Many viewers (and critics) wondered just how many seasons CBS could squeeze out of its limited series, "Under the Dome." Recently renewed for a second season, one of its stars says the producers have always had a plan beyond Season 1.
"From Day 1, [executive producers Brian K. Vaughan and Neal Baer] had envisioned it as a three-season show," Jolene Purdy, who plays tech wiz Dodee, told TheWrap.
"When you go into projects you can't look at it as limited, you have to dive into it wholeheartedly to be true to the writer's vision," she continued.
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Forget about three seasons — Purdy is just thankful that her character has survived this long. Apparently, the show's source material, Stephen King's novel of the same name, didn't give Dodee much time in the bubble.
"It's crazy," Purdy said. "I started reading the book, and like 60 pages in my character dies. This is a spoiler for the book if you haven't read it. Junior kills my character. So when I was on the plane and packed for six months to live in North Carolina for the show, I asked my manager, 'Six months? Are you sure it's six months? She dies like 60 pages in.' But the book was a great jumping off point for the series."
Even the cast had no idea what the next week would bring to their characters. Scripts were doled out weekly during shooting. "We got scripts at the last minute," the actress told TheWrap.
"Now, it's fun to watch viewers, because it's similar to what we went through each week."
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Currently, Dodee is running Chester's Mill's only radio station and a radio receiver that provides some information from outside the dome. She's also keeping Norrie (Mackenzie Lintz) and Joe's (Colin Ford) dome-related seizures secret, against her better judgment.
"She is keeping a secret, but more will be revealed," Purdy teased. "She's a little Nancy Drew with her machines. She knows a lot of information, and what she doesn't know she'll find out. She's going to find her way out of the dome, I'm sure of it."
And while there is a guaranteed second season of the show, Purdy said that viewers will get some closure this season.
"I know that there's some kind of resolution within the power struggle, and a key question is answered," she said. "There are answers. There's some kind of winding up."
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With production wrapped on the CBS summer series, the actress who has appeared on Fox's "Raising Hope" and "Glee," as well as played the recurring role of Mandella on ABC Family's "10 Things I Hate About You," has her sights set on changing it up during the hiatus.
"It was fun being in sci-fi land, but I come from comedy," she said. "I think it will be fun to be a little less frightened and tearful and a little more cheerful."
"Under the Dome" airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.