The best show you're not watching is Fringe. I'm not really going to argue that fact with you, because I'm right. Unless I'm wrong and you do watch it, which means you're a friggin' genius. Right. Wrong. All depends on which universe you're in, I guess. Well, in this universe, a few lucky souls were magnetically drawn to the Paley Center in Beverly Hills, CA and got the chance to view a recent episode of Fringe and meet the show's extremely talented cast and creators. Moderated by KROQ's Ralph Garman, the fans got to learn more about the process that goes into making the show and even got to ask a few questions of their own to the writers and producers, J H Wyman, Jeff Pinkner, and Akiva Goldsman. Along for the ride were the charming John Noble (Walter Bishop) and gorgeous Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham), the so-talented-that-it's-crazy-how-they've-not-been-nominated-for-Emmys stars of the show. Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop) was unfortunately unable to make it since he was away making a movie at the time. Or he quite possibly doesn't exist anymore. No one is really sure.
The small theater at the Paley Center allowed the fans and the creative folks behind Fringe an intimate opportunity to discuss what really makes the show tick. And while the stars humbly insisted that the real star of Fringe is the show itself, it was clear that as impressively talented as the writers and producers are that have built not one, but two Fringe universes, most of the love was directed at the actors who inhabit those worlds and bring more characters to life in a single episode than some actors do in an entire season. And while the show hasn’t yet made the broad cultural impact of another recently ended JJ Abrams produced project (Lost), it’s clear that to those in the know, especially to the few hundred in that room, the impact has been deep, enduring, and enthralling on a level few shows can ever hope to connect on.
In the end, the time in that room wasn’t nearly long enough. I never got a chance to tell the stunning and sweet Anna Torv how it’s her fault that I’ve never been more attracted to Leonard Nimoy. I also wonder if she also has a Shatner impression she’s not sharing with us. And because security whisked him away a moment before I could get his attention, I missed my opportunity to have my picture taken with the gracious and friendly John Noble, the man behind probably my favorite character currently on tv, Walter Bishop. But I don’t doubt I’ll have the chance to meet up with these folks again someday.
Thankfully, Fringe isn’t going away anytime soon. While many fans feared Fox‘s decision to move the show to Friday nights and flew into a tizzy over the network’s tendency to hatchet any shows they drop into that night’s time slots, the creators say they weren’t afraid. That’s why we’re getting Fringe season 4 this fall. And if you’re one of those few who haven’t yet watched the show or kept up with it in recent months, I’m giving you the summer to catch up on DVD, Blu-Ray, and online. It’s probably the best thing you can do with your summertime until then (other than watching new episodes of Breaking Bad and True Blood, that is). You’ve got your work cut out for you. But it will be worth every second…