NEW YORK -- ABC's 'General Hospital' won the Daytime Emmy award for best soap opera Wednesday at the 1983-84 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony.
The popular daytime drama series, produced by Jacquelin Babbin, beat out ABC's 'All My Children' and NBC's 'Days of Our Lives' for best soap at the awards ceremony held at Manhattan's Sheraton Centre Hotel.
'Captain Kangaroo' took a final bow Wednesday night by tying with NBC's 'Smurfs' for outstanding children's entertainment series.
After 30 years at CBS, the Captain himself, Bob Keeshan, recently informed the network he will not renew his 'Captain Kangaroo' contract when it expires in December 1984 because his show was moved to the weekend daytime children's lineup.
Larry Bryggman, who plays Dr. John Dixon on CBS's 'As The World Turns,' won best soap actor, and Justin Deas, who plays Tom Hughes on the show, got a nod for best supporting actor on a soap.
Erika Slezak took a Daytime Emmy for her part as Victoria Lord Buchanan on ABC's 'One Life to Live,' and Judi Evans of CBS's 'The Guiding Light' won an award for her portrayal of Beth Raines.
ABC walked off with the most Daytime Emmys -- the top honors among peers and professionals in the daytime television industry -- with a total of 18 awards. CBS followed with 14 and NBC received just 4.
PBS won eight and seven syndicated shows wonawards.
NBC -- which has had a long-standing dispute with the New York chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences -- did not submit any shows for awards, although individual show personnel could do so.
CBS's 'The $25,000 Pyramid' beat out 'Family Feud' and 'The Price is Right' for best game show.
'Woman to Woman,' a syndicated show, beat 'Donahue' and 'Hour Magazine' for outstanding talk show series. And 'The Merv Griffin Show,' syndicated, won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding variety show series.
In children's programming, 'The Great Love Experiment' on ABC won best children's entertainment special, beating 'Andrea's Story: A Hitchhiking Tragedy,' also shown on ABC.
'Andrea's Story,' however, swept a number of minor awards in the children's programming category, including best director, composer, videotape editor and art director.
'Dead Wrong: The John Evans Story' on CBS took outstanding children's informational special and 'ABC Weekend Specials' won best children's informational series.
Best game show host went to Bob Barker for 'The Price is Right' on CBS; best talk show host went to Gary Collins for his syndicated show 'Hour Magazine' and Merv Griffin won best variety show host for the syndicated 'Merv Griffin Show.'
Outstanding performer in children's programming went to Dick Van Dyke for his role as the father in the CBS Library show 'The Wrong Way Kid.'
Best religious programming was a tie between ABC's 'Directions' and the syndicated show 'Insight;' an outstanding program achievement award went to ABC's 'FYI;' and outstanding achievement in the performing arts went to 'Live From the Met: Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, Part 1' on PBS.
Best performer in outstanding individual achievement went to Carol Spinney for her job as the 'Big Bird Oscar' puppetter on PBS's 'Sesame Street;' Hal Linden was honored for his role as host on ABC's 'FYI;' and Dorothy Hamill was given a performing arts award for her part as 'Juliet' on the CBS show 'Romeo & Juliet On Ice.'
James Levine was honored as music director and conductor on 'Live From the Met: Centennial Gala Part I' on PBS.
