'Days of Our Lives,' Davidson, Tom win Daytime Emmys

Doug Davidson accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for â€œThe Young and the Restlessâ€ at the 40th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Sunday.

“Days of Our Lives” won drama series honors for just the second time in 40 years at the Daytime Emmy Awards on Sunday night.

The NBC soap opera that began airing in 1965 beat out defending champion “General Hospital” and three-time winner: The Bold and the Beautiful.”

The category included the only four remaining soaps still airing on the broadcast networks against “One Life to Live,” which has found new life on the Internet after being canceled.

“Days” only other drama series win was in 1978.

Doug Davidson of “The Young and the Restless” and Heather Tom of “The Bold and the Beautiful” won lead acting honors at ceremonies.

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 before winning.

“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 plays Katie Logan on “B&B.” Last year, she became the first person to win Daytime Emmys in the younger, supporting and lead categories.

The show had its unexpected moments, including Corbin Bernsen uttering two expletives during the in memoriam tribute that included his late mother Jeanne Cooper of “The Young and the Restless.”

The ladies of “The Talk” presented outstanding talk show informative and when Aisha Tyler opened the envelope she quickly realized it was the wrong one.

“Oh, this is interesting,” she said. “This winner is not in this category.”

The audience in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton gasped at the error.

“There better be a cocktail waiting on my table,” Tyler said before being handed the correct envelope from the wings.

Tyler then announced “The Dr. Oz Show” as the winner.

“I was having heart palpitations, real ones,” Dr. Mehmet Oz said onstage.

In another surprise, there was a tie for supporting actor in a drama series. Scott Clifton of “The Bold and the Beautiful” and Billy Miller of “The Young and the Restless” both won.

Julie Marie Berman of “General Hospital” won supporting actress honors.

Ben Bailey of “Cash Cab” picked up his third win as outstanding game show host, beating out five-time winner Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy!” among others.

“Cash Cab” is no longer in production after eight years of shows that took place in a cab as Bailey plied the streets of New York.

“I’ve got some great hood ornaments for the cab I now have in my garage,” he said.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” earned its seventh trophy as outstanding talk show entertainment.

“Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion, along with HLN network’s A.J. Hammer and Robin Meade, hosted the show on HLN.

The 40th anniversary of the Daytime Emmys was recognized with a past, present and future theme woven throughout the show.

Reflecting the current era of dwindling daytime audiences, network budget-cutting and the cancellation of some soaps, the awards show was aired by cable news channel HLN, having lost its longtime home on the broadcast networks last year.

CBS and PBS came into the night tied with a leading 13 creative arts Daytime Emmys from last Friday’s ceremony honoring technical and other behind-the-scenes achievements.

The show paid tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winners Monty Hall and the late Bob Stewart.

Now 91, Hall hosted the popular “Let’s Make a Deal” game show starting in the 1960s. He helped make the phrase “Door No. 1, Door No. 2 or Door No. 3” part of the pop culture vernacular. Wayne Brady, who currently hosts a revived version of the show on CBS, presented Hall with his award.

Stewart, who died last year, created such game shows as “The Price is Right,” “To Tell the Truth,” “Password” and “The $10,000 Pyramid.” Betty White, enjoying a career revival at 91, honored Stewart.

Jess Walton of “The Young and the Restless” joined Bernsen for the in memoriam segment. He dropped the expletives that went out over the air when talking about his late mother.