‘My gift’ isn’t quite free
Printer builds cash fund in ‘Major Crimes’
Q. Often on “Major Crimes,” characters are seen silently putting money in a jar. I always watch, but have never seen a reason. Can you tell us why they do this?
A. In the second-season premiere of the TNT drama, Provenza (G.W. Bailey) won a cash bounty for being the last member of his police-academy class who was still on the job. He spent part of the money on a new printer for the unit, as “my gift to all of you.” But, Provenza being Provenza, he charges the others for using the printer, with the money put in a jar labeled “pension enhancement fund.”
Q. There is an actor named T.R. Knight that I have seen recently on the program “The Catch.” I’m sure he was on the first two or three seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy,” but I cannot remember his character’s name on that show. Can you help me out here?
A. Knight played George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy from 2005 to 2009, when George was hit by a bus and killed.
Knight was famously involved in “Isaiahgate,” in which co-star Isaiah Washington referred to Knight with an anti-gay slur. Knight, who had not come out publicly, did so shortly after the incident; Washington was let go from the show.
Knight later left the series, telling Entertainment Weekly there had been a “breakdown of communication” between the actor and “Grey’s” executive producer Shonda Rhimes. Still, his appearances on “The Catch” as Tommy Vaughan put him back in the Rhimes TV family, as she is an executive producer of that series; Knight’s role was reportedly written specifically for him.
Q. I had a DVD, now location unknown. It was about an island community, maybe Irish or English. An old gentleman wins the lottery, but dies with a winning ticket in hand. So the entire poor village scams together, including the minister, to collect on the ticket. It is a funny comedy in the British style, probably from 10 years ago. I have no idea what the title is. Any help would be appreciated.
A. This sounded like — and we’ve confirmed it — “Waking Ned Devine,” a comedy from 1998.
Q. My son and I loved watching “Blood and Oil” with Don Johnson a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the show was canceled three-quarters through its first season. Do you know if a DVD will be coming out in the near future for the episodes that were shown and perhaps the ones that were made but never aired?
A. There were 10 episodes made of the series; more were initially planned but the order was trimmed when early ratings disappointed. According to TV.com, all 10 episodes aired in 2015, although there was a three-week gap between the seventh and eighth telecast, so some viewers may have assumed an even earlier demise. I cannot find an authorized DVD of the show, but the 10 episodes are available as downloads on Amazon.com and iTunes.