Question:What happened to the character Woody on "Crossing Jordan"? Did I miss an episode that gave an explanation for his absence? — S.H., Irving, Texas
Answer: Wisconsin Det. Woody Hoyt, a recurring character played by Jerry O'Connell ("Sliders," "Kangaroo Jack"), returned to "Crossing Jordan" last week for the first of three end-of-season episodes. The April 21 "Sunset Division" episode was actually a pilot that could result in a fall spinoff series for O'Connell as Woody Hoyt. Jerry's real-life brother Charlie O'Connell also guest-starred in the episode as Cal Hoyt.
Question:When did "7th Heaven" premiere, and is it going off? I have been trying to catch up with it by watching reruns. It is one good program. — H. J., via e-mail
Answer: "7th Heaven," a family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children, premiered in the fall of 1996. it is The WB's top-rated show and was recently renewed for two more seasons. First-run episodes of "7th Heaven" lead off The WB's Monday night lineup. Reruns air weekdays on the ABC Family channel.
Question:Who plays the medical examiner on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"? Where else has she appeared? — M.D., Las Vegas
Answer: Actress Tamara Tunie was on "As the World Turns" for several seasons as attorney Jessica Griffin. She's also played Lt. Fancy's wife on "NYPD Blue" and Alberta Green on "24." In "Devil's Advocate," she played Charlize Theron's too-helpful neighbor Jackie Heath, and she was Samuel L. Jackson's wife in "The Caveman's Valentine." Now she's Elizabeth Warner on "SVU." Tunie grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University's drama department and now lives in New York City.
Question:I tuned into "The Bold and the Beautiful" and saw a new character, the mother of a ship's captain. Is this Hunter Tylo, who previously played "Doc" Taylor Forrester? Tylo was released from the show earlier this season. Am I mistaken about the return of this talented actress in the new role? — A Fan, via e-mail
Answer: Sorry, but you are mistaken. It's Lesley-Anne Down, who's joined "B&B" for a limited run as Jacqueline Payne, the mother of the sea captain played by Jack Wagner. Down, noted for her role as Madeline Main in the "North & South" miniseries and its sequels, also has been on the soaps "Sunset Beach" and "Days of Our Lives."
Question:Was Jennifer Lopez in a '90s TV show called "Pink Cadillac" with Connie Sellecca? — C.C. via e-mail
Answer: No. But the two were in a 1993 nighttime soap titled "Second Chances." Sellecca played public defender Dianne Benedict. J.Lo portrayed Melinda Lopez, a character that popped up again in CBS' "Hotel Malibu." And you didn't just dream up the pink Cadillac — it figured into a "Second Chances" storyline.
Question:Lately, I've been watching reruns of "The Rifleman" on the Hallmark channel, and these old questions still plague me: Who invented this Rifleman character, and who invented the fancy lever on his Winchester rifle? — K.H., Syracuse, N.Y.
Answer: "The Rifleman" series was created by Sam Peckinpah, who later gained fame as director of "The Wild Bunch," "Straw Dogs" and "The Getaway" (1972). But there is no one in particular credited for modifying the rifle. According to www.tvacres.com, "The Rifleman's" weapon was an "1892 .44-40 Winchester carbine specially modified with a large loop and metal tab to turn his rifle into a rapid firing machine. It was fitted with a large loop lever that enabled it to be spun and cocked in a dramatic fashion. The trigger guard incorporated a screw that tripped the trigger every time the lever was closed." In the words of star Chuck Connors, "We decided to take the rifle, take off the regular lever and put this round lever on so I could get my hand through it."