Pop culture Q&A

May 1, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. Why would ABC put the new show “Body of Proof,” starring Dana Delany, opposite a popular show such as CBS’ “The Good Wife”? Surely, they must know that fans of “Wife” are not going to abandon it for the new show, no matter how much we like Dana Delany!

A. It may surprise you that, according to Nielsen ratings, more people have been watching new episodes of “Body of Proof” than new ones of “The Good Wife” in recent weeks. And the ABC show has done better than its CBS counterpart with adults under 50 years old, a demographic advertisers often prize.

Even when the most-popular shows air, there are millions of viewers not watching — whether because they like one of the hundreds of other offerings on the air, or because they are not watching TV at all. So networks hope to woo those viewers as well as to draw away people from an existing show.

By the way, as a viewer, I prefer “The Good Wife.” I have watched “Body of Proof” more than once and have seen some good moments in it, but it’s an uneven show at best.

“The Good Wife,” in contrast, is a juicy political/legal soap, which I try never to miss.

Q. There was a terrific suspense movie called “See No Evil” where Mia Farrow played a blind girl. Do you know where we can find it?

A. Let me first warn you that there is more than one movie named “See No Evil,” so make sure when you shop that you find the Mia Farrow version. The 1971 movie does not appear to be in current release on DVD, but there have been releases on DVD and VHS in the past, and I have seen it for sale in both formats on Amazon.com.

Q. Are there any DVDs for any of the seasons of “Quincy, M.E.”?

A. Yes. Three seasons of the long-running series starring Jack Klugman have been released in authorized DVD sets, one set including the first and second seasons, and another set including the third. If your local retailer cannot get them, they are for sale by online retailers Amazon.com, Deepdiscount.com and Moviesunlimited.com.

Q. When will “The Closer” be on again? It is our favorite show. I thought it was going to be on again in February.

A. The series starring Kyra Sedgwick has new episodes beginning July 11. This will begin the final season of the series but will apparently be a spread-out one: 10 episodes in summer, five more in winter and six more in 2012, according to Entertainment Weekly. Some of the later episodes may be used to set up a spin-off or successor series.

Q. What ever happened to Jeremy Brett, who played Sherlock Holmes on those superb British dramas?

A. Brett died in 1995 of heart failure. He was 59. Mel Gussow of The New York Times said at the time: “More than any other actor since Basil Rathbone, Mr. Brett was regarded as the quintessential Holmes: breathtakingly analytical, given to outrageous disguises and the blackest moods and relentless in his enthusiasm for solving the most- intricate crimes.”

Q. What happened to the wonderful “Boardwalk Empire,” with Steve Buscemi?

A. It completed a successful first season of 12 episodes, and a second season has been ordered.

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

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