Favorite series isn’t back yet? It may be returning in 2020
QCan you please tell me why NBC did not bring back “Manifest”? I enjoyed the show and was hoping to find out what was behind the disappearance of the plane and the people. I would appreciate any info you can share.
A: The first info I can share is that the series is coming back. NBC ordered a second season of the thriller; look for it in 2020. Shows no longer begin only in the fall but may arrive in the winter, spring or summer, depending on their network’s plans and when other shows are scheduled. Football, for example, takes up a lot of real estate in the prime-time fall, and some shows are held back until after it is done.
Q: Do you know what happened to Dr. Rhodes on “Chicago Med”? Is he coming back? Also, what happened to “Station 19”?
A: “Station 19” is another case of a series being held back from fall premieres but planned for later in the season. I do not have an air date.
The “Chicago” dramas (“Med,” “Fire,” “P.D.”) often make casting changes. “Chicago” mastermind Dick Wolf, who is also the maestro of the many “Law & Order” series, has always been willing to shake up casts for a variety of reasons.
On “Chicago Med,” it was reported back in April that Dr. Connor Rhodes (played by Colin Donnell) was being written out of the series along with Dr. Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling). Deadline.com reported that those changes — along with Jon Seda’s departure from “Chicago P.D.” — were the result of “creative reasons related to the characters’ story evolution.” Which could mean the characters had reached the end of their arcs, or the writers were out of ideas, or other characters and stories seemed more interesting. At least Donnell’s departure was not in a box, so it’s always possible he’ll return sometime. Wolf ’s shows have a history of bringing back people, at least as guest stars.
Q: What is the status of the show where two people are given a head start and then chased down by professional manhunters?
A: It sounds as if you remember
“Hunted,” a CBS series in which teams of two people each tried to elude investigators for 28 days. It aired in 2017 and was canceled after a single seven-episode season. The show was based on a British series of the same name, which is still running, including with a celebrity version.
Q: How many movies did Harold Russell make? What became of him?
A: Harold Russell was a real-life World War II veteran who lost both his hands in an accident while teaching demolition work. He then played a returning veteran who lost his hands in “The Best Years of Our Lives” and won two Oscars for the role — a special award and a best supporting actor prize.
Not trained as an actor, nor apparently inclined toward the profession, he went decades between acting roles, from “Best Years” in 1946 to “Inside Moves” in 1980, according to the Internet Movie Database. Besides one other film, “Dogtown” in 1997, Russell made a few TV appearances but spent more time working with veterans’ organizations. He died in 2002 at the age of 88.
Write to Rich Heldenfels,
P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com.