amanda righetti

See what we found while investigating the set of 'The Mentalist.'

What do you get when you cross Simon Baker's devastatingly charming smile with a vengeful serial killer on the loose? Ratings gold for CBS, or as you probably know it, 'The Mentalist.'

The biggest (OK, only) breakout hit of the fall TV season, 'The Mentalist' has already garnered the People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama" and reached heights of close to 20 million viewers -- becoming the only freshman series to top Nielsen's weekly primetime ratings since 'Desperate Housewives' first debuted in 2005.

AOL TV visited the set at Stage 14 of the Warner Bros. lot in L.A. to interview the show's stars Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman and Amanda Righetti and creator Bruno Heller. Keep reading to see what they think makes the show so successful and to find out more about the CBI offices. -- By Maggie Furlong

As someone who was a regular watcher of The Guardian, it makes me happy to see that the star of that show is coming back to the home screens. Simon Baker will star in the CBS drama The Mentalist. The pilot has been given the go-ahead by the network, which mean Simon could be back on the schedule by next fall (if the show is picked up).

The Mentalist sounds like it should be something like a Kreskin extravaganza, but it's not. Instead it's described as the story of Patrick Jane, a man with heightened skills of observation who uses his talents to solve crimes.