CARL REINER, ANIMATED (Ellen Gray in Hollywood)

In a medium where youth is ever more celebrated, and where writers over 35 complain of age discrimination, it's hard to explain Carl Reiner.

The 81-year-old writer/actor/producer continues to stay so busy that he was simply unavailable to come to this weekend's Television Critics Association awards ceremony, where he was due to receive a lifetime achievement award. For one thing, the "Dick Van Dyke Show" creator's going to be in Montreal by then for the Just for Laughs comedy festival, where he's hosting the gala finale and being inducted into the festival's hall of fame.

But he apparently couldn't resist the opportunity to stop by today to talk up a few of his latest projects -- which include two children's books, a memoir ("My Anecdotal Life"), an animated series, an animated special, a couple of feature films, a documentary and a recurring role on ABC's "Life With Bonnie."

The man makes me tired.

I can't wait, though, to see his Aug. 17 TV Land special, "The Alan Brady Show," in which he voices the character he played on "Dick Van Dyke," with the premise that Alan's show has now been on the air for 50 years. He brought a clip, he brought us all tapes -- we gave him an award.

Maybe we'll have to give him another in 20 years or so.

Reiner on television:

He watches a lot of it and has figured out how to watch both "Wheel of Fortune" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" at the same time, because apparently here in L.A., where they're on simultaneously, the commercials take turns.

He loves CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" and thinks its sitcom "Yes, Dear" "has a good premise."

Like nearly everyone in this entertainment-centric town, he loves HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

He doesn't seem to think there's any more or less good TV than there ever was. "There is always just a small amount of excellence," he said.

He kind of likes CBS' "Survivor" -- and loves the talent shows like "American Idol" -- but isn't enthusiastic about the genre in general. In "The Alan Brady Show" special, "I was able to get a little shot at the reality shows that don't work," he said.

He expects to be on television "a year hence," starring as the -- animated -- title character of "Father of the Pride," a show from NBC and DreamWorks about the lions in Seigfried and Roy's Las Vegas show.

He likes animation because he can work in his underwear.

CARL REINER, ANIMATED

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