Television Q&A's

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 30, 2000

Question: Who is the older woman with the big glasses in those Old Navy ads? I assume she is some well-known fashion maven.

Answer: Fashion diva Carrie Donovan has covered the world of fashion for the New York Times, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Since starring in the Old Navy ads, she has become a familiar face ("the lady with the big glasses"), although most people don't know her name. Donovan shares her fashion advice on the Internet with her own http://www.oldnavy.com column.

Question: I saw an HBO special featuring the Universal Soul Circus. I am now trying to find out how to contact the circus. Any help is appreciated.

Answer: It looks as if a slightly different name has thwarted your search. Billed as the only African-American-owned circus troupe in the United States, the UniverSoul Circus has been touring since 1994. More information can be found at its Web site at http://www.universoulcircus.com.

Question: After seeing Geena Davis' new show, I mentioned to friends that I recalled seeing her years ago on Family Ties. Eyes popped when Alex (Michael J. Fox) took her to a school dance. My friends say no way was she around back then.

Can you settle this? Am I wrong after all?

Answer: The Oscar-winning actor (Accidental Tourist) played teenager Karen Nicholson in a couple of Family Ties episodes in 1982. She was 25 at the time. That same year she appeared in Sydney Pollack's Tootsie as Jessica Lange's soap opera co-star.

Question: The Pretender has been my favorite weekly show. Luckily, I have found reruns on TNT.

Are we to be left hanging and have no more new episodes after last season's finale?

Answer: TNT has come to the rescue of Pretender fans with the announcement that two new Pretender movies are in the works. The first, tentatively scheduled for early next year, would pick up where the series ended.

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