SCI FI programming continues to get better year after year after the success of original shows like Battlestar Galactica, Stargate and Stargate Atlantis, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, and the recently premiered Sanctuary. Expanding their horizons even more, the creative behind-the-scenes gang at SCI FI jumped into the reality game with the Tracy Morgan hosted comedy spookfest Scare Tactics and now gets set to premiere the action-packed reality competition Cha$e on November 11 at 10pm.

Featuring a unique fan-friendly SCI FI spin, Cha$e sees a group of contestants compete in a quest for cash on a gameboard consisting of the streets of Los Angeles and its many landmarks while being stalked by a group of "hunters". Tasks get harder, the gameboard changes, and the "hunters" appear in greater frequency, as the only way to earn money is to stay alive. Given the wave of reality shows we've seen pop up in recent years, this is the type reality change we can believe in.

As the clock counts down to the November 11 premiere, Cha$e host, Trey Farley, hopped on the phone to give sci-fi press geeks the scoop on what we all can expect from the new video game-like series.

Trey Farley on drawing inspiration from childhood games, like playing tag:

"I mean that’s the brilliant thing about this show is that I think everyone at some point in their childhood and now has played tag. You know, obviously I did and what we used to do was cops and robbers in the Philippines. And then cops and robbers turned into a kind of - when skateboards came in, we turned into urban cops and robbers on skateboards, and skating around. And so it got pretty crazy. But that’s the great thing about this show is that you switch it on and everybody has played it. Everybody has played tag and so they can just jump right in feel that kind of feeling how they were, you know, when they were children.

"And that’s the thing, when runners start this competition, every - all the runners have a kind of pre-plan, oh I’m going to start, just hide out. I’m going to take it easy. But as soon as I shout go, something within them kind of snaps and triggers and that kind of primeval feeling of being chased kicks in and they turn into 12 year olds. It’s incredible to see."

Farley on the extreme reactions when the players see the hunters:

"I mean I think runners - the contestants and runners - the runners when they enter into this thing, they kind of just take it for granted that oh it’s a competition and I’m going to get the money and it’s going to be easy. It’s a walk in the park. You know, it’s 60 minutes of running around. How hard can it be? But it’s - there is just that switch that happens and everybody has kind of had that feeling growing up as children playing tag in the park or cops and robbers - that kind of panicky feeling when somebody is chasing you.

"So you have these calm, collected runners - a lot of them are - work out and train, and physically fit. As soon as I shout 'go' or the horn goes, they just turn to jelly. And what’s interesting is as soon as they get the message that the first hunter has been released, that’s when the fireworks happen because the switch happens and they just turn a little crazy.

"You know, they’re looking over their shoulders. They start to not to trust anybody. They just start to panic. And it’s such a powerful kind of emotion. And I’ve seen a runner just pretty much give up. They just can’t take that amount of pressure or the feeling of being hunted that they find the nearest hunter that they can and literally just give up the game because they just can’t take it anymore."

On the decision process behind the various locations of the game each week:

"It’s just kind of interesting locations. I mean there’s such a cross-section of locations that we use from San Pedro Harbor which was on such a huge scope and such a dramatic environment with cranes and the ships and everything. But I think it’s something which has also become a character of the show. You've got the runners, the hunters and the location comes across as kind of third character, if you will.

"And each one of the locations really is interesting - like the Universal backlot was incredible to use, because you get runners and hunters running around there going by the War of the Worlds set, going by the Jaws set. You know, it was fully operational and tourists are going by on those tram things. That was amazing - taking pictures as we’re playing this game. You know, Universal Studios the theme park at night, that was a character in itself because it was late at night and shut down. And what is normally a kind of happy, kind of [full] place just seeing it deserted was just kind of spooky as well. So I think it was just looking for locations which have - bring a character to the show."

Farley on what they look for as the perfect contestant:

"The perfect contestant? Wow. I think from experience in the - from these shows, I think the perfect contestant, the physicality of it doesn’t - isn’t a real - from what I’ve really learned isn’t a real priority on this because ...no matter how fast they are, believe me, the hunters, they’re faster. So I think a priority is having a cool head on your shoulders because people just buckle under the pressure. But if you can take the pressure and be smart, and think things through then you have a good chance of winning. You know, it has nothing to do with how fast you are or how young you are, how old you are. I think the perfect contestant is one who can think under pressure."

On how he prepares for each episode:

"Well a few days before we shoot it, I’m on the game board doing a walk through of the entire game board with Rick. So I get familiar with the game board that we’re using. We look at start points, possible end points which are, of course, secret. So I familiarize myself with where the possible exit points are going to be, how to get there, kind of find likely kind of places where runners are going to get caught or hard areas. And just go through [bits] of which are kind of [special] to that location. And then that’s about it. And then we run it."

Trey Farley on the show being a reality series on SCI FI:

"I mean there are very strong Sci-Fi elements to the show. You know, the way the hunters are targeting the runners and the utilities which the runners have. You know, they’ve got a hold of stunners and deflectors, and all this kind of - a deflector which pretty much looks like a Star Trek phaser. So there are real strong Sci-Fi elements to the show, which is why I think it has a home on Sci-Fi."