Pop culture Q&A
By Rich Heldenfels
McClatchy Newspapers
Q. Any idea whether or not the upcoming “The Lone Ranger” is meant to be a comedy of sorts? Because it must be a joke having Johnny Depp play an Indian. As a huge fan of the TV show, I am insulted by that casting and think that Jay Silverheels is rolling in his grave.
A. Actually, this may not be a bad thing for the movie, planned for late 2012. Tonto, to be played by Depp, is the big role; Armie Hammer of “The Social Network” is signed as the Ranger. And Tonto may be the smarter half of the duo — much the way the recent “Green Hornet” movie made Kato the brains of the partnership.
Depp, whose family claimed to be part Native American, told Entertainment Weekly in May that as a child he watched the old TV series, with Silverheels as Tonto and Clayton Moore as the Ranger.
“I liked Tonto, even at that tender age, and knew Tonto was getting the unpleasant end of the stick here,” Depp told EW. “When the idea came up [for the movie], I started thinking about Tonto and what could be done in my own small way to try to — ‘eliminate’ isn’t possible — but reinvent the relationship, to attempt to take some of the ugliness thrown on the Native Americans, not only in ‘The Lone Ranger,’ but the way Indians were treated throughout history of cinema, and turn it on its head.”
Q. What happened to Juju Chang? Why is she no longer on “Good Morning America”? I didn’t watch for awhile, and she was suddenly gone.
A. She has become a special correspondent and fill-in anchor for ABC’s “Nightline.” Josh Elliott has succeeded her as news reader for “GMA.”
Q. What happened to the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm?”
A. It will begin a new season July 10, with Larry going to New York.
Q. On the TV show “Charmed,” Piper falls in love with the ghost of a young Asian man murdered on his birthday. The soundtrack had a woman singing the words “peace, peace, peace, may you go in peace.” What is the name of the song, who sings it and is it available on CD?
A. The song is called “Hush, Hush, Hush” by Paula Cole. It is from her CD “This Fire,” as well as her “Greatest Hits: Songs From East Oceanside.” Cole, by the way, also is known for “I Don’t Want to Wait,” the theme song from “Dawson’s Creek,” and for “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”
The “Charmed” episode is called “Dead Man Dating,” and it’s from the show’s first season. John Cho — of the “Harold and Kumar” movies and the 2009 “Star Trek” movie — played the dead man.
Q. Is “Warehouse 13” returning soon?
A. The Syfy adventure series begins a run of new episodes with a very good one July 11.
Q. I was just wondering what happened to “Switched at Birth” on ABC? It wasn’t on when scheduled.
A. The series airs on the cable channel ABC Family, not on the ABC broadcast network. The operations’ similar names (and cross-promotion of shows on each network) adds to the potential for confusion.
Things get more muddled when shows migrate. Some people discovered ABC Family’s “Kyle XY” when it also aired on plain ABC, then were puzzled by its absence from the broadcast network. CBS created similar confusion when it carried edited-for-broadcast episodes of Showtime’s “Dexter” in 2008 to fill time during the writers strike.
Do you have a question or comment about movies, TV and other popular culture? Write to rheldenfelsthebeaconjournal.com or the Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, Ohio 44309. Please mark the note for Mailbag and do not phone in questions. Letters may be edited. Individual replies cannot be guaranteed.
2011, Akron Beacon Journal
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.