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: "Community" Table Read and Full Panel, Plus: Puppets! (VIDEO)

I've had the pleasure of moderating several "Community" panels now, both at Comic-Con and at the Paley Center, and it's always a blast. Always a challenge -- as this cast is wild -- but always fun. Tuesday night was no exception, as I moderated "Community's" fourth consecutive year at Paley.

The highlight this time: In lieu of screening an episode, most of the cast performed a table read of the season opener. With Chevy Chase off the show, Fred Willard (who guested in the season opener anyway) joined the cast for the read.

The panel's other big news was the reveal of an upcoming all-puppet episode. Read TVGuide.com's coverage of the event here, or you can watch the whole panel -- including the table read -- below.



Meanwhile, check out some pics from the event below. Pics courtesy of Samsung Galaxy, taken during the Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest, honoring Community, at the Saban Theatre, Tuesday March 5, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. © Kevin Parry for Paley Center for Media.

Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats 2013 Announced

As you well know by now, the Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats is one of our favorite events of the entire year. Enjoying a classic movie in one of Los Angeles' glorious old movie palaces is quite a magical way to spend an evening. I never tire of seeing a film at the Los Angeles Theatre (above) in particular, but others, like Orpheum and the Palace, are just as fantastic to visit. This year, the Conservancy is expanding its scope to also include the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills (where the PaleyFest is currently taking place).

Here's this year's schedule:

Saturday, June 1: To Catch a Thief (1955) at the Orpheum Theatre (1926).

Wednesday, June 5: La Bamba (1987) at the Palace Theatre (1911)

Wednesday, June 12: My Fair Lady (1964) at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (1964)

Wednesday, June 19: All About Eve (1950) at the Los Angeles Theatre (1931)

Wednesday, June 26: Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) at the Orpheum Theatre (1926)

Saturday, June 29: Casablanca (1942) at the Saban Theatre (1930)

Tickets go on sale to Conservancy members on Wednesday, March 27 and to the general public on Wednesday, April 10. Last year, we enjoyed "Paper Moon" at the Los Angeles; read about it here. In 2011, we watched "Robin Hood" there, and in 2010, we caught "The Graduate" there.

Tonight: Watch the PaleyFest "Community" Panel Live

As PaleyFest continues this week, I'm excited to be moderating the Community panel on Tuesday night. Just like this weekend's Revolution panel, it will be live streamed -- click here to start watching around 7:30 p.m. PT. There will be some fun surprises in store.

Among the panelists set to appear:

Russ Krasnoff, Executive Producer
David Guarascio, Executive Producer
Moses Port, Executive Producer
Tristram Shapeero, Executive Producer
Joel McHale, “Jeff Winger”
Gillian Jacobs, “Britta Perry”
Yvette Nicole Brown, “Shirley Bennett”
Danny Pudi, “Abed Nadir”
Alison Brie, “Annie Edison”
Jim Rash, “Dean Pelton”
Plus additional guests to be announced.

Got any questions you'd like me to ask the stars and producers? Let me know!

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.

Live from the PaleyFest, Here's the 'Two and a Half Men' Panel

On Monday night I returned to the PaleyFest stage at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills to moderate the event's panel on "Two and a Half Men." We talked about the show's change in direction with new star Ashton Kutcher, and both Kutcher and creator Chuck Lorre danced around the idea of whether he'll be back (negotiations for the show to return are ongoing).

Among the panelists: Creators Lorre and Lee Aronsohn; Jon Cryer, “Alan Harper"; Ashton Kutcher, “Walden Schmidt“; Angus T. Jones, “Jake Harper”; Conchata Ferrell, “Berta”; and Holland Taylor, “Evelyn Harper.”

Here's a clip from the panel:



And here's another clip, uploaded by someone in attendance:

'Parks and Rec' Comes to the PaleyFest Tonight, Moderated by Me

Treat yo'self! I'll be moderating tonight's "Parks and Recreation" panel at the 2012 Paley Fest (at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills). Slated to attend are Amy Poehler ("Leslie Knope"), Nick Offerman ("Ron Swanson"), Chris Pratt ("Andy Dwyer"), Jim O’Heir ("Jerry Gergich"), Retta ("Donna Meagle") and exec producers Greg Daniels and Mike Schur.

If you can't make the event, Paley Fest is streaming this year's panels live. Go here to watch starting at 7 p.m. PT (although the panel may start around 7:20 or so, after an episode is screened).

And if you have any questions for the cast and producers, leave 'em below! BTW, I'll also be moderating next week's panel on "Two and a Half Men." Stay tuned.

'Phineas & Ferb,' 'Fish Hooks' and More at the Paley Center's Family Fest

Ferb, I know what we're going to do this Saturday!

I've moderated a lot of panels in recent weeks, from "Community" to "Falling Skies" and several in between. But I may be most excited about my next panel, this Saturday, when I moderate the cast and crew of Disney Channel's "Phineas & Ferb" at the Paley Center.

The Paley Center's 2011 PaleyFest: Family Edition is like a mini version of the organization's popular "PaleyFest" -- and with shows geared toward tykes and their parents. This year, Disney Channel shows ("Phineas & Ferb," "Fish Hooks," "Kickin' It") take place on Saturday, with Cartoon Network series ("Ben 10: Ultimate Alien," "Dude, What Would Happen," "Adventure Time") on Sunday.

"Phineas & Ferb" could very well be the smartest and most clever animated series to come along in years. It's geared toward kids, yet most of the reference fly right over those little heads and right toward their parents. (In the recent "Phineas & Ferb" movie, for example, some of the kids trade existential philosopher bubble gum cards. I doubt Blogger Kid got it.)

Among those in attendance this Saturday: Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Cocreator / Executive Producer; Dan Povenmire, "Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz" / Cocreator; Ashley Tisdale, "Candace"; Vincent Martella, "Phineas"; Dee Bradley Baker, "Perry the Platypus"; Mitchel Musso, "Jeremy"; and Alyson Stoner, "Isabella."

Later in the day, Disney Channel's newer animated series "Fish Hooks" will also be celebrated -- and moderated by my pal Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts fame. On Sunday, my TV Guide Magazine colleague Rob Moynihan will be moderating a Cartoon Network session. So make it a weekend, people!

Tix are $10 for Paley Center members and $15 for non-members. Go to their website here for more info. Where's Perry?

PaleyFest 2011: 'The Walking Dead'

(Flickr pic by Popculturegeek.com.)

I had a blast on Friday moderating the kick off panel for this year's PaleyFest, devoted to AMC's "The Walking Dead."

Despite fighting a severe cold, director/exec producer/writer Frank Darabont was lively and engaged, as was original "Walking Dead" graphic novel creator Robert Kirkman (also an exec producer on the show). Darabont, Kirkman and exec producer Gale Anne Hurd weren't all that forthcoming with spoilers, but did give a few hits about season two ... and also gave more backstory on the show's narrative. Backing them up were series stars Andrew Lincoln ("Rick Grimes"), Sarah Wayne Callies ("Lori Grimes"), Jon Bernthal ("Shane Walsh"), Laurie Holden ("Andrea"), Steven Yeun ("Glenn") and Emma Bell ("Amy").

Yeun was a fan favorite, and much like his character on the show, brought quite a bit of comic relief to the panel. And Bell... well, seeing how her character is now dead, she conjured quite a bit of sympathy from the panel and the crowd.

Here's a clip from the panel, uploaded by Paley Center:



And here are some various recaps from the evening:

TV Guide.com

The Futon Critic

Variety On the Air

Zap2It

Hitfix

More video:

Got a Burning 'The Walking Dead' Question?

This Friday, March 4 I'll be moderating the Paley Fest's panel for hit AMC series 'The Walking Dead.'

Got any questions you'd like me to ask? Leave a comment below!

Among those scheduled to attend:

Frank Darabont, Writer / Director / Executive Producer
Gale Ann Hurd, Executive Producer
Robert Kirkman, Executive Producer / Creator of Comic Book
Andrew Lincoln, “Rick Grimes”
Sarah Wayne Callies, “Lori Grimes”
Jon Bernthal, “Shane Walsh”
Laurie Holden, “Andrea“
Steven Yeun, “Glenn”
Emma Bell, “Amy”

The event takes place at 7 p.m. at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tix, go here.