Pop culture Q&A

September 26, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. My favorite gritty cop show was “Southland.” The characters and story lines were great. Will it be back?

A. Short answer: Yes. But the show has had an odd history. It originally was made for NBC, where its first season aired. The network ordered a second season but — after production had begun — decided not to carry it after all. But TNT picked up the series and showed both the repeats and the unaired episodes — and then ordered more. Look for new telecasts in January.

Q. My mother-in-law loves Willie Nelson. I know he was on an episode of “Monk.” Could you tell what season it was? Is it available on DVD?

A. The episode was aptly called “Mr. Monk and the Red- Headed Stranger” and had Nelson playing himself. It aired during the show’s first season, which is available on DVD.

Q. Can someone please explain how Katey Sagal was ignored for Emmy consideration for her incredible performance as the matriarch in “Sons of Anarchy?” I am over 65 and absolutely love this show (which amazes me because I am so nonviolent), and her performance in this show is one of the reasons why.

A. The overlooking of Sagal in particular and “Sons of Anarchy” generally by Emmy voters has caused considerable dismay among some viewers and critics. But some shows and actors just can’t get much Emmy love despite marvelous work: Look at “Friday Night Lights” or “The Wire.”

It appears that, with the Emmy crowd, Sagal can’t shake the “Married ... With Children” stigma. Don’t get me wrong: I thought “Married” was a funny show, and that Sagal and Ed O’Neill did good work on it. But it was far from an Emmy darling; its occasional nominations were in categories such as costuming, lighting and editing.

And, like Sagal, O’Neill seems to suffer from the association. Neither has ever been nominated for an Emmy; O’Neill even was overlooked for his performance on “Modern Family,” in spite of its receiving plenty of other Emmy honors.

That said, Christina Applegate, another “Married” alum, has an Emmy, for a guest performance on “Friends” and three other nominations. But you can see from this very long rant that Emmys, like other awards, have their baffling moments.

Q. I cannot find and do not remember the name of a movie on TV from the ’70s or ’80s, starring Teri Garr and one of the Keach brothers. I believe she was a nurse and her husband was a doctor. She was left behind during the Vietnam War and held in a cage where she was abused nightly. She eventually has a baby boy by one of her captors and will not leave the boy behind when she is finally rescued.

A. Though some of the details may differ from what you remember, you are thinking of “Intimate Strangers,” a 1986 TV-movie starring Garr and Stacy Keach. I do not know of an authorized DVD release. It did come out on VHS. Be careful if you look for it; there is at least one other movie called “Intimate Strangers” as well as one called “Intimate Stranger.”

Q. How can I see “Babies,” the documentary by a French filmmaker?

A. The film, which followed four newborns in different parts of the world, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday. Extras on the video release include the director, Thomas Balmes, revisiting the film’s babies years later, at age 4.