White Collar: Cast & Creators Live at PALEYFEST

Jeff Eastin’s “White Collar” brings together the cop-and-con team of FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) and master thief Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), who is spared a return trip to the pokey in return for helping the G-man bust criminals of the titular variety. Critics praise the chemistry between the leads, and also the show’s wry, winsome tone, which toggles from comedy to intrigue and back. This William S. Paley Television Festival live event honors “White Collar,” the drama series about a debonair con man who makes a deal with the FBI to track down white collar criminals. David E. Kelley (creator, “Harry’s Law,” “Boston Legal,” and others) moderates the following panelists: series creator/executive producer Jeff Eastin; co-executive producers Jeff King and Mark Goffman; and cast members Marsha Thomason (Diana Barrigan), Sharif Atkins (Clinton Jones), Willie Garson (Mozzie), Tiffani Thiessen (Elizabeth Burke), Tim DeKay (Peter Burke), and Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey). The panelists touch on such topics as: the inspiration behind the show; the process of casting the central role of Neal Caffrey; and Bomer’s analysis of Caffrey’s motivations and future goals. Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: DeKay’s recollections of his stint on the HBO series “Carnivale”; cast member input on the show’s “mythology”; and Bomer and DeKay’s humorous collaboration on the episode where their characters “switch roles.”