First Look: Cougar's Small Town

"Honey, I shrunk the Cul-de-Sac Crew!" When Cougar Town returns to TBS on Jan. 7 Bob Clendenin, who plays hangdog outsider neighbor Tom, will be spending more time with the gang. And in an early-season episode, viewers will get a look at his secret world — Tom has built a scale model of the street in his garage as well as miniature versions of its residents.

"This is a way to comment on fan ­fiction a little bit and indulge Tom's weird fantasies," says cocreator Bill Lawrence. Tom, it turns out, enjoys devising adventures for his little figurines. Jules (Courteney Cox) and Co. find the diorama "both fascinating and horrifying," Lawrence says. "Why is Tom's doll so much bigger than the others? Jules's breasts seem a little bigger on her doll. Tom's always been a creepy guy." Creepy, yes, but talented — he totally nailed Dog Travis.