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Daytime Emmy Predictions

by Michael Logan August 17, 2009 08:43 AM EST

The awards show nobody wanted finally found a home. The 36th Annual Daytime Emmys—hosted by Vanessa Williams—will air Sunday, August 30 on the CW (8/7c). Who’ll take the gold? It’s an unusually tough call this year. In fact, after watching each episode viewed by the judges, I’m utterly baffled in several categories—sometimes because there’s too much great work (Lead Actress), sometimes because no one is truly awesome enough to be award-worthy (Younger Actor). Plus it doesn’t help that NATAS (looking to save dough and avoid hassle) has once again dropped the second round of voting that used to take place after the nominations were announced. This robs voters of the chance to compare and contrast the finalists and make a more informed choice, and it can’t help but screw with the results. Thus, these aren’t just fearless predictions, they’re probably insane.

Outstanding Drama Series: Days of Our Lives will grab the top prize (for the first time in 31 years) thanks to an epic episode in which half of Salem faced death on a plummeting plane. Raw, scary, ultimately tragic, it made you gasp for oxygen right along with the passengers. Likeliest upset: Storm’s sacrificial death on The Bold and the Beautiful and the donation of his heart to his sister Katie. This daring and profound plot twist could triumph even though it’s marred by some horribly lame dialogue about God (by the pontificating heart surgeon) and some acting so sudsy it makes you wince.

Outstanding Lead Actor: Days’ Peter Reckell. Don’t sell him short. As his character, Bo, faced the aftermath of the plane crash—and the loss of his beloved father—this iconic ’80s hunk was so honest and heartfelt and powerfully moving that he shames the competition. Likeliest upsets: Voter faves Tony Geary (General Hospital’s Luke) and Christian LeBlanc (The Young and the Restless’ Michael). Each submitted a “very special episode.” In Geary’s, Luke has an out-of-body experience and goes on trial for his life misdeeds. (Geary also plays the judge, and the prosecution and defense attorneys.) LeBlanc has almost an entire hour to himself—yet another snoozy soap riff on “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Both of these actors are too showy and over-Emmy’d. Enough already.

Outstanding Lead Actress: Y&R’s Jeanne Cooper. The episode she submitted has her acting opposite herself—as rich, elegant Kay and her cheap, drunken doppelganger Marge—and the 80-year-old legend is simply dazzling. So are the special effects. Likeliest upset: All My Children’s Debbi Morgan (Angie), glorious in her reunion with her “dead” Jesse. Also marvelous is B&B’s Susan Flannery who drops her psycho-mama routine long enough for Stephanie to quietly, tenderly care for her dying Eric. Spellbinding! One Life to Live’s Susan Haskell has stunning moments as her character, Marty, is hit with all those heinous secrets that Todd’s been keeping from her. And that’s all she has—stunning moments. OLTL, which treats all us viewers like we have ADD, won’t let any of Haskell’s scenes run more than a minute or so, and as a result, her performance is delivered in fits and starts. It feels choppy and it’s not her fault.

Outstanding Supporting Actor: Guiding Light’s Jeff Branson. As Shayne, a paralyzed Peace Corps mine detonator haunted by his past, he ends the episode in a suicide attempt on the railroad tracks that may be too wrenching to ignore. Besides, the rest of the category is pretty damn weak. Likeliest Upset: GH’s Bradford Anderson (Spinelli). His exhausting, computer-dork nonsense drives me batty, but people do seem to love it. As the World Turns’ Van Hansis might also have a better-than-good shot here as gay, lovesick puppy dog Luke—if voters don’t mind the whining.

Outstanding Supporting Actress: OLTL’s Bree Williamson. Is she really a supporting actress? No frackin’ way. But, boy, what a star! Her character, Jessica, gives a bitter, blistering, breathtaking eulogy at her husband’s funeral, then goes home to her memories. This is the same kind of wild, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants acting that won GL’s Gina Tognoni (Dinah) a pair of Emmys. As I see it, there’s no real contest in this category but if there is an upset, it deserves to be Tamara Braun as Days’ drug-addled nutcake Ava.

Outsanding Younger Actor: Days’ Darrin Brooks. His mad Max is ballsy and riveting as he raises holy hell with the father who abandoned him. But is Brooks deserving of an Emmy? Oh, probably not. Still, this is an immensely enjoyable, kick-ass and take-names kind of performance and somebody’s gotta win, right? Likeliest upsets: AMC’s Cornelius Smith, Jr. is solid and compelling as his character, Frankie, tries to process his father’s return from the dead. Y&R’s Bryton McLure, already an Emmy winner, packs some punch in scenes where Devon fights the social service system to keep his little sis from being taken away.

Outstanding Younger Actress: GH’s Julie Berman. Now that ATWT’s Jennifer Landon—who won three back-to-back Emmys—is out of soaps and out of this race, it’s time for Berman to get some Emmy love. She’s dynamite as Lulu goes to the nuthouse to visit her mother, Laura, and confesses to murder (as well as her fears that she, too, may someday go mad). ABC refused to hire Genie Francis for this stuff, so Berman gets extra props for performing her scenes opposite an extra in a really bad wig. Likeliest upset: Days’ Rachel Melvin, who does some lovely work from a hospital bed as the guilt-wracked Chelsea. If only the director and camera people had adoringly showcased her the way the GH team did Berman, Melvin would have a better chance.

Julie Berman doesn't deserve "some Emmy love" IMO.

I agree CassieFan, and Bree Williamson is overrated IMO. She's talented, but very hammy

I say this as a Days fan, I would be shocked if Days walked away with three Emmy wins. I don't see Darin Brooks winning. Hell, I can't even remember the last time Days had an actor win a nomination. I'd think it was a success for them to walk away with one win.

Of course DAYS' plane crash was raw. It was the cheapest POS Ed Scott's ever produced.

Please, God, ANY show but DAYS.

I have watched many of the submissions and Series should probably go to B&B but DAYS submission was very good as well.

If it is any show that should not be winning a mass amount of awards (save for Debbi Morgan and possibly Cornelius Smith, but I haven't got to that category yet) it is AMC. That tornado was a piece of crap, it was all CGI effects and no story.

There was NO story during AMC's tornado? Child, please. I seem to recall a chief complaint that there was too much story going on during the tornado. A LOT happened. It wasn't just the whole town being destroyed by tornadoes and crazy CGI effects -- there was significant development among every storyline, and the tornado pretty much launched all of Pratt's new stories.

B&B needs to win Outstanding Drama Series.

There was NO story during AMC's tornado? Child, please. I seem to recall a chief complaint that there was too much story going on during the tornado. A LOT happened. It wasn't just the whole town being destroyed by tornadoes and crazy CGI effects -- there was significant development among every storyline, and the tornado pretty much launched all of Pratt's new stories.

The submission I watched gave me no clear picture of their "story" all it was as I watched the submission was look at this special effect. They only submit one episode not a whole storyline, I didn't watch the whole tornado storyline just that one episode submission that voters are supposed to be judging on.

All I really care about is something for Guiding Light, so it is good that Logan thinks Jeff Branson might win.

I am also still holding out hope for Daniel Cosgrove, who was praised by the Goldderby people for being understated but genuine in his acting even though he wasn't their prediction

And I would totally love it if EJ Bonilla pulls out the upset! But that's probably too big a dream since Logan doesn't mention his reel at all.

Edited August 18, 200916 yr by jfung79

Logan's choices are entirely against Goldderby's Emmy picks. We'll see who knows best.

Well I REALLY want Debbi Morgan and Smith to win their respective caterory.

Bree Williamson is overrated IMO. She's talented, but very hammy

I strongly disagree. Williamson, particularly in the scenes mentioned, did work that kept my partner and I glued to the screen and on the edge of our sofa seats. We thought they felt real and riveting; certainly "in your face", but absolutely true and believable for what someone in Jessica's circumstance would have felt. We were just commenting yesterday how her scenes surrounding Nash's death were probably STILL the best, most memorable things to air on OLTL in the past few years. And I certainly don't think she's "overrated," when you consider how there are FAR more overexposed actresses in daytime being MUCH more agressively shoved down viewers throats.

On a totally unrelated note, isn't AMC's Kendall, Alicia Minshew competing in the same Emmy category as Williamson?

Well I REALLY want Debbi Morgan and Smith to win their respective caterory.

I agree with this one 200%. These two turn in such great work, especially in scenes together. My favorite thing on AMC is to watch Angie kick ass. (And by the way, I think she's being WAY too soft on Jesse since finding out the truth... that's the writing, of course.)