Comic-Con, for a TV lover as myself, is all about the panels. The level of face time that actors and writers and directors give to their fans at Comic-Con is simply unequaled. It's a forum where the cast and crew can let down their guard and be themselves. The tone of the panels are generally light, fun and hugely optimistic. Schedule-wise, the TV shows are usually a couple weeks or so into filming their new seasons, and everyone is excited about what they've done so far. It's a treat for any fan, and it's only further enhanced by the audience question and answer sessions which, while sometimes an adventure, are a great way for fans to interact. My colleague
Don Williams gave his five favorite panel moments earlier today, so I thought I'd do the same.
Joshua Jackson Clearly Unhappy with Pacey Questions
Josh Jackson is a big part of FOX's biggest new series,
Fringe from J.J. Abrams. He is excited about the show, and made this abundantly clear during the
Fringe panel at Comic-Con. What he wasn't so excited about were the couple
Dawson's Creek questions he received. Jackson was a good sport about, answering all queries, but he was clearly a bit perturbed by the fact that he had to talk about Pacey at all. I found it all a bit amusing.
Kristin Chenoweth Sings
The
Pushing Daisies panel was probably the most raucous and fun event of Comic-Con that I got to see. The cast was having a hell of a time, and the fans were all obsessives. When Kristin Chenoweth was asked by an audience member to sing, she obliged with an extended rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” much to the delight of everyone. Well, maybe except me. I thought she went on a little longer than necessary, but it was still a cool moment.
Kevin Smith and Porn
Kevin Smith's panels are notoriously filthy, and this year was no exception. I got to see about 45 minutes of his panel in support of his upcoming film
Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Smith was joined by cast members Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes and Katie Morgan. Being a movie about porn, I suppose it makes sense that porn star Katie Morgan would be in the film. The funniest line I heard all week surprisingly came from an audience member – a teenager got up to the mic and, before asking his question, simply stated: “My mom's here, so I'm going to pretend I don't know who Katie Morgan is.” Laughter erupted.
“Damn it, Cameron!”
The
24 panel was graced by the presence of one
Kiefer Sutherland. He talked at length about his use of the phrase “Damn it.” One fan loved Jack Bauer's choice phrase so much that he asked Kiefer to yell it at him. Kiefer obliged, spouting a very loud and angry “Damn it, Cameron!” much to the delight of the crowd.
Rainn Wilson Moderating The Office Panel
This wasn't one moment, but it deserves mention. Moderating is a tough job, and too often the moderators are mediocre at best. For
The Office's panel, which focused on the writers of the series, they were given the best moderator of all time: Rainn Wilson. He was hilarious throughout, but picked his spots and allowed the writers to be the focal point, not him.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer