Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
What is about the power of manipulation that makes us want it so much? Producer Mark Burnett discusses the psychology of controlling other people, the need to always be in charge, and how this concept is important for the producers of "Survivor." (Watch video.) First season winner Richard Hatch puts in his two cents, saying that he found the "Survivor" rituals a bit hokey at first, but that they also possessed a strangely addictive quality. "Survivor" host Jeff Probst shares a story about one of the last-minute challenge prizes they had to come up with during a sticky situation.
more
Ugly Betty
When creator Silvio Horta was approached by Ben Silverman and Teri Weinberg to adapt the Colombian telenovela "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea," Horta wasn't 100% confident that the concept was right. He later phoned Silverman and Weinberg and suggested that Betty should be a FBI agent. (Watch video.) Although the idea provided a good laugh, we're all thankful that the Betty we know and have grown to love works at a fashion magazine instead of undercover bustin' up the bad guys. While Betty came close to being the next Sydney Bristow, Eric Mabius ("Daniel Meade") thought his audition for the show wasn't too great and was set on landing a role on "Heroes." Turns out he was wrong because just when he was about to become a "Hero," Mabius got the call to join the "Ugly Betty" cast, and the rest is history. Mark Indelicato shares that he's proud to play a character like Justin Suarez. He loves that the character is different and not a typical role found on television. America Ferrera tears up when she discusses her experience working on the show with Salma Hayek and the rest of the cast and crew. Ferrera is thankful that she could be Salma's "ugly girl."
more
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Have you ever wondered where the idea for "CSI" came from? Creator Anthony Zuiker reveals that at the insistence of his wife, he became immediately intrigued with watching detective case files and later rode along on the graveyard shift with a field service officer out in Las Vegas for five weeks. After he realized that there was so much going on that didn’t make it into the local paper, the idea for "CSI" was born. (Watch video.) Even though William Petersen ("Gil Grissom") is the opposite of his science-loving, genius-like character, the actor admits that the role has increased his interest in science. Petersen, Executive Producer Ann Donahue, and others talk about their science-driven scripts, with built-in pronunciation and anatomy challenges. Despite all of the science talk, George Eads explains that what he loves about his character is that Nick Stokes isn't a typical nerdy scientist, he's a modern-day, sociable, athletic guy who gets to carry a gun. How did one of "CSI's" most beloved characters, Sara Sidle, join the cast? Petersen and Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn point out several reasons why they brought Jorja Fox onto the show to play Sara.
more
Lost
What would "Lost" be without Jack Shephard? The castaways would be scrambling around the island without a leader, and the juicy love triangles involving Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and most recently Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) would be nonexistent. That would be no fun at all. Find out straight from Matthew Fox ("Jack Shephard") and executive producer J.J. Abrams how Jack Shephard managed to survive the first couple of episodes and become one of the show's main players. "Lost" boasts one of the most diverse casts on television. Jorge Garcia ("Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes") and the cast share their memories of auditioning for the show and how they felt when the show began to gain buzz. Yunjin Kim ("Sun Kwon") describes how she's able to give input to provide the show with authentic Korean culture for her character. The cast admit that they're always in the dark about their scripts and exactly what's going to happen to their characters. Will someone accidentally slip with a show secret? You won't know until you check out these video clips.
more
Dexter
Michael C. Hall is no stranger to dead bodies. On "Six Feet Under" he played the gay mortician David Fisher and now on "Dexter" he portrays a sociopathic serial killer. When asked about the differences between David and Dexter, Hall says "I always like to say I'm more on the supply side now. Dexter's more of a go-getter." (Watch video.) Executive Producer Daniel Cerone further explains the depth of Dexter's character. He says that Dexter is a tragic character and if he were to develop a conscience, he wouldn't be able to live with himself and would self-destruct. Hall and Cerone both agree that Julie Benz's character, Rita Bennett, is the perfect gal for Dexter and she represents the humanity that Dexter lacks. Although Dexter is a killer, Lauren Velez ("Lt. Maria La Guerta") and David Zayas ("Angel Batista") believe that the audience can relate to him. Executive Producer Clyde Phillips describes how the music was created for the show and talks about the show needing an appropriate setting. The actors share their stories about run-ins with fans of the show. Hall thinks people are into the series because they're turned on by a guy who has control despite being in such a chaotic world. Jennifer Carpenter ("Debra Morgan") has sweaty wrestlers attacking her with hugs and proclaiming how much they love the show. Besides fans, Cerone and Phillips assures us that they've received tons of critical response to the show as well.
more
Brothers & Sisters
We want the Walker clan to adopt us! Nora Walker, can you please me our mother? Sally Field ("Nora Walker") explains that what attracted her to "Brothers & Sisters" was creator Jon Robin Baitz's desire to tell the story of a family led by a matriarch and also to examine how American women age. (Watch video.) Field had never heard of another project like it, so she took a leap of faith and now the show has become a part of her life. Matthew Rhys ("Kevin Walker") joined the show to avoid deportation, Dave Annable ("Justin Walker") was drawn in by the possibility of getting to meet Harrison Ford, and Balthazar Getty ("Tommy Walker") joked that it was simply the money that got him to sign on the dotted line. More seriously, Calista Flockhart ("Kitty Walker") discusses the universality of the series and her connection to her character. She loves Kitty and has learned about a lot of things she didn't understand before taking on the role. Baitz credits both ABC and Touchstone for their encouraging support of the homosexual Walker sibling, Kevin. Rhys says that Kevin is a beautifully written character and admires that his sexuality isn't the defining characteristic of he who he is. Annable teases Emily VanCamp ("Rebecca Harper") for being the rookie of the group, but VanCamp is just overjoyed to be part of "Brothers & Sisters" and to have the opportunity to work with Executive Producer Greg Berlanti again (the two worked together on "Everwood").
more
Supernatural
No matter how much the boys of "Supernatural" remind themselves that this is all 'fake,' there have been several occasions where they've been spooked out while on set. Jared Padalecki ("Sam Winchester") recalls when they were filming the episode "Skin," a clock had randomly fallen off the wall and freaked everyone out. Instead of further investigating it, they opted to ignore it and go on with their business. Jensen Ackles ("Dean Winchester") shares that he was brave enough to walk down a dark hallway in the real-life mental institution where they shot the "Asylum" episode. (Watch video.) Creator Eric Kripke always knew he wanted to do a series that explored American folklore and urban legends, but at first he had other ideas about how to present the concept –- a reporter who reports on strange occurrences, kids in a van solving mysteries a la "Scooby Doo," and even a more serious anthological look at horror tales. It was his last idea, two guys on a road trip, that most excited the studio and thus we have the Winchester brothers who drive in and out of a horror flick each week. Writer John Shiban attributes the success of "Supernatural" to two things: a great franchise and the chemistry between the two leads.
more
CSI: Miami
As a spin-off of an already popular show, the Executive Producers of "CSI: Miami" had to use the setting of Miami, Florida to differentiate the series from the original "CSI," which is set in Las Vegas. After doing their research, they realized that the real-life CSI team members of Miami Dade County were actual police officers as well. This discovery became the defining point for each of the "CSI: Miami" characters' background stories. (Watch video.) Executive Producer Ann Donahue believed that the show needed a hero, and David Caruso ("Horatio Caine") was the right actor to take on that lead role. Khandi Alexander ("Dr. Alexx Woods"), Emily Procter ("Calleigh Duquesne"), and Adam Rodriguez ("Eric Delko") discuss the challenges of playing their roles correctly. They all admit to doing a great deal of research and homework constantly in order to make sure their portrayals are as authentic as possible. Rodriguez even had to learn how to swim and speak Russian! Caruso further expands upon the intellectual qualities that the series has to offer the viewers.
more
South Park
Ever wondered how long it takes to create an episode of "South Park" from start to finish? Well, wonder no more. Executive Producer Anne Garefino, Creator Trey Parker, and other producers and writers divulge what goes into creating an episode and takes us through the levels of procrastination that are involved in their creative process. (Watch video.) Trey and Creator Matt Stone voice their view on the MPAA and how they caused problems regarding the "South Park" movie. Trey and Matt also dish on a possible movie sequel and all the drama that came along with making the first movie.
more
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Before he was building a giant ark and even before he was a "40-Year-Old Virgin," Steve Carrell was a "Daily Show" correspondent alongside Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Carrell and the boys speak about their background in comedy and how improvisation plays a major part in this kind of acting. (Watch video.) Colbert admits that with the show's growing popularity, tricking interviewees is getting more and more difficult. He shares a hilarious story about an unsuspecting guest of the show who thought orange juice could actually turn people gay. How do these funny guys deliver the "news" with straight faces? Stewart praises his writers and producers for coming up with such great content and substance, but what's his future on the show? Find out whether he plans to stay with the show or move on with other projects.
more
Weeds
Nothing screams controversy more than a suburban stay-at-home mom selling pot door-to-door to her dysfunctional neighbors. Elizabeth Perkins ("Celia Hodes") talks about her reservations with plots that walk a fine line between being socially relevant and being offensive. (Watch video.) She specifically points out the breast cancer storyline from the show. Mary-Louise Parker ("Nancy Botwin") won the 2006 Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a TV Series -- Musical or Comedy for her lead role in "Weeds." She beat out the four "Housewives" in that category. After receiving the award, Mary-Louise said that she was in favor of legalizing marijuana and didn't think the matter was that controversial. Mary-Louise shares her thoughts about playing the taboo role of a deeply flawed mother. She loved the character almost immediately.
more
Entourage
No more awkward pats on the back and wannabe-cool handshakes that always gets muddled. Tough guys everywhere learned to "hug it out" with their closest buddies from the fast-talking, quick-dealing Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Jeremy and Kevin Connolly ("Eric") describe how "hug it out" was acted out the first time and what inspired the infamous show of affection. (Watch video.) Adrian Grenier ("Vince") and Creator/Executive Producer Doug Ellin both share their opinions about the concept of the show. The two talk about their first meeting with each other and how Adrian did in his audition.
more
Veronica Mars
Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars") admits, regrettably, that she never read a single Nancy Drew book even though she always gets asked about the similarities between Nancy and Veronica. After reading the script, Bell was determined to land the role of Veronica Mars because she loved that the female lead is strong, witty and sarcastic. She told the producers that she wouldn't leave the audition room until they gave her the part. Creator Rob Thomas shares that he originally was going to create a novel that was about a male sleuth, but when "Freaks & Geeks" was pulled off the air, he wanted a good teen franchise back on the air and realized that it would be smarter to make the lead a girl for the television version of his initial idea. Teddy Dunn ("Duncan Kane") reveals that he attended a New England prep school that was similar to Neptune High in terms of hazing. He, however, wasn't as popular as his character and had cat food thrown at him. Francis Capra ("Eli 'Weevil' Navarro") doesn't have much high school experience, as he left the Bronx school district in 5th grade and was home schooled.
more
Sex and the City
With news that all four ladies of "Sex and the City" are set to reprise their roles in the upcoming New Line Cinema movie, fans may at last get answers to their burning questions after the TV series ended in 2004. But how did the actresses get involved with the show in the first place? Did they all get along behind the scenes? Kim Cattrall ("Samantha Jones") and Cynthia Nixon ("Miranda Hobbes") share their audition experience, how they bond both on and off screen, and how their characters have evolved throughout the show. (Watch video.) Executive Producer Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica Parker ("Carrie Bradshaw") talk about how they wanted "Sex and the City" to be a comedy that didn't tell people when to laugh.
more
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Art often imitates life, as can be seen in the case of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Larry David, star and creator of "Curb,” discloses that many of the relationships in the show are based on his own real life experiences. (Watch video.) Larry says that the show portrays his friendship with comedian Richard Lewis almost exactly as in real life. He also admits that his marriage on the show increasingly mimics his real life marriage and explains the reason he wants the couple in the show to be happy but "not that happy." Actors Cheryl Hines and Jeff Garlin talk about their characters on the show and how they got cast for their roles.
more
Gossip Girl
The CW's freshman series, "Gossip Girl" has become the most buzzed about new show of the TV season. It's no wonder, though, since the cast is filled with extremely beautiful, fresh-faced teens donning the most-coveted fashions. Leighton Meester ("Blair Waldorf") discloses that she's actually a blonde! (Watch video.) She was asked to dye her hair brown during the audition process and even though that's a pretty drastic change for a role that she didn’t have yet, it turned out that the risk paid off and we think her brunette locks are amazing. Another little-known tidbit was the way Executive Producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage got Jessica Szohr to play the role of Vanessa Abrams. Szohr happened to be at a barbeque that Schwartz was hosting at his home and the moment he saw Szohr, he immediately told Savage that they have their Vanessa. Ed Westwick ("Chuck Bass") was all thumbs up when he was asked about his character's hook-up with Queen Bee Blair in the back of a limo. We agree! Blake Lively ("Serena van der Woodsen") lit up when asked if she actually plays Guitar Hero. She made certain to let everyone know that she is, in fact, quite an excellent player and regularly competes in Guitar Hero tournaments. Schwartz teased that when the show picks up again in April, Blair and little Jenny Humphrey will go to war with each other. Speaking of bad girls, Michelle Trachtenberg will be joining the cast for multiple episodes to play Georgina Sparks, a gal from Serena's past who is so evil that even Blair fears her. Savage also hinted at a wedding, but she wouldn't confirm whose or whether it will definitely happen.
more