Having made a career out of creating characters fans love to hate, actress Melinda Clarke knows a thing or to about playing the villain. Just don’t tell her that. In fact, Clarke, whose memorable roles includes stints on THE OC, CSI, and more recently NIKITA, prefers to see her small screen alter egos as “misunderstood” in reaction to different challenges in life that may-or-may-not motivate them to be mean or a drama queen! Still not buying it? Take a look at what Clarke has to say about some of her most infamous roles for yourself, after the jump.

Lady Heather (CSI)
Melinda Clarke: On CSI it was very interesting because people always ask if I did any research to play Lady Heather and I say no because it was written by Jerry Stahl. Jerry Stahl was a TV writer who then wrote a book about himself. He was a writer on the show ALF, was a heroine addict, got sober, did Oprah and was eventually the subject of a movie, Permanent Midnight with Ben Stiller. Anyways, he was the one that wrote that very first CSI episode and anything I needed was right on the page and that’s very rare in television. It was so layered and it absolutely fit like a glove. When I got that role you get the material at 7PM at night and then you’re auditioning by 10AM the next morning and it was all there, the writing was just amazing.

Julie Cooper (THE OC)
Melinda Clarke: I think THE OC was an incredible lesson because it was a small role with a couple of lines in the pilot. With a role like Julie Cooper, I always like to do the opposite of what’s written on the page. So if she has a bitchy line, it’s done with a smile. What I realized on that show is that for the first time what I was bringing to work everyday was inspiring for the writers. In television the writers are everything and if they don’t write for you, you’re off the show. I don’t even know if my character was supposed to be around but all of a sudden they started writing for Julie Cooper and it got more and more humorous. [Creator] Josh Schwartz was just good at getting to know the actors and what would work for them.

Kelly Donovan (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES)
Melinda Clarke: I was brought on as a dysfunctional mother but she had her reasons for being dysfunctional. What they didn’t end up exploring [with the character] was that she was as succubus. They decided a few episodes in — as I was killing men left and right, the ultimate black widow — [Executive Producers] Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec called me in halfway through and said they weren’t going to continue the story. Not so much that it wasn’t working out, but they just felt like to explore the storyline they would want more episodes and since it was just the first season and my character was only going to be around for a few episodes, they didn’t see how they could resolve it. Television really is about the writers and how they’re inspired to write and if they see a storyline but don’t see how they can resolve it they end it or yank it very quickly.

“Melinda Clarke” (ENTOURAGE)
Melinda Clarke: I play a fictitious version of Melinda Clarke. In that show she drives a Ferrari and I drive a Prius and I think it’s confusing to people who think I’m married to Malcolm McDowell and going through hundreds of millions of dollars after a divorce, it’s not real! But I have such a good time doing it because it felt like the complete antithesis of say NIKITA which is like a comic book with heroes and villains. On ENTOURAGE you get to be funny, raunchy, relaxed and I’m sad to see it go. I told [creator] Doug Ellin that if he ever does another show like this he has to let me do it because it’s dramedy, which is one of my favorite things to do and I credit THE OC with teaching me that.

Amanda (NIKITA)
Melinda Clarke: At the beginning of the show [Executive Producer] Craig Silverstein said I want Amanda to be mysterious an enigmatic because once I go there I have to go there so they’ve purposely kept me in the dark. It’s clear that Percy is after money and power, where as it’s not so clear with Amanda. She might be a little bit more idealistic than any of us think. Ultimately she’s one of the smartest people in the room and a master manipulator but at the same time she’s still a human being. Last season everyone kept talking about how mean she was to Alex and villainous, but I saw her more as the ultimate tiger mom. It’s so funny, they tell us nothing and Maggie loves to tease me by telling me I’ve got some cool stuff coming up, and I’m like as long as it’s not outside in the middle of a cold winters night in Toronto! It’s very much an ongoing learning experience with the character.

Melinda Clarke can currently be found on NIKITA every Friday at 8PM on the CW (CTV Two in Canada) Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv

In a world where vampires and werewolves are natural enemies, Michael Trevino’s character Tyler Lockwood is an anomaly.  Having been transformed from mere werewolf to hybrid werewolf/vampire after ingesting Klaus and Elena’s blood, Tyler was ecstatic to find himself living empowered with the senses, speed, superior abilities of both supernatural species.  But as he should have surely known, there was a downside to becoming a hybrid – it enslaved Tyler to Klaus through a sire-bond that cannot be broken.
 
This bond was tested in last week’s episode ‘Our Town,’ when Klaus ordered Tyler to bite Caroline – which would kill her as a werewolf bite kills vampires.  Believing he still had his free-will intact, Tyler refused.  But it was to his horror when he discovered that the sire-bond was strong enough to act without his conscious choice, and as Tyler kissed Caroline in celebration of her birthday, he unconsciously bite her as instructed.  The mutual horror written across Tyler and Caroline’s faces reflected their devastation.  Tyler had unknowingly become the perfect weapon, against his will.
 
While Klaus may have spared Caroline, but offering his blood to cure her, that too will not come without a price.  For whatever Klaus bestows always comes at a price.   Plus, if Klaus’ birthday gift to Caroline is any indication, he may be seeking more than just another grateful ally in his desire to conquer the world.  Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but never when they come from a suitor with such nefarious designs.  It is not enough that Klaus stole Tyler’s free-will, he now seeks to steal Tyler’s girlfriend too?
 
At a special Q&A with press, star Michael Trevino provided candid answers and special insight as to what is going on with Tyler Lockwood on THE VAMPIRE DIARIES.
 

 
While Michael was careful not to spoil the fun surprises that lie in store for Thursday night’s episode ‘The Ties That Bind,’ he certainly gave fans a lot to think about as Tyler wrestles with the demons inside him, including the unwanted sire-bond which has a strangle-hold on his mind.
 
Whatever you do, do not miss the upcoming episode of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES on Thursday, January 19th at 8PM on The CW – for we are all dying to know what becomes of Tyler.  Will he be forced to leave Mystic Falls as per the agreement struck between Klaus and Stefan?  Here’s to hoping for a loop-hole that allows him to stay!

3:02PM: This afternoon’s panel highlighting the “Bad-Ass Boys of the CW” includes NIKITA’s Shane West, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ Joseph Morgan, GOSSIP GIRL’s Ed Westwick, SUPERNATURAL’s Jared Padalecki, HART OF DIXIE’s Wilson Bethel and RINGER’s Kristoffer Polaha.

3:05PM: “For the moment he has tunnel vision and a one track mind to get his girl Blair Waldorf,” says Ed Westwick when asked if he misses playing up Chuck’s devious side. “So hopefully we do see his devious side, the devil within.” Interjects RINGER star Kristoffer Polaha, “Wait a second, you’re British?”

3:09PM: Rather than answer a question about what’s in store for Sam in the second half of SUPERNATURAL’s seventh season, Padalecki jokes that he’s distracted by the enormous photo of a shirtless HART OF DIXIE star Wilson Bethel that is currently being projected on the screens within the hotel ballroom.

3:11PM: “I was shocked,” says Kristoffer Polaha, referencing not so much the shocking turn of events during RINGER’s midseason finale, but rather his inclusion on this “Bad-Ass” panel.

3:12PM: Does THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ Joseph Morgan ever worry that his character of Klaus might become too soft to remain on the show? “Yes, I do worry about the writer’s making him softer or too good,” admits Morgan. “But I think they can make him more human and relatable without taking away any of his bad-assness. I think it’s possible to be somewhat of a relatable anti-hero while still tearing out hearts and breaking necks.”

3:14PM: “I’m faking it,” says a half-joking Shane West when asked about the bad-ass fighting skills he brings to NIKITA.” Maggie [Q] is kind of a phenom, it’s just embarrassing how good she is at what she does so you kind of have to live up to those expectations. I spend a lot of time in the gym and at the gun range.”

3:15PM: “I’m pretty confident that it will be a bad sign for my career when they tell me to stop taking off my shirt,” says HART OF DIXIE star Wilson Bethel when asked if he expects to take off his shirt each and every episode. “I’ll take it that my time on the CW is short-lived. Thankfully, they told me to take the cowboy hat off which I don’t think was my look.”

3:16PM: Just where will Klaus’ soon-to-be-introduced brothers fall on the scale of bad-assness? Reveals Morgan, “They’re doing well, they’ve started to master the heart-pulling-out and neck-breaking but they haven’t been around for a few 100 years so they have a lot to learn about coming into the modern world.”

3:17PM: On what they like most about the characters? Following the original NIKITA film and television show, West is honored to get to take on that lore. Morgan relishes the sociopathic nature of the character and the idea that Klaus can be in a room and you never know what he’s going to do, “he could kiss or kill you.” Ed Westwick enjoys the money, “My character’s incredibly wealthy and money can get you into a lot of trouble which makes for some interesting shorelines.” Padalecki loves the hair, before adding on a more serious note that he loves that SUPERNATURAL has no boundaries. “I’ve died, gone to hell, been Lucifer, (Interjects Westwick, “I need to tune in!”). We’ve done everything, played different versions of ourselves and we have such a forgiving fan base. We do anything and they go with it.” HART OF DIXIE’s Wilson Bethel calls his character so much fun. While Polaha loves RINGER’s twists and turns.

3:22PM: When asked who they in real-life consider to be bad-ass, the discussion goes a wee bit off the rails:
Morgan: “Gordon Ramsay is pretty bad-ass.”
Padalecki: “Gordon Ramsay?”
Westwick: “I’m english and I don’t agree.”
Padalecki: “Paula Deen is more bad-ass than Gordon Ramsay! I hope this doesn’t sound like a pat answer, but I got to say our soldiers keeping us safe around the world.”
Morgan: “Now I feel like an idiot!”
Polaha: “I was going to say Tim Tebow, but then he brought up soldiers.”
Padalecki: “Not Tony Romo right now, I’m sorry, I’m a Cowboys fan.”
West: “For me growing up, one of the bad-asses that I liked was Michael Biehn. Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, that guy was a man.”

3:25PM: Padalecki believes his co-star Jensen Ackles should be on the “Bad-Ass Boys of the CW” panel, and would be, except that he’s busy working. Said Padalecki, “I’m here representing the both of us.” Adds Polaha, “But who would win in a fight?” Counters Padalecki, “Well, seeing as though he’s not here to defend himself… I’d totally kick his ass!” Jokes Bethel pointing to the door, “Ladies and gentlemen, Jensen Ackles.”

3:26PM: Morgan says Stefan (Paul Wesley) is perhaps a little bit more bad-ass than Damon at this point in the season. Also gives Daniel Gillies a shout-out claiming, “The whole throwing coins through windows, that was a neat trick.”

3:28PM: The panel’s “Awwwww” moment came in the form of Padalecki talking about his impending fatherhood. “I’m very excited, I hope it doesn’t bleed over to my work because I have a boyish excitement about it. I’m almost worried about it like I should be more nervous.”

3:30PM: Polaha takes out his wallet and puts $20 dollars on the table for the panelist who can use the word “Bad-ass” the most in answering the next question pertaining to which of them has the most bad-ass show.
Westwick: ” I get to shoot in New York which is the most bad-ass city in the world. Plus, I live in Brooklyn which is pretty bad-ass.”
Padalecki: “I get to play this action hero, fight for what’s right and every day get to do what I love so I think that’s pretty bad-ass.”
West: “NIKITA is based around that. The entire show is bad-ass. Action, guns, cars, stunts, it’s like being a kid again. A bad-ass kid.”
Morgan: “I came into the show late and what was so bad-ass for me was on a personal note how everyone just completely welcomed me into the fold. There is no reason why I needed to stay on the show past the initial four episodes, but we’re all like a big dysfunctional family and that’s why I love it.”

3:33PM:. When asked to recount a story of bad-assness in their real lives, Westwick says, “My criminal record is available online.” While Polaha recounts a crazy childhood story about his nine-year old self, some friends and a handful of leftover fireworks. Said Polaha, “I’m a reformed bad-ass and have been so for a long time.” Says Padalecki, “I always had the opposite definition, I always thought being a bad-ass was doing the right thing.” Jokes Bethel, “I was a bad-ass when I went to Church last Sunday! Bad-ass!”

3:37PM: After a journalist inadvertently outs Bethel as a poet (Fun Fact: He used to publish a literary magazine), Bethel attempts to reclaim his bad-assness by saying, “I only write poetry while I’m riding my motorcycle, smoking weed and chasing rattlesnakes!”

Photo credit: Joe Magnani/The CW © 2011 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

While Thanksgiving is an American holiday and perhaps not celebrated globally, this seemed like an opportune time to give a warm shout-out to 10 television shows for which I am thankful this year. 
 
One caveat, with the Year End 2011 Top 10 lists about to be unleashed from every corner of the TV blog-o-sphere which will trumpet and laud TV shows that are proclaimed to be the best-of-the-best, these are just a some of shows that consistently bring a smile to my face and make me glad that they created these glorious fictional worlds for us to enjoy.
 
DOCTOR WHO
While other children were perhaps raised on the likes of SESAME STREET, THE MUPPETS or some other childhood staple, in my family, we were raised amongst the wondrous world of DOCTOR WHO.  To this day, nothing makes me feel more nostalgic and thrilled to be a television viewer than watching an episode of DOCTOR WHO.  Even amidst the frequent transitions of lead actors and supporting characters, there is something truly engaging and addictive about a man simply known as The Doctor who pops up to invite everyday people to explore the universe with him.  The latest incarnation has introduced us to The 11th Doctor (magnificently portrayed by Matt Smith) and his companions Amy Pond, Rory and River Song (just as delightfully portrayed by Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and Alex Kingston).  This year toyed with our affections by daring to kill The Doctor and then invite us on a journey to solve the mystery of his death.  By the end of the season, the journey left us breathless and clamoring for more. 
 
MERLIN
Another British television series that managed to capture my heart is MERLIN.  The innocence and joy in which it tells the legendary tale of a young wizard and the boy-who-would-one-day-be-king just captivates.  The characters are brought to life by the talents of Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Anthony Head, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby and Richard Wilson.  The ensemble shines with affection and revelry.  Even amongst the darker-side of the rift arising as each embraces their epic destinies cannot quite eclipse all the fun the actors are clearly having in their roles.  The series offers everything you hope for and more in the retelling of such a classic tale.  It offers adventure, danger, romance all blended together with fun humor.  It makes for an awesome concoction that dazzles with each episode.
 
HAVEN
The Stephen King-inspired supernatural series nearly defies categorizing.  It is not quite a sci-fi series and yet not a horror series either.  It is a careful construction of supernatural infused with just enough mystery to make sure that viewers are glued to their TV’s on Friday nights.  The stories are mind-boggling as each addresses afflictions that are sympathetic and yet very destructive.  Seeking to explore the mysteries of what brought upon the “troubles” in the sleepy town of Haven, the intrepid trio of heroes, Audrey Parker, Nathan Wuornos and Duke Crocker (wonderfully portrayed by Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant and Eric Balfour) track down each person to either help mitigate their affliction or stop their deadly rampage.  The addictiveness lies within the hearts of the characters, and the appealing chemistry of the actors who bring them to life.  The series also offers both a dash of star-crossed romance and warm camaraderie woven through this dark tale of destiny.  It makes the diehard fans count down every minute between episodes wondering what the next chapter will reveal.
 
HART OF DIXIE
A surprisingly addictive newcomer to the television landscape is a little known dramedy that is slowly amassing a loyal following on Monday nights.  Spearheaded by the charming Rachel Bilson, as the lead character Dr. Zoe Hart, the fish-out-of-water tale of a New York surgeon who inherits a country medical practice from the father she never knew, is capturing hearts both on and off screen.  On-screen, the many men of Zoe Hart are enthralling viewers and the battlelines are being drawn for Team Wade (Wilson Bethel) and Team George (Scott Porter) – as the two primary love interests are being sized up.  It never hurts to add another hunky guy into the mix, namely in the form of Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams), ex-football pro and town mayor and sometime confidante of Zoe.  The warmth, humor and charm of the stories and characters make it a must-see TV show and one that more fans shall soon be discovering.
 
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
There is one thing THE VAMPIRE DIARIES does best and it is surprising viewers on a weekly basis.  The shocks and surprises never stop.  The show feeds on adrenaline and offers up a roller-coaster ride of jaw-dropping cliffhangers.  It also knows how to take its most villainous characters and make them redeemable – despite the fact that they kill without remorse and no desire to reform.  It relishes in the fact that its core characters are vampires and they are supposed to be bad and do shocking things.  But somehow we love them for it and ask for more.  Plus, it offers some of the most unabashedly romantic storylines amidst its high-octane and gorishly fiendish storylines.  What’s not to love? It’s got vampires, werewolves, witches and a healthy does of teen angst intertwined with sly humor – and it is very cleverly done. Kudos to the entire creative ensemble!
 
REVENGE
Speaking of guilty-pleasures, who has not raved about the other newcomer on the block, REVENGE?  Helmed by the luminous Emily Van Camp as the determinedly black-hearted villainous Emily Thorne seeking her revenge on those who destroyed her family, the show invites us to take the dastardly journey with her and love every minute of it.  Smart casting is the secret of this new show’s success.  As much as we want to hate the Graysons for their principal part in the evil deeds, it is hard to want to punish the likable characters with a softer-side, as deliciously portrayed by Madeline Stowe, Henry Czerny, Christa Allen, and Josh Bowman.  Then there are the Porter brothers, Jack and Declan who we feel for as they are caught in the cross-hairs.  Plus, as a longtime fan of the series ROSWELL, it is awesome to see Nick Wechsler in a leading man role.  So as hiatus approaches, it will be a long, cold winter break as we wait anxiously for our favorite dose of treachery to return.
 
ONCE UPON A TIME
Another series that completely stole our hearts and simultaneously makes them sing is the enchanting tale of Emma Swan, her long-lost son Henry and the magical world of Storybrooke, Maine.  It offers not just a plethora of heroes to root for, but even a few villains as well.  Like each of the shows listed above, casting is the secret ingredient.  Brought to life by the likes of Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas and Robert Carlyle, we fell in love with the fairytales of our youth all over again.  But in this fantastic reimagining, we get two for the price of one:  we get all our favorite fairytale characters and their real-world counterparts (well, as real as you can get in television).  The heart of the story lies in the complex dichotomy between the fairytale character and the real-world version.  Without the mirrored relationship, the Evil Queen would just be evil; but with the real-world persona of Mayor Regina Mills, the adoptive mother of Henry, thrown into the mix, the story becomes murkier and more intriguing.  Likewise with the mirroring of Snow White and Mary-Margaret, and Prince Charming and John Doe.  The show comes to life as we sit enthralled by the rich tapestry of stories and character and the dual lives unfolding before our eyes.  It is magical and we are hooked!
 
BEING ERICA
The Canadian drama about a young woman who embarks on unorthodox therapy through the use of time-travel is a well-known hit north of the U.S. border.  For the few of us who discovered this gem hidden away on American television, BEING ERICA is a treasured find.  Starring the appealing Erin Karpluk, the series scintillates with warm-hearted lessons on how to embrace the life we want and how we are not bound by the choices of our past.  The misadventures and many loves of Erica Strange are a fun confection of humor and life lessons.  Aided by her wise mentor Dr. Tom (Michael Riley), the time-traveling adventures backdrop an earnest story of a young woman persuaded to pursue her dreams, not matter how impossible and unattainable they may seem.  The exuberance and joy for life with which the show tackles thorny and sensitive subjects makes the show compelling and heart-warming.  If we all were so lucky to have such a chance to relive our own lives again.  But in the meantime, we celebrate Erica’s chance to live the life she chooses, bending fate to her will.
 
FRINGE
The dark, somber series about fractured timelines and alternate universes is unbelievably complex and mind-bending.  It has also slowly seduced viewers over the past 3 seasons into believing that such things are possible.  After all, how can we possibly live in a world without such wondrous people as Walter Bishop and Olivia Dunham?  The talents of Anna Torv and John Noble have been nothing short of extraordinary as we watched them seamlessly slip into the dual personas of their characters: Walter and Walternate, Olivia and Fauxlivia.  The heart-wrenching agony of the decisions they are forced to make and future dilemmas they must confront as the one man they love could bring about the destruction of two universes.  Walter’s son and Olivia’s love Peter Bishop (deftly portrayed by Josh Jackson) is the one person who should never have existed.  Yet in the course of this 4th season, he has managed to slip through the cracks in time and reappeared.  Similarly, the entire show has slipped into our hearts and found a home there.  We love spending time with these characters and are just as heart-broken over the choices they are forced to make.  When a show begins to feel this real, is it a wonder that the line between television and reality blurs?
 
HELL ON WHEELS
Last, but not least, the tenth show television show I am thankful this year is a sneaky one.  With some brilliant casting, some devilish characters, and an age-old story with which we all can relate, HELL ON WHEELS challenges us to embrace the Wild West once again.   But with only a handful of episodes under its belt, it has drawn us into a world where we care excruciatingly what happens next.  Will Colin Bohannon (Anson Mount) get his revenge against those who murdered his wife?  Will Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott) find a new home amongst the uncouth men forging the future?  Will Doc Durant (Colm Meaney) get his railroad built in time to make his mark in history? Will Elam (Common) find the equality he so desires as laws change faster than the hearts of men?  It only sounds like a familiar story, but with such enticing characters fleshing out the stories, we cannot help but be riveted. We desperately care about each and every character and want to see that they get their heart’s desires. If only all television shows were so quick to capture our attention and our hearts!
 
Television is all about entertainment.  A TV show doesn’t have to be the best show on television to be highly entertaining.  Each year award and accolades are heaped upon shows for their superior craftsmanship, but rarely do we single out the shows that simply invite us into a world, for which we are thankful to be a part of.  These 10 shows created worlds that I am incredibly grateful for and felt privileged to watch this past year. From the TARDIS to Camelot and all the way to Storybrooke, all these worlds have been my home-away-from-home and I have loved every second of it!
 
(NOTE:  Special mention should be made for the following shows:  CASTLE, THE GOOD WIFE, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, JUSTIFIED, THE CLOSER, LUTHER, SHERLOCK, DOWNTON ABBEY, DROP DEAD DIVA, GRIMM, THE WALKING DEAD, HOUSE, RAISING HOPE, COVERT AFFAIRS, SUITS, TEEN WOLF and AWKWARD. – all which deserve to be recognize for their addictiveness this past year as well. They too graced our screens and gave us something to be thankful for!)

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

If the success of Nina Dobrev, Shenae Grimes and Landon Liboiron have taught us anything, it’s that not all DEGRASSI stars are created equal. Yet what is it about the iconic Canadian series that has allowed so many talented young actors to successfully transition to bigger and arguably better things? No one is more qualified to answer that question than executive producer Stefan Brogren, who since graduating himself from the original series in 1989 has spent the better part of 10 years shepherding the “Next Generation” to infinity and beyond courtesy of what he calls the best theater school money can’t buy.

“I think it has a lot to do with the show’s caring environment that allows young actors to flourish,” admitted Brogren when asked what it is about DEGRASSI that has turned it into such a powerful star-making vehicle. “Our kids are getting a lot of education while they’re behind these walls that allows them to experiment. That and, we’re always putting these characters through hell which means they have to grow and they never get soft about it. We don’t want to keep these kids on a certain plain and they’re always trying to take it to the next level.”

It’s precisely that aforementioned ‘next level’ that has caught the attention of an entertainment industry on both sides of the border since the hit Canadian export returned to the airwaves almost a decade ago to the day [Fun Fact: DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION premiered on CTV on October 14th, 2001]. Thanks in no small part to the likes of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ Nina Dobrev, 90210′s Shenae Grimes, TERRA NOVA’s Landon Liboiron, not to mention slightly lesser known albeit equally talented actors such as Paula Brancati (BEING ERICA), Lauren Collins (SHARPAY’S FABULOUS ADVENTURE), Stacey Farber (18 TO LIFE) among others, it’s never been a better time to be a recent graduate of DEGRASSI. But just what does Brogren think about working on what many have characterized as Hollywood’s go-to farm system for up-and-coming young talent?

“If DEGRASSI is minor league, we’re a minor league that gets a lot of fans showing up at the game,” said Brogren. “I think a big part of our alumni’s success is that the show is not a star vehicle for one person, it really is a group activity in a lot of ways. We get them when they’re young where they have to learn to work with others. So if this place was an acting school, the one thing that they’re learning is to be giving to their other actors and I think that’s a big big thing that a lot of young actors miss is that there’s some give and take involved. They come out of here really well rounded people in a lot of ways and they’ve learned a lot of skills.”

One former student who graduated with top honors in acting [with a minor in representing Canada well] is Nina Dobrev, who parlayed three seasons on DEGRASSI into the starring role on a hit CW series that sees her deftly juggling romantic entanglements, bloody baddies and multiple personalities on a week-in-and-week-out basis.

“I remember when Nina came in and auditioned, I think half the thing we were looking for was someone who could play a gymnast or a cheerleader and she came in and started doing flips and stuff and that was how she actually won the role. At the time the role wasn’t big enough to define it as ‘Does she have to be a great actress?’,” recounted Brogren on humble beginnings of the artist formerly known as Mia Jones. “Nina came in really raw, I remember she had a couple of roles under her belt but she was a little ‘actor-y’ and within a year, even less, we saw ‘it.’ I think in the first couple of episodes even, Nina had a great work ethic and she just sort of blossomed.”

Which doesn’t always happen. For when it comes to DEGRASSI — a show that must constantly juggle story-lines for upwards of 10-15 series regulars per season — one doesn’t always get much of a second chance to make a first impression. And for every Dobrev, Grimes or Liboiron there are an equal number of students who for some reason or other failed to connect with an audience.

“We were really surprised [Where Nina was concerned] because it could have gone either way and sometimes it does. Nina was a beautiful girl back then but we see a lot of beautiful girls,” admitted Brogren. “Your story can disappear very quickly on this show if nothing’s happening with you and all we saw is we kept on wanting to work with her because she kept on wanting to work. She kept on pushing herself a little bit harder. ”

Co-star Cassie Steele, who will soon be returning to the small screen in the tentatively titled HIGHLAND GARDENS concurs, “You kind of already know where they’re going, it’s no big surprise that they’re where they are today, it’s what they set out to do. I feel like Nina, Shenae, Aubrey [Drake] were the most concentrated people and they just really went out to get it, we all saw it. Nina is just the hardest worker I have ever known, Shenae is really strong headed and will go after what she wants, and Aubrey has been making music since I met him 10 years ago. Their success is no fluke.”

Sums up Brogren in the parlance of the show that started it all, “They want those stories, as a character they want to get raped. That’s meat to an actor!”

Most Welcome Return: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, whose writers not only continue to amaze us with their seemingly never-ending array of methods in which to extract blood from an ever-expanding cast of beautiful people, but surprise us with jaw-dropping twists following some surprisingly unexpected vampire-werewolf-hookup-hawtness.

Understatement Of The Week: Upon finding out in front of a studio audience that his former fiancé — whom he’d been hoping to win back — had gotten engaged to another man, BACHELOR PAD’s Michael uttered, “I’m sorry, that’s super awkward.” He then added, “Really? Here, though, is where everyone… they find out? Even like a letter would be great, or an E-mail prior!” 
 
Reason 5,432 We Are Jealous Of “Real” Entertainment Reporters: Oh, to be part of the annual tradition in which press corps members compete against one another on an actual SURVIVOR challenge.
 
Easiest Way To Spot A Financially-Troubled TV Personality: Tune in to any of the REAL HOUSEWIVES franchises, where Adrienne Maloof is the latest “star” reportedly having money problems.
 
Couldn’t Happen To A Nicer Guy: Neil Patrick Harris — A.K.A. the guy we’d most love to hang out and drink over-priced cocktails with — got a much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Most Welcome Return Runner-Up: After forgettable stints on HELLCATS and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, THE SECRET CIRCLE finally gave QUEER AS FOLK’s Gale Harold the opportunity to do what he does best. Indeed, being bad has never looked so good.

Idea We Simultaneously Love And Hate: Apparently, The CW has decided that what the world really needs is a reboot of BEAUTY & THE BEAST (which we love) while adding, according to TVLine.com, “a procedural twist” (which we’re a little less in love with).
 
Proof That The Term “All-Stars” Needs A New Definition: For a show that has yet to produce a household name, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL seems awfully full of itself in dubbing this cycle full of also-rans as all-stars!
 
Oddest Tale: After Michaele Salahi — aka the female half of the party-crashing couple from THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF D.C. — went missing, her hubby called the authorities fearing she’d been kidnapped. Yeah, um, no. Turned out she’d run off with a member of the band Journey. In the infamous words of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’s Emily Litella, “Never mind.”
 
The “Mother, Make It Stop” Award Goes To… : Constantly emerging details about REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS’ Russell Armstrong. If ever there was a case of “too much information”, this is it.
 
Best Marketing Move Ever: The October issue of ?i?Playboy?/i? — a magazine that hasn’t been relevant since the invention of the Internet — features THE PLAYBOY CLUB star Laura Benanti and, as a tip of the change purse to the period in which the series is set, costs sixty cents. Grandpa’s everywhere are highly stoked.
 
Slipperiest Slope: Several CW shows will have banner ads for Google-lite, Bing, running across the bottom of the screen “three or four times” an hour. Worse, as if to give validity to the idea of taking people out of dramatic moments, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ executive producer Kevin Williamson will appear in an ad running during the show. Prediction: By the end of 2012, at least two networks will have ads on screen at all times during programs… and they’ll scratch their heads as to why viewers are tuning out.

RINGER Redux: And speaking of all that Bing-money the CW is raking it, would it have killed the apparently cash-strapped network to spend a few more dollars on the laughably poor green-screen visual effects on RINGER. We’re just sayin’
 
Best Recap: As RAISING HOPE prepares for season two, Fox released an adorable video featuring daycare provider/songstress Shelly (the charming Kate Micucci) crooning a tune that reminds current viewers of who’s who and serves as a perfect introduction to those who’ve never tuned in. (Now, you have absolutely no excuse not to watch one of the best sitcoms on the tube!)
 
Trend That Really Needs To Die: It is now impossible for any show to be canceled without someone, somewhere starting a rumor that it will get the big-screen treatment. No, they won’t. These stories exist for only two reasons: 1) Entertainment reporters ask the “Hey, star of failed show, do you think there will ever be a movie?” question in order to write a headline designed to draw in readers. And stars of failed shows answer the question as if there’s a shot in heck of it happening in order to keep their names in bold print.

How many dead bodies have you racked up in just 8 days?
JULIE:  I cannot answer that!  But that’s a good question.  I  just had to think about it for a minute.  [laughter]

So Damon broke Elena’s brother’s neck and now she’s going to be dating him?
JULIE:  Well, I think dating is a strong word.  I think the two of them have a strange and enticing chemistry.  And I think there is a question of why do we always go for the bad boys.  Why do we always go  for the bad boys?! I don’t know.  I don’t have the answer to that.  So we’ll see if we can distort that a little bit.  It’s funny ’cause she chose the good boy, but the good boy is a vampire — which is the opposite of one — so we’ll have to see.

So there’s going to be a switch up now because the good boy is not so good anymore and the bad boy looks like he may be just a little bit good.
JULIE:  Definitely Stefan, who we defined as our hero, is about to go down a pretty dark road and we don’t want to handle that too lightly.  We’ve seen that he’s really struggled when he goes to that place.  So we are going to make sure that we continue to see that struggle.  Damon, on the other hand, it’s kind of his fault and yet he wonders: ‘How the hell did I end up the hero? This is a bunch of bullshit!’  So he’s not going to be really happy about all that.  He’s now going to be kind of the reluctant and annoyed and exasperated hero.  So they have a nice role reversal.  They are not by any means swapping personalities because Damon is still Damon in his own way. But he’s still left behind. So he’s going to be stuck protecting the girl and protecting the town and all that.

Can you talk about the relationship that has come about with Klaus and Stefan?  Will it always be the puppet-master and puppet, or will their relationship evolve into something different?
JULIE:  I think if you look back at the scenes between Klaus and Elijah, you’ll get a sense of that dynamic with Elijah of course being the older brother to Klaus, but also being in his own way strangely controlling and deferential at the same time.  I’m going to be looking forward to seeing Klaus and Stefan’s relationship have an evolution that is not just, ‘I’m evil and you’re my minion.’  I think we can have some more fun with that.  So I’m hoping that the audience connects to Klaus and Stefan as an unlikely duo.

What about Alaric?  Is he going to step up and act more as a parent towards Jeremy and Elena since every parental figure in their lives has died?
JULIE:  They would certainly like him to.  But he spent a lot of time at the bar in the VAMPIRE DIARIES timeline between the end of Season 2 and the start of Season 3.  So he’s really going to be struggling with what his role is with these teenagers.  He really doesn’t want to screw them up and he himself is sort of screwed up.  But that’s part of his journey.  I don’t know.  He certainly spent a lot of time on the couch since we last saw him. When he’s not at the bar, I think he’s on their couch. They need somebody looking after them.  But he’s not so sure he’s ready to take that on.

Will this next season take the show closer in the direction of the book series incorporating more supernatural elements?
JULIE:  Yes and no.  Our mythology is coming a little bit closer to the books in that we are going to explore the history of the Originals and see how they ultimately and weirdly have connections to Mystic Falls that we were not aware of.  What we do not want to do and we have made a concerted effort to keep the show centered on psychological war and not have to constantly make it bigger, bigger, bigger.  Yet, as we said at the beginning of last season, ‘we’re not going to have rings of fire or anything’ and low and behold, there we were with rings of fire, which was great.  But when we started the season, we didn’t think we would get there by the end of it. So we don’t want to use that as our jumping off point in scope and size.  We want to pare it back down to the beginning to a good, suspenseful, character driven horror.  So hopefully that works.

Even though the show is entering its third season, do you still worry that it may be perceived as just another vampire show on the TV landscape?
JULIE: When we set out to start the show, the big concern for us and for everybody was that this would not be seen as a “Twilight” knock-off or “Twilight” rip-off.  We very much wanted to make sure we weren’t that and they choice that we made was that we would separate ourselves as much as we could given the source material and the comparisons  of the two series.  But we all the time have a moment where somebody pitches something that I think is original and fresh and brilliant and someone else in the room says, ‘oh, they just did that on TRUE BLOOD last week.’  And it sucks.  Even with THE SECRET CIRCLE this season, they have witches and it’s sort of like, ‘uh, don’t we have witches?’  But we have a very, very passionate fanbase who seems to love us, “Twilight,” and TRUE BLOOD, and they cannot get enough of any of them, so that’s great.  If all three of those things can exist in the same universe and everyone can appreciate it for what they do and how they do it, there’s room for all of us.

What can you share about the resurrection of the ghosts of Jeremy’s ex-girlfriends Vicki and Anna?
JULIE:  What we have is at the end of the season we have two dead vampires who were very important elements of Jeremy’s life making an appearance.  But we do not know what they are or why they are there, and that’s actually quite a lot of what’s happening this season — Jeremy is trying to figure out why his dead girlfriends and making the choice of maybe not sharing that with anybody and then ultimately deciding he can’t keep it to himself anymore, but not really wanting to open up to his current girlfriend that bringing her back to life has resulted in some visitation by his dead girlfriends.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES returns with new episodes on Thursday September 15th at 8PM on the CW (CTV2 in Canada) and stars Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Michael Trevino, Matt Davis and Joseph Morgan. Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

This just in: Caroline is planning a spectacular birthday blowout for Elena’s 18th — the likes of which Mystic Falls has never seen — and as luck would have it, you, yes YOU, are invited! To attend, simply turn your television to the much-anticipated third season premiere of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES on the CW this Thursday September 15th at 8PM and prepare yourselves for both sparks and perhaps fur courtesy of special guest star David Gallagher (pictured above), to fly. Until then, feel free to busy yourself with a sneak peek at the easy-on-the-eyes guest list, courtesy of some first look photos posted after the jump.

New episodes of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES returns to the CW this Thursday September 15th at 8PM on the CW. Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv