Q. Why has funnywoman Laraine Newman of the old "Saturday Night Live" cast disappeared from the cameras?
A. Newman is busy playing mom to her infant daughter, Lena. She has popped up in features and TV movies, including "Perfect" and "Problem Child 2" on the big screen. She is thinking about other projects, but auditioning, Newman says, is very difficult for her.Q. Has Jack Nicholson really split already from the young mother of his two infant children?
A. While it is true that Nicholson, 55, and Rebecca Broussard live apart, he remains devoted to Broussard, 26 years younger than he, and their children, Lorraine, 2, and Raymond, 4 months. He lives on the Hollywood Hills spread he bought for himself more than 20 years ago; she resides with the children not far away, in the San Fernando Valley. The arrangement is not unusual in the show-business world - Woody Allen and Mia Farrow live under similar circumstances in New York, as do Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. "I'm not good at cohabitation," Nicholson admits.
Q. Are the rumors true that Elton John suffers from terrible addictions and is so messed up that he's chosen semiretirement?
A. The pop singer acknowledges some serious problems that peaked a few years back but says he has straightened himself out. "I was cocaine addicted. I was an alcoholic. I had a sexual addiction. I was bulimic for six years," John recently told a biographer. His super-ego and megalomania resulted in screaming tantrums and fits of despair. But when he met a young American man whom he calls "the love of my life," John, 45, agreed to enter a detox progam at Parkside Lutheran Hospital near Chicago. He got involved with a support group, became reconciled with his mother, found comfort with his homosexuality and began eating nutritiously. John says he is settled and monogamous. "Professionally, though, I've no idea what I'll be doing over the next few years."
Q. Who is the girl who plays Laura on "Family Matters"?
A. Fifteen-year-old Kellie Shanygne Williams started acting when she was only 4. Piano, singing and dancing lessons followed. By 6, she was working as a runway model. She appeared in numerous stage productions and earned a big-screen credit with Jessica Lange in "Men Don't Leave." When she's not busy with the ABC series, she lives with her family in Maryland.
Q. Give some information on the guy who played Judge Booth in the March 17 "Reasonable Doubts." Who is he, how old is he and what else has he done? - J.C, Tampa, Fla.
A. He's Charles Frank. He has many TV and movie credits but may be best known to soap fans for the five years (1970-75) he played Dr. Jeff Martin on "All My Children." (He married "AMC" co-star Susan Blanchard.) A native of Olympia, Wash., Frank is 45, did regional theater while still at Middlebury (Vt.) College and made his TV debut in "AMC." His prime-time series include "The Chisholms," "Young Maverick," "Filthy Rich" and "Emerald Point NAS." Among his feature films are "The Right Stuff" and "The One and Only."
Q. The actress who plays Louise on Fox's "Herman's Head" looks familiar. I swear I've seen her before but my husband says NOT. Tell me about her previous TV work. - M.M., Dearborn Heights, Mich.
A. Yeardley Smith has done guest roles in "Murphy Brown," "Mama's Family" and "Love, Sydney" and a recurring role on the cable series "Brothers." She's been seen in several feature films: "Heaven Help Us," "The Legend of Billy Jean" and "City Slickers."
Q. "That Was The Week That Was," a TV show from 1960s, was current and enjoyable. Is there any possibility that it may be re-syndicated? - D.S., Nazareth, Pa.
A. "TW3," as it was known, was never syndicated. It was too current as well as being done live. It was seen on NBC from January 1964 to May 1965, but with a lot of interruptions. Based on a 1963 British series of the same name, it was TV's earliest foray into topical - largely political - satire. ("Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and "Saturday Night Live" were still in the future.) The show did well until the fall of 1964, a presidential election year, when it was continuously pre-empted for speeches and documentaries paid for by the Republicans who were often the show's target. By the time "TW3" returned, viewers were looking at the other networks and it was canceled. Elliot Reid was the first host; David Frost, who had done the British show and contributed to the U.S. version, took over the second season. Frost hosted a 1985 special version that is available in syndication, but it is dated.
Q. This trivia question has been driving us absolutely crazy: What is the name of the dog in "Petticoat Junction"? - V.P., Romulus, Mich.
A. This one's a golden oldie and the answer's always the same: The dog's name was "Dog."
Q. Who plays the maid Charlotte in "Powers That Be"? How old is she, where is she from and has she done another acting? - T.M., Lima, Ohio.
A. Elizabeth Berridge is 30, grew up in New York's Westchester County and has been acting since she was a teenager, when she started in TV commercials. She's been seen in the soap "Texas" and in prime time in "One of the Boys." She made her feature debut in a horror flick, "The Funhouse." Her major role was as Constanze, Mozart's wife in "Amadeus."
Q. What happened to the captain of "The Love Boat"? I miss him. - Mrs. A.R., Detroit.
A. Gavin MacLeod coasted comfortably with residuals from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as well as "The Love Boat" and commercials for the Princess Line (which supplied the Love Boat for the series). He did 1990's "The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage" and acts in theater.
Q. I read that "Matlock" and "In the Heat of the Night" don't appeal to the 18- to 49-year-old viewers and are being canceled. But it is us, the 50-plus people, who are at home watching TV, not out doing "young people things." We like those shows. - J.P., Rosendale, Mo.
A. "Heat" will move to CBS, but as a series of two-hour movies, and "Matlock" will be seen on ABC next season. But it's a fact of TV life that advertisers aren't too interested in the 50-plus audience. Older viewers don't buy enough and don't try new products, so say the advertisers. Since it's ad money that keeps TV going, programmers want shows that appeal to younger viewers. NBC, which dropped the two shows, has made it clear that its plans for next season are to go for the young. Some wags in the industry have said that NBC is "granny dumping."
Q. How can I write to the producers of "The Boys of Twilight"? It quickly became one of my favorite TV shows. - D.G., Macon, Ga.
A. The western, about a pair of gray-headed lawmen, didn't do well and bears the onus of appealing to older viewers (see above). Its chances of turning up again are slim to none.
Q. In the 1930s, an unforgettable film, "The Song of Bernadette," won great acclaim. It was produced by the late David Selznick and starred Jennifer Jones. Why has this great movie never been on TV? Where can we write to have it shown? - Mrs. F.J.F., Atlanta, Ga.
A. "Bernadette" was not a Selznick film, although star Jones was under contract to him. She was lent to 20th Century Fox for the 1943 movie, her first under the name Jennifer Jones. (She had done three movies under her real name, Phyllis Isley.) Jones won an Oscar for her work, one of four the film received. The others were for musical score, art direction and cinematography. It has been on TV many times, three network runs plus repeats on local stations. It is available on videotape.
Q. About two years ago, I saw "Tom Jones" with Albert Finney. It was hilarious and risque. I have asked about this movie at many video outlets, and they have no rec-ord of it. They think I'm talking about Tom Jones the singer. Where can this movie be found? - Mrs. R.D., Plant City, Fla.
A. The 1963 Oscar winner is available on videotape and has been for several years. But the corner supermarket or gas station video counter isn't likely to stock it. Your best bet is to find the largest video store in your area with helpful clerks who will check the catalogs. There is no indication that the distributor has withdrawn it from circulation, as happens with many titles.
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