2018 PaleyFest LA Initial Talent Announced: Barbra Streisand, Allison Janney, Seth MacFarlane and More!

The Paley Center for Media today announced the initial group of talent who will be participating in its 35th annual PaleyFest LA, Hollywood's ultimate TV fan festival, March 16-25, at the DOLBY Theatre in Hollywood. PaleyFest LA 2018 gives fans access to special screenings, exclusive conversations, and behind-the-scenes scoops and breaking news from the stars and creative minds behind their favorite shows.

"This year's PaleyFest has quickly become the most anticipated, can't-miss event of the spring and is guaranteed to be filled with once-in-a-lifetime moments that fans will be talking about for years to come," said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center's President & CEO. "We are especially privileged to have the one-and-only, phenomenal Barbra Streisand joining us on Opening Night where she will be honored - for the first-time ever - for her television work on the PaleyFest stage."

In addition to the festive opening night with Ms. Streisand, this year's PaleyFest will feature a lineup of today's most critically acclaimed and hottest shows including: The Orville, Will & Grace, The Handmaid's Tale, Silicon Valley, Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, The Good Doctor, Mom, Queen Sugar, Riverdale, and Stranger Things. The grand finale closing night PaleyFest participants and other surprise celebrity guests will be revealed in the second talent announcement on February 20.

It's not just television fans who are inspired by PaleyFest, it's also the brilliant minds behind the shows featured. Over the Festival's thirty-five year history some of the most creative writers and producers have graced the PaleyFest stage, and the tradition continues this year when PaleyFest welcomes the teams behind today's hottest shows including freshman standouts Queen Sugar, The Good Doctor, and Riverdale.

"We're honored that Queen Sugar has been invited to PaleyFest LA as part of a robust array of creativity this year," said Ava DuVernay, creator and executive producer, Queen Sugar. "This is a vibrant space to share our passion for story with those who make it all possible - the fans."

"I have such fond memories of attending PaleyFest. It was there where I saw a line of fans stretching around the block to attend the panel for Lost and I realized for the first time that our show had become a hit. It's an honor to be asked to return, this time as an executive producer for another show I'm so proud to be a part of. Thanks so much to the Paley Center for honoring The Good Doctor as part of this year's celebration," said Daniel Dae Kim, Executive Producer, The Good Doctor.

"I have been to PaleyFest as a fan to celebrate shows I've been obsessed with many, many times over the years. Getting to hear from the creators and actors involved with those shows is always a thrill," says showrunner and executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, "Riverdale is the show it is because of our fans' passion, and I consider it the greatest honor that Riverdale has been invited to participate in this year's fest."

JetBlue has joined as the Official Airline of PaleyFest LA through 2019. "JetBlue is thrilled to become a new partner of The Paley Center for Media, and we are proud to celebrate the cultural significance of media with our two-year support for PaleyFest LA," said Jace Hieda, West/Central Regional Marketing Manager for JetBlue. "The Paley Center has curated a unique and personal lineup of events, and JetBlue shares that same fresh viewpoint to create unique travel experiences for our customers."

The Festival benefits the Paley Center's preservation and archival digitization efforts, and its ongoing mission to explore the importance and impact of media on society. The Paley Center is home to the nation's foremost publicly accessible archives of television and radio content, over 160,000 programs spanning the history of media including the recently launched African-American, Hispanic, LGBT, and Women's collections.

To honor thirty-five years of PaleyFest, the Paley Center is asking fans to join in the celebration by sharing their favorite festival moments and personal stories on the Paley Center's social media pages. Fans can tag the Paley Center on Twitter and/or Instagram using @paleycenter and the hashtag #PaleyFestStory, or post their story to Facebook using the hashtag #PaleyFestStory.

Citi returns as the Official Card of PaleyFest, offering special ticket access to cardholders with a Citibank® debit card or Citi® credit card atcitiprivatepass.com/PaleyFestLA2018.

The initial PaleyFest LA 2018 talent lineup includes:

Friday, March 16: Opening Night Presentation: PaleyFest Icon: An Evening with Barbra Streisand (7:30 pm):

Barbra Streisand

Saturday, March 17: FOX's The Orville (2:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Seth MacFarlane, Creator & Executive Producer; "Ed Mercer"

Adrianne Palicki, "Kelly Grayson"

Scott Grimes, "Gordon Malloy"

Penny Johnson Jerald, "Dr. Claire Finn"

Halston Sage, "Alara Kitan"

Peter Macon, "Bortus"

J. Lee, "John LaMarr"

Mark Jackson, "Isaac"

Chad L. Coleman, "Klyden"

David A. Goodman, Executive Producer

Jason Clark, Executive Producer

Saturday, March 17: NBC's Will & Grace (7:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Eric McCormack, "Will Truman"

Debra Messing, "Grace Adler"

Sean Hayes, "Jack McFarland"

Megan Mullally, "Karen Walker "

David Kohan, Creator & Executive Producer

Max Mutchnick, Creator & Executive Producer

Sunday, March 18: Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale (2:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Elisabeth Moss, "Offred"

Joseph Fiennes, "Commander Waterford"

Yvonne Strahovski, "Serena Joy"

Samira Wiley, "Moira"

Alexis Bledel, "Ofglen"

Max Minghella, "Nick"

Madeline Brewer, "Janine"

Ann Dowd, "Aunt Lydia"

O-T Fagbenle, "Luke"

Amanda Brugel, "Rita"

Bruce Miller, Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer

Warren Littlefield, Executive Producer

Sunday, March 18: HBO's Silicon Valley (7:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Thomas Middleditch, "Richard"

Kumail Nanjiani, "Dinesh"

Martin Starr, "Gilfoyle"

Zach Woods, "Jared"

Amanda Crew, "Monica"

Mike Judge, Co-Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer

Alec Berg, Showrunner, Executive Producer

Tuesday, March 20: CW's Supernatural (6:45 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Jared Padalecki, "Sam Winchester"

Jensen Ackles, "Dean Winchester"

Misha Collins, "Castiel"

Mark Pellegrino, "Lucifer"

Alexander Calvert, "Jack"

Robert Singer, Executive Producer

Andrew Dabb, Executive Producer

Eugenie Ross-Leming, Executive Producer

Brad Buckner, Executive Producer

Wednesday, March 21: CBS's The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon (7:30 pm)

Scheduled to appear:

The Big Bang Theory

Johnny Galecki, "Leonard Hofstadter"

Jim Parsons, "Sheldon Cooper"

Kaley Cuoco, "Penny"

Simon Helberg, "Howard Wolowitz"

Kunal Nayyar, "Rajesh Koothrappali"

Mayim Bialik, "Amy Farrah Fowler"

Melissa Rauch, "Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz"

Chuck Lorre, Executive Producer

Steven Molaro, Executive Producer

Steve Holland, Executive Producer

Bill Prady, Executive Producer

Young Sheldon

Iain Armitage, "Sheldon"

Zoe Perry, "Mary"

Lance Barber, "George Sr."

Annie Potts, "Meemaw"

Montana Jordan, "Georgie"

Raegan Revord, "Missy"

Chuck Lorre, Executive Producer

Steven Molaro, Executive Producer

Jim Parsons, Executive Producer

Thursday, March 22: ABC's The Good Doctor (7:30 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Freddie Highmore, "Dr. Shaun Murphy"

Nicholas Gonzalez, "Dr. Neil Melendez"

Hill Harper, "Dr. Marcus Andrews"

Richard Schiff, "Dr. Aaron Glassman"

Tamlyn Tomita, "Allegra Aoki"

David Shore, Executive Producer

Daniel Dae Kim, Executive Producer

Plus additional guests to be announced

Saturday, March 24: CBS's Mom (2:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear:

Anna Faris, "Christy"

Allison Janney, "Bonnie"

Jaime Pressly, "Jill"

Mimi Kennedy, "Marjorie"

Beth Hall, "Wendy"

Saturday, March 24: OWN's Queen Sugar (7:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear

Rutina Wesley, "Nova Bordelon"

Dawn-Lyen Gardner, "Charley Bordelon West"

Kofi Siriboe, "Ralph Angel Bordelon"

Ava DuVernay, Creator and Executive Producer

Kat Candler, Executive Producer

Plus additional guests to be announced

Sunday, March 25: CW's Riverdale (2:00 pm):

Scheduled to appear

KJ Apa, "Archie Andrews"

Lili Reinhart, "Betty Cooper"

Camila Mendes, "Veronica Lodge"

Cole Sprouse, "Jughead Jones"

Madelaine Petsch, "Cheryl Blossom"

Marisol Nichols, "Hermione Lodge"

M?dchen Amick, "Alice Cooper"

Luke Perry, "Fred Andrews"

Ashleigh Murray, "Josie McCoy"

Casey Cott, "Kevin Keller"

Skeet Ulrich, "FP Jones"

Greg Berlanti, Executive Producer

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Executive Producer

Sarah Schechter, Executive Producer

Jon Goldwater, Executive Producer

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