Soap Central was privileged to be among the media troupe assembled backstage at this year's awards. In this portion of our Emmy coverage, we'll take a peek at some of the stories that you didn't get to see on the Emmy telecast. Plus, we'll also share with you some of our exclusive photos.
Fans had already started gathering outside Radio City Music Hall by 2:00pm on Emmy night. Soap Central's Dan Kroll chatted briefly with the die-hard fans to find out why they'd assembled over seven hours before the show was set to start.
"You've got to get a good spot," said 35-year-old Maria Lopez of Brooklyn, New York. A companion of Lopez's rolled her eyes as Lopez spoke with Kroll. Perhaps Lopez's companion doesn't understand that pull that daytime television has on so many people.
Lopez said that she'd tried in past years to get a spot along the red carpet, but had been so far back in the crowd that she couldn't see much. This year, she vowed to change that.
The first batch of stars had already arrived at a pre-ceremony gathering point by the time the media was permitted to set up camp along the red carpet. Around 8:00pm, the stars made their one-by-one journey down the red carpet to Radio City Music Hall. Amid a dizzying sparkle of flashbulbs, the stars generously stopped to speak to nearly every media outlet along the one-and-a-half block promenade.
Meanwhile, nine stories above the stage, the media frantically worked to set up in their respective media rooms. Arriving early meant that a front-row spot was assured. The process was unusually orderly and there was even enough time to sit and chat with other members of the press. Quite to our delight, there were numerous industry insiders and celebrities who had heard of and visited Soap Opera Central.
Soap Central was the only media outlet on hand with a computer set up. The print outlets had opted for traditional pen and paper to take notes. Due to some restrictions by NBC, Soap Central was not permitted a live internet connection in the press room. However, Kroll and associate editor Susan Richmond diligently snapped photographs and uploaded them to their computers and prepared stories for later posting to the site.
Speaking of technology, when it comes to multi-tasking, the first thing a computer user might think of is running two programs on a computer simultaneously. The Emmys bring a whole new meaning to the term. At the beginning of the night, things move at a fairly decent clip. However, the parade of Emmy winners and presenters doesn't stop to allow the media to watch the telecast and see what's going on. While an Emmy winner is answering questions from the media, awards are still being handed out and more winners are being crowned. Obviously, the night is not all about soaps; there are other fields that receive recognition. It's a mistake to think that during the non-soap presentations, one can easily get caught up. While Soap Central does not provide a venue to discuss Emmy winning programs such as Reading Rainbow and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, it is impossible to not be captivated and otherwise interested in what these well-deserving Emmy winners have to say.
From a personal standpoint, Kroll explains that he's has grown up watching folks like Bob Barker on television. "Bob Barker has been the host of The Price is Right for three decades," gushed 26-year old Kroll. "I have literally grown up watching people play Plinko and bidding on the 'fabulous showcases.'"
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