Even as television content spills way past the confines of the home set — online, on laptops, mobile devices, gaming devices, and on your head via Google Glasses, the TV Critics Association summer press tour keeps going, well into its third decade.
As in years before, TV writers gather at a hotel, in this case the Beverly Hilton, under siege from next door demolition, as the growing number of networks present shows. Because the 2014 session began with cable TV offerings, the dizzying array paraded on a ballroom stage where, later in the season the Golden Globes Awards are held, ranged from retired Army generals to cockatoos, Alaskan survivalists, newspeople, music prodigies, a mountain lion and, via satellite, the guy who played Harry Potter.
And the first full day’s events culminated beneath a giant Christmas tree and trimmings where Hallmark was celebrating its holiday haul of original movies as a rented mansion.
Because sessions generally started with a panel on the second season of “A Young Doctor’s Notebook” on Ovation, there was a real chance to see its big name stars Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe. But the “Mad Men” star was awol and Harry Potter star was there only via satellite.
“it was incredibly flattering that he, sort of, you know he suggested me to play the young him, which is, you know, an incredible compliment,” he said about the series that returns this October. But there was also the expected question about Potter plans, especially on a day when a new J.K. Rowling story was posted, about a grown up Harry playing a Quidditch World Cup.
“I haven’t read it yet,” Radcliffe said. “But it is, as I understand, a very, very short piece that I’m not sure is, of itself, worthy of adaptation to film. And I don’t know: he’s at least 12 years older than I am now. So, you know, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that for a long time, I’m hoping.”
Much of the day was given to the networks of National Geographic, which had seven press conferences. One said sleep was the most important thing people do — a “Sleepless in America” special is due in the fall. Another said food took precedence — the miniseries “Eat: The Story of Food.”
It was fun to see the people from “Life Below Zero” in the Lower 48 after depicting their harsh work north of the Arctic Circle. Perhaps to make them welcome, the temperature at the ballroom was lowered to bone-chilling levels.
“There’s a life there that does not stop simply because I’m not there,” Sue Aikens said. “The day after I got here, two bears came and ransacked camp.”
Kate Bassich said it was tough to get used to the crowds and noise here compared to the wilds of Alaska. “On the plane ride, it took me about 45 minutes not to want to burst into tears because it was so loud,” she said. “You come from a place that’s completely silent, unless he’s running some kind of piece of heavy machinery, and it’s very difficult to go from complete silence to noise and vision. I mean, just cars going by it’s so there’s none of that at home. The fastest thing is a dog.”
Aikens said it was odd to see dark at night and not be frigid. “Dark means cold, and here it’s dark and warm, and my head just went, ‘What the hell?’”she said. “That was exciting, and I flushed toilets. Never gets old.”
“You try an outhouse at 50 below, and then you come here in this beautiful warm weather that has toilets?” Bassich said. “I mean: paradise!”
So there was that, too, on the first day of press tour at the Beverly Hilton: Flush toilets.