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Read on for video interviews with Fillion, Stana Katic and the lovely Molly Quinn, as well as a complete write-up on the entertaining evening:

Mal who?

It was all about the novelist-turned-”detective” Richard Castle at Tuesday night’s Paley Center for Media event in Beverly Hills honoring ABC’s sophomore series “Castle,” where actors Nathan Fillion (Castle), Stana Katic (Beckett), Molly Quinn (Alexis), Jon Huertas (Esposito), Seamus Dever (Ryan), Tamala Jones (Lanie), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Roy) and Susan Sullivan (Martha) with executive producer/creator Andrew Marlowe and executive producer Rob Bowman gathered to talk chemistry, Twitter and the “Heat Wave” sequel with the sold-out crowd.

With “Dancing with the Star’s” Tom Bergeron holding down the fort — and guest starring in an upcoming episode — there was no stone left unturned. After a special screening of the first of Monday’s two-parter, which features Dana Delany (“Desperate Housewives”) as an FBI agent infiltrating one of Beckett’s cases, the panelists got candid.

When Bergeron asked the panel to reveal who was most like their character, the responses were close to unanimous: Fillion. “He’s a lot like Castle in real life, except he’s less mature,” Quinn joked.

Dever agreed. “I think Castle is more like Nathan [than his previous roles]. He’s not a hardass,” the former “Army Wives” actor added, to which Fillion deadpanned to the delight of the audience, “He’s not a hardass … with a hard ass.”

Casting Fillion in his role as “a guy who is incredibly charming” wasn’t the difficult part. It was the role of Beckett, the straight-laced, hard-nosed detective, which proved trying for the producers. Bowman shared that he and Marlowe saw at least 140 actresses for the Beckett, but once Katic came into the room and gave Fillion all he could handle, the search was over.

Quinn, who plays a level-headed teenager, likened Fillion to a second father. “I don’t have to look for anything, it’s just there,” she said about working with Captain Hammer’s alter ego, sharing a heartfelt moment with her onscreen dad.

For viewers, the sexual tension between Castle and Beckett is the center of the show, but any talk of a long-term romantic tryst was quickly dismissed. Love interests for both Beckett and Castle in coming episodes will put a damper on any relationship’s progression.

“The engine is the tension,” Marlowe said, commenting on the duo’s dysfunctional partnership. Katic felt the same way, “I think there’s nothing sexier than swordplay.”

But a Castle and Beckett pairing isn’t the only one fans want to see.

An audience member asked if the prospect of Lanie and Esposito getting romantically involved was high. Huertas had no qualms about it. “I think it’s a great idea,” Huertas simply stated to crowd laughter. “He’s been petitioning for this … on Twitter!,” Jones added.

Asked about the profound effect the Internet, in particular Twitter, has had with capturing fans, members of the cast got a little competitive. (Some attendees flew in from as far as Australia to take part in the night’s festivities and lined up hours before the event was slated to begin.)

“Nathan got me started on Twitter,” Huertas said of the social media-savvy star, after Jones confessed that she was now a Twitter addict. Quinn revealed that she sent out her first tweet in the green room before the panel.

Jones mentioned later that she even asked Fillion, who has more than 500,000 people tracking his tweets, to help her grab more followers. Katic felt the brunt of it when Bergeron joked she would gain more if she tweeted on a regular basis.

While the evening was spent discussing the show, Fillion mentioned references the writers have made to several of the actors’ previous projects, the most obvious being his donning of the beloved Browncoat from the cult sci-fi show “Firefly” in the Halloween episode. Dever, who appeared on the “General Hospital” soap, wore a doctor’s lab coat in the same hour.

With Castle’s “Heat Wave” novel out since September — the paperback version will be released July 27 — the follow-up, appropriately titled “Naked Heat,” is due in stores this fall.

When Katic heard of the sequel’s name, she was shocked, as the book’s protagonist Nikki Heat is based on Beckett. “I didn’t know that was the title,” she said, slightly embarrassed. Meanwhile Fillion, in true Castle fashion, held a knowing expression on his face.

As Season 2 winds down production and still no official word on a third season pickup from the network, the producers aren’t waiting by the phone for the decisive call. With a healthy group of guest stars coming through in the last half of the season, including Kelly Carlson (“Nip/Tuck”) and Fred Willard, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Marlowe gave the audience a taste of what’s to come, teasing that there will be an Esposito-heavy turn and that viewers may see a glimpse into Beckett’s life before her mother was murdered, which has been a series-long murder mystery.

And if Castle’s father were to ever make an appearance, who would Fillion want to fill the coveted role?

“I’m voting for Christopher Walken … playing himself,” Fillion quipped.

But, if you’ve been wondering what Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible and Penny were like if they were younger (or how the story even started), you’re in luck. Entertainment Weekly recently posted all ten parts of “Horrible Turn,” an unofficial prequel to “Dr. Horrible.” It’s very well done for a homemade series, and I hope it picks up some buzz.

Check out Parts 2 and 3 after the jump.

Visit the “Horrible Turn” official site to view the rest of the series.

Many of the regulars we’ve grown to love the past eight seasons are either no longer on the show or are only making guest appearances throughout the season. Instead of John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) leading the charge, it’ll be his best friend Turk (Donald Faison), Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) and Kelso (Ken Jenskin) who will have the lovely task of terrorizing the interns (Eliza Coupe) and new med students (Kerry Bishe, Michael Mosley and Dave Franco).

In the season premiere titled “Our First Day of School,” J.D. returns to teach the new med students and puts them throw the ringer. In the second episode, “Our Drunk Friend,” J.D. and Turk enlist Kelso’s help when they spot a potential love connection between their hard-edged intern Denise (Coupe) and med student Drew (Mosley). Suffice to say, things won’t turn out well. 

Check out a short but oh-so-appropriate sneak peek of the “Scrubs” Season 9 premiere airing Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. on ABC, right under the jump.

I was hesitant to like this show. In fact, I found the net’s other midseason pilot (which didn’t get picked up) to be more suited to my liking. However, after revisiting the show after a few weeks, I’ve concluded that ”Life UneXpected” is a great show. A lot of that has to do with the actors and the way the play their characters; I can’t find one who I truly despise or am bothered by … which is a miracle in itself. Most importantly, I believe that the three leads can actually become a real family somewhere down the line, and isn’t that the point of the show?

Check out the extended preview of “Life UneXpected” to tie you over until it begins its run on Monday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. after a “One Tree Hill” lead-in. (Note: “Gossip Girl” will be on hiatus during the entire run of “Life UneXpected,” and will subsequently return with the last of its new episodes.)

The cast includes Appleby, Smith, Polaha, Brittany Robertson and Britt Irvin. Notable guest stars include Erin Karpluk (“Being Erica”).

I’m not a big history buff, but this sounds enticing. Below is a behind-the-scenes video featuring interviews with the producing team of “The Pacific.”

“The Pacific” premieres in March 2010 on HBO.

This Thursday’s “Vampire Diaries” is supposed to be a big one. From the teasers, we finally find out why Damon (Ian Somerhalder) came back to Mystic Falls and delve deeper into Bonnie’s (Katerina Graham) ancestral past. Check out clips of the upcoming episode, “History Repeating.” Things are bound to get interesting.

“Bored to Death” airs Sundays at 9:30 p.m. on HBO.

THE SEASON’S TOP FIVE SHOWS EVERYONE SHOULD BE WATCHING

1. “Fringe” (Fox)

Photo credit: Fox

I’ll say this point blank: “Fringe” is the best show on television no one is watching. Season 1 started off slow, but by the time the “Dreamscape” episode aired in late November of 2008, I was a full-blown fan. In interviews promoting the show, both the creators and cast (Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson) kept saying that “Fringe” was the product of all the lessons and mistakes that sometimes made “Alias” and “Lost” frustrating to watch as viewers. And it’s true. Each episode ties up the weekly mysteries, while answering over-arching, series-long questions and introducing others: What is the Pattern? Are there numerous parallel universes that stray farther from each one? Will these characters ever meet their alternate selves? What is the coming war?

When the two-hour “Fringe” pilot debuted at Comic-Con 2008, I was left feeling a bit disappointed with the heavy-handed storytelling. There was nothing, aside from the sci-fi aspect, that lured me in to the world of Massive Dynamic, Agent Olivia Dunham (Torv) and this weird, kooky world these characters lived in. But the “Dreamscape” episode that I mentioned earlier – the one with the killer butterflies – was one of the first instances where I caught glimpses into each character’s complicated pasts, and I loved it. It didn’t matter that you had to suspend reality to believe 98% of the things these people were exposed to or that it raised questions about multiple existences and realities; becauseOlivia, Walter (Noble) and Peter (Jackson) believed it, so could you.

The only reason why this show – one that does improve each week – is on here is because of Fox’s aggressive scheduling plan. While it is commendable for them to believe in a heavy genre show like “Fringe” to put them in the line of fire (Thursdays at 9 p.m.), after weeks of heavy competition and its inability to steal viewers from “CSI” or “Grey’s Anatomy” and retain its “Bones” lead-in, the show (heavily DVRed) is struggling to make its case for a Season 3. Last year, Fox aired it on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.; judging from the lack of quality scripted fare that night, the net should look into moving it back to its original timeslot some time in the near future.

2. “Stargate Universe” (Syfy)

Photo credit: Syfy

The third “Stargate” series comes in the form of “Battlestar Galactica’s” little brother. The original “Stargate: SG-1″ was the catalyst for “Stargate: Atlantis,” which recently ended, and now the noticeably darker and heavier “Stargate Universe.” A few episodes into its inaugural season, I’m still not sure what the purpose of the show is .. and usually, my patience wears thin. Not so here. I’m not saying the show is the second coming of “BSG,” because it isn’t, and that it’s perfect, because it isn’t. It is, however, a unique journey from the known to the unknown.

When news first broke out about “Stargate Universe” and reading the character descriptions of each of the major players, I was excited. The franchise was skewing younger and grabbing hold of the sci-fi geeks out there, and for the most part, they executed pretty well. Already by the second episode, two main characters hooked up and a couple weeks later, the people stranded on the ancient Destiny ship thought they would never live to see the day. Is “Stargate Universe” good for the casual viewer? Probably not, but it knows its audience well and hell, it feeds them on a silver platter.

3. “Greek” (ABC Family)

I began watching this college-centric show when it first began a few years ago, but lost interest in the beginning of Season 2. So when I caught the last episodes of its sophomore season on a whim, I was surprised at how well the storytelling and the acting had improved from the pilot. ”Greek,” like the rest of the ABC Family lineup, has a very narrow audience – and not unlike Syfy’s ”Stargate Universe” – has perfected the art of its demo (teens and young adults).

The show centers on a college campus - one of only a handful of series that have made the higher education setting work for longer than a season – and the highly competitive Greek system. Concept-wise, “Greek” is simple.  What makes it stand out is the complex character arcs that ultimately drive the show into every which way you can think of. And by keeping two lovable exes (Cappie and Casey) apart for almost the entire run of the series (the Season 3 fall finale aired Monday), it’s almost impossible to predict what will happen next. Almost.

4. “Being Erica” (SOAPnet)

Photo credit: SOAPnet

So I am cheating a little by including a Canadian show on the list, but “Being Erica” – which just aired Season 1 in the U.S. on SOAPnet - might as well be on cable somewhere. (Lifetime, anyone?) For those not familiar, “Being Erica” centers on Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk), a 32-year-old who travels to her past with the help of Dr. Tom (Michael Riley). Each week, she has the unusual opportunity to relive past events and do things the right way. It’s a mix of drama, time travel, comedy, romance and bad ’80s hairdos. Along for the ride is her best friend (and secret crush) Ethan (played by “Wonderfalls’” Tyron Leitso), who happens to be dating someone else.

“Being Erica” takes the leap we all wish we could: If we had the chance to relive (enter specific moment here), what would we do? Because it’s female-driven, it is not just another cute, wrap-it-up-in-a-box-with-a-bow-on-top show we’ve seen time and time again. Consequences for decisions made or changed in the past and present are shown; while some repercussions may be livable, others can be devastating and life-altering. Erica Strange’s name might be weird, but she’s really just a woman trying to figure out her life and where she stands in the world.

5. “Better Off Ted” (ABC)

ABC hit the jackpot when they premiered Victor Fresco’s hyper and neurotic half-hour workplace comedy “Better Off Ted,” starring Jay Harrington (“Desperate Housewives”) and Portia de Rossi (“Arrested Development”). Paired with “Scrubs,” which has a similar tone and style, the show couldn’t ask for a better complement … except maybe “Grey’s Anatomy.” The dialogue is witty, quick-paced and funny, and the quirks of each character are embraced and explored in some way, shape or form, rather than muddled down (i.e. the episode with de Rossi’s tightly-wound Veronica as a magician’s assistant).

The oddities are what makes this satire a breath of fresh air. It’s not everyday you see a lab scientist frozen in a chamber at work for an indeterminate number of days. It’s certainly atypical for a company to install a new motion-sensor system that somehow cannot detect darker skin. “Better Off Ted” is one of the best shows on television (Season 2 premieres Dec. 8), even if the ratings say otherwise.

This is the first installment of the current fall television season in review: the season’s biggest surprises. Some are positive, some are negative and some are just plain ugly.

THE SEASON’S BIGGEST SURPRISES

“The Good Wife” (CBS)

Photo credit: CBS

It’s no surprise to many that the Eye is the most successful broadcast net in creating a formula and sticking to it. Just look at the “CSI” franchise and now the hugely popular (among older adults) “NCIS” spinoff starring LL Cool J and Chris O’DOnnell. But the net quietly developed an hourlong drama with a simple concept and cast a veteran TV actress (Julianna Margulies) in the lead role. Needless to say, when I was thumbing through the new offerings from the major nets in August, “The Good Wife” didn’t jump off the page like so many other shows did, and in a way, that was why it has accomplished what so many others fail to do:  Show that it has strong staying power.

I can’t even pinpoint exactly the moment I decided to put this show on my list, but once I tuned in to the pilot, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was the subject matter that seemed appealing — and most importantly, relevant – or maybe it was the supporting cast (Matt Czuchry, Christine Baranski, Chris Noth) that ultimately drew me in and kept me interested and entertained. The show skews older, as most CBS series do, but its rich storytelling and perfect casting in its lead character (a strong one at that) are two reasons even a 22-year-old like me wouldn’t be embarrassed of watching.

“The Beautiful Life: TBL” (The CW)

Photo credit: The CW

When The CW rolled out its new fall shows, “The Beautiful Life: TBL” got the subtle shaft. While the net spent hoards of money advertising freshmen series “The Vampire Diaries” and “Melrose Place,” you were lucky to spot a billboard down Sunset Blvd. or even a 15-second spot on television. Some viewed this as the net not believing the model-centric show could last – and in the end, they were proven to be correct.

The surprise here was not the show itself – it was one of the weakest executed pilots of the fall season – but the way it was given the ouster. While I watched the two aired episodes and was disappointed in the way the actors portrayed their characters and the way the storylines unfolded, it should have been given at least two or three more chances at righting the ship. After all, one of the biggest crimes for any net to commit is to prematurely cancel any show without giving it proper time (whatever that may be) to find its voice .. if it ever does.

“Cougar Town” (ABC)

Photo credit: ABC

“Cougar Town” was one of those new shows that I was reluctant to watch, and for all the reasons you’d probably think. The premise didn’t stand out. The pace seemed borderline psychotic. And aside from the cast, there was nothing truly interesting about it. On that fateful Wednesday night when I sat down to watch the Courteney Cox-Busy Phillips starrer, it far exceeded my expectations – not that I had any to begin with.

Created by “Scrubs’” Bill Lawrence, “Cougar Town” is like the adult version of the fantastical NBC/ABC hospital comedy with Zach Braff and company. Similar elements that made “Scrubs” an entertaining half-hour are evident in this comedy, about a fortysomething recently-divorced mother (Cox) and her desire to date younger men. You still get the neuroticism, the cynicism (brilliantly done by Christa Miller) and the overall ridiculousness of the situations the main characters put themselves and/or find themselves in. The show is well-cast; it’s almost as if each role was created solely for its actor. Case in point: the hilarious Busy Phillips (“Undeclared,” “Dawson’s Creek”) as the fun and hip Laurie.

“Cougar Town” doesn’t come with prerequisites. All you need to bring is yourself, some popcorn and 30 minutes for mindless fun.

“Project Runway” (Lifetime)

Photo credit: Lifetime

The sixth season of “Project Runway” has been a bore, compared to the last five installments. After the legal battle forced the competition series to sit for one year – and the change of setting to Los Angeles – things have been relatively dry .. and lackluster. None of the designers stand out, except maybe Christopher, for his sudden downward spiral; Logan, for his pretty face and grunge rock style; and Irina, for being well .. Irina. Judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors were M.I.A. for most of the season and their replacements didn’t quite fit the bill. The challenges are starting to feel tired and the latest season is certainly not “the best one yet.”

Maybe it’s the casual California style, but when “Project Runway” returns for Season 7, the urban grittiness of New York City is awaiting for your return.