Q: I am an ardent fan of "Midsomer Murders." On the show is a cute little dog named Sykes. I would like to know how he got the name of Sykes and what is its significance to the Barnaby family.
A: The dog's real name was Sykes. Originally found as a stray in 2004 and trained by Gill Raddings, the terrier had performed under other names in a career that included movies and TV, but he kept his given name for "Midsomer." He was much admired on the show. When Sykes retired in 2016, Neil Dudgeon, who played John Barnaby, called the dog a "consummate professional and like most actors will do anything for a sausage." Sykes passed away in 2019.
'Wagon Train' veterans
Q: I've been watching the early "Wagon Train" episodes. Is Robert Horton still with us? What about Ward Bond?
A: Fans of the 1957-1965 Western series will remember Horton as scout Flint McCullough for most of the show's run. He also pursued work as a singer and musical theater star, and departed the series in 1962. The following year he was on Broadway in the musical "110 in the Shade." Other stage and screen work followed; he died in 2016 at age 91. Ward Bond was a veteran character actor who had often worked with director John Ford when he began playing wagon-master Seth Adams on the series. He died of a heart attack in 1960; the series then added a new wagon-master, played by John McIntire.
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