Q. Are Ken Olin and Lena Olin of Alias married or brother and sister? – T.A., Boynton Beach
A. It’s strictly coincidental that two people with the same surname are involved with Alias. Lena, who plays Irina Derevko/Laura Bristow, was born in Sweden, the daughter of actor Stig Olin and the sister of actor Mats Olin. Ken Olin, who directs Alias and has starred in several series, is from Chicago. He is married to Patricia Wettig, who co-stared with him in thirtysomething, although each character was married to someone else in the show (the producers didn’t think they looked like a couple). Wettig also has a recurring role on Alias.
Q. I have been trying to locate videos of two movies, Lovers and Other Strangers and The Anderson Tapes, but I can’t seem to find them. Can you help? -D.A., Orlando
A. Both are available on VHS, so your video store should be able to get them for you. If not, you can go through Amazon.com, which is marketing each of them for about $20 or less. If you don’t have a computer, ask a friend to order for you or go to a library.
Q. I would like to know who decides the lousy hairdos for women on TV. The styles are the most unflattering I have ever seen. Women’s hair is their crowning glory. What a mess TV has made of it. They don’t do this to men; why do it to the women? The worst hairstyle is Mac on JAG. I have a blind friend who could make her look better. – R.H., via e-mail
A. Do I look like someone who gives a lot of consideration to hairstyles? I guess that’s why I never mention it in my reviews. Each show pays a hairstylist a pile of money to create the looks of characters. Maybe your blind friend is in the wrong line of work. You are entitled to disagree. If everyone had the same tastes, we’d all be married to the same person.
Q. I noticed this season the use of the word “bull—-” on NYPD Blue. I realize this show has always used rough language, but I thought that word is banned, as one of George Carlin’s infamous Seven Dirty Words. Isn’t ABC worried about getting fined by the FCC? – B.B., Key West
A. Times change and so do the boundaries of language. Three or four of Carlin’s seven dirty words are now heard regularly over the airwaves. To fine a broadcaster, the Federal Communications Commission would have to establish that the word violates community standards. There might have been a time this argument would have held weight but now any reasonable person would conclude such a claim is a bunch of bull.
Q. Who sings the song at the beginning of Enterprise? – L.R., Kissimmee
A. Where My Heart Will Take Me is sung by Russell Watson.
Q. I notice Sam Donaldson is now on radio. Was he let go by ABC? No one listens to radio. Also, what is Craig Minervini doing? He was a very good sports reporter. – C.M., Pompano Beach
A. You don’t listen to radio, so no one does? Here’s a bulletin. Radio stars like Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern are heard on the radio by more people every day than any TV network anchor or commentator. Donald-son is doing both radio and TV. As for Minervini, he is between seasons as a contributor to Marlins telecasts on Fox Sports Florida and is taking as many freelance assignments as he can get. WTVJ-Ch. 6 let him go for budgetary reasons, not for lack of talent. His fields of potential employment are limited, however, since his wife, Martha Sugalski, is an anchor for WTVJ.
Q. Whatever happened to Mark McEwen of CBS’s The Early Show? He was the best thing about that show. – P.M., Boca Raton
A. When CBS retooled that program for the umpteenth time, it came to the astute conclusion that national weather was irrelevant to most of the viewers, who are interested in whether they need to take an umbrella or snow boots to work or, in our case, put on extra sun block. This made McEwen superfluous.
Send your questions about local television, the networks or cable to Tom Jicha, TV/Radio Writer, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293. Personal replies are not possible; please do not send self-addressed stamped envelopes.
