'The Good Wife' creator: 'We can pretty much do it all except say f--. And s--.'

Image Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/CBSThis morning, critics and reporters at the TCA press tour experienced a real treat in the form of a panel about CBS’ The Good Wife, which is actually somewhat of a rarity because the networks tend to use their panel time to pimp out new shows. Hark, a second-season show that the press loves! Yay! (EW’s TV critic, Ken Tucker, for instance, is a huge fan.) Series creators and executive producers Michelle and Robert King appeared on stage with star Julianna Margulies, who plays lead character Alicia Florrick (at left), and answered questions. Among the gems from the session was when Michelle King announced to the room: “We can pretty much do it all except say f—. And s—.” So true! The three talked about a variety of topics from possible future guest stars (rhymes with Ronald Sumsfeld!), when the election storyline will be wrapped up (soon!), and why the show is such as success (“There isn’t one clear villain.”). Here, a round-up of some of the best quotes from the session:

• Margulies on her surprise about the show’s success: “I’ve been doing this long enough to never assume anything, and then be pleasantly surprised. I truly didn’t have an inkling of whether people would gravitate to it. It’s been a surprise.”

• Robert King on the buzzy character of Kalinda (Archie Panjabi): “Kalinda is an interesting character because she has to be slightly operatic. What we want to show is that there’s actually a real suffering person in there. It’s an interesting balance…. By the end of the year, you’re going to find out something about Kalinda that makes everything else make a lot more sense.”

• Michelle King on the show’s characters being so multi-dimensional: “I think if there’s anything we do right is that there isn’t one clear villain…. Hopefully with everyone there is that duality.”

• Margulies on who she perceives as the show’s villain: “All the bad things that have happened are from the internet! That seems to be the perpetrator, if you ask me.”

• Robert King on renaming the show: “It would have been nice to be ironic and call it The Sexy Wife.”

• Margulies on the show’s frequent gay and lesbian themes: “I don’t think about it. I don’t feel like it’s a presence. I feel like it’s a part of life…. If it was gay and lesbian just to be gay and lesbian, that would make me uncomfortable because that wouldn’t be truthful.”

• Robert King on possible future guest stars: “We’re trying to get Donald Rumsfeld.”

• Robert King on when the season-defining election between Wendy Scott-Carr (Anika Noni Rose), Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), and Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver) will take place: “It will happen before the end of the year, but probably closer to now than the end of the year.”

• Robert King on the show’s older-skewing demographics: “I think it’s catching on that the show has youngish topics that are not being done as if your grandfather is talking about them.” He added: “Our hope is that each week, we try to be chancier with the material.”

• Margulies on the show being of cable quality: “I was looking for a cable show, and I landed on network. I feel like I got my cable show — I just happen to be on CBS.”

• Robert King on what The Good Wife has done for other shows: “This show is allowing other network shows at 10 o’clock to be more daring.”

More from EW.com:
‘The Good Wife’ scoop: America Ferrera joins for three episodes, Jerry Stiller for one
‘The Good Wife’ Exclusive: Michael J. Fox will return
‘Good Wife’ exclusive: Alicia’s latest client? iCarly!
‘The Good Wife’ Exclusive: First Look at Leelee Sobieski’s guest role