On NBC’s groundbreaking new mystery drama Awake, Detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) has experienced a devastating car accident and learns the devastating news that his wife (Laura Allen) died in the crash. And then, he wakes up to realize that his wife is very much alive and his teenage son (Dylan Minnette) died in the accident. Unsure as to which is real and which is a dream, he goes back to work solving crimes, alternating between realities and partners.

At a press day held on the show’s set during a break from filming, actor Steve Harris, who plays Detective Freeman, Britten’s partner in one world, and actor Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Detective Vega, Britten’s ambitious young partner in the other world, talked about keeping track of their characters in each world, what it’s like to play different versions of their characters, whether either of their characters are getting suspicious about Britten’s grasp on reality, and how the car accident is part of a bigger journey and plot within the series. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

My most-anticipated new show of the 2011-2012 television season is Awake.  Jason Isaacs stars as a cop who’s in a car accident with his family, and now he’s living in two realities: one where his son (Dylan Minnette) survived and one where his wife (Laura Allen) survived.  The question is which one is the dream and which one is reality?  It’s a terrific premise that could easily run out of steam in a short amount of time, but it’s more original than almost any other new show on network TV.  Hopefully, they find a way to build on the premise rather than use it as a hook and nothing more.

The first seven minutes have gone online, and after watching them, I’m still jazzed for this show.  I like the way it’s shot and the pacing, and (less surprising) Isaacs is great. If you’ve seen the extended trailer, there’s not a tone of new stuff, but now you can see it in context.  Hit the jump to check out the first seven minutes of Awake.  The series premieres on Thursday, March 1st at 10/9c on NBC.