"Damages" up close

Last Monday I was asked to moderate a panel at the Willam Paley Festival at the Cinerama Dome at Hollywood.

Every year, the Paley Festival brings the cast and creators of 10-12 TV shows -- both past and present -- to discuss the inner workings of a show in front of a few hundred fans. For a TV junkie, it's a great event to get to know the actors and writers who shape the shows we like.

I moderated "Damages," a well-executed and smart legal drama on FX that stars Glenn Close as a lawyer who bends the rules in extreme ways for her clients. The first season was about one case -- Ted Danson is a corporate guru who has swindled the pension and savings from his employees.

Both stars were at the Dome Monday and couldn't have been nicer. They've been very accessible as far as talking to the press about the show and the Paley fest is a publicist's best friend, getting all kinds of coverage on the Internet.

Danson is a long way from his days as bartender Sam Malone on "Cheers," and Close proved she's as much a presence on TV as she is in film after a stellar turn a few years back on FX's best show, "The Shield." It was nice to pick their brain about what makes good TV and why they feel like "Damages" is as good as anything out there on the small screen.

Moderating these panels can be a lot of fun -- just as long as you're very familiar with the show. If you're faking it up on stage, everyone will know. I've done seven panels now -- "Friday Night Lights" twice, "ER," "Scrubs," "28 Days," "Nip/Tuck" and "Damages" -- and it's a great way to interact with the cast and creators, all the while asking questions that you hope the audience finds as interesting as you do.

For comedies, like "Scrubs," you don't need to do much. Ask a question and let everyone start cracking jokes. The rapport between Zach Braff and Donald Faison had everyone in hysterics. Certainly funnier that I would've been.

Viva Las Vegas!

Just got home from Vegas this afternoon after my first annual -- and I can't believe I haven't done this before -- trip to casinos for the NCAA basketball tourney.

What a great time. I hit about 80% of my tickets yesterday. Sticking with straight win bets rather than parlays seemed a potent strategy and I got a few breaks along the way.

For instance, in the Michigan State-Temple game, I had the first half under at 61.5. With the store 34-26, a Michigan State player was fouled with 0.8 seconds left and had two free throws. He sinks them both and I'm a loser.

First up, swish. Second, off the back rim. Ka-ching! Stu's a winner!

Every seemed to go my way and for my friend Dave too, who hit a bunch of parlays and cashed more tickets than me. Hell, he hit a 10-1 horse by betting on the color of the horse's silks. Dave had game all weekend -- except for this morning, when he gave a few sheckels back.... Damn that Drake!!

We stayed at Planet Hollywood, and it was a terrific hotel. Situated right on the Strip next to Paris and across the street from Bellagio, it was a nice walk from there to Caesars, where we spent much of Saturday, including a great dinner at Bradley Ogden.

Though I didn't see any of the game, the Bruins sure looked good, winning by more than 40! Lots of tough teams ahead, though, including all the No. 1 seeds -- Kansas, North Carolina and Memphis.

Let the madness continue!

Missin' Marlo...

Sorry for the delay in posting. Here's the tidbits that are crossing my mind today:

-- I'm still lamenting the loss of "The Wire." After watching season five and blogging about it for the paper, I can't believe it's over. What a spectacularly written saga about the lives of those who call Baltimore home. I said it before the season started and I stand by it now. A case can be made for it to be called the the best show in the history of television.

-- Just about finished watching the entire season of HBO's current psychiatrist in residence series "In Treatment," and I like it a lot. No question Gabriel Byrne will be, and should be, talked about when Emmy nominations are discussed. Byrne wouldn't be the first person to come to mind if I was casting the series, but he's certainly done an outstanding job.

As have the rest of the cast, they're all solid. Each episode feels like a mini play, with, for the most part, only two or three actors in the entire episode. Melissa George plays his Monday client, Laura, who has developed a serious crush on her good doctor. Blair Underwood, a Navy pilot, his Tuesday patient and Wednesday is teen girl Mia Wasikowska, who I've never seen before but is annoying real as a teen girl who attempted suicide.

"Sports Night" fans will recall Josh Charles, with on-screen wife Embeth Davidtz, as a couple who do nothing but fight. And Friday, Byrne and Michelle Forbes ("Homicide") bring their relationship up for exploration to Diane Wiest. It's all good stuff. HBO replays a few billion times a week so make sure to check it out.

-- Last but not least on the HBO viewing schedule, I watched the part of the network's Emmy sure thing "John Adams" tonight. It's a bit tough to get into the first 20 minutes or so but, after that, it feels like a textbook about the Revolutionary War coming to life -- and that's meant as a compliment.

-- On vacation from work this week and then off to Vegas with my good friend Dave on Wednesday through Friday. Should be a blast. Gonna play some poker, maybe shoot some craps and watch and bet on the NCAA basketball tourney. Wish me luck!

-- Only three more weeks til Springsteen plays a couple of nights in Anaheim. The tour is really rounding into form now and we should be in store for some fun shows. I plan on going both nights (April 7-8) but only have tickets for the second, so if you have a single you can't use or know someone with an extra, lemme know.

-- How good was "Lost" last week!!! Can't belive Sun has a baby and Jin is dead. And that she's one of the Oceanic 6. Great stuff, Damon! Keep it up...

-- Until next time, Go Bruins!