If you've never heard of PaleyFest, let me tell you all about it.
First off, it's one of my very favorite events to take place in Los Angeles.
It's known as the nation's premier TV festival.
According to the PaleyFest website, "Each event features a premiere screening or an episode specially chosen for PaleyFest fans, followed by a conversation with the stars and a Q&A with the audience. Paley Members experience the very best of PaleyFest."
I've been to several through the years celebrating just a few of my very favorite casts on television, including "Parks and Recreation," "This is Us," and "Scandal." This weekend, I'll be adding another one to my list with "Grey's Anatomy."
Like the website suggests, typically there will be either a new episode or you'll watch the pilot or a significant episode of the series, depending on where things are in the season, etc. Following the screening will be a Q&A with the cast with a well-known moderator, like Patton Oswalt or the television reporter from E! News or Access Hollywood. Most times they will open it up to a few questions in the audience, so be ready for the opportunity (and keep it short).
A CELEBRATION OF TELEVISION
This truly is a celebration on the art of making television. If you're a TV fan, this is the place to be and talk to others who are in the same
Some people go to things like ComicCon or Star Trek festivals. Others go to a place like PaleyFest to nerd out over relationships they 'ship' or the last episode that aired.
The first PaleyFest I attended was for "Parks and Recreation." It was a show I'd recently gotten into and instantly became a favorite. Because we'd been to the Paley Center for Media we signed up for updates and happened to see that this event was coming up, and the "Parks and Rec" . I remember freaking out in a Chili's restaurant when I found out as we bought tickets to attend.
As we arrived, in the foyer of Dolby (which might have been Kodak back then), we heard people cheering and looked down below to see the cast members arriving. Adam Scott waved (which was cool, because he was one of my favorites), Nick Offerman twirled around for us and we saw a number of others before taking our seats.
We watched that week's episode "Galentine's Day 2.0" ahead of time, which was very cool.
That year, because we were close enough on the lower level, when the panel finished, we were able to stand at the stage to wait
I was sad that Amy Poehler and Adam Scott left immediately, but everyone else was so nice and stayed to sign for awhile. I was so close to getting Chris Pratt's autograph but everyone was going for him, so unfortunately, I missed out. He'd just finished filming the first Jurassic World movie, so he had just recently transformed his appearance and everyone was starting to pay more attention. I did get a few signatures and had the time of my life.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
It always feels like you arrive at Dolby Theatre with such an anticipation, not knowing where the evening is going to go. What episode will you see? Will there be a surprise guest?
The next time my mom and I went to PaleyFest was for "This is Us." It was only in the first or second season, and was so cool to see the effect this show had and the impact it had made on its audience and families all over the country.
Obviously, just about every person in America was obsessed with this show and its cast. And for good reason. They are genuinely the sweetest people ever and seem like a real family.
We watched the pilot episode, then were joined by the cast as they spilled behind-the-scenes secrets and special moments through the first season. A surprise was that Sterling K. Brown wasn't on the list to appear (which I was bummed about since he was/is my favorite character with Rebecca, of course), but he was able to make it after all. I was so excited and happy to see everyone there.
There wasn't a dry eye in the room from the re-watch of the pilot, Milo gushing about his dad/parents being the inspiration he drew on for Jack and just the overall love this cast has from one another. You can tell that they truly are a family.
TOO GOOD NOT TO GO AGAIN
After going to the "This is Us" panel, I wanted to go back for the "Scandal" one the following week. So I bought my mom and I tickets and we returned.
We stood by the center again to watch people on the red carpet down below and Joshua Malina even ran up the steps to say hi to someone. But, they really didn't encourage people standing there.
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 PaleyFest - 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. We did end up in the background of a few pictures on Twitter and Instagram later on, which was cool.
MORE INFORMATION
As we said goodbye to "This is Us" a couple years before, we had to go to their last PaleyFest. It would be our last chance to see everyone in the room together again. My dad surprised my mom and I, and said we could go, which was a bright spot in a tough season.
Prior to going in, they checked our vaccination cards and I.D., then ushered us in to check our bags and walk through the metal detectors.
In the past, we’ve stood near the center of the lobby to watch as the actors come in for the red carpet down below. However, this year, they made everyone stand back from the center, which was a bummer. So many people get there early for that reason. So, we decided to just go to our seats. We had about 30 minutes of waiting time before the show started, but it passed off quickly.
It was interesting to see just how far the cast had all come from that first Paley Fest, what had happened to their characters and how we still had so many questions left unanswered or were quickly wrapping up.
Scott Evans, one of the hosts of “Access Hollywood” was the moderator for the evening. He introduced Dan Fogelman, creator, showrunner and executive producer, of “This is Us.” He set up the next episode of the series, which we were able to see ahead of time (which is airing tonight), and boy, was it a doozy. It centered around Toby and Kate…And the egg they’ve alluded to in prior episodes. It’s so fun to watch a show like that with an audience to hear reactions - the audible gasps, the laughter, the cheers, the boos and so on. It’s unlike a sitcom, where they force you to laugh or tell you where the joke should land. I won’t give anything away for the episode, but it’s seriously one of the best of this season and possibly of the series as a whole.
After the episode ended, Scott Evans introduced the cast (Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Chris Sullivan, Susan Kelechi Watson and Jon Huertas) and brought Dan Fogelman out again for the panel. Everyone cheered and screamed for their favorite Pearson (or spouse).
This cast is seriously just as beautiful inside and out, as you’d expect them to be. Maybe even better, if possible. The love and admiration they have for one another is palpable and something that makes the stories on screen even more authentic and genuine as we watch them week after week.
As a writer, I eat up behind-the-scenes stories, what goes into crafting an episode, understanding the characters and how they interact with one another, setting up storylines and so on. Especially as I’ve tried to make a go of a screenwriting career.
Hearing the perspectives on their characters and the way they shot it, or the journeys they’ve all went on from episode one was truly remarkable. There will never be another ensemble quite like this cast. They are all so incredibly talented, and I miss having this show to look forward to on Tuesday nights.
In 2023, I joined my friend Michelle Ares, who runs the blog and podcast, LA Dreaming, (with all things LA - meeting celebrities, the best spots to go, upcoming events and more) for a chat all about PaleyFest.
You can listen to the show and read her blog post for more tips and tricks, as well as her own experiences about visiting the event. And other fun celebrity and Hollywood events.
Most announcements for the year's upcoming events are released in January! So make a note on your calendar to purchase a Paley Center membership to get early access to all things PaleyFest.
You can also become a member of the Paley Center for Media, which allows for early access to purchase tickets, 30% off tickets, and other special opportunities. I recently became a member to be able to purchase the orchestra tickets for the Amy Sherman-Palladino event. I've never sat in the orchestra before, but this was one of those times that it just wasn't an option, ha.
If you want to follow along for the updates and fun from that day: Follow me on X: @shelbyn92 or on Instagram @gilmoresandcoffee (for all things Gilmore Girls) or @shelbyparker_creative.
If you're going this year, let me know if you have any questions!
