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Fred Thompson, Jesse Ventura and 11 others who went from the small screen to the podium

Did you know that before he hosted his eponymous chair-throwing, fist-flying talk show, Jerry Springer was the mayor of Cincinnati?

Going from politician to TV star may be an unusual path, but the opposite route is actually quite common.

Here are 13 stars who made -- or tried to make -- the leap from primetime to politics.

It's not too late to get into 'Mad Men,' the slick AMC series about life in the early '60s that recently earned a staggering 16 Emmy nominations.

In 'For Those Who Think Young,' the second season's opener, smooth ad exec Don Draper suddenly finds himself feeling old. His doctor chides him for his five-drinks-a-day habit, he can't relate to his wife the way he used to, and his bosses are pressuring him to hire hotshots in their twenties. What's a chain-smoking, impeccably dressed alpha male to do?

For more on 'Mad Men,' including hints about plot points to come and more on those fabulous suits, check out AOL's recent interview with series star (and Emmy nominee) Jon Hamm.

Can you make the grade?

The beginning of fall will always mean one thing -- back-to-school season.

And in honor of this special time of year, we present you with a pop quiz all about TV schools.

Where did Felicity go to college? Was a baby ever born at Bayside High? Please keep your eyes on your own paper. Pencils out ... you may begin.

Can't wait for the premieres of 'Dollhouse' or 'How I Met Your Mother'? 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' will help tide you over.

The 42-minute internet-only musical, written and directed by 'Buffy' and 'Firefly' creator Joss Whedon, stars Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, a would-be supervillain whose yearns to join the Evil League of Evil.

If catchy tunes, Whedon's signature brand of offbeat humor and a gut-wrenching twist of an ending sound like your kind of thing, you'll love 'Dr. Horrible.' Just be sure to watch it soon -- although the video is now available on Hulu, there's a chance that it might disappear and only be available for purchase on iTunes.

Where are Lauren Graham, William Petersen and 48 more stars originally from?

It may be hard to believe, but they don't actually grow celebrities in California.

We've got the scoop on where fifty stars -- one for each state -- lived before they made it big in Hollywood.

Read on to find out about celebrity hometowns from Birmingham, Alabama, to Crowheart, Wyoming ... and everywhere in between.