Q. Why are the so-called professional women on CSI: Miami dressed like hookers? On a particularly sensitive show about the murder of a 5-year-old girl by a pedophile, both Kim Delaney and Emily Procter arrived at the crime scene dressed in low-cut tops and push-up bras. TV might want to dress its female stars attractively but the show is turning into nothing more than a breast-fest. -L.M., Titusville
A. Expect a thank-you card from the producers at any time. Your letter probably pushed up the ratings at least a point among young males, which is exactly why the women on this show and most others dress the way they do. That said, I pointed out in my review on opening night the absurdity of Kim Delaney showing up at a crime scene in the Everglades wearing spike-heeled boots and a fashionable pant suit. One thing I can promise: Delaney’s wardrobe will not upset you again. She has been written out of the series. Her last episode aired Monday.
Q. I read that Richard Dawson married a contestant on Family Feud. Was she a celebrity? Also, I heard that Ray Combs committed suicide. Is this true? – M.N., Plantation
A. Kissy-face Dawson, who turned 70 on Nov. 20, did indeed marry a Family Feud contestant, Gretchen Johnson, who was there to play the game with her family. Dawson, who had previously been married to voluptuous British actress Diana Dors, met Johnson on the show on April 6, 1981. He was 48 and she was 27. They had a daughter in 1990 and married the following year. They are still together. Combs took his own life by hanging, according to reports, on June 3, 1996. A year earlier, he was involved in a serious accident, which left him almost paralyzed.
Q. I just bought a new VCR. In setting it up, I found that the clock automatically sets itself from information from a local TV station. When I tried to set the timer for a TV program recording, I noticed the name of that TV program was shown on my VCR. Does this mean that it is possible for the VCR to relay information on my usage to stations for advertising purposes? – R.T., via e-mail
A. I hate to be definitive at a time when government is asking and receiving unprecedented rights to pry into the private lives of citizens. However, the short answer is no. The information you are receiving is not a two-way street. Even if you were a Nielsen family and everything you watched was registered on a meter, the ratings company supposedly maintains your anonymity.
Q. I watched a movie, Dying to Belong, on Lifetime. A beautiful song was playing in the background. It sounded like, “Hey, I wish I was your lover…” Could you find out who did the song and where I could obtain a copy? – R.S., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
A. You cleaned up the title slightly. The name of the song is Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover, by Sophie B. Hawkins. It’s available on Hawkins’ CD of the same title.
Q. Which show do you think is best, NYPD Blue or Third Watch? I like Third Watch best. – Gene, Deltona
A. I never miss NYPD Blue and I never watch Third Watch. Does that answer your question? We’re all entitled to our tastes and opinions, so this doesn’t make me right and you wrong – although in this instance, that is the case.
Send your questions about local television, the networks or cable to Tom Jicha, TV/Radio Writer, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293. Personal replies are not possible; please do not send self-addressed stamped envelopes.
