Some might call this the farewell tour. On Wednesday, HBO did a session with "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker and writer Michael Patrick King to talk about the final episodes of the show. Parker, who appeared via satellite, wore a Carrie Bradshaw-like green poofy skirt, the kind that makes women, at least, wonder what it might be like to have the life that goes with that outfit.

Neither she nor King had anything to say about what's ahead for the girls of "Sex" -- you expected maybe spoilers? -- but with forests yet to be razed in the effort to commemorate the show's end, the appearance was nevertheless expected.

That's the same reason writers will be piling onto buses Monday morning to visit the set of NBC's "Frasier," which is also wrapping up in May.

On Tuesday, the WB, which is owned by Warner Bros., which owns NBC "Friends" -- ain't synergy grand? -- is giving up a bit of its time with critics so we can be bused to the set of television's 800-pound gorilla, where, we're told, the cast will answer questions for 30 minutes only, with no opportunity for the informal followup scrums where most of us get the real work done out here.

And why are they doing it that way?

Because they can.

And why are we putting up with it?

Because, you know, they're rich and powerful sitcom stars.

And we're not.