Inside Critics’ Choice TV Awards: 11 Things You Didn’t See on TV

From Taraji P. Henson and Queen Latifah to Carlton Cuse and Chuck Lorre, the star power at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday night is more “January awards season” than June gloom

Team "Empire" with Queen Latifah, the "Veep" suite, and Louis XIII Genius Seth MacFarlane with Charlize Theron at the Critics Choice TV Awards on Sunday night, May 31. (Getty Images)

TheWrap’s Party Report was on the scene Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton for the Critics’ Choice TV Awards which aired live on A&E. Here’s what you didn’t see on the broadcast:

4:32 p.m.
“Silicon Valley” star Thomas Middleditch is amongst the early birds hanging by the bar that will close before the telecast begins. Middleditch and his cast have been aggressively campaigning this season.

4:34 p.m.
Bob Odenkirk and Julia Louis-Dreyfus get the most stage accessible seats at tables in the front row.

4:55 p.m.
Top-tier scripted showrunners Carlton Cuse and Chuck Lorre stroll in together. Nearby, Lorre’s “Big Bang Theory” actor Johnny Galecki and his guest are sucking on e-cigs inside the ballroom.

Showrunners with money to burn: Carlton Cuse (
Showrunners with money to burn: Carlton Cuse (“Bates Motel”, “Lost”) and Chuck Lorre (“Big Bang Theory”, “Two and a Half Men”, TV Academy Hall of Famer) (Mikey Glazer)

5:05 p.m.
Critics have been to enough of these to know that nobody eats. Producers wisely spent no money on food.  There are a few chocolate covered strawberries and finger sandwiches on family style plates on each table, and that’s it. Fiji water is a sponsor, so at least there is plenty of that.

5:18 p.m.
Alison Janney’s win for Comedy Actress is spoiled in the teleprompter before the nominees video package plays.  It happened because James Corden skipped his scripted banter while introducing the category, and the technician accidentally scrolled too far when trying to catch up on the prompter.

5:40 p.m.
Solving the “No food” issue: Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Aisha Tyler and the “Archer” table order 2 pizzas from the hotel. They are due compliments for keeping it real.

6:15 p.m.
Seconds before “Bessie” won, Queen Latifah came scurrying back to her prominent seat with a talent escort. She made it in time to look like she had been there the whole time.

6:38 p.m.
“Empire” producer Brian Grazer brings over friends to meet Taraji P. Henson and Lee Daniels, who are having a blast at Table 106. As Queen Latifah passed by, Henson’s publicist yelled “Dana” to pull her in to a big group photo.

6:58 p.m.
Woah. The telecast finished 2 minutes early — a rarity.

7:36 p.m.
As the after party continues, victorious Lorraine Toussaint (“Orange is the New Black”) tells her entourage that she’s schmoozed enough. She scrolls through messages on her phone while waiting at valet. “Margo Martindale!” she shouts out upon seeing a message from her co-star in an upcoming drama feature, due out next year.

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