Q: I am glad to see Tim Meadows back on television in TBS’s “Glory Daze.” Now that Conan O’Brien, Tim’s fellow “Saturday Night Live” alumnus, is also on TBS, is there any chance he will guest-star on the show? — Ralph T., via e-mailA: Tim Meadows’ new one-hour TBS comedy will boast a variety of comedic guest stars this season, but as of now, Conan is not one of them. However, the show is only one degree of separation away from the late-night king.
Tim revealed: “We did have Andy Richter (guest star). He did an episode on the show where he plays a priest, an adviser to one of the students. And it’s a really, really funny scene. And we have a lot of other guest appearances by other comedic actors that I think people are going to be very happy about.” You can catch “Glory Daze” Tuesdays on TBS.
Q: Now that “FlashForward” is over, where else can I get my Joseph Fiennes fix? I miss watching him on a weekly basis. — Jenny A. in Texas
A: You and me both, Jenny. This spring, Joseph will star in the Starz original fantasy-drama “Camelot,” which tells the story of a teenage King Arthur (played by “The Twilight Saga”’s Jamie Campbell Bower), with Joseph playing the part of Merlin. The 10-part period drama also co-stars Claire Forlani (”Meet Joe Black”) and Eva Green (”Casino Royale”). If the series does well, it could run for multiple seasons.
Q: I collect “All in the Family” DVDs, and they seem to have stopped at Season 6. It has been a long time since they’ve put a new one out, and I wondered if and when they were planning to? — Clint K., via e-mail
A: Just in time for the holidays, “All in the Family” Season 7, which originally aired from September 1976 to March 1977, is now on store shelves. This season of the groundbreaking series — starring Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers — deals with infidelity, surgery, unemployment, life-saving CPR, draft-dodgers and accidental arson. You won’t have nearly as long a wait for Season 8, as it’s scheduled to be released Jan. 11, 2011.
Q: What is the meaning of MTAC, the upstairs room with the big screen and worldwide communications on “NCIS”? – Ron S., via e-mail
A: MTAC is short for the United States Department of the Navy’s Multiple Threat Alert Center. After the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000, as well as the terrorist events of 9/11, the Navy Antiterrorist Alert Center (ATAC) was transformed in 2002 into the MTAC. According to the Navy’s official website, “The Department of the Navy’s Multiple Threat Alert Center (MTAC) provides indications and warning for a wide range of threats to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and assets around the world.”
Q: One of my all-time favorite actresses is the beautiful and talented Jacqueline Bisset. What is she up to lately, and what can I see her in next? — Paula F., Tulsa, Okla.A: You can catch the international superstar, who turned 66 in September, in the Hallmark Channel’s “An Old-Fashioned Christmas,” which premieres on Saturday, Dec. 11. It is the sequel to Hallmark’s highest-rated film of 2008, “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving,” an original movie based on a short story by famed American novelist Louisa May Alcott. In this sequel, Jacqueline reprises her role as Isabella Crawford, a wealthy philanthropist traveling the world with her granddaughter, Tilly.
Of revisiting the role in the new movie, Jacqueline told me: “It’s a journey. My controlling character is having difficulty keeping Tilly in line for what I think is best for her. Isabella has good instincts about her granddaughter, but she is controlling and interfering, and she feels that is her responsibility. We are very close, but she also has seen the other side of me, which can be very suffocating. Life is complicated; relationships are complicated.”
Q: I know that “Friday Night Lights” started on DirecTV in October, and I wondered if there are plans to bring it back to NBC again in the new year, as in years past? — Eva, via e-mail
A: NBC will indeed be airing the fifth and final season in 2011, after the show ends on DirecTV’s The 101 Network, as per its agreement with DirecTV. However, an exact date has not been announced as of this writing. In the meantime, you can reacquaint yourself with the show on NBC’s website, which is streaming season-four episodes online until June 2011.
Q: The summer series “The Glades” on A&E was a great show with good plots and characters. Will this show be returning anytime soon? — Barbara E., via e-mail
A: “The Glades,” the first season of which premiered on July 11 and ended on Oct. 3, drew record ratings for A&E in the range of 3.6 million viewers, making it the most watched original drama series in the network’s history. As of the now the date is still unknown, but the show has been renewed for a second season.
Q: I could not agree more with your statement that the networks don’t give new shows a chance. I was furious when Fox canceled “Lone Star” after only two episodes. It was different, well-written and had great actors. Instead, we end up with more of the same, lame shows. — Donna W., via e-mail
A: I know, Donna, I know. If our squeaky wheel is loud enough, maybe the networks will listen. These days it seems a safer bet to take a chance on a cable network’s new show — e.g., the aforementioned “The Glades” — as cable networks tend to nurture their new shows, not cut and run at the first sign of trouble like network TV.
