– Will “The Dead Zone” be back with new episodes on USA Network anytime soon? It’s a great show! –Mercedes via e-mail.
– One of cable’s biggest hits, the Anthony Michael Hall series, based on a Stephen King novel, starts a new season on Jan. 5, 2003.
– Is Bruce Springsteen doing the new opening theme song to “The Guardian”? –Bobbie via e-mail.
– No, it’s Jakob Dylan and his group, the Wallflowers, performing “The Empire in My Mind,” which Dylan wrote expressly for the series.
– Who played George Steinbrenner on “Seinfeld”? I say Garry Marshall, but my husband disagrees. –Diane Plitt, Laurel, Md.
“Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David, currently starring in the HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was the uncredited voice of Steinbrenner and even “sat in” for the character in some scenes. In others, actor Lee Bear occupied Steinbrenner’s chair.
– I heard a rumor that “Providence” is in danger of being canceled. I knew that ratings had dropped sharply, but is this true? –Abby L., Atlanta.
– It’s a done deal. Although NBC gracefully dances around using the C word, the network has announced that “Providence” will end its five-year run with a special two-hour finale on Dec. 20.
– When did “Captain Video” originally air? –Bryce Garrett, Boscobel, Wis.
– A 1949-55 offering of the DuMont Network, which we talked about here just a few weeks ago, “Captain Video and His Video Rangers” was a weekday program starring Al Hodge as private citizen-scientist Captain Video. Richard Coogan created the role in 1949 but left after one season. Co-stars included Don Hastings, who has played Dr. Bob Hughes on CBS’ “As the World Turns” since 1960.
The weekday success of the series was so strong that a live Saturday companion series, “The Secret Files of Captain Video,” ran from 1953 to 1955, presenting “backstories” on the characters from the weekday programs. The series eventually petered out in a 1956 ABC offering called “Captain Video and His Cartoon Rangers,” in which Hodge’s Captain Video introduced cartoons including “Little Lulu” and “Superman” from his secret mountain retreat.
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