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Showbiz Tonight
SHOWBIZ at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys
Aired June 23, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ HOST: Daytime TV`s biggest night. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is live in Beverly Hills on the red carpet for the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. The red carpet is, of course, red hot, and you know anything can happen on live TV. It all starts right now on "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."
Hello and welcome to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live red carpet coverage of the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m coming to you live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, where the stars of daytime TV are all coming together to celebrate the very best of the best. Joining me tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner, she`s out there in the middle of it all on the red carpet, ready to talk to all the big nominees tonight.
Now, Nischelle, we are truly in the company of TV legends tonight. You have got to tell me what you`re most looking forward to.
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: A.J., the short answer to that is everything, but you know that I`m a huge soap opera fan, so I`m just really excited about this opportunity. It`s a big night, I think, for me. And like you said, we are talking to the icons, the icons of daytime television. Just saying that kind of gives me goosebumps. How about you?
HAMMER: Yes, I`m kind of feeling them, too, and I can see your goosebumps. Nischelle, it is an exciting night, to be sure. Tonight`s Emmy battles are set and we are ready to find out the winners.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): The Daytime Emmys, Hollywood`s most diverse collection of stars. Where else can you see TV judges, talk show hosts, and soap stars all partying together in one place?
SHERYL UNDERWOOD, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": I love you on "General Hospital."
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was at the Daytime Emmy nominees luncheon, where Sheryl Underwood of "Best Talk Show" nominee "The Talk" got a little overexcited meeting Haley Pullos who stars in one of Sheryl`s favorite soaps, "General Hospital."
UNDERWOOD: You`re really are just a beautiful person. I hope you stay on the show. So whoever is casting "General Hospital," don`t do nothing to her.
HAMMER: You can`t blame Sheryl for getting a little starstruck. The Daytime Emmys are on HLN, where all the stars and all the Emmy races will make for a big night for fans and nominees.
SEAN BLAKEMORE, SUPPORTING ACTOR NOMINEE, "GENERAL HOSPITAL": It`s daytime TV`s Oscars. It`s always exciting.
HAMMER: "General Hospital" is the soap to beat this year. It has the most nominations, 23, including the "Outstanding Drama Series." Its longtime star, Anthony Geary, is widely expected to win his seventh "Best Actor" Emmy for playing Luke. That would make him the most honored actor in the history of Daytime Emmys.
And Erika Slezak of the canceled ABC soap "One Life to Live" has a chance to become the most honored actress in Daytime Emmy history. Like Anthony Geary, she, too, could win her seventh Emmy at this year`s ceremony.
This year`s Daytime Emmy Awards will also be a goodbye for some old favorites.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ll never get it back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just watch me.
HAMMER: Canceled ABC soap "All My Children" is up for 11 Emmys, including "Outstanding Drama Series."
BEN BAILEY, HOST, "CASH CAB": You guys are in the "Cash Cab."
HAMMER: In the game show category, three-time winner "Cash Cab," which was recently canceled by Discovery, hopes to ride away with another Emmy.
But it has to drive past the juggernauts, "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune," which tied for the Emmy last year.
REGIS PHILIBIN, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": Twenty-eight- and-a-half years and we`ve had a wonderful show and a great time.
HAMMER: And another good bye, Regis Philbin`s final year on "Live with Regis and Kelly" is nominated for "Outstanding Talk Show," a category the show has never won.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If anyone deserves one last win for his daytime efforts, it`s Regis.
HAMMER: But the main goal of the Daytime Emmys is to party.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let loose and let your hair down and have a good time. Daytime people know how to party, so that`s all I`ll say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s just like a great night that we all get to come together and support each other.
UNDERWOOD: Daytime, we`re a little bit more crunk than the Golden Globes, so we`re going to toss it back, except her, she`s not old enough, but we`re going to kill it.
HAMMER: So between the hard partying, the dramatic face-offs, and the biggest stars in all of daytime TV, the Daytime Emmys promise to be an unforgettable night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It is going to be such a great party, and one of daytime TV`s finest dramatic actors is joining me right now on the red carpet, "General Hospital" icon Anthony Geary is nominated for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama." He`s been playing the character of Luke on the show for decades.
It`s such a pleasure to meet you, Tony.
ANTHONY GEARY, ACTOR, "LUKE SPENCER": Thank you, A.J. It`s nice to be here.
HAMMER: And I`m glad you made it because last I checked on your character, you were knocked unconscious, you had been hit over the head with a bottle and you were lying on the floor of a bar somewhere.
GEARY: Yes, I`ve been spending about the last three weeks tied to a chair in a gardener`s shack.
HAMMER: That`s not so good.
GEARY: No. Well, you know, it`s par for the course in daytime.
HAMMER: Well, I`m happy life isn`t imitating art tonight. And you`re up for your seventh. You are the winningest actor in all of daytime TV. But I get the impression that winning tonight, winning your seventh Daytime Emmy award would actually have particular significance.
GEARY: Oh, yes, definitely. This has been a tough year for daytime, and I`m just so pleased that we`re still standing. And, you know, at my advanced age and all, it`s.
HAMMER: Advanced age?
GEARY: It`s wonderful to still be acknowledged by my peers, and I`m really very, very honored.
HAMMER: I`ve learned not to say I`ve been watching you since I was in high school. So I won`t say that to you.
GEARY: No, I would have written you a check not to say that, so thank you.
HAMMER: OK. I`ll be sure not to point that out. And 23 nominations in all for your soap, "General Hospital," the most of any show. That has to feel particularly good.
GEARY: That feels great. That feels really, really good for all of us involved, because we work very hard under very stressful circumstances, and everybody is really thrilled that we`re being acknowledged this way at this late stage of the game.
HAMMER: Well, I wish you the best of luck tonight. It really is a pleasure to meet you. Have a great time. And it`s so good of you to be here and talk with us. Have a terrific time and best of luck.
GEARY: Total pleasure. Thank you so much.
HAMMER: Tony Geary, thank you.
Well, now I want to bring in my good friend and CNN colleague, Anderson Cooper. He`s opening at the Daytime Emmy Awards. He`s also up for an award himself, "Outstanding Talk Show Host" for his show "Anderson."
And your show is up for three awards in all. That`s pretty cool, Anderson. You know you`ve been honored over the years for all of your great work on "AC 360" on CNN. But your first year out of the gate with a syndicated show and you have all these nominations, I`m sure the bigness of that is not lost on you one bit.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON": Yes. It`s amazing. I was told there was no way we would get nominated our first year, it just doesn`t happen. So we have got a great team with us, and the viewers have really responded. We have got amazing viewers, a great diverse group of viewers, and it`s been a lot of fun.
HAMMER: Well, you got to do some pretty insane things, and I know a big part of your getting involved with the show was to show people a different side of yourself, and you certainly have gotten to do that, I think in ways that you probably didn`t even expect.
I mean, what is one thing that you have had to do that you didn`t even know going into the show you would find yourself doing?
COOPER: Let`s see, I went spray-tanning which I never expected to, and nor will I do it again.
HAMMER: Yes, with Snooki, I mean, come on.
COOPER: Yes. And what else? I ate spinach for the first time. I`m a very picky eater. So I`ve had to eat.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: You look stronger, Anderson, as a result. I do want to ask you about kicking off the show tonight. I don`t want to give away too much, but I understand you`re firing the whole thing up with a very special guest.
COOPER: Yes, Oscar the Grouch, who I have actually worked with before.
HAMMER: You just gave it away. I was trying to tease people.
COOPER: I tweeted it out already. So, yes, I`d been on "Sesame Street" a couple of years ago in Oscar`s garbage can, and so I`m going to be doing a little thing with Oscar off the top of the show.
HAMMER: Well, we`re looking forward to that. But I`m also wishing you the best of luck tonight. It`s good to see you here sort of in a different capacity and I wish you and your show all the success.
COOPER: It`s going to be a fun night. Thanks.
HAMMER: Anderson Cooper, thank you so much.
This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, live on the red carpet of the Daytime Emmys. It is time now for one of the most outrageous moments on daytime TV. I want you to see Tom Cruise couch-jumping on Oprah. This happened back in 2005. You remember this moment. Tom was telling Oprah Winfrey all about his then-girlfriend Katie Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": This is interesting, Tom. We`ve never seen you behave this way before.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I know.
WINFREY: Have you ever felt this way before?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(LAUGHTER)
WINFREY: You are gone. You are gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: We are just minutes away from more of the biggest stars in daytime live on the red carpet for the Daytime Emmy Awards. There are so many stars here who are going to be right here with me tonight, the legendary Susan Lucci. Plus one of daytime`s newest faces, Bethenny Frankel is going to be making her way down the red carpet tonight. All leading up to daytime`s biggest night in less than one hour, we`re going to raise the curtain on the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys right here on HLN. Don`t you dare move.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Hello and welcome to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live red carpet coverage of the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m coming to you live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. I want to go to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to Nischelle Turner in the middle of all of the red carpet action with a guest who are nominated tonight -- Nischelle.
TURNER: Hey, A.J. I am literally in the middle of the red carpet. It is packed here. Now there`s daytime actors and then there is Erika Slezak. She is up tonight for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series." She`s been playing Vicky Lord for 40 years on "One Life to Live." If she wins tonight, she has six wins, this will make history, being the most honored actress in daytime TV.
And just moments ago I talked to her about what all of that would mean to her. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: So I have got daytime royalty with me right now. Don`t be surprised, because you are. It is a fact. Erika Slezak here, who, for more than 40 years, played Vicky Lord on "One Life to Live." That is an accomplishment in itself, but tonight you could make history.
ERIKA SLEZAK, ACTOR, "VICTORIA LORD": Well, we`ll see. We`re not talking about that now.
TURNER: You`ve been nominated six times for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series."
SLEZAK: No, I`ve been nominated eight times.
TURNER: You`ve won six times.
SLEZAK: I`ve won six times, yes.
TURNER: And you could win tonight your seventh, it would make history. What does that mean to you to hear that?
SLEZAK: It`s a little overwhelming which is why I don`t want to deal with it. There are five ladies nominated, four of them are just fabulous actresses, and then there is me. You know, we`re all the same. So I can`t make any kind of predictions. We had our ladies` lunch yesterday and it was delightful. Laura Wright and Heather and Crystal was there, Debbi Morgan couldn`t come. But it has become a tradition and it was really, really lovely.
TURNER: You know, so many people were sad to see "One Life to Live" go off the air, absolutely. But this is kind of like a celebration, a fitting way to say goodbye tonight at the Daytime Emmys, don`t you think?
SLEZAK: Oh, I think so, yes. I think people were very, very sad. Upset, but sad, because they said, we don`t know what to do now. We miss our people, our show is our family, and this is a very nice way to wrap it up, yes.
TURNER: Well, congratulations to you however it goes. Good luck tonight. I want to see history made tonight here, Erika.
SLEZAK: I`ll do my best.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: The very humble Erika Slezak. A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: Thanks, Nischelle. So many class acts in the house tonight.
This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys. It is time now for one of the most outrageous moments on daytime TV. Bo kidnaps Hope on her wedding day, on "Days of our Lives," and that, of course, was the start of a love affair that has gripped fans for more than 20 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "ONE LIFE TO LIVE")
KRISTIAN ALFONSO, ACTOR, "HOPE BRADY": Please tell me, am I doing the right thing?
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
ALFONSO: I`ll be right out.
PETER RECKELL, ACTOR, "BO BRADY": Hope.
ALFONSO: What are you doing here?
RECKELL: I`m here to take the woman I love. My woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live red carpet coverage of the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I`m A.J. Hammer, I`m joined by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner.
We`re talking to all of the stars of daytime. I`ve been talking to them all week long, Nischelle, and I must tell you that the women you`re with has been one of my favorite people to meet all week long.
TURNER: I know you`re jealous, A.J., because yes, I have one of the premier actresses in daytime television with me here tonight.
Diedre Hall, thank you for joining us, first of all. If you guys don`t know, she plays Dr. Marlena Evans on "Days of Our Lives." I knew that because I`ve been watching that since 1980.
DIEDRE HALL, ACTOR, "DR. MARLENA EVANS": I know you have. You`re the one.
TURNER: I am the one. And you`re here also with Greg Meng, the executive producer of "Days of Our Lives." This is a huge night for the show, 15 nominations for the show tonight. You guys must be so excited.
HALL: We are. We are. You have such a parade of beauties coming through on your lot. I mean, it`s just -- we really are turned out and excited and Greg has worked hard to make sure this is a spectacular event for everybody.
TURNER: And in a time where it`s been kind of tough for soaps on daytime TV, what keeps "Days of Our Lives" up at the top of the heap, you know, and fans really loving it and still watching?
GREG MENG, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "DAYS OF OUR LIVES": We try to stay with honest stories, the show is about traditional Midwestern family values, so as long as we keep honest, we have our fan base.
TURNER: Now you`re presenting tonight. That`s a big job. Are you ready? Have you got everything together?
HALL: I guess we`ll see.
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER: Exactly. What about this? We`re in the middle of this mad red carpet here. It`s so packed, you see so many people. Is it a little bit like a reunion when you see all of these faces of daytime?
HALL: You know, the show is just lots of fun for us too. But that said, we spend the entire afternoon in the makeup room at NBC, "Days of Our Lives," and so we all just (INAUDIBLE) for each other and appreciate each other, and Greg was there and we were just having the best time.
TURNER: Now I know you sat with us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT earlier this week and talked about a lot of your memories with daytime. I know one of the memories that sticks with your character for me is when Marlena turned into the devil.
HALL: Devil, possession.
TURNER: Do you have a favorite, though? Is there something that you say, I loved that story line?
HALL: I loved possession. What was your favorite story? You`ve had a lot of favorites.
MENG: I liked the possession story, definitely, yes.
TURNER: That was a big debate in the Turner household, I have to tell you.
MENG: Big time, yes. We lost some viewers over that, but we gained a lot also.
HALL: We gained a young audience over that, so we were thrilled about that.
TURNER: All right. Well, thank you guys very much. Good luck to you. Congratulations any way it goes tonight from a "Days of Our Lives" fan.
HALL: Thank you.
TURNER: A.J., we`ll send it back to you.
HAMMER: All right, Nischelle, talk about a major star in daytime television, I am with a living legend in TV and in news, a woman who was a true pioneer in journalism, Barbara Walters.
Of course, she opened up the door for so many other women in TV. Her show "The View" nominated for an "Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show" Emmy tonight.
But, Barbara, you`re also here for another terrific reason. Now years ago you won the "Lifetime Achievement" Daytime Emmy. Tonight you`re here to present it to your good friend, executive producer of "The View," the great Bill Geddie.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Absolutely. I think he`s the best daytime, nighttime, all-time producer, Bill Geddie. We`ve been together for 25 years. He also produces my specials and he`s getting a lifetime achievement award. So I`m here to applaud and give it to him and just be very proud of him.
HAMMER: It`s perfect, because in a way he`s one of the unsung heroes of television. He had so much to do with the cultural impact that your show "The View" has had over all these years.
WALTERS: Well, most producers are unsung, you know? But I think -- we created "The View" together. We`re going into our, oh, what, 16th year. We thought we`d last a year or two. So, I mean, this is a very happy occasion for me.
HAMMER: Yes, you and I have talked at length about the longevity the show has had and how that`s defied your greatest expectations, but you have to be immensely proud, not only of the recognition you get at the Daytime Emmy Awards, but the magical cultural impact you`ve had with guests like Michelle Obama and all the conversations you start every day.
WALTERS: Oh, and the president. President Obama has been with us I think four times on "The View," and Michelle Obama very recently. But it`s the women also that I`m so proud of. We are nominated tonight as one of the nominees for "Best Talk Show," but not for "Best Host." How you can not -- how you can have a good talk show without good hosts, I don`t know, but I don`t understand everything, anyway.
HAMMER: Well, we wish you all the luck with your nomination, and congratulations on Bill`s behalf to you tonight. Have a great time, Barbara.
WALTERS: Thank you.
HAMMER: I`m going to throw it over to Nischelle -- Nischelle.
TURNER: Hey there, A.J. Thank you very much.
You know, just a couple of minutes ago, I got one of the biggest thrills of my life. Now we`ve been talking to so many soap stars and stars of daytime television, but do you know what I did just a couple seconds ago? I became a rock star in the eyes of all the 6-year-olds across the nation, because I got to spend a little bit of time with Oscar the Grouch and Abby Cadabby from "Sesame Street." Look at this.
Oh, I`m sorry. I`m sorry. I was a little mixed up here. We`re going to talk to Bobby Flay.
BOBBY FLAY, HOST, "BARBECUE ADDICTION": I can be Oscar the Grouch.
TURNER: Can you be Oscar the Grouch?
FLAY: No problem.
TURNER: OK. You can sit there and look like this. I`m sorry about.
FLAY: I`m a big fan of his, too.
TURNER: You know, I actually did have the biggest thrill of my life. This place is a madhouse, though.
FLAY: It`s insane.
TURNER: Have you ever experienced anything like this?
FLAY: It`s insane. I`m a New Yorker, so I feel like I`m getting a little piece of Hollywood right now.
TURNER: Like you`re walking down Fifth Avenue right now.
FLAY: I know, it`s crazy, it`s amazing, it`s just -- it`s a cluster of people. Everybody is so excited, lots of fans outside. They`re here to see their daytime stars.
TURNER: Now there`s so many people out there, viewers like me who have for some reason just fallen in love with food shows. You`re up tonight for an award for best host -- "Best Culinary Host."
FLAY: Yes, my show "Barbecue Addiction."
TURNER: Yes, I mean, have you ever imagined that things would just blow up in the food world like they have?
FLAY: No, you could just never imagine it, but that`s one of the great things that the Food Network has been able to do. It`s really been able to open people`s eyes up, to let them know what`s out there available to cook, what`s available out there to eat, and just to enjoy from a food standpoint.
I mean, it`s the one thing that we all have in common. We get up every day, we have to have a few meals at least. So it`s been really terrific.
TURNER: Well, congratulations on the nomination, and good luck tonight, Bobby.
FLAY: Thank you so much.
TURNER: Thank you very much.
A.J., we`ll send it back to you.
HAMMER: And the party continues. You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys," live on the red carpet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." What a party we have going on. I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m live on the red carpet. Joined by Nischelle Turner tonight, we`re live at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills where the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are now just a half hour away.
And right now I am so pleased to be standing with the winners of HLN`s Daytime Emmy Awards red carpet sweepstakes, Kathy DeCicco and her daughter Anna Maria.
Look at you. You had your red carpet makeover. You look spectacular.
KATHY DECICCO, WINNER, HLN DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS RED CARPET SWEEPSTAKES: Thank you.
HAMMER: And I have to imagine your head is ready to explode walking around with all your favorite daytime stars.
K. DECICCO: Yes, very much so.
HAMMER: And I know you`re a huge fan of the soaps, particularly of Eric Braeden, somebody told me, who plays Victor Newman on the soaps. Why do you like him so much? Actually don`t you tell me, why don`t you tell him yourself? Because I`d like to introduce you Eric Braeden.
K. DECICCO: I love you!
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Come on over, Eric. It`s nice to see you, my friend.
ERIC BRAEDEN, ACTOR, "VICTOR NEWMAN": A.J., nice to see you.
HAMMER: Well, here you go. You were about to tell me why you`re such a fan of Eric Braeden who plays Victor Newman.
K. DECICCO: Well, OK, real quickly, have you ever heard of the honey badger on YouTube? The honey badger. He is the honey badger.
BRAEDEN: What the hell is a honey badger?
HAMMER: Do you have any idea what she`s talking about?
BRAEDEN: I have no clue.
K. DECICCO: You just take what you want and you don`t give a damn.
BRAEDEN: You`re right.
K. DECICCO: But people still love you.
BRAEDEN: Thank you.
HAMMER: Would you like to hear him say, I don`t give a damn?
K. DECICCO: Yes, please.
BRAEDEN: You know, I don`t give a damn what they think.
How are you?
K. DECICCO: I`m great.
BRAEDEN: Where are you from?
K. DECICCO: I`m from Maryland. This is my daughter, Anna Maria. I`m Kathy.
BRAEDEN: Hello, how are you? Nice to meet you.
ANNA MARIA DECICCO, WINNER, HLN DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS RED CARPET SWEEPSTAKES: Nice to meet you.
K. DECICCO: Eric, give Kathy a sense of what she can expect here at the Daytime Emmy Awards tonight. She, first of all, cannot believe she`s surrounded by all of her favorite stars.
BRAEDEN: Isn`t that nice?
K. DECICCO: Yes!
BRAEDEN: That`s nice. So nice. No, I have no idea. This is the first time on HLN. And you are CNN-related. I have great respect for your network. And the great (INAUDIBLE) introducing the whole thing. You are here, so what the hell? What can go wrong?
HAMMER: What can go wrong? What are you most looking forward to or have we pretty much topped anything that can happen tonight?
K. DECICCO: I think you`ve done it here. Victor Newman, I can`t believe it. Thank you so much.
BRAEDEN: Thank you very much. Thank you for coming. That`s very kind of you.
HAMMER: Eric, I believe she`s shaking. So I`m going to let you guys hang out, maybe, I don`t know what`s going to happen here, bring the daughter along. Great to see you.
BRAEDEN: A.J., nice to see you.
HAMMER: And we look forward to seeing you on stage tonight.
BRAEDEN: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. And congratulations again.
K. DECICCO: Thanks, again.
HAMMER: Have a terrific time. Unbelievable.
Well, as we move on tonight, I want to bring in somebody who is a true legend, who is a true icon, the woman who, of course, played Erica Kane on "All My Children" for a remarkable four decades. Susan Lucci is having her picture taken right now. We`re going to get to her in just a moment. "All My Children," of course, no longer with us on television, but "All My Children" up for four Daytime Emmy awards tonight. Here comes Susan. She`s coming around Eric Braeden. It`s live TV.
SUSAN LUCCI, ACTOR, "ERICA KANE": Hi.
HAMMER: It`s so nice to see you.
LUCCI: Good to see you.
HAMMER: Wow. Look at you.
LUCCI: Oh, thank you.
HAMMER: Everybody misses seeing you on television every day, and I know it is particularly important to you to be here tonight and honor the soaps and daytime.
LUCCI: Absolutely. When I heard that "All My Children" in particular was nominated for best show and best writing, I was just thrilled. I wanted to be here, and frankly, I didn`t know that "All My Children" would even be included again ever.
HAMMER: Eleven nominations, Susan.
LUCCI: Oh, it`s wonderful, so I`m so happy to be here to be supporting "All My Children" and the whole daytime genre, which I love.
HAMMER: And we have a very special tribute tonight. I don`t want to give too much away about it. But you played Erica Kane, one of the most enduring characters on daytime, in all of television, really, for so many years. What was your favorite part about playing her?
LUCCI: Everything. Every day I would go in to work and just sing and smile and laugh and know that I was the luckiest actress on the planet.
HAMMER: Well, fans missing you every day, but big news just broke about something you`re going to be doing, and I think we can share it with everybody right now if you`d like to. You`re coming to Lifetime in prime time.
LUCCI: Lifetime in prime time, exactly. Yes, I just found out yesterday when I landed in L.A. that I`m going to Lifetime in prime time with Marc Cherry`s fabulous new show "Devious Maids." It will be on the air in March on Lifetime.
HAMMER: All right. We can`t wait to have you back. Now before I let you go, when I visited the set of "All My Children," you taught me how to do the infamous soap opera slap. Something you have a lot of experience with. Can we try it? I don`t know if my skills are up.
LUCCI: Oh, I bet you.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: It`s been a while since you`ve done it. If you actually hit me, it actually would be a badge of honor for me.
LUCCI: Oh, no way, I`m not going to.
HAMMER: Give it a whirl, come on, let`s go. Here we go. Ready, everybody?
LUCCI: You.
(SOAP OPERA SLAP)
HAMMER: Pretty good. Do I get the Emmy nomination?
LUCCI: Oh, you`ve got the trophy.
HAMMER: Susan, it`s great to see you. Congratulations on all of your shows` nominations tonight, and congratulations on your new show.
LUCCI: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: The great Susan Lucci.
You are watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys, and all night long we`ve been looking at the most outrageous moments on daytime TV.
But I have got to say, Luke and Laura`s wedding on "General Hospital" probably the moment in all of daytime history. Where were you when this happened?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the power vested in me by the authority of the State of New York, I pronounce that they are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live red carpet coverage of the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I`m A.J. Hammer. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner is in the middle of the action right here at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The big show less than 20 minutes away.
And, Nischelle, I have to tell you, I paid a visit to your next guest on the set of her brand new show, she is one of the new faces of daytime. And she was kind of freaking out that she was going to be a part of all the fun here tonight.
TURNER: Bethenny Frankel freaking out? I don`t think so. You`re like, yes, I probably was. A.J. gives you a big hello, and I am with a newcomer of daytime television right now, Bethenny Frankel.
Your talk show, Bethenny, has been on the air for about two weeks now.
BETHENNY FRANKEL, HOST, "BETHENNY": Exactly.
TURNER: Have you had a chance to exhale yet and kind of say, all right, I`m trying to get my footing.
FRANKEL: I have. It didn`t really take long to get my footing because I just felt like it was very natural just going out there speaking to people, talking to women, talking to the guests. I just -- I don`t know, I really never felt freaked out by it. I just really enjoy it. I love it.
TURNER: What surprised you most about the daytime television viewer, though? Because they`re different than a "Housewives" viewer.
FRANKEL: You know, I don`t think they`re that different. I think people underestimate the viewer. I actually don`t think they`re that different. I think that women are women and they can handle being edgy. And it`s not crossing a line but I don`t think they`re all that different.
And I think that people in suits think that they`re different, but I don`t think they`re different. And that`s how I approach this show. I don`t act any differently than I would on Bravo or anywhere. I don`t act differently depending upon where I am. I`m myself, and hopefully that`s working out.
TURNER: Now is this your first time at the Daytime Emmys? Because you`re presenting tonight.
FRANKEL: Yes, I`m presenting. I had never been to the Daytime Emmys. I`ve never been to any Emmys. Years ago I used to produce events and I used to help plan the Emmys, but no, I`ve never been before.
TURNER: Now you`re going to be taking the pictures, walking the red carpet. Does that ever get old, or is it always kind of a thrill?
FRANKEL: I won`t say that it gets old. I like being home with my family. I like getting dressed up, but it`s not -- I say this to people who think that we have the most glamorous life in the world. I mean, today it was 2:15, people came to do hair and makeup, I would have loved to sit at the pool with the baby. So I like it, and it`s exciting, and it`s such an honor, but I love being at home just as much.
TURNER: Absolutely. Well, thank you very much for talking to us tonight. Have you time tonight, OK?
FRANKEL: I know, I`m excited.
TURNER: And you know what, Bethenny -- A.J., and she says hello.
And you know what, we`re going to say hello now to Elizabeth Hendrickson, who is up for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" for "The Young and The Restless."
Elizabeth Hendrickson, I`m very excited for you because this is like your first time as the belle of the ball. Your first nomination for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series." You`ve got to be so excited.
ELIZABETH HENDRICKSON, ACTOR, "CHLOE MITCHELL": Oh, I am so over the moon. You don`t even know how much this means to me. I have my family here, my boyfriend here. All my friends and family are behind me and it`s really the greatest compliment I`ve ever received.
TURNER: Yes, with your nomination, the show has 15 nominations, and "The Young and The Restless" is such a staple in daytime. What is it about that show that keeps fans just loving it and watching so avidly?
HENDRICKSON: First of all, I think that we have great stories to tell, but we have an amazing cast and crew. I think everyone -- yes, maybe I`m biased because it`s a show that I`m on, but we`re all amazing.
TURNER: You also have been on daytime for so long. You were so many years on "All My Children," four years there playing Maggie Stone, and now you`re playing Chloe Mitchell Fisher, so this really is just a celebration for you.
HENDRICKSON: It is, it is. I can`t believe that I`ve been doing it for almost 10 years. I still feel like I`m 20 years old, and I can`t believe how quickly it`s gone by, how many memories I have with all these people. It`s really like my family. It`s so great.
TURNER: Well, you know what, have a great time tonight. Good luck to you and congratulations whatever happens.
HENDRICKSON: Thank you. Thank you so much.
TURNER: Thanks so much, Elizabeth.
A.J., we`re going to send it back to you.
HAMMER: All right, Nischelle. One of the well-established stars of daytime TV is with me, the great Rachael Ray, who has won a Daytime Emmy I believe twice?
RACHAEL RAY, HOST, "RACHAEL RAY": Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: For "Outstanding Talk Show Host." And tonight you were nominated. I`m guessing it never gets old.
RAY: No, it`s always so much fun. I get to have a date night with my husband, our show has won a couple of times. We`ve only been around for a few years, but tonight the thing I`m most nervous about, it`s the first time that culinary host has been included in the on-air Daytime Emmys and I`m presenting, and these are all my friends and colleagues.
I`m like, don`t hold it personally, can I just open the envelope and say it`s a tie for everybody, but then we`ll be some Emmy statues short. So I`m way more nervous about presenting tonight than being in a category where I`m nominated. I`m thrilled to be nominated, but super nervous about having to present knowing everybody in the category.
HAMMER: Well, I`m looking forward to you giving us that great moment that is going to be played around the world tomorrow. You`ll open up the envelope and you`re going to start crying because you don`t have the strength.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: But, Rachael, I think you`ll find the strength. Good luck tonight and best of luck presenting, I see how tense you are about that. Have a good time.
RAY: Thanks. And good luck to everybody, and it`s not my fault, I didn`t vote.
HAMMER: That`s the great Rachael Ray. We`ll see what happens.
But right now you are watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, live on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys. Now we`ve been looking at the most outrageous moments on daytime TV. This one just blows my mind, the "Wheel of Fortune" contestant who solved the world puzzle with just a single letter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "WHEEL OF FORTUNE")
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I solve?
PAT SAJAK, HOST, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE": OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is a prize puzzle.
SAJAK: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I`ve got a good feeling about this."
SAJAK: That`s right!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had a good feeling about it! I had a good feeling about it!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: We are back at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with continuing red carpet coverage at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I`m A.J. Hammer just having a blast. We`re coming to you live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.
And I just spoke with the lovely Finola Hughes. She recently returned to "General Hospital" as Anna Devane.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
I have to imagine for you with your rich and very long history of playing Anna Devane on "General Hospital," being back full time now this year, being here with them has to be very special tonight.
FINOLA HUGHES, ACTOR, "ANNA DEVANE": It is. I feel like I`m part of a privileged few really, considering that, you know, we`ve lost so many soaps. Now it just feels like we have such a strong soap. We have Frank Valentini, the new producer on the show. And it just feels like we`re moving forward in such a strong way.
HAMMER: A strong way. The show, the most nominated show here at the Daytime Emmys, 23 nominations in all. You have got to feel super proud of your show and your fellow cast mates.
HUGHES: I am so proud of our cast. Our cast is excellent. And I get to present "Supporting Actress" tonight.
HAMMER: And you yourself won as "Lead Actress." That was back in 1991. That`s a pretty big deal though. Everybody that I`ve spoken with says getting a Daytime Emmy for them was one of the crowning achievements of their career. Is that how you felt?
HUGHES: Absolutely that`s how I feel. Unfortunately, I wasn`t there to receive it. But it was such an amazing feeling. I was in London and I went home to my hotel and there were a thousand telegrams from everyone. We had telegrams back then.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Well, congratulations again all these years later. Great to meet you, and have a great time tonight at the Daytime Emmy Awards.
HUGHES: Thank you. You have a great night, too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: One of the most competitive categories I`m really looking forward to tonight is for the "Outstanding Talk Show Entertainment." Now in that category you have "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" going up against "The View," and "Live with Regis and Kelly."
But one first-time nominee hopes to knock them all off, CBS`s "The Talk." And I just spoke with the very excited hosts of "The Talk," Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Sarah Gilbert, Sheryl Underwood, and Aisha Tyler. And they are ready to rumble and to celebrate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: By the way, I want to thank you for not spilling ashes on me on the red carpet, Sharon. I appreciate you.
SHARON OSBOURNE, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": You know we would never do that, ever.
HAMMER: I know. It`s so great to see you guys, especially coming after our visit a few weeks ago when you were in New York, and you said, I believe, we`re just happy to be nominated. And, of course, Sharon called you out on that. How are you feeling tonight? Congratulations, three Emmy nominations.
JULIE CHEN, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": We`re not going to lie. We would love to win. But we are just happy to be nominated and to be here.
UNDERWOOD: Nominated with some great people, our colleagues. But "The Talk" roots for itself, we want to win.
HAMMER: Now, Sheryl, I believe, said she`s going to pull a Kanye if you don`t win. So you`ll be up on stage no matter.
UNDERWOOD: Oh, absolutely, pulling a Kanye. It`s going to be bad. These are my Kardashians and I`m pulling them up with me.
HAMMER: Now I had a chance to take a look at what you guys are going to be doing tonight. I don`t want to give it away, but suffice to say it is something people will most certainly want to stay tuned for.
OSBOURNE: I think so, too. I think so. We like to make it all about us.
SARAH GILBERT, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": Yes. We like to get attention and make news.
HAMMER: I have a feeling what you do tonight is going to be the clip played around the world tomorrow. And by the way, turnabout is fair play. So I`m actually going to be joining you on your show on Monday so we can talk about all that stuff.
AISHA TYLER, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": I think, just to echo what everyone said, it feels a little bit like, you know, we`re the underdog collegiate team and we`re at the big dance. But when you`re at the big dance, whether you win or lose, you want to make one big play, so.
HAMMER: They`re going to make a huge play, trust me. Congratulations, best of luck tonight, ladies.
TYLER: Thanks, A.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: A.J. and the ladies. Yes, he will be with them on "The Talk" on Monday. Good times. That`s going to be must-watch TV, I`m sure.
OK, so just a little bit ago, I gave you guys what we like to call in television a tease. And I told you how excited I was to be with the gang from "Sesame Street," Oscar the Grouch and Abby Cadabby, better known as Carroll Spinney and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: Not to say that you guys aren`t the big names. But this is who we love, right?
CARROLL SPINNEY, PUPPETEER, "OSCAR THE GROUCH": Nobody knows me.
TURNER: Oscar, this is the Daytime Emmys. Now are you going to be a grouch tonight or are you actually going to have a little bit of fun?
SPINNEY: Probably not. I`m a grouch by trade and nature.
TURNER: You know what, Abby, can we try to get Oscar to have a little fun tonight?
LESLIE CARRARA-RUDOLPH, PUPPETEER, "ABBY CADABBY": Yes, I know his tickle spot. I know how to make his smile.
TURNER: I love it.
SPINNEY: Last time she waved her wand at me, she turned me into a frog.
CARRARA-RUDOLPH: It was an incident, but let`s not about the incident.
TURNER: Did you dress Oscar tonight, Abby?
CARRARA-RUDOLPH: Well, just getting him to take a shower was a big deal.
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: You guys, this is so much fun. Do you still love it after all these years, especially on a night like this?
SPINNEY: I do. It`s my 43rd year.
TURNER: And how about you, Leslie?
CARRARA-RUDOLPH: Oh, for me, it`s an honor to co-pilot a ferry and just the joy that we get to bring, so yes, it`s glamorous.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You are watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys," live on the red carpet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live red carpet coverage of the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m joined by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. We are mere minutes away from the start of the big show.
And, Nischelle, you have spoken to so many of daytime`s biggest legends tonight. Who do you got for us now?
TURNER: Well, I`m ending, A.J., with one of my favorites. She`s been on "Days of Our Lives" since 1983. I`m talking about the gorgeous Kristian Alfonso.
You have a very important job here at the Daytime Emmys tonight. You are presenting. Everyone says sometimes that`s a little harder than even being a nominee because you`ve got to make you get everything right.
ALFONSO: Absolutely. I`m actually presenting "Outstanding Younger Actress." And two of the actresses in there, Molly Burnett and Shelley Hennig, are nominated from our show. So, yes, it is -- it`s very nerve- wracking. You want to get it right. You want to pronounce their names correctly.
TURNER: Now I have been asking people all night, because daytime TV and especially soap operas have been going through a little bit of a tough time. But "Days of Our Lives" still seems to be trudging alone. People love the show. Fans still tune in. What is it about "Days"?
ALFONSO: I don`t know. But what I do know is that we have incredibly loyal fans. And I have to say, I know a lot of people say that, you know, everyone at work, it`s like home and family. But it really is.
And I have to say that every day that we come in, we`re so excited to be there and we want to do the best and we want it to be the best, and want our viewer to enjoy it as much as we`re enjoying it.
TURNER: Now I have to tell you, I`ve been watching "Days" since 1985, so almost since you started on the show. And Bo and Hope are my favorite couple of all, ever on daytime television.
ALFONSO: Thank you.
TURNER: And we just got the news that Peter Reckell will be leaving.
ALFONSO: Yes.
TURNER: Did that break your heart?
ALFONSO: When he told me that he was leaving, I said, I`ll believe it when I see it. And I`ll still believe it when I see it. I say "never say never." If he does truly exit out, it will be very sad. We`ve had a lot of fun together, a lot of wild romantic adventurous story lines. I would have to say that all of the writers have done very well by us.
TURNER: Well, he tweeted about it and he left a little bit of wiggle room at the end of it and said, "if I ever return."
ALFONSO: It`s true. Well, hopefully Peter will change his mind and come back. Come back home.
TURNER: Well, "Days" is up for 15 nominations. Have a great time tonight.
ALFONSO: Thank you.
TURNER: I hope it takes home a lot of Emmy awards.
ALFONSO: Thank you so much.
TURNER: Thanks so much.
HAMMER: So who will be taking home the Emmy gold tonight? Right now, it`s anybody`s guess. "General Hospital" with 23 nominations. We have "All My Children" nominated for 11 awards. Your favorite judges, your favorite talk shows. Will Anderson Cooper get his first daytime Emmy Award? You are about to find out.
That is it for this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." What a party it has been, live from the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Get ready for it because the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards is live right now right here on HLN.
END
