‘Y&R;’ Most-Nominated Soap For Daytime Emmys

The CBS soap “The Young and the Restless” pulled in 16 nominations, and the PBS children’s show “Sesame Street” was honored with 12, to pace nominations for the 23rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, announced earlier this week.

And yes, Susan Lucci - Emmy’s ultimate bridesmaid - was nominated once again for her lead role as Erica Kane on ABC’s “All My Children.” It’s Lucci’s 16th nomination in 17 years. And as everyone in the Western world must know by now, she has never won.

Among the 16 honors for “Young and Restless” were nominations for top daytime drama and for a whopping 10 of its stars, including Jess Walton as outstanding lead actress and Peter Bergman and Eric Braeden for drama series actor.

Moreover, the 16 “Y&R” nominations tie the series for the third-highest total in Daytime Emmy history. Two shows have received 20: “All My Children” in 1985 and “As the World Turns” in 1986.

Besides five-time outstanding drama winner “Young and Restless,” the other soap nominees include last year’s winner, “General Hospital” (which earned 10 nominations in all), “All My Children” (eight nominations) and “Days of Our Lives” (four nominations).

However, two of the most-nominated serials - “Guiding Light” (10 nominations) and “Another World” (eight) - failed to be honored for the top soap prize.

Topping the list of talk show nominees was - as usual - Oprah Winfrey and her “Oprah Winfrey Show.” The show received six nominations, including outstanding talk show and Winfrey herself for outstanding host. Winfrey’s show has won six previous Emmys for best talk show, and she has won another six as top host.

Also nominated for outstanding talk show are “Donahue,” “Leeza,” “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee” and “CNN & Company” - with Winfrey, Phil Donahue, Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford, Leeza Gibbons and Montel Williams (his first) cited for the talk host Emmy.

“Sesame Street” paced the children’s/preschool show nominees, honored in the outstanding preschool series category along with PBS shows “Barney & Friends,” “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and Fox’s “Jim Henson’s Animal Show.”

Eight-time nominee “Reading Rainbow” from PBS led the children’s series nominees, which included the syndicated “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” “National Geographic’s Really Wild Animals” (CBS), “Nick News” (Nickelodeon) and “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” (PBS).

In the network count, CBS topped the list with 69, followed by PBS with 49, syndicated programming with 42, ABC with 40, NBC with 19 and Fox with 14. Cable networks collectively pulled down 21 nominations.

The Daytime Emmys will be handed out May 22 in ceremonies at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, telecast in prime time on CBS.