New York, May 14-17, 2007 – If you noticed a whole lot of very famous people roaming New York City this week, that would be the upfronts, the annual ritual where TV networks woo advertisers by trotting out the talent at elaborate presentations, followed by lavish parties where the suits mingle with the Hollywood stars.

ABC’s presentation on Tuesday was by far the most star-studded, with stars from powerhouses like Desperate Housewives, Lost, Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy working the crowd at Lincoln Center. Eva Longoria dropped her purse, spilling its contents, including a Blackberry and some cosmetics, on the ground. Longoria laughed, and knelt to gather her belongings, relieved that the tiny evening bag didn’t hold much. Joe Simpson, father of Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, blamed his coughing fit on some peanuts he’d eaten; he’s producing a show. Ty Pennington, host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, came out for ABC despite his recent DUI bust.

Scandal-plagued Alec Baldwin was a no-show at NBC’s presentation at Radio City Music Hall – which is in Rockefeller Center, the network’s home and the setting of Tina Fey’s hit series 30 Rock. Stars from Heroes, The Office and the buzzy new series Lipstick Jungle were on hand.

Torrential rains on Wednesday put a damper on CBS’ party at Tavern on the Green – the red carpet arrivals were rained out, literally – a shame, because CBS is usually the most relaxed and fun of the network shindigs.

We learned a lot at the CW presentation on Thursday. First of all, Tyra Banks apparently has a good side – the left – since her publicist kept screaming to only photograph her from that angle. Also, we learned that giraffes kick, hence the tall animal was banned from the red carpet, and remained inside the specially designed truck. But the CW gang made sure everyone heard about the series Life is Wild by placing zebras and a leopard (declawed, thankfully) among the stars.

Kelsey Grammer kept us waiting, arriving late to the Fox extravaganza in Central Park. Carrie Fisher griped that she’s too old for this kind of stuff, and had to be cajoled into posing for photos with her half-sister Joely Fisher.