Will there be more episodes of comedy ‘Resident Alien?’
Q: Is the Syfy channel ever going to make any more episodes of the best sci-fi comedy I have seen in years, the brilliantly written and acted “Resident Alien”?
A: It has. The network has promised a third season of this self-described “sci-fi, murder mystery, doctor dramedy” with Alan Tudyk as an extraterrestrial trying to assimilate on Earth. Look for it Feb. 14.
Q: I saw a TV show in the ’50s or ’60s where a man bets another man he could not light a cigarette lighter a number of times in a row. If he did it, he would win a lot of money. If he didn’t, he would lose a finger. I think it was an “Alfred Hitchcock” episode, but I can’t find anyone else who remembers it.
A: That was indeed an installment of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” — twice. The first version, called “Man from the South,” aired on the anthology series in 1960 and starred Steve McQueen and Peter Lorre. It was redone for the 1985 revival of “Hitchcock,” this time with Steven Bauer and John Huston, as well as supporting cast including Tippi Hedren, Kim Novak (both veterans of Hitchcock’s films) and Melanie Griffith. And there are other adaptations, all based on the short story by Roald Dahl. For example, the Dahl-hosted anthology series “Tales of the Unexpected” included a version in 1979, with Jose Ferrer and Michael Ontkean. And Quentin Tarantino incorporated the idea in “The Man from Hollywood,” a segment of the multidirector movie “Four Rooms.” This being Tarantino, it should not surprise you that the characters play the game and talk about the 1960 telecast (although they get the episode title wrong).
Q: Will “Judge Steve Harvey” ever return?
A: ABC has a new season coming Feb. 7.
Q: Will there be more seasons of “The Mallorca Files”? We love the sweet relationship.
A: Although it has been about three years since the telecast of the second season of the BBC mystery series, there are reports that a third season is coming — and has completed shooting. I have not yet seen anything about an air date, beyond that it’s expected this year.
Q: We greatly enjoyed the Netflix series “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Has the actor portraying Mickey Haller been in any other TV series or movies? Who is the actor who plays the aging attorney Mickey often goes to for advice? And will there be another season?
A: To take your questions in reverse order, yes, Netflix has ordered a third season of the drama based on the novels by Michael Connelly. That’s award-winning actor Elliott Gould as Haller’s mentor, David “Legal” Siegel; his long career also included work on “Friends” and the “Ocean’s Eleven” movies.
Haller is played by Mexican actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. A 2022 profile in the Los Angeles Times said, “Garcia-Rulfo has moved agilely between Mexico and the U.S., with a string of supporting parts in major releases — (director) Steve McQueen’s ‘Widows,’ Antoine Fuqua’s ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ Michael Bay’s ‘6 Underground’ — and more substantial parts in his home country, most notably in films by his friend, writer-director Manolo Caro, such as ‘Tales of an Immoral Couple’ and ‘Perfect Strangers.’ ” You may also have seen him in the 2017 version of “Murder on the Orient Express,” “A Man Called Otto” and “Greyhound.”
Do you have a question or comment about entertainment past, present and future? Write to Rich Heldenfels, P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com. Letters may be edited.