NEW GIRL: PALEYFEST 2013 by Marco Elorreaga

New Girl PaleyFest 2013 poster

Who's that girl? (Who's that girl?) It's Jess! I mean, Zooey Deschanel and the cast of Fox's hit New Girl, just renewed for a third season, that came out to play at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on Monday, March 11, 2013.  Unlike many TV shows, New Girl suffered no sophomore slump.  In fact, it went on to reassure its fans that it found its voice and knew exactly what show it wanted to be.  As the PaleyFest brochure stated, it evolved from "promising newcomer to assured pro" and it was evident from start to finish.

Gracious, lively, and incredibly hilarious, each star gladly answered questions from journalists about their characters and what to expect for the rest of the season, returning on March 19.  The first one to arrive was everyone's favorite douche, Schmidt, played by Emmy-nominated Max Greenfield.  Even though, he says he just played himself for inspiration on Schmidt, Greenfield was the complete opposite of his character.  He was nice, funny, and a real professional.

On his Emmy nomination, he said it was "humbling, validating, and an exciting award and nomination to be apart of" and went to a very nice restaurant in New York to celebrate his nomination.  On Schmidt's character, he explained that it was a "collaborative effort" in creating him.

"You put as much as you can in the character, but it's got to be a collaborative effort with the writers, the creator, and the other actors and the ability to move within that" commented Greenfield, "I think we managed to do that together and they've given me opportunities to really shine and make that character what's it become, so it's hard to take credit for it."

Max Greenfield on the red carpet at PaleyFest

With CeCe's recent engagement on the show, the question remains whether the actual arranged marriage will happen and if Schmidt will ever get back together with CeCe.  The panel, moderated by TV Guide Magazine's Rob Moynihan, focused on this relationship heavily among others on the show, but particularly, one that just got an interesting jump start in the episode screened for the audience.

Jake Johnson, who plays Nick, came in after Greenfield and played it modestly, offering up praises to his cast and writers.  He praised working with Deschanel, "I love working with Zooey.  I think she's an unbelievable talent.  I think we're very lucky to have her on a TV show.  I think she raises the game for everybody."

Jake Johnson would get out of a ticket with his looks if he could.

On what we could expect between Nick and Jess, he played it coy and very nonchalantly even though he knew exactly what would be going on in the episode that screened for the audience.  

[SPOILER ALERT] Do not read the following [SPOILER ALERT].

THEY KISSED!

Creator Elizabeth Meriwether said "it felt if we waited any longer, it would start to feel not true, not what would really happen."  Meriwether and Executive Producer Dave Finkel compared the couple to FRIENDS' Ross and Rachel and The Office’s Jim and Pam.  Deschanel likened themselves more to Sam and Diane, from Cheers, on their love/hate relationship.

Deschanel laughed, "It was interesting because we did the table read and in the whole episode the kiss wasn't in it.  And the whole episode, Jess was soooo annoying, so it was like great, I feel very unattractive. Then, they throw this little nugget in which was pitched to us on a Tuesday.  We shot around ten or something.  I thought it was so great in an episode about how annoying Jess is.  It was really surprising."

When asked if Johnson felt any pressure, he exclaimed: "Absolutely, you don't want to screw that up too badly.  I definitely screwed enough up."

The cast and executive producers dropped other little nuggets on what to expect in the remaining episodes of the season.  Aside from a slew of new and returning guest stars, including favorites Dermot Mulroney and Rob Reiner and Olivia Munn, they also teased that we would get a whole flashback episode, in the vein of the TinFinity episode, showing how they all lost their virginities.

New Girl PaleyFest panel dropping nuggets

On top of that, there would be an episode where the gang would travel to Chicago and meet Nick's family.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't be for the most pleasant circumstances (apparently, Nick's father passes away), but for every downside, there is an upside: Jess dressing up as Elvis!  Fans can definitely look forward to that.

The episode will also have Margo Martindale playing Nick's mother and will definitely be heavy on learning more about Nick, who has only really opened up to two key people, Future Nick (they hope to bring him back) and also Old Asian Man (he definitely will be back, but no cradling this time).   

On whether Hannah Simone's CeCe would actually be having a wedding, Meriwether kept "deflecting" the question.  She has always had a fascination with arranged marriages and wanted to compare the eastern idea to the western idea of marriage, and see if one works better than the other.

Simone on the red carpet shared her feelings on how she thinks Schmidt is taking the news of the engagement and said, "Well, I don't think he's doing too well with it, but he made his bed, so he's laying in it...by himself."

Greenfield stated on the development of his relationship with CeCe, "I really think what we started to do with them that we realized that both of these characters had to grow up themselves before they could be together and I think, especially on Schmidt's end, there is a lot of room.  I think he needs to do some work there before he is able to fully commit, the way he would like to, with CeCe"

Then, he continued "I think he got a taste of what love is and I think, obviously, he holds onto that and it definitely informs every relationship afterwards."  Every cast member slow clapped in awe as he churned out mature sounding answer after answer in comparison to how immature his character is, to which Greenfield quipped "#articulate" referencing an earlier joke on his inability to understand the internet.  The audience was "abuzz."

When Simone asked the audience if CeCe should give Schmidt another chance if he changes his ways, the crowd confirmed with an explosion of wooing and clapping.   "That resolves that," she said to the creator and producers.

Hannah Simone posing for PopCultureBeast readers

"Its been a dream come true," Simone expressed, "we have the most amazing, funny, generous, kind cast with a creator who has a her finger on the pulse of what people want to see and what people find funny and what people are dealing with in their own lives in our generation." Eat your heart out, Lena Dunham.

As the panel started to focus on the creative process, Moynihan asked, "With the news of a season three pick up, does that change your direction for the show, especially with the Nick and Jess stuff?" 

Meriwether answered, "We are going to be honest with the characters and see what feels right.  We do what we feel is right with the episode that we are working on at that moment and try to push ourselves to go as far as we can." She went on to explain that changes are constantly being made as far into the production cycle as possible to make sure the story and characters are at their best. 

Lamorne Morris talking about dropping his Samsung phon in SXSW

Lamorne Morris, who plays Winston, shared early on that "I haven't read the last three episode, but your guess is as good as mine," when asked what to expect from his character.  "When the writers write something, we don't know until we get there and they go 'oh, this is what you're doing this week,' and I go 'oh, so today I'm a pirate who likes playing ping pong, cool."  If this is the character at its best, then I'm game!

Deschanel joked, "For all your journalists out there who ask me to tease things, don't hold me responsible.  I may have shot it, does not mean it's airing" on the haphazard changes that happen even after shooting is over that "surprise" her when she sees the episode.

Lamorne Morris and Zooey Deschanel signing autographs

If this show shows you anything, it's that with passion and staying true to the characters, people will come and stay.  So, when you hear that song playing and you hear the question, "Who's that girl?" You can kick back with New Girl and know you're with and old friend.

Special thanks to Samsung Smart TV for sponsoring my coverage of PaleyFest 2013. Make sure to like Samsung TV USA on Facebook, for an insider look at red carpet photos, video highlights, recaps from the day's events and more. Also, don't forget to follow @PopCultureBeast on Twitter for live updates during the screenings and panels.

RAWR(for more)

ARROW: PALEYFEST 2013 by Marco Elorreaga

Arrow PaleyFest 2013 panel, March 9, 2013 at 7 pm

He has a list (be careful NBC) and he's checking it twice, making sure who's naughty or nice...no, I don't mean Old Saint Nick, I'm talking about Arrow, Green Arrow. The new CW sensation Arrow made it's mark on PaleyFest on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills among teeming fans of comics and Stephen Amell's abs alike. And it was a bullseye.

Definitely one of the smaller panels in the PaleyFest lineup, it was still rich with laughs, secrets, and geeking out.  The stars descended into the press tent, showered in flash photography, and quickly made their rounds, answering questions ranging from Stephen Amell's own stunt work to what other DC character cameos to expect.  

Cast looking stunning for the press

For the most part, most of the stars and producers were hush-hush about the remaining episodes of the season, saying that the next batch, which return on March 20, are like the third act of a movie.  Don't expect the story or action to slow down.  

Stars Stephen Amell and Katie Cassidy looked stunning in their outfits as they discussed a lot of what has happened so far in the first season with their characters, Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance, respectively.  While Amell got a lot of questions concerning his chiseled anatomy, Executive Producer Greg Berlanti adamantly defends that he had no idea what his body looked like until after they casted him as the titular character.  As he reiterated in the panel, "we did not see him without his shirt in any audition process, he's just a great actor.  That's why he got the job.  He got the job because he was an incredible actor and we felt really lucky."

Cast and executive producers of Arrow posing for the cameras

A fan favorite and one of many characters on the show who does not come from the DC canon, was John Diggle, played by David Ramsey, and he took the time to even pose with his Samsung phone to show his support for one of his favorite brands.

David Ramsey posing with his Samsung phone

He explain how his character has developed as the the "moral voice" of the show, saying he's "cool, reasonable, and he's just a fantastic character."

"I think Diggle, ultimately, becomes the solid partner for Oliver," when asked on where he wants Diggle to be at the end of the season, "he is a partner for Oliver/Arrow, but there is contention.  There's a contentious nature between them because I think Oliver is developing and I think ultimately we see the value of Diggle in a way that he becomes invaluable to the team.  So, ultimately he becomes irreplaceable.  I think that's what I want, irreplaceability. You can't kill Diggle."

Ramsey continued his crusade during the actual panel to make sure he isn't killed off any time soon, stating, "every time I look at script, I look at the end of the script to see if I die."  When panel moderator, Geoff Johns, from DC entertainment and comic book writer, asked the audience if they want more Diggle, the crowd exploded in support, prompting creators and executive producers, Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg to make a quick joke about rewriting the episodes.

Even though there was no full episode shown, the sizzle reel promised more action on the island and in Starling City.  Things seem to be coming to a head on the island as Arrow seems to confront a team of mercenaries.  At the same time, Guggenheim teased that the Slade and Oliver relationship will continue to develop on the island like a "proto Butch and Sundance."  Lastly, it looks like the Huntress (Jessica DeGouw) gives up Arrow's identity to Det. Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne).  

Secrets were tight-lipped with supposed physical harm to come to the producers if spoken aloud, so very little hints were dropped on what was to come in the remaining episodes of season one.  The producers were able to confirm that Arrow would be visiting other DC universe cities, such as Blood Haven, although they said not to expect Arrow to visit two notable ones (most likely Gotham City and Metropolis).  They also were able to confirm that a very recognizable icon of a popular genre show will make a guest star appearance that will provide full geek-out moments.  Vague, but intriguing.  What other star on top of John Barrowman, also known as Captain Jack Harkness to many Dr. Who and Torchwood fans, can genre show fans geek out on even more? 

That's not the only thing fans can look forward to when the show returns.  With Colin Donnell's Tommy Merlyn now knowing the truth, the veil of secrecy becomes thinner for the Queen and Arrow persona.  The producers said that Tommy might not be as forthcoming and accepting of Queen's newfound hobby and Amell said that "it changes everything about the friendship."  Can we see a potential villain with Tommy's character in the near future?  

In addition, Cassidy teased that the arrival of Laurel's estranged mother (Alex Kingston) will provide some confrontation with her Blackthorne's Detective Quentin Lance as we see more of that family dynamic in addition to the bomb she dropped on Laurel, stating that her sister Sarah could still be alive.

Also, whether Oliver/Arrow will regret saving Malcolm aka The Dark Archer's life, the producers and cast all agreed in very regretful "yeahhhh."  Already picked up for a second season, it's a good time to start watching as the story becomes richer and producers say they will burn through story until the network fires them.

What not to expect is to see superpowers any time soon with the producers saying that "for right now, no. We want to tell something grounded," explaining how Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy influenced them heavily, "it allows for a much wider audience."  Also, don't expect Amell to appear on NBC's Ninja Warrior also when answering the last audience question of the night.  

Amell spouting probably the best line of the night in response, "I don't know, Ninja Warrior is on NBC and NBC is on the list." Make sure to catch Arrow when it returns to the CW on March 20th or you might end up on the list, too.

Special thanks to Samsung Smart TV for sponsoring my coverage of PaleyFest 2013. Make sure to like Samsung TV USA on Facebook for an insider look at red carpet photos, video highlights, recaps from the day's events and more. Also, don’t forget to follow @PopCultureBeast on Twitter for live updates during the screenings and panels.

RAWR(for more)

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