LIVE Blog Updates: The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

In about 30 minutes from now, the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will air LIVE on CBS, broadcast from the Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas. Game Show Host nominee Wayne Brady (Let's Make a Deal) is the host for the ceremony. There will be tributes to the Oprah Winfrey Show, All My Children, and One Life to Live, plus Lifetime Achievement Emmys for Emmy-winning Game Show Hosts Alex Trebek and Pat Sajak.

This weekend, the Creative Arts Daytime Emmys were held, and General Hospital cleaned house with six Daytime Emmys, needing three wins tonight to break the record it shares with three other soaps for most Daytime Emmy wins in a single season, plus it could expand its own record for Drama Series wins with an 11th Daytime Emmy in that race. In its way is two-time defending champ The Bold and the Beautiful, which is oddly favored to three-peat in that race.

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7:56PM- Three minutes. This was the first awards ceremony in which A Man and His Awards did real-time updating as the ceremony happened. And we are at full circle.

8:00PM- Wayne Brady is backstage on the cell phone, as JabbaWockeez is on the stage, and via 3-D, they pull Wayne on the stage.

8:01PM- The audience is cheering now, because Wayne has a JabbaWockeez mask on too, and he is making moves on the Daytime Emmy stage.

8:02PM- The Intro, full of Las Vegas sin, lights, and temptation. All of Vegas's acts will be there. How will they cram all this into 120 minutes?

8:03PM- "You can catch them tomorrow night at the Monte Carlo. You can catch me in traption."- Wayne Brady

8:03PM- "This is a banner year for daytime. Oprah retiring. Regis retiring. Meredith Vieira retiring. Erica Kane, One Life to Live, and All My Children, forced retirement."- Wayne Brady

8:04PM- Penn and Teller (which one doesn't speak again?) and Rachael Ray present the Supporting Actor Daytime Emmy, the first award of the night.

8:05PM- Penn has cards with each of the nominees names on them.

8:07PM- The card that Teller picks up says "Susan Lucci".

8:07PM- After Teller is "blindfolded" and Penn spreads the cards on a little table, Jonathan Jackson wins his fourth Daytime Emmy, his first in the Supporting category, for his role as Lucky Spencer on "General Hospital."

8:08PM- "C'mon kids, it's Father's Day, I couldn't resist."- Jonathan Jackson, who brings his two kids on the stage

8:08PM- Daniel Goddard and Christel Khalil from the Y&R present Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

8:09PM- Heather Tom wins her 3rd Emmy. Heather wins for Supporting Actress for her role as Katie Logan Spencer on "The Bold and the Beautiful."

8:10PM- "I have to thank the Daytime Community as a whole. It has been part of my community for most of my life."- Heather Tom

8:11PM- The cast of Cirque du Soleil's "Viva Elvis" performs.

8:13PM- First Commercial Break.

8:14PM- Wow...Jabot Cosmetics is real....the power of soaps.

8:16PM- The hosts of The Doctors present Outstanding Game or Audience Participation Show, or Game Show for short.

8:17PM- There is a tie. "Jeopardy" wins the Emmy for Game Show, it's 13th. "Cash Cab" will NOT be winning, because they usually go in alphabetical order in case of ties.

8:18PM- "The producer can never hope to work with better hosts."- Harry Friedman, Executive Producer of "Jeopardy".

8:19PM- The other Game Show winner is "Wheel of Fortune", the show's 3rd win and 18th nomination. I think this is a sham, because Alex and Pat are getting Lifetime Achievement Emmys later tonight.

8:20PM- "If you're counting, there's one for us."- Pat Sajak

8:20PM- "...I am not a tough act to follow."- Harry Friedman, accepting the Emmy for "Wheel of Fortune"

8:21PM- Jennifer Flavin Stallone and the B&B's Adam Gregory introduce Laura McKenzie, host of "Laura McKenzie's Travelers".

8:22PM- Marie Osmond sings "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B", a 70-year old classic.

8:25PM- Tracey Bregman and Y&R's Jabot cosmetics before going on stage. Now, more commercials, and more pimping of Genoa City's most famous product- Jabot cosmetics.

8:29PM- Ben Bailey (of Cash Cab) and Sherri Shepherd (of The View) present Informative Talk Show- ALL Doctor shows.

8:30PM- "The Dr. Oz Show" wins the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Informative Talk Show category. The first-ever series win for an Oprah spin-off.

8:31PM- "Congratulations to the flash mob of 'The Dr. Oz Show'. You'd better win with 8,000 people on your crew."- Wayne Brady

8:32PM- The Chairman and Vice Chairman of NATAS are saluted Darrell B. Cohen and Mel Wingus.

8:32PM- B&B's Kim Matula and them Massey boys of Disney fame talk about prizes and then introduce a video.

8:33PM- The Massey boys find an Emmy in the sand, lol...

8:34PM- Jesse and Angie (Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan) present the Writing Team Emmy, which is B&B's to lose.

8:34PM- "We will move on, but you will forever be missed."- Debbi Morgan (on AMC)

8:35PM- The Y&R Writing Team wins the Emmy for Writing. "Don't give up, we're here to stay."- Maria Arena Bell

8:36PM- Commercial Break again.

8:39PM- Tracey Bregman & Christian LeBlanc present the Game Show Host Emmy. Could tonight's host be a big winner?

8:40PM- Ben Bailey repeats as Best Game Show Host and he is AWOL, and they couldn't find him. Christine Lahti, anyone? How about Isabel Sanford?

8:41PM- "I couldn't get a cab, what could I say? To be totally honest, I was busy (relieving myself) backstage."- Ben Bailey

8:42PM- Anderson Cooper presents the Emmy for Talk Show Host.

8:43PM- There is a tie. Dr. Oz repeats as Best Talk Show. He wasn't there to accept last year. This year, he has company.

8:44PM- The other Talk Show host winner is...Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa who are not present, and so Anderson Cooper accepts on their behalf.

8:44PM- "This season, I'm doing 'Let's Make a Deal' on the back of a Cadillac."- Wayne Brady

8:45PM- Marlee Matlin introduces "Daytime Cares", with a video from Sir Elton John with The Starkey Hearing Foundation.

8:48PM- The Oprah Salute is probably coming up after this commercial break.

8:52PM- Don Diamont and Heather Tom present Talk Show Entertainment, which is Regis's to lose.

8:53PM- The Ellen DeGeneres Show has done it again by winning Talk Show Entertainment yet again. Will this show pull an Oprah?

8:55PM- Gladys Knight begins the Oprah Tribute segment, and honoring Oprah with the first-ever Chairman's Crystal Pillar Award. "You may be off the air for now, but you will forever be part of our hearts."- Gladys Knight

8:58PM- They had to include the "jumping the couch" clip among the clips from the 25 Years of "The Oprah Winfrey Show".

9:00PM- Dr. Oz speaks on behalf of Oprah as part of the Crystal Pillar tribute.

9:01PM- Barbara Walters says some words on Oprah, as does Oprah's eldest son, Dr. Phil.

9:02PM- "For the last 25 years, the World has been lucky enough to call you a friend."- Ellen DeGeneres

9:03PM- Celine Dion, at Caesar's Palace, is giving a shoutout in the middle of her Vegas show.

9:06PM- Celine Dion sings "Because You Loved Me".

9:09PM- Oprah Winfrey from the set of the late "Oprah Winfrey Show" sends a pre-taped message, with her Crystal Pillar award.

9:10PM- Commercial Break, coming up the two-headed Lifetime Achievement Award, plus Daytime Gives Back with Montel, Ridge Forrester, and Sam McCall.

9:13PM- Melissa Archer (from OLTL) and OLTL alum Tuc Watkins present Directing, which is GH's to lose.

9:14PM- There is a tie- the fourth one tonight. The Bold and the Beautiful wins its first-ever Emmy in the Directing category.

9:15PM- "The Young and the Restless" wins its 11th Daytime Emmy for Directing, and its first since 2002. Mike Denney accepts on behalf of the Directing team.

9:17PM- Peter Marshall (The Hollywood Squares) and Vanna White (Wheel of Fortune) present Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek their Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmys.

9:22PM- "Without you, I would look like Muammar Gadhafi."- Alex Trebek (saluting his hair and makeup)

9:23PM- Ronn Moss, Kelly Monaco, and Montel Williams present the Daytime Gives Back segment, which this year features the Children's Miracle Network.

9:29PM- Kara Reed and Christel Khalil chatting backstage, and pimping Jabot, which is still breaking the fourth wall of fiction.

9:30PM- A salute to La Lucci, plus the Younger Acting races...after this commercial break.

9:33PM- Crunch time. Arianne Zucker and Galen Gering present the Younger Actress Daytime Emmy.

9:34PM- Brittany Allen wins her only nomination for her role on AMC. She left the show last fall. As Jim Nabors said, "Surprise, surprise."

9:35PM- Could Scott Clifton win his last time in this category? Find out from Drs. Scorpio and Drake.

9:36PM- FINALLY! Eight years in daytime, and Scott Clifton gets his long overdue Emmy for his final year of eligibility in this category for his role as Liam Cooper/William Spencer III on the B&B.

9:37PM- Brandon Beemer (from the B&B) and Nadia Bjorlin from Days of Our Lives talk about visiting Universal Orlando.

9:38PM- Kara Reid and Peter Bergman, yes, the founder of Jabot. Then, Lead Acting Daytime Emmys and a Susan Lucci salute...after this...

9:43PM- Susan Lucci and Liza Huber are on the stage. But first, Liza welcomes the man who gave Susan Lucci her Daytime Emmy, Shemar Moore.

9:45PM- "I've been wanting to do that for 12 years."- Shemar Moore after kissing Susan Lucci

9:46PM- "Without you guys, I've got nothing. We'll get drunk a little later."- Shemar Moore to the Y&R cast

9:46PM- Erica Kane was married 11 times. "I remember when Erica Kane married 'Rocky' Regis Philbin."

9:48PM- "Daytime is just not going to be the same without you."- Shemar Moore to Susan Lucci

9:48PM- Who will win for Lead Actor? Find out now.

9:49PM- Michael Park, who is performing on Broadway in the revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" wins for Lead Actor for ATWT.

9:50PM- Shemar and Susan present the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy.

9:51PM- Laura Wright becomes the first first-time Lead Actress nominee to win since Cynthia Watros in 1998. Laura Wright wins the Emmy for her role as Carly Corinthos-Jacks on "General Hospital", tying GH's 8 win record, set in 1999.

9:52PM- "Before 'General Hospital', it was 'Guiding Light', and before that, it was 'Loving'. This has been 20 years of the best career ever. Thank you so much!"- Laura Wright

9:55PM- One more Emmy left...."All My Children", "The Bold and the Beautiful", "General Hospital", "The Young and the Restless"...can B&B three-peat, or will GH set a new Daytime Emmy record with 9 wins in a single season? Or will AMC or Y&R pull off an upset? Find out from the lovely Meredith Vieira...after one last commercial break.

9:59PM- In 1990, "Santa Barbara" three-peated for NBC. In 1997, "General Hospital" did it for ABC, and in 2011, "The Bold and the Beautiful" does it, winning for Outstanding Drama Series for the third straight year.

10:00PM- The show is over. Coming up next is "The Good Wife" with special guest star Michael J. Fox, and in a supporting guest role, one of my dear friends from my theatrical life.

38th Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations

General Hospital and The Young and the Restless, the two most-honored soap operas of all-time, lead what could be the final Daytime Emmy race with 21 and 20 nominations, respectively.

This is the first time since 2001 in which two soaps have had 20 nominations or more. This year's GH-Y&R race is a throwback to the 1996, 1997, and 1999 Daytime Emmy races, all won by GH.

The nominees in the Drama Series race are All My Children (ABC), The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS), General Hospital (ABC), and The Young and the Restless (CBS).

A lot of noticeable snubs occurred this year, starting with last year's Best Actress champ, Maura West, and former As the World Turns co-stars Trent Dawson, Eric Sheffer Stevens, and Mick Hazen. Game Show Hosts Alex Trebek and Pat Sajak, who are both recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award this year, also got snubbed in competitive categories.

For the second year in a row, Ellen DeGeneres did not throw her hat in the Talk Show Host ring.

The show that replaced ATWT on the CBS Daytime lineup, The Talk was completely shut out.

The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, hosted by Game Show host nominee Wayne Brady (Let's Make a Deal) airs on CBS on June 19 at 9PM ET.

Drama Series:
All My Children (ABC)
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
General Hospital (ABC)
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Lead Actor:
Ricky Paull Goldin (All My Children, ABC)
Michael Park (As the World Turns, CBS)
James Scott (Days of Our Lives, NBC)
Maurice Benard (General Hospital, ABC)
Christian LeBlanc (The Young and the Restless, CBS)

Lead Actress:
Alicia Minshew (All My Children, ABC)
Debbi Morgan (All My Children, ABC)
Colleen Zenk (As the World Turns, CBS)
Susan Flannery (The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS)
Laura Wright (General Hospital, ABC)
Michelle Stafford (The Young and the Restless, CBS)

Supporting Actor:
Jonathan Jackson (General Hospital, ABC)
Jason Thompson (General Hospital, ABC)
Brian Kerwin (One Life to Live, ABC)
Doug Davidson (The Young and the Restless, CBS)
Billy Miller (The Young and the Restless, CBS)

Supporting Actress:
Melissa Claire Egan (All My Children, ABC)
Julie Pinson (As the World Turns, CBS)
Heather Tom (The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS)
Nancy Lee Grahn (General Hospital, ABC)
Bree Williamson (One Life to Live, ABC)
Tricia Cast (The Young and the Restless, CBS)

Younger Actor:
Scott Clifton (The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS)
Chandler Massey (Days of Our Lives, NBC)
Chad Duell (General Hospital, ABC)

Younger Actress:
Brittany Allen (All My Children, ABC)
Lexi Ainsworth (General Hospital, ABC)
Emily O'Brien (The Young and the Restless, CBS)

Drama Series Writing:
As the World Turns (CBS)
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
Days of Our Lives (NBC)
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Drama Series Directing:
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
General Hospital (ABC)
One Life to Live (ABC)
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Talk Show- Entertainment:
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated)
Live with Regis and Kelly (Syndicated)
Rachael Ray (Syndicated)
The View (ABC)

Talk Show- Informative:
The Dr. Oz Show (Syndicated)
Dr. Phil (Syndicated)
The Doctors (Syndicated)

Talk Show Host:
Dr. Mehmet Oz (The Dr. Oz Show, Syndicated)
Dr. Travis Stork, Dr. Andrew Ordon, Dr. Jim Sears, and Dr. Lisa Masterson (The Doctors, Syndicated)
Kelly Ripa & Regis Philbin (Live with Regis and Kelly, Syndicated)
Rachael Ray (Rachael Ray, Syndicated)
Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, and Whoopi Goldberg (The View, ABC)

Game Show:
Cash Cab (Discovery)
Jeopardy (Syndicated)
The Price is Right (CBS)
Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated)

Game Show Host:
Ben Bailey (Cash Cab, Discovery Channel)
Todd Newton (Family Game Night, The Hub)
Wayne Brady (Let's Make a Deal, CBS)
Meredith Vieira (Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Syndicated)

Legal/Courtroom Program:
Divorce Court (Syndicated)
Judge Judy (Syndicated)
Judge Pirro (Syndicated)
The People's Court (Syndicated)
Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (Syndicated)

Lifestyle Program:
How Do I Look? (The Style Network)
The Martha Stewart Show (Hallmark)
My Generation (PBS)
The Nate Berkus Show (Syndicated)

Lifestyle/Culinary Host:
Christopher Kimball (America's Test Kitchen, PBS)
Martha Stewart (The Martha Stewart Show, Hallmark)
Nate Berkus (The Nate Berkus Show, Syndicated)
Paula Deen (Paula's Best Dishes, Food Network)
Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Food Network)

Morning Program:
Good Morning America (ABC)
Today (NBC)

Pre-School Childrens Series:
Between the Lions (PBS)
Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Disney Channel)
Sesame Street (PBS)
Yo Gabba Gabba! (Nickelodeon)

Pre-Nominations for the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

The Pre-Nominations for the soap opera acting categories for the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were officially released by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the one based out of New York), this morning.

For those who are foreign to how this works, this is the 9th year that the pre-nomination system was implemented, as it was inspired by former Young and the Restless Executive Producer David Shaughnessy in 2002. How it works is that after all of the soap opera actors decide where to submit, a vote is taken, and the top two vote-getters from each show get to represent the show in that category (Example: If Anthony Geary, Steve Burton, and Maurice Benard all submitted in the Lead Actor race for General Hospital, then a vote would take place to determine which of these two actors would represent General Hospital in the Lead Actor race for the Daytime Emmy nominations).

The nominations will be announced in May, with the ceremony taking place in Las Vegas on June 19.

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LEAD ACTOR:
(All My Children)
Ricky Paull Goldin as Jake Martin
Michael E. Knight as Tad Martin
(As the World Turns)
Jon Lindstrom as Craig Montgomery
Michael Park as Jack Snyder
(The Bold and the Beautiful)
Don Diamont as Bill Spencer Jr.
Jack Wagner as Nick Marone
(Days of Our Lives)
Peter Reckell as Bo Brady
James Scott as E.J. DiMera
(General Hospital)
Maurice Benard as Sonny Corinthos
Steve Burton as Jason Morgan
(One Life to Live)
Jerry ver Dorn as Clint Buchanan
Robert S. Woods as Bo Buchanan
(The Young and the Restless)
Peter Bergman as Jack Abbott
Christian LeBlanc as Michael Baldwin


LEAD ACTRESS:
(All My Children)
Rebecca Budig as Greenlee Smythe
Alicia Minshew as Kendall Hart-Slater
Debbi Morgan as Dr. Angie Hubbard
(As the World Turns)
Maura West as Carly Tenney
Colleen Zenk as Barbara Ryan
(The Bold and the Beautiful)
Susan Flannery as Stephanie Forrester
Katherine Kelly-Lang as Brooke Logan
(Days of Our Lives)
Kristian Alfonso as Hope Brady
Alison Sweeney as Sami Brady
(General Hospital)
Kelly Monaco as Sam McCall
Laura Wright as Carly Corinthos
(One Life to Live)
Kassie DePaiva as Blair Cramer
Gina Tognoni as Kelly Cramer
(The Young and the Restless)
Jeanne Cooper as Katherine Chancellor
Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Newman


SUPPORTING ACTOR:
(All My Children)
Cornelius Smith Jr. as Frankie Hubbard
Jacob Young as J.R. Chandler
(As the World Turns)
Trent Dawson as Henry Coleman
Eric Sheffer Stevens as Dr. Reid Oliver
(The Bold and the Beautiful)
Patrick Duffy as Stephen Logan
Rick Hearst as Whip Jones
(Days of Our Lives)
Shawn Christian as Dr. Daniel Jonas
Jay Kenneth Johnson as Philip Kiriakis
(General Hospital)
Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer
Jason Thompson as Dr. Patrick Drake
(One Life to Live)
Brian Kerwin as Charlie Banks
Mark Lawson as Brody Lovett
(The Young and the Restless)
Doug Davidson as Paul Williams
Billy J. Miller as Billy Abbott


SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
(All My Children)
Melissa Claire Egan as Annie Lavery
Chrishell Stause as Amanda Martin
(As the World Turns)
Terri Conn as Katie Peretti
Lesli Kay as Molly Conlan
Julie Pinson as Janet Snyder
(The Bold and the Beautiful)
Adrienne Frantz as Amber Moore
Heather Tom as Katie Logan Spencer
(Days of Our Lives)
Nadia Bjorlin as Chloe Lane
Arianne Zucker as Nicole DiMera
(General Hospital)
Julie Marie Berman as Lulu Spencer
Nancy Lee Grahn as Alexis Davis
(One Life to Live)
Robin Strasser as Dorian Cramer
Bree Williamson as Jessica Brennan
(The Young and the Restless)
Tricia Cast as Nina Webster
Amelia Heinle as Victoria Abbott
Elizabeth Hendrickson as Chloe Mitchell


YOUNGER ACTOR:
(All My Children)
Finn Wittrock as Damon Miller
(As the World Turns)
Mick Hazen as Parker Munson Snyder
(The Bold and the Beautiful)
Scott Clifton as Liam Cooper/William Spencer III
Zack Conroy as Oliver Jones
(Days of Our Lives)
Casey Deidrick as Chad DiMera
Chandler Massey as Will Horton
(General Hospital)
Chad Duell as Michael Corinthos
Nathan Parsons as Ethan Lovett
(One Life to Live)
Edward Alderson as Matthew Buchanan
David A. Gregory as Robert Ford
(The Young and the Restless)
Opted not to submit in this category


YOUNGER ACTRESS:
(All My Children)
Brittany Allen as Marissa Chandler
Natalie Hall as Colby Chandler
(As the World Turns)
Opted not to submit in this category
(The Bold and the Beautiful)
Kimberly Matula as Hope Logan
Jacqueline McInnes-Wood as Steffy Forrester
(Days of Our Lives)
Molly Burnett as Melanie Layton
Shelley Hennig as Stephanie Johnson
(General Hospital)
Lexi Ainsworth as Kristina Davis
Haley Pullos as Molly Lansing-Davis
(One Life to Live)
Kristen Alderson as Starr Manning
Brittany Underwood as Langston Wilde
(The Young and the Restless)
Emily O'Brien as Jana Hawkes

As the World Stops Turning

(1956-2010)

On Friday, the world will stop turning for the residents of Oakdale, Illinois. After 54 years, and 13,858 episodes of action, romance, drama, and backstabbing, As the World Turns will fall off the television axis and into the outer space known as television heaven.

It was nine months ago in which CBS announced that the beloved soap opera, which has entertained audiences for generations, and was the top-rated soap from 1958 to 1978, would not be renewed for a 55th year, just three months after sister soap Guiding Light ended a 72-year broadcast run.

As the World Turns was one of two half-hour soap operas to debut on April 2, 1956. The show was the first half-hour soap opera, beating The Edge of Night by three hours.

The show revolved around the triumphs, tragedies, romance, and backstabbing of the Hughes family (for most if not all of those 54 years), and other families (the Snyders, Stewarts, Lowells, etc.). In 1956, Irna Phillips created a show that would later stand the test of times. On Monday April 2, 1956, at one thirty in the afternoon, this show broke the mold of the fifteen-minute soap opera format on television, by becoming the first half-hour soap opera in the history of television. For the first nineteen years, the show would be done LIVE on the air, until the spring of 1975, when the show started to be taped in advance. By year's end, the show expanded to a full hour. No other show, yet has been the # 1 show for as many consecutive years as this series, until The Young and the Restless surpassed ATWT’s mark in the 2007-08 season. The show had it's best of times (The 1960s, the Douglas Marland penned "Glory Days" of the late '80s and early '90s, and the early 2000s), and the worst (the last 2/3 of the '90s and the early '80s), but still, managed to survive through 54 years of love, of loss, of laughter.

The show shot the final episode at it’s Brooklyn studio (it’s home for the last eleven years) on June 23. Four days later, co-stars Michael Park, Maura West, and Julie Pinson won Daytime Emmy awards for the show. In his acceptance speech, Park said, "We had to say goodbye to over 60 members of our family on Wednesday. It was heartbreaking, and I pray you never have to endure what we endured on Wednesday…I can't think of a better way to say goodbye to a 13-year run on a 53-year-old show than this right here.”

What is next? Coronation Street will take the reign as the longest-running soap, internationally. In America, General Hospital will take over as the longest-running soap still on the air. CBS will replace As the World Turns with The Talk, starting on October 18. The Talk is another take of ABC’s The View, but through the view of mothers. CBS will air repeats of The Price is Right for the next four weeks in the interim. ABC’s One Life to Live is the last remaining New York-based soap (All My Children moved production to Los Angeles in January). And lastly, Procter & Gamble is out of the soap opera producing business, after decades of production.

The World may have stopped turning, but it will be in the memories of long-devoted fans.


SHOWS THAT DEBUTED IN 1956:
As the World Turns is one of the few memorable shows that debuted during this year, which wasn’t a banner year for new television shows. Here are five other shows that debuted in ’56, besides ATWT.

1) Queen for a Day- a game show
2) My Friend Flicka
3) The Edge of Night- debuted three hours after ATWT on April 2, 1956
4) Playhouse 90- gave us “Requiem for a Heavyweight”
5) Circus Boy- future Monkee Mickey Dolenz (credited as Mickey Braddock) got his start


CELEBRITIES THAT STEPPED FOOT IN OAKDALE:
Soap operas have been known to be the launching point of the careers of many, many A-list celebrities. ATWT was no different.

1) Julianne Moore as Frannie Hughes (1985-1988, 2010) & Sabrina Fullerton (1986-1988)
2) Marisa Tomei as Marcy Thompson Cushing (1983-1985)
3) Meg Ryan as Betsy Stewart Andropoulous (1982-1984)
4) Tamara Tunie as Jessica Griffin (1987-1995, 1999-2007)
5) John Wesley Shipp as Doug Cummings (1985-1986)
6) Lauryn Hill as Kira Johnson (1991)
7) Parker Posey as Tess Shelby (1991-1992)
8) Martin Sheen as Jack Davis (1965-1970)
9) Steven Weber as Kevin Gibson (1985-1986)
10) Dana Delany as Hayley Wilson Hollister (1981)
plus many others, including Jason Biggs, Jordana Brewster, Peyton List, Courteney Cox, Annie Parisse, William Fichtner, Ming-Na, Richard Thomas, Swoosie Kurtz, Mark Rydell, David McCallum, Robert Vaughn, John James, James Earl Jones, Thomas Gibson, and Robert Horton.

Other soap stars such as Christian LeBlanc, Judith Chapman, Peter Reckell, Linda Dano, Sharon Case, Ruth Warrick, Frances Reid, Tom Eplin, Cady McClain, Hillary Smith, Justin Deas, Lynn Herring, Austin Peck, Stuart Damon, Tom Pelphrey, and Billy Warlock also had roles on ATWT.

The 10 Greatest Couples in As the World Turns History:

10. Penny Hughes and Jeff Baker- Before Will and Gwen, before Luke and Noah, before Lily and Holden, this was teen angst at its finest, as Chris and Nancy Hughes had their first marriage annulled, but Penny and Jeff were the first teen supercouple in the show’s history. Sadly, they did not live happily ever after as Jeff was killed in a car wreck in 1962 (Mark Rydell decided to leave the show), and Penny went through a couple more marriages before marrying a race car driver and moving to Europe.

9. Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer- There was BAM (the first lesbian supercouple in soap history), and Otalia, and Kish, and of course, Nuke. Luke and Noah were the first gay male supercouple in soap opera history, as Luke Snyder fell in love with Noah Mayer, an Army brat with dreams of becoming a filmmaker, in spite of his career Military father. When they first met, Noah was dating cute and charming Maddie Coleman, but one day when Luke kissed Noah while tying a tie, the rest was history, and not long after, Noah dumped Maddie for Luke.

8. John Dixon and Lucinda Walsh- They knew each other when he was an intern in medical school, but it wasn’t until 1987, in which John and Lucinda became a supercouple on the show, and the two most hated people in Oakdale found wedded bliss with each other. Is it possible that they may find each other before the World falls off the television axis?

7. Lisa and anyone- The many loves of Lisa Miller Hughes Eldridge Shea Colman McColl Mitchell Grimaldi Chedwyn. One of the many plot twists and turns throughout the decades was the love life of Lisa, as she had more marriages on average that any person.

6. Steve and Betsy Andropoulous- The 1980s was known as the “decade of the supercouple”- Luke and Laura, Josh and Reva, Bo and Hope, Victor and Nikki, Tom and Margo, Steve and Betsy? Yup. At least when blue-eyed blonde Meg Ryan was in the role of Betsy Stewart, who fell head over heels for Greek businessman Steve Andropoulous, while Craig Montgomery was pining for her affections. However, Steve won Betsy’s heart and in 1983, they got married.

5. Tom and Margo Hughes- They met in 1981, but little did they know that they would fall in love. That’s what exactly happened when Tom and Margo went hot on the trail for Mr. Big (and his house of horrors). Tom and Margo’s romance was the brainchild of the Mary-Ellis Bunim-led era of the show in an effort to compete with ABC’s “Big Three”. Co-stars Justin Deas and Margaret Colin (who were Tom and Margo at the time) got married in real life as well. Since Tom and Margo’s action packed courtship, different actors have played the characters, but Tom and Margo remain as one of the longest-lived marriages in soapdom.

4. Jack Snyder and Carly Tenney- On Wednesday, CarJackers across the country will get one last joy of excitement as Carly and Jack get married…for the last time. It’s been a topsy-turvy ride the last 13 years for Carly and her G-Man, surviving crazy Julia, the Evil Spa, three “who’s the baby daddy” storylines, Simon Frasier, Carly’s alcoholism, and Jack’s marriage to Janet.

3. Chris and Nancy Hughes- One of the few soap opera couples to remain true to each other. After being shelved in the early 1980s, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1986. Not long after their golden anniversary, Chris passed away (actor Don McLaughlin died). But Chris and Nancy remain the standard when it comes to 100 percent fidelity on daytime.

2. Bob and Kim Hughes- In April, these two were finally married (legally) after their marriage was deemed invalid, but it was a long and bumpy ride for the two, who have spent the last 25 years as a couple on the show.

1. Lily and Holden Snyder- Probably the most important couple in the show’s rich history. Funny thing is, is that Lily Walsh married her “Uncle” Holden Snyder (Iva Snyder is Lily’s biological mother). However, head writer (at the time) Douglas Marland modified the Snyder family tree to make Iva adopted, so that the writers could pursue the Lily and Holden romance, which has fizzled a few times over the years, as they each were in love with other people. However, Lily always found her way back to her stable boy, Holden. Will they before the World falls out of the TV galaxy?

The 10 Greatest Storylines in As the World Turns History:

10. The Baby Switch (2005)- On one stormy night, Jennifer Munson and teen Gwen Norbeck each gave birth to a baby boy. After the deliveries, Craig Montgomery switched the babies around, and Gwen ended up with Jennifer's baby, and vice versa. Jennifer has a mental breakdown after she is told that her baby died, when in all reality, it was being raised by Gwen and her boyfriend, Jennifer's brother Will. Several months later, after tests are done, reality sets in as Gwen learns that her baby died, and that the babies were switched. Soap opera drama at its finest.

9. The Memorial Serial Killer (2003)- This was one of the best suspense thrillers in soap opera history, as no one saw this one coming. Dr. Eric Decker comes to Oakdale and works at Memorial. Shortly after Dr. Decker comes to town, mysterious deaths take place at Oakdale Memorial. The summer of 2003 had everyone guessing who, but not long after Chief of Staff Dr. Bob Hughes got struck by the serial killer, all fingers were pointing at Dr. Decker, who had found romance with Dr. Susan Stewart.

8. Luke Comes Out (2006)- How do you tell a story that is so relevant and give it an angle to make the storyline your own? In 2006, Oakdale teen Luke Snyder told his parents that he was gay to little fanfare, but it paved the way for daytime's first gay male supercouple, as Luke later found love with army brat and aspiring filmmaker Noah Mayer.

7. Andy's Alcoholism (1989-90)- This was one of the great Douglas Marland storylines as young Andy Dixon battled an alcohol addiction, as he was rejected by an older woman he had a fling with. This was one of the few times in which Drs. Bob Hughes and John Dixon were on the same side.

6. Lucinda and John get married (1987)- The two most diabolical and hated residents of Oakdale knew each other from his days as a medical school intern in Chicago, but not long after they crossed paths in Oakdale, the chief surgeon and the CEO had one night of drunken bliss and then got married, making one of daytime's most oddest and ruthless couples.

5. The Doug Cummings arc (1985-86)- "Someone to Watch Over Me" had a new meaning after this story arc, which garnered John Wesley Shipp a well-deserved Daytime Emmy in 1986 for his role as a restauranteur obsessed with Kim Hughes, from her days as a nightclub songstress. The aforementioned standard's tie to this story arc was the scene in which Kim walks into Doug's "Kim Shrine", which was everything Kim Hughes. Doug kidnapped Kim and Frannie and took them to a remote cabin in the Rockies, where Doug had hoped to make Frannie his wife.

4. The Evil Spa (2002)- Question: How do you get rid of two characters, played by pregnant actresses while they go on maternity leave? The Answer: Take them and a friend to an evil spa, and have them kidnapped by the most sinister villain known to man. Actresses Maura West and Kelley Menighan Hensley went off on maternity leave in early 2002, and their Oakdale alter egos, Carly Tenney and Emily Stewart brought pal Rose D'Angelo with them to a spa. While at the spa, these three lovelies are kidnapped by James Stenbeck and disappear without a trace. Eventually, they were found safe and sound.

3. The Right to Die/Casey Peretti (1990)- This was one of the cornerstone battles and issues facing real life people in which ATWT scribe Douglas Marland transferred into Oakdale, as Dr. Casey Peretti is put on life support, and Casey's stepdaughter Margo Hughes literally pulls the plug on a brain dead Casey. Coincidentally, Casey was Katie's father and the namesake of Tom and Margo's second son, Casey.

2. Margo's Rape/HIV (1992-93)- This was one of the most memorable storylines of its time. It began when Tom and Margo return to Oakdale from a vacation in Cape Cod. Margo is called in to break up a liquor store holdup. What happens next would be the catalyst for the storyline for months to come. The gunman, Elroy Nevins holds Margo at gunpoint and rapes her. What she doesn’t know is that Nevins has AIDS.

1. Lily's Parentage (1987)- This was true soap opera child parentage revelation at its finest. Not since Phillip’s parentage on Guiding Light was there a parentage revelation so shocking that it was hard to believe that it was true. In the episode that aired on June 24, 1987, you have Rod Landry grabbing young Lily Walsh in the Snyder barn and then Iva Snyder grabbing a pitch fork and yelling, “SHE’S YOUR DAUGHTER!” (followed by the opening theme song). Priceless drama. And then there was that thing with Rose D’Angelo that happened years later that had to be explained.

10 FAVORITE VILLAINS in As the World Turns History:

10) Tonio Reyes- a James-type replacement in between a couple of James's "deaths" during the Douglas Marland days

9) Dr. Rick Decker- Dr. Death kept us glued to our sets in the Summer of 2003.

8) Ralph Manzo- who knew that Janet had ties to a known mobster? We didn't

7) Damian Grimaldi- He kidnapped Luke as a boy, tried to send him off to a camp to cure gays, and swindled his way back into Lily's heart (and pants)

6) Craig Montgomery- Among Craig's crimes in the last 28 years: He faked impotency to woo Meg Ryan (em, Betsy), he switched babies by kidnapping his own son (Johnny) and raising him as his own, he tried to kill a girlfriend's lover on a remote cliff, drove his wife off a cliff, and stole from a teen's trust fund

5) Col. Win Mayer- You needed a disapproving, homophobic father for the Luke and Noah saga, and this career Army man fit the bill

4) Doug Cummings- "Someone to Watch Over Me" has a whole new meaning, in a creepy kind of way

3) Mr. Big (and his house of horrors)

2) Dr. John Dixon- the longest-running dastardly character in soap history

1) Only South Park's Kenny has died more times than this man...James Stenbeck

25 Best Characters in As the World Turns History:

So many people called Oakdale home, but here are the BC Bulletin's 25 Best Characters in ATWT's 54 years and 13,858 days.

1) Dr. Bob Hughes
2) Dr. John Dixon
3) Lucinda Walsh
4) James Stenbeck
5) Kim Sullivan Reynolds Dixon Stewart Andropoulous Hughes
6) Lily Walsh Mason Snyder Grimaldi Snyder Grimaldi
7) Lisa Miller Hughes Shea Colman McColl Mitchell Grimaldi Chedwyn
8) Barbara Ryan Stenbeck Munson Munson Montgomery Stenbeck Coleman
9) Tom Hughes
10) Margo Montgomery Hughes
11) Holden Snyder
12) Carly Tenney Snyder Snyder Snyder
13) Craig Montgomery
14) Doug Cummings
15) Nancy Hughes McClosky
16) Christopher Hughes I
17) Jack Snyder
18) Iva Snyder Benedict
19) Penny Hughes Baker Lowell Cunningham
20) Dr. Dan Stewart
21) Edith Hughes
22) Andy Dixon
23) Kirk Anderson
24) Paul Ryan
25) Henry Coleman

Honorable Mention: Gwen Norbeck Munson, Dusty Donovan, Emily Stewart, Dr. Rick Decker, Gunnar St. Clair, Jennifer Ryan, Liz Talbot, Jeff Baker, Luke Snyder, Noah Mayer, Grace Baker, Emma Snyder, Dr. David Stewart, Ellen Lowell Stewart, Simon Frasier, Julia Lindsay Snyder

SHOWS THAT ENDED IN 2010:

As the World Turns isn't the only long-running series to bite the dust in 2010. Here are some other shows that said "farewell" besides ATWT.

1) 24- Eight days in which Jack Bauer saved the world, and after the eighth day, Jack rested.
2) Law & Order- tied with Gunsmoke as the longest-running primetime drama
3) Lost- the castoffs eventually did get off the island...although they were all dead
4) The Tudors- the ending was spoiled 463 years ago, and so for 463 years, we knew how this was going to end, but alas, poor Yorick, King Henry VIII died off-screen.
5) Cold Case- each episode had a great soundtrack to listen too, but low ratings and high costs proved fatal for this show at the end

For another BC Bulletin story on ATWT, check out http://thebcshow.bravehost.com/atwt50th.html for our 50th Anniversary page, which was made four and a half years ago.

And of course, look for a proper Bryan Awards wake for ATWT in the summer of 2011 as part of the 11th Annual Bryan Awards.