ALICIA RANCILIO
Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Williamson says if you think his new CBS series, “Stalker,” crosses a line, “change the channel.”

He defended the show Thursday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

“Stalker” stars Dylan McDermott and Maggie Q as a pair of LAPD detectives investigating stalking cases.

Their work is based on the LAPD’s Threat Management Unit, formed after the 1989 shooting death of actress Rebecca Schaeffer, who was killed by an obsessed fan on her doorstep.

The idea came about after Williamson himself had an “overzealous fan” that broke into his home.

Williamson admits he’s “sort of ripping our stories from the headlines” but he’s not trying to show “stylized violence.”

“Stalker” will also focus on McDermott and Q’s character’s personal issues.

In the pilot, a man burns a woman alive in her car.

During the press panel, Williamson admitted the episode was especially scary, but joked he wanted the show to get picked up.

“This show is a hot button,” said McDermott. “It’s a very entertaining show and it’s a scary show. Stalking is scary.”

“Violence is really a byproduct of the story we’re telling,” added Q.

Williamson argued the show comes at a time when oversharing on social media is commonplace.

“We have too much access to each other and we put ourselves out there in a way … ‘Here, look at my children,’ ‘here’s what I had for dinner,’ ‘here’s the plate of food’ … you’re encouraging the obsessive mind to consume that and consume you.”

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Online:

http://www.cbs.com/shows/stalker/

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