Today's Entertainment

Page 16 October 16 - 22, 2023 word search puzzle After nearly 20 years off the air, "Frasier" has returned. This time, the titular crane is off to a different city with new chal- lenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Only one thing's for certain: Frasier has re-entered the building. Starring Kelsey Grammer and more, an all-new episode of "Frasier" airs Tuesday, Oct. 17, on cbS. For a special "bTS" look and further insight into the series reboot, see paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/frasier/ releases/?view=108468-official-trailer-revealed-for-new-pa- ramount-original-series-frasier Solution is on page 9. WebLinks celebritypipeline By Jay Bobbin Missy Peregrym's "FBI" absence was for a good reason Q: I've been watch- ing many repeats of "FBI" lately. How long was Missy Per- egrym off the show last year? – Steve Cooper, Philadel- phia, Pa. A: She was out for the last several episodes of Season 4 in 2022, for a maternity leave for the birth of her second child, and she was written out of the CBS drama temporarily by having her character – Special Agent Maggie Bell – side- lined by exposure to sarin gas. The episode in which that happened comes up fairly frequently in the rotation of repeats shown by ION Television and Pop. (Season 5 has not been part of that package yet.) Peregrym remained absent for the first six stories at the start of the fifth season, during which time Shantel VanSanten continued her guest stint as Special Agent Nina Chase, who served as a member of the team while Maggie was recuperating. The latter character's return was greeted with warm reception by the other characters, mirroring (from what Peregrym told us at the time) the spirited "welcome back" that the actress got from her co-stars. Q: Is there any hope that another network will pick up the reruns of "George Lopez" that used to be on TBS? – Horst Masch, Venice, Fla. A: There's always hope, though as of the time of this writing, we don't have any details on that sitcom's return elsewhere. It had a pretty lengthy run as an early-morning TBS entry, but that channel has been in the process of changing its lineup by giving additional weekday time to such shows as "The Big Bang Theory" and "Young Sheldon," and recently adding "Modern Family." It's possible that when Lopez's current series – "Lopez vs. Lopez" – returns to NBC for its second season, that might inspire another outlet to pick up "George Lopez" for another run. (The earlier series also had extra star power behind the scenes, since Sandra Bullock was among its executive producers; she also was a guest star on the show several times.) Never give up hope, but as of the moment, another go for 'George Lopez" doesn't appear imminent. Q: Was Chuck Norris still making movies while he was starring in "Walker, Texas Rang- er"? – Al Sterling, via e-mail A: Early in the run of the CBS series that was a Saturday-night staple, he was able to keep doing work in such mid-1990s movies as "Hellbound" and "Top Dog," but the demands of a week- ly-show schedule – which also involved his being an executive producer and coordinating the martial-arts choreography – soon found Norris having to devote the great bulk of his creative energy to his television venture. It was his first home-screen project to consume him that way, though he had been involved earlier in the animated series "Karate Kommandos," which he created and voiced his own cartoon likeness for. Norris did make a couple of TV-movies toward the end of his nine-season "Walker" run, playing a Secret Service agent in a CBS franchise with the umbrella title "The President's Man," and he made appearances as himself after "Walker" ended on the sitcoms "Yes, Dear" and "The Goldbergs." Missy Peregrym in "FBI" Send questions of general interest via email to tvpipeline@gmail.com. Writers must include their names, cities and states. Personal replies cannot be sent. Chuck Norris in "Walker, Texas Ranger" "Life On Our Planet" - Season 1 (Netflix — Oct. 25, Series Premiere) This is the story of life's epic battle to conquer and survive on planet Earth. Today there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time — 99% of earth's inhabitants are lost to our deep past. The story of what happened to these dynasties — their rise and their fall — is truly remarkable. The series uses the latest technology and science to bring long extinct creatures back to life, revealing the incredible story of life on our planet. Narrated by Morgan Freeman. InFocus

• Cover