Here it is. The grand finale of the New York Television Festival. The premiere of Fox’s hostage negotiator show Standoff will be screened in a few minutes, and I’m downstairs within striking distance of Ron Livingston when I begin to envision my own hostage scenario. Do I go all out (or balls out, as it were) and make a grab for Livingston’s goods? Would he talk me down, or would a mini-army of SWAT teamers and PR flacks jump me? I’ll leave the possibilities open and let you all draw up your own crisis management plans.

As the big-bang ending of the festival, the Standoff screening was a little weak. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot worse ways to spend a night than starring into my new boyfriend Ron’s puppy-dog eyes, but of all the shows that premiered at the Festival (see Knight Riders and Take it Like a Man ), why did the planners choose to end it all with a show that has been on the air for two weeks already?

Strategies and schedules aside, Standoff should be a solid series all around. Though none of its actors have dipped their toes into the Oscar pool like those in Kidnapped, the writing and performances in the pilot were excellent. Falling in the middle of a serialized show (24) and a procedural (SVU), Standoff seamlessly moves from comedy to drama and back in the same manner that daily life oscillates between humor and tragedy. For fans of the rom-com, the chemistry between Livingston and up-and-comer Rosemarie DeWitt, who plays his FBI partner and girlfriend-on-the-DL, simmers to a boil about halfway through the first episode and stays hot until they exchange a knowing “we’re in this together” stare at the end of the hour.

After the screening, Livingston, DeWitt and creator/writer Craig Silverstein joined in a talkback moderated by adorably Converse-clad Seinfeld writing alum Spike Feresten (of “Soup Nazi” episode fame). Among the notable highlights, Silverstein admitted that he came up with the concept at a coffee shop just hours before pitching it to Fox and, apropos of that, just e-mailed off the show’s eighth episode five minutes before heading to the screening. Prior to giving a shout-out to Office Space, Livingston spoke charmingly about his Sex and the City days, joking, “I loved this city… at least until the Post-It happened, and then everyone here hated me.” I think I can safely speak for the ladies in NY when I say, “We heart you, Ron Livingston.” You’re welcome back any time. Just give us time to hide the Post-Its first.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 18th, 2006 at 11:38 am and is filed under Events, Celebrities, Glamour, New York City, Red Carpet, TV. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.