Pop culture Q&A

May 22, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. My wife and I weren’t fans of reality shows until “Boston Med” came along. The blunt honesty of the doctors and nurses was dramatically refreshing. Please tell me that we will be able to enjoy it again.

A. At the moment, there are no plans for more of “Boston Med,” an eight-episode, limited-run series that aired on ABC in the summer of 2010. Of course, that does not mean there won’t be something like it down the road. “Boston Med,” which offered a look at events in three Boston hospitals, was a successor of sorts to “Hopkins,” a six-part series about Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital, which aired in 2008. And “Hopkins” had been preceded by “Hopkins 24/7,” a documentary series from 2000.

Q. What’s the scoop on “Being Human”? Their site says they’ll be back in 2012? Why so long?

A. There are two versions of “Being Human”: the British TV original, which airs on BBC America, and the American one, which airs on Syfy. The British version has wrapped up its third season but is working on a fourth season to air in 2012, the same year the second season airs on Syfy.

In cable, a hiatus of a year or so is not that unusual for shows, since cable networks like to spread out their series, and they often make fewer episodes in a season than successful broadcast-network shows do. British productions often make relatively few numbers of episodes per season.

By the way, the three seasons of the British “Being Human” are on DVD and Blu-ray, and Syfy has episodes of the American version available for viewing on its website.

Q. There was a TV movie in January with Betty White called “The Lost Valentine.” Is it available?

A. It is. Your best bet for getting the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” presentation is through Hallmark’s website, www.hallmark.com/online/hall-of-fame.

Q. Is the kid in the Highlander minivan commercial the same kid who plays Booth’s son on “Bones?”

A. Curly-haired Ty Panitz plays Booth’s son Parker and has some commercial credits. But, according to Toyota, the boy in the Highlander ad is Riley Thomas Stewart. Riley also is in the new Mel Gibson movie, “The Beaver.”

Q. When I watched the royal wedding, the song after the vows that was dedicated to the couple was just beautiful and very poignant. What is the name of the song and is it possible to get it on CD?

A. I am reasonably sure you’re referring to “This Is the Day Which the Lord Hath Made,” a piece by John Rutter commissioned especially for the wedding. You can find it and — in case I don’t have the right selection — the rest of the ceremony’s music on “The Royal Wedding: The Official Album,” a CD recorded at the wedding and released by Decca.

Q. Recently you answered a question about the British soap opera “Coronation Street.” Just to let you know, reruns of the program indeed made their way onto U.S. television via a now-defunct network called Trio. It aired during the early 2000s and I became a tremendous fan.

A. When researching the previous question, I missed some reports about “Coronation Street” being on Trio, a cultural network which I liked a lot — but which often was hard for viewers to find. I once referred to its being in the nosebleed section of digital cable channels. It’s good to know someone else was watching. And thanks for the information.

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, OH 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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