This TV father, son are actually very close in age
You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: How much of an age difference is there between Tom Selleck and Len Cariou? I’m thinking not much.
A: You are correct. Tom Selleck, who plays Frank Reagan on “Blue Bloods,” will be 77 in January. Cariou, who plays Frank’s father Henry, is 82. That’s some acting magic for you. And, before someone asks, Frank’s children are played by Bridget Moynahan, 50; Donnie Wahlberg, 52; and Will Estes, 43.
Q: I know my question is not the usual kind of request for info. However, I don’t know where to look for an answer. A beautiful poem was read during the funeral service for Bob Dole about “the dash we do during our lifetime.” I would appreciate any help you can offer as to the title or the author.
A: While TV is the topic most of the time, I am open to all kinds of arts and entertainment questions here. The work read at Dole’s funeral is “The Dash” by Linda Ellis. Dole reportedly quoted the poem often in speeches.
Q: Can you tell me if “La Brea” is coming back?
A: It is. NBC ordered a second season in November. But it appears you will not see new episodes before the fall of 2022.
Q: David Spade had a half-hour comedy series with guests skewering the news appearing after the Trevor Noah show on Comedy Central. It disappeared during COVID. Will it come back?
A: No. “Lights Out with David Spade” was canceled, with Spade saying a Comedy Central executive wanted to “go kind of cheap.”
Spade’s show wasn’t that expensive he told the Los Angeles Times, “but I think he’s talking, like, really inexpensive. I don’t know if he saw one show. I think that’s how tough the biz is, where they say, ‘How much is that one? OK, get rid of it.’ ” More recently Spade has co-hosted “The Netflix Afterparty,” a talk show focused on the streamer’s programs.
Q: “Our Miss Brooks” was a great comedy in the 1950s, with reruns now on the Decades channel. But, in 1955, several of the regular stars were dropped from the series, when Miss Brooks had to go teach at another school. Please tell me why such a major change occurred. This may be tough for you because it is so old, but I have confidence in you to get the answer.
A: It’s a short one: Ratings. The comedy starring Eve Arden as a high school teacher had been a hit in its first two seasons, from 1952 to 1954, but in its third season, 1954-55, it had fallen in the TV rankings. To revive interest, the show changed setting and some of the cast. According to “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows,” the change proved unsuccessful and one former cast member, Robert Rockwell as Mr. Boynton, was brought back late in the season. Still, the series ended in 1956, although there was an “Our Miss Brooks” movie that year, which completed one storyline.
Q: I was a huge fan of the TV show “Felicity” (with Keri Russell) when it aired in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s. Is it ever going to be available to watch on any channel or streaming service?
A: One place to see it is on Hulu, which has all four seasons from 1998-2002. You should be prepared for some changes in the music. As a New York Times story in April noted, “Felicity” did not secure long-term rights to the songs in the show: “When it came time to re-license the music for DVD and streaming, the distributor, ABC Studios, opted not to bother. If you stream the show now, . song choices have been replaced with cheap-sounding Muzak and tracks by unknown bands.” (You can read the story, which details the music-rights dilemma for shows, here: https:// www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/ arts/television/tv-soundtracksdawsons-creek-freaks-andgeeks.html).
Q: I have been looking in TV listings every week for “World on Fire.” Do you know if it will return?
A: A second season of the World War II drama was ordered two years ago. But the pandemic delayed production of the wideranging series and I have not seen an air date for the new season yet.
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. Individual replies are not guaranteed.