Best of 2013: ‘General Hospital,’ ‘The Talk,’ Ellen DeGeneres, and more among Best of Daytime
For our second edition of the Best of 2013 series, we’re unveiling what is a new category this year in Best of Daytime. There are a ton of different shows airing across several networks from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., and the majority of them don’t get much recognition save for the Daytime Emmy Awards. We want to change that a little bit here.
The eight nominees below give you a good spectrum of what they had to offer this year, in between the serious, the humorous, and the informative. The only real requirement was that it had to air on average before the start of primetime (given that some are syndicated at different times depending on the market). You can vote for your favorites below, and the results this year will be revealed on Friday, December 20.
“Around the Horn” (ESPN) – For whatever reason, daytime shows that focus on sports, technology, or geek culture tend to be ignored in these sort of awards, despite being at the same quality as everything else. This is a show that you can enjoy even if you don’t like sports that much, mostly because of its oft-nerdy tone and its constant in-jokes and pop-culture references. Basically, this is the show that appeals to everyone from sports fanatics to people who just want to have a good time, and learn a little sports news along the way.
“Ellen” (syndicated) – It’s random, irrelevant, but probably the best source for pop-culture worthy clips out of any that are on this list. Ellen DeGeneres is the only daytime host that could have a late-night show and be equally as successful. Also, she manages to avoid opening up the tear ducts on her viewers on a daily basis.
“General Hospital” (ABC) – ABC’s last soap is the little engine that could, and it also happens to be better than it has been in some time. It stinks to feel as though you hold a network’s entire history of daytime drama in your hands, but that has seemed to actually motivate the show and make it better. So long as that keeps happening, it’s hard to be too upset about it being the target of rumors or other speculation.
“Jeopardy!” (syndicated) – It may not air in the daytime depending on your market, but there is still no better pure quiz show on TV. Also, this is also on our list of one of our favorite shows to work out to, since you’re getting an opportunity to get your brain active at the same time that you’re getting in shape. Hard to beat that. On a different note, bring back Watson!
“Katie” (syndicated) – So many daytime talk shows now have become about exploitation, or capitalizing on the fear or insecurity of your guests. Take for instance Dr. Phil, who seems to be asking token questions the same way that Simon Cowell does on “The X Factor.” Katie Couric’s show may or may not have a future based on some of the ratings and personal changes that have come about as of late, but we appreciate that she tries to give serious, insightful interviews before primetime.
“The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS) – When you look at this on the basis of awards alone, this is probably one of the most successful soaps playing today. It’s also one of the more cutting-edge, and there’s probably a reason why you don’t hear much about it unless you are a devoted viewer: There’s never a reason to worry about it going anywhere. Its ratings are solid, and CBS is thrilled with it.
“The Price Is Right” (CBS) – Another one of those daytime staples, and this one to us should be classified as the best show to watch if you’re feeling sick. You don’t want to watch anything too serious or asks tough questions; you just want to have a fun time. Drew Carey and some crazy contestants give you that.
“The Talk” (CBS) – Seriously, it’s a much better show than “The View,” despite all the comparisons. It tends to embrace comedy and its underdog status at times, and also touches some pretty difficult and sensitive topics. It has an extremely funny lady in Aisha Tyler on the panel, the always-opinionated Sharon Osbourne, and of course a personal favorite in Julie Chen, who is likely relieved to not be talking about this season of “Big Brother” anymore. It’s one of those shows that it may take you a while to tune in, but once you do, you’re going to be happy with what you see.