Saturday, July 24

11:15 a.m: The Event World-Premiere Pilot Screening –  The new NBC conspiracy thriller has already garnered a bunch of critical buzz and features cast members Jason Ritter, Blair Underwood, Laura Innes, and more, all of whom will be on hand to answer your burning questions about the on-screen mysteries.

3:15 p.m.:  No Ordinary Family Exclusive Premiere — The ABC drama about a middle-class family that gains superpowers will also premiere Saturday.  Michael Chiklis heads over from the “TV Guide” panel on Friday ad is joined by co-star Julie Benz as well as the show’s producers for a Q&A.  The schedule promises everyone in the audience will leave with a surprise gift.

Sunday, July 25

11:15 a.m.:  Supernatural Screening and Q&A – Series stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki return for the first time since 2008.  Make sure to pick up the commemorative tote bag featuring the boys at WB’s booth, and make sure you’re here for a sneak preview of season 6 as well as footage of the show’s popular gag reel.  Misha Collins and Jim Beaver will also be on hand to answer fans’ questions.

1:30 p.m.:  Glee: In preparation for the show’s second season, the Glee booth returns with a number of actors as well as executive producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.  There’s no word yet as to whether any songs are planned, but it seems like it would be the perfect way to reward its millions of faithful viewers.

Thursday, July 22

3:30 P.M. – J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon:  Both pop culture heroes will be on hand to discuss—pretty much anything they want.  J.J. Abrams’s hit Fringe will undoubtedly be on the table, along with upcoming spy show Undercovers and the mysterious Super 8.  Joss Whedon doesn’t have much announced currently aside from the upcoming Avengers and Cabin in the Woods films, but that could change here.

4:45 P.M. – Anti-Heroes of Showtime:  Both cast and crew of the shows Dexter, Californication, and Weeds will be appearing in Ballroom 20 to dish on upcoming seasons.  The stars of all these shows have made bank off of being bad, so don’t be afraid to indulge your guilty pleasures at this showcase.

Friday, July 23

12:45 P.M. – The Big Bang Theory: On a lighter note, all five stars of the comedy show’s marvelous ensemble will be in attendance at this Q&A and private screening.  The moderator is sci-fi star Wil Wheaton, who appeared in the show as an antagonist to the prickly but lovable Sheldon Cooper.  This showcase is always popular, so make sure to get there early.

4 P.M. – A New Generation of Heroines:  Embrace your feminine side at this panel, where film and television heroines including Jena Malone (Sucker Punch), Anna Torv (Fringe), and Ellen Wong and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) discuss their respective roles as well as what it takes to be a woman in the modern entertainment world.

5:15 P.M. – True Blood: If you’re a fan, you’re here already.  If not, this Q&A with the cast, crew, and author Charlaine Harris (who wrote the novels on which the show are based) will undoubtedly win you over with its sultry Southern charm.

6:30 P.M. – TV Guide Magazine 2010 Hot List: Actors and producers from shows like V., Flash Forward, No Ordinary Family, and The Cape will be on hand to discuss what’s next for fantasy and sci-fi fans in the coming season.

• Smallville:  Starring Tom Welling as a teenaged Clark Kent, this series won over fans of all ages who enjoyed its blend of high school and comic book archetypes.  The 9^th season took a darker turn as Clark embraced his alien heritage at the expense of his human relationships.  In the new season, fans can expect to see Clark’s path to the role of Superman reach its end, and possibly appearances by cast members who have left the series.
• Rescue Me:  This drama based on a band of New York City firefighters revitalized the career of Denis Leary and took a hard look at life in the Big Apple after the events of September 11.  Due to FX’s shorter seasons, the show still has two seasons left, with its 6^th premiering on June 29, 2010.  The final episode will air on September 11, 2011.
• The Oprah Winfrey Show:  Perhaps the most beloved talk-show of all time, The Oprah Winfrey Show will be ending on September 9, 2011.  Fans can expect more of the show’s characteristic openness and surprising events—such as Tom Cruise’s leap onto the couch in 2005.  There will also likely be plenty of anniversary and finale celebrations to send this iconic show with the fanfare it deserves.

• Gary Sinise:  Starting out in a series of television movies, Sinise’s first big break came as Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump.  This launched him into big-name films like Apollo 13 and The Green Mile.  However, his most stable role has been as Det. Mac Taylor on CSI: NY, whom he’s played since 2004.
• Martin Sheen:  Sheen garnered critical acclaim for performances in Apocalypse Now, Gettysburg, and Wall Street, among others.  He brought his strong work ethic to TV on The West Wing, where he played Pres. Josiah Bartlet for seven seasons.
• Charlie Sheen:  Like father, like son?  Not quite.  The younger Sheen generally appeared in more comedic films like Major League and Hot Shots before falling prey to a series of personal crises.  He later brought that bad boy image to the bank as the thinly-veiled Charlie Harper on the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men.
• Kiefer Sutherland:  After an early career in films like The Lost Boys, Young Guns, and Flatliners, Sutherland’s film career was steady but unimpressive.  In 2001, however, he found the role he was born to play: Jack Bauer on the Fox action-drama 24.  His gruff but sensitive demeanor has won fans for the show all over the world, with the series’ final episode reaching 9.3 million viewers.

Benz was born to a Pittsburgh surgeon and figure ice skater in 1972.  Benz herself competed in the junior ice dancing U.S. Championship in 1988 and came in 13^th.  However, a stress fracture led to the end of her skating career, and the beginning of her acting.  At the age of 18, she was cast in a small part in the horror double feature Two Evil Eyes (1990).

This launched a series of guest roles in shows like Married with Children, Step by Step, and Boy Meets World.  She auditioned for the role of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1996, but lost to Sarah Michelle Gellar.  However, Benz had too much talent to be relegated to the wayside.  After taking the small role of Darla in the pilot, the character was expanded and made an integral part of the series’ story.

Benz has starred in a number of films since, both well-known and independent.  Some of her more notable film roles include a vacuous high school vixen in Jawbreaker (1999) and Katherine in the Swedish film Kill Your Darlings (2006).  However, her second great success came with her casting as the girlfriend of a serial killer in the hit Showtime show Dexter.  At the end of the fourth season, her character was apparently killed off, but she has confirmed her return for the 5^th season premiere.

Julie could have another hit on her hands with the new show No Ordinary Family, in which she plays Stephanie Powell, the matriarch of a family granted extraordinary powers in a plane crash.  The series premieres  on ABC on September 28.