TCA Update, Day 10: Silvio Horta, Marc Cherry, Greg Berlanti and more!

(Berlanti, Rhimes, Horta, Lindelof, Cuse, Cherry; Photo credit: Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown)

Looking at ABC showrunners panel, it's really not surprising that the network topped GLAAD's recent rating of the networks (as well as ours) in regards to GLBT diversity (and diversity of any sort, actually). In the above photo we've got three out gay men — Silvio Horta (Ugly Betty), Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives) and Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Eli Stone) — two people of color — Horta and Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy) — and four white guys — Berlanti, Cherry, Damon Lindelof (Lost), Carlton Cuse (Lost). Trust me, few other panels come with this much diversity unless actually somehow focused on that very thing.

Cherry quickly showed he had a way with quips. At one point the panel was discussing the recent writers strike which a number of the panelists had helped organize and run. Turns out there were a lot of sports metaphors thrown around during the negotiations. Said Cherry about that:

[The others said], "Okay. Look. It's the fourth down. We have to approach this." I go, "Why is it all sports metaphors? Why doesn't anybody use musical theater metaphors?" [Laughter.] So I actually got them to try to use Eliza Doolittle as a comparison on occasion.

Greg Berlanti, Silivo Horta, Marc Cherry (Photo credit: Getty Image/Frederick M. Brown)

Cherry again appeared later in the day for the Desperate Housewives panel and, believe it or not, someone else besides me asked a gay question. I guess he didn't get the memo that was my beat. Anyway, this turf-stealing journalist asked Cherry just what the heck has happened to Andrew and whether Cherry mirrored him in any way. Said Cherry:

"For me I think that the first season he really mirrored it. I actually did a scene from my life in that first season because I had my mom — and probably the only ugly moment I've ever had in my life when I came out to my mother, she told me that the only thing that concerned was that she wouldn't see me in heaven. And that was kind of hard to deal with given the fact that I had had kind of this idyllic relationship with her my entire life.

So what I got to do with Andrew was I got to get someone who was in her face, and I think I worked out a lot of my residual anger towards a woman that I completely adore because I made him this raving psychopath, and you know, writing is good for your soul. (Laughter.) And the truth is I got all that stuff out, and the thing that — once I did all this stuff with Andrew it was like, you know, I adore my mom. So what I thought was really cool is last season, you know, having Andrew and Bree come to terms again, and Bree is now kind of like my mother. She knows he's gay. Just don't talk about it."

More from Cherry and the rest after the break!

As for what this season might hold for Andrew:

"I don't have anything planned for the first half of the season, but some part of Andrew's personal life will come up and probably cause problems for Bree soon enough."

Hmm, doesn't sound like we should get our hopes too high for any great Andrew storylines. I'll have more with Cherry later.

Last night was the ABC party, giving TV critics the chance to mingle with the talent in a little more casual way. Unfortunately, it's also a very loud, crowded way and there weren't quite as many ABC stars present as last year. And not all of those present understood this was a business affair to help promote their shows, instead treating it as a purely social event to chat with their co-workers. Not that I'm annoyed or anything that I'd been working for eleven hours and wanted to go to bed instead of standing around while a celebrity ignored me before dismissively agreeing to answer one measly question. (Of course this won't affect my attitude toward Scrubs in any way.)

Anywho, I did get to chat with Eli Stone's very classy Victor Garber about his guest stint on Will & Grace (and then watch him have a brief reunion with longtime friend Swoosie Kurtz from Pushing Daisies). Also dropping by was Blair Underwood who talked with me about his character on In Treatment, Billy Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) who had some interesting things to say about his very pro-gay political beliefs, Michael Urie who tried to fool journalists by swapping name tags with Ugly Betty co-star Becki Newton, and Gale Harold who gave us the most, um, unusual interview we've ever had.

Blair Underwood, Victor Garber, Michael Urie, Billy Baldwin

(Photo credit: Getty Image/Frederick M. Brown)

But the two most interesting folks I met last night weren't any of the faces you're familiar with seeing on screen. Rather they are two women who give those famous faces the words to say on ABC's Brothers & Sisters. Alison Schapker and Monica Breen, a longstanding writing duo who have worked on Alias, Lost, are now showrunners on B&S. We chatted about their rise to showrunner status, working for Greg Berlanti and, I'm pleased to say, how much they like the site!

I did my best to ply them with alcohol and to dazzle them with my wit and charm in a cheap ploy to get Kevin and Scotty's upcoming storylines out of them. However, I couldn't get them to drink and much to my disbelief, my charm didn't work on them. What can I say? I've been here eleven days and am perhaps a bit off my game. When I head back to LA next month for a set visit to B&S, I plan to sit down and chat with the two ladies. I'll be well-rested by then and I'm sure they'll be no match for me.

Tomorrow we've got the CBS party and the Emmy-nominated Neil Patrick Harris will be present.