Last Chance to Hang with Sue Sylvester

Mere hours left to bid on hanging out with the Glee gang, including a personal tour of the show's sets on Hollywood's Paramount lot, with cast members including Sue Sylvester herself, the inimitable Jane Lynch.

Why am I helping spread the word about this auction? Is it because, prompted by the new series of American Express ads featuring the Glee cast, I want not to be like Sue?

Or is it because it gives me the excuse to display the above photo again, from this summer's TV critics tour in Pasadena? You be the judge.

Here's a description of the prize, on the web site CharityFolks. As it states, 80% of the winning bid will go to support the work of the ACLU in Southern California.

Grab 3 friends and head to LA to watch a taping of Glee, tour the sets, and meet Sue Sylvester herself, Jane Lynch, along other cast members! You'll see anywhere from 4-10 musical numbers, as well as scripted scenes, and witness the most awesome crew in show business at work.

Don't take it from us! Here's how Jane answered when Access Hollywood asked her about the auction and what the lucky winners should expect:

WHAT WILL THE WINNER OF THIS AUCTION GET TO WITNESS, EXACTLY?
The winner will get to see just how much work goes in to making one of our episodes. We usually have any where from 4-10 musical numbers in addition to actual scripted scenes. They will get to witness the most awesome crew in show business as well as some incredibly talented young people work their bottoms of from morning until late at night. They may even see one over 50 actress sashay in and out to drop some cleverly written lines.

WILL FANS GET A CHANCE TO HEAR SUE SING AGAIN SOON ON "GLEE"? IF SO, WHEN? COULD YOU GIVE US A HINT?
Sue will being singing a duet with her mother from a great American Musical. Won't give you the name of the actress but here's a hint; she was the star of The Carol Burnett Show.

WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU ABOUT THE WORK BEING DONE BY THE ACLU?
Someone is on the side of our basic rights and will fight for them.

GLEE, the highest-rated new scripted series of the season, boasts critical acclaim, a loyal fan base of “GLEEks,” 2 certified Gold albums, more than 10 million song downloads and 19 Emmy nominations – earning it the distinction of being the most-nominated series of the year. To top it off, the genre-defying, award-winning series has been picked up through its third season.

Terms:

Experience cannot be resold. Meet and greet with Jane is guaranteed; other meet and greets are contingent upon availability. Must be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon date. Transportation and accommodations not included in this auction lot.

Rob Thomas is a busy boy

In 1998, Rob Thomas created ABC's beloved drama Cupid, starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall, which was cancelled after merely one season.  In perhaps a first for network television, Thomas is getting a do-over over a decade later, with a new version of Cupid, this time starring Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson, to debut, again on ABC, this spring.

In between Cupids, Thomas developed a following as a writer as the creator and executive producer of Veronica Mars, and as the creator of the current incarnation of 90210.  Now, Thomas is about to be even busier, having not only Cupid and 90210 on the air, but also Starz' new comedy series Party Down.  (The show, Thomas says, was originally developed 5 years ago for HBO, to star Paul Rudd, who is now one of this version's executive producers.)

Party Down follows a team of Los Angeles cater-waiters -- a sextet of dreamers and wannabes -- stuck working for tips while hoping for their "big break."

Having opted out of "normal" lives of traditional jobs and nuclear families, our crew of misfits -- with the exception of the ruefully jaded Henry -- pass the days assuming that their time in catering is just a brief place-holder before success inevitably transforms them from unremarkable unknowns in to "Somebodies."

Each episode of this half-hour comedy finds our hapless team working a new event -- from sweet sixteen affairs to gay weddings to mobster acquittal parties to porn awards -- where they inevitably get tangled up with the colorful guests and the absurd dramas of their lives.

Party Down is, ultimately, a comedy about waiting.

About the misadventures you endure while waiting on others.  And about the life you lead while waiting for your real one to start.

But the most important reason to watch Party Down is the amazing cast Thomas has assembled.  Thomas has been a fan of Lizzy Caplan -- from CBS' underrated and prematurely cancelled comedy The Class and most recently from HBO's True Blood -- since her days on Freaks and Geeks.  Ken Marino, from MTV's comedy troupe The State and most recently as a gay demon on the CW's Reaper, worked with Thomas on Veronica Mars.  Thomas has known Adam Scott -- most recently seen on HBO's Tell Me You Love Me -- since their days both living in Texas.  And most impressively, also after having worked with her on Mars, the creator has secured the services of the amazing, Out actress Jane Lynch, a legend from, among other films, The L Word and the Christopher Guest-directed comedies like Best In Show.

Party Down premieres

Friday, March 20, 2009

10:30 Eastern