On the set of "Homeland" with Mandy Patinkin

Bob Simon has covered conflict and war for most of his professional life, yet the world of fictional terrorism, as depicted in the Showtime series "Homeland," still intrigues him.

"I don't miss an episode," Simon tells 60 Minutes Overtime.

This season, "Homeland" is set in Pakistan, but was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. Simon, who has reported from Pakistan in the past, tells Overtime he was impressed by the likeness of the location.

"The extent to which those two blocks look like Pakistan for me was mind-blowing," he recalls. "To see how they created a foreign land was something staggering."

Simon was also stunned by the authenticity of the "Homeland" props that Mandy Patinkin showed them. "This is a facial recognition thing," Patinkin says. "When you walk up, you see it pops on ... And then it allows the door to open."

"It's been amazing watching the show this year because I see all these gadgets and things that we actually saw in real life, on television," says Graham Messick, producer of the Patinkin profile. "The things that surprised us was the level of detail, from the papers on the desk to the drone controls, it was really cool."

Off the "Homeland" set, Simon had plenty of time to talk with Patinkin -- who is never at a loss for words.

"He's totally brilliant, one of the most talented people I've met. And like so many brilliant people, he would not make the cover of Psychology Today," Simon says. "He's wild, but it's the way he controls his wildness that makes him as good as he is. He can switch moods on and off screen in a flash."

Messick points out that Patinkin's personality is much different from the calm and controlled demeanor of his character, Saul Berenson, on "Homeland," which airs on CBS's sister network, Showtime.

"Mandy has a problem listening, and just being still and calm," Messick says. "He's genuinely curious. He's like a journalist. He really, really wants to know the answer to things, and if you don't give him a good answer, he'll keep asking."

The above video was produced for 60 Minutes Overtime by Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson and Lisa Orlando.

"Homeland" footage © & TM 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Television Corporation. All rights reserved.