NYTVF: Photos of the Kidnapped premiere and party

Folks, I never got into this job to be a red carpet/party reporter. I'm not good in noisy crowds of people I don't know, and I'm especially not good at fighting other people to be heard in a group. But when I found myself on the press side of the red carpet for the premiere of NBC's Kidnapped last night, I tried to do my best.

The red carpet consists of whatever stars are coming to the premiere slowly walking down a procession of press people: first they pose for photographers, then they talk to television and other video outlets, then they answer questions from lowly print outlets like us. I decided to hang out at the end of the line and catch what I could, since I'd also be going to the screening and the afterparty (which also doubled as the NYTVF launch party). And since I was on the Kidnapped set a few weeks ago (that post is in the works), there wasn't much more to ask the principals that I hadn't already. But it was still an interesting evening. After the jump, a few pictures of my night.

Here's where I asked the PR folks to have me stand, right before people walked in. We moved up when a bunch of print outlets bailed on the red carpet portion (suckers).


Mykelti Williamson, who plays Virgil on the show, was one of the few people I didn't talk to on the set visit. When I asked him what show he doesn't miss, he answered, "Grey's Anatomy. I think it's a very smart show. Even if the actors are on the screen for a moment, it's a consistent blue line of truth that they play." He TiVos it and watches the entire season when he gets back to California.


Here's Delroy Lindo, who plays Special Agent Lattimer King. The questions I asked him had more to do with something that occurred at the set visit, so I won't replay any of it here. I did encounter him in the bathroom after the screening, though; apparently, he's a stall man, as he was waiting for an open one even though all the urnials were free (how do I know what he was there to do? Because he told me: "Man, I've really got to pee.").


Milena Govich plays the new detective on Law & Order. Apparently, she's a 24 fan, as that's the show she told me she never misses. She even did the routine where she stayed up late to catch up on the first couple of seasons on DVD.


I overheard Creator/Executive Producer/Writer Jason Smilovic say that he was inspired to write Kidnapped by Akira Kurosawa's movie High and Low, where a kidnapping brings all of these different characters together. When I saw him at the afterparty, I asked him if he had the entire first season laid out already; he nodded and said, that in this case, "you need to write the ending before the beginning."


When I asked Timothy Hutton, who plays Conrad Cain, if they get excited to read the new script for the serialized show every week, he said "Every time we all get the scripts, you can hear the sound of people's dressing room doors closing and people reading the scripts. Everyone comes out with these sort of twisted smiles on their faces because it's so great, so unexpected, what's in the story." This was after he introduced me and another reporter to his wife and sister, who were standing behind us.


Jeremy Sisto, who plays private investigator Knapp, had to dash inside before I could ask him a question, and he left soon after the screening ended. No worries; I saw him on the set in August. Also liked the fact that he had the conviction to wear a suit with a pair of Chuck Taylors. I almost did that, but chickened out and put on a pair of shoes instead.


While it never hurts to put up another picture of Govich, I put it up to point out who's to her left: Michael Mosley, who plays Special Agent Atkins, a young agent that Lattimer King takes under his wing. He couldn't have been nicer each time I encountered him, even though I told him didn't remember him from the pilot when I saw him on the red carpet, then was sticking my foot in my mouth with him when I saw him at the party ("It's a nice little role," I told him. Could I be any more condescending?).


Dana Delany (she plays Ellie Cain) bypassed the end of the line, but I made sure I caught up to her at the party, where...


...I complimented her on her glasses (what can I say? I have a thing for spectacles).


Hutton and a friend/co-worker/agent/whomever at the party. Tried not to bother him. Hey, he's an Oscar winner!


Finally, a shot of the party. Considering I didn't know anyone there, and the celebrity factor was basically limited to the show's stars and a few others, there weren't many people there for me to talk to. So I circled around a few times, managed to get a couple of beers (Absolut sponsored the party, and a number of mixed vodka drinks were going around... I stuck with the Grolsch) and a bottle of water that looked like a flask, and took off. But it looked fun, if you're into that kind of thing. I guess I'll see if the next one, which will be for the premiere of The Knights of Prosperity on Thursday, will be better or just different. At least I'll get to compare beer guts with Donal Logue.