‘Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Shrinking,’ ‘The Pitt’ Among Series Set for 2026 Edition of PaleyFest LA

The Paley Center for Media’s PaleyFest LA is revealing the first programs set for next year’s PaleyFest LA: Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” Apple TV’s “Shrinking” and HBO Max’s “The Pitt.” The org also announced that PaleyFest LA 2026 will return once again to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, from Saturday, April 4 to Sunday, April 12. 

More shows will be announced next month on Monday, Jan. 26, and ticket presales will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

“’Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Shrinking’ and ‘The Pitt’ stand out not only for their exceptional writing, but for the way they’ve captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, and we are honored to announce these acclaimed shows as our first selected programs for this year’s PaleyFest LA,” said Maureen J. Reidy, President & CEO, The Paley Center for Media, in a statement.

The PaleyFest is sponsored by Citi, while William S. Paley Foundation is the founding benefactor.

Entering its 43rd year in Los Angeles, the PaleyFest features screenings and conversations for some of the most popular shows on TV.

Read more here.

'The Amazing Race' Creators and Host Phil Keoghan on the Show's Most Dangerous Moments, COVID-19 Production Halt and More

I recently hosted a panel with the host and creators of CBS's "The Amazing Race" (Phil Keoghan, Elise Doganieri, and Bertram van Munster) at Paley Front Row 2020 to celebrate the show's long-awaited return. Topics include: Keoghan's marking his millionth mile traveled for the show and being too fatigued to celebrate; how the 32nd season was filmed in 2018, causing contestants to keep the outcome a secret for two years; the difficulties of finding new locales, new faces, and new challenges for each season; the shift to focus more heavily on contestants; if Keoghan and the producers get to spend "down time" in the exotic locales; how often van Munster and Doganieri must improvise the players' itinerary; and the hope that viewers will revel in "vicarious travel" while watching during the pandemic. Watch above!

"The Amazing Race" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

'Orphan Black': Celebrating One Final Season of Clone Club at PaleyFest

"Orphan Black" returns this June for one final season, and I had the chance to interview the cast one last time on stage at this year's PaleyFest. Fans were given a bonus treat: An early screening of the show's Season 5 premiere.

One of the most innovative shows on television, "Orphan Black" earned an Emmy last year for star Tatiana Maslany, who has wowed audiences for her portrayal of multiple clones on the show, each with their own distinct personality. The entire cast was a joy to interview, and their tight bond made the conversation a pleasure to moderate. (They're mostly Canadian, after all!)

My pal Diane has a full roundup of Tweets and more from the panel here, while Hanh wrote up the panel for IndieWire; an excerpt:

In attendance were Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavaris, Kristian Bruun, Kevin Hanchard, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Ari Millen, Josh Vokey, Maslany’s acting double Kathryn Alexandre and co-creators and executive producers Graeme Manson and John Fawcett.

The panelists had literally finished their final day of shooting the morning before, and were therefore exhausted and not just a little emotional. Thrilled to be together again after wrapping, the cast and producers were game to share behind-the-scenes stories, their thoughts about being on the show and tiny hints of what’s to come.

Cast and Producers’ Favorite Clones: Rachel (1), Sarah (2), Katja Obinger (1), Helena (2), Crystal (1), MK (1), Cosima (2). Maslany couldn’t pick just one, so she picked Allison, Helena and Rachel.

A few pics from the stage:

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Drew Carey and Wayne Brady Talk Game Shows and More

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, it's the audio from a recent Paley Center panel I conducted with "The Price Is Right" host Drew Carey, "Let's Make a Deal" host Wayne Brady, and their producers:

The people behind two of daytime TV's most iconic game shows, The Price Is Right and Let's Make a Deal, share some of their most memorable moments and tell us how they ended up working on the shows in the first place. Both Drew Carey and Wayne Brady say they weren't actually interested in hosting a game show, but now, they say, they've come to love the job. Michael Schneider talks to Carey and Brady, as well as executive producers Mike Richards (who we learn was actually the number-two choice to host The Price is Right after Drew Carey) and Dan Funk. This conversation was recorded as part of the Paley Center for Media's exhibit CBS Daytime #1 for 30 Years.

Listen below!



or watch it here:

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Sony's Steve Mosko Gives His Exit Interview

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, we've repurposed my recent Paley Center chat with outgoing Sony TV boss Steve Mosko:

In this bonus edition of The Spin-off, we're bringing you a conversation with Steve Mosko, who until about a month ago was the chairman of Sony Pictures Television--the production studio behind a wide range of shows--including Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Community, The Goldbergs, Shark Tank, and TV stalwarts Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

Mosko had been president of Sony Pictures Television since 2001, and chairman since October 2015. He’d been at the studio in some form or another since 1992, so when he announced his departure in early June, it was a surprise to most people in the industry.

As we’ve talked about on this podcast before--more and more, broadcast networks like ABC, NBC and CBS want to produce and distribute their own shows. Since Sony doesn’t have its own broadcast network, Mosko had the difficult job of getting other networks--and cable and streaming outlets--to buy his studio’s shows. He succeeded, but as was revealed in the Sony email hack, and as you’ll hear in this conversation, he felt the TV side of Sony was frequently overshadowed by film business.

Michael Schneider recently sat down with Mosko at the Paley Center to talk about his long career in television. It was a conversation that had been on the books for weeks, but when Mosko suddenly announced his departure the day before the scheduled interview, Schneider wasn’t sure the former chairman would want to go through with it. But Mosko was still game.

Listen below!



and you can watch the chat here:

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Fox's Dana Walden and Gary Newman on "The X-Files," Pilot Season, Ratings, and the Future of Broadcast

On the latest special edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, we share a conversation I had with Fox Television Group chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman in January. My pal Diane Gordon covered the chat for Paley; check out her Storify round up here.


Fox Television Group CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden speak with moderator TV Guide Magazine's Michael Schneider at The Paley Center for Media presents Dana Walden and Gary Newman In Conversation at The Paley Center for Media on January 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Paley Center) Details:

Michael Schneider sat down with the chairmen-CEO's of Fox, Gary Newman and Dana Walden at a recent Paley Center event for the Paley Media Council.

Their wide-ranging conversation covers everything from The X-Files' reboot to Scream Queens to "Peak TV" to pilot season to why Netflix and other streaming outlets have become both a blessing and a curse. You can watch their entire conversation here.

Listen below!

Live from the Paley Center, Interviewing the Cast and Producer of FX's "The Bridge"

One of the most stylishly interesting shows on TV, FX's "The Bridge" returns for season 2 on July 9 with a new focus and tweaked story style. Gone is season 1's serial killer mystery, which was based on the first season of the Swedish/Danish show "Bron," which "The Bridge" was based on. For season 2, executive producer Ellwood Reid is diving deep into the mystery and intrigue of live on the U.S./Mexico border. Joining stars Demian Bichir and Diane Kruger this season are Franka Potente as a brutal, evil character who may or may not be carrying out missions for a drug cartel leader. Meanwhile, Bichir's character, the troubled Mexican police detective Marco, finds himself still grieving for his late son as he walks an even tighter line between doing what's right and giving in to the powerful forces of the cartel. Matthew Lillard and Emily Rios also star as intrepid reporters for an El Paso newspaper, and the two of them get a little too close to the truth. Ted Levine stars as the police chief and boss of Kruger's character, Sonya, who strikes up a bizarre relatonship with the brother of her sister's killer.



Yep, a lot of stuff to digest. Tuesday night I moderated a Paley Center conversation with Reid, Bichir, Kruger, Lillard, Rios and Levine as we talked in depth about the show, its changes and what to expect. Reid has a clear vision for the show, especially now that season 2 was created from scratch (as opposed to being adapted from "Bron"). I've seen the first two episodes of season 2, and I'm looking forward to checking out more.

Here are more pics from last night's panel (credit: Michael Bulbenko for The Paley Center for Media):

Live from PaleyFest: On Stage With Dan Harmon, Joel McHale and the Rest of the "Community" Gang

Thanks to all the times I've moderated "Community" panels (several at Comic-Con and PaleyFest) and visited the set, I've become a familiar face to the show's cast. That makes getting on stage with them a blast -- and Wednesday night's PaleyFest kept up with tradition -- despite the absence of Allison Brie and Ken Jeong, both of whom are always great at these things.

McHale knows what the crowd wants -- a mix of laughs and some real insight into the show. Danny Pudi also knows how to stir up the crowd. Yvette Nicole Brown has an excellent, deep take on the show and her character, Shirley. Gillian Jacobs is willing to play up laughs. And Jim Rash is game -- I even managed to convince him and the rest of the stars to recite this season's Dean Pelton Payday Bar Gangsta Rap ("Barack Obama is SCAARRRED OF MEEE!").

Of course, creator Dan Harmon is just as big of a star to "Community" fans, and he had plenty to say about this season, the departure of Donald Glover and the chances of a sixth season. It was also great to see the interaction between him and exec producer Chris McKenna, who makes sure the ships run on time.

Earlier in the day I had thrown some red meat at fans by posting this story about the potential "Community" movie -- and talk that Justin Lin may direct it, should it become reality. That fueled the press line, and talk of a movie also came up during the panel. But it was mostly a celebration of Season 5, and the return of Harmon and the show's creative voice.

More pics:

The Night I Stared Down Jon Hamm

I stared down Jon Hamm.

It's one of those kinda weird career highlights, I suppose. On Friday night, while moderating the PaleyFest's "Mad Men" panel, an audience member asked the cast about the show's use of silence as a dramatic tool. I turned to Hamm, who decided to take the question literally and jokingly sit there -- staring back at me, in silence. I stared back. He stayed quiet. It quickly turned into a staring contest. "Oh, we're doing this!" I exclaimed.

A little bit of backstory: I never lose staring contests. For some reason, I don't blink. People tease me for my TV appearances, in which I never seem to blink. It's kind of weird. But handy when you're suddenly locked in a staring contest with Jon Hamm (who, I learned later, is also a bit of a master of the game). Seconds tick away. The audience starts to laugh, then cheer, as they realize that we're both in it to win it.

Finally, I ask the crowd, "Should we stop?" About a minute had passed, and they agreed the game was up. Still, I wasn't ready. But Hamm blinked -- and I moved on. Now, Jon Hamm being a superstar and me being a nobody, many of the write-ups about the panel declared him the winner. But I know the truth.

Of course, I should say it was more like a draw. Hamm knew it was time to move on. Later, "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner told me that Hamm is the most competitive person he knows, and that he would have "punched you in the stomach to win." Who would have really won? I guess that will remain unanswered.

Still, it was quite a highlight among all of the panels I've done over the years. Everyone on stage was great, by the way: Elisabeth Moss is warm, funny and truly nice; Christina Hendricks was great; Vincent Kartheiser stole the show several times; so did veteran Robert Morse; Kiernan Shirpka, who grew up on "Mad Men," is wise beyond her years; and Jessica Pare is a pro.

Here are more pics (courtesy the Paley Center) from my evening with MAD MEN:



















A few recaps of the night:

Zap2It

Hitfix

Yahoo TV

Rotten Tomatoes

TV.com

Variety

Next up, I'm moderating "Community" at the PaleyFest this Wednesday.

PaleyFest: Producers, Stars Tease "Revolution" Reveals (VIDEO)

Saturday night at the PaleyFest I moderated the panel for NBC's Revolution, and it was quite a fun discussion. Co-creator/executive producer Eric Kripke offered up plenty of spoilers about the rest of the season ahead, while fellow producers J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau also had plenty to say. It's also a great cast, including Giancarlo Esposito, Billy Burke and Tracy Spiradakos. Read TVGuide.com's recap of the panel here, or watch the panel in its entirety below.



And check out some pics below, courtesy of Samsung Galaxy, taken during the Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest, honoring Revolution, at the Saban Theatre, Saturday March 2, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. © Kevin Parry for Paley Center for Media.

Tonight: Watch the PaleyFest "Revolution" Panel Live

The Paley Center's annual PaleyFest TV festival is back, and I have the pleasure of moderating two panels this year: "Revolution" and "Community."

And here's the good news: Even if you can't make it to the Saban Theatre, you can watch the panels online. Tonight, creators JJ Abrams and Eric Kripke will be on stage, as well as director Jon Favreau and stars Billy Burke, Tracy Spiridakos, Giancarlo Esposito, David Lyons, Daniella Alonso and JD Pardo.

Go here to watch the Livestream starting at around 7:20 pm PT (10:20 ET).

Livestream: Tonight's "The New Normal" Panel at The Paley Center

One of this fall's best-reviewed new shows is Ryan Murphy's unconventional family comedy "The New Normal." I'll be moderating a panel tonight at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills featuring the cast and producers of the show, including:

Ryan Murphy, Creator & Executive Producer
Ali Adler, Creator & Executive Producer
Dante Di Loreto, Executive Producer
Justin Bartha, "David Murray "
Andrew Rannells, "Bryan Buckley"
Georgia King, "Goldie"
Bebe Wood, "Shania"
NeNe Leakes, "Rocky"

The panel starts at 7:30 p.m. PT, and you can stream it live here at new.livestream.com/paleycenter/thenewnormal.

My Evening with the Teen Wolf

Whatta blast I had moderating last night's "Teen Wolf" panel at the Paley Center. The cast were all in great spirits, and we had fun cracking wise about the MTV drama's upcoming season 2. Executive producer Jeff Davis gave a few hints about the new season -- someone dies (natch), the first female werewolf appears, and Allison (played by Crystal Reed) turns into a bit of a bad ass. We even found out that Derek, the newly crowned Alpha werewolf (played by Tyler Hoechlin) doesn't look as big and menacing (compared to season one's Alpha) in CGI because, well, the CGI was too expensive.

Above, that's me with series star Tyler Posey, who plays Scott, the show's Teen Wolf. And below, I moderate with the cast.



Here's video of me introducing the panel and cracking wise:



And here's the fan Q&A portion at the end of the panel. Still waiting for someone to post the actual panel -- when they do, I'll include it here.

"Teen Wolf" Panel at the Paley Center Tonight; Give Me Your Burning Questions

Got questions about MTV's "Teen Wolf"? I'm moderating tonight's panel at the Paley Center kicking off season 2 of the show. (Because, when you think of "Teen Wolf" and teenage heartthrobs, you think of me, right?) More info at the Paley Center site here.

Among the stars and producers set to hit the stage:

Tyler Posey, "Scott McCall"
Crystal Reed, "Allison Argent"
Dylan O'Brien, "Stiles"
Tyler Hoechlin, "Derek Hale"
Holland Roden, "Lydia Martin"
Colton Haynes, "Jackson Whittemore"
Jeff Davis, Executive Producer

Post your questions below, or go to the Paley website. And watch the web stream LIVE here starting at approximately 7:45 p.m. PT.

Remembering The Era of "Must See TV"

(Pic by Kevin Parry Photography)

I first started covering the TV business in 1995, right after graduating from college -- and right at the start of NBC's 1990s "Must See TV" heyday. NBC was enjoying the fruits of a remarkable development season that yielded "ER" and "Friends," which joined a lineup that also included "Seinfeld" and "Frasier." Later, "Will & Grace" would join that schedule.

As I wrote stories every week about NBC's ratings juggernaut, the Peacock network's ratings advantage, particularly on Thursday nights, seemed unreal. In fact, the other networks pretty much rolled over and played dead on Thursdays for several of those years. Warren Littlefield, who headed up NBC Entertainment when he and his team built that powerful schedule, just wrote a book about those heady days. "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV" is a fun read – a nostalgic look back at the days before the networks were managing for margins and picking up shows with a 1 rating in the demo.


David Nevins, me, Noah Wyle, Warren Littlefield, Marta Kauffman and James Burrows

On Monday I moderated a panel at the Paley Center featuring Littlefield; master TV director Jimmy Burrows (whose countless credits include "Cheers" and "Will & Grace"); "Friends" co-creator Marta Kauffman; "ER" star Noah Wyle; and former NBC exec David Nevins, now the entertainment president at Showtime. We chatted about the birth of "Friends," "ER" and "Will & Grace" and what it was like to launch those shows. We also talked about Burrows' knack as the "pilot whisperer" for directing shows that make it to air, and how shows like "ER" and "Frasier" almost didn't happen.

To prep for Monday night's panel, I combed through my old late-1990s issues of Electronic Media (where I worked during Littlefield's NBC tenure) and went through my own trip down memory lane. Here's my 1998 profile of Burrows:



And here's my 1998 profile of "Friends" creators Bright/Kauffman/Crane:



Littlefield was shown the door at NBC in late 1998; "Must See TV" itself was finally gone by 2004, the year that "The Apprentice" was given the Thursday 9 p.m. slot.

Since I was moderating, I couldn't take notes, but here's some coverage of the event:

The Futon Critic (Jim Halterman)

L.A. Weekly (Ali Trachta)

For more pics from the event, go here.

Paley Center and Warner Bros. TV Partner to Go "Out of the Box"

Back in the early 1950s, the major Hollywood studios feared the advent of TV -- so much that they refused to produce programming for the emerging medium. Movies of the era even refused to show TV sets on camera, just in case audiences got any crazy ideas. But Jack Warner eventually saw TV as a place to promote his films, and partnered with dead-last ABC in 1955 to launch "Warner Bros. Presents," a wheel program that included "Cheyenne" -- a western that became the first original series produced by a Hollywood studio.

From there, Warner Bros. TV produced a fair amount of TV. But it wasn't until its acquisition of indie TV powerhouse Lorimar (home to "Dallas," "Full House" and so much more) that the studio as we know it today, the top supplier of primetime programming, took root. Other acquisitions included Turner's Castle Rock (the home of "Seinfeld") and Hanna-Barbera (putting Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones under the same roof as Bugs Bunny).

By the 1990s, Warner Bros. was producing mega-hits like "ER" and "Friends." And today, it's the studio behind comedy smashes "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," syndicated shows like "Ellen" and fan favorite dramas like "Fringe." The studio is also known for its extensive archives -- which is why it was ready to partner with the Paley Center for a new exhibit, Television Out of the Box. The showcase, which just opened last night via a big event at the museum's Beverly Hills location, includes props, sets, wardrobe, collectibles and even kiddie rides. It's worth the visit -- I'll be back to give it more of a look through. Being the TV history geek I am, I'm especially interested in the old memos, telegrams, newspaper clippings and timelines detailing the history of Warner Bros.' involvement in TV.

Some pics of the exhibit:


Warner Bros. lunch box collection. I think I once owned the Dukes of Hazzard one.


Lynda Carter's "Wonder Woman" outfit. (Sorry, so sign of the ill-fated 2011 remake.)


Sing-a-long to TV themes old and new-ish.


The actual Monk's Cafe diner booth from "Seinfeld."


"Dallas" stars Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy (hidden by reporter) are interviewed.


Hanna-Barbera animation cel detailing "The Flintstones" character specs.


"Babylon 5" costumes.


The audience ticket from the original 1994 taping of the "Friends" pilot (then called "Friends Like Us"). "A new comedy about love, friends and Mr. Potato Head." <
The stars of "ER" wore these hospital name tags, complete with character names, as part of their wardrobe.


Warner Bros. first expresses interest in producing for TV via a 1930 Hollywood trade article. (By the way, I could only find a handful of Google references to "Inside Views of Stage and Screen." It's a lost and almost completely forgotten Hollywood trade, which perhaps pre-dates the arrival of Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.)

The Paley Center in Los Angeles is located at 465 North Beverly Drive (S. Santa Monica Blvd.), Beverly Hills, CA 90210. It's open Wednesdays to Sundays 12:00 to 5:00 pm; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Tix are $10 Adults, $8 Seniors/Students and $5 Children (under 13). It's a semi-permanent collection, continuing through 2015.