the cyberspace soap on Mar. 21 to play an actual role on TV in AS THE WORLD TURNS [Soappipe editor's note: "Alison" is actually a long-running character on ATWT, recently recast and reintroduced via Diaries].

It's a fresh approach to creating buzz for a TV staple, and other network executives will be watching closely. Rival networks are trying to get kids to watch old daytime melodramas such as GENERAL HOSPITAL and DAYS OF OUR LIVES, shows their mothers or grandmothers might have watched.

Few genres have demonstrated more staying power than the soap opera. More than half a century after first airing alongside the detergent commercials that gave them their name, soaps still captivate millions of mostly women fans. No matter how preposterous the dialogue or cheesy the plot lines, soaps have, in modern parlance, a "stickiness" that many prime-time dramas can only hope to achieve.

Characters like newspaper publisher "Victoria Lord Davidson" [portrayed by Erika Slezak] of ONE LIFE TO LIVE (who made her debut on the show in 1968) have been on the tube for so long that they can seem like old friends. "I feel I really know them," says Antonella Cahill, a 40-year-old Philadelphia secretary and soap fan who named one daughter after the scheming "Nikki Newman" [portrayed by Melanie Thomas Scott] of Y&R and the other after GH's "Tiffany Hill" (who married and left beloved Port Charles years ago).

Even better, as far as soap fans are concerned, the networks don't stint on new episodes; last year, ABC rolled out 251 new GH episodes vs. 23 new DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES shows.

But even as the shows' stars age gracefully (cue makeup, soft focus, and cosmetic surgery), there is no hiding the graying of their fans.
There are new plot devices and characters--a teen girl's right to choose, for one--calculated to appeal to young women. Even so, most soap devotees are well over 50. Meanwhile, over the past decade, viewership has fallen 35%, to 30 million viewers a day. Hence the networks' eagerness to reimagine the soaps for a new generation.

It goes without saying that the Web is where the action is, but so far the networks haven't been able to win the digital rights to put them on their own sites. Until ABC, NBC, and CBS hammer out a deal with the production companies that make the soaps, few will be available to download or stream. [Soappipe editor's Note: NBC streams PASSIONS daily on NBC.com.]

There's plenty of upside in getting the deals done. Media consultant Tom Wolzien figures there are more than 20 million women in the workplace with broadband access. So streaming shows live to computers could double the potential audience for soaps. If you got just 5% of those working women to watch, Wolzien calculates, the networks could reap an extra $230 million a year in advertising.

In the meantime, the networks are taking baby steps online. SoapNet, the Walt Disney Co.-owned channel that shows soaps at night for working women, sponsors online soap fantasy leagues. Participants rack up points when characters they have picked for their team take off their shirts, say, or switch the paternity-test results. Still,
the players number less than 30,000. The channel is also asking college kids to create their own soaps and put them to the vote at soapnet.com. Even CBS's GUIDING LIGHT is getting in on the act, podcasting the show, which began life on radio in 1937. [Soappipe editor's note: ATWT also is available as a streaming podcast each day.]

If the soap opera is to be around for another half-century, the networks will have to make converts of a generation with a thousand more entertainment choices than their grandmothers.

"The constant," says Barbara Bloom, senior vice-president for daytime programming at CBS, "is making viewers always feel emotionally involved in the story."

• Read the Business Week story in its original form here.
• See L.A. DIARIES, featuring Y&R's Amber and ATWT's Alison here.
• View full-episodes of PASSIONS (and check out a variety of interactive web content related to the supernatural soap) on-line here.
• Interactive content for DAYS is here.
• Download GL and ATWT podcasts here. Additional web content for CBS Daytime is here.

Happy 20th Birthday to THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL!

On March 23, 1987, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL premiered on CBS, as a 1/2 hour companion soap to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (with whom it has shared numerous characters over the years). Set in the glamorous world of the Los Angeles fashion industry, the series marks its 20th anniversary today, having garnered critical accolades, including over 35 Daytime Emmy Awards, and achieved worldwide popularity.

Television & Diversity: Progress (and the lack thereof)

A pair of excellent stories in The Morning Call on race, diversity, and interracial relationships on-screen focus on nighttime dramas, but could easily apply to the advances (and lack thereof) on daytime today (click on the titles to read the full stories):

Interracial Romances Flourishing on TV with Little Fanfare

and

Diversity on TV Up, but Stars, Producers, Writers Still Mostly White

Writer McFarland Handicaps Primetime Faves Ripe for Cancellation

In her article, Spring Can Be the Cruelest Season for Favorite Shows, Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer handicaps the mid-season status of primetime network shows in the cancellation crosshairs, including several serials.

Including each net's point-of-contact information for the action oriented, MacFarland runs down her list, which includes:

CBS: JERICHO

"Proving how fickle fortune and audiences can be, the post-apocalyptic drama had momentum and buzz on its side last fall, only to be crushed by American Idol when it returned in February. CBS could move it, but finding a suitable fit is going to be problematic. Besides, why shift JERICHO if replacing it with a show potent enough to fend off the Idol threat makes more sense?"

ABC: No serials/no dramas

"Only a few seasons ago, ABC had no luck landing a decent drama. Now that it's lousy with 'em, including a couple that are among television's highest-rated, it can't score a decent sitcom to save some development executive's neck. No one could blame the network if it scrapped the lot and started completely fresh..."

NBC: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, Crossing Jordan, Studio 60

"The Peacock is facing a bit of a dilemma as is flies into May. HEROES became a hit, but other freshmen such as FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS suffer from a mismatch between acclaim (high) and ratings (low); and veterans, even [the original] Law & Order are barely treading water. NBC fumbled the promotion campaign for [LIGHTS] last summer, but it can make up for that in the run-up to season two....there's less hope for the likes of Crossing Jordan and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which might be pushed on top of the cancellation grenade to preserve the mother ship L&O—and save the cost-cutting NBC some money."


FOX: PRISON BREAK, Standoff

"PRISON BREAK has yet to be renewed, but it's safer than Standoff, which is getting a last chance to justify its existence by turning around the Friday night death slot. (Not gonna happen.)

THE CW: VERONICA MARS, GILMORE GIRLS, 7th HEAVEN

"VERONICA MARS fans are used to hearing gloomy predictions about its survival odds this time of year, but now they really have to be worried. First, its season order was shortened. Then, hiatus replacement The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll drew in higher ratings. Another whammy: The stars of GILMORE GIRLS haven't decided whether to extend their contracts for another year. Without GILMORE, Neptune's finest might be done. If those shows go down, they had better take [HEAVEN] with them."

(Read the full story, including McFarland's sitcom pics, here.)

Daytime Emmy Nominations Sure to Spark Controversy: Does CBS continue to be recognized disproportionately at the expense of NBC?

Nominees for the 34th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards were announced today by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences live on CBS's The Early Show at the stages of GUIDING LIGHT, television’s longest running daytime drama.

Peter Price, President of the National Television Academy, was joined by Barbara Bloom, Sr. VP, CBS Daytime Programs, Early Show anchor Julie Chen, and actors Mandy Bruno and Bradley Cole ("Marina Cooper" and "Jeffrey O'Neill") of GL; Terri Colombino and Austin Peck ("Katie Peretti Kasnoff" and "Brad Snyder") of AS THE WORLD TURNS; Brandon Beemer ("Shawn Brady") of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, Cathy Jeneen Doe, ("Simone Russell"), PASSIONS, Bree Williamson ("Jessica and 'Tess' Buchanan") of ONE LIFE TO LIVE and Jacob Young of ALL MY CHILDREN.

Outstanding Drama Series

• THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC
• THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

• Maura West, as "Carly Snyder," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Crystal Chappell, as "Olivia Spencer," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• Kim Zimmer, as "Reva Shayne Lewis," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• Jeanne Cooper, as "Katherine Chancellor," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS
• Michelle Stafford, as "Phyllis Summers Newman," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

• Michael Park, as "Jack Snyder," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Anthony Geary, as "Luke Spencer," GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• Ricky Paull Goldin, as "Gus Aitoro," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS"
• Peter Bergman, as "Jack Abbott," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS
• Christian LeBlanc, as "Michael Baldwin," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

• Lesli Kay, as "Felicia Forrester," THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• Genie Francis, as "Laura Spencer," GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• Rebecca Herbst, as "Elizabeth Spencer," GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• Gina Tognoni, as "Dinah Marler," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• Renee Elise Goldsberry, as "Evangeline Williamson," ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC
• Heather Tom, as "Kelly Kramer," ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

• Trent Dawson, as "Henry Coleman," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Rick Hearst, as "Ric Lansing," GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• Dan Gauthier, as "Kevin Buchanan," ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC
• Greg Rikaart, as "Kevin Fisher," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS
• Kristoff St. John, as "Neil Winters," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Younger Actress In A Drama Series

• Leven Ramblin as "Lily Montgomery," ALL MY CHILDREN, ABC
• Jennifer Landon, as "Gwen Munson," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Alexandra Chando, as "Maddie Coleman," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Julie Berman, as "Lulu Spencer," GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• Stephanie Gaschet, as "Tammy Winslow," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS

Outstanding Younger Actor In A Drama Series

• Van Hansis, as "Luke Snyder," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Jesse Soffer, as "Will Munson," AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Tom Pelphrey, as "Jonathan Randall," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• James Stevenson,as "Jared Casey," PASSIONS, NBC
• Bryton McClure, as "Devon Hamilton," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Achievement in Live & Direct To Tape Sound Mixing For A Drama Series

• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC
• GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control For A Drama Series

• ALL MY CHILDREN, ABC
• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC

Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team

• THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design for a Drama Series

• ALL MY CHILDREN, ABC
• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC

Outstanding Achievement for a Casting Director For A Drama Series

• Mary Clay Boland, Casting Director, AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• Christy Dooley, Casting Driector, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• Mark Teschner, Casting Director, GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• Rob Decina, Casting Director, GUIDING LIGHT, CBS

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design For A Drama Series

• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• PASSIONS, NBC

Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team

• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC

Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing For A Drama Series

• THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC

Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling For A Drama Series

• ALL MY CHILDREN, ABC
• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC
• PASSIONS, NBC

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction For A Drama Series

• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC

Outstanding Achievement in Makeup For A Drama Series

• AS THE WORLD TURNS, CBS
• THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS
• GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC
• PASSIONS, NBC

Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition For A Drama Series

• DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC
• GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ABC
• THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Outstanding Original Song

• "Can You Love Me (With The Lights On)," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• "In A Moment," GUIDING LIGHT, CBS
• "Love is Ecstasy," PASSIONS, NBC
• "It's A New Day, Today," Today Show, NBC
• "Carry On," THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, CBS

Two now-defunct soap-related programs were recognized as well. SoapNet's talker, SOAP TALK, earned Emmy nods in two categories, for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s), Lisa Rinna and Ty Treadway, and for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. NBC "reality soap" STARTING OVER, garnered two noms.

Nomination counts broke out as follows:

Networks -

1. CBS, 57
2. ABC, 36
3. NBC, 15

Shows -

1. GL, 17
2. ATWT, 16
3. Y&R, 12
4. GH, 10; OLTL, 10
5. B&B, 7
6. AMC, 5; DAYS, 5; PASSIONS, 5

The 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on Friday, June 15, 2007 (9:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET/PT), on CBS.

Television pioneer Lee Phillip Bell, co-creator, along with her late husband, William J. Bell, of Y&R and B&B, was previously announced as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

A complete list of nominees can be found here.

Soaps Recognized For Tackling ‘Elephant In The Room’ of Substance Abuse and Mental Health

On March 13, nominees for the 11th Annual PRISM Awards were announced in Burbank, CA. The PRISM Awards, presented by the Entertainment Industries Council (in partnership with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/SAMHSA), recognize productions and performances that feature accurate depictions of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction. In two new awards this year, recognition will also be given to accurate depictions of struggles related to mental health and bi-polar disorder.

In addition to the five competitors in the Daytime Drama-specific category, GENERAL HOSPITAL received a nod alongside primetime specials and episodic television in the new category honoring portrayals of bi-polar disorder.

The nominees announced today include:

TV Daytime Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline

• "JR's Alcoholism," ALL MY CHILDREN (protagonist "JR Chandler" is portrayed by Jacob Young)
• "Luke's Alcohol Abuse," AS THE WORLD TURNS (protagonist "Luke Snyder" is portrayed by Van Hansis)
• "Hunters (sic) Battle with Alcoholism," BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (protagonist "Taylor Hayes Forrester" is portrayed by Hunter Tylo, pictured)
• "Lucky's Drug Addiction," GENERAL HOSPITAL (protagonist "Lucas 'Lucky' Spencer" is portrayed by Greg Vaughan)
• "Gus's Addiction," GUIDING LIGHT (protagonist "Gus Aituro" is portrayed by Ricky Paull Goldin)

Bipolar Disorder Award

• Crazy for Life
• GENERAL HOSPITAL - Sonny's Bipolar Disorder (protagonist "Sonny Corinthos" is portrayed by Maurice Benard)
• Jelly Smoke
• Law and Order - "Heart of Darkness"
• Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - "Influence"

Recipients will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on April 24th and which will air in November on the FX Network. (The network will also air the previous year’s awards show April 22nd as part of the promotion of the PRISM awards ceremony on the 24th.)

(Read more here.)

Soap's Living Pioneer Lee Phillip Bell to Make History with Lifetime Achievement Emmy

YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS co-creator Lee Phillip Bell has been selected by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (or NATAS) to receive the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Daytime Emmys ceremony, and will make new television history when she does.

Bell, mother of Y&R star Lauralee Bell ("Christine 'Cricket' Blair") and BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL executive producer/head writer Bradley Bell (pictured), partnered with her late husband William J. Bell to create two of CBS's most successful soaps, Y&amp;R and B&B, and continued as a story consultant for both shows for many years.

In 1992, William Bell received the Lifetime Achievement Award from NATAS, making the which makes the two the only married couple to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award individually from NATAS in television history.

More on Bell (including her long-standing concern for the social issues of the day and award-winning work as a Chicago broadcaster) can be found here.

BROADCASTING & CABLE: 'Writer's Guild Reaches Agreement with CBS Over Soap Opera Webisodes'

Jim Benson at Broadcasting & Cable has this:

"The East and West Coast branches of the Writers Guild of America have reached an agreement with CBS covering the writing of 'webisode' online content for the daytime serials AS THE WORLD TURNS and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

The WGA says the deal provides 'a flexible framework for future online, mobile-content and other new technology deals within the entertainment industry' referring to upcoming contract negotiations with Hollywood that could start as early as this summer. But industry executives say they see the pact as being specifically related to the two soaps, which have an upcoming joint storyline that will play out online, rather than as a template for a new overall deal.

'We are pleased to have worked with CBS to develop a fair compensation model for this new media platform,' WGA West Executive Director David Young said in a statement. 'By coming together to reach this forward-looking agreement, we've helped insure that the stories created by writers for this new medium will continue to maintain the creative integrity of original network programming.'

The WGA-CBS agreement relates to the guild's efforts to cover writing services for new media. In addition to initial compensation, the WGA says the new deal provides benefits and protections that include minimums, residuals in all markets (including reuse for new media, television, cable and DVD) , pension and health coverage, and writing credit provisions."

(Read the original article here)

Nets Look to Soap-ready Names to Insulate New Nighttime Soap Offerings

With the resurgent success of complete and near-complete serialized drama on the broadcast nets (examples include hit sophomore soap GREY'S ANATOMY on ABC, and first-season breakout supernatural serial HEROES, on NBC, both following in the footsteps of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), the nets are again looking to nighttime sudsers--and the loyal fans they potentially generate--to fill key holes in their schedules.

With several high profile projects in the works--including a much buzzed-about (but as yet untitled) Grey's spin-off, British import FOOTBALL WIVES (both ABC) and what the Hollywood Reporter recently described as a "cop soap," PROTECT AND SERVE in the pilot stages for CBS--the nets look to be relying on big names familiar to daytime and nighttime soap viewers to guarantee early sampling by loyal soap audiences, and insulate the new shows against many of the challenges faced by freshmen scripted dramas.

• The Grey's spin-off, set to be piloted as a two-hour, stand-alone Grey's Anatomy "movie event" later this Spring, continues to build up the star power (and soap experience) on its roster. In addition to already announced stars Tim Daly (Wings, Eyes, ex-"Nick Cavenaugh," THE NINE) and Taye Diggs (ex-"Sugar Hill," GUIDING LIGHT), mystery teen-soap VERONICA MARS actor Chris Lowell (ex-"Piz Piznarzki"), and tv and film vet Hector Elizondo (ex-"Dr. Phillip Watters," CHICAGO HOPE) have joined the pilot as well.


• Real-life NFL-spouse Holly Robinson-Peete (ex-"Officer Judy Hoffs," 21 Jump Street) will join Xena's Lucy Lawless (ex-"D'Anna Biers," BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA), alongside film star Gabrielle Union (ex-"Dr. Courtney Ellis," CITY OF ANGELS) and SUNSET BEACH alum Eddie Cibrian (ex-"Cole Deschanel") in the cast of FOOTBALL WIVES.


• PROTECT AND SERVE, previewed as a starring vehicle for The Practice's Steve Harris, has added the YOUNG & RESTLESS's Thad Luckinbill ("J.T. Hellstrom") to a cast that already includes nighttime soap veteran Grant Show (ex-"Jake Hanson," MELROSE PLACE, ex-"Lucas Boyd," POINT PLEASANT, ex-"Daniel Kerr," BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE).

More on these and others in what may be a bumper crop of nighttime serials being prepped for possible Fall debuts as information becomes available.

Martha Said Knock You Out? ATWT's Byrne as You've Never Thought of Her Before

CBS's AS THE WORLD TURNS star Martha Byrne ("Lily Walsh Snyder) is known for the many hats she wears, but those who know her as a power-mother, St. Jude's Children's Hospital fund-raiser, or even remember her short stint as a women's ciggarette pitchwoman (and lead songstres), may have raised an eyebrow at this press release published online at the Boxing Insider.

An innovative and ambitious way to help mothers and young people? Perhaps it's not at all far off from the always gloves-off (when it comes to helping others) Martha Byrne we're used to. (Read all about Martha's latest project here.)

Beautiful 'Images': Soaps, Daytime and Nightime, Polished at 38th NAACP Image Awards

People of color have always been soap opera's loudest, proudest, and most articlulate champions, and that tradition of support for and loyalty to "the stories" and telenovelas continued Friday night at the 38th Annual IMAGE Awards, presented by the storied National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (or NAACP).

The glamorous ceremony, hosted by musician and actor (Deep Blue Sea, Last Holiday) LL Cool J, again set itself apart from a number of other awards-season ceremonies by including daytime soaps in the nomination categories and winners circle, and honoring the serial-television medium in its nighttime selections as well.

Kristoff St. John, who plays business executive "Neil Winters" on CBS's top-rated THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, was honored as Best Actor in a Daytime Series in a year that has seen his character deal with the disintegration and then rebuilding of his family following a series of personal, medical, and legal challenges. St. John and Y&R, which has had an African-American family at the core of its action for over a decade, have been a frequent NAACP honorees over the years.

Tracey Ross, portrayer of physician "Eve Russell," on NBC's PASSIONS, was named Best Actress in a Daytime Series for a year that has seen her alter-ego deal with the end of a marriage and engagement, several key changes in relationships with her children (and presumed-children), and the continued coming out storyline of her character's lesbian teen daughter. In typical soap opera fashion, Ross's "Dr. Eve" is often the only available physician in the sudser's New England town, placing Ross at the center of several medically-based storyline twists over the past months.

(Sadly, though PASSIONS is one of the daytime's few soaps to feature a front burner and multi-generational black "core family," network officials recently announced plans to cancel the show to make room for a fourth hour of it's TODAY SHOW franchise.)

Nighttime soaps were honored as well, with ABC's serial comic sudser UGLY BETTY (adapted from it's similarly named predecessor telenovelas and daytime soaps in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East), named Best Comedy and honored for Best Comedy Writing over traditionally nominated sitcoms, and sar Vanessa L. Williams ("Wilhelmina Slater") was given Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series honors.

Another ABC serial offering, popular drama GREY'S ANATOMY, was the big winner in the Dramatic Series categories, with awards going to writer Shonda Rimes, and actors Chandra Wilson (named Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series for her portrayal of "Dr. Miranda Bailey") and Isiah Washington (named Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for his portrayal as "Dr. Preston Burke"). Grey's also took home top dramatic directing and writing honors.

Established in 1967, at the height of the civil rights movement, the NAACP Image Awards outstanding actors, actresses, writers, producers and directors in 36 competitive categories in the fields of motion picture, television, music and literature. Other winners this weekend included actors Forrest Whittaker, Jennifer Hudson, Keke Palmer, and Djimon Hounsou for film performances this past year, and musician Prince.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien was given the honorary President's Award for her work as a journalist and actor-comedian Bill Cosby was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The NAACP Image Awards Chairman's Award was presented to Irish rock-star and U2 frontman Bono. (A complete list of winners can be found here.)

OF NOTE: Again this year, Victoria Rowell ("Drucilla Barber Winters" on Y&R), a prior multiple award winner in consecutive years, asked that her name be withheld from consderation so that others in the medium might have a greater chance for recognition.