Fans Help Daytime Emmys Turn the Page

04.27.2015

UPDATE: Nearly 900,000 viewers tuned in to the ceremony, handing Pop its best live event numbers in eight years.

Sunday's Daytime Emmys telecast used a one-two punch of star power and fan engagement to deliver a final blow to any lingering memories of last year's debacle, reminding viewers that the world of soaps and game shows knows how to throw a good party.

Host Tyra Banks presided over a fast-paced ceremony at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank that featured an on-stage hype section-fan seating filled with audience members from CBS' The Talk. The morning chat fest claimed the inaugural "Best Talk Show Audience" award, one of several categories voted on by fans as a way of amping up viewer engagement (others included "Best Bitch Slap" and "Best Wedding Disaster).

And while talent numbers had been dwindling on recent years' attendance rosters, almost every star from the daytime universe and beyond showed their faces this year, including Regis Philbin, Steve Harvey, Marie Osmond, Craig Ferguson, Deidre Hall, Nancy O'Dell, Shemar Moore and Alex Trebek.

The telecast pulled double-duty as a coming out party for Pop, the cable network that will soon be able to shed the "recently rebranded" description that's been preceding its name since it changed over from the TV Guide Network in January.

Pop used the telecast to do a major push for its new reality series Queens of Drama, starring a bevy of former daytime stars, including Donna Mills, Hunter Tylo, and Vanessa Marcil.

The very first ad of the very first commercial break was a promo for the series, and the cast got an early presenters' slot during the ceremony. Pop also wasted no time after the ceremony before heading into the premiere episode: there was no ad break between the telecast's final confetti-filled moments and the opening sequence of Queens of Drama, featuring bright aerial shots of sunny SoCal.

Producers peppered the evening with talent-filled sketches that paid tribute to beloved game shows past and present, including Family Feud, The Price is Right, and Celebrity Password Plus.

That last sketch-featuring Tom Bergeron, Charro, Marie Osmond, Fred Willard and Philbin-helped introduce Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Betty White, whose late husband Allen Ludden was the longtime host of Password and its many incarnations.

CBS walked away from the evening with the most trophies.

Among the top prizes: Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless tied for Outstanding Drama Series; CBS Sunday Morning and Telemundo's Un Nuevo Dia won the morning show crowns in English and Spanish, respectively; The Ellen DeGeneres Show won the Entertainment Talk Show prize; The Steve Harvey Show took the Informative Talk Show title; Live's Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan and the hosts of The Chew took the hosting honors for Entertainment and Informative Talk Shows; Jeopardy! won the game show prize, while Celebrity Name Game's Craig Ferguson took home the Game Show Host title.

In the main title and promo categories handed out during Friday's Daytime Creative Arts Emmys ceremony at the Universal Hilton, PBS walked away with four awards, while Nickelodeon received one:

Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design

The Mind of a Chef (PBS)

Outstanding Original Song - Main Title and Promo

"Dora And Friends: Into The City! Theme Song" Dora and Friends: Into the City! (Nickelodeon) Outstanding Promotional Announcement - Episodic

Al Capone: Icon (PBS)

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The Roosevelts: An Intimate History "Extraordinary Accomplishments" (PBS)

Outstanding Promotional Announcement - Institutional

PBS 2014 Preview Campaign, "Drama", "News", "Science" (PBS)