Three decades ago, Anthony Geary won his first Daytime Emmy for playing Luke Spencer on "General Hospital. Since then, he has racked up another five wins (1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008) and is tied with Erika Slezak and Justin Deas for the most victories at six each. 

All of our Experts expect him to break that tie this year as he claims a record seventh Best Actor award. So strong is the support for Geary, that he has odds of just 4 to 9 to prevail again on his 14th nomination.

In second place is Darnell Williams, who won this award with his only previous bid in 1985 for his role as Jesse Hubbard on "All My Children." He had previously claimed the supporting Daytime Emmy in 1983 as part of the first African American supercouple on daytime TV.  His character came back from the dead in 2008, remaining on the ABC sudser till it left the air last fall. He has has odds of 13 to 2. 

Geary's co-star Maurice Benard won this race in 2003 on the second of his five bids for playing Sonny Corinthos. He has odds of 16 to 1 to repeat. 

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Steven Moffat to receive a special BAFTA honor: "Recognising his 'outstanding creative writing contribution to television,' the award will be presented on 27 May at London's Royal Festival Hall. Previous recipients include Russell T Davies, who preceded the 50-year-old Scot as 'Doctor Who's' head writer. 'Blimey! A special award!' said Moffat, 'I didn't even know I was ill.' The accolade follows the writing prize he received at last Sunday's Bafta Craft Awards for 'A Scandal in Belgravia,' the first episode of 'Sherlock's' second series." BBC

Sherlock Holmes breaks the record as the most portrayed literary character in TV and film history: "Sherlock Holmes, who has been portrayed by actors like Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Baker and many others, has broken the record for having more film and TV portrayals than any other literary character. The super sleuth has been depicted on the big and small screen a total of 254 times. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation beats the next most popular character, Hamlet, by a total of 48 appearances. Shakespeare's prince of Denmark has been portrayed 206 times." THE TIMES OF INDIA

Composer Stephen Schwartz honored in Palm Springs: "Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz is honored with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's inaugural Melpomai Award at 'When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz' May 19 in Palm Springs ... Directed and moderated by Scott Logsdon ('Les Miserables'), the evening includes performances from Tony nominee Andrea McArdle ('Annie'), Hunter Parrish ('Spring Awakening,' 'Weeds'), Haviland Stillwell ('Les Misérables'), Kate Flannery ('The Office'), Pamla Vale Abramson, Melissa Batalles, Garrett Hoy, Ben Reece and Laura L.Thomas. Joel Baker is the musical director and accompanist." PLAYBILL

Mainstream Hollywood joins art films at the Cannes Film Festival: "Certainly, the films that compete for the Palme d'Or each year are, on the whole, serious films made by real artists. This year, for example, [Wes Anderson's] film ['Moonrise Kingdom'] is up against new works by some of the world's greatest directors, including the Austrian master Michael Haneke, Romanian Cristian Mungiu and Canadian David Cronenberg. But Cannes screens plenty of films out of competition. And every single year, it shows at least one movie that could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be called an 'art film.' This year, it's 'Madagascar 3,' the latest in the DreamWorks Animation franchise." WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Adele wins at the Ivor Novello Awards: "Adele was the toast of the 57th Ivor Novello Awards in London on Thursday (17 May 12) when she scooped two major prizes, including Songwriter of the Year. The singer received nods in four categories at the event, which honours the best of British music, and went home with one of the most prestigious awards, for best songwriter, as well as the Prs for Music Most Performed Work prize for 'Rolling in the Deep.' However, she lost out on the revered Album Award to PJ Harvey, whose acclaimed record 'Let England Shake' took the prize." CONTACT MUSIC

Marion Cotillard stirs up early Oscar buzz in Cannes: "The Oscars are eight months away, but the race has officially begun. After the Cannes premiere of 'Rust and Bone,' the latest film from Jacques Audiard (the Oscar-nominated 'A Prophet'), critics are already pegging Marion Cotillard as a possible contender for the Best Actress award. The Guardian is blunt: '"Rust and Bone" has to be a real contender for prizes, and, the odds will be shortening to vanishing point for Cotillard getting the best actress award.' AwardsDaily suggests Cotillard's given her 'second best performance,' (the actress previously won the Oscar for her work in the film 'La Vie en Rose'), while RopesOfSilicon describes her work as 'one scene after another of sheer perfection to the point she turns Katy Perry's "Firework" into an emotional epiphany.' I don't know what that means, but it sounds amazing." HOLLYWOOD.COM

Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder will perform at the Billboard Music Awards: "Grammy-winning 'Fallin’' singer Alicia Keys will present the Billboard Icon Award to Stevie Wonder — and perform with the legendary artist — at Sunday’s Billboard Music Awards, EW has learned exclusively. There’s no word on what song — or medley of songs — the pair will perform. Wonder and Keys have had a long-running kinship and respect for each other, as they performed 'Higher Ground' together at the 2004 MTV VMAs and presented together at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006. Keys has won 10 Billboard Music Awards during her career." EW.COM

Does Joan Rivers's joke about Whitney Houston go too far? "Joan Rivers has made a career out of pushing the envelope but in her new book, 'I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me,' she may have finally gone too far. The Village Voice was the first to notice a shocking passage that takes a cruel swing at the late Whitney Houston. In the travel section of her new book, the 78-year-old co-host of the E! network's 'Fashion Police' writes: 'I hate Houston. It's crawling with bugs. Oh, wait, that's Whitney Houston; I'm sorry, my bad. (Can I just mention that Whitney looked fabulous at the Grammys? She was in mahogany from head to toe.)'" HUFFINGTON POST

What separates the CMT Awards from all others? "'Our tone is different,' CMT president Brian Philips tells The Hollywood Reporter. 'Our toning is, intentionally, a bit more casual, a little more irreverent, and that’s by nature, I guess. We like things that are over the top, we like things that make peoples jaws drop,' he adds. 'I don’t know if that is part of the recipe for every awards show on every network, but it certainly is for ours. The element of surprise.' CMT makes no secret of having borrowed their format from sister-network MTV and their wildly successful VMAs, with Viacom president Van Toffler carefully watching over the show’s preparation and execution." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

The Emmys consider a reality revamp: "Changes might be afoot with the TV Academy's treatment of reality and nonfiction programming, Brian Lowry of Variety exclusively reports. Bowing to the shifting TV landscape, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is seeking to amend its bylaws to create a new reality-TV peer group. The proposal, which would require approval from the board of governors, would split the existing non-fiction peer group into two branches: Reality TV, representing those who work in that field; and what would be renamed 'non-fiction documentary programming.' The academy currently consists of 28 peer groups, representing everything from animators and art directors to title design and writers." THE VOTE

Showtime's darkly subversive freshman comedy "House of Lies" stars leading man Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan, a morally questionable alpha-male in the high stakes world of management consulting. Cheadle leads a group of similarly minded cutthroat professionals played by Kristen Bell, Josh Lawson and Ben Schwartz, who lie, cheat and steal their way through corporate boardrooms across America.

Yet, as corrupt and cunning as these characters can be, creator and showrunner Matthew Carnahan believes that having Cheadle as the show's leading man is his "get out of jail free" card. As he explains, "you can allow this character to be even more depraved and morally bankrupt than even as I wrote him, and the Don Cheadle factor really helps to carry" the show. "People just like him; you just want him to win."

Because the show airs on premium cable, Carnahan and his team of writers have plenty of freedom to push the boundaries of what you can show on TV as they scathingly satirize the dark side of corporate America, but they still delve deeper into the back stories of these characters to show some heart among the frequent nudity and profanity.

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Chatting with Gold Derby about the show's first season, Carnahan says that Cheadle brought a degree of gravitas and prestige to the project from the moment he signed on. "First of all he is one of my favorite actors and a real hero of mine."

Showing a particular soft spot for actor Donis Leonard Jr., who plays Marty's son Roscoe, Carnahan says he doesn't fit the usual gender archetypes of what boys coming of age are expected to be like. "I really like Roscoe and I really adore Donis Leonard Jr., who plays him. We got lucky."

MTV Video Music Awards shift to accommodate President Obama: "As SPIN editor Steve Kandell has put it, the network 'doesn't pretend that Video Music Awards themselves are worth much more than the pewter they're molded from. The show has always been about the balance of unscripted — or unscripted-seeming — moments popping out of a carefully choreographed marketing extravaganza, little daisies springing out of a morass of mud.' That perspective makes sense paired with the network's decision yesterday to move the 2012 ceremony, which is slated for September 6 in Los Angeles, up an hour 'to avoid conflict with the Democratic National Convention proceedings that evening.'" SPIN

Has the Cannes Film Festival wrongly snubbed female directors? "The Cannes Film Festival never has a shortage of women. Since its inception in the 1940s, the event has been famous for screen beauties in flowing dresses on the red carpet and at various beach parties. But in 2012, the main Palme d'Or competition lineup features a sum total of zero films from female directors. Three years after the Oscars finally saw fit to give a woman the 'Best Director' gong, it seems sad that Cannes didn't feel a single female-directed feature was worthy of its 22-film main competition." DIGITAL SPY

"Nice Work If You Can Get It" will get an official cast recording: "The Gershwin score of 'Nice Work If You Can Get It,' the 2012 Tony Award-nominated Best Musical, will be preserved on a cast album on the Shout! Factory label, the producers announced on May 17. Sony will distribute the disc. The album will be recorded at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Long Island City, NY, May 20-21. The release date will be announced soon. Six-time Grammy Award nominee Robert Sher will produce the album." PLAYBILL

Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood showcases her designs for "Snow White and the Huntsman": "More gothic action-adventure than twee fairy tale, next month’s 'Snow White and the Huntsman' subverts the age-old innocent-princess ideal thanks in part to costume designer Colleen Atwood’s vision for Kristen Stewart’s weaponized heroine. Although Atwood and director Rupert Sanders maintained the Brothers Grimm genetic code for the character—skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony—the pair opted against a restrictive gown, selecting a knee-length suede dress and boots more befitting of the script’s warrior princess." VANITY FAIR

How will the upcoming onslaught of comedies affect the 2013 Emmy race? "The 2012 Emmy campaign is just getting underway, but there are new developments affecting the 2013 race — brought to you by this week's broadcast network upfronts. In contrast to drama, comedy has been an area where ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox have held strong at the Emmys against their cable competitors. In 2011, all six comedy series nominees came from those four networks, as did three of the five writing noms, eight of the 12 lead acting noms and all 12 supporting acting noms. Well, the competition from broadcast networks is only going to get more intense going forward: The 2012-13 fall schedule adds eight new comedies compared with the previous year." THE VOTE

Dos and Don'ts for "The Hunger Games" at the MTV Movie Awards: "Come June 3, 'The Hunger Games' will enter a brand-new arena: the 2012 MTV Movie Awards ... Much like the titular death match, the Movie Awards can be a contentious battle, with franchise facing off against franchise, so preparation is key. In this week's 'Hobnobbing,' we're taking on the role of mentor (step aside, Haymitch!) and offering some advice to the tributes. Here are our dos and don'ts for the big night." MTV

"This is the chance for me to define or redefine this character for a whole new generation, at the ripe old age of 51" smiles Robert Carlyle about his role as mythical fairytale character Rumplestiltskin on ABC's hit fantasy series "Once Upon a Time." "Everyone knows the name, but that's pretty much all we know ... He's in everyone's mind and everyone's imagination; we all know this name from our childhood. But who is he? What is he about?"

Best known for film work in such critically acclaimed classics "Trainspotting" and "The Full Monty," Carlyle is now happily tearing up the small screen as Rumplestiltskin, enjoying a complete change of pace from the more somber work that litters his resume over the last 20 years.

"Once Upon a Time" tells the story of two parallel worlds; the mythical fairytale setting of the Enchanted Forest, and the modern day setting of small-town America. Actors play dual roles as the show flits back and forth between the two parallel worlds, reintroducing audiences to fabled characters that most of us know from our childhood. In the Enchanted Forest, Carlyle plays classic fairytale character Rumplestitlskin, while in small-town Storybrooke, Maine, he plays the mysterious Mr. Gold.

The writers "have given me an awful lot of freedom with this part to go in and do what I want to do" says Carlyle. "Every Rumplestiltskin scene that I do is like a little jigsaw [puzzle]. It takes an awful lot of preparation for every one of these scenes, but as soon as I'm on, I love it and I don't want it to end."

Carlyle compares the process of bringing the Rumplestiltskin character to life as a form of commedia del'arte, as the intricate makeup, hair and costumes allow him to become the fabled Brothers Grimm fairytale character and primary antagonist on the show. "The makeup is kind of like a mask" says Carlyle, who, when physically transformed into Rumplestiltskin, gets "the same feeling that I had doing mask workshops 20 years ago way back at drama school; it is exactly the feeling that I am looking for, because I don't care about what people think; [as] when you put the mask on, everything just goes away."

Carlyle will be on the Emmy ballot in the Best Drama Actor category at this year's Emmys. Asked about what his likely episode submission would be if he was nominated, Carlyle immediately narrows in on "Skin Deep," which Carlyle likes to call "At home with Rumple" and which essentially reboots the classic "Beauty and the Beast" tale by recasting Carlyle's Rumplestiltskin as the Beast opposite "Lost" alum Emilie de Ravin as Belle.

"You really see everything. You see all the bits that have been missing about Rumplestiltskin over the previous 11 episodes" enthuses Carlyle, who credits the episode's writer Jane Espenson with giving his character a real showcase to let loose in. "You see the sadness in the man, you can see the fact that he's intensely lonely," Carlyle says, adding that the episode "gave him a tremendous platform to express myself" and "in terms of my entire career, that's the best 42 minutes of TV I've ever been involved in."
 

The Broadway run of "Newsies" will now be open-ended: "Surprising no one following the show's grosses, it's just been announced 'Newsies,' which opened on Broadway back in March for a limited run through August 19th will now officially be an open-ended run with tickets on sale through November 18, 2012 and group sales to January of 2013. The show received 8 Tony nominations earlier this month. 'Ever since the Paper Mill Playhouse run ended six months ago, the audience has re-written the playbook for "Newsies,"' said Thomas Schumacher, Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions. 'We continue to be astonished by a passion for this show that is as heartfelt as it is widespread and find ourselves, once again, in the wonderful position of altering our plans to respond to palpable demand.'" BROADWAY WORLD

The Producers Guild Awards change their 2013 date. From the press release: "The Producers Guild of America announced today that it has shifted the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony to take place on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Additionally, Producers Guild Presidents Hawk Koch and Mark Gordon announced that the 2013 awards program, which honors excellence in motion picture and television production, will be produced by Academy-Award nominated producer Michael De Luca. 'Michael is an original, creative producer with some of the most impressive credits in the business and we’re thrilled he has accepted our invitation to produce the 2013 Producers Guild Awards show,' said Koch and Gordon."

Grammy performers are "pathetic," according to Rob Zombie: "The veteran heavy metal singer doesn't like what the US awards show, because he doesn't feel the performers put in as much energy as real rock bands do. He told the Pittsburg Post Gazette newspaper: 'Rock bands can deliver it live, whereas a lot of pop act - you watch the Grammys and it's pathetic sometimes. You know, 60-year-old Bruce Springsteen comes out and he rocks and whatever pop star of the moment comes out and lip-synchs through some pathetic performance and you're like, "Really? Is this what it's come down to?"'" TIMES LIVE

Are the MTV Movie Awards more in touch than the Oscars? "Since 1992, the MTV Movie Awards have bestowed honors on the films and stars who won the hearts and minds of moviegoers during the preceding year. The awards are chosen by popular vote, and while the mainstream-leaning ceremony may not have the same prestige as the Oscars or the BAFTAs, there is reason to believe the MTV Movie Awards better reflect what fans truly want to watch -- and enjoyed watching. As the MTV Movie Awards audience (and voting pool) by definition skews young, you're not going to find plodding art house dramas or small foreign films among the nominees." INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES

Tony-nominee James Corden explains how much improv is in "One Man, Two Guvnors": "I have bits that are tried and tested, but from the first moment that I bring two people from the seats to the stage, you never know what’s going to happen. I had two guys yesterday who started talking to each other, and I turned to the audience and said, 'Please bear with me. You can see what I’m up against.' It immediately makes it me and the audience against these guys. If you watch the show tonight, I can promise 100 percent there will be lines I don’t even know I’m going to say." THE DAILY BEAST

First Emmy nomination for a show produced by a digital company: "Everyday Health, Inc., a leading digital health company, is pleased to announce that its syndicated television series, 'Everyday Health,' received a Daytime Emmy nomination, as announced Wednesday by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS.) This marks the first time a TV series inspired and produced by a digital company has earned this prestigious honor ... Show co-hosts Laila Ali, Jenna Morasca and Ethan Zohn bring audiences an inspiring story of people who have been affected by a health crisis and are now delivering a message of hope and healing to others." MARKET WATCH

Reigning three-time champ "The Bold and the Beautiful" was snubbed in the Best Drama Series race this year.

Five of our Experts are backing the bid by "General Hospital. It has already racked up a record 10 wins as Best Drama Series -- 1981, 1984, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008 -- from 22 nominations. It has odds of 8 to 11 to extend its record. 

The pundits predicting victory for this last remaining ABC daytime drama which first aired in 1963 are: Nelson Branco (Soap Opera Uncensored), Michael Fairman (Michael Fairman Soaps), Dan J. Kroll (Soap Central), Roger Newcomb (We Love Soaps) and Paul Sheehan (Gold Derby).  

Two of them -- Jamey Giddens (Daytime Confidential) and Tom O'Neil (Gold Derby) -- foresee victory for sentimental favorite "All My Children." This recently-cancelled show, which debuted on ABC in 1970, has three wins (1992, 1994, 1998) from 30 nominations. It has odds of 9 to 4 to win one last time. 

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After a lengthy career as a character actor on such shows as "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," "Gilmore Girls," and "Mad Men," Danny Strong is now enjoying great success as the writer of political dramas. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2008 for the George W. Bush vs. Al Gore "Recount" television movie and has a great shot at winning the writing award this September for "Game Change."

That HBO film tells the story of the 2008 presidential campaign for Republican nominee John McCain (Ed Harris), his campaign advisor Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson), and the surprising, selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) as a running mate. In a video interview with Gold Derby, Strong said, "They're really fascinating stories, and they're really dramatic stories. You've got extremely high stakes. You've got the issues being dealt with being some of the most important issues in this country, and it just makes it very ripe for high drama."

He added that both "Recount" and "Game Change" featured, "really great fantastic personalities, some of them very larger than life, and all of them are in very, very dramatic, powerful, intense situations. When you combine all that together, you just keep your fingers crossed that is will make for a good movie."

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