56 October 2014 Doing Lunch at Hollywood Studios (Continued on Page 58) by the various studios. (The screenings at the studios take place over a span of seven days so that each buyer can visit each of the majors.) This VideoAge reporter started on Friday, May 16 with lunch at the Fox studios in Beverly Hills, just after the indies wound down their screenings at the Century Plaza Hotel (mostly for Latin buyers). Twentieth Century Fox TV Distribution screened 15 new series, including a few sitcoms. The complex lunch menu seemed to reflect the trend of their dramatic series like Tyrant, set against the conflicts in the Middle East, and Rush, a kind of House for rich people from Los Angeles. On the menu: a crusted chevre cheese appetizer and for the main course, a choice of pistachio-crusted cod, pan-roasted beef filet, snap peas and asparagus quinoa or shrimp with grapefruit and radish. For dessert, the selection was chocolate cake or ice cream. The wines were all Californian. The catering was provided by Fox’s in-house commissary staff, led by executive chef Robert Rubino. The service — for 250 guests served at tables under a tent — was fast and efficient, despite the 32 degree Celsius heat. Our lunch group was made up of Latin buyers, while a group of European buyers enjoyed their meals under another tent not far away. The large number of pilots required buyers to remain on the lot for eight hours, which meant that after lunch they had to return to screening rooms. On Sunday, lunch was at NBCUniversal in the 7 p.m. To counterbalance the dramatic series, the lunch menu, served on the lawn outside the Theater, was “fun,” consisting mainly of Mexican fare and “chic” fast food. Among the offerings: shredded chicken, tossed salad, corn salad, rice and black beans, all prepared by the The FoodMatters catering service of Jerry Baker. The fast food selection consisted of hot dogs from Pink’s, a popular Hollywood hangout since 1939, and burgers from In-N-Out, the famous food establishment opened in 1945, which also offered a carb-free version of burgers between leaves of lettuce instead of buns. Other side dishes included French fries, onion rings and couscous salad. An assortment of desserts and wines from the cellars of Francis Ford Coppola completed the menu. Greeting guests was talent from five new series including the stars of Madam Secretary, Téa Leoni and Tim Daly, and producer Morgan Freeman. The drama follows Leoni’s character’s daily crises as the U.S. Secretary of State. Among the sitcoms was Jane The Virgin, a remake of a well-known Venezuelan telenovela about a girl who becomes pregnant through an accidental artificial insemination. Also on Monday, at Warner Bros. International TV, studio marketing executives reported that 11 pilots were screened, including the dramas Gotham, Stalker andThe Flash, as well as sitcom Selfie. Outside the screenings venue, the Steven J. Ross Theater, some 300 guests were served a buffet lunch from the Lobsta Truck, The Lime Truck, Tanks (Gastro Station), Java The Truck and Pudding Truck. They could also choose from a sushi station, a Filipino buffet, a hamburger station and cake pops for dessert. Alcohol was not served at the WB lunches. Talent was not present at the lunches, but stars like Ioan Gruffudd (from the drama Forever), Grant Gustin (The Flash), Maggie Q (Stalker), Dylan McDermott (Stalker) and Ben McKenzie (Gotham) attended dinners along with some 80 clients Monday through Wednesday at the home San Fernando Valley. There were many new programs on the list, mostly dramas, but only nine pilots were screened. Greeting guests at the tables was Craig Robinson, star of the new sitcomMr. Robinson. The comedic vibe, as well as the theme of the lunch — inspired by the newest movie in the Fast & Furious franchise — influenced the menu, making it “lively,” with New York steak, citrus salmon, grilled chicken, polenta with peas, sautéed carrots, Farro salad and Brussels sprouts. For dessert there was a choice between chocolate cake and fruit tarts. The wines were all Californian and the catering was provided by star chef Wolfgang Puck, who also prepared lunch for the Sony Pictures Television screenings. The lunch for over 220 people was served inside Studio 28, NBCUniversal’s largest soundstage where, among others, The Phantom of the Opera was filmed in 1943. It had never before been used for a similar function. Monday’s lunch was at CBS Studios International (CBSSI) on the Paramount lot in the heart of Hollywood, where — at the Paramount Theater — 11 new series were screened, of which only two were comedies. The large number of pilots being unveiled meant that the 280 buyers had to stay on the lot until At the WB lunch, l. to r.: Jeff Schlesinger, pres., Warner Bros. Worldwide TV Distribution; Mike Darnell, pres., Warner Bros. Unscripted and Alternative TV and Peter Roth, pres. and CCO, Warner Bros. TV Group (Continued from Cover)
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