Entertainment

‘Under the Dome’ EP talks biggest summer hit in 21 years

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SEE ME, FEEL ME: Britt Robertson plays Angie McAlister on “Under the Dome,” the CBS summer hit executive-produced by Neal Baer (inset). (
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Since its late-June debut, “Under the Dome” has been impervious to viewership erosion.

Not even the fact that “Dome” has been blacked out on Time Warner Cable in New York City — during TWC’s ongoing squabble with CBS — has affected “Dome,” the highest-rated summer show in 21 years, regularly pulling in between 10 and 11 million viewers.

“I think [the blackout in New York] might account for a couple tenths of a [ratings] point,” says “Dome” executive producer Neal Baer, whose long resume includes stints on “ER” and the “Law & Order” franchise. And he has a ready answer when asked what sets “Dome” apart from its many now-forgotten summer-show predecessors.

“It’s everything. It’s always a combination of elements,” he says. “It’s like when I worked on ‘ER’ and ‘Law & Order SVU.’ We had an incredible cast and took a fresh look at a subject. ‘Under the Dome’ is a parable for our times — it’s about sustainability and the threat of humanity’s extinction.”

Based on Stephen King’s best seller, “Dome” tells the story of Chester’s Mill, a New England town literally cut in half by a mysterious, invisible dome. The series stars Dean Norris (Hank from “Breaking Bad”) as “Big Jim” Rennie, a power-hungry local elder with a shady past and a weird link to propane — just one of the many townspeople who are hiding a melange of deep, dark secrets.

And with only four episodes to go before its season finale — “Dome” returns for a second season next summer — Baer promises that all questions will be answered, and others raised.

He’s especially pumped about this past Monday night’s episode, in which new character Maxine (Natalie Zea) took center stage.

“She’s going to have a huge impact since she has control over Big Jim and Barbie [Mike Vogel] and knows their secrets,” he says. “She has the potential to wreak havoc and that will certainly be played out.

“I promise you that next week, all questions that were raised about the propane, Duke [Jeff Fahey], Big Jim, Dr. Peter Shumway [R. Keith Harris] et al. will all come to fruition,” he says. “We’ve been saying we will answer these questions, and we will — but we’ll also have other issues popping up.”

And can we expect any new characters next season?

“Sure,” Baer says. “There are 2,000 people living in Chester’s Mill, so no one is safe.

“We’ve got some big surprises.”