TV or not TV — Our critic is rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous

A few years ago, I happened to be walking by the front desk at a Los Angeles-area hotel as a TV critic pal of mine was checking in.

"Hey, guys!" he said. "How's TV critics summer camp going?"

That's not an entirely inaccurate characterization of the twice-a-year Television Critics Association press tours, which yours truly has been attending since 1990.

As you read this, I am attending my 32nd such event, which kicked off Tuesday in Pasadena, Calif. (About to become the father of twins, I skipped the January 1991 tour. But I've been to all the rest. If you figure an average of 20 days in July and 13 in January, I've spent about a year and a half of my life on press tour.)

TCA was designed to give those of us who aren't based in L.A. or New York access to stars, producers, directors and network executives we wouldn't otherwise get.

And it does just that. If you've starred in or produced a TV series, if you've run a network or cable channel in the past 16 years, I've probably interviewed you.

There's little (OK, zero) chance that the president of ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox would take my call if I have a question.

But, on press tour, I can ask them anything I want at formal press conferences and in more informal settings.

And my chances of running into people like Gerald Ford, Al Gore, John McCain, Prince Edward and Sarah Ferguson (the duchess of York) — all press-tour attendees — would be less than zero, probably.

A TYPICAL DAY on press tour (if there is such a thing) doesn't officially start until 9 a.m. with the first press conference. (It's a TCA no-no to schedule anything earlier, but some networks — do the initials N-B-C mean anything to you? — try to skirt that with "informal" breakfast sessions.)

You've got breakfast at 8, several press conferences in the morning, lunch (often with people to interview at your table) and several press conferences in the afternoon.

The interviewees include actors, producers, network executives, writers, directors, reality-show contestants, real-life people who've had their lives turned into TV shows and so on and so on.

Basically, we sit in a big ballroom with all the other critics, trying to get the attention of pages with microphones if we have questions for the panelists. And a lot of us complain a lot about our lots in life.