POP CULTURE Q&A

April 10, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. Is it true Milton Berle hosted one of the early “Saturday Night Live” telecasts and the show was so terrible Lorne Michaels vowed it would never be on the air again?

A. TV legend Berle, who died in 2002, hosted SNL during its fourth season, 1978-79. The 1986 book “Saturday Night,” by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, says Michaels was so unhappy with Berle and his performance that he refused to let the show be repeated. (There are also stories of Berle’s conduct in “Live From New York” by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller.) Eventually the show was rescued from the archives, and it is in the DVD box set of the fourth season. I revisited it when that box set came out in 2008 and, yes, Berle is awful.

Q. I saw the horror movie “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” back in the early 1970s. The actors were Kim Darby and Jim Hutton. It took place in a creepy old house with little trolls or demons. Is it available on DVD? If so, where might I buy it?

A. “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” is a big favorite with some horror buffs. It was a made-for-television movie that first aired in October 1973. You remember the actors correctly; one of my references says Hutton replaced the originally cast George Hamilton. Warner Bros. has the movie for sale through its archive collection, in which DVD copies are made to order for consumers; you can get it via the Warner online shop (www.wbshop.com) or Amazon.com.

There is also a remake with Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes, which reportedly will go into movie theaters in August.

Q. I’m a native Michigander (transplanted 29 years ago) and I am curious about the voice of the “Pure Michigan” ads. Who is he and where is he from? I love the commercials, but his accent does not sound typical of someone from Michigan.

A. That’s Tim Allen, the former “Home Improvement” star and, yes, a Michigander.

Q. What happened to the “Law & Order” that had Jeff Goldblum in it? Has it been canceled, or is it just off for the season??

A. You are thinking of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” It will have new episodes on USA Network on May 1, the same night that new telecasts of “In Plain Sight” begin. But don’t expect to see Goldblum. Original stars Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe — in other words, Goren and Eames — have returned for what will be the show’s final season.

Here are some USA-announced storylines: “A beautiful female banker whose sole client was the Catholic Church; an adventuresome rogue who may be the country’s best cyber-warrior; a woman who was blackmailing a wealthy, tabloid-fodder ‘bad boy.’”

Q. I enjoyed watching “Dirty Sexy Money” and it was suddenly canceled. I am curious if there were any indications after the cancellation as to how it would have resolved itself if it had continued. Any specific reason it was so suddenly pulled without even a final episode to close out the series?

A. To answer your last question first, the ratings were very low. In fact, the show did so poorly that ABC not only yanked it from the schedule for a long time but buried the last three episodes on Saturday nights, when prime-time network viewing is generally poor. But the show did settle one major storyline in the final episode, with a twist.

So if you missed the finale, or any other episodes, all 23 — 10 from the first season, 13 from the second — are on DVD in two complete-season sets. They are also available for viewing online at Hulu.com.

2011, Akron Beacon Journal

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services