Conrad did not play `Lone Ranger' on radio

Q: I saw on the news that TV's Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, recently died. I believe that on the radio the Lone Ranger was played by William Conrad, who also played Cannon on TV. Am I correct?

A: There were several radio actors who played the Lone Ranger, the most famous being Brace Beemer (1941-54), but Conrad wasn't one of them. Conrad was the voice of Matt Dillon on the radio version of "Gunsmoke," starting in 1952. He went on to TV fame starring in the police series "Cannon" and, later, "Jake and the Fatman." Clayton Moore died last month at the age of 85.

Q: I'm a fan of the show "It's like, you know . . . ," but I hear it has been canceled. Has the show helped to revive actress Jennifer Grey's career? What are her future plans?

A: Grey ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Dirty Dancing") got a lot of exposure from the just-canceled comedy, in which she played herself, an actress whose career took a nose dive after cosmetic surgery changed her looks. You'll see her this summer in the feature film "Bounce," starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck.

Q: Can you tell me more about "Harper Valley PTA"? How long did it run and when? I just started watching it on TV Land.

A: The hit song penned by Tom T. Hall and sung by Jeannie C. Riley inspired a TV movie which, in turn, spawned the half-hour series. "I Dream of Jeannie's" Barbara Eden made her sitcom comeback in January 1981 as single mom Stella Johnson on "Harper Valley PTA." The show ran through August 1982. TV historians Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh ("The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows") cite "Harper Valley" as one of only two series in network TV history to be based on a hit record, the other being "The Alvin Show," inspired by "The Chipmunk Song."

Q: Has the NBC soap opera "Sunset Beach" been canceled? In its spot recently is "Later Today."

A: The Aaron Spelling daytime soap is history. The show concluded its two-year run at the end of December.

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