Bestselling author Stephen King says the idea behind putting a clear dome over a small town in his book-turned-CBS series Under the Dome was to highlight what is going on in the world today, he tells Anthony Mason in an interview for CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH Charles Osgood to be broadcast June 30, 2013 (9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.
In the series, the fictional town of Chester's Mill is suddenly encapsulated by a clear dome that does not allow anyone in or out.
"It sort of came to me that if I could put a dome over an American town, it would be a microcosm for what's going on in the world itself, where we have finite resources and we really have nowhere to go," King tells Mason. "I like the idea of a small town, too, because people have got that 'Waltons' vibe, where everybody knows everybody. And I thought, well, if you put people under pressure, what happens then?"
King tells Mason Chester's Mill is modeled after the Maine town of Bridgton, not far from where he spent five years. He says when he wrote the book, he knew exactly where the dome would come down.
In a wide-ranging interview, King talks with Mason about his writing, what inspires his work and his thoughts on movies made based on his books.
King also discusses with Mason his role in the production of Under the Dome and what it means to be called an executive producer. "Well, I think it means that I will be a nice guy and give them pretty much carte blanche when it comes to taking my situation and expanding it," King tells Mason. As an author selling stories, he does keep some control, however. "The idea is I get to have right of first refusal over actors, writers, directors. And I hardly ever use those. I've hardly ever had to because everybody wants the same thing," he says. "They want to do good work."
Mason's interview with King will be broadcast June 30, 2013. CBS SUNDAYMORNING is broadcast Sundays (9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. Rand Morrison is the executive producer.
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