Though the writers have remained somewhat faithful to the novel, there will also be significant differences. For one, the character Angie (Britt Robertson) survives the dome's descent, unlike in the book. But will Under the Dome stick to King's original ending? "We pitched Stephen a far-out, big-swing idea for - if we're lucky enough for this to go several years - a different ending, and he was really excited by it and so generous to say, 'I wish I thought of it. That's killer,'" Vaughn says.
Mega Buzz: How will Under the Dome be different with Angie around?
While the first season will run just 13 episodes, the producers have already planned future seasons. "We will learn a great deal about the dome by the end of the season, but maybe not all of the answers," Vaughn says. "Lost succeeded because people cared about those characters so deeply. The mythology is sort of an added bonus."
"I had this sense that this was kind of like a new Twin Peaks, because you know how everyone was stuck in that little place, but you really got into the characters and mysteries were unfolding," Baer says. "That was what resonated. This is very different from that show, but it takes that kind of element and the roots of CBS with Twilight Zone and puts it together in a new fresh way."
