I’ve been going to Los Angeles’ Paley Fest for decades, starting when it was known as the Museum of Broadcasting Festival and held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Harry Knowles and I first met while waiting in line for the Paley tribute to “South Park.”
I remember when tickets would go on sale on early winter mornings, I’d see the same TV lovers bundled up and waiting in the pre-dawn cold outside the Paley Center in Beverly Hills before they had to get to work. They were hot tickets, and available only to those who lived in (or, much more rarely, were willing to journey to) Los Angeles.
But now, for the first time I can recall, panels are being made available to the rest of the country.
Press release:
PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’” Events Broadcast to U.S. Cinemas this MarchNCM® Fathom Events and The Paley Center for Media Present “PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Walking Dead’” on Thursday, March 7 and “PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Big Bang Theory’” on Wednesday, March 13 in Select Movie Theaters Nationwide
Movie Theater Audiences will have Opportunity to Submit Questions to “The Big Bang Theory” Cast LIVE via Twitter
Los Angeles and Centennial, Colo. – Feb. 7, 2013 –For the first time ever, the stars and producers of the phenomenally successful “The Walking Dead” and No. 1 comedy series “The Big Bang Theory” are coming to theaters nationwide as part of the ultimate TV fan festival – PaleyFest (The William S. Paley Television Festival). Presented by NCM® Fathom Events and The Paley Center for Media in celebration of PaleyFest’s 30th anniversary, “PaleyFest” will feature a lively panel discussion from these sold-out events, giving audiences an exclusive look inside these TV hits. “PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Walking Dead,’” the festival’s opening night presentation, pre-recorded March 1 featuring appearances by the cast and creative team, will be broadcast to select U.S. movie theaters on Thursday, March 7 at 8:00 p.m. local time.“ PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Big Bang Theory,’” broadcast LIVE from the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, March 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. MT / 7:00 p.m. PT, will feature a live and uncensored Q&A with the cast and producers of TV’s most-watched comedy. Movie theater audiences will have the opportunity to submit questions to “The Big Bang Theory” panel LIVE via Twitter.
Tickets for “PaleyFest” cinema events will be available to purchase on Friday, Feb. 8 at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The events will be broadcast to more than 525 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.
Confirmed panelists for “PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Walking Dead,’” moderated by Chris Hardwick, host of “The Talking Dead,” include Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), David Morrissey (The Governor), Danai Gurira (Michonne), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene), Steven Yeun (Glenn Rhee), Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon), Scott Wilson (Hershel Greene), Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes) as well as executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert and Greg Nicotero.
“For the first time, fans will be able to join in the excitement as we bring the ultimate TV fan festival experience to theaters across the country,” said Paley Center for Media President and CEO Pat Mitchell. “Partnering with NCM Fathom Events as part of PaleyFest’s landmark 30th Anniversary allows fans of ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ to see their favorite television actors and creators, and highlights the Paley Center’s continuing effort to bring the fun and excitement of PaleyFest to more and more people. We are grateful for the participation of the cast, creative teams, along with AMC and Warner Bros., for their continuing support and enthusiasm for these special PaleyFest evenings.”
Confirmed panelists for “PaleyFest Featuring ‘The Big Bang Theory’” include Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter), Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz), Kunal Nayyar (Raj Koothrappali), Mayim Bialik (Amy Farrah Fowler), Melissa Rauch (Bernadette Rostenkowski) as well as creators and executive producers Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Steven Molaro.
PaleyFest celebrates the best of television during the two-week annual event which features hit television shows and the teams behind their success, providing an exclusive interaction between the shows and their fans for the last 30 years. AMC’s “The Walking Dead” on March 1 will kick off the festival, which runs through March 15 at the Saban Theatre.
“PaleyFest is the ultimate TV fan festival that until now, only fans lucky enough to score tickets to the L.A. event could enjoy,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Thanks to the Paley Center, now all fans of these popular TV shows can enjoy the festival from their local movie theater as the cast of each show takes part in a live, uncensored and no-holds-barred audience Q&A.”
