Lynda Hirsch on Soaps

Q: When were the first Daytime Emmy Awards presented? — Regina, Vancouver, Canada

Actually, the first Daytime Emmy Awards was a nighttime affair. In 1974, "The Doctors" and "General Hospital" went head to head. "The Doctors" took home the statuette. That year, Mary Fickett ("All My Children's" original Ruth) was given the award for Outstanding Achievement by an Individual in a Daytime Drama. Fickett won it for a speech Ruth gave when she thought her adopted son, Phillip, had been killed in Vietnam. The primetime Emmys did try to bestow an award to their little-sister daytime drama a few years before then. In 1968, a category to honor daytime television was added to the list of awards. In those days, the academy did not have to give out an award if they thought no one deserved it. Guess what? They decided no one should get an award. They even dissed Macdonald Carey (Tom Horton, "Days of Our Lives"). It was felt Carey was bound to win. He had been a well-known b-list movie star early in his career. The reason he really should have won was the fine acting job he did every day. At that time, he was doing it drunk. Later in life, Carey admitted he came to the set drunk every day for years. About six years into the show, Carey became a very vocal and successful member of AA. Frances Reid (Alice on "Days") came to the set one day and pulled Carey aside. Her real-life husband had a drinking problem. She told Carey it was bad enough to go home to a husband she adored who often drank, but having to go to work playing opposite an actor who had drinking issues was intolerable. Carey told me that Reid was one of the people who helped him realize how he was affecting people: "I was torturing my wife at home and my television wife.

Q: My mother insists the Daytime Emmy Awards used to be shown on daytime television. She can't be right. I have always watched them at night. Set her straight. — Arnel, Richmond Heights, Ohio

Listen, missy, I am not going to set your mother straight. First off, she is your mom, so have a little respect. Second, she is right. The first Daytime Emmy Awards show was beamed from the gardens in Rockefeller Center in 1974. I remember that day quite well. Susan Lucci and I wore the same dress. It was one of those Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses. We even wore the same shade of green. Since then, Lucci and I always call each other before award shows to make certain we do not make the same faux pas. In fact, she differs to me. (The part about the wearing the same dress is true — the rest not so much.) Back to your question. NBC televised the first award show during the daytime hours. Two of their big daytime stars, Barbara Walters (queen bee at the "Today" show at the time) and Peter Marshall (host of "Hollywood Squares") hosted the event. For the next few years, the daytime awards always aired in the daytime. In 1983 and 1984, awards were handed out but not televised. In 1991, the show became a big primetime event. There were several reasons. The hotter-than-hot Luke and Laura on "General Hospital" — "GH" ratings were higher than most primetime shows. Another reason for the high ratings was the mystery of when Lucci (Erica, "All My Children") would ever win. It only took over 10 best actress nominations for her to say "thank you for this honor."

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