With 10 minutes to show time, the Shrine lobby is stuffed with seat fillers, primed for deployment to any open chairs. There is a scent of nervous breakdown in the air as production people frantically herd groups down the aisles into the open seats.

I speak to a woman from Riverside who tells me she has been signing on as an awards show seat filler for a couple years, having last served at the Emmys. She fondly recalls a recent experience being placed next to Kenny Chesney, but reminds me that seat fillers are strongly cautioned not to speak to their celeb neighbors.

Since winners are informed in advance for People's Choice, arrivals of certain guests pretty much give away much of the game. As George Lucas files in, the fate of the night's big award seems clear &mash; "Star Wars III" will beat out "Hitch" and "Batman Begins" for the favorite film prize.



Wandering through the warren of workspaces sectioned off by black curtains, one finds little living rooms for "The Insider" and "ET," tiny caverns where the "CBS Morning Show" is shooting and a luxurious green room, where backstage management firm The Silver Spoon displays items that celebrity presenters will be receiving in their gift bags, including a Blackberry, a sequined T-shirt, a $10,000 Gervil watch, designer jeans, a Neros portable DVD player and a VIP family Disneyland vacation (with guides to take them to the front of the lines of course.)

Across the hall, two mini-auditoriums have been set up for the photographers and print press, who devour the People's Choice provided bag dinners of turkey, ham or roast beef sandwiches and M-and-M cookies.

Throughout the show, the scene backstage seems an inch away from a full-fledged riot. Celebs are whisked down the corridors by 15-person-plus entourages who create huge pile-ups when two celeb gangs collide.

Apparatchiks swirl and fume as Ray Romano and Ellen Degeneres pause to chat at the "Access Hollywood" booth. "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson waves his teardrop shaped trophy, "The Orrefors Crystal Award" for favorite reality TV competition, and lets loose a major to-do when he sees former "Idol" champion Kelly Clarkson down the hall, saying "I'm presenting this award to Kelly. She is still da BOMB!"

In the print room, George Lucas takes questions, saying that "Star Wars" is through on the big screen but will live on TV. Just then a harrowing chorus of screams is unleashed from the photographers room next door, where Dominic Monaghan poses for pictures. The shouts are so loud that Lucas questioners must walk up to the little stage to yell their questions practically into the directors' ear to be heard.



Back in the auditorium, another sort of pandemonium has broken out. In the rear wing, Jason Lee and his "My Name is Earl" co-star, Ethan Suplee, wait for escort back to their seats. Inches away, a section of teenagers shrieks and waves camera phones at them. Suplee ignores the shouts, typing into a Blackberry while Lee stares ahead, looking like he is trying to stay in character.

Suddenly, Ray Romano veers over and puts his hand out to Lee. "Hey, great show. It's the only thing to watch on TV," Romano says.

Lee takes his hand, shakes, nods and gives him the kind of minimal "thanks" one would reserve for fans interrupting your anniversary dinner, barely looking him in the eye.