Who gets the adulation and who gets the big kiss?
A platoon of Times reporters, along with a stray critic and editor or two, has fanned out in Midtown Manhattan this week to bring you complete Web coverage of the network upfront presentations, from the snooze-worthiest press conference to the best man-on-man kiss to the last crab cake passing on a silver tray. Here’s a taste of the sights and sounds from the first couple of days:
Bruckheimer alert: Incoming!
The WB gets his new legal drama at 9 p.m. Mondays. Starring Don Johnson (who else?) and young Jay Baruchel, who was in “Million Dollar Baby.” Plus: More Bruckheimer to come! “Modern Men,” his first comedy, is slated for midseason. Wendie Malick is in the pilot but apparently, because of ABC’s renewal of “Jake in Progress,” in which she plays Jake’s boss, Malick won’t stay. WB Entertainment President David Janollari said he thought he was safe casting her because of “Jake’s” low ratings. Bruckheimer (or “God” as the networks like to call him) was at Madison Square Garden for the WB’s presentation Tuesday morning. Many we-are-not-worthy ministrations. Much worshipful applause.
Cal Worthington he ain’t
“ ‘Invasion’ is spectacular,” Stephen McPherson, ABC’s head of prime-time entertainment, quietly droned Tuesday morning to the press at a local steakhouse. Yes, it was early. Yes, he’d been up late tweaking the schedule. Yes, he’s a matter-of-fact type. But what the hey! This guy has “Desperate Housewives”! And “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”! And we can’t be around TV people for more than five minutes before we start talking like this! What kind of Zen master Yoda fiend can have that job and still keep sounding like a monotonal waiter rattling off the daily specials?!
“ ‘Crumbs’ really will be a great piece of business for us midseason,” he sort of sighed.
Party watch I
Hundreds filled the sunken plaza at Rockefeller Center for the NBC fiesta Monday night, milling about under colorful Chinese lanterns and munching on spring rolls, mini-cheeseburgers and crab cakes. Tourists with cameras and video cameras peered over the shrubs, rubbernecking for stars. Down below, though, there was limited wattage, despite the handy maps of the plaza handed out by NBC employees with color-coded “star stations” marked. No Matt LeBlanc, as far as we could tell. Crowds did form around Benjamin Bratt, one of the stars of “E-Ring,” NBC’s new Jerry Bruckheimer series. Also getting attention were cast members of “The Office” and the new shows about, respectively, a former fatty and an infertility clinic: “Thick and Thin” and “Inconceivable.” Dutiful gripping-and-grinning ensued, in front of glittery red curtains.
Party watch II
The William Morris Agency party was more a corporate star thing. CBS’ Les Moonves was there with his new wife, “The Early Show’s” Julie Chen, their room-working skills honed to a sheen. NBC’s Jeff Zucker was there, looking understandably spent, in a chair. Universal Studios’ Ron Meyer was there. So was Dominick Dunne, strangely. And Macaulay Culkin. And Tony Danza. Why, we aren’t sure. But he looked tanned.
Cocktail chatter
“He’s the sexiest man I’ve ever kissed. He had a very close shave this morning. He was very receptive to my advances. I thought he would put up more of a struggle.” -- “The Office” star Steve Carell to The Times’ Meg James about the wet one he planted, as a spoof during the NBC presentation on NBC Chairman Bob Wright.
More cocktail chatter
“That was quite a kiss.” -- Bob Wright, a little embarrassed, yet apparently fulfilled.
Famous last words
“Fourth place? #$#@#! Do I have to give back the Porsche?” -- “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing, addressing the audience with a cable word at the NBC presentation.
“Please take your seats and prepare for the comedy of Steve McPherson!” -- comedian Jimmy Kimmel, panning the audience with his Kimmel cam as the side-splitting executive readied for ABC’s upfront.
“Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain ...” -- Jamie Foxx ending NBC’s presentation with a rendition of “America the Beautiful” in full-on Ray Charles regalia.
This report was written by Times staff writer Shawn Hubler, with dispatches from staff writers Meg James, Amy Wallace ,Maria Elena Fernandez, Paul Brownfield and Matea Gold in New York.