Premium ContentClick on Premium Content on the Featured navigation bar for information.
Q: Will “Chuck” with Zachary Levi ever return to NBC? It was the only show we looked forward to watching during the week. We LOVED “Chuck”; it was totally campy and fun.
A: The network renewed the series for a third season, thanks especially to a sponsorship deal with the Subway sandwich chain. The network has planned to bring it back in March 2010, after Winter Olympics coverage. When NBC dumped “Southland” before that drama began its second season, there was some hope that “Chuck” would return sooner. But at this writing, the only official return date is the one in 2010.
Q: I've become a faithful fan of “The Sopranos” on A&E. (I never watched it on HBO.) I would love to match up the actors' names with their characters on the show. Do you know of a Web site where this is available?
A: A&E's Web site, http://www.aetv.com, has a cast list, with photos. Go to the site, click on “shows,” then “The Sopranos,” then “the family.” That will give you a photo array of the characters, which you can click on to get a description and a link to the actor's name and bio. HBO also still has a cast list; go to http://www.hbo.com, click on “series” at the top of the page, then “The Sopranos,” then “cast and crew.”
And you should really try to see the show as it aired on HBO. The entire series is available on DVD, and the edited-down A&E cut is just not the same.
Q: Some years ago, my husband and I enjoyed a series on TV about two little boys, one black and one white. They lived in a little town called Palmerstown, and I think that was the name of the series. It was set in the '20s or '30s and was a wholesome family program. It did have racism in some of the themes. But good, thinking people prevailed.
A: The series you remember was at first called “Palmerstown, U.S.A.,” and later just “Palmerstown.” “Roots” author Alex Haley was involved, and the series was inspired by his childhood friendship with a white boy in the Depression-era South. The boys were played by Jermain Hodge Johnson and Brian Godfrey Wilson; the cast also included Michael J. Fox, Bill Duke and Jonelle Allen. It had short runs on CBS in the spring of 1980 and 1981. I do not know of an authorized release on home video.
Q: Is Christian Bale any relation to James Brolin? There are times when I see a striking resemblance to the young Brolin, circa “Marcus Welby.”
A: As far as I can determine, they are not related.
Q: I remember watching a movie about the life of Judy Garland. Also remember Aileen Quinn from “Annie” playing the part. Could be wrong though. Was such a good movie. I thought it was called “Over the Rainbow.” I've no luck in tracking anything down.
A: You are most likely remembering “Rainbow,” a 1978 TV movie about the young Garland, with Andrea McArdle — who starred in “Annie” on Broadway. I do not know of an authorized DVD release. It did come out on VHS, and I saw some high-priced copies on Amazon.com and eBay. You would have an easier time finding “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows,” a more recent TV production based on the memoir by Garland's daughter Lorna Luft. It is available on DVD.
Q: I have a question about the movie that goes with the “Unchained Melody” song. There was a movie made in 1954 called “Unchained,” starring CrazyLegs (Elroy) Hirsch and Barbara Bain. I have looked everywhere on the Web and can find reviews of the movie and the song, but cannot find a source for the movie. Can you help?
A: The song, later famous in a version by the Righteous Brothers and in the movie “Ghost,” did indeed appear in the prison drama, which starred Hirsch and Barbara Hale. Unfortunately, I do not know of an authorized release of the movie on video.
Q: I am trying to find a song by Conway Twitty. The song is “The Pawnbroker.” No one seems to know this song. Can you help me?
A: The song you are seeking is “Saturday Night Special,” about a man at a pawn shop to buy a gun. The broker, the song says, will “pay you for your misery or he'll sell you someone's pain/And that twinkle in his greedy eye says your loss will be his gain.”
Contact the writer:
rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
