That Was David Suchet On `Harry & Hendersons'

Q: I have relished watching David Suchet on the PBS "Mystery!" series "Poirot." Recently I watched "Harry & The Hendersons" on TV and could swear that David Suchet played a part in the movie. Am I crazy? How could such a professional go from one extreme to the other? Could you please tell me what Suchet is currently filming?

A: Making the Steven Spielberg-produced Bigfoot comedy probably seemed like a good career gamble to the Royal Shakespeare Company member back in 1987. Not only was the movie backed by Spielberg, it starred respected stage and film actor John Lithgow, with special creature effects by Rick Baker. Unfortunately, the movie flopped, but Suchet got good reviews for his role as villain Jacques Le Fleur. Agatha Christie's "Poirot" came along for Suchet in 1990. He starred in 45 "Poirot" cases before the series was canceled last year by Britain's ITV network. Two favorite "Poirot" stories will be rebroadcast soon on PBS's Mystery! - "Murder on the Links" (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4) and "Hickory, Dickory, Dock" (Dec. 11 and 18). Suchet plays an enigmatic character in "Sunday," the grand-prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival.

Q: On "American Journal," the new hosts are Michelle Dabney Perez and Charles Perez. Are they siblings or are they married?

A: The Perez siblings took over anchor duties at "American Journal" last month, replacing Nancy Glass, and making them the first sister-brother team to co-anchor a nationally syndicated

newsmagazine. Michelle has been an "AJ" correspondent since 1996, covering the O.J. Simpson trial for "AJ." Besides hosting his own talk show, Charles has worked as a producer for the talk shows "Ricki Lake," "Montel Williams" and "Leeza."

Q: My favorite shows have vanished. "Something So Right" with Mel Harris and "Sliders" on Fox - both very different but enjoyable.

A: Both series have departed their respective networks, but will return later this season. Jere Burns and Mel Harris move over to ABC at midseason in the comedy "Something So Right." Jerry O'Connell and the time-traveling "Sliders" crew are working on new shows for the Sci-Fi channel. No premiere dates for either shows have been announced.

Q: What has happened to my favorite show "The Pretender"? Don't tell me they're taking it off without solving Mrs. Parker's murder!

A: NBC is waiting until after the final out of the World Series to premiere its Saturday night lineup. "The Pretender," "Profiler" and the new "Sleepwalkers" make their debuts Nov. 1.

Q: After watching the premiere of "Teen Angel," I am already a fan of Mike Damus, who plays Marty. Can you tell me how old he is? Has he acted in any movies?

A: A native of Queens, N.Y., Damus got his professional start at the age of 11 as an understudy in the Broadway production of "Lost in Yonkers." A few months later he was cast as Arty in the film version of the Neil Simon play. Other than a straight-to-video movie ("A Pig's Tale"), and last season's short-lived "My Guys" series, he's done mostly bit parts on TV series and commercials. Now he's playing the class clown turned guardian angel in ABC's new sitcom. He turned 18 on Sept. 30 and is a history student at UCLA. Send your questions about TV to: Dallas Morning News, Communications Center, P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, TX 75265. Sorry, no personal replies.