A Joyful Noise: Television Out of the Box at The Paley Center

I really do adore television. Because the stories are serialized and spread out over years, it's so easy to get attached to characters and locations and storylines. A favorite show is comforting and inspiring. It can connect you to other people and define an era.

My infatuation with television has really grown over the last few years. Though the total number of hours I spend watching television is currently at one of the lowest points of my life, the intense excitement I feel for the shows I do take the time to watch is strong. Getting to attend three PaleyFest panels this year (detailed previously here and the "Parks & Recreation" event at the Television Academy last year (detailed previously here) seemed to seal my new identity as a TV fanatic.

Fanaticism needs to be charged. Luckily, TV has delivered with stellar seasons from "Community," "New Girl" and "Parks & Recreation." I've gotten into interesting discussions with friends and online about what shows are cutting and what shows aren't at the moment. And, last weekend, I visited the Paley Center in Beverly Hills for Television Out of the Box, an ongoing exhibit celebrating Warner Bros. television.

The exhibit features costumes, set pieces, props, scripts, artwork and memorabilia from a number of Warner Bros. television shows and cartoons. Because the exhibit is going to be at The Paley Center for the next three years, the displays are going to keep changing so it's worth visiting over and over. Currently, the exhibit features displays from shows including "The Big Bang Theory," "Chuck," "Friends," "Fringe," "Gilmore Girls," "The OC" and "Smallville."

It's incredible the tiniest things from shows that are held onto. One display from my much-beloved "Gilmore Girls" had a room key and postcard for The Dragonfly Inn, the bed-and-breakfast Lorelei started with Sookie and Michel. The "Friends" display included a bag of Smelly Cat cat litter and The Geller Cup.

Looking through all these familiar pieces was a little comforting. I spent seven years invested in the world of Stars Hollow, the lives of its residents, so seeing a room key from The Dragonfly brought all that back—the fantastic writing, the lines I'd scribble down during commercial breaks to quote back to friends, the music bits, the clothes, the endless cups of coffee and on and on. It reminded me again how much I loved that show and made me miss it a bit, too.

Luckily, I have every season of "Gilmore Girls" on DVD and Verizon hasn't pulled the plug on SOAPNet yet, so I can revisit Stars Hollow any time I want to. Next time I do, I'll keep an eye out for one of those room keys.

Props from "Gilmore Girls," including a room key for The Dragonfly Inn and the engagement ring Luke gave Lorelei