With an uncertain situation of when live events can get back to normal, or as they have been in the past prior to the coronavirus pandemic, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced today that it plans on keeping next year’s Daytime Emmys award show virtual, to allow for the 2022 awards cycle to stay on track.

In fact, all of NATAS’s award ceremonies including: the News and Documentary Emmys, Technology & Engineering Emmys and the Sports Emmys will also remain virtual next year.

The Daytime Emmys became the first major award show to air a virtual presentation that others followed back in late June of this year and aired on CBS.

In a statement, NATAS chairman and CEO Adam Sharp expressed on the organization’s decision:“The current timetables articulated by manufacturers project mass availability of vaccinations for the entire U.S. population by mid-summer 2021, potentially permitting a return to more traditional in-person ceremonies later in the fall. However, we have determined that delaying our 2021 events to possibly allow for a compressed calendar of in-person Emmy ceremonies late in the year would result in unacceptable delays to our awards cycle for 2022. Instead, we have decided to remain “virtual” in the format of our ceremonies for 2021 while relying on a substantially pre-COVID awards calendar. In so doing, we believe we will be best-positioned to return to a full, on-time, traditional schedule of in-person ceremonies in 2022.

The dates currently under consideration for the 48th annual Daytime Emmys which would be via two or three nights of presentations are: a combination of dates from Friday, June 25, Saturday, July 17 and/or Sunday, July 18.

For those entering the competition, the entry deadline is February, 17, 2021 with  the nominations not to come till May or June.

So, what do you think about the Daytime Emmys going virtual again for 2021? Comment below.

This week’s General Hospital has reminded us all of why we love daytime drama and why GH possesses some of the finest performers in the genre.

Wednesday’s episode featured several emotionally-charged and gut-wrenching moments as loved ones find out the fate of several people in crisis, or have to deliver terrible news in the wake of the bomb explosion at the Floating Rib, which already had taken the lives of Dev (Ashton Arbab) and Dustin (Mark Lawson).

Courtesy/ABC

As we begin, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) has a passed-out Lulu (Emme Rylan) in his arms and brings her to Portia (Brook Kerr), who sends her for tests.  And in true soap opera fashion, just as Lulu was presumably going to tell Dane she still loved him and wanted him back (following Dustin’s death) … he never heard what she had to say.

Laura (Genie Francis) fills in Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) that Dev did not make it, and then Liz decides to tell her son, Cameron (William Lipton) the heartbreaking news while he is recovering from his injuries.  When she does, Cam is overcome and devastated as his mother holds him in her arms.  Meanwhile, Carly (Laura Wright) is filling-in Trina (Sydney Mikayla) and Josslyn (Eden McCoy) about Dev’s untimely death.

Later, with Laura present, Portia tells Lulu’s loved ones that she has a cerebral contusion, and that there is a a traumatic brain injury which has caused swelling on the brain.  Laura and Dante look on devastated.  Portia then says they have already rushed Lulu to urgent surgery.

Julian (William deVry) is with Ava (Maura West) at Wyndemere.  She is attempting to hide him there, while he figures out his next step after planting the bomb.  However, Jason (Steve Burton) shows up looking for Julian now that Sonny found out that a bomb caused the explosion that ravaged the Floating Rib.  From that point on calls are made to ensure Sonny’s family is protected as a mob war is about to go down. Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Jason believe all roads lead back to Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober).

Courtesy/ABC

Jason leaves Wyndemere before spotting Julian; leaving a distraught Ava to come down hard on her brother … he has two choices…  leave Port Charles, which she will help him do, or stay, and if he stays, she will not help him or be a part of his life.  While they are discussing his next move, they learn Lulu is now in critical condition from the bomb.  Ava tells Julian in no uncertain terms that everything he has done has come with a cost.  Jason shows up at the Corinthos home where Sam (Kelly Monaco), who is not happy about any of this, finds out along with Carl,y that Jason believes he was the target at the Floating Rib.

Courtesy/ABC

As Liz is struggling to hold it together with Franco (Roger Howath) having brain surgery, she speaks with Scott (Kin Shriner), who did not know of his son’s tumor.  She shares with Franco’s dad that Franco is worried he will wake up a very different person.  Liz is told Franco is out of surgery, and is in tears over his hospital bed.  She prays he will be alright and Franco wakes up!

Portia tells Nikolas (Marcus Coloma), Laura, and Dante that Lulu is out of surgery but in a coma, which Kevin (Jon Lindstrom) points out is normal in these situations. Dante goes to sit by Lulu’s bedside and begs her to wake up.

Courtesy/ABC

Then, in devastating news for Laura, Lucas (Matt Trudeau) gives her the real 411 on Lulu.  He tells Laura that Lulu’s brain started swelling the minute she hit her head at the Floating Rib, and that her injury got worse the longer she was not checked out.  Laura achingly realizes Lulu was so worried about Dustin that she never was immediately checked out for head trauma.  Lucas lets Laura know that Lulu’s recovery could take a very long time, if she recovers at all.

Heart-tugging performances throughout the stellar episode were given by: Dominic Zamprogna, Genie Francis, William Lipton, Rebecca Herbst, and Maura West in very intense and dramatic scenes.

So, what have you thought of this week’s episodes of GH? The fate of Lulu? The performances from yesterday’s airshow? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

Yesterday, viewers of General Hospitals witnessed that as a result of the bomb explosion at the Floating Rib; it meant the end of the road for a couple of characters.  One of those was Dev, and thus ends Ashton Arbab’s over two-year run in the role.

In key scenes, Dev dies in the ambulance ride to the hospital and thanks Sonny (Maurice Benard) for making him a part of the family and tells Sonny to tell Josslyn (Eden McCoy) that he is sorry.  Will Sonny recall what Dev said and pass that on to Joss? Will anyone figure out Dev’s duplicity in keeping Joss and Cameron (William Burton) apart? Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Ashton took to Twitter on Tuesday and shared these words of praise and ‘thank you’ for his time on the ABC daytime drama series.

Arbab expressed: “I am forever grateful to Producer Frank Valentini and Mark Teschner (casting director, GH) for this amazing opportunity. It was such an honor to have worked along side of such talented actors and I’m beyond blessed for your friendship. Most of all thank you General Hospital fans.”

So, what did you think of Dev being killed-off? Will you miss Ashton? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

I am forever grateful to Producer @valentinifrank and @TeschnerMark for this amazing opportunity. It was such an honor to have worked along side of such talented actors and I’m beyond blessed for your friendship. Most of all thank you @GeneralHospital Fans! pic.twitter.com/8BcZkjeEG8

— Ashton Arbab (@ashton_arbab) November 24, 2020

;