Arts & Life

Paleyfest to screen, host TV favorites

Comic Con has always been the go-to convention for geek culture, but now television fanatics in the Los Angeles-area finally have something specific to their interests. The Paley Center for Media’s annual Paleyfest is coming up, and it is a TV fan’s dream.

Every year, the Paley Center for Media hosts a series of screenings and panels for some of television’s most popular shows. The cast, writing team and creators of the shows play clips, answer questions and sometimes screen upcoming episodes for the fans.

This year, the list of shows includes many of the most popular comedies and dramas on television. Highlights include “Community,” “American Horror Story,” “The Office,” “Modern Family,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “Mad Men.”

The “Mad Men” and “Community” panels will be particularly exciting because both shows are returning from long hiatuses for different reasons.

“Community” on NBC has a large cult fanbase but was struggling in the ratings. It was pulled indefinitely from the schedule mid-season, but was just announced to be returning this March. It should be interesting to hear what the cast and crew think about this recent news, and their thoughts on the future of the show. It is also guaranteed to be hilarious to watch Joel Mchale, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase and the rest of the cast joke with each other onstage.

The “Mad Men” panel should be equally exciting. Due to budgetary issues and salary disputes, the hugely-popular AMC drama was held back for almost a year. Fans have been waiting to find out what happened to their favorite characters for an excruciatingly long time, so this panel is bound to be full of insider info.

The other great thing about Paleyfest is that they allow the audience to ask questions after each panel. Big fans will have the opportunity to ask the writers what certain episodes meant, or ask the actors which episode is their favorite. There are very few times when fans will have an opportunity like this, especially if the show isn’t going to be visiting Comic Con or any other conventions.

Paleyfest begins on March 2nd at the Saban theater in Beverly Hills with the panel for the creepy FX drama “American Horror Story.” It then continues with a new panel and show every night until ending with “Modern Family” on March 14. Individual tickets range in price from around $25 to $75, depending on seating.

For more information, visit paleycenter.org/paleyfest2012-lineup.

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