Q: In a "Murder, She Wrote" episode titled "To the Last Will I Grapple With Thee," there is a character who gets murdered who has bad scars on his face. I think the actor who played him was in an accident and got burned. Am I right? Who is he?
A: The actor was Richard Lynch, a regular presence in prime-time series and movies. The scars on his face were real and led to his often being cast as a villain. He said they resulted from him setting himself on fire after taking LSD in 1967. He was 72 when he died of a heart attack in 2012.
Moving in permanently
Q: When are they going to name a co-host for Kelly Ripa? I am tired of the guest hosts.
A: It was announced two weeks ago that Ryan Seacrest is the permanent co-host for the renamed "Live With Kelly and Ryan." This was a big move for the former "American Idol" host, who is known not only for on-air efforts but as a successful producer and businessman. In his new job, Variety reported, Seacrest gets "another big media platform. He will relocate from Los Angeles to New York for the 'Live' gig, but will continue to host his syndicated daily drive-time radio show for L.A.'s KIIS-FM and the weekly American Top 40 radio program." The plan is to build a radio studio for Seacrest at WABC-TV in New York, where the TV show originates."
The moral of the story
Q: I have been searching for recordings of a very high-level discussion series. Twelve or more people sat at a large half-circle table discussing issues relating to morals, ethics and contemporary events, with panelists including U.S. senators, Supreme Court justices, corporate CEOs and others. It was probably from the 1980s. The quality was top-notch. Please advise where I can find recordings if they exist.
A: I think you are remembering such programs as "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance," "Profits and Promises" and "Ethics in America," all part of the long-running "Fred Friendly Seminars," named for the veteran newsman and airing on PBS for three decades. The series' website says: "The seminars always begin with a little story and a problem that could confront almost anyone. The implications of this problem, whatever they may be, then ripple out to encompass larger and larger issues and trigger ethical, emotional, legal and public policy questions that overlap and sometimes conflict."
You can find out more about them at fredfriendly.org, including an index and details about each telecast.
A Welk mainstay
Q: There was a singer on "The Lawrence Welk Show" by the name of Jimmy Roberts. Can you tell me a little something about him?
