TV Q&A -- `Mommies' Are Coming To ABC Daytime Talk TV

Q: What ever happened to "The Mommies"? Will they return? What are they up to now, besides Palmolive commercials?

A: Comics Caryl Kristensen and Marilyn Kentz, who starred in the TV series "The Mommies" based on their stand-up routine, are making a network comeback. The two former suburban housewives will join ABC's daytime lineup as hosts of a new talk show, a replacement for "Mike and Maty."

Q: Is David Gail (of the new "Savannah" series) Max Gail's ("Barney Miller") son? They look a lot alike.

A: Despite the resemblance, the actors are not father and son. David Gail, who plays cop Dean Collins on the WB nighttime soap, goes back to work next month when filming of "Savannah" resumes in Atlanta and, later in the summer, in Savannah, Ga.

Q: I wonder if you remember the name of a kids' show that debuted about the same time as "Sesame Street" and "Electric Co." It featured a different guest each day who had an interesting hobby, job or way of life. "The Big Blue Marble" sounds about right.

A: "The Big Blue Marble" is exactly right. The 1974 syndicated series featured stories about children around the world. The title referred to the Earth which, from an astronaut's view, looked like a big blue marble. The other two shows you mention are from Children's Television Workshop, whose newest kid's series, "Big Bag," premieres next month on The Cartoon Network.

Q: Did Jim Carrey star in any TV series?

A. The comedy superstar first made a name for himself on the sketch comedy series "In Living Color" (1990-94). Even earlier than that, though, Carrey played a budding cartoonist in the 1984 series "The Duck Factory" (with co-star Clarence Gilyard Jr. of "Walker, Texas Ranger"). The series lasted only a few episodes. Now, Carrey, 34, commands $20 million a movie. His latest release is "The Cable Guy," which will be followed by "Liar, Liar" at the end of the year.

Q: I would like to know more about "Dexter's Laboratory" and its creator, Genndy Tartakovsky on the Cartoon Network.

A: "Dexter's Laboratory," the first breakout hit of the Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons, has been expanded into a half-hour show, airing Saturdays on TNT and Sundays on TBS and the Cartoon Network. "Dexter's" 26-year-old creator is one of the youngest animation directors in the industry. Born in Moscow, Tartakovsky and his family moved to Chicago when he was 7 years old. He attended Chicago's Columbia College before moving to L.A. to study animation at Cal Arts, where he first conceived "Dexter." The voice of Dexter, a boy genius who invents in his laboratory/bedroom, is provided by Christine Cavanaugh, who was also the voice of "Babe." Episodes of "Dial M For Monkey," co-created by Tartakovsky, airs along with "Dexter." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Send your questions about TV to: the Dallas Morning News, Communications Center, P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, TX 75265. Sorry, no personal replies.