'The Event' Cast Completely Confused by Own Show

(Sept. 10) -- During the runs of "Lost" and "24," loyal fans were left confused -- and wanting more -- episode after episode. But in television's latest mystery series, "The Event," it's the actors who are in the dark.

All summer long, TV audiences have been bombarded with cryptic commercials on NBC asking one seemingly simple question: "What is 'The Event'?"

Well, on Sept. 20, we'll supposedly start finding out the answer as "The Event," a time-jumping conspiracy thriller, finally hits the tube. It will air Mondays at 9 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. CDT.

But before you turn off the TV to avoid getting sucked into years of confusion and disappointment at the mercy of a network program all over again, consider this: You'll know more about "The Event" within minutes of watching the premiere than some of the show's own stars will EVER know.

Kind of boggles the mind, doesn't it?

According to "The Event" star Scott Patterson, formerly of TV's "Gilmore Girls," the new series is a complete and utter mystery to the actors involved in it, including himself.

Patterson told AOL News that in order to keep the secrecy on set, none of the cast members are allowed to talk to each other about their plot lines or scripts.

"We're not supposed to tell our co-stars any part of what we know about the show. We're each given little folders with personal information about our characters and that's it," Patterson said. "So I know certain things [about the plot] that others don't and they know things that I don't."

Patterson said the confidentiality surrounding the new TV thriller is so "intense," the cast and crew often hold "strategy meetings" to make sure everyone is keeping quiet.

"The producers have a big master plan and they don't want anyone to mess it up. They've poured a lot of assets into this thing, so the level of security around it is like the CIA," Patterson said.

To keep things under wraps, the actors are assured that the cast will "find out information as the fans do" throughout the season, so no one is ever in a position to spill the beans to the viewing public.

Patterson said being a part of prime time's next big secret is exciting, and he plans to keep it that way. He hasn't bribed any of his co-stars for their side of the story yet and doesn't think he'll be swapping secrets with anyone on set anytime soon.

Another cast member who's remaining tight-lipped is Bill Smitrovich, who plays U.S. Vice President Raymond Jarvis on "The Event."

He told AOL News he "thinks" there will be plenty of "red herrings and real villains" on the series, but couldn't confirm any of the juicy stuff, like who, why or when.

He could divulge, however, that his veep character is a man of action, and hopes he turns out to be like his favorite real-life vice president, Theodore Roosevelt.

"I hope my guy is not like Spiro Agnew or Dick Cheney. I know for sure that I don't hunt or embezzle money," Smitrovich said with a chuckle.

Actress Taylor Cole is also keeping mum about what she knows -- which is only about her own character.

"This is the hardest secret I've ever had to keep," she confessed.

She knows that the entire season has already been "mapped out" by producers, so if any cast members really don't understand a part of their plot line, there's an "Event bible" floating around on set to address some of their burning questions.

"It's a reference tool, just in case," she explained.

Co-star Zeljko Ivanek -- known for his Emmy-winning work on television's "Damages" -- may need to sneak a peek at that "bible" sometime soon. He admits he can't figure whether he's playing a good guy or a bad guy on "The Event."

"I don't know if I'm good or bad. They're keeping me in suspense, but I'm sure I'll figure it out down the line," Ivanek said. "I don't know if viewers could handle me as a good guy. After so many years of playing bad onscreen, they wouldn't even recognize me!"

Although it's clear that this series will keep viewers guessing, the show is also promising a lot fewer headaches than some of its prime-time predecessors, like "Lost" and "24," gave puzzled fans.

At the San Diego Comic-Con in July, executive producer and creator Nick Wauters promised the public answers to the show in a timely fashion, vowing not to drag out the big question of "What is 'The Event'?" any longer than necessary.

Writer Evan Katz -- formerly head scribe for "24" -- echoed that promise and said key questions will be answered very quickly "within the first few episodes" so as to not confuse or alienate viewers from the get-go.

Katz said everything about "The Event" is designed so that fans "don't feel frustrated or ripped off" -- or as if the writers don't know what they're doing.

"We're spooling out some mysteries, but not stringing people along," he added. "We trying to be smart and good to the audience to keep people guessing in a fair way."

Only time -- and viewer rants on the Internet -- will tell if "The Event" stays true to its word.