With New York in the grip of what feels like a new Ice Age, and a solid month of some of the best TV events of the year coming up – the Golden Globes (tonight), the Superbowl (next Sunday), the final episodes of “Sex and the City” (tonight, and the next four Sundays) and, of course, the Oscars (Feb. 29) – there’s nothing more appealing on a weekend night than staying home and getting in touch with your inner couch potato.
But if you’re going to spend the next few weekends catatonic in front of the tube, why not invite some of your pals over to join in the sloth?
This way, you may still have some friends left by the time the weather breaks and your bank account has recovered from the Christmas excess.
But how do you make a TV party cool, and more importantly fun, rather than a slightly tragic indictment of your lack of social diary?
The first thing to do, according to top New York interior designer Milly de Cabrol, is to make sure that you pay attention to your environment.
She recommends a laid-back feel to put everyone at ease – and even suggests hosting the evening in the most intimate room in the house: your bedroom.
“A few years ago I had a party for the Golden Globes where everyone piled onto my bed, which is absolutely enormous,” says de Cabrol. “Make sure that everyone is very, very comfortable. You need huge big pillows and cushions and lots and lots of blankets to make everyone feel really cozy when it is so cold outside.”
Of course, says de Cabrol, having good food and alcohol is key to getting everyone in the mood.
Katie Brown, who hosts the A&E show “All Year Round with Katie Brown,” suggests diversifying your offerings. “The cuisine should be an interactive thing – put a big spread on the coffee table so it is almost like a tasting menu that people can graze on.”
Sympathetic to the average New Yorker’s aversion to cooking, she also offers some helpful hints for faking it.
“It’s always good to cheat: if you are going to do pizza, buy the foccacia and then just do the toppings. Or buy chicken wings and just make a great dipping sauce.
“A TV party is all about the art of being a couch potato – you don’t want to be sitting by the oven for two days.”
Augment your culinary enticements with a game element, she adds.
“Poker and gaming are very hot right now,” says Brown. “Have a wager on who is going to die in the last episode of ‘Frasier,’ or whether Carrie really will get married. Of course, this kind of game is perfect for guessing who will win the Golden Globes or the Oscars.”
Brown also says that for the big TV events, dressing up can make everything more fun – especially when done with a tongue-in-cheek spin.
“A friend once threw an Oscar party where we all had to wear our old bridesmaid dresses. It was like – hey, face it, we’re not collecting an award, we haven’t got a date and we’re wearing our bridesmaid dresses.
“Sometimes, it’s just better to embrace your patheticness,” she jokes.
Teen Vogue contributing editor Cayli Cavaco opts for a more relaxed vibe when she’s entertaining her buddies around the box: “My feeling about TV parties is that they should be very relaxed,” she says.
“Personally, I think decorating the room specially is just old-fashioned and silly. Just pay a little attention to make the place feel right – light some votive candles, put some flowers out – but don’t get stressed about it, or all your guests will be stressed as well.”
Ed “Jean-Luc’ Kleefeld, proprietor of the Upper West Side bistro JL, takes the night’s event into consideration when planning his party menu.
“You’ve got to run with the theme of the show,” he says. “So for the Super-
bowl, Carolina versus the New England Patriots, you need classic Southern dishes, like smoked pulled pork, and New England delicacies, like clam chowder.”
But you’ve got to keep it lively, he stresses: “If everyone is drinking, incorporate some drinking games – like having everyone down a Sam Adams every time the Patriots score.”
Even basic of munchies are easy to spiff up, says Kleefeld.
“Flavored popcorn surprises people,” he says. “There’s a store called Popcorn Indiana on Broadway and 76th, and another one on Broadway and Times Square, which does a whole range of flavors.”
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay also enjoys the themed TV party. “I always make Italian for ‘The Sopranos’,” he says.
But the key to feeding a successful TV party lies in providing “small bites of flavor,” like mini-lamb chops cheese plates, he says. “You don’t want a big sit-down dinner.”
Ilene Rosenzweig, co-creator (with designer Cynthia Rowley) of the Swell brand of style books and products, says that when planning an Oscar party, tap into the industry itself.
“We once hired an out-of-work actor to serve the food and keep the drinks fresh,” she says.
“The best bit was that he was able to offer an insider commentary,” she says. “That’s a sure-fire way to guarantee a fun party.”
RECIPE
Bobby Flay’s Saffron Rice Cake with Shrimp