"The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons is set to answer your questions right here on Season Pass and we couldn't be more thrilled to get to know him better.

We're expanding our Q&A series to include actors and we're starting with a thesp whom we at Variety are big fans of. Parsons plays neurotic, socially challenged scientist Sheldon Cooper on CBS' hit sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," co-created by Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre.

My colleague Brian Cochrane and I were lucky enough to attend a taping of "Big Bang" last night on the Warner Bros. lot. Parsons and the entire cast are every bit as talented as we expected, reeling off the show's special brand of peculiar, rapid-fire scientific dialogue with very few dropped lines or re-takes.

Although we love the whole cast, Parsons has been a particular favorite of ours ever since we saw the pilot episode. He seemingly came out of nowhere - at least he was not on our radar - and became an instant star. He has great comic timing, excels at physical comedy and, let's face it, he's adorable.

If you're a fan too, this is your chance to learn more about this intriguing actor. Be clever and please don't ask things that you could learn from a simple search of his IMDB bio.

Here are the rules:

1) Hit the comment button below and ask your question. You have until Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.
2) You may ask more than one question but we are looking for quality, not quantity. Asking more will not guarantee that you'll see your queries answered. In the spirit of fairness, we try to give plenty of folks a chance.
3) Read through the other comments to make sure you're not repeating something that's already been asked.
4) On Friday, Nov. 7, I will have coffee with Jim and present him with the 20 best questions. He's agreed to answer between 10 and 20.
5) Visit Season Pass on Wednesday, Nov. 12 for the answers.
6) There are no restrictions on what you can ask but keep in mind actors are not always privvy to future story arcs.
7) Any change to this schedule due to unforseen circumstances or conflicts with Jim's schedule will be updated right here on this post.

Have fun and thanks for reading Season Pass. While you wait for the answers to this Q&A, please read our completed sessions with showrunners from your favorite series. Check out the menu there on the right for links.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

P.S.

We have lined up a Q&A with "Big Bang's" co-creator Bill Prady. So if you're a real fan of the show, keep checking back. We're aiming for late November or early December on that one. Bill had some fascinating stories about the show's development process, which we'd love to share with you.

If you fondly remember sitcoms from your youth, you've got to check out Sony Picture's The Minisode Network.

The Minisode Network takes those classic shows, like "Married With Children," "Diff'rent Strokes" or "Who's the Boss," and edits them down to 5-minute adaptations without losing any of the story. I especially enjoy revisiting "What's Happening."

Today, in honor of Halloween, The Minisode Network bowed the "Oedipus Hex" episode of "Bewitched," one of my favorite series from childhood. Check it out here:

The Minisode Network is available via Sony Pictures’ Crackle.com; YouTube; MySpace; Hulu; AOL; TidalTV; on mobile at Verizon Wireless’ V Cast Video and SprintTV; and direct to Sony BRAVIA TVs via BRAVIA Internet Video Link.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

It's been years since I've watched "Saturday Night Live." Years. Of course, for the last month or so I have been catching online videos of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.

But the hosting stint by "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm lured me in. And he was funny, folks.

I especially enjoyed the skits "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women" and "Two A-Holes at an Ad Agency in  the Sixties." The latter -- with a nifty assist from "Mad Men" cohorts John Slattery (who lives in New York) and Elisabeth Moss (who's starring in "Speed-The-Plow" on Broadway) -- was a clever spoof on the Carousel pitch from the "Mad Men" season 1 finale. I wonder if those would have been as funny for viewers who don't watch "Mad Men." Other Hamm highlights included a brief bit as the ghost of JFK and an amusing imitation of James Mason appearing on Vincent Price's Halloween spec.

Our "Mad Men" hero even made the most of the pretty dumb "Jon Hamm's John Ham" (I laughed out loud at "Feel stupid yet?") and managed not to embarrass himself on the really lame Pat Finger campaign ads (don't ask). Of course, the fact that he's so darn cute doesn't hurt.

Unfortunately, the non-Hamm skits only served to remind me why I don't watch the show anymore. The laughs are just too few and far between.

Variety's TV blogs have unofficially turned this into "Mad Men" weekend. There are a couple of "MM" posts over at Cynthia Littleton's On the Air blog, here and here. And we'll be recapping the season finale there shortly after it airs. And there's Season Pass' own Matthew Weiner Q&A here.

Apologies to those who don't watch the show. But, you know, you really ought to. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't. Tonight is the "Mad Men" season 2 finale so we promise we'll get back to talking about other shows, or at least "Friday Night Lights" and "The Office," this week.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Two of Season Pass's favorite TV actors - "Entourage's" Jeremy Piven and "Mad Men's" Elisabeth Moss - are starring together in Broadway's revival of "Speed-the-Plow," David Mamet's satirical dissection of Hollywood and the movie business. The three-hander also stars Raul Esparza.

Variety's crackerjack theater critic David Rooney gave high marks to the show, especially the cast. You can read his review here.

One good thing about cable's shorter seasons is that the actors have time to spread their wings in other projects and ply their craft onstage. I don't know who originated it, but there's a saying about actors that film makes you famous and TV makes you rich, but theater makes you better.

Well, we already think Piven and Moss are pretty great. In fact, this casting has moved "Speed-the-Plow" right to the top of our Broadway must-see list.

It’s going to be legend … wait for it … ary.

“How I Met Your Mother” creators-exec producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas (pictured at right) have awesomely agreed to answer your questions right here, as part of Season Pass’s ongoing Q&A series.

We’re big fans of the witty, quirky and romantic comedy that has built a devoted following on CBS and introduced both the Barney Stinson lexicon and popstar Robin Sparkles to hipsters everywhere.

As “HIMYM” hits the middle stretch of its fourth season, fresh twists abound, including the collapse of Ted and New Jersey-ite Stella’s wedding plans and the apparent return of Robin into both Barney and Ted’s romantic sphere. The questions surrounding just who the titular “mother” will ultimately be are again percolating.

It’s clear that everyone involved with the show puts in a great effort to make every episode pop, and we’re looking for Season Pass devotees to do the same with their questions. In other words, let’s not ask about things you can find just by going to the show’s Television Without Pity recap or Wikipedia.

Here are the guidelines:
1) Click on the comment link below and leave your question by the end of Sunday, Oct. 26.

2) Check other people’s comments so you aren’t repeating a question that’s already been asked.

3) It’s OK to ask more than one question, but doing so won’t boost your chances of seeing questions answered. In the interest of fairness, we’ll give plenty of folks a chance to weigh in.

4) On Tuesday, we’ll choose the best questions to present to Carter and Craig, who will then answer at least 10 of them.

5) We’ll post the answers on Monday, Nov. 3, giving you all a chance to read the responses before watching that night’s episode.

6) Of course, if there are any changes to the posting schedule due to unforeseen circumstances or conflicts, we’ll keep you informed  right here.

Have fun and follow the guidelines and we won't need an intervention.

— Brian Cochrane

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Being a “Mad Men” obsessive, I've read a lot of interviews of the show’s creator Matthew Weiner over the last couple of years. So when I sat down to breakfast with him last week to go over readers’ questions, I expected someone a little uptight, single-minded, perhaps a control freak. This is what many of the profiles had led me to believe of the man. What I discovered was, as you would expect if you watch the show, a man who is incredibly intelligent, passionate about 1960s America and fascinated with human behavior. He also has many traits you might not expect: he’s very funny, extremely sweet and surprisingly soft spoken. He’s somebody I’d love to hang out with more. I found him endlessly fascinating and entertaining. And, although the interview was all about him, he spent a lot of time asking about me, my background and my family and my parents’ experiences growing up. I suspect he does this with everyone he meets and I’m sure the information he learns informs his writing.

If you’ve been paying attention, you already know that Weiner wrote the “Mad Men” pilot eight years ago, before his stint as a writer-producer on David Chase’s HBO masterpiece “The Sopranos.” Earlier in his career he was also a writer on the Ted Danson comedy “Becker.” As “The Sopranos” was coming to a close, Weiner shopped the “Mad Men” pilot around town, was famously turned down by HBO, and eventually sold it to AMC, which was just wading into the original series waters. What a way for the network to start!

He speaks quickly and in a stream-of-consciousness kind of way, which I’ve tried to capture in transcribing his answers. I hope that will give you an essence of what it’s like to have a conversation with him. You’ll find that he not only answered the questions completely but he went above and beyond, often exploring tangents that were not part of the original question. You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck in this Q&A, I promise. (Although there is one question that gets a one word answer!)

As I write this, AMC has exercised its option for a third season of “Mad Men,” the show that has captured the imagination of the country. Weiner and Lionsgate, which owns and produces the show, are still negotiating his deal. So, our show will return. Let’s just hope it still has its genius at the helm.

And with just one show left to air this season – Sunday’s season 2 finale – here is what Weiner had to say:

Q. How much of the Don Draper story did you have in mind when you wrote that spec script? And do you know now how the series ends? — Cynthia
A. I sort of know how the series ends. I don’t know if I have a very good ending to it yet but I sort of know how it ends. In terms of Don’s backstory, I had all of it. Here’s the interesting thing: I had written a movie about this character. I’d gotten to page 80 and I’d only covered a fraction of his life. It was called “The Horseshoe.” Actually the hobo story was in there, and the thing with him bringing his own body home (from the war) and a lot of his childhood and things that you’re still going to see (in the last two episodes of season 2) were in there, things you’ll find out about. And there’s way more to be mined. And on some level it was a story that imitated writers that I love - Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Irving.

And I had all of that. And when I wrote “Mad Men,” and AMC said “Where does the series go?” I went home and looked for my notes about “Mad Men” and I came across the script (for “The Horseshoe”) and started leafing through it. Now this was a script I wrote – “Mad Men” is eight years ago – this is a script I wrote eight years before that. I wrote it before I had my first job. After I got married this is what I worked on for a year. And I got to the last page of the script and it said “Ossining, 1960” and I said “Oh my God. That’s who he is.” I loved John Cheever and those writers and that’s why I picked Ossining.

I told Jon (Hamm, pictured with Weiner above) the whole story before last year started. He was the only one I told, except for the producers, of course. And I told Jon about the brother and how the genealogy works and what kind of childhood it was and where he was from. There were a lot of these people. It’s an American story. You know mountain (folks), or whatever it is, coming to New York and shedding the whole thing. That’s the American dream on some level. Even though I didn’t finish the movie I did know where it was going. And I feel lucky to have that consistency and the audience can see that it’s not just being spun as it goes along.

The "Mad Men" Q&A with Matthew Weiner will post by Wednesday. As you might imagine, his answers were so in depth and so detailed, I've had difficulty finding the time to transcribe them. I'm working on it. I promise you the wait will be worth it.

In the meantime, you can amuse yourself with the stellar recap by my colleague Cynthia Littleton over at her On the Air blog.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

There's something about "Project Runway." The contestant I like never wins. Ever.

Last night Leanne Marshall won season 5, continuing my trend in this, the show's weakest season creatively to date.

I thought Leanne's collection was gorgeous, it's just that I was pulling for Korto, who also put on a lovely show.

Oh well, I suppose Leanne deserves it, if only for using "sustainable" fabrics. I guess that proves she's forward-thinking. I just hope that maybe next time she has a show she'll run a comb through her hair. If you want people to buy your clothes, you have to show a little flair for style.

And thank God Kenley and her bad attitude were elimintated first. How that woman thinks she'll ever be able to run a business acting like a spoiled child is beyond me.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Interesting item on Yahoo today about the Metacritic ratings for new fall shows. Metacritic is a web roundup of entertainment reviews, which is owned by CBS Interactive. Thus they are quick to point out that CBS led all networks in their rankings.

Much like our panel of TV fanatics, Metacritic rated ABC’s time-travel cop drama “Life on Mars” highly. It was also a hit with viewers.

Here are Metacritic's top 10 shows, followed by each show’s Metacritic score. (Read the fine print* for how the scores are compiled.)

1. Life on Mars (ABC) 78
2. Sons of Anarchy (FX) 68
3. The IT Crowd (IFC) 68
4. Fringe (Fox) 67
5. Easy Money (CW) 67
6. The Mentalist (CBS) 65
7. True Blood (HBO) 64
8. Worst Week (CBS) 62
9. The Ex List (CBS) 62
10. Little Britain (HBO) 61

Our Season Pass panel only viewed network, not cable shows. (We have yet to complete ratings for CBS’ “Eleventh Hour” or NBC’s “Crusoe” but I’m pretty sure neither of those will rank highly based on the ratings thus far.)

Our top 5:
1. Privileged (CW)
2. Life on Mars
3. Fringe
4. Worst Week
5. 90210 (CW)

*Metascores range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better overall reviews, and lower scores indicating less favorable reviews from critics. The Metascore is considered a weighted average because Metacritic assigns more significance, or weight, to some critics and publications than to others, based on the overall stature and quality of those critics and publications. In addition to critical reviews, entertainment enthusiasts can also voice their opinions by submitting their own ratings and reviews. By providing a weighted Metascore and an average consumer score for each release, Metacritic helps consumers make informed decisions about how to spend their entertainment dollars and time.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

"Mad Men" showrunner Matthew Weiner will be answering reader questions right here on Season Pass.

By now you've probably all gotten a sense of just how much we at Season Pass, and Variety at large, love this show. Check out our analysis and recaps at my esteemed colleague Cynthia Littleton's On the Air blog. I am very excited by this opportunity, as I hope you are.

With a show this intricate and attentive to detail, I am expecting some really creative and clever questions from you all — something beyond "Jon Hamm is really hot. What's it like to work with him?"

So there you go, you've been challenged.

Here's how it works:

1) Click the comment button below and leave your question by Tuesday at midnight.
2) Read through the other comments so you aren't repeating a question that's already been asked.
3) You may ask more than one question but that won't boost your chances of seeing your questions answered. I try to be fair and let lots of folks have a chance.
4) On Wednesday I will choose the 20 best questions to present to Mr. Weiner, who will then answer at least 10 of them.
5) On Monday, Oct. 20 I will post the answers.
6) Any changes to this timeline due to unforeseen circumstances or conflicts with Mr. Weiner's schedule will be added to this post as necessary.

Thanks for participating and have fun!

P.S.

There is still time to get your questions in for the "Friday Night Lights" Q&A before the Friday deadline.

And be sure to check out our previous Q&As with "Desperate Housewives" top dog Marc Cherry and "Ugly Betty" boss Silvio Horta.

Upcoming Q&As include the showrunning teams from "Lost" and "How I Met Your Mother." Stay tuned for details and added shows.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

The "Ugly Betty" Q&A is ready! Silvio Horta has responded to your questions and the answers are below.

I sent him all the compliments that preceded the questions and they made him very happy. He received all of your questions and he chose the following ones to answer. (I requested that he answer at least one Gio question since so many of you seemed to be interested in that character.) In some cases, similar questions were combined.

You won't find a sweeter guy in Hollywood than Silvio Horta. He never has a bad word to say about anyone and he's very humble. His family and his culture are very important to him. He's very proud of his show and I'm sure he'd want to thank all of you for watching. (I love this picture of him from last year's Emmys with all his girls.)

And I would like to thank Silvio for his time because I know he has very little of it to spare. I'd also like to thank each of you for participating and waiting so patiently for the answers. And here we go…

Q. How closely are the characters in Ugly Betty based on the other Betty show around the world?
— James
A. "Ugly Betty" is based on the Colombian television show, "Yo Soy Betty La Fea," which roughly translates to "I am Betty the ugly one." Of course Betty's character resembles her Colombian counterpart, but in personality she is vastly different. This comes from cultural differences, my writing choices, America Ferrera's acting choices, and so on. The shape and premise of the series is the same, but the characters, their stories, their voice, etc. are different.

Q. Do you still use the green screen process since you've moved to New York and do you find filming in the actual city takes more time than in the studio with the special effects? — Lynn
A. We may occasionally use green screen effects in episodes, but we don't use them to simulate New York anymore. Filming exterior scenes in New York, for instance, is much easier and rewarding now.  The city is a pleasure to work in and with and our shots come out more beautifully than we could have ever faked in Los Angeles. Part of this is because when we had to use N.Y. in the background while filming in L.A., we still had to use actual background footage shot in N.Y., and filming the actors in front of a green screen instead of a real environment added a layer of artificialness that was difficult to overcome. Now that we can film the actors in the actual N.Y. environments in which the show is set, the payoff is exponentially satisfying.

Whenever the new competitors for "Amazing Race" (or "Survivor," "Big Brother" or any other returning reality competition for that matter) are unveiled, you can easily envision how the producers and casting directors worked out the potential mix of personalities. ("Let's see, we need two teams of screwed-up couples. Gimme a nerd herd, at least a couple of hotties with issues and throw in a mother-son act. Oh, and don't forget the zany siblings. Also, be sure to give us some bonded bad boys.")

The thing is, I'm pretty sure that most of the teams on "AR" don't have a clue which category they're in. Certainly, the dysfunctional teams never seem to think they're dysfunctional. If they did, they'd knock it off, wouldn't they?

The part that, yes, amazes, me is that the dysfunctional doofs usually thrive -- at least in the race's early going. Episode two finds the socially and emotionally challenged in top form:

Update: Sorry everyone. Jason's been slammed producing the last episode of the season. He hasn't had time yet to respond to your questions. I hope to post them next week. Thanks for your patience.

"Friday Night Lights" showrunner Jason Katims has generously agreed to answer fan questions exclusively here on Season Pass. The person who asks the question Jason deems the best will win the Season 2 DVD set.

"FNL" returns to the air tonight only on DirecTV. In a Hail Mary pass from NBC to the satellite provider, our amazing show was saved to live another season. In a unique shared window setup, all 13 episodes will air on DirecTV's channel 101 starting tonight and then begin airing in February on NBC. I'm thinking NBC should have plenty of open spots on its sked by then, based on their new shows I've seen so far.

I've seen "FNL's" first episode and I can tell you it matches the quality we've all come to expect. The writers, directors and cast, especially the phenomenal Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler, are all still at the top of their games. The time lapse between the last episode of Season 2 and this first episode of Season 3 has been handled deftly. You will quickly be caught up with everyone's lives.

Here's how the Q&A works:

1) Leave a comment with your question between now and Friday, Oct. 10.
2) I will choose the 20 best questions and email them to Jason who will then answer at least 10 of them and hopefully more, depending upon his availability and the complexity of the questions.
3) Check back on this post for updates on when you can expect the answers -- I'm shooting for Wednesday, Oct. 22. Again, it depends on Jason's schedule.

Things to keep in mind:
1) Read through the comments to see what others have asked so we aren't getting the same question over and over.
2) You may ask more than one question, but I am going to spread the wealth so I will probably only choose one question per person to submit to Jason.
3) Nothing is off limits, Jason said, but giving away future plot points is always an iffy proposition. Ask wisely. Remember this is your chance to delve into the creative process of one of the finest shows on television.

Fire away. And enjoy the show tonight (if you have DirecTV).

P.S.

See the Marc Cherry/"Desperate Housewives" post here, which kicked off my Q&A series.

Future Q&As include "Ugly Betty" showrunner Silvio Horta (who has the questions in hand already); "Mad Men" showrunner Matthew Weiner, later this month; and "Lost" honchos Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse. Keep checking back with Season Pass for more. And I'm open to suggestions for shows you like to see included.

— Kathy Lyford