Pop culture Q&A

April 24, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

Akron Beacon Journal

Q. Keith Olbermann disappeared so suddenly from MSNBC, and I would like to know what happened to him. In my opinion, he was the best of the weekday-evening broadcasters.

A. The man The Associated Press called “the most dominant liberal voice” in cable TV and MSNBC parted ways in January. (Some accounts said he was fired, but others indicated this was more of a mutual decision based on increasing conflict between the two sides.)

The following month he was named chief news officer of Current TV, the cable operation co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. Olbermann also will be executive producer and host of a nightly program for Current; comparing it to his MSNBC “Countdown” show, Olbermann in a recent online commentary said it will be the “same time, same show, new and improved — different network.” That’s due to premiere later this spring. He also is running his own blog, Foknewschannel.com (note the K, not an X), which includes Olbermann video commentaries such as the one quoted here.

Q. What can you tell me about the psychiatrist who treated Tony Soprano on the HBO “Sopranos” TV series? She is a gifted actress.

A. Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Tony’s therapist, was played by Lorraine Bracco. She has been a regular presence in movies and on TV for more than 25 years; she was nominated for a best-supporting-actress Oscar for “Goodfellas” and nominated four times for an Emmy for her work on “The Sopranos.” She has written a memoir called “On the Couch” and recently has appeared on the TNT series “Rizzoli & Isles” as the mother of Rizzoli (Angie Harmon). That series returns with new episodes July 11.

Q. While traveling, I saw bits and pieces of episodes of a show that I found really enjoyable. Unfortunately, I don’t know its name nor the network that carried it. It had a gutsy middle-aged female attorney who lost her job at a large firm and wound up opening her own office in a run-down neighborhood, sharing space with a shoe store. Can you tell me if the program is still running and where/when to tune in?

A. That is “Harry’s Law,” starring Kathy Bates, which aired Monday nights on NBC. Although its current season is done, it is generally expected to be picked up for a second one. Some of the first-season episodes can be viewed online at NBC.com.

Q. For years, “Coronation Street” has been referred to many times on other British TV shows/Britcoms. Is it a soap, Britcom or what? Other old British TV shows have been released, but as far as I know, this one never has. Why?

A. “Coronation Street” is the longest-running soap opera on British television. Since its premiere in 1960, it has followed various working-class people in northwest England. The Museum of Broadcast Communications’ Encyclopedia of Television said in 1997 that the show “is imbued with a definite feeling of community. Through its account of supposedly everyday life, the programme shows a high degree of social realism.” The series has aired in other countries, including Canada, but it has not found its way onto U.S. television as far as I can tell. I suspect the complicated narrative history, its being a soap opera and the sometimes hard-to-understand accents all have worked against it. But the first episode is available on YouTube. And you can see what it is up to today at www.itv.com/coronationstreet.

Q. What is going on with “The Cape”? Is it coming back or did it get the ax?

A. The ax. NBC did not even bother to air all the episodes of the low-rated series (which I liked in the early going); the final episode was put online instead.

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2011, Akron Beacon Journal

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