We have more ABC titles on the way, too. Check our Hulu Days of Summer calendar to see what’s new each day this week; we’ll also post clues to the next day’s content each weekday on our Twitter and Facebook pages. (You can also check the Twitter feed on the main Hulu Blog page for clues if you’re not on Twitter or Facebook.

Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

Hulu: You were 13 when you took the role of Jeff Stone on The Donna Reed Show.
Paul Petersen: We started in 1958. I had my thirteenth birthday just as we got started.

How did you get the part?
I had worked quite a bit in some pretty high-profile projects before The Donna Reed Show, movies like Houseboat with Cary Grant and Sophia Lauren, and some pretty big TV shows like Playhouse 90. Donna Reed was aware of my work, and I had worked at Columbia Pictures before. So when I came in to read for the part, they knew my work and had confidence in me. As it happened, they had five boys and five girls that they wanted to cast, and Shelley Fabares and I were hooked up, and we had the brother-sister act down. So we won the parts and went on from there.

What’s it like having a renewed interest in the show — for instance, seeing it on Hulu?
I love it. First of all, I’m very proud of the show. All eight seasons deserve their reputation as classic television. And frankly, just because of the impact on the culture, I enjoy having people watch these shows to see how good television used to be.

Do you have any fun memories from the first season?
Of course. It was a great beginning. A lot of my memories are of in-between times. I loved doing the show because I had a delicious part. Playing the pesky little brother was me, was exactly me. The dialogue was crisp, I was working with smart and talented people, and it wasn’t hard work. It was fun. Establishing what amounted to a lifetime relationship with Donna Reed, Carl Betz and Shelley Fabares, was really one of the most enjoyable aspects of the work.

And was Donna Reed as perfect in real life as she was on television?
Well I won’t call her perfect, but she was a most interesting gal. I’ll tell you a quick story about my first day: My grandfather, Burr Jones Luce, was also born in Iowa, as was Donna Reed. But of course, he was quite a bit older than she. He insisted on taking me to work my first day, and he walked right up to Donna Reed — the star, the boss, the Academy Award winner — and he looked her right in the eye and said, “Donna Belle Mullenger, I knew your dad.” I was mortified, of course, but Donna, who was in fact born Donna Belle Mullenger in a small town in Iowa, just loved it. It was home; it was “Oh good, I’ve got an Iowa kid here.”

What are you up to these days?
I run a foundation of former kid stars called A Minor Consideration. That pretty much occupies my life, although the second part of this is my work with seniors across the country. I take this stuff very seriously and get a lot enjoyment and satisfaction out of the work.

What are you doing with seniors?
I actually have a television show here in Los Angeles, called Aging in L.A. for the Department of Aging. That work, it’s just an extension of the work I do for children because the stereotypes that attach to seniors are very much in evidence when I work with them. There are a lot of issues this society needs to address — there are 80 million baby boomers. They started turning 60 in January 2006, and there’s a boomer turning 60 every seven seconds.

And one last question, which episodes from Season 1 are your favorites?
The boxing lesson ["Pardon My Gloves"] is probably No. 1, but the Christmas show with Buster Keaton is probably No. 2.

As I was considering what to say at our thank you session for Peter, it struck me how so many people across so many industries have such consistently high levels of respect for Peter. His teams respect him. His competitors respect him. His peers respect him. I suspect that Peter’s enemies, assuming he has some, even respect him.

But why do all these people respect Peter?

I can speak for Hulu and only Hulu in this respect. Peter once said that he learned long ago that it was never his or his teams’ job to protect existing businesses. Instead, the job was to maximize existing businesses while at the same time ensuring that seeds were planted and nourished for new businesses that could thrive in the future. So few leaders successfully pull off this combination which has defined Peter’s career to date. Why? For starters, planting seeds and nourishing those seeds is often hard, thankless work. The whole process takes way too much time for most leaders (3, 5 or even 10+ years). It is risky, uncertain and filled with a fair bit of failure. It is easy to criticize those who plant seeds, and there’s rarely any positive notoriety in those early stages. And yet Peter Chernin insists on planting seeds, because he knows that the rewards are atypically large over the long term for those who have the discipline to do so.

At Hulu, we recognize how lucky we are to have an uncommon leader like Peter Chernin associated with our crazy team. For the past two years, Peter has been making time to come over to our offices to help this company grow. He’s as comfortable coming over to our offices and sitting on the floor during a team meeting as he is with leading the charge at one of the top entertainment companies in the world. And on top of all that, Peter happens to be one of the truly “good” guys around.

Our respect and thanks to you as a leader, Peter. We look forward to sitting on the floor with you during various team wind-downs in the future.

Jason
CEO
jason@hulu.com

In honor of Peter’s Fox & News Corp tenure, we decided to place Peter’s Hulu jersey in the Hulu Hall of Fame, which some others might call the wall of our lobby.

Peter sharing his thoughts with the team on the genesis and future of Hulu.

Celebrating Hulu-style, complete with plastic glasses and a cake whose appearance leads me to believe our CFO made it.

Peter Chernin (front row 3rd in from the right) and the company he and Jeff Zucker put into motion.

As always, please consult your doctor before beginning any new fitness regime.

What makes these exercises great for someone looking to shed pounds for the Summer?

Cindy Whitmarsh: Summer is all about tank tops and bathing suits, and my workout is specifically designed to sculpt and tone your upper body as well as your core. My workouts are effective muscle conditioning; they’re easy to do and demand results. You don’t have to be coordinated to follow, and if you are consistent with the workout, you will see results. If you want to look hot this summer, this is a great way to get in shape fast!

How much time do these workouts require?
My tank top workout is only 20 minutes.

To get that bikini body quickly, what sort of cardio do you recommend to supplement these workouts?
If you want fast results, I would recommend adding at least 20 to 40 minutes of cardio activity four to six days a week. My favorite choices to achieve fast results are jump rope, stairs, running or fast walking.

Do you have nutrition recommendations to complement the bikini body makeover plan?
I am a nutritionist. Diet is 70 percent of how your body looks and feels. If you truly want fast results, you much achieve a healthy diet on a regular basis. My tips to a clean diet are:

1. Eat five to six small meals a day, including a mix of complex carbs, lean proteins and good fats.
2. Be moderate about simple sugars, alcohol and sodium.
3. Drink more water: 90-128 ounces a day. Get rid of soda and sugary drinks.
4. Take an essential oil supplement and a multivitamin daily.
5. Keep a food log daily to track your habits and keep you motivated!

Tell us about your workout. What makes it so effective?
My Tank Top Arms workout is fast but effective. I am a busy mom and don’t have all the time in the world to work out, so my workouts need to be quick and also demand results! The exercises I chose target and tone the entire upper body, but I also focused on balance and core training, so the workout is multifunctional and complete. For example, when I am working my biceps, I will add in a knee lift creating core training by throwing off my balance. It’s absolutely important to constantly work on balance and posture because as we get older that is the first to go. My workout stresses form and upper back exercises to help improve posture and strength. I believe it’s a complete upper body workout that’s easy and fun to do.

What is the secret to bikini body makeover success?
Consistency and time with my workout, cardio, and proper nutrition is the perfect combination to ensure your new bikini body! Make sure you are always changing up your additional cardio to continue to change your body. The last thing is to make sure that the weights you are using for my workout are heavy enough. You should reach muscle fatigue at the end of each set and repetition per muscle group. Don’t be afraid of bulking up — we need enough weight to be able to create muscle and sculpt and tone our bodies.

Good luck and have fun!
Cindy Whitmarsh

We have more titles coming your way this week: more movies, classic TV and a cult-favorite series that offers a creative take on the afterlife. We’ll be revealing clues each weekday afternoon on Twitter and Facebook; follow us or become a fan to see if you can guess what’s in store.

Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

In last night’s Philanthropist opener, a man tells his life story to a bartender — and apparently, it’s too good to be true, since she doesn’t believe a word he says. The story? He’s Teddy Rist (Rome’s James Purefoy), a billionaire playboy who was stranded in Africa after slogging vaccines through the jungle.

The role is inspired by an actual philanthropist, Bobby Sager, who puts his money and power to good use by helping others all over the world. But rather than just provide solutions, Sager believes in creating a sense of dignity for the people he’s helping, and “the best way for them to have dignity is through them creating a situation where they can either create a business or have jobs that generate income and also benefit others,” said executive producer Tom Fontana in a recent teleconference. “Bobby’s line to me when I met him was, ‘Yeah, you can teach a man to fish, but if you teach a man to fish, he’s going to eat his fish. But if you teach him how to package the fish and market the fish and ship the fish, he can also get some potatoes and some meat and other things.’ At his heart, he’s a capitalist, and this is true for Teddy Rist, trying to fix the world in an innovative way.”

“This wasn’t a series that used Africa as a backdrop or it wasn’t just nice scenery, it was about those people, right there on the ground,” said star James Purefoy on the same teleconference. “Those are the people we were engaging with on a very, very personal level. And so a lot of the philosophy of the series shot through us, as well, so that we would try and make sure production left things for people and improved their lives.”

If you’re in the mood for some wizardry and a taste of Camelot, check out Merlin, a retelling of the warlock’s story starring Anthony Head (best known here as Giles from Buffy) as King Uther Pendragon and Colin Morgan as a young Merlin.

But this is no stuffy Arthurian tale: “It has romance. It has thrills. It has spills. It has beautiful photography. It has stunning sets, beautiful costumes, and it’s a great thing to watch,” said Head in a recent teleconference. “And you do kind of wonder why it hasn’t been done before.”

This new spin on Merlin approaches the legend with some action and special effects, but also with a sense of humor, too. “As soon as you hear the name Merlin, the immediate sort of image that pops into most people’s heads is a little guy with a beard or with a little serious guy,” Morgan said in a teleconference. “[I had] the opportunity to play Merlin like it’s never been seen before … with a quirkiness and a clumsiness. It’s my first time as a knight.”

Like what you see? Subscribe to the series to have the latest episodes added to your queue automatically, and join in on the discussions to share your thoughts on our new primetime heroes.

Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

We’re also proud to announce the online premiere of Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot on Hulu, a riveting look at eight top high-school basketball players as they prepare for an elite matchup on the playground courts of Harlem’s famed Rucker Park, what many consider the Mecca of basketball. If you’re a hoops fan, you may recognize some of the players featured: Four of them are pros — Jerryd Bayless (Portland Trail Blazers), Michael Beasley (Miami Heat), Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Donte Green (was with the Sacramento Kings) — and another two, Tyreke Evans (Memphis) and Brandon Jennings (playing in the Italian League), are participating in the NBA draft tonight. (Kyle Singler will remain at Duke; Lance Stephenson starts college in the fall).

But even if you aren’t a fanatic about the sport, the stories of these up-and-coming players will captivate you, as will the footage of the Elite 24 Classic game in Rucker Park. A week ago, Hulu spoke to director Adam Yauch (of the Beastie Boys) about the film; while we were at it, we also asked him about the Beasties’ forthcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee, due out in September.

And if you enjoy Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot, you may wish to check out another basketball documentary, Hoop Dreams — a favorite with the Hulu team. It’s available on Hulu until June 28. — Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com), Editor

Hulu: One of the challenges that many independent filmmakers face is getting clearance to use music in their projects. Yet you were able to get music from The Game, Ludacris, Jay-Z and M.I.A. How did your standing in the music industry help you leverage a great soundtrack?

Adam Yauch: It was definitely tricky because of the budget of the film. I definitely had to reach out to a lot of people. My management company helped out a lot, reached out to a lot of labels and publishers and artists. And I was definitely texting and calling people right down to the last second, when I was mixing the film even, texting artists and saying “Am I keeping this in the film, or am I taking it out?” and “How are we doing this?” But for the most part, people were very supportive and helpful in getting it done.

Can you tell us about Rucker Park? What was it like shooting there?

It was definitely cool, going up to the Rucker to shoot and see the game. You know, there’s great energy up there. There’s great energy that comes from the crowd, and good honesty, too. You have people screaming things out. There’s a lot of heckling going on. It’s definitely an interesting atmosphere to be around.

And you played basketball with the guy who organized the Elite 24 game seen in the film, right?

Yeah, we used to play ball together.

Did you give it up or …?

No, I still play, but actually he hasn’t been playing these days. He messed up his knee and hasn’t been playing lately.

There’s been a number of documentaries about basketball — particularly Hoop Dreams. How is “Gunnin’” different from other docs?

I think it’s a snapshot of that period of time. It’s really like a look at where the world of elite high school basketball is in the late summer/early fall of [2006]. I think it’s interesting. It’s definitely different than Hoop Dreams in that sense. Hoop Dreams is an amazing film, but that’s a different time.

Do you think you ended up capturing the essence of Rucker Park, it being a Mecca of playground basketball?

Yeah, I think somewhat. I think it does get a bit of background, to give somebody a sense of it. You get a sense of what it meant to these kids to go out and play there, kids from all over the country. It meant a lot to them.

Speaking of the kids, how did you choose the particular set of players featured in the film?

They were recommended to me. I kind of wanted to get kids that were diverse in terms of their backgrounds, geographically, where they lived. I also wanted to kids that would probably be successful and make it into the NBA. My original plan was to do profiles on eight of the kids and pick five to use for the film, but I ended up really liking all of them and using all eight in the film.

And since that game, five of them went on to play in college. A few of them are already pro.

Right now four of them are in the pros, and there’s two that could make themselves eligible for the draft. I think one of them, Brandon Jennings, is definitely going to make himself available for the draft this year. And with Tyreke [Evans], I’m not sure if he’s going to stay in school a little longer. [Editor's note: Evans announced his eligibility shortly after our interview with Yauch, he is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft.] I wouldn’t be surprised if all eight of them ended up in the NBA if you look a few years from now. Lance Stevenson, the youngest one, who was 15 when we shot the documentary, is just going to be starting college [this fall].

Has he said where?

Memphis or Arizona, but he hasn’t declared.

With many of the players, we see how supportive their families are, of course. But what surprised me was how some of their neighborhoods came together to help the boys out. How did you see these communities come together?

It’s definitely interesting to see how much it means to everybody in the neighborhood, and to see how much people are rooting for them. It was really interesting being around that, getting to shoot and go to the different places and see the kids and all their friends. It’s cool to see.

Are you going to be watching the NBA Draft?

Yeah, I’m going to check it out. Last year, I actually went to the draft, the first time I ever went there. It was great to see a bunch of the kids going into the NBA, which is an amazing thing to watch. It’s just crazy because it’s something they’ve been striving for most of their lives, most of them since they were very young kids. And to see that happen … The fact that they’re sitting there, and they don’t even know what city they’re going to be moving to. They’re sitting there, waiting to find out where they’re going to live, who their coach is going to be, and who their friends are going to be. To see that happen, it’s pretty wild. And there ares trades going on while it’s going down … I mean these kids are basically going to go home and pack their bags and move to Minneapolis, or San Francisco, or Boston, or New York, wherever, in the morning. It’s pretty wild.

What about the nicknames — “Doo Be Doo,” “Pay Up,” “Be Easy” — they get on the playground? Do they end up sticking around after the competition?

Yeah, a lot of times the nicknames stick with them. Bobbito [Garcia] is great. He was the announcer. He’s definitely a classic at coming up with nicknames for people. And obviously, you see in the film, it means a lot to the kids, to get a nickname. It’s important to them.

I loved Shampoo — that was the best nickname of them all.

Yeah, that killed me. I was laughing so hard. “Sham-POOOO!”

“Gunnin’” isn’t your first foray into directing — you’ve directed a number of Beastie Boys videos (”Ch-Ch-Check It Out,” “Intergalactic,” “So What’cha Want”). Do you prefer being behind the camera, or in front?

Honestly, I think I kind of prefer being behind it, directing. In some ways, when you’re directing something and you know what needs to get done, sometimes it’s just easier to jump out from behind the camera and just do it, rather than try to describe something.

The Beastie Boys have been in the spotlight lately as you’re performing at festivals and shows. What’s it been like up there on stage?

It’s fun. We just did a couple of shows. We played at Bonnaroo, which is a big festival in Tennessee. That was a lot of fun. We did a couple shows leading up to that. It’s been nice to go out and play.

Can you tell us something about the new Beastie Boys album you’re working on, Hot Sauce Committee? Are you trying any new sounds, anything like that?

Yeah, it’s been just kind of experimenting around the studio. A lot of it is us playing instruments, and sampling ourselves playing. We’re making some records.

You recently reissued a digitally remastered Paul’s Boutique. Can you believe it’s been 20 years?

I know. It’s weird, right?

What was it like revisiting that album?

It was cool. Some of the stuff sounded better than I thought it would; some sounded worse. Some of the music, some of the tracks, like “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” is definitely cool; the music track on that. And “Hello Brooklyn” — some of the music tracks are really strong.

For a new clue tomorrow, follow Hulu on Twitter (twitter.com/hulu). Or become a fan of Hulu on Facebook: visit facebook.com/hulu and check for clues on your activity feed each afternoon. We’ll reveal the titles on the Days of Summer calendar page in the morning.

Enjoy the game,
Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

From Web Therapy’s Lisa Kudrow:
A few years ago Dan Bucatinsky (producing partner, great writer and actor) and I were asked if we wanted to “come up” with something for the Internet, a web series. My answer was immediate and definite.

“No. I do NOT have any ideas, nor do I feel like ‘coming up’ with one, thank you.”

Later I thought, “Why would I want to come up with some sitcom idea that would be broken up into 5-minute segments for the web? I don’t want to do that… Anyway, if it’s on the web, it should be something about the web to justify how short it is… Oh! You know what could be funny? A person thinking it’s a good idea to practice therapy like on iChat for 3-minute sessions. That’s the dumbest thing in the world!”

All right, so I now I did have an idea. Dan thought it was funny and was being pursued by Lexus to discuss ideas. They offered to underwrite the production and we didn’t have to strategically place a Lexus SUV Hybrid somewhere inside the therapist’s office. That was good. Their content producers, Intelligent Life Productions, said we had complete creative freedom. Huh. You don’t get that … ever.

Don Roos (ridiculously talented writer and director), who works with us on certain projects, offered to work on creating it with us, writing the outlines with me for the actors to improvise off of, and he said he would DIRECT them.

So Don and Dan guided me and the 15 episodes into a layered exploration of our therapist, Fiona Wallice, and her almost pathological need to self-promote and blossom her new 3-minute “treatment modality.” As the season unfolds, we see this questionably credentialed Fiona manipulate clients to serve her ego, her interests and her ambition to hook wrest development funds from her former employers at Lachman Bros., where she was some kind of mid-level investment finance person.

To cast it, I asked some favors, and a lot of actors want to work with Don and Dan (as do I), and I think that’s how we got Jane Lynch, Bob Balaban, Tim Bagley, Rashida Jones, Drew Sherman and Patty Guggenheim. Dan, of course, we already knew we could count on.

So that’s how it got started, even though you didn’t ask. Well then, to anyone who’s still reading … now it’s on Hulu which is great, because even I watch Hulu, so that means everyone else has been watching for a while now. In Internet time, “a while now” must mean a week and half?

Soon, you’ll be able to see more of Season 2, which gets into Fiona’s personal life as she struggles with her marriage while still carrying on her shameless attempt at self-promotion. For this second season we have Julie Claire, Dan Bucatinsky returns, Steven Weber, Courteney Cox Arquette and Alan Cumming. Yes, it’s an exciting cast and we’re very lucky. We also have a couple of surprise appearances that — never mind, you’ll see.

We actually got good reviews from THE New York Times and THE Entertainment Weekly and THE others. We hope you like the “award-winning” Web Therapy . Yes, it’s already an award-winning show — I mean, web series. — Lisa Kudrow

Need some free advice from Fiona Wallice? Email your questions for the therapist to askfiona@hulu.com by Monday, June 29 and we’ll ask her to answer some of our favorites here on the Hulu Blog. Look for more Season 2 episodes of Web Therapy next week and into July.

Hulu: Can you tell me a little about Lance Clayton, your character in World’s Greatest Dad?
Robin Williams: [He's] a writer with aspirations of writing a novel. He teaches poetry at a small private high school. I think it’s a private high school, or maybe a public school that has uniforms. And he has a very kind of tough son who’s fairly rough.

Yes, I saw the trailer and clips. He seems like he’s pretty difficult.
Yes, I think “difficult” is a better word. Thank you. He requires tough love and I try and give it, but I don’t know if I’m working very well at it. Kind of the opposite of Dead Poets Society.

Speaking of, I was going to ask — this isn’t the first time you’ve played a teacher, for instance, you did Dead Poets Society …
This one might be called “Dead Penis Society.”

Was your character already a poetry teacher in the script, or is that something you added?
No, no, he was already an English teacher. He has a poetry class that’s somewhat popular, but barely holding on, and they’re about to shut it down because of school cutbacks. I guess it’s the principal who says, “Your class isn’t very popular.” And I say, “Neither is poetry.” But it’s the idea that teaching it is kind of an optional class. He loves it, but not many people are attending.

What draws you to these teacher-type roles?
What drew me to this role was working with Bobcat and the father-son relationship. Teacher roles, this one — he’s not exactly the most successful teacher. So that’s why it’s a view of the other side of the coin. He’s an unpublished writer, too, so he’s got a lot of you know premise envy going on.

In the film, you and your son butt heads over Bruce Hornsby, so I wanted to ask, do you really like Bruce Hornsby?
Actually I do. I really like his music. It’s very sweet. I’ve been listening to it because I’ve been putting together a CD with some of his songs. I love a lot of his instrumentals especially. They’ve got a very Southern gentility about them, which I kind of love. The songs are very sweet and, I don’t know, they’re kind of melancholy when you listen to them. Maybe that’s just my state of mind. But I do, I do like him.

How much of the role was scripted versus what you brought to the character?
It was very well-written. … There’s no percentage. Given the fact that most of the players were friends and family, we’re real easy with each other, so we know we can go off on it. Especially the boy playing my son [Daryl Sabara], who’s really great at improvising, because we would try stuff and Bob would say, “OK, go a little further,” and we did. Which is rare, but when you have a director that you know that well, you feel safe enough to go “Sure, I’ll do it. Let’s try this.”

Do you think Lance is the “World’s Greatest Dad?”
Hardly. He’s a work in progress. I think he needs a lot of work, but he loves his son dearly and tries to do the best he can. It’s nurture versus nature sometimes, and he’s trying. Being a single dad, too, he’s got a lot going on. But he’s a dad, and all that implies. He has flaws, and obviously his son is pretty exacerbating. His son pushes the envelope a lot. [Lance] tries to be loving and kind and supportive, but at the same time going, “You’re a prick!”

How long have you known Bobcat?
Oh my god, 30 years, I think.

And what was it like working with him?
Wonderful. He’s a really brilliant guy. We have one image of him basically doing that one character he used to do in his standup years. [Makes whining noise.] You know, Bobscratch Goldfarb. But if you’ve seen his other movie, Sleeping Dogs Lie, you never see him shy away from unusual premises. He’s really knowledgeable in film and he’s, I think, a very good writer, too. So I think it was a great combination. And also I have total trust in him. Because as a friend, I went, “OK, let’s try this.” It was one of those movies where it was so simple. It’s kind of like working with Gus Van Sant. You don’t have to worry about anything, you just do it. We shot in Seattle and that also felt very comfortable because it was supposed to be based in Seattle. We weren’t in Vancouver pretending to be L.A.; it’s all in Seattle in a sweet, small, strange neighborhood. It felt great to shoot there and be part of this cast of people who, like I said, are mainly friends and family, so it’s even more comfortable. It borders on being a documentary that way.

That sounds really nice.
Oh it is, it’s really kind of… I don’t know. I think Bob is like Cassavetes. He gets together a group of people that know each other and are really comfortable with each other. You can try stuff, especially if you’re doing stuff as weird as this — you have to be comfortable and not feel like, “Um, what are we doing here?” You know what you’re doing.

You must have had some interesting moments on the set. Do you have any prize moments you’d like to share with us?
There was a strange moment where I’m on this supposed talk show, where all of a sudden this woman starts talking about my son. And it’s that weird thing where you’re caught in a lie, but at the same time, she’s going “He must have been an extraordinary boy.” At that point you realize, no actually he wasn’t. It’s that weird thing about remembering him and missing him, but also laughing at the giant joke of it all, the kind of a cruel joke. And then I find myself weeping and laughing at the same time. It was pretty strange. I think it was like a breakdown, but a strange one. And everyone was going, “Wow, I haven’t seen that before.” And neither have I. It was kind of interesting as it was going along, and then we finished the first take and Bob starts going, “Do you think you can do that again?” And I say, “Oh, yeah.”

The woman who was doing the interview was actually great because she did work on a local morning talk show, so she was perfect. I’m laughing and crying, and she kept going, “This must be very hard for you.” I was like, “Yeah, it really is.” It was this kind of surreal thing, and the audience gets it, and it’s huge. At this point, they kind of realize “You’re caught, dude.” There’s just a lot of that, trying things where it’s new. And to be there and do it and go “Yeah, let’s try it again,” and not be afraid to go again and see what we find. That’s kind of great. That’s kind of the moment where you’re like “Hey, this is why we make movies,” to find that moment. I haven’t seen that before. And Bob said when he saw that moment, “I haven’t seen it in the movies before.” I think it’s interesting.

It sounds like it was a really great experience for you.
I think it was. It’s tough material, but the people … when you work with people that good and that nice, it’s worth it. And that’s what I want to keep doing.

You’ve played a whole range of characters through your career, from Mork to, more recently, Teddy Roosevelt in the Night at the Museum movies. What have been some of your favorite roles?
I think it’d be the teacher in Dead Poets Society, Mr. Keating.The doctor in Awakenings because it’s based on a friend, Oliver Sacks. Parry in The Fisher King. Armand Goldman in Birdcage because it was a great ensemble of people. And Good Will Hunting.

All great roles.
They’re all experiences where the making of the movie means just as much as the movie itself. That, to me, is a great thing. And the characters, if you look at them, they’re pretty bizarre and quite different. Mrs. Doubtfire just because it’s massive. It’s like full-body puppeteering. Once you’re inside that makeup with the beanbag breasts, it’s like “Wait a minute. I’m a Muppet at this point.”

Are any of these roles a close reflection of you personally?
I don’t know. I don’t really know what “me” means, the core. But philosophically, Dead Poets. Psychically, Fisher King. Just because of that idea of being slightly damaged, I think. Awakenings in terms of the curiosity of the human brain and the mind, and the functionings of the human mind. I’ve been so fascinated by that stuff ever since I did Awakenings. I can’t really say one’s most like me. I think they all have parts of me. As anyone would say when they’re acting, you put a little of yourself in every role.

Robin, I want to thank you so much for your time.
I want to thank Hulu for this. Bob said the trailer has been doing great on Hulu. It’s so cool. For a movie this unusual … Hulu is great that way.

We’re starting things with The Last of the Mohicans, the epic film starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Directed by Michael Mann (whose Dillinger flick, Public Enemies, opens next week), it is the story of Hawkeye, a frontiersman raised by Mohawk Indians who finds adventure and romance in Colonial America.

We’ll continue releasing new titles and more seasons of popular series on Hulu each day throughout the summer. As for what’s in store the rest of the week, it’s a secret — but we can give a few hints: You’ll see more of a team of intergalactic travelers and more of a Saturday morning cartoon superhero this week, plus a rogue crime fighter who hails from Canada, and six colorful ninjas who are on a mission to fight evil. Check back tomorrow to see what’s next!

Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

Pack Your Bags
A recurring theme in Arrested Development: Michael continues to think up ways to spend more time with his son, George-Michael — only to have the rest of the family intervene. In this one, dad’s proposed escape is stalled by a medical emergency.

Creating Memories
When Michael finds George-Michael sleeping in the family truck in order to see more of him, Michael plans yet another father-son getaway to bring the two closer together — much to the chagrin of his brother, Gob (Will Arnett).

Fatherly Advice
And then, of course, there’s the birds and the bees discussion that every father dreads. So when George-Michael comes to his father looking for “the talk,” Michael quickly changes the subject to something much important — the valuation of the family company on Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money.”

Life Lessons
As Michael offers his sister, Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) some crucial parenting advice, she reminds him of his father’s attempts at teaching the kids “life lessons.” Flash back to Michael and Lindsay’s childhood, when George, Sr., staged intricate scenarios to keep the children in check.

Teaching Dad a Lesson
Taking a page from their father’s playbook, Michael and Gob plan an elaborate rouse to teach dad (Jeffrey Tambor) a valuable lesson. But dad throws a wrench in the plans when he ambushes his would-be captors, and the boys learn “that’s why you don’t teach your father a lesson.”

Mrs. Featherbottom from Blackstool
Some dads will go to great lengths to spend more time with their kids, and Michael’s ex-brother-in-law Tobias (David Cross) doesn’t mind a little humiliation. Here, he does his best Mrs. Doubtfire impersonation as a means of spending time with his daughter, Maeby (Alia Shawkat). No surprise, the results were mixed.

The film revisits some familiar Old Testament stories as a pair of lazy hunter-gatherers (Jack Black and Michael Cera) stumble on some key moments from the Book of Genesis. Given the talent involved with this Judd Apatow-produced film — joining Black and Cera are David Cross (another Arrested Development alum), Paul Rudd, Christopher “McLovin” Mintz-Plasse, Olivia Wilde (House) and more — there’s bound to be plenty of funny moments … if you’re low-brow Old Testament jokes, that is. (And really, who isn’t?)

“[Jack Black] reminded me of John Belushi, even though he never probably ever thought of copying anything Belushi did,” Ramis told us during our interview. “He plays these kind of lazy rascals really well, and that’s exactly what the character is. And then Judd Apatow suggested Michael Cera. … We put them together for a table reading for the studio and it was hysterical. Everybody loved it immediately and there was no doubt that they were the team.”

The full interview is available in the Movie Trailers discussions area. Want to share your thoughts? Simply reply to the thread to let us know what you think.

Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

When his efforts yielded no results in over two years, Cooper decided to do something he never would have imagined doing in the 65 years since the battle: He was going to return to Tarawa, the small atoll located in the South Pacific where over 3,000 U.S. Marines were killed or injured. His efforts are covered in this week’s documentary pick, Return to Tarawa. Hulu recently spoke to Cooper and the film’s producer, Steven Barber, and the full interview is now available in the discussion boards for the film. Take a look and share your thoughts with the Hulu audience by writing a review or posting your comments in the discussions area.

Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

In Darkon, a documentary from Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer, the world of the Darkon Wargaming Club, a LARP organization, is seen through the eyes of its various participants. Bannor, leader of the nation of Laconia, is set to challenge the might of the nation of Mordom, and its leader, Keldar. The tension between the nations grows with each passing day, culminating in passionate speeches and explosive battles.

“The Shakespearean notion of life being a stage [was] a major draw for both of us from the beginning,” Meyer said in a recent interview with Hulu. “[The LARPers] are playing out that mantra in pretty recognizable terms. It’s fun subject matter for anyone who’s into theatrics, and anyone who buys into the philosophy of human beings as performers on stage.”

Whether you’re playing a role in your professional life, or role-playing in a game, you’ll definitely find something interesting and unique in Darkon. To read the full interview with Neel and Meyer and share your thoughts about the world of Darkon, check out the film’s discussion boards.

Jason Nellis
Hulu’s Geek Extraordinaire

“[On 'Late Night,'] we prided ourselves on having a lot of produced comedy. I will probably try to continue that tradition. That’s what I’m comfortable with, that’s what I come from, the comedy world,” he said in a recent phone call. And longtime fans, take note: You will be seeing some familiar sketches as the new show rolls out. “There are certain bits that we did over the years on the ‘Late Night’ show which I would look at and think to myself, ‘This would work at 11:30; this bit could work at 8 o’clock at night. For example, this thing we’d do on the ‘Late Night’ show, when NBC merged with Telemundo. I said I wanted to reach out to our Spanish-speaking audience, and so I started doing a soap opera that was completely in Spanish, called ‘Noches de Pasion on Conan O’Brien.’ It was just a really fun, silly bit. I remember thinking I could have probably, as a child, sold this bit to Johnny Carson. It’s just a fun, sort of old-school Tonight Show piece. That’s a piece I’d be anxious to try out on this show.”

“And then there are things like ‘Year 2000′ which is basically just a good way to deliver jokes,” he adds. “One of the things I’ve been stressing to my writers at the beginning is we’re moving from one playground to another playground for the first time in 16 years. Being on the Universal lot is such a gift, and being in this strange culture. You know, people just laugh when they think of me being in Los Angeles, and it’s an opportunity to think of new ideas. It’d be a shame to just dust off the old ‘Late Night’ show and move it to 11:30. It doesn’t feel right to do that. We’re really hoping to come up with new things as well. I’d like to keep the best of the ‘Late Night’ show, a couple of pieces here and there. I see no reason why Triumph the Insult Dog can’t file reports for us, and then I think this is really an opportunity to do something new. I think people would be disappointed if I didn’t reinvent myself to some degree.”

Need a bigger Conan fix? Check out our hand-picked collection of favorite Late Night moments from his last gig, including a look at the Year 2000 with Sarah Silverman, Triumph at Comic-Con, a game of old-fashioned baseball, and — my personal favorite — a leisurely day picking apples with Mr. T. Here’s hoping we’ll see some more of these sketches on the new Tonight Show.

Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor, Hulu

Before the concert begins, though, you can catch Scenes from Big Whiskey, a new documentary about the making of their new release, “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King,” plus videos from the band’s library, all available in the Video Panel widget embedded below. Update: We’ve added the on-demand version of the concert to this widget now, as well.

Enjoy the show!
Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

To help us learn from user feedback even earlier in our development lifecycle, we’re excited to open up a new Hulu Labs section on the site today. At Hulu Labs, we’ll provide sneak peeks at some of the upcoming releases from our product roadmap, some of which are personal projects and hobbies our devs have been cooking up. From new recommendation algorithms to tools for building custom widgets to a time-based view for browsing your favorite shows, we’ll be sharing a variety of these new creations with you at Hulu Labs and looking forward to your thoughts on how to make these products better.

Headlining our Hulu Labs release today is Hulu Desktop, a new downloadable application that allows you to find and enjoy your favorite Hulu videos in a rich, full-screen computer window that you can control with your mouse and keyboard or any six-button PC or Mac remote control. Hulu Desktop was built by a small group on our engineering team (two devs, one designer, one product manager) who asked themselves one day: how can we make it easier for users to immerse themselves in the great shows and movies Hulu is fortunate to have access to? Our answer was to build a new PC and Mac application that gives users the option to step outside of their browser, keyboard and mouse and into something different. We’ve always aspired to provide the best video viewing experience possible on your “lappity-toppity boxes” and make online video more fun to watch. And working together with our media partners, we hope Hulu Desktop is another positive step towards building a legal, long-lasting service that earns us the right to continue serving you.

As with other Hulu Labs projects, Hulu Desktop is still in beta and undergoing changes, but we’re excited to give you this early look and hear what you think. Please share your feedback with us — the good, the bad, and the ugly — anytime on the Hulu Labs discussion board.

Eric (eric.feng@hulu.com)
CTO, Hulu

“I’m [going to be] off the air for less time than the writers’ strike. I’ll be back in September with a new show. I think it’ll be a lot of fun. It’s not like we’re leaving show business, or even the studio. Or even the lot,” Leno recently said by phone. “I’m glad we’re going out as No. 1. It’s the same feeling when you return a rent-a-car with no dents and a full tank of gas. There’s no sadness. I’m taking a lot of the same people to this show. ”

When asked his favorite parts of the show are, Leno had two answers: “The most fun is doing the monologue. I am a nightclub performer who was lucky enough to get a TV show,” he said. “Before I had the show, something would happen in the news, and I would run down to the Improv, tell a topical joke and get a laugh. It’s like fresh-squeezed orange juice, right from the vine.”

“Headlines is also one of my favorites. I enjoy the real people stuff. If you give them enough rope, they’ll hang themselves. … If you see a fat guy, you make fun of his tie. You see a banker, a Wall Street guy, you nail ‘em. If he’s a working guy, a blue collar worker, a janitor or something, you build him up.”

When Leno returns in the fall, he’ll be the lone comedian in a sea of cop dramas — but that doesn’t have him worried. “In a world of emails and Twittering, there’s something to that one-on-one contact. It’s human contact,” he said. “There’s more drama right now than there’s ever been, every time I turn on the TV … there really isn’t any comedy at 10 o’clock. It’s fun to do something a little bit different.”

In the meantime, Leno’s final work is sure to be full of montages with some of his favorite Tonight Show moments. And if you can’t stay up to watch the show at 11:35 on NBC, you catch full episodes and clips the next day on Hulu.

Rebecca (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

The video panel also includes some long-time user favorites on Hulu, including the WWII flick Saints and Soldiers, Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag and episodes from the PBS series Carrier.

Whether you tune into some historical news clips from Duty, Honor, Country or enjoy some War Stories with Oliver North, it’s a small way of paying tribute to all of our nation’s fallen soldiers.

Happy Memorial Day,
Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor