You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: What has happened to the actor who played 鈥淐astle鈥�? He did a great job and I miss seeing him, and the show.
A: Nathan Fillion, who played Richard Castle for eight seasons on the ABC series, will be back on the network this fall as the star of The Rookie. The hourlong drama finds Fillion playing 鈥渟mall-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer.鈥� And, of course, he鈥檚 the oldest rookie in the department. The series premi猫res Oct. 16. Since 鈥淐astle鈥� ended in 2016 you could have also seen Fillion in the streaming series 鈥淭he Santa Clarita Diet鈥� and 鈥淎 Series of Unfortunate Events,鈥� and the ABC shows 鈥淢odern Family鈥� and, perhaps most memorably, American Housewife, where he played a hilarious version of himself.
Q: I would be more than delighted if you could give me some information on a very great actor and a very handsome man, Jack Lord. He is in the old version of 鈥淗awaii Five-0.鈥�
A: Lord is most famous as the original Steve McGarrett on 鈥淔ive-0鈥� from 1968 to 1980. But he had other noteworthy roles. For example, he was the first to play CIA agent Felix Leiter in James Bond movies, appearing in 鈥淒r. No鈥� (1962).
He was born John Joseph Patrick Ryan in New York in 1920, the son of a steamship company executive. He worked at sea, played football and studied art at New York University, sold cars and, perhaps most important, painted, with his works later held by dozens of museums around the world. With training at the legendary Actors Studio, he worked in theater, movies and television, often as 鈥渢hugs and cowpokes,鈥� as People magazine put it. . Before 鈥淗awaii Five-0,鈥� he starred in a drama series, 鈥淪toney Burke,鈥� as a rodeo rider; it aired in 1962-63.
During 鈥淔ive-0,鈥� People said, he was 鈥渁n intensely private person known on the set as a temperamental perfectionist ... (who) wielded an iron hand in the production.鈥� After the show ended, he retired from acting 鈥� the Los Angeles Time noting his investments in 鈥渟hopping centers, supermarkets and other Hawaii real estate鈥� 鈥� and concentrated on his art. He remained in Hawaii until his death, at 77, in 1998.
Q: Being a long-time, loyal 鈥淎ndy Griffith Show鈥� watcher, I wonder why the show and Andy Griffith were overlooked for Emmys. I know that Don Knotts received several and Frances Bavier received one.
A: During its 1960-68 run, 鈥淭he Andy Griffith Show鈥� received nine Emmy nominations, five for Don Knotts as best supporting actor (which he won all five times), once for Frances Bavier (who also won) and three times for comedy series (which did not win, losing to 鈥淭he Jack Benny Show鈥� in 1961, the original 鈥淏ob Newhart Show鈥� in 1962 and 鈥淭he Monkees鈥� in 1967). Griffith was not nominated for the show, or for 鈥淢atlock,鈥� but was for his supporting role in the miniseries 鈥淢urder in Texas.鈥� He did not win then. But he was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 1992.
So why no 鈥淕riffith Show鈥� nomination? The biggest reason, I think, is Griffith just made the acting look too easy. Playing a category thought to resemble the real-life Griffith, his timing and other skills did not seem as apparent.
Q: A few weeks ago, PBS鈥� 鈥淢asterpiece鈥� concluded its latest season of 鈥淓ndeavour.鈥� The last episode gave the impression that the series was ending. I hope this is not the case.
A: I can see why you might think that was the ending, since the episode was, in Digital Spy鈥檚 view, 鈥渟oul-crushingly sad.鈥� (I will offer no further spoiler.) But the show will go on. A sixth season is in the works for telecast in 2019.
Q: Will 鈥淪aving Hope鈥� be back on ION or has it been cancelled?
A: The Canadian-made drama had its final episode, 鈥淗ope Never Dies,鈥� in 2017.
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