Celebrity Extra: Vanessa Redgrave
By Dana Jackson
Q: A friend keeps recommending the series "Call the Midwife" to me. She says it's a British show that she watches on PBS. Is it available to stream anywhere? -- K.J.
A: If you don't have PBS, you can find 11 seasons of "Call the Midwife" currently on Netflix. The historical drama takes place in the East End of London in the mid-20th century and was recently renewed by the BBC for two more seasons. (Future seasons should be available on Netflix as well.)
The show wasn't expected to be such a big hit, even when the Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave was tapped to narrate the series, but it's won the hearts of viewers worldwide and has helped fill the void of those who miss watching "Downton Abbey."
Vanessa Redgrave narrates the BBC series "Call the Midwife." Photo Credit: Depositphotos
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Q: Whatever happened to the actor Jesse Metcalfe? The last I saw him, he was on the newer version of "Dallas," which I thought was a great show and wished had lasted longer. -- H.S.
A: Jesse Metcalfe's first big television role was on the daytime soap "Passions," where he played Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald for five years. He soon became a household name when he played Eva Longoria's shirtless gardener (and lover) on the hit series "Desperate Housewives," when it premiered almost two decades ago.
TNT's reboot of the nighttime soap "Dallas" had a promising beginning back in 2012. It had a gorgeous young cast, with Metcalfe and Josh Henderson as the new generation of Ewings, and earned the approval of old fans with the return of original cast members Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray.
Nearly 7 million viewers tuned in for the premiere of the new "Dallas," but ratings declined steadily over the next three seasons. Low ratings, coupled with the death of Hagman in real life (and his iconic character of J.R. Ewing on-screen), surely contributed to the show's demise.
While his career may appear to have slowed down after "Dallas," Metcalfe has landed one role after another, including a long-running one on the Hallmark Channel's family drama "Chesapeake Shores," which lasted six seasons. You can also catch him in the recent Dennis Quaid film "On a Wing and a Prayer," available on Amazon Prime Video.
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Q: I read that "NCIS" is going to have a spinoff that takes place overseas. Will it be available to watch here in the U.S.? -- S.M.
A: "NCIS: Sydney" is the latest installment of the hit CBS franchise, but it'll only be available on Paramount+ here in the U.S. The show is currently filming in Australia and will star Olivia Swann ("DC's Legends of Tomorrow") as Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance ("Spartacus: War of the Damned") as Sgt. JD Dempsey.
According to Deadline.com, the show "will follow the eclectic team of U.S. NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who are grafted into a multi-national taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet."
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(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.