Hey, Lena Dunham, would you mind moving over just a scooch? Yeah, that's fine, right there. Thanks.
Mindy's meeting us. I know, right? LOVE her.

In recent months, most industry fervor about a young. female writer has been centered on Lena Dunham and her smash HBO hit "Girls." I'd have to agree with Lena lovers, as her character Hannah Horvath delivers some of the best observations about life as a twenty-something I've ever heard. Most memorably, in trying to persuade her parents that she could have a career as a writer, Hannah said, "I think that I may be the voice of my generation...or at least a voice...of a generation."

Here's what's up, though: Dunham isn't the only game in town. Mindy Kaling's been here all along, and if we're in the habit of naming preeminent voices of our generation, she is decidedly among them.

Promoting herself from Kelly Kapoor on "The Office" to Dr. Mindy Lahiri on her self-titled series "The Mindy Project," Mindy is a girl's girl (and coincidentally a "Girls" girl - see Twitter) if there ever was one. Lahiri is the star of her own Carrie Bradshaw-esque monologue, which is often said aloud, and often with charming disregard for the reality that surrounds her. In her romantic comedy of life, she's Meg Ryan...if Meg Ryan had a penchant for narrating her every thought and motivation. Well, you know, except for that time she ate at a diner. But I digress.

The 30th Annual PaleyFest aimed its spotlight on the recently renewed "The Mindy Project" and welcomed the cast and writers to dish on their new hit show, the cast's favorite rom-coms, and why Mindy, in all her forms, resonates so well with her audience.

On Dunder Mifflin:

*"Leaving 'The Office' was so hard," says Mindy and understandably so, after devoting eight years to the series.

*You WILL see Mindy reprise her role as Kelly on the series finale (airing Thurs. May 16), and she promises, "It's an amazing episode of television."

*Mindy says friend, former "Office" co-star, and current "Mindy Project" guest star BJ Novak is "a great friend to the show" and is Chris Messina's (Dr. Danny Castellano) favorite guest director.

*Mindy hilariously scolded Ed Weeks (Dr. Jeremy Reed) during the BJ Novak lovefest, asking, "Can we not refer to a group of episodes as 'The BJ Novak Episode?'" Ed countered, "The really good one, cause there was the guy from 'The Office' in it."

On Season 1 of "The Mindy Project":

*The series is set at an OBGYN practice because that was Mindy's mother's occupation. Also, Mindy noted, "It just seemed like a fun environment, and I get to interact a lot with women."

*Ike Barinholtz started out as a writer before taking the on-screen role of Morgan Tookers.

*The quirky (and catchy) theme song was composed by Jesse Novak, BJ's younger brother, and that's Mindy's voice you hear after some "hip-hop" embellishing!

*Wondering who says, "Go to bed!" during Mindy's production company credit? That'd be showrunner Matt Warburton!

*The show's aesthetic is noticeably bright and plucky, and character fashion, in particular, is a "really fun part of the job," says Mindy.

*Regarding Betsy (Zoe Jarman), Mindy says, "There's a naivete about her that is so funny and so appealing. I think that what's great about the character is that she just decided a long time ago that I was glamorous and great, and I think it's good for a lead to have someone who thinks that they're worth something." This analysis she compared to Dwight Schrute's affection for Michael Scott, despite Scott's multitude of character flaws and offenses. 

*Ed Weeks' favorite line so far is Mindy clarifying to Dr. Castellano, "Best friend isn't a person, Danny. It's a tier." It's our favorite, too, Ed!

On Upcoming Episodes:

*Caution: Laughter Ahead! Three "30 Rock" writers have recently joined the staff!

*The episode "Sante Fe" is Mindy's favorite script of the season and will feature Morgan and Jeremy in a sweat lodge together. Naturally.

*More sexiness! Chris and Mark Duplass (that dude you've seen pop up in everything this year) will wrestle each other on the beach, wearing a "speedo and one-piece swimsuit" (this?), respectively.

*Beth Grant has been promoted to series regular and says of cooky character Beverly, "I just learned that I've had several ex-boyfriends of many different religions, and I've been fantasizing about it." She added, "I'm always open to a younger man," and then things got even juicier, as she admits, "I do love it when Mindy hooks up. She is so sexy and so hot -  I am living my whole life through her vicariously. I can't get enough of it!"

*Surprisingly, Mindy said she had trouble being heard during her writing tenure at 'The Office':
"Stories that I could never push through [on 'The Office'], I can push through here. For a long time, I wanted to do an episode where Michael came in, threw his stuff at Pam like in The Devil Wears Prada. But now, I was like, 'Oh, I could just use it in my show.'" Stay tuned for a scene where Dr. Lahiri does just that - with Betsy as her target.

On Desired Guest Stars:

*Ike and Mindy divulged that they would've liked to had time this season to introduce Danny McBride as a guest star, playing Mindy's anti-stereotypical gay friend, not the "Sex and the City" sidekick type, who has a strong affection for Dr. Castellano.

*Chris (part of the Oscar-winning cast of Argo) wants Ben Affleck. Ike says, "I want to know that the cast of Argo watches our show!"

*Perhaps Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) will one day appear as Jeremy's dad? Mindy thinks it'd be hilarious.

*Another suggestion per Mindy: "I always thought it would be a great coup to have Rainn Wilson on the show as like someone dapper and sexy. I want to be responsible for that...in my career."

(More) Panel Hilarity:

*In an adorable moment, Zoe said her comedic influences "have been friends in my life. Most of these funny friends that I had were girls, women. [They] made me want to be funny."

*A little-known fact about Chris: "My mom was a dance teacher. I wanted to take karate. But I loved it, I wanted to be Baryshnikov for a while." To which Ike responded, "Nothing fends off bullies more than dancing."

*At one point, Ike stood up and exposed his character's "fresh ink," which encircles his navel and reads:
"No More Stealing Cars."

Mindy: "If your belly tattoo..if you can read it, you're in good shape."

Ike joked, "That's a real tattoo. That's how committed I am."

Will They or Won't They?:

*Chris wants to see a Danny and Mindy kiss!

*Ike says the writers' room is evenly divided over the decision to add romance to the relationship.

The Cast Picks Their Favorite Rom-Com:

Beth: Roman Holiday

Zoe: Sense and Sensibility

Ed: Hannah and Her Sisters

Chris: Manhattan - "Another drama!" laments a disapproving Mindy on the men's Woody Allen selections.

Ike: Saw II - which earned him a forearm pinch from Mindy until he corrected to: Love, Actually. Girl was not having anyone disrespect such an important life question. (I feel the same way.)

Mindy: You've Got Mail, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Much Ado About Nothing (the Kenneth Brannaugh version). She was quick to point out the coincidence that Chris acted in two of these favorite films. Aw!

*Author's note: I'm with Beth. It doesn't get better than Audrey Hepburn...or Gregory Peck, for that matter.

What Mindy's Co-Stars Have to Say About Their Boss:

Ike: "She makes me laugh more than anyone. She's just like this little hurricane. I call her 'Hurri-Kaling.' The minute she starts talking to you, you're interested, you're in, you wanna hear what she's gonna say. There's literally never a dull moment."

Chris: "She's tireless, and our writers, they're tireless. They're the reason why we're coming back next season. It's been beautiful to watch."

THIS IS WHY I (AND WE) LOVE HER. Nearly 45 minutes into the panel, Mindy put on her Voice of A Generation Hat (one of the many she wears, the cast agrees), and it was brilliant.

*An audience member asked Mindy to relay her "worst date" story:
"I didn't date much. I was a nerd who dated nerds. I don't have those kind of sexy stories." 

*Her advice for aspiring writers: "I never like partied or had boyfriends. I was just very focused. I've dated more people on this season of the show than I've even met men in real life. That was my lifestyle so that I could achieve...this. I was just really, really hardworking. I was very singular-minded." Now 33, the career-driven Mindy does want marriage and kids, too. She added, "Read and watch everything. I really have seen everything, and being really nerdy about that is helpful." 

*Mindy is the first woman of Indian descent to star in her own television series. On this subject, she said, "I love it, and it's daunting, and it's frightening. That's when I get really jealous of the Danny McBrides and Steve Carell's...they just get to play Michael Scott." (As opposed to also shouldering the burden of representing "white males" as a demographic.) "So when I play this character, I sometimes think that I'm speaking for all Indian American women. I try not to rely on it or deny the fact that I'm Indian."

*The good news: she's writing a NEW BOOK! (Her first, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" came out in 2012.) The bad news: It won't be on the market for another 1.5 - 2 years. Mindy said (of course) what we were all thinking: "That's depressing."

It's a sobering reflection that Kaling's attitudes and admissions feel "rare" and like "a breath of fresh air" in public personality world, because we don't witness many female celebrities who will admit to not always being so attractive throughout their life, not being ogled and sought after by every male passerby, not pretending to be Samantha Jones. Take note, ladies - those who do show up on the relatability spectrum, your audience tends to cherish even more.

For anyone hanging out without Mindy, add her to the email chain already. She's earned it, and I bet you she plays one kick ass game of "Celebrity." 

See all of the hysterical panel photos in the Gallery, and watch the entire PaleyFest panel here, sponsored by Hulu Plus. "The Mindy Project" airs Tuesdays at 9:30pm on FOX.

These wise Dickensian words resonated with hundreds of "Parenthood" fans last Thursday night (3/7) at PaleyFest, where we were given individual Kleenex packets labeled with the quote. In this case, PR nailed the meaning of "public relations" with the fitting wink to a show known and adoringly teased for its ability to elicit tears every.single.episode. Happy? Sad? Concerned? Comforted? Feeling a feeling? Yeah, you're crying. Don't even try to deny it. Just let "Parenthood" happen to you. It's undeniable, and we're not ashamed.

Tissues at the ready, we engrossed ourselves in an incredibly smart, moving, and entertaining panel discussion featuring most of the near twenty-member regular cast.

I am an obsessive TV watcher and a confessed hyperbolic superlative user (are there meetings for that?), but I happily go on record that "Parenthood" is the most excellent show currently on television. Considering my affection both for the show and talent, words can be hard to construct when all you find yourself using are a myriad of positive adjectives: awesome, amazing, incredible, wonderful, heart-warming, and other applicable Thesaurus entries.

Therefore, to prevent gushing, here are only some of my favorite observations of the night.

So This Happened:

It's necessary that I designate the first few mentions as a Monica Potter-only zone. She's just that fun.
Correction: *Future Emmy-Winner Monica Potter. (Crossing our fingers!) We couldn't imagine someone else portraying Kristina, am I right?

*Monica admitted to playing a drinking game while watching. Rule Numero Uno: You cry, you drown your sorrows. So "drinking game" / real life, whatever you call it, I want to be Monica's drinking buddy from now on.

*When she first sat down, she noticed two girls in the crowd who pulled a genius move and wore "I <3 Monica Potter" t-shirts. Her immediate reaction was to cry and freak out:

*After the panel, she told me her favorite and most fun experience of the year was her downright epic and hilarious "flash mob" bit with Anthony Anderson while presenting at this year's People's Choice Awards. Enjoy!

*Monica "Cooler than Harry" Potter was meeting-and-greeting fans long after the stage had been deserted - chatting, being present, relatable, generous, and all-around as wonderful as we could imagine. She's completely hysterical, as proven by these gems where she's seen modeling poses for fan photos:

*There was a small exchange between Jason Ritter (Mark) and Lauren Graham (Sarah) where they showed off their matching necklaces. When I met Lauren post-panel, she told me the necklaces are a champagne bucket charm from Tiffany & Co., which she originally gifted to "her kids" Mae Whitman (Amber) and Miles Heizer (Drew), and they all wore them for the panel. How sweet is that? Even though, Lauren says, the actual champagne icon has no meaning among them.

*Jason was cast in a new pilot as the love interest opposite Lauren's "Gilmore Girls" daughter, Alexis Bledel.  Asked her initial reaction to this news, Lauren cheekily replied, "They always trade you in for someone younger, don't they?" Let's just say both Lauren and Alexis are two very lucky and um...connected ladies.

*Erika, Lauren, and Mae became emotional throughout the evening, tearing-up hearing fan stories of personal struggle and discussing impactful scenes from the show. Craig T. Nelson (Zeek) brought up the memorable scene where he tells Amber post-car crash, "You do not have my permission to mess with my dreams."

*Max Burkholder (Max) is really funny! He didn't say much, but when he did, it often came in one-liner form. Similarly, Dax Shepard (Crosby) and Craig had their fun cracking everyone up.

*Jason prints his name instead of a signature on autographs. Could he be more adorable? Why yes, yes, he can. Here he is signing someone's tissue packet. Apropos, no?

I love this show. This show loves it's audience, and we all want a Season 5 more than ever. So "Parenthood" fans, go watch the full panel from the Paley Center's 30th Annual PaleyFest via premier sponsor Hulu Plus, and Go Team Braverman!

All of the beautiful Braverman photos in the PaleyFest gallery!

My dissenting bubble may have finally burst for NBC's consistent bubble show "Community," as I find myself perusing the Greendale course catalog for the first time since 2009...

On 3/5, the cast and creative team were celebrated for the fourth year in a row at the annual PaleyFest where some of the most devoted fans in television packed the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills to share their laughter and support.

I was there, but I can't count myself among the loyal on this one. When the show premiered, I watched a handful of episodes and could not get into it. Sitting in the audience, I felt a bit like I didn't belong, like I was a fraud among these intensely passionate 'shippers, and they'd smoke me out somehow. Now in its fourth season, "Community" is a show that I've been told eventually found its stride and is worth revisiting.

I took to PaleyFest to see what the fuss is about, and from the start, the night promised entertainment with one major format change. The cast, sans Donald Glover (Troy)/plus special guest Fred Williard (!),  performed a live table read of the Season 4 premiere episode (which aired on Feb. 7) in lieu of a pre-panel screening. This immediately struck me as exactly what these interactive programs should aspire to include. We're there to see our favorite casts and go "inside" our favorite shows, so what better way than to do just that and take viewers behind-the-scenes of the inner-workings to which we're rarely privy?

Maybe it's not a groundbreaking idea in the grand scheme of things, maybe it's been done before, but considering the (not-so-advanced) screenings tend to feel like more of a time-suck than a rewarding perk, I welcomed this breath of fresh air.

Here's what I observed - every member of this cast is equally and uniquely hilarious: improv-ing, impersonating, and one-lining their way through one hell of a good time. Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley) was even cracking herself up thinking of an unrelated, previously filmed scene - in particular, an amusing expression of Donald's. It's clear these people are more than fake classmates - they're friends, family, and overjoyed that they're doing this for a living.

Alison Brie (Annie) pretty much stole the panel, killing at impressions which she adopted throughout the night, including mimicking Jim Rash as Dean Pelton and pretending to be a chain-smoking cigarette girl out of the '20s complete with an Amelia Earhart-esque vocal affectation. Another big hit was a reenactment of (the seriously awesome) Joel McHale's and Jim's "tango" scene. See for yourself:

For a show that's been threatened with cancellation season-to-season, Yvette gracefully reminded everyone that no matter what, this show is an undeniable success story.

"We're in the gravy years of this show. It's not a bad thing. We made it four years, and we did it together, and that's a great thing," she said to much applause. 

Joel concurred, addressing the fans, "Without you guys, we wouldn't be here."

Consider this: As far as "college" shows go, "Felicity" only made it four years, and fans had to graduate right along with her. I mean, it's "Felicity" - a cornerstone of our generation! So given the fact that "Community" has earned the same number of DVD sets and may survive even longer, I'd say it can safely retire its underdog cape.

The only non-funny part of the evening was any mention of Chevy Chase and character Pierce, after his more-than-awkward and unfortunate departure from the series. The producers dodged the subject, even avoiding having to speak the actor's name, but when prodded about the issue of replacement, one replied, "I think we've proven we can just say it's Pierce and move on. They did it on 'Roseanne' with Becky." 

Since "The History of Ice Cream" was over-enrolled, it's no surprise there wasn't much scoop to be served, besides a sneak-peek at an upcoming episode in which the characters are transformed into puppets, akin to "Avenue Q."

Also, Joel offered that he'd like to see John Goodman and Malcolm McDowell return as guest stars, and Yvette spoiled that we'll soon discover Shirley's house looks like a Dorothy Gale explosion of gingham and odd wallpaper. 

During a brief intermission, moderator Mike Schneider led the audience in his own lighthearted "Pledge of Allegiance," prompting us to stand at attention and pledge our devotion to the series and its opportunity for renewal. On my feet repeating Schneider's words in unison with the crowd, I couldn't help but hear Paley Center President Pat Mitchell's voice in my head. Prior to each PaleyFest event, a video package runs in which she declares, "Television, like radio, is a communal experience." 

I'm only starting to go back through season 1 on DVD. I can't promise I'll become a devotee, but in the moment I pledged myself to the show "Community," I most definitely felt a part of one - and a really fun one, at that. 

The evening served as a reminder that even if you don't belong to the "Community" as it exists at fictional Greendale Community College, the vital and nourishing sense of belonging is a fundamental product of television and it manifests - most definitely - at PaleyFest.

Want a Season 5? Tweet #WatchCommunityLive!

Don't miss the "Community" PaleyFest Gallery for more panel photos!