You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: Will 鈥淭he Amazing Race鈥� be back?
A: A new season, the 31st, is due sometime in 2018-19, but I do not have an air date yet. The show鈥檚 casting site, www.theamazingracecasting.com, is accepting applications for the 32nd season, which will be shot in the summer of 2019.
Q: Probably the funniest comedy series I ever saw in my life was BBC鈥檚 鈥淟ittle Britain.鈥� It starred two comedians who played a multitude of characters in their skits. What are the two actors doing now and will more episodes ever air?
A: Following a radio version, TV鈥檚 鈥淟ittle Britain鈥� aired for three seasons on the BBC, the last of which was in 2007. A successor, 鈥淟ittle Britain USA,鈥� aired for six episodes on HBO in 2008. I do not know of any plans for more, but these days 鈥淭he X-Files,鈥� 鈥淢urphy Brown,鈥� 鈥淲ill & Grace鈥� and other shows keep me from saying never again.
The stars and writers on the show were David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Lucas has been in the movies 鈥淏ridesmaids鈥� and 鈥淎lice Through the Looking Glass,鈥� among others, as well as TV shows such as 鈥淧ortlandia,鈥� 鈥淕alavant,鈥� 鈥淏ull鈥� and 鈥淒octor Who.鈥� Walliams has continued acting, in some movies as well as several British TV shows, but is better known as an author of children鈥檚 books, estimating sales of 26 million copies in 53-plus languages of titles such as 鈥淩atburger,鈥� 鈥淭he World鈥檚 Worst Children鈥� and 鈥淭he Ice Monster.鈥�
Q: Why did Amanda Blake leave 鈥淕unsmoke鈥�? Were there health reasons? When she left, the show wasn鈥檛 the same. Also, they had Milburn Stone, who played Doc, go out of state to a school, but when he came back he looked great. Was that health reasons, too?
A: Blake, who played Kitty on the classic western, told the Chicago Tribune in 1985 that she left in 1974 because she had grown tired of traveling from her Phoenix home to Hollywood to make the show. 鈥淭hey gave it a shot for a year after me and it didn鈥檛 work anymore,鈥� she added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a nasty thing for me to say, but it鈥檚 true.鈥� And, in fact, the series ran only one more season after Blake鈥檚 departure. She did play Kitty again in a 1987 reunion movie; she died in 1989.
Milburn Stone had a heart attack in 1971 and missed several episodes while recovering. When he returned to the series, he remained until it ended in 1975. He died in 1980.
Q: Was I the only one who was surprised at the departure of Monica Dawson from 鈥淐hicago Fire鈥�? Why did she leave 鈥� salary dispute, contract was up?
A: Monica Raymund, who played Gabby Dawson on the NBC drama, was at the end of her contract when she decided not to stay with the show. In one published interview, she said, 鈥淚 felt like I was hungry to explore a different role, a different story. I wanted to explore a different world. I had been in Chicago for five years and just personally where I was in my life, I was ready to create my home and kind of plant some roots in Los Angeles. ... it鈥檚 wonderful to be employed for that long and to have job security. ... But sometimes you have to take a risk to diversify your opportunities.鈥�
