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Depending on your personal TV tastes, you may equate veteran actor Chris Noth with "Mr. Big" on Sex and the City. Or perhaps you think of him as Detective Mike Logan from Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Or maybe you're most familiar with Noth's current role, that of scandalous politician Peter Florrick on The Good Wife.

Regardless, you may not think of him as the type of guy who's super into period pieces. But not only does Noth enjoy watching them—as you'll soon see below—he recently finished filming one: The 12-part miniseries Titanic: Blood and Steel, which debuts tonight on Encore. You won't find any Leonardo DiCaprio love stories here—Titanic: Blood and Steel focuses on the construction and sinking of the legendary ship, and Noth stars as American tycoon J.P. Morgan, the man who paid for and owned the famously "unsinkable" vessel. (Neve Campbell, Kevin Zegers, Liam Cunningham, and Derek Jacobi also star.)

In honor of tonight's premiere, I talked to Noth about his Titanic experience, Peter and Alicia's chances on The Good Wife, and, of course, his favorite TV shows. Here's what he had to say.

Your latest project is a TV miniseries called Titanic: Blood and Steel. Did you cry when you first saw the 1997 James Cameron movie?

I did not cry. It was a fabulous spectacle, and it was a good old-fashioned movie, but yeah—it didn't make me cry."

In the new miniseries, you play American financier J.P. Morgan. How did you prepare for the role?

Did what I could. I read a few books about him, and found him to be a very interesting yet very mysterious character, maybe unfairly represented historically. There isn't any film about him, and I had a ton of pictures, read a lot about his life... just jumped in.

What challenges did you face during filming?

The most challenging thing was I would've loved to hear the quality of [Morgan's] voice. I wanted to get a sense of what his dialect was. He was American, but that could mean a lot of things. I knew he wasn't from the South, most of this cast was British, and you don't want a contemporary sound since people talked differently in the turn of the century than they do now.

On The Good Wife, is there any hope for Alica and Peter's relationship?

I have no idea if I'm going to win, if the marriage is going to last, I just don't know, really. The show has been getting better and better and this season feels like it will be the best. So many great actors, best ensemble I've ever worked with, headed by Julianna Margulies.

And now the question of the hour: What are you five favorite TV shows, and why?

I'm not going to go through each one, but I will say all of them never sacrificed character for storytelling. The period pieces were done with fantastic precision. And, it always has to do with bringing you into the lives of people; especially in the period pieces. What the time is like, so that you really learn something about what it was like to live on the planet a hundred years ago or a thousand years ago. The detail, wonderful detail, in the acting and the production—that's all I'll say.

And now, here are Noth's five six favorite TV shows, in no particular order:

Brideshead Revisited

Downton Abbey

Mad Men

Rome

I, Claudius

The Sopranos (bonus!)

What do you think of Noth's picks? Did any of them surprise you?

The first two parts of Titanic: Blood & Steel premiere tonight at 8pm on Encore. The network will continue airing two parts per night through October 13.

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Best known for playing a wheelchair-bound prisoner on HBO's groundbreaking series Oz and the intense Michael "Waaaaaaalt!" Dawson on the phenomenally successful Lost, Harold Perrineau may be moving toward a funnyman persona. Most recently the actor appeared in Georgia, a three-episode web series from writer-director Marta Kauffman (Friends). "It's an episodic romantic comedy. Lighthearted, funny, and touching," he said when I asked him via email to describe the project. Perrineau played the fiance of the titular Georgia herself (Mary Elizabeth Ellis of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and New Girl), and the final episode was released last week. You can watch the first episode below:

Later this year, Perrineau will co-star in the upcoming TBS comedy The Wedding Band, which centers on a group of four friends who escape their real lives to form a wedding band (get it?) under the alias of "Mother of the Bride." The show premieres Saturday, November 10 at 10pm and also features Brian Austin Green (90210), Peter Cambor (NCIS: LA) and Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend). Until then, fans of Perrineau can catch him in his recurring role as the Oakland crime lord Damon Pope on FX's Sons of Anarchy.

And now, here are Perrineau's five favorite TV shows, in no particular order.

"The reruns filled my nights in Brooklyn with laughter."

"There may have been a lot of stereotypes, but they lived in the projects, and so did I, so I could relate."

"Because OZ was never what it seemed to be on the surface. It asked more questions, and was more poignant than just a violent prison drama."

"I don't know, I just like it."

"I am loving The Newsroom. So good."

What do you think of Harold's picks? (Vote on his list here!) Did any of them surprise you?

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Brandon Johnson is a man of many talents. Well, actually, I don't know if he can shoot lasers out of his eyes (I bet he can), but I do know he possesses mad terrorism-fighting skills in his role as Alphonse on Adult Swim's NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle). Plus he's incredibly funny.

In addition to NTSF:SD:SUV::, Johnson is a frequent contributor to Funny Or Die and has appeared alongside Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen in Funny People and Jonah Hill and Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek. He's also guest-starred on numerous TV shows, including Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital, Aziz Ansari's Comedy Central special as DJ Ol' Youngin, and FX's The League. I could go on and on, but instead how about I just share his top five TV shows? Here are Johnson's picks, in no particular order...

"This show is beautifully drawn. Each one of the animations could be its own painting. It could be a real show if someone could pull off Lana's walk. Archer is an ass, but I like it when someone can be that loud and honest. Like a cartoon Don Draper."

"I love this show. I was a dog-sitter for years, and they (dogs) do teach you each one of those lessons from the first season. If you have a day off, follow a dog. They have an agenda, they are brave, and they have focus. So I can see why someone would trust one too much."

"I still hold out hope that I may get a role on this show. I keep praying for the episode where they have to convince Sly and the Family Stone to represent Jaguar. It has some of the best lines on television. Not to mention the sets and the clothing. See Archer."

"One of the funniest shows in the world. Especially since I have never been to a children's hospital. I might feel differently. Rob Corddry is a genius. The amazing cast... Amazing."

"Idris Elba. I watch this show because I am happy to see at least one other brother having a bad day. He has the worst luck in the world! Cops over there don't even get to carry guns! As a fellow television officer in a make-believe world, I salute Luther for his ability to look cool while catching bad guys."

What do you think of Johnson's picks? (Vote on his list here!) Did any of them surprise you?

New episodes of NTSF:SD:SUV:: air Thursday nights/Friday mornings at 12:15am on Adult Swim.

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Perhaps you've been missing Jason Dohring—who many Veronica Mars fans will forever identify as lovable bad-boy Logan Echolls—or perhaps you're bummed that his recurring but short-lived role as Mr. Carpenter on last year's Ringer didn't bring him back to your TV screen long enough. Regardless, the wait to see him act again is over: Now you can catch the young actor in the indie film Searching For Sonny (released on DVD August 28), a dark comedy/thriller in which Dohring stars alongside Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights), Masi Oka (Heroes, Hawaii Five-0), and Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galatica).

In Searching for Sonny, Dohring plays an unsuccessful 28-year-old pizza delivery boy who, along with his friends, find themselves as prime suspects in the disappearance of their old friend Sonny. We recently caught up with Dohring to chat about his lead role in the film, what else he's working on this days, and of course, his five favorite TV shows.

How would you describe working on Searching for Sonny compared to doing television?

Well, we were allowed more freedoms and takes than usual, as compared with TV. This gave us more room to take chances and improvise, a lot of which ended up in the film.

What were your favorite moments on the set?

Any time you get Minka Kelly dancing around to Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" during a late-night shoot, it's always a good time.

What's next for you? Where can we see you next?

I've enjoyed some time with my family recently, although earlier this year I completed nine episodes on The CW's Ringer, with Sarah Michelle Gellar. I'm up for two projects currently, one of them a film and the other a TV show. I hope to be announcing these soon.

And now, here are Dorhing's five favorite television shows, in no particular order.

"It's just an epic show. Wonderfully acted, gripping story and high-end production value."

"Granted a bit less drama than, say, Game of Thrones, but it's nonetheless very entertaining."

"A man's gotta believe in himself, right?"

"Ian McShane's acting is effortless."

"Because that dude just cracks me up."

What do you think of Dohring's picks? (Vote on his list here!) Did any of them surprise you?

Searching for Sonny is available now on DVD and Blu-ray; find more info at the movie's official website.

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Irish actor Chris O'Dowd has both Hollywood and London in his pocket. After starring in the British series (and U.S. cult hit) The I.T.Crowd, the actor landed a variety of roles in U.S. films—including the Jay Roach-produced comedy Dinner For Schmucks, Jack Black's Gulliver's Travels, Friends with Kids, and the Judd Apatow blockbuster Bridesmaids. O'Dowd has also guested on a handful of TV series, most recently the HBO comedy Girls. And his latest project is the Victorian-era miniseries called The Crimson Petal and the White, which makes its American debut tonight at 8pm on Encore.

We recently caught up with O'Dowd while he was filming in Europe; here's what he had to say about his acting influences, his favorite chick flick, and of course, his five favorite TV shows.

O'Dowd as William Rackham, with Romola Garai as Sugar, in The Crimson Petal and the White.

Your latest project is a TV miniseries called The Crimson Petal and the White. Can you tell us about the project and your character?

It's the tragic story of a man who feels trapped in his marriage and incapable of leading the life that people expect of him. So he runs to the arms of a prostitute and surprisingly, that doesn't work out well.

What attracted you to project initially?

I thought that they were just beautiful scripts. I've never been a huge period drama fan, but it kind of told a story that I related to a lot more. I related to the dirt. I don't know what high-life society is like, so it's never been something that has attracted me. But low-life—loads of experience with that.

Are you hoping to do more TV work?
Yeah, I'm going to do a little bit more. I'm going to do a show with Christopher Guest called Family Tree. I think it's gonna be good. I'm going to do a little bit more on Girls, the HBO show. And, I've just written my own project for Sky TV in Britain and the U.K., Britain and Ireland. That's called Moone Boy.

In the U.S., you've appeared in a handful of rom-coms; do you have a favorite chick-flick?

Oh, I have loads. I mean... God... wow. It's hard to beat When Harry Met Sally, I think.

What about your influences? What are some of shows, movies, and people that have helped shaped your career?

I've always loved Will Ferrell's stuff. In terms of TV, I was a big fan of Roseanne growing up. It was the only one of those American comedies, where I could relate to the family dynamic of people having problems with each other (laughs). And, I grew up on Cheers, I watched Cheers with my dad for sure. And I guess later, I was a big Curb Your Enthusiasm fan. That kind of showed me how funny you can be when you don't write it all down. And Christopher Guest, I was a huge fan of all of his stuff. I think I used to have like Spinal Tap on in my college dorm room, on repeat.

And now, here are O'Dowd's five favorite television shows, in no particular order.

"I'm going to go with Fawlty Towers for just that kind of virtual, sole, male performance. And making farts not seem silly, but hysterical.

"I love the American Office. Because I think the performances in it, across the board, are exceptional."

"I like the worthiness of it."

"It's just the best writing in television."

"I wanted to be a lawyer from the age of 10. And when I reached the time when I was going to go to college and found out what it was all about, I had no interest in it anymore. I realized I thought "law" was what L.A. Law was. And then I realized what I actually wanted to do was just live in L.A."

What do you think of O'Dowd's picks? Did any of them surprise you?

The Crimson Petal and the White airs tonight at 8pm on Encore.

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You may not recognize Erinn Hayes in the photo above—in fact, you'd be forgiven for assuming we were running a Celebrity High-Five with Tina Fey's younger cousin—but if you're a fan of good comedy, I'm willing to bet you've had a few laughs thanks to Hayes' zany character Dr. Lola Spratt on Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital.

In addition to the wacky late-night comedy, Hayes' other credits include roles and appearances on Parenthood, Two and a Half Men, and Suits. Earlier this year, she appeared alongside Julia Stiles, David Cross, and America Ferrara in an indie film called It's a Disaster, and made a cameo as Vince Vaughn's wife in the movie The Watch, which came out in July.

Here are Hayes' five favorite TV shows, in no particular order.

"Having two little kids, I watch a ton of kids' shows. It's not that they watch a lot of television, but when they get hooked on a show, it's the only one they EVER want to watch. For two years that show was Yo Gabba Gabba!, so I was stoked. In fact, I'm kind of bummed they moved on. I miss Brobee with his funky long arm, and DJ Lance Rock with his sweet moves. They teach lessons in a way that doesn't insult the intelligence of the children or the adults in the room, and Biz Markie teaches the kids (me) how to beat box. I may have to have another kid."

"Straight-up amazing. Everything about this show was so brilliant, and one day I'll make my kids watch it and finally tell them why we have a teddy bear named after my favorite lovable drug dealer, "Bodie." I can still go from peaceful to a state of rage in no seconds flat talking about how few awards this show won."

"The greatest sitcom. It felt so different. People talking about the kinds of stupid things normal people talk about. Big, out-there, hilarious characters who were still real. Re-watching the first season, you see how the show really came into its own. So few networks give a show a chance these days to find itself, Seinfeld is a perfect example of something just getting better and better."

"There used to be marathons when I was a kid and my brother and I would always stay home to watch the whole thing. I'm aware that my love of the show is tied to those weekends and I haven't re-watched it in awhile, but I remember them being surreal, funny, and stupid in an "Audience, aren't we stupid?" kind of way. So I stand by this answer. Let the comments fly. Also, my mom once rode around for a day on a scooter with Micky Dolenz, so in your face!"

"Every week I'm blown away and thankful by what FX allows Louis C.K. to do. He takes the traditional half-hour show and breaks all the rules. There might be only one storyline (there's usually always two or three), long sections that have almost nothing going on except him listening to music or something (that's usually the first thing to go in the editing room), and remember the scene in the car with him and Melissa Leo? WHAT??!! Incredible. So glad everyone involved had the balls to let him do what he wanted; TV is better for it."

What do you think of Hayes' picks? Did any of them surprise you?

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Best remembered for playing the tomboyish Alicia 'Al' Lambert on the TGIF '90s sitcom Step By Step, Christine Lakin never really quit working once she left the primetime TV spotlight. When I asked the 30-something actress via email what she's been up to all these years, she candidly responded, "Well, aside from rocking in a chair on someone's porch with a chew can and a copy of Old Yeller, I've been up to this and that. Notably, TV appearances on Melissa & Joey, Stevie TV, and Family Guy."

She's also been seen in films like New Year's Eve, You Again or this year's Parental Guidance, and she's done a lot of theater work. But her resume doesn't end there...

"I have a web series called Lovin Lakin that I wrote, produced and star in, which debuted July 16th on Hulu and YouTube. It's kind of about my life as a former child actor but not. Just watch it. It's funny. And it has famous people like Kristen Bell and Seth MacFarlane in it, in case you get bored with me," she said. "You can also catch me on the interwebs as a judge on "Internet Icon" with Ryan Higa on YouTube. He's the Asian one, I'm the girl one. I also enjoy traveling, drinking wine and sunset walks. Wait, is this my E Harmony profile? Uh, could it be?"

And now, here are Christine's five favorite television shows, in no particular order...

"Remember when life was full of wonder? Awe? Pre-pubecent excitement?! Me either, but I love this show. I had the biggest crush on Fred Savage. Like total, meltdown, I NEED Kevin Arnold to be my first kiss kind of crush. And, raging hormones aside, it really was a good show. It captured the real, raw feeling of a working class family in the 70's all in the eyes of a young boy trying to figure out who he was. And as a young boy myself, I related. I also loved when he finally got Winnie on the log to kiss her and the light was perfect and timing was perfect and he kissed... her eye. Tota dorkout fail. Perfectly right. I met Fred years later. He didn't know it, but it kind of made my month. Ok, my entire 20's but who's counting! I wanted to kiss his eye but didn't want to be too forward."

"My bedtime was 8 pm. But on Cosby nights I got to stay up until 8:30. Real big deal. This is when they could afford to do a completely different title sequence in TV every year. I always looked forward to that. It was like a mini musical at the top of the show. My favorite was the Top Hat fancy version. Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) was one of my favorite characters. The guy couldn't catch a break but was so happy trying to fit in and Dr. Huxtable was so exasperated at every move. This was the first sit-com I watched religiously from a young age and I so wanted to be a part of that family. I could go on a talk about A Different World too and the theme song and Dwayne Wayne's flip glasses... but you've only asked for 5 shows and I have to get serious.." '

"Yeah yeah so I do voices on the show and maybe that makes me an ass for putting it on this list but let's be clear- I was a fangirl before I got the damn job. And having said that, I would still put it on the list because its just effing funny. And wrong. And blue. And awesome. And if you don't think so you're not a true blooded TV slut like me. Or maybe you just didn't have as many drunk college nights as I did. At any rate, there are few things I love more than a random cut away. And for the record, I would marry Stewie if he would just grow up already. I adore a British baby with latently-gay tendencies."

"My friends. These were my "stories" - for those of you who were soap watchers - I watched "my friends". I've seen every episode multiple times, own the box set and randomly pull out quotes no one else around me understands from various episodes. Favorite lines? Joey: "Would you tell him? Isn't that how they measure pants?" Ross: "Yes, yes it is. In prison!" or Pheobe: "Hello Monica? It's Kettle. You're black." Best episode would have to be where Pheobe tries to seduce Chandler in hopes of him admitting he and Monica are together. "This is my bra." And then she does a ridiculous dance for him. That whole season played out great. Or when Ross gives a massage with wooden spoons and a Tonka Truck. Good example of a show that was given time to find it's feet, for the audience to fall in love with the characters and a cast that worked remarkably well together. They were likable, sexy and funny. Deadly combo. "

"Carol Burnett probably had the biggest influence on me as kid. Although I was very young and watched her a lo in reruns, I was mesmerized by the way she transformed, by her physical comedy and the rolling laughter from the live studio audience. I loved her most as Scarlett OHara and her well known Cleaning Lady character. She proved women were funny and could be successful and accepted being physical comediennes. I took my first acting class at age 6 because I found out that's what Carol Burnett was doing - acting. Also she had an imaginary friend as a kid and went to UCLA, two things we have in common. I will always admire her and hope one day, I can make someone laugh a fraction as hard as she's made me bellyache."

What do you think of Christine's picks? Did any of them surprise you?

Watch episodes of Lovin' Lakin on Hulu and YouTube.

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