Pop culture Q&A

February 20, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. When will “Friday Night Lights” return to NBC?

A. The series, whose fifth and final season just finished on DirecTV, will air that final season on NBC beginning April 15. The final season is also due for release on DVD on April 5 — yes, before the NBC telecasts.

Q. I was wondering if you know where the “Wipeout” series takes place.

A. It is done in Canyon Country, an area near Santa Clarita, Calif.

Q. Are there any DVDs of “Columbo,” which was one of my favorite TV detective programs?

A. Yes. You can find the entire NBC run of the series starring Peter Falk on DVD in season-by-season packages. In addition, TV movies made later for ABC are being gradually released; the most recent set is “Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection 1991-1993.”

Q. The Canadian TV show “Corner Gas” is off the air but I read somewhere that Brent Butt from the show had developed a show for his wife, Nancy Robertson, who was also in “Corner Gas.” Is there any way to buy DVDs of the new show? Is it carried anywhere in the U.S.?

A. The show you are looking for is called “Hiccups.” Robertson plays a children’s-book author and Butt is her “life coach.” A 13-episode first season has aired in Canada, with a second season planned. I have not seen it listed for U.S. TV, but the first season is for sale on DVD on Amazon’s Canadian operation, www.amazon.ca. By the way, another “Corner Gas” player, Fred Ewanuick, also went on to a new Canadian series, Dan for Mayor, and the first season of that is on DVD via Amazon.ca as well.

Q. Whatever happened to the very talented comedienne Crista Flanagan after “Mad TV” went off the air? I thought for sure that we would see a lot more of her.

A. She has had work outside the Fox sketch-comedy series. She had a recurring role on “Mad Men” as Lois Sadler, famous for running a riding mower over the foot of a visiting executive. She was also on the short-lived Kelsey Grammer comedy “Hank” (which included another “Mad Men” player, Melinda McGraw) and appeared in the movie “Vampires Suck.” And she posed for Playboy’s August 2010 issue.

Q. I recently picked up reruns (which were my first viewing) of “Twin Peaks” on the Chiller and Sleuth channels, and the theme song blew my mind. If there is a CD or tape of that music, I would greatly appreciate your telling me where I can purchase it.

A. Angelo Badalamenti’s theme for the peculiar ABC drama proved quite memorable. It is included on a CD soundtrack of the show’s first season; that appears to be out of print but I have seen copies for sale, including on Amazon.com. There is also a soundtrack for the second season, which is even harder to get, and one for the prequel movie “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” which is easily available. You may also want to look for “Badalamenti’s Music for Film & Television CD,” which includes his “Twin Peaks” theme, along with compositions for “Blue Velvet,” “The Straight Story” and “Mulholland Drive” (like “Twin Peaks,” all are collaborations with director David Lynch); “Inside the Actors Studio”; and other productions.

“Twin Peaks,” by the way, is available in its entirety on DVD.

Q. What happened to “Deal or No Deal”? I loved that show.

A. From what I can find, for now it is a done “Deal.” Successful internationally, the U.S. version — hosted by Howie Mandel — proved a relatively short-lived phenomenon.

2011, Akron Beacon Journal