I agree. We needed something more then just a speech. AMC and OLTL should have gotten a video music tribute. Not just a simple speech.

I usually like SL but the beginning was too much an "Ode to Erica Kane" when it should rightly have involved more AMC/OLTL cast members. Where was David Canary? Michael E. Knight? Jill Larsen? Jerry ver Dorn? Hilary B. Smith? The absence of video montages from both shows was the most glaring example of something that was (understandably) "thrown together". I would forgive HLN that aspect if more cast members would have been out on stage to share in the tribute. Methinks ABC Daytime may have had something to do with the clips not being made available, but I don't want to accuse anyone of being spiteful. But that's me...

Is it true that they couldn't get the license to the clips? Because I also wondered why they didn't play the theme music for the soaps.

I will say that I loved when Erika came up there and said along the lines of we love you all and miss you to.

I think Susan Lucci is an abolutely phony. Her thank yous always sound the same. I can't stand her. She made that segment all about her.

Meanwhile Cameron does not belong up there with those 2 as far as soap longevity goes.

I couldn't believe what a terrible tribute that was.

Remember when the Daytime Emmy's were all about our beloved soap operas? Daytime TV is now filled up with talk shows, reality shows, cooking shows, Judge "fill in the blank", doctor shows, Law and Order reruns, etc.. while we're barely hanging on with four soap operas!

Why in the hell is CM on that stage?

Cam, Susan, & Erika Are 3 Class Acts--Yessss!

Brian

I think that Susan Lucci really believed that AMC was going to win. She couldnt contain herself opening that envelope. Felt bad, bt happy fo GH.

When they said tribute I thought there was going to be a video montage of the fallen shows, but I was taken back. Yes Susan thought AMC was going to win; she was up there shaken...Again, why wasn't there a video montage? That annoyed me....

Meanwhile Cameron does not belong up there with those 2 as far as soap longevity goes.

I couldn't believe what a terrible tribute that was.

Agreed, it was bad enough to not have footage available--which I kinda understand since it wasn't televised by any of the majors--but the entire Lucci bit was essentially a tribute to herself. Felt kinda bad that Erika Slezak got roped into such a mess but what little class was evident during that segment was all Slezak(and don't get me started on Cameron Mathieson; would've made more since to have David Canary and maybe Robert S.Woods up there than him).

It was a horrible tribute to AMC and OLTL!!!

I am glad that they tried something but the entire award show as a hot mess. That music was worse than nails on a chalk board. The camera people kept panning to the extras in the audience instead of the stars. I am glad that it was able to be televised though.

The further along SL got into her tribute to AMC, the more it sounded like she could not differentiate between AMC and Erica Kane. Yes, the character was a popular, long-term character, but All My Children was not a one-woman show. I started getting uncomfortable on SL's behalf, since she started sounding like the parody of Lucci that she plays on Hot In Cleveland. I'm pretty sure someone else wrote or co-wrote what she said, but she was the one delivering it and would more than likely take the brunt of criticism for making it "about her" rather than "about the cancelled show" and all the people who worked on it besides her.

Even if clips were not available, they could very well have worked with what they had: as Lucci spoke of AMC, they could have interspersed shots of other AMC actors in attendance with publicity photos of the ones who deserved a nod but were not there, maybe with captions on screen of their names, and the characters they played. That might also have helped get past that "it's all about Erica" feeling many got since the camera only stayed on Lucci.

As for OLTL, they should have cut Lucci's stuff a bit and allowed Erika Slezak equal time. I know ES would probably be too modest to make OLTL all about Viki, so the above-mentioned strategy would have given her a chance to re-state a tweaked version of that wonderful monologue Viki gave during the final weeks of OLTL where she explained why soaps (in Viki's case, Fraternity Row) are so important and relevant.

And Cameron Mathison? So not worthy.

If you ask me, certain people looked a little tippsy.

This was the tribute??? OMG! They couldn't show clips? Wow, and I thought Guiding Light's was lame but now it makes me appreciate it now after seeing this! Poor AMC and OLTL deserved better.

I agree that Cameron shouldn't have been there, should have been one of the vets that were on longer. Guess it was demographics.

And that's sad that Susan just knew that AMC would win. I really think they should have. I didn't understand most of the wins except younger actor wins. I'm glad I didn't watch and looks like won't be watching ever again after these past few ones.

At first I had to wonder about the context of Lucci's speech, because I thought it came on after a montage of Erica Kane moments - but apparently those of you who watched the ceremony are stating there were no clips so I do find it odder than before that she droned on about Erica Kane, Erica Kane, Erica Kane. I agree with DanielAvery, AMC was not a one woman show. I have seen episodes where Erica was not present and the show was still rich in character and enjoyable with characters like Phoebe Tyler, Tad Martin, Adam Chandler and Palmer Cortlandt running amok in Pine Valley and causing drama.
Nobody up there seemed to be having a good time - and I don't mean that cardboard cutout Cameron Mattson, I mean Lucci and Slezak. Is it just me or does it seem that Slezak is kind of embarrased by all of it. She doesn't do forced emotions and kissy faces very well, and thank God for that.
Erik

First off, why the heck was Cameron Mathison up there? Secondly, what shittastic tribute two iconic pieces of daytime history, I was expecting some kind of montage, maybe clips of cast mates of both shows being interviewed about their favorite times, but all we got was Susan Lucci raving about being Erika, I don't know what her intentions were, but "La Lucci" came off a bit egotistical, instead of talking about AMC as a whole is all about Erika Kane, I was never a viewer of AMC so I couldn't care less but that tribute was downright horrible in my opinion, I expected a hell of a lot better.

First off, why the heck was Cameron Mathison up there? Secondly, what shittastic tribute two iconic pieces of daytime history, I was expecting some kind of montage, maybe clips of cast mates of both shows being interviewed about their favorite times, but all we got was Susan Lucci raving about being Erika, I don't know what her intentions were, but "La Lucci" came off a bit egotistical, instead of talking about AMC as a whole is all about Erika Kane, I was never a viewer of AMC so I couldn't care less but that tribute was downright horrible in my opinion, I expected a hell of a lot better.

That was no tribute. Even if they could not get clips they should have had Lucci and Erika Slezak up there with equal time, and without Cameron Matheson.

According to this HLN link HERE http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/06/23/susan-lucci-tribute-erica-kane-and..., the tribute was to her Character AND the cancelled soaps. It would appear that they melded them together into one segment and that just made her look foolish and like she was hogging the spotlight...what a crappy and insulting way to present it all.

Yeah, for a minute there with her going on and on about Erica Kane I couldn't tell if Lucci was being serious or doing a send-up of herself(as someone else mentioned, like her Hot In Cleveland appearances). The entire thing was painful--"You know how they say cotton is the fabric of our lives, well I think AMC is the fabric of our lives"--and by the time she introduced Slezak and Mathieson(again, WTF?!?)I muted my TV because the whole thing had disintegrated into a bad case of RSLT(Really Shitty Live Television).

It did seem odd that SL kept talking about herself and her character ad nauseum. And Bob Woods was present so why wasn't he invited up with Erika? At least there would have been two people representing OLTL like there was for AMC.

I liked the Emmys much more than the previous two years of Vegas informercials and I appreciate that HLN stepped up to the plate to air them for us. And they only had three weeks to pull it all together. My only complaints were that there were no Emmy reels for the actors or the soaps, a truly horrible tribute to AMC and OLTL, the terrible music track and the wacky Emmy for best on-line viral video. I still cannot figure out what a viral video has to do with Daytime TV. And the rumor making the rounds is that ABC/Disney would not allow HLN to run the reels or any montages.

Has LaStrasser weighed in via Twitter yet? I love her observations.

Wait. Bill Geddes (producer of The View) received a lengthy tribute, complete with clips to represent his work. So, HLN couldn't commission AMC & OLTL clips or an adequate montage to honor the shows their rich histories? Not buying it.

Never mind that combined OLTL & AMC contributed 10,000's episodes of television, employed thousands and entertained millions!

Why no montages? No clips? No tributes? But inclusion of Best Viral Video? Seriously?! Debbie Gibson and Jack Hanna. Bethenny Frankel? But no time for REAL tributes? AARRRRGGGHHH!

Ultimately for me, the show is about awardees and I thought that largely undeserving people won. GH did not deserve the Emmy for Best Drama. Tony Geary and Heather Tom won unfairly as leads when they were anything but on their respective shows. Nancy Lee Grahn over Becky Herbst? Seriously?! I like NLG but her reel winning over Becky Herbst's or even Elizabth Hendrikson is absurd. DAYS won for writing? Wacky all around.

The show happened to be more focused on the awards than previous years but with no tribute to AMC & OLTL or the inclusion of clips from the performers' work, the show failed.

P.S. Did anyone else catch the outdated OLTL clip that played when the Best Directing in a Drama was announced? Timothy Gibbs' Kevin Buchanan was in it? Le Sigh.

that so-called "tribute" was nothing but a complete PIECE OF SH*T. nothing more.

Frankly, I'm shocked at Susan Lucci's profound lack of self-awareness. Surely she must have realized it was incredibly inappropriate to assume the tribute was Ninety Percent Erica Kane, Ten Percect All My Children and zero percect One Life to Live?

I was expecting a fantastic montage of familiar faces and instead I got Susan displaying signs of hubris, especially since it disrespected Erika Slezak to not even let her give the groundbreaking Victoria Lord character a moment of reflection.

In response to the disastrous speech, I immediately set to work on a montage showcasing classic characters from AMC and OLTL (using the song Gold Forever by the British band, The Wanted). I do hope the fans feel this one makes up for the dishonor shown to their shows on Emmy night:

http://youtu.be/KorJOGewzI4