Attending Paley Fest
Paley Fest is one of my favorite events that I've ever attended. As a TV junkie like myself, I love being able to get up close and personal with not only my favorite cast members of shows, but the writers and creators that brought the story to life.
Paley Fest is presented by the Paley Center for Media at the Kodak Theater every year in March, and each year, a variety of shows are announced for panels. Although, there are a few favorites, like "Scandal" or "Grey's Anatomy" who have attended a few years.
Typically, it works like this: an episode of that particular show's panel is aired before the cast walks out onstage. Sometimes the episode is new and other times, it's the pilot, if they're in between seasons or a big episode is coming up. Then the cast comes out, talks with the moderator and shares their experiences/fun anecdotes about filming, the creators will talk about how they came up with the idea and then they'll turn it over to the audience. Once the panel is over, some (if not all) cast members will come to the front of the stage to sign for fans.
I've now been to three of the Paley Fest panels, and there's nothing quite like it.
I've seen the casts of "Parks and Recreation," one of my very favorite shows of all-time, "Scandal," which leaves me wanting to pick Shonda Rhimes' brain to talk about characters and story lines and "This is Us," which I am just in awe of the writers and the way it brings out the emotions in us week after week.
The Paley Fest for "Parks and Recreation" was my first. We bought pretty decent seats a couple weeks prior to the event on the floor after I found out about it. Although it was under the balcony and in the back, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be in the same room as Amy Poehler and Adam Scott because Leslie and Ben are everything.
We got there in plenty of time, hoping to see the cast arrive and we did! Then, we went inside the Dolby Theater to get settled in.
They premiered a new episode, which would air that night (or it might've been the next night) on television. Patton Oswalt was the moderator and asked the cast questions about their relationships with one another, the show, and so on. They also opened it up to the audience to ask a few questions. If you're fascinated at all by the behind-the-scenes process of TV shows, this is the place to be.
Amy and Adam drank most of the time and it was the first time I asked myself, 'when did Chris Pratt become SO good-looking?' I also found Nick Offerman basically is Ron Swanson. It was fun being able to see my favorite stars in the same room, interacting with one another, as if I was part of the show myself. It really brings a whole new perspective.
After the panel finished, the audience swarmed to the stage to get pictures and autographs. I'd been planning for this moment, because I'd seen many Instagram posts about the end of the night. I was able to get a few signatures and was SOCLOSE to Chris Pratt (just before "Jurassic Park" came out and launching him into superstardom), but where I was standing was hard to push it over to him. Amy and Adam exited the stage almost immediately, which I was sad about. But, I was so impressed with the others who stayed and took the time for the fans.
Last year, my mom and I actually attended two Paley Fest panels. We went to "This is Us" and "Scandal."
First up..."This is Us"moderated by E!'s television scoop reporter, Kristin Dos Santos.
Obviously, just about every person in America is obsessed with this show and its cast. And for good reason. They are genuinely the sweetest people ever and seem like a real family.
They talked about Jack's death (of course), the inspiration behind him, Mandy Moore's career and Justin Hartley's love of the TV show, "Friends." Also, a HUGE surprise...Sterling K. Brown showed up, and he wasn't on the "scheduled to appear" list. He's my absolute favorite, so I was happy to see him there.
Unfortunately, we found out that it's only the floor level who were able to rush the stage after the panel was over. So, we didn't stick around, but everyone was in tears from re-watching the pilot and hearing the cast speak about this incredible show. INSPIRATIONAL.
The following weekend, my mom and I decided to go back for the "Scandal" panel. With the show coming to an end, we thought it would be the last opportunity to see them altogether, and maybe our only chance to meet them.
They started the program with the pilot once again, and it reminded me just how good this show is/was. The writing. The dynamics of all the characters. The story lines. Oh, the story lines... Just pure good television. The kind of television breakthrough everyone hopes for when writing a pilot.
Then, the moment we'd all been waiting for arrived. The cast walked on stage. *Chills*
The Paley Fest honored the upcoming 100th episode, and was really a look back at their time on the show and the world Shonda had created over the seven seasons. This cast has such a deep love for their art and the fans, and that was so evident. It was another inspiring event that reminded me of why people want to get into the business, why people are drawn to the art they are and why people create in the first place. No matter what the story line, we can all find something or someone to relate to, and that's what it's all about.
My favorite moment hands-down was when Scott Foley did his "dance" from one of the earlier seasons. And it's moments like that you get to see at Paley Fest - a different setting for your favorite actors be more relaxed.
Once again, we missed the memo about where we needed to buy tickets to get closer to the stage. But, all in all, it was still a good time celebrating a show I'd grown to love. We hung around for a few minutes, hoping they'd let us down to the floor, but it didn't work out.
While this isn't something you can do on the regular if you're in the LA area, it is a great event to plan your visit around if you're free in the springtime or to check it out if you don't live far away. Be sure to check out their website or follow them on social media for the updates and announcements about events.
That's all for now,