From the September 1, 2009 issue of Soap Opera Weekly (p. 29): What To Expect From This Year's Daytime EmmysFor the first time, the Daytime Emmys will not be broadcast on a network that actually airs a daytime drama. After fears that there would be no broadcast at all this year, The CW announced that it would air the show. Consulting executive producer Al Schwartz--who produced the show with the legendary Dick Clark for years--spills the beans on what's in and what's out of this year's broadcast.Weekly: What will be different this year?
Schwartz: There will be more entertainment in this show, because we have a host, Vanessa Williams, who performs. She'll do an opening production number, and toward the last hour, she'll do another performance that will have a little surprise in it, in terms of somebody who will be joining her onstage. We're going to do a fashion show that we've never done before. It's based on the fact that the Daytime Emmy Awards have always neglected the hair, makeup and wardrobe people. They get their recognition at the Creative Craft awards [event,] but we've never done anything on the [main] show before. Fashion is an important part of daytime. A lot of people learn things about wardrobe and makeup by watching the shows. Tyra Banks will be presenting this fashion segment.
Weekly: So will actresses be modeling clothes they wore on their shows?
Schwartz: Yes. Seven soaps will be featured in the fashion show. It won't be a runway fashion show; it will be more like a photo op, with photographers snapping pictures of them in front of the audience. It will be capped by the all-time diva, Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC).
Weekly: Will there be any kind of tribute to GL?
Schwartz: Yes, and it will be introduced by Betty White. There will be a full tribute ending with about 40 actors from GL--past and present--filling the stage. There will be clips showing scenes of the show. Sandra Oh (Cristina,
Grey's Anatomy) will introduce the tribute to
Sesame Street; that will inlucde a performance by
Sesame Street characters, as well as clips of the stars who have appeared on the show.
Weekly: One of the pet peeves has always been that clips that air during the broadcast are too hokey.
Schwartz: We will not be showing the traditional kind of crying scenes, and shouting and yelling scenes. We are going to give more of an overall look to the character and the person who plays the part. Then there will be, in all these cases time allowing, performance sound bites, but it's not going to be a complete scene that I think everybody kind of cringes at.
Weekly: Does The CW have any input in this show (which is produced by Associated Television International)?
Schwartz: That's difficult to answer. In the past we've had much more involvement with the network itself. Though we
are having some discussion with the parent company, which is CBS.
Weekly: Is this the first award show for The CW?
Schwartz: I believe so. The [network] normally doesn't even program on Sunday nights anymore. We have all of Sunday night, including for the first time a red carpet [broadcast] for the Daytime Emmys. There will be a one-hour red carpet show from 7 to 8 p.m. Lara Spencer from
The Insider and Kevin Frazier from
Entertainment Tonight will host. We are going to do full arrivals this time, and I think that's terrific.
Weekly: Do you have a favorite Emmy moment?
Schwartz: Well, everybody can't deny the night that Susan Lucci won. I remember watching Oprah backstage at the time; she raised her arms and yelled, "Yay!" It was one of the times you really wished you had a camera.
The above article was typed up and posted at The Colonnade Room, with credit given to its source.
