Network Shift Prompts Cast Changes On `Jag'
Q: When I watched the TV series "JAG," I couldn't help wondering where I had seen Tracey Needham before. Now I wonder why she left the "JAG" series.
A: Along with "JAG's" move to a new network (it's now seen Friday on CBS), comes a few cast changes. Needham, who last season was Lt. Meg Austin, has been replaced by Catherine Bell. Bell steps in as Maj. Sarah MacKenzie, a character she played in a "JAG" episode last season that was never aired. Other regular cast additions include Patrick Labyorteaux (Andy Garvey from "Little House on the Prairie") and Steven Culp. Needham is a Dallas-born actress who's been on TV before as older sister Paige on "Life Goes On," Bonnie Parker in the Fox TV movie "Bonnie and Clyde," and Lori Singer's sister in "VR.5."
Q: Ari Meyers starred in a TV movie on NBC called "The Secret." She looked enough like the girl who plays Topanga on "Boy Meets World" to be her twin. Are they related?
A: While no relation to 10th-grader Danielle Lawrence (Topanga) of "Boy Meets World," Meyers is a familiar face from TV's past. She appeared in the 1980s series "Kate & Allie" as Kate's (Susan Saint James) daughter, Emma.
Q: "How the West Was Won" and "The Wild Wild West" are both shown daily on TNT. Both are enjoyed. When was "How the West Was Won" shown at the movies? Was "The Wild Wild West" ever shown weekly?
A: "The Wild Wild West," starring Robert Conrad, aired weekly on CBS from 1965-'69. The ABC Western series "How the West Was Won" was based on the 1962 movie of the same name.
Q: Whatever happened to Ron Glass of Barney Miller?
A: He's starring in his fourth weekly comedy series. You can see him on Monday night in "Mr. Rhodes" on NBC. After playing Detective Harris on "Barney Miller," he appeared in a new version of "The Odd Couple" (as Felix Unger) and as a radio station sales manager in "Rhythm and Blues" with Anna Maria Horsford.
Q: What happened to the show "Profit"?
A: The Fox series got good notices and a short run last year before being canceled. But "Profit's" star, Adrian Pasdar, returns this spring in the new series "Feds" with Blair Brown ("Days and Nights of Molly Dodd").
Q: Please help me out. I was watching an old rerun of "Dallas" and thought I saw a much younger version of current superstar Brad Pitt. Was I wrong?
A: You were right. The future matinee idol did appear on the hit CBS series toward the end of its run. He was also a regular on a short-lived Fox series called "Glory Days" in 1990. He played Walker Lovejoy, a college dropout and aspiring writer. Reruns of "Dallas" are now being aired on cable's TNN.
Q: My friend told me a movie based on the TV show "ER" was going to be made. Is this true?
A: It's unlikely. Although Hollywood is still hot on bringing classic TV series to the big screen, it would be difficult to make an "ER" movie while the weekly series is still in production. Send your questions about TV to: the Dallas Morning News, Communications Center, P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, TXs 75265. Sorry, no personal replies.