#Middlebury
Q: What happened to the Native American characters in “FBI: Most Wanted”? One played the right-hand man to Agent LaCroix. They all simply disappeared. – M.H.
A: Actor Nathaniel Arcand confirmed in July that he would not be returning to “FBI: Most Wanted” as Agent Clinton Skye, who is also Special Agent LaCroix’s (Julian McMahon) brother-in-law. No reason was given for his exit, but he can be seen in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. As for LaCroix’s mother- and father-in-law, Marilou and Nelson Skye (played by Irene Bedard and Lorne Cardinal), their future remains uncertain as they haven’t appeared on the new season and are not listed in the upcoming credits.
Vanessa Lachey (Christopher Patey/CBS photo)
Q: How is “NCIS: Hawai’i” doing in the ratings so far? I hope it doesn’t get canceled, but it seems like these network spin-off shows do well. – K.K.
A: You can rest assured that “NCIS: Hawai’i” won’t be canceled. In fact, star Vanessa Lachey said the show has just been picked up for a full season of 20-24 episodes, up from 13 plus the pilot in its debut season. According to TVLine.com, “NCIS: Hawai’i” is the fall’s “most watched series launch, having debuted to 6.6 million total viewers.” Lachey stars as Jane Tennant, the first female special agent in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor. “NCIS: Hawai’i” airs Mondays on CBS at 10 p.m. ET.
Q: We have watched “Gunsmoke” for years. Can you tell me about the actors who played Miss Kitty, Doc and Festus? Also, was there a character named Chester? – M.N.
A: “Gunsmoke” made its TV debut in 1955. It was set in Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1890s and centered on U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness. Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) was the red-haired proprietress of the Long Branch Saloon, while Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) was the town doctor. There was indeed a Chester: Deputy Marshal Chester Goode, played by Dennis Weaver, who left the series in 1964.
Blake started out on the stage before MGM studios discovered her, viewing her as “the next Greer Garson.” After 19 seasons on “Gunsmoke,” she left to devote time to breeding cheetahs in captivity. She passed away in 1989 at age 60.
Milburn Stone grew up in a tiny Kansas town much like Dodge City. He was briefly replaced by actor Pat Hingle while he underwent heart surgery, but returned for the final four seasons.
Dennis Weaver chose to leave “Gunsmoke” because, as he told The Toronto Star, he didn’t want to be the “second banana” anymore. He eventually played the titular role in “McCloud,” a TV series that ran seven years. Weaver was replaced on “Gunsmoke” by Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen. Curtis, a singer and the son-in-law of director John Ford, has appeared in numerous films, including “Mister Roberts” and “The Searchers.”
“Gunsmoke” ran until 1975 on CBS and was the longest running scripted series in history before “The Simpsons” broke that record in 2018.
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© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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