TV Q&A
This week's TV Q&A answers questions about "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Arrested Development."
As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.
Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor
Q:Will "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" be broadcast again? I know it was pre-empted by the football game and I missed it when it was shown in the afternoon.
- Mary Ann Thomas, West Deer
Yes, the movie has turned up a couple times already on ABC Family and will air there again tonight, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m.
Q:Is Kevin Benson going to the replacement for Julie Bologna on Channel 11?
- Tara, Pittsburgh
Not unless he gets a sex change.
It was always pretty clear the station was looking for another young, attractive woman and last week they made a hire that fit that bill. You can read about Krista Villarreal here and see her picture here.
Q:Is Rudi Bakhtiar still an anchor on Headline News? Inquiring minds want to know....
- LC, Dumont, N.J.
According to a CNN publicist, she's taking a leave of absence and is expected to return later this month.
Some published reports have suggested Bakhtiar might be flirting with the idea of jumping to Fox News Channel.
Q:What happened to the program "LAX" shown on NBC?
- Debra Coleman, Pittsburgh
As we reported, it was canceled last month.
Q:How could WPXI pre-empt "Scrubs" Tuesday night for some idiotic half-hour special on how to shovel snow and keep warm? That is a disgrace! Why would the network even allow them to put this crap on?
- Mike Kuntz, Mt Lebanon
I won't disagree with you, but at least it was a rerun that got pre-empted and not an original episode. Network affiliates are allowed a certain number of prime-time pre-emptions every year.
Q:Why was there a "Winter Weather Special" on WPXI on Tuesday instead of "Scrubs"? My husband and I tuned in only to find WPXI's entire "weather team" going on about the upcoming winter. There was no advanced warning, no notice that "Scrubs" was going to be delayed or not shown at all. If anything, I would think a program like this would be shown in the 8-9 p.m. hour when more people are apt to watch or during one of the many local news programs.
- Heidi Patterson-Orlando, Forest Hills
Actually, there was notice about this in Friday's Post-Gazette.
As for why Channel 11 would do it, that's easy: By putting on a local show, a station gets to sell all the ad time. With a network show, they only get to sell a few local commercials. It's all about pumping up revenue.
Q:Hey Rob, it's Sam Merrill, ex-of WTAE. I feed my Steelers "jones" by checking the PG Web page several times a day. In the process, I always check to see what you're writing about these days! Always enjoyed your work.
Anyway, my question is: How big an improvement, if any, is "The West Wing" season six? I was one of the few who didn't really mind season five all that much, but I've got to admit season six seems much, much closer to something Sorkin might have written. Sheen and Spencer are amazing and love the Jimmy Smits/Josh thing.
Anyway, just wondering.
- Sam Merrill, Flint, Mich.
I've enjoyed the current season of "The West Wing" much more than last year. Mixing the characters up by having some switch jobs has really added a new wrinkle to some of the long-established relationships. It's been especially fun to see C.J. as chief of staff and Toby as an inept press secretary. And last week's episode with the return of President Bartlet's multiple sclerosis story was a particularly strong episode in an already intriguing season.
Q:I know "Doc" has been canceled but I don't remember reading anything about "Candid Camera." Is it coming back?
- Debbie Howard, Cecil
Here's what a Pax spokeswoman said: "We are no longer producing original episodes of 'Candid Camera.' We continue to have rights to air 'Candid Camera' episodes in our library. It will be on the air on Jan. 1st."
Q:Last night my family and I watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" as we have for years. I've watched this TV favorite every holiday going back as far as I can remember. Last night the show was on ABC. But, didn't it used to always air on CBS? This may seem strange, but the show looked different. The edges of the animation were a little bit sharper. And the '60s-era commercial cuts were a little more obvious than usual. Being weaned and reared on TV, a change like this jars me... but, did it really happen? Wasn't this a CBS show?
- Vikki Ferguson, O'Hara
ABC got the rights to the "Charlie Brown" shows several years ago and began airing them in 2002. As for the abruptness of commercial breaks, chances are you're seeing more chopped out of these specials than in the past as the amount of commercial time in a half-hour continues to rise.
Q:I recently saw a commercial for Sierra Mist with Fred Willard as a suspect being interrogated for "stealing" Sierra Mist, although he thought it was "free." The police detective looks very familiar. Is he Lenny, from the TV show "Laverne and Shirley?" If not, do you know what TV show he is from?
- MaryAnn Zeroski, Adena, Ohio
Sharp eye, MaryAnn. You are correct. Actor Michael McKean, who played Lenny on "Laverne & Shirley," is the cop in that commercial.
Q:When is "Yes, Dear" coming back to CBS? And why did they not have it during the regular season. I thought the show was new and funny.
- Robert Ware, Pittsburgh
The odious "Yes, Dear" was ordered as a midseason replacement, which means it could turn up anytime between January and summer. My bet is CBS having so much success they'll burn it off over the summer.
Q:I am writing these questions with dread in my heart. How is "Arrested Development" doing this season? How many episodes did Fox order this year? I've seen some reports that show keeps losing the "Simpsons" lead-in. Do you think if Fox yanks it, it could move to FX? If Fox replaces it with "The Swan Extreme Island" reality show or another lame sitcom with a fat guy and hot wife, I'm going to go nuts.
- Eric Ross, Shaler
Eric, you have reason for concern. "Arrested Development" is not holding the "Simpsons" audience. The good news: Fox has ordered a full season of 22 episodes. I think Fox will keep "Arrested" on the air through this season, but whether or not it gets a third year remains up in the air.
First Published: December 16, 2004, 5:00 a.m.
