After the TV industry unveils its new-season schedules and series to advertisers in New York each May, it takes the show on the road to a swanky Southern California hotel ballroom to coax attention from television-centric news reporters and critics.
The annual summer meeting of the Television Critics Association, with series screenings and more than 100 Q&A sessions held over the past two weeks with platoons of stars, producers and executives, is akin to a crash course in upcoming small screen fare.
“There is no end to this,” rapper, actor and ‘Power’ executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson said when asked what he wants to accomplish next.
That inspired one reporter to label him this generation’s Quincy Jones, the legendary musician and producer.
Jackson promptly stepped away from his fellow panellists and made a beeline toward the journalist.
“That is a really big compliment. Take a picture of me and her,” a delighted Jackson commanded a photographer. “I’ve heard a lot of things about myself. I’ve never heard ‘the new Quincy Jones.’ That was a good one.”
Courtney Kemp, ‘Power’ creator and executive producer, couldn’t resist teasing Jackson.
“That’s great. We’ll see how Quincy Jones feels about it,” she said, smiling.
