'Don't Trust the B--' stars embrace show's title

It's no surprise that Krysten Ritter revels in the chance to play Chloe, the title character in ABC's new comedy, "Don't Trust the B-- in Apartment 23."

"I mean, d-uh," she told CNN. "[In the premiere] alone, I’m in a rap video; I’m naked; I’m getting a kid drunk; and having sex on a birthday cake. It’s ridiculous! It’s really fun to play any character that has no morals and no filter."

Ritter was genuinely surprised through the course of shooting the show's first season as to how far the writers took her character.

“Every week I’m like, are you kidding me?" she said." Originally I assumed, 'okay, they’re probably gonna soften it. Like okay, she’s not gonna be a b--, in the next episode she’s gonna be the nice girl.' And I didn’t wanna do that. The writers told me she just gets better and I’m glad they didn’t lie to me!"

And Ritter said she loved the show's title right away.

"When they pitched it to me, I didn’t believe this would be the title. I said, ‘there’s no way that’s going to be the title, don’t mess with me, I’m a smart girl.’ Sure enough it was, I’m on cloud nine."

However, it took awhile to settle on the show's current title. "B--" was originally spelled out, and then, for a time, the show was going to be called "Apartment 23."

“I think ‘Apartment 23’ was really normal and boring sounding," said Ritter's co-star, Dreama Walker. "I think it didn’t give a lot of insight as to what the actual script was about, so I think this was a good title."

“If I say ‘Don’t Trust the B-- in Apartment 23,’ they get it," Ritter explains. "If it’s ‘Apartment 23,’ I have to explain way more. It makes my life so much easier!"

Walker's character, June, a new transplant to New York City, moves in with Ritter's Chloe, even after being warned, well, "Don't trust the b-- in apartment 23."

“I think she understands the game but not exactly the magnitude of Chloe’s traits," Walker said of her character June. "It’s a really delicious, slightly abusive relationship. June keeps thinking it will get better but it really never does."

Walker said there was a running joke on set about how often she has to react to Chloe's outrageous behavior.

“I can’t imagine how many minutes they have of my mouth [agape]," she recalls saying. "At the wrap party, they played video of all the times I had my mouth open, connected, and it was two and a half minutes long. Hilarious."

Another of Walker and Ritter's co-stars is James Van Der Beek, playing, well, James Van Der Beek - a twisted version of the actor who gets along well with ex-girlfriend Chloe because they are equally manipulative.

Both Ritter and Walker confessed to not having seen much "Dawson's Creek" when the show first aired.

“I actually was not allowed to watch it as a kid," said Walker. "I remember everyone talking about it and seeing James everywhere. I remember thinking when I get older, I’m gonna have a boyfriend and he’s gonna look like that, but that never happened. If I could just go back and talk to 11 year old me, and be like, 'hey listen, don’t worry. You’re gonna have a great job and you’ll be working with James Van Der Beek, and you’ll be acting and things will be okay. Stop crying and wearing weird outfits.'"

"I love his character, he’s so good at it too," said Ritter, whose independent film "Life Happens," also hits theaters this month. "He has this really nice quality – he’s masochistic and eats women for breakfast, but then he’s also got this really vulnerable side that comes out, that’s just freaking adorable."

As for her own character, Ritter is happy to say that she didn't draw on personal experience to play her.

"I don’t know any Chloes. I’m glad I haven’t met any Chloes. She’s a freaking nightmare."

As the season progresses, Walker says that the roommates will trade roles.

“June becomes New York June and really tries to be like Chloe and kinda gets her mojo," she said. "There’s an episode where I try to tell Chloe she needs to stop dating inappropriate men, so she tries to be like me, wearing sun dresses and underwear."