Neil DeGrasse Tyson Plays Jenga, Purge City Opens, and More Scenes from Comic-Con 2017

Every year I wonder if I really want to head back to the craziness of Comic-Con -- the headache of getting down there, navigating crowds, running around to do a million different things. And then I end up at a party and watch astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson playing (and losing!) Jenga, while sampling various beers and wines, and I'm reminded that my Fear Of Missing Out will forever trump my dreams of a quiet weekend.

This was actually a pretty successful San Diego Comic-Con -- particularly because of my "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" panel (more on that in a separate post). I feel like I didn't overdo it, but did enjoy a bit more this year the parties I attended, the activations (particularly Purge City, as seen below), and covering some decent panels. Oh, and it didn't help that I lucked out with the hotel lotto this year and landed at the Marriott Marquis, right next to the convention center. That makes a huge difference.

Now, some sights from this year's SDCC:

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston at the "Breaking Bad" reunion panel. Read more about it here.

Aaron Paul brought out his baby to kick off the "Breaking Bad" panel.

An army of male Marges.

To promote the new USA/Syfy series "The Purge," the networks created "Purge City" — a play on the Party City stores. In this case, you were given $25 in Purge Dollars to buy some supplies -- t-shirts, bumper stickers and other things. It was a well-done activation, featuring actors playing clerks asking, "How will you be spending your Purge Night?"

"Born to Purge"

Purge gear that sadly wasn't actually on sale.

Purge cake demonstration.

Purge City advertisement.

The cast of "Fear the Walking Dead."

View of the San Diego marina.

Thanos keeps guard at the Lego booth.

"Cord Cutters Only" at the Amazon Fire activation.

Creepy Marvin the Martian.

Love this cosplay: Grimace, Jollibee and Panda Express with Iron Man.

More Jenga. I think NDT pulled the piece that collapsed the structure because he was kinda done.

"The Good Place" clowns.

KCRW's Screengrab: Down From Its Former Glory, But 'The Walking Dead' Is Still a Hit

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about the fact that "The Walking Dead" is still a huge enterprise for AMC, even though the show's ratings have declined:

Once delayed viewing is factored in, more than 10 million people will have watched the season 8 finale of 'The Walking Dead.' The show is an interesting case study in the world of Peak TV. It was a ratings juggernaut for many years, with devoted fans across the country. The numbers have slipped significantly in the past two seasons--about a third fewer people watch the show today than at its high point. But, it's still a huge, huge hit for AMC--in addition to still being the most popular show on TV for ages 18-49, it spawned the popular spin-off 'Fear the Walking Dead.' Also, a lot of fans left the show after some fan favorite characters were killed off in a particularly violent fashion, but the show aims to take a new creative, less violent direction now.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: The Year in TV, and Debating the Usefulness of TCA Press Tour

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I were joined by Variety's Oriana Schwindt, and we discussed the big TV stories of the year -- plus previewed the upcoming Television Critics Association press tour:

Earlier this month, four out of the five broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox) announced they would not be holding executive panels at January's upcoming Television Critics Association press tour. Fox later backtracked and said they would be there after all. The Spin-off crew discusses the utility of the TCA press tours in the age of Twitter, and whether it matters that outlets like Netflix and Amazon are skipping it all together.

Then, we dive into the sliding ratings of this season of The Walking Dead, as well as other shows that experienced a year-end dip. Finally, a year-end Download where we look ahead to 2017, give a shout-out to some of our favorite holiday episodes from across the decades, and pour one out for the TV moms and dads we lost this year, including Growing Pains' Alan Thicke.

Listen below!

Scenes from Comic-Con 2016: Ted Danson, 'Community' Reunion and Pokemon

How many times did I flatter American Treasure Ted Danson? Enough to make it funny -- but hopefully not enough to make it weird.

Moderating the panel for NBC's upcoming comedy "The Good Place," starring Danson and Kristen Bell, was clearly the highlight of this summer's Comic-Con in San Diego. It was my first for IndieWire -- but with our TV team in place and in town, we didn't miss a beat. A few highlights from this year's journey:



Other panels I moderated included NBC's "Powerless," starring Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, Alan Tudyk and Ron Funches. The panel was way too short -- they cut off our microphones when we went a touch over! But it was still a fun one.



On stage with the aforementioned treasures Danson and Bell, plus Mike Schur and Drew Goddard.



Spotted in town: Mr. Robot.



Speaking of Danny Pudi! We caught up backstage.



One of my favorite things about the Comic-Con green rooms: Impromptu reunions! Here, "Lost" masterminds Carlton Cuse, Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz run into each other. Carlton was there for "Colony" and "Bates Motel," while Eddy and Adam were back for "Once Upon a Time."



My third panel -- WGN America's "Salem," starring Janet Montgomery.



Among the highlights covering panels: Prankster Andrew Lincoln tried to get back at his "The Walking Dead" co-star Norman Reedus by blowing glitter in his face. Instead, it ended up straight back in his beard. D'oh!



Large-sized Kobe, seen on the floor.



Another green room reunion! "Community's" Yvette Nicole Brown and Danny Pudi meet up!



Hanh and I tour the 20th anniversary "South Park" activation. Yep, good ol' Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo.



The rowdy cast of "Archer" read an episode on a yacht deck.



Snoopy at his booth!



NBC Universal cable-themed cocktails.



This guy's gonna have to take a good, long shower.



Friday morning live on "Kevin & Bean" with Ralph Garman and Kevin Ryder!



Gotta catch 'em all!



Pretty realistic wax Negan and his "Walking Dead" prey.



Conan, back in San Diego for a second year.



Conan ad.



Who ya gonna call?


The crowded floor.



Spotted around San Diego: "Mulder? It's Me!"

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: "The Walking Dead" Edition

Last month, a standing-room only crowd packed a room at the Las Vegas Convention Center...at 9 in the morning...for one purpose: they wanted to hear about The Walking Dead.

As a part of this year's gathering of the National Association of Broadcasters, I moderated a panel with Robert Kirkman, the creator and executive producer of The Walking Dead; actor Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn on the show; and Charlie Collier, the president of AMC.

The panel discussed a wide range of subjects, including whether Yeun is prepared to see his character die; how extensive the show's universe can become; where the show left things off at the end of the season; and what to expect from "Fear the Walking Dead," the new spinoff that will run on AMC this summer.

We turned the panel into the latest special bonus edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off; listen below!

Live from Vegas, My Chat with "The Walking Dead" Creator Robert Kirkman, Star Steven Yeun and AMC's Charlie Collier (VIDEO)

Selfie with Steven Yeun and Robert Kirkman

I spent 24 hours in Las Vegas earlier this week to moderate a panel at the National Association of Broadcasters convention with "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman, star Steven Yeun ("Glenn") and AMC president Charlie Collier. It was a wide-ranging chat covering the launch of the show, as well as where things are heading in Season 6 (more Morgan, as he and Rick reunite) and what to expect from the upcoming companion series "Fear the Walking Dead." We also chatted about the potential of a movie (none on the horizon) and the idea of a foreign companion series (never say never).



Sandra Gonzalez at Mashable attended the panel and wrote up Kirkman's latest hints about the new show, and what he's not telling us about the zombie origins story:

The forthcoming The Walking Dead companion series might be taking place in the early days of the zombie apocalypse, but executive producer Robert Kirkman has no intention of using the show to explain too many details about the zombie virus outbreak.

"[Learning the origins] is not the priority in Walking Dead; that's not the priority in Fear The Walking Dead," Kirkman told a packed panel at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. "Every other story deals with that stuff and we're concerned about the heart."

Which is not to say, of course, that Kirkman doesn't have the origin story worked out; he simply never thought it was the most interesting aspect of the series he wanted to make.

"I know the story, but I've never bothered to write it down," he said. "Let's hope I don't die."

So what will Fear The Walking Dead be?

The show, which debuts this summer and is set in Los Angeles, will take viewers "back to a timid time when the walking dead were more dangerous and more of an ever present threat," according to Kirkman.

Watch excerpts of the panel here:

MIKE ON RADIO: Talking AMC vs. DirecTV on KROQ's "Kevin & Bean"

If you were watching "The Walking Dead" on Sunday night, the screen was interrupted throughout the evening by a message warning you that AMC might soon be yanked off your satellite service. Later, DirecTV broke into the AMC feed to give its rebuttal -- featuring a cartoon AMC zombie:



AMC Networks' position is at KeepAMCNetworks.com, while DirecTV rebuts at DirecTVPromise.com.

I appeared on Wednesday's Kevin & Bean Show on KROQ to discuss the dispute -- and how, most of the time, it's the viewers that lose in the end. Wednesday's Kevin & Bean podcast is below.