You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: I was looking forward to "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” but it has been preempted by news. Will it eventually be on?
A: CNN recently announced that it will start the second season of the series on May 1. According to the network, in the new season Tucci encounters “the hearty, traditional dishes in Umbria … the unique cuisine of Venice … (and) Piedmont in northern Italy on his hunt for the elusive white truffle; and back in his adopted hometown of London, Tucci uncovers how Italian immigration has transformed the food scene.”
Q: Whatever happened to the live TV production of “Bye Bye Birdie” that Jennifer Lopez was supposed to star in? It seems like it’s been an on again/off again project for the last few years.
A: Quite a few years. Plans were originally announced in October 2016, with the telecast scheduled for December 2017. But the telecast was pushed repeatedly, reportedly because of Lopez’s busy schedule — which does not seem to have gotten less busy. NBC has put on some other musicals since then, including “Annie” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” as have other networks.
But if you’re looking for the birdie and nothing but the birdie, there’s still the 1961 musical with Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh and Ann-Margret (as well as Bobby Rydell, who passed away recently); it’s on several free streaming services as well as DVD and Blu-ray. Also streaming and on DVD is a 1995 TV production starring Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams.
Q: I am writing to find out what Emily Procter of “CSI: Miami” is doing. I have not heard much about her since the show ended.
A: Audiences know Procter from her 2002-2012 run on “CSI: Miami” as well as appearances on “The West Wing.” But her more recent priorities have changed. As the website emilyprocter.com says, “In 2019 Emily shifted focus from entertainment to community by founding Ground Breakers Inc. Ground Breakers is a nonprofit working to create positive identity opportunities for children, and additionally for adults, in compromised circumstances. Working to support people, community and equitable infrastructure, Ground Breakers hopes to be a supporter for change and equity for all.” You can learn more about it at the website.
Q: What is the name of the actor who played the dentist in the “MASH” movie and is he still alive?
A: That’s John Schuck, now 82 years old and still with us. For some folks, he is best known for performances in various “Star Trek” productions. Others will recall him as Enright on the old “McMillan & Wife” series.
Q: I am hoping you can help with the title of a movie I watched on TV maybe 20 years ago. It is black and white. I think it took place in a small town in Pennsylvania. This bumbling group of guys rob the local bank, but it has been snowing and there is so much snow that they cannot get out of town. They have to ask local residents to take them in, and the townspeople are so nice that I think they give the money back.
A: That appears to be “Trapped in Paradise” from 1994. (It’s not in black and white but everything else fits your description.) The bumbling bank robbers are played by Nicolas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz. George Gallo wrote and directed it. It’s on DVD and digital.
Q: Years ago, I saw a movie on TV with people adrift in a lifeboat. People were hanging on the sides taking turns in the water. There was a sick woman on board and the younger officer went into the water with her and drifted off, knowing their fate. Was that the movie “Lifeboat”? I know that movie mentioned people in a boat, but nothing about others in the water on the sides of the boat.
A: That sounds more like “Abandon Ship” (also known as “Seven Waves Away”), a 1957 film starring Tyrone Power.
———
