TVSquad

After 15 consecutive days of Mohammed (TV shows) coming to the mountain (the Beverly Hilton hotel), today the mountain (actually, the TCA membership) went to Mohammed. Two bus loads of TV critics boarded vehicles to hit five sound stages and the offices of TMZ.com.

First up was The Closer at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. Kyra Sedgwick and other cast members of the TNT drama mixed and mingled on the show's squad room set. Most reporters hovered around Sedgwick to inquire about her Emmy nomination for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, the show's new season and husband Kevin Bacon.

As soon as Bacon's name is mentioned, I spy two of Kyra's publicists exchange a heads' up glance. Ut oh. In general, personal pubs prefer to keep personal questions to a minimum.

And by minimum, I mean zero.

Proceed carefully, I'm thinking. Fortunately, questions about the "S.S. Bacon," as Kevin endearingly referred to himself on Will & Grace, are limited to his having directed espisodes of The Closer. Whew!

A lack of sleep has me in a playful mood today. I can't help but ask Kyra if her Brenda Leigh character could "crack a reporter?"

"Oh, yeah," she says with a smile. "Definitely...they're easy because, ultimately, they never get to talk about themselves and I'm sure they'd really love to."

She's right. We don't get to talk about ourselves. But we do get to blog.

Nice swag on the way out: a t-shirt, water bottle and cap all with The Closer on them.

Then it's off to Sunset Gower Studios up the street for a visit to Heroes. The p.r. department from NBC/Universal have laid out a plan that will break the journalists into smaller groups so they can get tours of different departments and a look at the new Bennet house by Jack Coleman. Then, we reconvene for a press conference.

Alas, the one thing that hasn't been slated for is more time. A publicist attempts to wrap up the Q&A panel so that reporters can try to get one on ones with cast members before we leave. It's met with cries of protest as the session has a nice flow to it.

Enter a quick-thinking Curt King, NBC/Universal's top PR guy, who asks if reporters would give up follow up time in order to keep the press conference going. Yes, we say. The panel continues.

Save a press conference. Save the world.

Asked about the surprise Emmy nom for Best Drama, Hayden Panettiere quips, "It's the best show on TV! What are you talking about?"

Next up, we visit the offices of TMZ.com. The entertainment news site currently bringing the latest on Lindsay Lohan's arrest is getting its own syndicated series this fall.

How does TMZ manage to cover breaking celebrity news 24/7?

"We don't sleep," quips Harvey Levin, TMZ.com's managing editor.

Not every story gets covered, he says, adding he thought it was just too personal to put David Hasselhoff's drunken video made by his daughter on the 'net.

After a quick but tasty lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen, we re-board the buses again to head over the hill to Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank for visits to Two and a Half Men and Cold Case.

The sitcom's cast and producers do a Q&A panel and chat about their Emmy noms first. Jon Cryer clears the air that that photo of him pumping his fist with joy was over co-star Charlie Sheen's nod -- not his own.

"We made a deal that if either of us wins, we'll mud wrestle the other," quips Holland Taylor, who like co-star Conchata Ferrell is nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

A reporter asks creator/executive producer Chuck Lorre if there's any end in sight to the show? "Can I ask the president of Warner Bros. to leave the stage?" quipped Lorre. "[No,] the series is alive and well."

Another journalist asks, as cast member Angus T. Jones, continues to grow, might the show have to be renamed "Three Men?"

I feel my colleague has given me a great set up, so I take the microphone and ask, "Has it ever been established that Angus is the 'half'?"

I score with a round of laughter. Ut oh. Charlie's looking at me from the stage with a "did he really just ask that" look.

"Don't try this at home," a stern Loree said at my comment.

"Yeah...but everyone laughed," I countered before giving up the microphone.

Later, Lorre tells me my joke was funny. I refrain from saying, "You should see me at the writers' table."

Sheen's asked if he misses his bad boy tabloid days now that the press is focused on others like Lohan. "Several people have snatched that torch from me," Sheen says. "I just had to stay home and let it happen."

Next, it's Cold Case where co-star Daniel Pino and I bond over the lack of sleep we're each getting. I'm covering TCA; Pino and his wife are up late with newborn son Julian.

Series star Kathryn Morris says she cried for about "four minutes" when MADtv spoofed her and her luxurious hair in a sketch a while back. Then she realized it was pretty cool to be spoofed on TV when you're only in your first season.

More swag on the way out: a Two and a Half Men beach bag and blanket. A flash drive to something is in there, too.

A short drive up to Disney brings us to the air-conditioned stage of Brothers & Sisters, last season's comeback kid. The show went through creative changes early on but is now a favorite among viewers and many critics.

Executive producer/writer Greg Berlanti says he'd never wish another show to fail but he's leaving the door open for Eric Winter's character in case Viva Laughlin doesn't keep him tied up for the next seven years.

By coincidence, Eric's on stage today filming his one episode before going back to Laughlin.

Executive producer/director Ken Olin gives a short speech, then we break up into smaller groups to ask cast members about season two.

Patricia Wettig confirms she's done with Prison Break. I hear there's wedding buzz in the air. Will it be Calista Flockhart's and Rob Lowe's? Stay tuned.

After a tour of Nora's kitchen, we all board the buses and head back to the Hilton.

On Wednesday: day one of ABC.