BEVERLY HILLS, California: Days of Our Lives won drama series honors for just the second time in 40 years at the Daytime Emmys in a rough-hewn ceremony that included more upsets and an envelope mix-up on Sunday night.
The NBC soap opera that began in 1965 beat out defending champion “General Hospital” and former three-time winner “The Bold and the Beautiful,” among others.
The category included the only four remaining soaps still airing on the broadcast networks in addition to “One Life to Live,” which has found new life on the Internet after being canceled.
“Days” only other drama series win was in 1978.
The show claimed one other trophy: Chandler Massey as outstanding younger actor. Doug Davidson of The Young and the Restless and Heather Tom of The Bold and the Beautiful won lead acting honours. Davidson earned his first career trophy for a role he’s played since 1978. Tom, who previously was on “Y&R,” repeated her win from last year. Davidson had been nominated seven times in various categories for playing Detective Paul Williams on the CBS soap.
“It suddenly occurs to me that the presenters are younger than my tux,” he said. “I would like to thank the viewers. They have been more than fans, they’ve been like family to me. They’ve supported my character in some very difficult times.”
Tom of “B&B” won for her role as Katie Logan, who struggled with post-partum depression and abandoned her baby in a major story line. Last year, she became the first person to win Daytime Emmys in the younger, supporting and lead categories.AP