There's bad news and worse news about CBS' "Second Chances."
The bad news is - for the second week in a row, KSL is pre-empting the program because of BYU basketball. And, because of intransigence on the part of CBS, it won't be seen on a different night or time locally.The worse new is - after this week, "Second Chances" is off the CBS schedule indefinitely.
The show's sets were destroyed in last week's earthquake, and tonight's is the final episode that was completed when the quake struck.
"Second Chances' " future is somewhat undetermined at the moment, but it's expected to return either this spring or this summer. But this setback certainly doesn't help, and definitely hurts the show's chances of survival.
A BRIEF RECAP: Here's a quick rundown on what happened on last week's episode of "Second Chances":
- John Schneider ("Dukes of Hazard") joins the cast as Pete, a contractor who was owed $38,000 by Dianne's late, crooked husband. Dianne thinks Pete is a sexist jerk; he threatens to sue her.
Pete offers to take over the contracting company and run it in partnership with Dianne. She reluctantly agrees.
- Dianne's immediate money problems seem to be solved when Kate sells the pink Cadillac to the local funeral director.
- As expected, Dianne loses the election to Judge Stinson.
- Melinda is mad when she doesn't get the assistant manager's job at the club. Needing money for college, she decides to enter the Miss Friendly Santa Rita contest - over her father's objections.
- Kate's latest catering client is an elderly woman named Emily who wants to throw a birthday party for her pooch. But when Kate arrives, she discovers the woman has died and the family (including her nephew, Judge Stinson) is in mourning.
Soon afterward, Kate receives a check from the deceased - made out for $1,000 more than she is owed. She tries to return it and is told to keep it by a young relative named Richard. He asks her out, and she turns him down.
Kate learns from the funeral director that the deceased was overweight and dark-haired. But the Emily who hired her for the dog party was thin and gray-haired. When Kate and Kevin go to the funeral home to check things out, they learn Emily was cremated.
Judge Stinson and Richard will split Emily's estate, but the judge is the trustee and Richard won't see a penny until he's 35. Stinson offers to give Kate cash for her check and is concerned when she tells him she's sent it to the bank.
A suspicious Kate is told by Emily's doctor that the funeral director was mistaken - that Emily really is dead.
- Kate, afraid to get involved with a man again, sends Kevin home from their date.
- Dianne's son, Brian, sees her kissing Mike, and he's not happy. When Dianne learns of Brian's disapproval, she cools toward Mike.
- The funeral director stops payment on his check when the transmission falls out of the caddy.
- Dianne takes a home-pregnancy test - and it's positive.
Check this column next week for a rundown on this week's pre-empted episode.
And stay tuned for more information on what the future holds for "Second Chances."