What happened to Hulu’s ‘Conversations’
You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: Where has “Conversations with Friends” on Hulu gone? Will it be back?
A: The series ended after a single, 12-episode season. Hulu removed it along with many other shows, reportedly as a cost-cutting measure. While streamers have often removed and added shows from time to time, removals have been more noticeable at Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Max, Discovery+ and other streamers. CNBC.com noted earlier this year that “after the initial bloom of new platforms and subscriber growth, aided by pandemic lockdowns and a surge of fresh content, the digital streaming industry has cooled. And Wall Street has turned up the heat on media companies, now focusing on if and when streaming will be profitable versus if those providers are putting up big subscriber numbers. … Removing content from platforms is a way for streamers to avoid residual payments and licensing fees.”
Q: How much of NBC’s Chicago shows are actually made in Chicago?
A: I understand the undercurrent of suspicion in that question, since we have all seen shows creating many locations from settings in California, Canada and elsewhere. But from what I can find, “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” are all made in Chicago — at city locations and the huge Cinespace Studios facility in the city.
Q: Vincent Price starred in a series of excellent comic/horror movies, including “The Abominable
Dr. Phibes” and (I think) “The Return of the Abominable Dr. Phibes.” I’ve never been able to see or even find these movies on TV. Can you assist?
A: Price starred in “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” (1971) and “Dr. Phibes Rises Again” (1972). The authoritative “The Movie Guide” calls the first film “delightfully goofy” and the second “equally entertaining.” (Price would follow them in 1973 with the similar “Theatre of Blood,” a favorite of mine.) Both Phibes films have been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and are available to rent on Prime Video. The second film is also streaming on Tubi and Freevee; the first is on the subscription streaming channel Horror Drive-In. (There may be other places, but those offer some options.)
Q: Back in the late ’60s or early ’70s there was a series about women in a prison camp during World War II. They were held prisoner by the Japanese, I believe. It might have been on PBS and was a very good depiction of their survival efforts and put a female face to the war. I’m not sure if these women were nurses, military, or diplomat wives but I’d like to find it and can’t remember the name.
A: After we traded some information, it was clear you were thinking of “Tenko.” That series, which originally aired in the early 1980s, involved a group of women held in a Japanese prison camp after the invasion of Singapore. There were three 10-episode seasons, and I have found episodes online at DailyMotion.com. There is also a DVD set, which can be expensive; you may want to see if your local library has it.