Paley Fest Here I Come

As many of you know, the annual PaleyFest, coordinated by the Paley Center for Media, will be held starting this Friday. This yearly two-week event is guaranteed to be entertaining, filled with unexpected appearances and revelations. Fortunately three of us from NiceGirlsTV will be attending well over half of the events this year, bringing coverage of those panels to our readers as quickly as possible.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Paley Center for Media, formerly known as the Museum of Television and Radio, it was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, who was a pioneer in early radio and television. He created what became CBS, and according to the Paley Center he “pioneered many of the practices that gave first radio and then television network broadcasting their distinctive shape and extraordinary reach.” From the very beginning, Paley knew the key to success in both formats was the quality of programming.

The Paley Festival, or as it is generally known as the PaleyFest, is an annual salute to current and sometimes past programs bringing together various cast members and crew of each year’s popular programs for a special moderated Q&A that includes the viewing of an episode of the show alongside the panel guests.

The PaleyFest marks its 26th anniversary this year with the following scheduled panels:

February 26 – Modern Family – This new ABC comedy is done mockumentary-style showcasing a Pritchett family in all their chaotic glory. The cast expected to be appearing include Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet. Executive producers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are also expected to be there.  Additional members of the cast and creative team could be there as well.

February 27 – Lost – The groundbreaking ABC series is in its sixth and final season and while the cast members who will attend are yet to be announced Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Eddy Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and Liz Sarnoff are expected to be there.

March 1 – NCIS – As the highest rated drama on TV, this CBS procedural focuses on the special agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and is in its 7th season. The entire cast, including Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Brian Dietzen and Rocky Carroll are expected to attend along with additional members of the creative team.

March 3 – Community – This NBC comedy about the misadventures of a quirky group of students at Greendale Community College should see Joel McHale and Chevy Chase in attendance along with possible additional members of the cast and creative team.

March 4 – Dexter – This bloody good (pun intended) Showtime series chronicles the double life of forensic expert and homicidal killer Dexter Morgan, who exacts his own form of justice on murderers and miscreants who have slipped through the legal system. Expected to attend this panel are Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, Julie Benz, David Zayas, C.S. Lee, James Remar and Desmond Harrington. Executive producers Clyde Phillips, Sara Colleton, John Goldwyn, Melissa Rosenberg and Scott Buck are also expected to be there.

March 5 – Cougar Town – Newly divorced moms are seen in a completely new light in this love-it-or-hate-it comedy from ABC that is expected to feature cast members Courteney Cox, Christa Miller, Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins, Ian Gomez and Brian Van Holt as well as co-creators and executive producers Bill Lawrence and Kevin Biegel.

March 6 – The Vampire Diaries – This CW series based on the L.J. Smith books covers the life of recently orphaned high school girl Elena Gilbert, her love affair with good guy vampire Stefan Salvatore and his bad boy brother and fellow vampire Damon. The cast expected to attend include Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. Executive producers Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec and Bob Levy are also expected to attend along with additional members of the cast and creative team.

March 9 – Seth MacFarlane and Friends – As king of the FOX Sunday night line-up that includes Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show, the night will be focused on Seth MacFarlane’s unconventional look at real life through irreverent animation. In addition to the man himself, his friends will include writer/producer Steve Marmel, Family Guy producer Dan Palladino, Family Guy executive producer Danny Smith, American Dad executive producer Mike Barker, The Cleveland Show executive producer Rich Appel, actress Mila Kunis and Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show producer Kara Vallow.

March 10 – Breaking Bad – This award-winning AMC drama about a teacher diagnosed with terminal cancer, who descends into the underworld of producing and selling crystal meth in order to secure a future for his family. Currently the cast and creative team are to be announced.

March 11 – FlashForward – This innovative, albeit rocky-ratings-wise ABC series is about a one-time world-wide event where virtually all of humankind falls inexplicably unconscious for 137 seconds in which many of them experience visions of their lives six months in the future.  The cast and creative team are currently to be announced.

March 12 – Men of a Certain Age – This male-dominated TNT series chronicles the lives of three long-time friends who have reached midlife and realize their dreams have not been reached, but at least their friendship remains intact. The cast expected to appear are Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher along with possible additional cast members and creative team.

March 13 – Glee – This FOX series covers the over-the-top antics of the William McKinley High School show choir, which is made up of talented misfits, their dedicated teacher Mr. Schuester and vengeful cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. The entire cast – Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz – are expected to appear along with executive producers Ryan Murphy, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.

March 14 – Curb Your Enthusiasm – This improvisational HBO series comes from the rather warped mind of comedian Larry David who will be joined by cast mates Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman as well as other possible guests.

If you plan to be at PaleyFest, please be sure to say hello to me, Louise and Tiffany and enjoy the show!

Obsidian, Onyx & Jet by Kat Hardy

Artists Spotlight:  This month’s artist spotlight is on Kat Hardy. Kat grew up on the East Coast as the second oldest of eight kids who has been drawing all her life. Drawing soon became her solitude and a way to escape bullies in junior high. She later attended a vocational school where she majored in photography and broadcasting, winning a few awards in photography during those years. She then went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, continuing with her photography and earned her first degree. It was at this time that Kat took her very first drawing and painting class ever. She continued with her work in photography for several years after graduation while drawing and painting on her own. She soon grew tired of the studio grind and returned to college – this time for graphic design and multi-media imaging. It was at this time that she got into fantasy art. After earning her second degree, she began working at a graphics house on a part-time basis, allowing herself time to work on her own illustrations. Through a friend she learned about Gen Con, which gave her the opportunity to meet a lot of other artists and discovered other art shows. She has been working in the fantasy genre and convention circuit ever since. Kat is drawn to the fantasy realm because she thinks “it is full of hope and ideas and imagination”. She believes art can inspire people to greater things, and fantasy can inspire people to fantastic things. You can contact Kat Hardy at meadowfritillary@ameritech.net or discover her world of artistry via the following links ladystonehawk.deviantart.com, www.elfwood.com/~kathardy and kathardyfantasy.etsy.com. The featured piece is one of Kat’s newest called Obsidian, Onyx & Jet and is about 18” x 24” done in oils on Bristol vellum paper.