ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605240040
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TANYA BARRIENTOS KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
It's become cruel and unusal punishment.
A 16-year drought for long-suffering Susan Lucci, who keeps smiling demurely year after year as somebody else goes up on stage to claim the daytime emmy award for best leading actress in a soap opera, continued Wednesday night when Lucci lost. Again.
Erica Slezak, who plays Victoria Lord Carpenter on ABC's ``One Life To Live'' took the statue for the second year in a row.
In the eyes of the judges, Lucci's character, Erica Kane Martin Brent Cudahy Chandler Chandler Montgomery Montgomery Marick, the fit-throwing, husband-stealing, company-owning, Pine Valley diva with the perfect hair (not to mention flawless nails and killer accessories) was no match for Slezak's Vickie, who recently spent time in an asylum undergoing intensive therapy for a multiple personality disorder.
Never mind that Lucci's Erica went to the Betty Ford Clinic, after sneaking pills, lying about her pain and showing up to family functions higher than Pine Valley's divorce rate. (The clinic reported that fans were calling and sending flower arrangements to the fictional Erica.)
This was Slezak's fifth Emmy award for the matriarchal role she has played since 1971.
In addition to Lucci, Slezak beat out Lina Dano from ``Another World,'' Jensen Buchanan from ``Another World'' and Jess Walton from ``The Young and The Restless.''
Wearing a black chiffon gown with a over-the-shoulder red sash, Slezak said she was ``proud to be included in a list of such fine nominees.''
Lucci was in the audience, graciously smiling.
``General Hospital'' beat out ``All My Children, Days of Our Lives'' and ``The Young and The Restless'' for the best daytime drama.
Hosted by Eric Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott, stars of ``The Young and The Restless,'' the daytime Emmy award show was broadcast live from cavernous three-tiered Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
In a special one-hour primetime episode of that soap that preceeded the award ceremony Braeden was shot and left splayed on the floor of his executive office, blood oozing out of his Armani.
But that was just make believe. In real life Braeden stood on stage and moved the 23rd annual daytime Emmy award show along swiftly.
The first award announced was best supporting actor in a drama, which went to Jerry Ver Dorn, who has been on ``Guiding Light'' since 1979.
The best supporting actress award went to Anna Holbrook from ``Another World.''
In a surprisingly unsentimental tribute, Phil Donahue received a lifetime achievement award.
Oprah Winfrey, clad in a bronze lame pant suit did the honors, thanking Donahue for ``opening the door wide enough for me to walk through.''
Donahue, a 29-year veteran of daytime airwaves, is credited with inventing the chairs-on-a-stage talk show format that has become the lifeblood of office-hours television.
In a brief and dry-eyed thank-you speech, the silver-haired Donahue thanked his crew, his children and his wife, Marlo Thomas.
He also alluded to his recent problems with conservative television watch-dog groups that have dogged his program for being too controversial.
``All My Children's'' writing team was voted the best for daytime drama.
Bob Barker won for game show host for overseeing ``The Price is Right.'' A noted animal rights activist, Barker ended his speech by telling the audience, ``Have your pets spayed or neutered.''
Voted best animated children's program was ``Animaniacs,'' executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
In the category of younger actor and younger actress, restricted to daytime thespians between 14 and 25 years old, the winners were Kevin Mambo, who plays Marcus on ``Guiding Light,'' and Kimberly McCullough, who plays the HIV-positive Robin on ``General Hospital.''
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani reportedly boycotted the glitzfest because he believes daytime talk shows and sexy soap operas are too controversial.
Of course his moral standards didn't keep him from rubbing other celebrity elbows during recent Grammy and MTV award shows.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB