TVSquad

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column or in TV Squad's APB Podcast.

To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them to asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about Chuck, Katherine Heigl, and where to legally watch shows online for the U.S. and Canada.

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column or in TV Squad's APB Podcast.

To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them to asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about Ghost Whisperer, How to Make It in America and Better Off Ted.

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column or in TV Squad's APB Podcast. To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them at asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about our own site, TVSquad.com!

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column or in TV Squad's APB Podcast. To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them at asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about Battlestar Galactica, 30 Days, Trauma and how to find titles of songs that played in episodes.

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column. To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them at asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about online TV shows, a new series called Miami Trauma, and NYPD Blue DVDs.

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column. To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them at asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about Flash Forward, Eureka, NCIS, The Philanthropist, and V.

Every now and then as I watch a show, questions such as these pop up in my mind: Where have I seen that actor before? Hasn't she already appeared on the show before as another character? What is that song playing in the background? Where has (insert character name) gone? And on and on.

I also have questions about current shows even when I'm not watching them: How many episodes will we get this season? When will the season premiere? Will (insert actor's name here) be back on the show? Which famous person will guest star? And so on. That's not counting the questions I have about upcoming storylines! Thank god for spoilers!

Of course, questions about series from the past also pop up: Why did (insert show here) end? Can I get answers for the unanswered storylines since the series was canceled without having a proper goodbye? Whatever happened to (insert actor's name) who played on (insert show's title)? And so on.

If you have questions about TV series and actors and want answers now, "Ask TV Squad" has the solution for you! Read on to learn how.

We got this question today from a reader:

I'm just wondering how you go about obtaining press kits from networks. Can anyone get a press kit? A lot of web sites and blogs get them which surprises me because I thought that only huge corporations (national trades, etc) could get access to them. If I were to write a network requesting a press kit, do you think they'd send me one?

There's some confusion about the TV industry and press kits. A lot of people think that your publication or web site has to be really large and influential to get them. But that's not really the case. It actually comes down to secret passwords and insider information. Odd, but true.

So let me help you out here. If you call ABC and introduce yourself and your publication/site to them and ask to be on the list to get press kits and advance screening copies of new shows, they'll probably turn you down. When this happens, you simply utter the words "Rod Serling loved chicken salad." The network person will immediately put you on the list to get every press kit they send out.

The answer: Hugh Laurie.

Ha! Just kidding. Actually, the question this week comes from TV Squad reader Toni, who asks "On House, what was the name of the guy who played Stewart Nozick?" She knows him from somewhere but can't think of his name or what show she knows him from (that has happened to all TV viewers at some point, I think).

The actor's name is Todd Louiso, and he's one of those character actors who has been in a little bit of everything over the years, on TV and on the big screen. The first thing I think of when I see Louiso is his role in the John Cusack film High Fidelity (that's him with Cusack in the pic). He played the record store worker that Jack Black was always teasing. He was also in Apollo 13, Snakes on a Plane, Thank You For Smoking, Jerry McGuire, and The Rock.

The TV show that viewers might remember him from is the short-lived Phenom and several episodes of Chicago Hope. He has also made guest appearances on Law and Order, Everwood, Without A Trace, and others.

This week's letter comes from a fan named Jim Rodrigues.

Jim writes...
"I just saw an episode I've never seen before! This was rare indeed. It involved the crew of the Enterprise devolving into different creatures. Barkley became a spider. Captain Picard was becoming a lemur. Warf (sic) was biting amphibian Troi. It was my favorite episode other than one of the best T.V. episodes ever, "Cause and Effect." I was wondering if this "monsters running around" episode was released for Halloween? It would be the perfect October 31st episode. If someone knows the title and the date of release, I surely would appreciate it."

Here are a couple of letters I got this week.

The first one is from Jackie...
"Do you know "what happened" to a TV show that was on ABC several years ago called "Vengence"? It was about a PI who would charge a million dollars for a job or take the client's expertise in exchange. It was a great show!!"

I got a great letter this week from a fan named Harold Dickinson.

He writes, "I'm trying to get the name of a cartoon from the late 50's or early 60's. It had two characters who -- at least in my memory -- remind me of Penn and Teller. The one character was tall and bombastic, the other was shorter and never spoke- although he would whisper to the other character. I believe the smaller character was named Leonardo- but I wouldn't swear to it."

I got a great letter this week from a TV fan named Jim R.

"Dear TV Squad, About 15 years ago, I watched an episode of a scifi/fantasy TV show wherein an Elvis impersonator traveled back in time to meet (and eventually kill) the real Elvis. Could you please tell me the name of this program? Thanks"

One day in 2001, I was having lunch with a friend and we were talking about the new fall shows. We discussed shows that we thought weren't going to make it as well as shows we really enjoyed. Towards the end of the meal we started to discuss The Tick and how we were both excited to see the live version that was premiering later in the season. I remember turning to my friend and saying, "Isn't there another show premiering on FOX later in the season?" We couldn't think of which show it was and so went back to discussing The Tick.

The show we were trying to think of was The Bernie Mac Show and five years after The Tick had come and gone Bernie's show had become one of the funniest family sitcoms on television.