CBS Leads in Daytime Emmy Nominations

With fewer and fewer soaps on the air, it’s probably not a surprise that CBS, the network with more soaps than any other (by virtue of having only two of them), leads in the number of daytime Emmy Award nominations.

Still, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, the number one soap in daytime, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, earned 23 nominations, more than any other show. Among them are nods for Outstanding Drama Series, one it shares with its sister soap, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. B&B earned 15 nominations.

The only two remaining network game shows, THE PRICE IS RIGHT and LET’S MAKE A DEAL, were both nominated in the Outstanding Game Show category. DEAL’s Wayne Brady also received a nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host. THE TALK was honored as a nominee for Outstanding Talk/Entertainment Program, while the syndicated THE DOCTORS received a nomination in the Outstanding Talk/Informative category.

CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING received a nomination for Outstanding Morning Program.

Actress Susan Flannery, who retired from the role of matriarch Stephanie Forrester on B&B, received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, where she’ll compete against former B&B co-star Heather Tom (Katie) and Y&R’s Michelle Stafford (Phyllis). On the male side, Y&R’s Peter Bergman (Jack), Doug Davidson (Paul) and Michael Muhney (Adam) are among the nominees.

Game show legends Monty Hall, who co-created and hosted the Let’s Make a Deal for most of its run on television; and Bob Stewart, creator of venerable shows like The Price is Right, PASSWORD and THE $25,000 PYRAMID, will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards. Hall, 91, appeared recently on the current version of his show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its premiere. Stewart passed away at age 91 last May.

The Daytime Emmy Awards will air in June on HLN.

The Price is Right to Celebrate Music, Dance in May

It’ll be more than hot cars burning up the stage at THE PRICE IS RIGHT for two episodes this month. Televisions longest-running game show will feature music and dance as a way to help give away great prizes.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT will feature guest stars from the Broadway musical “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles,” on Wednesday, May 4th. Those singers will serve as the game show’s “house band” of the day, playing Beatles songs from three different eras, complete with costume changes.

During the show, they’ll attempt to give away a trip to New York City where a contestant will be able to see their show. Showcases on that episode will also have a Beatles theme, including a trip to London, a tour of Abby Road and a Porsche Boxter.

Then on Thursday, May 12th, members of the “Burn the Floor” dance troup will appear, performing stage dances that will help introduce trips to Amsterdam, Spain and Rio de Janeiro. They’ll also offer private dance lessons from members of the cast to a lucky winner.

“Burn the Floor’s” cast includes American Idol season four finalist Vonzell Solomon and So You Think You Can Dance alumni Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT airs weekdays at 11:00am on LIVE 5 WCSC, followed by LIVE 5 NEWS AT NOON.

‘Price’ Names New Announcer

After months of auditions, THE PRICE IS RIGHT has finally named its newest permanent announcer: Emmy-nominated host and comedian George Gray.

Gray started his career as a stand-up comic and is probably best known as the host of the syndicated version of The Weakest Link.

“I’m really excited to join THE PRICE IS RIGHT family,” Gray said. “Being only the fourth full-time announcer in 39 years is an amazing honor. As my dad always liked to say, ‘No pressure.’”

Gray replaces Rich Fields, whose contract was not renewed at the end of last season. Fields had been brought in to replace the late Rod Roddy, whose flashy sequined and silk jackets had been a staple of the program since the mid-1980s.

Roddy replaced the late Johnny Olson, the show’s original announcer, still regarded by many as one of the greatest announcers in the history of TV. It was Olson who Bob Barker credited as the man who made, “Come on Down!” a part of Americana.

You can catch Gray on THE PRICE IS RIGHT, weekday mornings at 11am, followed by LIVE 5 NEWS AT NOON.

‘Price is Right’ Offers Home Viewer Showcase

All this week, THE PRICE IS RIGHT is returning to its roots, resurrecting the concept of a Home Viewer Showcase.

To play, viewers will have to register online at the show’s official website, priceisright.com.  The show will display two prizes each day this week and given the actual retail price for one of the two.

Viewers will then bid on the total value of the showcase at the website at the end of the week.

The 10 prizes being offered include a new car, a lavish beach vacation, a luxury watch, high-end kitchen appliances, a laptop computer, a celebrity-designed living room collection, a VIP sports vacation and other modern day indulgences.

Whoever bids closest without going over wins the showcase; if there is a tie, a drawing will decide the winner.

One of the featured prizes each day will be announced some time during game play.  The second prize will be shown during the actual Showcase round.

If you miss a prize reveal, they will also be posted after the program airs at priceisright.com.

Home Viewer Showcases began in the original version of the series, which ran in the last 1950s and early 1960s on NBC and ABC.  Viewers were invited to send postcards with their bids for a showcase of prizes.

Over the years in the current version, several Home Viewer Showcases were offered, usually around Christmastime.

The Price is Right Plans Special Episodes

Television’s longest-running game show has three special episodes coming in the next month.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT is celebrating Veterans Day on Thursday by welcoming an audience filled with servicemen and women from all five branches of the armed services.  Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard will get the chance to play for great prizes.  The show’s newest pricing game, “Pay the Rent,” will give one of them a chance at a $100,000 grand prize.

Multiple cars are also offered during the show, as well as a chance to win a ride on a private jet to Las Vegas. A color guard and the United States Marine Corps Band will also be there to pay tribute to this special day.

Then on Monday, November 15th, the show welcomes NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Clint Bowyer and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie Austin Dillon for a special NASCAR-themed episode.

Bowyer and Dillon will present two NASCAR-themed showcases, featuring a trip North Carolina to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a trip to Miami to see the season-ending races in all three National Series at the end of November and a Chevy Impala LS.

Bowyer is one of three Sprint Cup Series drivers for Richard Childress Racing and currently pilots the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet Impala in NASCAR’s premier division and the No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet Impala in the NASCAR Nationwide Series part time. Bowyer won the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. Austin Dillon, grandson of RCR team owner Richard Childress, is in his first full-time season, driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

And on Wednesday, November 24th, the game show will feature chef Guy Fieri, who’ll help prepare a special Thanksgiving dinner.

Fieri will offer two showcases that include prizes such as top- of-the-line kitchen equipment, an 82 inch television for watching the Thanksgiving Day games, a pair of motorcycles and a Jeep Wrangler Sport.

Be sure to tune to THE PRICE IS RIGHT, weekdays at 11:00am on LIVE 5 WCSC.

Soap signs off, new show plans debut

AS THE WORLD TURNS broadcasts its 13,858th and final episode on Friday, closing the book on 54 years of broadcasting.

The soap’s replacement will be THE TALK, an hour-long talk show moderated by Julie Chen and five other moms: reality star Sharon Osbourne,  and actresses Leah Remini, Holly Robinson Peete, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Sara Gilbert.

THE TALK won’t premiere until Monday, October 17th.

In the meantime, CBS will fill the remaining weeks with a mix of game shows and classic soap episodes.

Starting on Monday, September 20th, which is the day the new season begins, CBS will air double episodes of THE PRICE IS RIGHT at its usual time of 11:00am and in ‘ATWT’s’ slot at 2:00pm.  Those bonus episodes of ‘Price’ will run through Friday October 1st.

Then, from Monday, October 4th through Friday, October 8th, you’ll see two hours of LET’S MAKE A DEAL, from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

And the week leading up to THE TALK’s premiere will feature classic episodes of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.  (No word on which episodes will be shown.)

Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced

This year’s nominees for the Daytime Emmy Awards were announced this morning, and CBS’s THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS received 16 of them, ranking second in the number of nominations of any show.  Only ABC’s General Hospital garnered more, with 18 nominations.

Both Y&R and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL are nominated for Best Drama Series. GUIDING LIGHT‘s Crystal Chappell (Olivia Spencer), Y&R’s Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Newman), and AS THE WORLD TURNS‘ Maura West (Carly Tenney) are nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Y&R’s Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott) and Doug Davidson (Paul Williams), and ATWT’s Jon Lindstrom (Craig Montgomery) and Michael Park (Jack Snyder) are up for Outstanding Lead Actor.

GL’s Beth Chamberlin (Beth Spaulding) and ATWT’s Julie Pinson (Janet Snyder) are nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Y&R’s Billy Miller (Billy Abbott) is up for Outstanding Supporing Actor in a Drama Series.

Outsanding Younger Actor or Actress Nominations went to Y&R’s Christel Khalil (Lily Winters), ATWT’s Marnie Schulenburg (Alison Stewart), B&B’s Drew Tyler Bell (Thomas Forrester) and GL’s Zack Conroy (James Spaulding). Conroy, by the way, can now be seen on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL in the role of Oliver.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL‘s Wayne Brady is nominated as Outstanding Game Show Host for his work in the freshman series that replaced GUIDING LIGHT.

THE DOCTORS received a nomination for Outstanding Talk Show/Informative Program. THE PRICE IS RIGHT received a nomination for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show.

As for THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW, fans know that Wendy makes no bones about her collection of wigs.  They must have impressed Emmy judges, since her hairstylists were nominated for hair design!

You can view the full list of nominees at the official website of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which awards the Emmys. This year’s Daytime Emmy Awards will be broadcast on June 27th on Live 5 WCSC.

Price Goes Green for St. Patrick’s

THE PRICE IS RIGHT sports a bit of the Irish on Wednesday to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

In this St. Paddy’s day episode, the audience will be decked out in green, along with the set. We’ll have to see whether the luck of the Irish is actually with the contestants called to “come on down.”

Among the prizes offered will include a green Mini Cooper convertible and a trip to — where else? — Ireland.

That episode airs Wednesday morning at 11:00am, followed LIVE 5 NEWS AT NOON.

Carey Celebrates 500

Drew Carey celebrates his 500th episode of CBS’s Emmy Award-winning THE PRICE IS RIGHT on Wednesday.

To celebrate this milestone, every contestant who makes it on stage will receive a $500 cash bonus. In addition, all games will have a “500″ theme and the showcases will reference Drew’s 500th show with exciting prizes such as a trip to Las Vegas via private jet and a home theater with a surround sound system.

Carey, now in his third season as host, made his debut on the program in October, 2007, succeeding former host Bob Barker, who had emceed since its 1972 premiere.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT airs at 11:00am, followed by LIVE 5 NEWS AT NOON

Making a Price-less Spring Break

It’s an all-college audience on Monday’s episode of THE PRICE IS RIGHT, TV’s longest-running game show.

The entire hour will be geared toward Spring Break, with themed prizes such as video games, a laptop and an Ultimate Dorm Room, among others.

Those of us who are no longer of college age, like your Insider, will likely marvel at how much easier today’s kids have it. They never had to walk uphill through the snow…both ways!

Don’t miss that special show Monday morning at 11:00am, followed by LIVE 5 NEWS AT NOON.