The critical mass

For more than 10 years I was a member of the Television Critics Assocation, covering the beat for a couple of dailies and the Scripps News Service. Right now 200 tube-weary scribes are gathering at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to see all the new shows for the next six months, and to interview everyone involved with producing and creating the shows -- that includes cable and broadcast networks. It's a lot of TV and too many parties to count.

I did my time on the TCA "press tours" and I don't miss all the network boolsheet about this show and that being "revolutionary" or actors who have all studied the same script when it comes to answering questions. Everybody's cast "feels like a family" and everybody's character is "Everyman." Only a few times do I recall a celeb ever answering a question candidly. Like the time newcomer Jessica Alba, promoting her Fox show Angel, was asked about how she got cast at such a young age (I think she was 16 or 17) in a major network show. "Yeah!" she said, practically jumping out of her chair. "Can you fucking believe they picked me?"

Anyway, to read the real scoop on the TCA group-grope going on right now, go here. My critic pal Ed Martin pulls no punches, gives the straight skinny and dares to name names. Adam Carolla! John Landis! Jerks!