TVSquad

CBS held an "informal" press conference ("informal" being code for "take all the reporters in the massive ballroom and cram them in a meeting room a quarter of the size") for the hit show Jericho. On the panel were executive producers Carol Barbee and Jon Turletaub and stars Skeet Ulrich, Ashley Scott, and Lennie James.

First of all, let me say that the shock of the session came right away, when Lennie, who plays Hawkins, opened his mouth and a British accent came spilling out. I guess I need to watch more British TV, since he's been around for a long time, starring in shows like The State Within. Anyway, the producers fielded most of the questions, mainly revolving around the long break between halves of the season as well as what we'll find out about the various cast members this season.

By the end of season one, for instance, according to Barbee, "we always planned to satisfy certain mysteries and open other doors. You'll know where Jake's been you'll know what Hawkins' involvement is. And you'll also know who's behind the attack." The "whys" and "who elses" behind the nuclear attack will be mysteries that will be answered next season.

Expect to see a Hawkins family arc in the early part of the season's second half, as well as some trouble with a neighboring town that Jericho barters with.

Are the producers concerned that people won't come back after the long break? "We think the audience is going to come back," said Barbee. "We were thrilled to hear about the two separate seasons. I like to watch TV that way. To my mind, it's a great opportunity to get the audience caught up." They especially appreciate the online content that the network has given viewers during the break.

As for the tone of the episodes... I asked them about the separation you see sometimes, like the sappy love songs played over scenes of people hugging and having cookouts, even though the bombs had just exploded. Turtletaub seemed exasperated by that question. "Nothing in my life, even the darkest moments, I haven't gone 48 hours without some laughter, some hope, some normalcy." To break the tension, he added, "You go to the bathroom, though we chose not to show that."

Some other funny moments:

• American Idol is on the minds of everyone this week. When someone asked what an upcoming plotline will be, Tutletaub yelled, "Paula Abdul storms out and Simon is furious!"
• When someone asked Ulrich is the cowboy hero for the new millennium, Skeet replied, "Not until this moment. I like it." After he answered seriously, he added, "I might have some stationary made with that title."
• When Lennie said the word "doozy" in reference to plotlines and characters, he quipped, "Doozy... just learned that word."