These days, the words "Las Vegas" conjure a variety of images -- from slot machines and swimming pools to fine dining and family-friendly entertainment. But in the 1960s, you couldn't talk about the gambling mecca without also discussing organized crime.

In this quick history lesson from CBS, obtained exclusively by Yahoo! TV, we're reminded just how vital a role the mob played in building Sin City … which is why it's also such a big part of CBS's new fall drama "Vegas."

The retro series stars Michael Chiklis as a Chicago gangster making waves in the desert oasis, while Dennis Quaid plays Ralph Lamb, a local sheriff imposing his own brand of law and order on the casinos and their criminal investors.

Check out the clip for a look behind the scenes, plus keep an eye out for the real-life Lamb as well as Fidel Casto's strange link to Las Vegas.

"Vegas" premieres Tuesday, 9/25 at 10 PM on CBS.

Reality TV fans need no introduction to NeNe Leakes: The statuesque Georgia native has been tossing off pithy catchphrases ("Close your legs to married men!") and calling out bad weaves on Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" for four seasons now. But now NeNe's expanding her empire by getting into the acting game, first as Coach Roz Washington on "Glee" last season, and now on NBC's "The New Normal" as Rocky, the self-described "half-giraffe, half-drag queen" assistant to one half of the show's gay parents-to-be.

Those who assume that NeNe's acting career sprung directly from her reality TV notoriety might be surprised to learn how long she's been working as an actress. We discovered all kinds of things about Ms. Leakes when we spoke with her last week, including which leading men she'd love to have as an on-screen love interest, the great advice she got from Ryan Seacrest, and why she's relishing her new role as a "glam-mother." (Yes, you read that right.)

How did you first find out

Phyllis Smith as a burlesque dancer circa 1978/79 and as Phyllis Vance on 'The Office'

In "The Office," Phyllis Smith is endlessly amusing as Dunder Mifflin Sabre sales rep Phyllis Lapin-Vance, who is sweet with a sassy side. In the years the show has been on the air, we've grown used to seeing her character in cardigan sets and carrying knitting needles, so when we discovered a photo -- purportedly of Smith -- from her days as an NFL cheerleader, we were all over it. Our original story, which you can read here, detailed her yearlong cheering gig with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1970s. The accompanying photo showed a pretty young woman in red-and-white cheer gear -- and really awesome helmet hair, popular in that era. The only problem? While Smith was a cheerleader, the photo -- which is all over the Internet -- isn't of her, and she called us out on it.

Color us embarrassed!

Smith, who is hard at work of Season 9 of the show, is a great sport, though, and called us up to discuss this case of mistaken identity, which has been following her for some time. (Just do an

Whether he likes it or not, Billy Burke is currently best known as Bella's protective dad Charlie Swan in the "Twilight" movies. But this fall, he's losing the mustache and picking up a sword to star in NBC's high-concept thrill ride, "Revolution."

The ambitious new drama from super-producer J.J. Abrams imagines a world 15 years after all electricity has stopped working; Burke plays Miles Matheson, a former Marine who reluctantly agrees to help rescue his nephew from a sinister militia. But the militia won't let the boy go without a fight… hence, the sword. In the premiere's climactic fight scene (which you can watch above), Miles makes his way down a marble staircase while chopping down more than a dozen baddies with his trusty blade. (Good luck topping that, Edward.) We talked with Burke and stunt coordinator Jeff Wolfe to get the inside scoop on how the key scene came together.

[Video: Watch the Full Series Premiere of NBC's 'Revolution' Right Here]

Surprisingly, as far as combat

This year's fall TV lineup welcomes some familiar faces to our television screens, including Matthew Perry and Mindy Kaling. Plus, "Heroes" alum Hayden Panettiere and "Friday Night Lights" favorite Connie Britton return playing country music superstars on ABC's "Nashville," which finds both actresses doing their own singing.

See what Panettiere, Britton, and other familiar stars had to say about their new projects in the third of our five Fall TV Preview videos. And stay tuned in the weeks to come for more Fall TV Preview videos, right here on Yahoo! TV.

[Video: Meet a trio of fall TV's fresh faces, including Lady Gaga's boyfriend]

"Nashville" premieres Wednesday, 10/10 at 10 PM on ABC. "Go On" airs Tuesdays at 9 PM on NBC. "The Mindy Project" premieres Tuesday, 9/25 at 9:30 PM on Fox.

"Guys With Kids" -- a new NBC comedy whose executive producer is Jimmy Fallon — doesn't premiere until September 26, but you can get a sneak peek at the baby daddies in action right here.

The pilot episode hit the tube and Internet this week, introducing us to best buddies Gary (Anthony Anderson), Nick (Zach Cregger), and Chris (Jesse Bradford), who are doing their best to balance friendship, family, and fun. The 30-something dads try to carve out bro time but often have their hands full while they are doing so -- feeding babies, changing diapers, getting pulled by a leashed toddler. Chris's situation is slightly different from that of his happily married pals, as he is recently divorced and dealing with an overbearing ex-wife.

[Photos: Meet the cast of 'Guys With Kids']

While the show is about the fellas, two familiar faces play Gary's and Nick's wives. One is Tempestt Bledsoe, who grew before our eyes as know-it-all Vanessa on "The Cosby Show." She plays Gary's wife, Marny -- a

One of the great things about the fall TV season is seeing so many up-and-coming actors in potentially breakthrough roles. Now, we're not psychics, but we have some hunches about which of this year's fresh faces you'll be seeing a lot more of down the road. (And not to toot our own horn, but our past picks have included Max Greenfield, Lea Michele, Archie Panjabi, and Zach Galifianakis.)

Here we highlight three fresh new faces — the often shirtless Taylor Kinney of "Chicago Fire" (boyfriend of Lady Gaga), Mamie Gummer of "Emily Owens, M.D." (daughter of Meryl Streep), and Dakota Johnson of "Ben and Kate" (daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith) — we think everyone will be taking note of this fall.

Check out the second of our five Fall TV Preview videos right here, and get your first look at these fall fresh faces with preview clips, expert commentary, and exclusive interviews. And stay tuned in the weeks to come for more Fall TV Preview videos, right here on Yahoo! TV.

[Watch

Well, you don't have to push too hard to get a strong opinion out of Ellen Barkin. The outspoken actress, best known for her big-screen roles opposite Al Pacino ("Sea of Love") and Robert De Niro ("This Boy's Life"), co-stars on NBC's taboo-busting new comedy "The New Normal" as the wildly prejudiced Nana, who's disgusted by her granddaughter's plan to carry a baby for a gay couple. And Barkin hasn't been shy about defending the series, taking on conservative watchdog group One Million Moms ("let's say three thousand moms, maybe" she quips) for boycotting the show and accusing a Utah affiliate that refused to air the show of censorship.

We spoke with Barkin at length last week, and she had plenty to say about the controversy surrounding her new show, why she jumped at the chance to play such an unlikable character, how creator Ryan Murphy's pilot script convinced her to take a job in Los Angeles, and why she's actually not that different than the decidedly right-wing Nana.

How did you