Nothing says TCA like stars in awkward situations. (See pic at left of "House" star Hugh Laurie in a bumper car at Fox's TCA party on the Santa Monica pier last summer.)

Yep, the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour is upon us, starting Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The January TCA gathering was scuttled by the writers strike, so undoubtedly there will be pent-up excitement (agitation? irritation? ultra-obnoxious lines of questioning?) than usual among the scribes, execs and stars who make TCA go 'round.

As we did last year, On the Air will offer team coverage of this fortnight of frothing about shows to come and the strike-interrupted season that just was, and any other issues that crop up between Tuesday and July 22. Variety's Stuart Levine plans to park himself at the BevHilton for the duration, while our TV leader, Michael Schneider, reporter Daniel Frankel and myself will also be availing ourselves of the hotel's free Wi-Fi to cover the events...and drink. I'm guessing it's a safe bet that the tradition of TCA bingo (in which attendees track the over-use of buzz words by panelists) will include the phrase "writers strike" this year.

It all starts Tuesday with a heavy rotation of cable presentations, including Hallmark Channel, HD Net, BBC America and E! nets.

Wednesday's lineup includes: AMC and WE; MTV Networks; A&E Networks

Thursday: Discovery Networks; ESPN; Sundance Channel; HBO

Friday: Turner Broadcasting; Fox Reality Channel; Starz; Lifetime

Saturday-Sunday: PBS -- whose talent roster includes none other than Sir George Martin, plugging his series "On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives."

POSTED BY MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

Now that headline-grabbing celebutant Paris Hilton has spent 23 days doing "The Hard Life," viewers apparently have been less interested in watching her navigate "The Simple Life."

Ratings are down for the reality staple, which returned for a fifth season (its second on E!, after a three-year journey on Fox) at the end of May. That came as a surprise to E!, which at first glance thought Hilton's legal problems -- coming right as "The Simple Life" returned -- might bolster interest in the show.

And even without Paris' Big Lynwood Adventure, E! expected that viewers would be interested in gawking at the reunion of Hilton and former B.F.F. Nicole Richie. The two party girls once again appear together in the show's new edition, "The Simple Life Goes to Camp," in which they work as counselors at a summer camp. (Season four was shot with the two separately prepping for marriage, after they stopped being B.F.F. amid a bitter feud.)

Now, E! execs believe Paris' jail stint actually hurt the show. The saga of Paris' jail time (featuring Sheriff Lee Baca in a co-starring role!) play out 24/7 on every channel for much of the summer -- giving auds a much more up-to-date and "real" take on Hilton than the pre-shot and semi-scripted "The Simple Life" could. Paris fatigue could also be setting in, they say.

Nonetheless, "The Simple Life" still performs decently enough for the cabler, and season six is still a very real possibility -- but no, even though the idea was (humorously) floated, it won't take place in an abandoned jail.

-- Michael Schneider