Aaron, you have a reputation as being a master of the great nighttime soap opera. Can you tell us the ingredients that go into making something like this that will engage viewers?

AARON SPELLING: Having done "Dynasty," "Savannah," "90210" and "Melrose Place," I think this show has something special to it. Shows today have to have a sense of humor, even a little sense of camp. We can't play like we did "Dynasty." We can't play like some of the old series on television.

YASMINE BLEETH: We're not expecting to be taken for the most serious show on television when you have in our clip, "Please don't touch my makeup." It's Joan Crawford, Bette Davis 20 times over. That's what we're going for. We're hoping for that reaction [laughter]. If everyone was silent, then we'd be worried.

VICTORIA PRINCIPAL: I'm in complete agreement with Aaron and Yasmine. Chuck Pratt put it on the page, and then we brought it to life. We want you to laugh. This hasn't been labeled a "dramedy," but on the other hand, it very well could be. We're entertaining.

AARON SPELLING: I don't remember any humor in nine years of "Dynasty," literally any humor at all, unless you consider Joan and Linda in the mud piles fighting. That was about as funny as it got. There was very little humor on "Melrose Place." Victoria is right. It has changed. It has changed so much since "Dallas."

Victoria, could you talk about any hesitation you had about taking on a role in another part-time soap having been in one for so long?

VICTORIA PRINCIPAL: I did hesitate. I have not done a series since I left "Dallas," by choice. When I was first approached about "Titans," I declined because I did not feel that I wanted to go back to a primetime hour series as a life choice. NBC approached me, and then Aaron and I changed my mind.

They made it very clear to me about the kind of show it was going to be, the kind of character it was. I'm 50 years old, and I love the idea that I'm going to play a 50-year-old woman on television, that we're not going to pigeon-hole me and make me play someone younger. She's going to be a 50-year-old woman with a full life. This is the new 50, and I like that.

The part convinced you to do this?

VICTORIA PRINCIPAL: Not just the part. Have you ever heard anyone say no to Aaron?

AARON SPELLING: My wife lots of times.

Perry, what is the appeal of this kind of drama, having done "Melrose" and now coming on board to this?

PERRY KING: The main appeal for me of this show is working with Aaron again and with Victoria, honestly. Those two people made it something I wouldn't miss for anything in the world. This character that I play is a terrific character. He's a guy in charge of what's going on in his life, at least he thinks he is, and he is tough. He knows what he wants, he's grabby with both hands and he's going to pay the price for it. I couldn't be happier being on a show with all of these people in the cast and crew and Chuck Pratt.

Perry, you grew up in an upper-crust family and you've played a lot of rich people. Some really, really bad rich people and sometimes, evil rich people. What's your view of the way rich people tend to be portrayed on TV, and where does this guy fall in it? Does he fall in the middle?

PERRY KING: Yes, I think he is naive at times. He's self-made, so he's different from some of the other rich people that I've played in the past, like "I'll Take Manhattan." But like that show, this character has an edge to him, a selfishness, a determination to get what he wants that's very appealing and enjoyable to play. It's not so much being rich, but it's interesting to watch characters that are driven. It's fascinating to watch people that force things to happen the way they want them to. That's very much this character that I'm playing.

Casper, what is your take on the show? Why would you tune it in? What do you find appealing about it?

CASPER VAN DIEN: Victoria Principal and Yasmine.

Specifically, what do you like about the show ?

CASPER: It's just fun. It's exciting. I'm playing a Navy pilot and I give up my commission, and that's what I saw my father do -- he gave up his commission to go home and be with his family. It's neat when you grow up and see your dad in uniform, and now I'm at home with my children and they're getting to see me in a uniform on TV. It's appealing because I see how my family gets excited when they see me on TV and see me once a week now as opposed to waiting and go to the movie theater.

Casper, when you were growing up, did you ever watch Catherine [Oxenberg], your wife, on "Dynasty" and in your wildest dreams did you ever think that you would end up on a show of the same ilk?

CASPER VAN DIEN: I never watched "Dynasty" in my life. I watched a lot of sports, and I watched "Star Trek." I watched different shows. I don't know what was wrong with me. (laughter)

Yasmine, what TV vixens do you draw from for your very manipulative character?

YASMINE BLEETH: Well, I don't know if I should admit this or not, but I didn't really have to draw from anybody. I've been lucky enough to be working in television for a long time now, and I've always been cast as the good girl, high moral virtue, the girl-next-door. This role, I love it. When Aaron gave me the script, he asked, "So, do you have any questions for me about the character?" I was "No, not really, I get it." I think this part is in every woman. Every woman has this character in her.

Could you elaborate on some of the vixen-like qualities you have?

YASMINE BLEETH: Well, I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child and I'm a mother.

AARON SPELLING: In that order.

Mr. Spelling, with Yasmine's character, how much more underhanded and conniving are you going to make her?

YASMINE BLEETH: Who is underhanded? I didn't know that being underhanded and being conniving were related. You sleep with 100 or 200 men and everybody judges you. Unbelievable. (Laughter.)

AARON SPELLING: I think you'll find that she's also going to have sensitivity on the show. I don't think anybody would just play it the same way all the time.

YASMNE BLEETH: I was hurt when I found out. I was very hurt. (laughter)

Victoria, could you talk about your character, Gwen's, relationship with the nephew? It seems this might be the show's effort to humanize things a bit.

VICTORIA PRINCIPAL: Out of all of the characters, Gwen is the most grounded in reality. Gwen, as the matriarch, must be grounded so that what is going on around her works. In terms of the nephew being brought in, it's bringing in another aspect of human relations, the interaction. It gives Gwen, a chance to be openly maternal on the screen with a younger child, since my children are all in their 20s. We will see what happens as the character grows.

AARON SPELLING: We have outlines that Victoria hasn't read yet where Gwen gets very strong and angry. You cannot run over Gwen, as the rest of the people will find out in the show. But there's also something -- when you bring in a 15-year-old kid who is the son of her sister, and her sister died and this kid is left alone by an abusive father, and he's confused and he's never been in a house or place like this, it's the most touching dialogue I've ever read in my life.

Mr. Spelling, how big a character is Beverly Hills in this show?

 AARON SPELLING: I think audiences love, love to see that rich people have as many problems as they have and more. They love to laugh at rich people's problems. I think that was one of the biggest successes of "Dynasty," and that's the only thing that duplicates "Dynasty." Beverly Hills has very, very, very little to do in our show. It was the easiest way of saying to the fans this is a rich community. These are very wealthy people.