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."

It was great to see Marcy Carsey bright and early this morning at the Oxygen Mentors Walk along the Santa Monica shore. She's a television hero, in my book, having done it (mostly) her way in the biz for so many years as one-half of the wildly successful Carsey-Werner Co.

Carsey looked like her respite of the past two years from the day-to-day agita of running an indie TV production company (purveyor of "The Cosby Show," "Roseanne," "3rd Rock from the Sun," "That '70s Show," among others) was agreeing with her. And judging by the line of greeters that wanted to shake her hand, her legacy is not lost on the younger gen.

Carsey ended her active production endeavors with Tom Werner in late 2005 but remains a partner in Geraldine Laybourne's Oxygen Media. And as Laybourne told the mentors and mentees who gathered for breakfast at the Casa del Mar hotel, it was Carsey who helped inspire the Mentors Walk concept that Oxygen has done in several cities (New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C.) for the past three years.

(Pictured left: Geraldine Laybourne and Marcy Carsey. Pic by Michael Bezjian/WireImage)