The Mentalist Milestone: 100th Episode

LOS ANGELES (CBS13) - Reaching 100 episodes for a television series is a major mark of success.

When a series hits the air there are no guarantees it'll last beyond the pilot let alone the first season.

But there was something special about The Mentalist, the writing, the characters, and the actors.

They're the ingredients that have enabled this show reach a rare television milestone.

Mark S. Allen: "A hundred episodes. That's a big deal."

Simon Baker: smiling "Uh huh, yeah."

We caught up with stars Simon Baker and Robin Tunney on the Warner Brothers set, Stage 14; it's the first day of shooting number 100.

MSA: "I'm so geeked out to be walking, albeit a fake river, with you. It's, I feel like I should be touring you around. Are there any questions you might have about what we might be seeing over there?"

SB: "Uh, no." smiling and looking at the high resolution skyline image of Sacramento

MSA: "How much shooting in Sacramento do you do?"

SB: "We've been up a couple of times. We went up in the second season; I think we went up again in the third season. We didn't go up last year. We go up there for three or four days and shoot as much as we can of the sites. "

Of course, the show's set in Sacramento, their office: the fictional California Bureau of Investigation.

MSA: "Right over there, right behind the crab shack when you're looking across there's the pyramid shaped building yeah. That's what this building's supposed to be."

Robin Tunney: "That's the real CBI. That's good to know."

MSA: "Talk about shooting in Sacramento."

RT: "It was really fun. I mean the crew loves to go and shoot somewhere together because they can drink after work every night together. And end up in the Jacuzzi. I was not one of them."

The fifth season takes fans back to when Lizbon meets Jane, before he helps the CBI, a prequel, if you will.

And with a new season comes another chance that Jane and Lizbon might connect, romantically.

SB: "Uh, yeah there's a chance. There's always a chance of it."

MSA: "Not a chance in hell you're gonna tell me right now."

SB: "No I'm never gonna tell you. I don't like to give things away."

MSA: "Well congratulations on a hundred pal."

SB: "Thank you, cheers."

MSA: "And a hundred more to you"

SB: "A hundred. I feel old. Cheers."

Tonight's episode was titled "Cherry Picked".

An interesting bit of trivia -- every episode's name has a connection to the color red.