Q: What happened to the TV program "So Help Me Todd"?
A: First, the series will begin a new season on Feb. 15, the same night that "Young Sheldon" and "Ghosts" resume on CBS. That's part of a CBS series premiere week kicking off after the Super Bowl on Feb. 11, including "NCIS" on Feb. 12 and the three "FBI" series on Feb. 13.
The late start for this and other shows is, as I have mentioned, the result of the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes, which delayed production and release of movies and TV shows. Programs are starting to return, although the returns will stretch out over several months.
For example, NBC already has started a new season of "Night Court," its "Chicago" series will resume Jan. 17 and the "Law & Order" bundle starts anew on Jan. 18. ABC begins a new run of "The Bachelor" on Jan. 22 but will not have a new season of "Abbott Elementary" until Feb. 7, "American Idol" on Feb. 18, and "Grey's Anatomy" on March 14.
Just to add to your viewing confusion, "9-1-1," which had been on Fox, begins its latest season on ABC on March 14, while its companion series, "9-1-1 Lone Star," is still on Fox but reportedly won't have new episodes until fall 2024. (For now, you can find "Lone Star" lead Rob Lowe as host of the Fox game show "The Floor.")
In sum, keep a close eye on your TV listings.
Recipe for a hit
Q: The only series I have enjoyed enough to watch through twice is "Recipes for Love and Murder" on Acorn TV. Is there a possibility of another season?
A: Yes. Acorn announced that production of a second season of the mystery series will begin this year in South Africa.
Case solved
Q: I read a while back about a new version of "True Detective" coming to HBO. Is it still coming?
A: Yes. The fourth season arrives on Sunday. Officially called "True Detective: Night Country," it has this plot summary: "When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice."
The doctor is out
Q: What is going on with "Dr. Phil"? There have been reruns but no new shows. Has the show been canceled? Is it on hiatus? I haven't read anything about it.
A: "Dr. Phil" ceased airing new daytime telecasts in May 2023, although repeats continue to run. Its star, Phil McGraw, has since announced a new show, "Dr. Phil Primetime," and network, Merit Street Media, the latter in partnership with Trinity Broadcasting. The network and McGraw's new show will begin on Feb. 26.
