You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: I thought I saw something about a new “Star Trek” TV series. What is that status?
A: There will be another version of the space-adventure drama, with new characters, in 2017. However, for the most part, it will not be on over-the-air or cable TV. Instead, after the series premiere airs on CBS, following episodes will be only on CBS All Access, a “digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.”
The new Star Trek is the first original project the network announced for the service; more recently it said All Access will also be home to a spinoff of The Good Wife in 2017, with Christine Baranski and Cush Jumbo starring.
Q: Do you know what happened to “The Millionaire Matchmaker” and if it will be coming back and when?
A: The Bravo series is done. Star Patti Stanger announced in July 2015 that she and the network were parting ways after eight seasons of the series. But some reports simply said the show was canceled.
Q: Last year you said there would be a new series of “Coach” with Craig T. Nelson. I never saw it.
A: Though announced with some fanfare a year ago as NBC unveiled its plans for the 2015-16 season, the Coach reboot never made it to air. Reports said there were differences between the network and the producers about the show, which originally aired on ABC in 1989-1997.
Q: Do you know why ABC canceled “Castle?” It was one of my favorite shows of all time. Also, how many seasons was “Castle” on the air?
A: The romantic mystery starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic ran for eight seasons starting in 2009.
While the ratings were OK, the show was getting expensive and there were claims that Fillion and Katic did not get along. To get the costs under control, the show decided to drop Katic and co-star Tamala Jones from the possible ninth season, while Castle’s future was still in doubt.
That ticked off fans and, in the end, did not save the show. According to the Hollywood Reporter, ABC Entertainment Group President Channing Dungey said of two high-profile cancellations, “Even though Castle and Nashville were wonderful shows and good performers for a long time, the future for us didn’t lie in those shows.”
Q: Will we ever see ANY reruns of my favorite cop drama, “NYPD Blue?” Is it on disc, or anywhere?
A: Here are some possibilities: So far nine of the acclaimed drama’s 12 seasons have been released on DVD. Shout! Factory is the distributor. All 12 are available for streaming via Amazon Video (and at no extra cost if you have Amazon Prime). Five seasons are on iTunes. In addition, the Heroes & Icons channel carries repeats. You can find out more about that service and whether it’s available in your area at www.heroesandiconstv.com.
Q: In the early ’50s did war hero Audie Murphy have a TV show he starred in?
A: Murphy did have a series, Whispering Smith, in 1961. According to The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, the series was loosely based on an Alan Ladd movie and focused on a police detective who introduced many modern techniques in 1870s Denver.
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Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal, Facebook, Twitter, Ohio.com and the HeldenFiles Online blog. Alexandra Harris also contributed to this column.