Will there be an ‘FBI’ spinoff?
You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: The show “FBI” recently featured another team of specialists tracking down a killer. This storyline and the cast were much more interesting than the regular show. Any chance it will be a spinoff?
A: Probably. CBS has reportedly ordered a spinoff of “FBI” focusing on the bureau’s fugitives department. We’ll know more about where and when it's scheduled when the network announces its 2019-20 plans in mid-May.
Audiences got a taste in the April 2 episode of “FBI,” where the fugitives-chasing team was featured and members were played by Julian McMahon, Kellan Lutz, Keisha Castle-Hughes and others. That episode was a so-called “backdoor pilot” — a pilot for a series that is presented as an episode of another show. (Think of how the various “Chicago” series first appear inside another one, or how “NCIS” was originally an episode of “JAG.”)
Also, even though you seem tepid about “FBI,” CBS has picked it up for a second season.
Q: I am a big fan of “Midsomer Murders” but have noticed that Barry Jackson, who played the coroner, has been absent in the episodes starring Neil Dudgeon as of late.
A: Jackson played George Bullard on the series beginning with its premiere in 1997 and continuing through 13 of its first 14 seasons. (According to the Independent online, he missed one season because he had committed to a stage tour.)
When John Nettles, who played police detective Tom Barnaby, left the show in 2011, Jackson reportedly said he would leave, too, if his role did not increase. Instead, says the Independent, Jackson was written out after four episodes with Neil Dudgeon, Nettles’ successor. Jackson passed away in 2013 at the age of 75.
Q: One of my favorite Hallmark Channel movies is 2015’s “Autumn Dreams” starring Jill Wagner and Colin Egglesfield. I know Wagner has done other Hallmark movies but I have not seen Egglesfield in other movies. Is he still acting?
A: Yes. Egglesfield has guest-starred on “Lucifer,” “Chicago Fire” and other shows; recent movies include “Backtrace” with Sylvester Stallone, and “The Middle of X.” But he is known to many viewers for his recurring role as Jane Rizzoli's ex-con brother Tommy on the police drama “Rizzoli & Isles.” He is also active in the real estate business. You can learn more about him at colinegglesfield.com.
Q: Two of my favorite actresses from the past are Linda Fiorentino and Rae Dawn Chong. Are they still active?
A: Chong, the daughter of actor-comedian Tommy Chong, can still be seen onscreen from time to time, including in an episode of “9-1-1” last year. Her heyday was the 1980s, with films including “Quest for Fire,” “The Principal,” “Soul Man” and “The Color Purple.”
Fiorentino also amassed credits in the ’80s but her big decade was the ’90s, with the first “Men in Black” film and her awardwinning work in “The Last Seduction.” There have been some career bumps since then, as well as reports she was writing and developing her own projects. Her most recent onscreen credit on the Internet Movie Database is from 2009.