Q&A: What is that waltz played in Downton Abbey movie?
You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: Please tell me the name of the waltz played in the Downton Abbey movie where the king and queen and the family are all dancing at the ball. I am so moved by that scene.
A: The ballroom sequence includes Strauss waltzes, followed by the cutting between the ball and Tom dancing with a woman on the balcony. (I will leave it at that to avoid some spoilers.) The music transitions from Strauss into Sunset Waltz, by longtime Downton composer John Lunn; he told Town & Country magazine that the musical transition was “quite difficult because it needs to be seamless … sounding like Strauss and then metamorphosing into John Lunn.”
By the way, there is another Downton Abbey movie coming.
Originally set for this December, it is now scheduled to premiere in March 2022.
Q: Can you tell me where Holey Moley is recorded, the time of year and the temperature of the water? I get a laugh when contestants get dunked.
A: The show is made in Santa Clarita, California, at the Sable Ranch, a much-used production location. According to ABC, the most recent season of Holey Moley was shot early this year. I don’t have any information about the water temperature.
Q: Why did Gregory Sierra, who played Chano on Barney Miller, leave the show after only two seasons. His character worked well with others.
A: Sierra was fine in the police comedy’s ensemble, but he reportedly left for what appeared to be a better gig – as the lead in a sitcom, A.E.S. Hudson Street, from the same producer as Barney Miller. Unfortunately, Hudson was not a success. Sierra, however, went on to dozens of other roles in movies and TV. He was 83 when he died of cancer this year.
Q: Will Coroner be returning? Where can I watch reruns?
A: The Canadian drama will begin airing its third season on The CW on Aug. 19, a change from a previously announced July return. The third season has already aired in Canada.
Q: A few years back there was a series about a New York cop during the Civil War. I believe the name of the series was Copper.
Do you have any info about it, and is it available anywhere?
A: Copper, set in 1860s New York, had some impressive people in the production team, among them several from the classic Homicide: Life on the Street. But it lasted just two seasons in 2012-13. The series has been released on DVD.
Q: I am enjoying reruns of the original MacGyver TV series. What can you tell me about Richard Dean Anderson? I don’t believe he did any other shows.
A: You underestimate Minnesota-born Anderson, now 71. Focusing just on regular series work since MacGyver, he has starred in two other shows: Legend (1995) and Stargate SG-1. The latter program had him as a regular from 1997 to 2005 and a guest star in two more seasons; he made guest appearances in two more seasons and in two spinoffs. Anderson also recurred in episodes of Fairly Legal in 2011.