KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: Press Tour Roundup, and Is There Really Too Much TV? (LISTEN NOW!)

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I are joined by The Surf Report's Diane Gordon:

The TCA press tour used to look a lot different, with the broadcast networks spending three days each promoting virtually everything on their schedules. But as the broadcast networks pull back, the number of networks have grown, and especially as more digital players have gotten into the game, the schedule has ballooned to accommodate everyone. We do our best to break it all down and give you the most pertinent points from this year's gathering.

Remember the good ol' days of 2013? That's when a little show called House of Cards premiered on Netflix.

And now, just two years later, Netflix is looking at 36 original shows. Netflix was actually one of the first presentations at TCA this year, and Ted Sarandos -- a name not very many people knew not very long ago -- emphasized just how much the company is in it to win it. They've got A-list talent and production budgets to make buzz-worthy and critically acclaimed shows.

Other digital outlets like Hulu and Amazon made presentations as well, and everyone is stepping up their original content game.

If it seems like there's officially "too much TV," you're not alone in your thinking. During FX's day on the stage, John Landgraf, the head of the network, gave a talk that resonated with a lot of people. He pointed out the the current TV glut is not sustainable. In the future there has to be some kind of slowing in the rate of increase of new shows.

Listen below!

MIKE ON RADIO: Bantering Emmys on "The Business" and TV Press Tour on "Press Play"

On this week's issue of KCRW's The Business, I was back with host Kim Masters to banter the week's headlines -- including a lengthy discussion about Emmy campaigning and Emmy nominations, as well as dissecting Christopher Nolan’s thoughts on the future of film. The banter takes place at the start of the show; listen above.



Also, on Monday I checked in with KCRW's "Press Play with Madeleine Brand" to give them the lowdown on the Television Critics Association Press Tour. Among the hot topics: Amazon's impressive arrival at the event. Listen to the show above.

One Last Drink at MacLaren's: On The Set Of "How I Met Your Mother"

We've been fans and viewers of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" from the very beginning. So when the Television Critics Association press tour featured a last call visit to the show's set -- and one last panel with cast members Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and newcomer Cristin Milioti ("the mom"). But yes, the real treat was actually having a beer on the show's MacLaren's bar set -- and sitting in the booth where the characters are normally parked. I joined my friend Leslie (above) as series creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays stood over us.

By the way, here's a quick trip down memory lane: The time I moderated a HIMYM panel in 2009.  Also: Here are Carter and Craig on the Writers Strike picket line in 2007.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs its final episode on Monday, March 31 at 8 p.m. with a one-hour series capper.

A few more shots from the set:

Benedict Cumberbatch Causes a Stir at TCA Press Tour

I've been attending the Television Critics Assn. press tour since 1996, and I can't remember ever seeing so much frenzy over a PBS press conference as there was for Monday's Masterpiece panel on "Sherlock." The reason? An appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch. The actor has been here before, but his star has really taken off. So much so that a well-behaved and calm crowd of fans (mostly young girls, who happened to be out of school because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday) gathered outside the Langham Huntington Hotel to catch a glimpse -- and perhaps a photo and signature -- of Cumberbatch.

Shamelessly looking to stir Twitter into a frenzy, we all also Tweeted up a storm during the press conference and made sure to chronicle Cumberbatch's visit with the fans:

MIKE ON RADIO: On KCRW's The Business, Discussing TV Critics Press Tour

On this week's edition of KCRW's "The Business," I called in from the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena to give an update on the Television Critics Association press tour. Pilot season -- which we also discussed on this month's The Spin-Off -- was the hot topic. Listen to the "banter" segment that kicks off the show:

Sean "Diddy" Combs Wants to Bring A New Year's Eve Ball Drop to Los Angeles

Sean "Diddy" Combs met with reporters on Friday morning to tout Revolt, his new music-centric cable channel run by former KROQ program director and MTV executive Andy Schuon. (Above, yes, that's me on the far right as part of a press gaggle with Diddy. This is from his Instagram site.)

Revolt has already taken over the TV studio space operated by TV Guide Network at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Diddy touted the live nature of much of Revolt's programming, with some of that content coming straight from Hollywood and Highland. That's why he hopes to bring big events there -- including a version of New York's New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square. It's too soon to do it this year, but Diddy hopes to launch such an event as 2014 turns into 2015.

Los Angeles has always struggled to come up with a major New Year's Eve event; the city's Millennium celebration in 2000 was famously derided as lackluster. And of course, we all remember last year's Jamie Kennedy-led New Year's Eve disaster on KDOC.

As for Revolt, the channel already has distribution on Time Warner Cable (including in Los Angeles) and Comcast (which is funding the channel, which came out of Comcast's promise when it acquired NBCUniversal to launch more minority-led channels) around the country. The channel, which launches in October, has around 25 million homes lined up so far. DirecTV and Dish deals are still in negotiations.

Diddy is putting a chunk of his own fortune into the channel -- which he compares to CNN and ESPN for music -- as well. He's also realistic that the channel, geared toward a Millennial audience, will have a bumpy start.

"This is the hardest challenge I've ever had to meet," says Combs, who says he'd now like to be the "next Steve Jobs." "It gets to the point where it's so crazy and there's so much pressure it feels like it could break you. I'm learning new things and new words, technology I didn't even realize. It's so inspiring."

He adds: "I'm going to let the work prove itself. You're watching a more mature and evolved me as a promoter. I'm going to be doing smarter things like this, with the industry, and not overpromise anything. I'm not doing anything ratings-based for the first two or three years. I'm going to be building my credibility. I'm playing chess, not checkers. That's what I've evolved as a businessman and you'll see it in this venture."

Greetings from the TV Critics Press Tour: Sarah Palin, Crystal the Monkey and Downton Abbey

Sending my regards from the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom, where I've been holed up for a week covering the TV Critics Association press tour. It's popular to whine about the press tour, but even 16 years in, I still enjoy it. The opportunity to meet up with executives and producers is valuable, and it's still a great chance to hear a show's actors and writers justify their new program.

And then... there are the surreal moments, like Sarah Palin showing up at an NBC party (above). Palin was there to support hubby Todd, a participant on NBC's new reality show "Stars Earn Stripes." At the same party, Crystal the Monkey (star of NBC's new sitcom "Animal Practice") made friends with the crowd.



Another perk: PBS held a "Downton Abbey" event, in which guests were invited, and gave us a first look at season 3. Above, Maria gets cozy with Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle).



Another surreal moment: The cast of this fall's "Dancing with the Stars" all-star version. OK, there have been way too many Palins at this summer's TCA.



"You betcha!"

The Wrap's List of Essential TV Bloggers

(Photo via The Wrap.)

My old colleague Joe Adalian is now kicking some butt over at The Wrap -- check out his TVMoJoe blog here -- and yes, flattery will get you everywhere. That's because the MoJoe man has included Franklin Avenue's Twitter feed as one of the 50 TV-centric folks you should be following on the micro-blogging service.

"Follow this assortment of writers, producers, executives, bloggers -- and yes, journalists -- and you'll be on your way to being better informed about the state of the small screen," Joe writes.

His list includes "The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan (@shawnryanTV); "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter (@sutterink); "The Big Bang Theory" co-creator Bill Prady (@billprady); "Saturday Night Live's" Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers21); New York Times reporter Brian Stelter (@brianstelter); the L.A. Times' Denise Martin (@denisemartin) and Joe Flint (@jbflint); TV Guide's Matt Roush (@roushtvguidemag); comedian Sarah Silverman (@sarahksilverman) and plenty more.

In the case of @franklinavenue, Joe writes:

Variety's TV editor tweets his own stories and breaking news. But the real reason to follow him is for his snarky one-liners. Sample snarkiness: "NBC cancels 'Southland.' But in a twist, viewers had already canceled NBC."

I also Tweet about free coffee at the Coffee Bean, so something for everyone.

The Most Exciting Stuff at the TV Press Tour Has Nothing To Do With TV

You may remember that last summer, John Edwards ducked into the Beverly Hilton to see his mistress, coincidentally during the final night of the summer TV Critics press tour.

This time out, as winter TV Critics press tour continued over the weekend at the Universal Hilton, gang intervention worker Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones allegedly robbed and beat up a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Jones, at the Universal City Hilton hotel. According to the L.A. Times, Jones' arrest " arrest has again shaken the world of gang intervention, which relies on former gang members to help police prevent violence and get gang members out of the life."

Press tour: Come for the TV hype, stay for the unrelated news events.

(Thanks to Jon for the head's up.)

My 25th TV Critics Association Press Tour

Twice a year, the Television Critics Association -- a national grouping of TV scribes from newspapers, radio, TV and the Internet -- throw their television press tour. I'm not a critic, but enough execs attend and hold sessions that it's worth my time; it's also still a kick to check out the panels on new and returning TV series.

This winter's event marks my 25th press tour, having covered the event since the summer of 1996. A lot has changed: The tour is much less lavish than when I first started covering the beat (and from what I understand, by 1996 the tour had already dumped most of its lavish elements), and the networks spend a lot less time hawking their wares than they used to. In the summer of 1996, each network spent three days a piece, promoting every new show, miniseries and movie, and daypart. This winter, most networks are taking just a portion of a day, sharing time with their cable brethren.

Nonetheless, it's gonna be a busy week, so posting may be a little lighter than usual.

Above, a famous shot from 1997 (post on Alan Sepinwall's site), when embattled ABC Entertainment president Jamie Tarses was forced to defend her tenure... and respond to rumors that she was about to be fired. That's young me (well, the back of my head and right ear) on the far left, writing on a notepad.