TV Q&A: Betty White still a viewer favorite

October 6, 2013 at 7:00PM
FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2011 file photo, actress Betty White attends her 89th Birthday celebration hosted by TV Land, in New York. White is taking on reality TV with a hidden-camera show that turns senior citizens into merry pranksters. NBC has ordered 12 episodes of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," the working title for a series. The reality show follows seven seniors who band together to play pranks on younger people, with White helping conspire to put one over on "the unsuspecting youth of
Betty White, who used to star on the hit sitcom “Golden Girls,” now stars on “Hot in Cleveland.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Q: I know you read more in the entertainment circle and see more people. Can you tell me which show Betty White prefers to be on — "Hot in Cleveland" or "Golden Girls"?

She seems to like the one-line zingers she gets on "Hot in Cleveland." She is still stunning on "Hot in Cleveland," but she doesn't walk around much; she's mostly sitting.

A: You give me more credit than I deserve. My access is pretty limited except the two times a year when I am in Los Angeles, and even then it depends on which programs the networks choose to panel.

But even if I could call her up on the phone, my guess is that White is such a pro she wouldn't choose one show over the other, lest she hurt the feelings of those people she worked with then or works with now.

But if I were her, "Golden Girls" would surely be my favorite. Without it, she wouldn't have been likely to have this wonderful, late-in-life career resurgence.

'Person of Interest' move irks

Q: Where can I write or call regarding the changing of the time for "Person of Interest"? I can't watch it anymore because it comes on at 9 p.m. I don't care what day — I want CBS to put it back on at 8 p.m. again so that I can watch it.

A: Sorry, but CBS isn't going to change its programming strategy to suit anyone's bedtime. That's not how the TV business works.

But if you'd still like to write to CBS, the address for the entertainment division is 4024 Radford Av., Studio City, CA 91604, or call 1-818-655-1500. Other addresses can be found online.

'Full Throttle Saloon' coming back

Q: Please tell me there will be a new season of "Full Throttle Saloon."

A: TruTV just finished filming a new season at Sturgis, S.D. New episodes will air in the winter.

Reruns get even more commercials

Q: TV Land has been showing some one-hour reruns such as "Gunsmoke" on a 70-minute schedule and half-hour shows on a 35-minute schedule. This permits even more commercials where there are already too many. Is this a trend for the future for all TV shows?

A: Networks are out to make money any way they can. If squeezing in more commercials or trimming a show's running time will accomplish that, then they will continue to utilize novel programming strategies, particularly in non-prime-time hours for shows that are in their 80th rerun.

I don't expect to see this practice migrate into prime time, where original programming lives.

Send TV questions (with name and city/state) to

tvqanda@gmail.com.

about the writer

about the writer

ROB OWEN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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