Breeziest red carpet ever: Fox's beachfront bash
It’s that time of year again when the television networks preview their fall programming for TV critics in a 10-day confab known as TCA Summer Press Tour, headquartered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
After the daily panel sessions– where critics watch clips and then hammer executives, producers and show talent with questions– it’s time to party and, um, network some more.
Here is our rundown, and it being the television business, our rating of how the bashes stacked up, with a 5 Mojito award the top tier:
Fox
Where: Gladstone’s at the beach, Sunset and PCH
Star Power: Emmy host-to-be Jane Lynch, Jonah Hill, Charlie Day, Jaime Pressly, Kevin Reilly, Seth McFarlane, Lea Michelle, Danny DeVito, Paula Abdul, Cloris Leachman, Dylan McDermott, Zooey Deschanel, Nicole Scherzinger, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Christian Slater, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Elijah Wood
Highlights: The thematic beach motif started at the Hilton with containers filled with seashells on ocean-blue tablecloths, then continued with the latticework red carpet, which, unlike the typical step-and-repeat, showcased the beautiful Pacific Ocean intermixed with the Fox logo.
The SBE group had quietly taken over this touristy hotspot last summer and the evidence of its upgraded cuisine was evident everywhere from the platters of raw seafood to the baked crab rolls being prepared by sushi chefs from Katsuya. An ice cream bar featured 21 flavors like sea salt caramel and cappuccino chip and there was a homemade lemonade stand serving up several flavors in Mason jars.
As for the bar–friendly, fast bartenders serve up your drinks of choice in plastic ware.
Rating: 4.5 Mojitos
NBC Universal
Where: SLS Hotel
Star Power: Christina Applegate, Elle McPherson, Nick Lachey, Anna Kournikova, Chevy Chase, Sharon Osbourne, Hank Azaria, Ed Helms, Kathryn Hahn, assorted Housewives, Ken Jeong, John Krasinski, Aimee Teegarden
Highlights: New NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt obviously pulled out all the stops– and the corporate checkbook– by buying out all the public areas of the hotel and going full-out with items featured on the four-star menu from Jose Andres’s Bazaar. Crowds gathered at the caviar bar where chefs painstakingly topped crème fraiche-filled miniature cones with the miniature eggs before moving on to sample from huge platters of paella and a buffet that featured an absolutely addictive guacamole-filled appetizer. A flip photo booth and temporary tattoos added to the fun. Some complained about long lines at the bar and how dark, crowded, hot and noisy it was. They were called party poopers. Others found those attributes very appealing–and realized that all the elements added up to a very special evening that announced: NBC is back, big time.
Rating: 4.8 Mojitos
- Red carpet traffic jam at NBC’s SLS event
- CBS transforms a parking lot rooftop
Star Power: Director Doug Liman, cast members of his new show “I Just Want My Pants Back,” Jake Busey and other castmates from the new animated series “Good Vibes,” plus Beavis and Butthead–kidding
Highlights: Hanging out by the pool on a warm summer’s eve heading into the sunset, a situation made more enjoyable by a killer raw bar loaded with oysters, mussels, shrimp and crab legs. If your fish fix wasn’t sated, there was the sushi bar featuring spicy tuna rolls, salmon, tuna and yellowtail. The downside: it started early and ended early.
Rating: 4 Mojitos
CBS, the CW and Showtime
Where: Rooftop of the former Robinson’s May parking lot
Star Power: Emmy nominee Melissa McCarthy, Les Moonves & Julie Chen, Chris O’Donnell, Claire Danes, Emmy Rossum, Sela Ward, Kristen Bell, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Sarah Michelle Gellar, J.J. Abrams, Johnny Galecki, William Macy, Jason Segel, Kat Dennings, Rachel Bilson, Lisa Kudrow, Gary Sinise, Kevin Dillon, Patrick Wilson
Highlights: The area atop the parking structure was dominated by a festive, large red pagoda, and the food was Asian-themed: shrimp spring rolls, an array of dim sum and delicious glass noodles were on the menu, served from stands set up around the perimeter of the grounds. Downsides: porta-potties, no champagne or prosecco at the bar and if you don’t like Asian food, you were pretty much out of luck. But the homemade ice cream stand, where bars were hand-dipped in chocolate and rolled in toppings of your choice, was pretty sweet.
Rating: 3.5 Mojitos
ABC
Where: Hilton Beverly Hills Ballroom
Star Power: Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Christina Ricci, Jennifer Morrison, Madeleine Stowe, Penny Johnson, Chad Lowe, Dana Delany, Elisha Cuthbert, Jeri Ryan, Cheryl Hines, Robert Carlyle, Benjamin Bratt, Brenda Strong, Teri Polo, James Denton
Highlights: As the last party ofTCA, it was a rather low-key affair in the hotel’s smaller ballroom. Specialty cocktails included Charlie’s Angels vodka, tonic and lime, Revenge martini and the Lying Game sparking punch. Guests lounged on white furniture as they dined on items from the carving station, the pasta bar and a selection of sushi. A photo booth put you in your choice of shows including Desperate Housewives and The View.
Rating: 3.5 Mojitos
