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Vanna White's wardrobe and the Geico gecko's voice
Important: This column was last updated on October 26, 2008. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
Has Vanna White ever worn the same dress twice on Wheel of Fortune? — A.S., Plantation
This is hard to believe and I have only the word of the show's publicist, who has been square with me in the past, but through thousands of episodes Vanna has yet to wear the same dress twice.
I always wondered who was the voice of Geico's gecko. While watching Man vs. Wild last night, I thought that Bear Grylls sounded a lot like the gecko when Bear is whispering because he doesn't want to be heard and eaten by a leopard. Any thoughts? — D.L., Delray Beach
The Geico gecko has been voiced by several actors, including Kelsey Grammer — Frasier to you — but the current voice belongs to British comedic actor Jake Wood, who is probably most familiar to PBS audiences as Max Branning on EastEnders.
It seems that every day there is another announcement to "prepare for digital TV." Yes, if someone doesn't get TV via cable or satellite, it's important to act. But how many announcements do stations need to make? I get it already. — S.M., Fort Lauderdale
You're going to love this. The FCC has allocated $350,000 to sponsor David Gilliland's car in season-ending NASCAR races as a new element of its campaign to get out the word on the Feb. 17 switch-over. It's part of $20 million the FCC has been granted to promote the transition. Now you know why politicians say there is a lot of fat in the federal budget. Most people are aware the change is coming, but there is still a lot of misinformation about exactly what it means. There are estimates that close to 10 million homes still have done nothing to prepare, and another 2 to 3 million households will lose reception on at least one set.
Will Medium return this season? It seems like last season's final episode tied up all loose ends, leaving the impression the show might not return. — B.D, e-mail
Medium is scheduled to return to NBC at midseason, after Sunday Night Football concludes its run. Its renewal was touch and go, which probably explains the way they wrapped last season. All borderline shows should be so considerate of fans.
A New York Times article stated that Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity were Nos. 1 and 2 among all newscasters in size of viewing audience. How does this compare with the audiences of Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC? — S.C., e-mail
Surely you don't doubt The New York Times. Averaging the ratings for some recent nights in October, The O'Reilly Factor is tops among all programs of its type, at north of 3.5 million viewers. Keith Olbermann's Countdown has about 2 million in the 8 p.m. hour. Hannity & Colmes registers about 2.7 million viewers at 9 p.m. and the new Rachel Maddow program is closing in on 2 million. Chris Matthews is well behind at about 1.5 million.
These shows have same-night encores, which also draw sizable audiences, although possibly the same people in some cases. Also, these numbers have been inflated by interest in the elections.
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This is hard to believe and I have only the word of the show's publicist, who has been square with me in the past, but through thousands of episodes Vanna has yet to wear the same dress twice.
I always wondered who was the voice of Geico's gecko. While watching Man vs. Wild last night, I thought that Bear Grylls sounded a lot like the gecko when Bear is whispering because he doesn't want to be heard and eaten by a leopard. Any thoughts? — D.L., Delray Beach
The Geico gecko has been voiced by several actors, including Kelsey Grammer — Frasier to you — but the current voice belongs to British comedic actor Jake Wood, who is probably most familiar to PBS audiences as Max Branning on EastEnders.
It seems that every day there is another announcement to "prepare for digital TV." Yes, if someone doesn't get TV via cable or satellite, it's important to act. But how many announcements do stations need to make? I get it already. — S.M., Fort Lauderdale
You're going to love this. The FCC has allocated $350,000 to sponsor David Gilliland's car in season-ending NASCAR races as a new element of its campaign to get out the word on the Feb. 17 switch-over. It's part of $20 million the FCC has been granted to promote the transition. Now you know why politicians say there is a lot of fat in the federal budget. Most people are aware the change is coming, but there is still a lot of misinformation about exactly what it means. There are estimates that close to 10 million homes still have done nothing to prepare, and another 2 to 3 million households will lose reception on at least one set.
Will Medium return this season? It seems like last season's final episode tied up all loose ends, leaving the impression the show might not return. — B.D, e-mail
Medium is scheduled to return to NBC at midseason, after Sunday Night Football concludes its run. Its renewal was touch and go, which probably explains the way they wrapped last season. All borderline shows should be so considerate of fans.
A New York Times article stated that Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity were Nos. 1 and 2 among all newscasters in size of viewing audience. How does this compare with the audiences of Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC? — S.C., e-mail
Surely you don't doubt The New York Times. Averaging the ratings for some recent nights in October, The O'Reilly Factor is tops among all programs of its type, at north of 3.5 million viewers. Keith Olbermann's Countdown has about 2 million in the 8 p.m. hour. Hannity & Colmes registers about 2.7 million viewers at 9 p.m. and the new Rachel Maddow program is closing in on 2 million. Chris Matthews is well behind at about 1.5 million.
These shows have same-night encores, which also draw sizable audiences, although possibly the same people in some cases. Also, these numbers have been inflated by interest in the elections.
Write to Tom ...
Send your questions to Tom Jicha, TV/Radio Writer, Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293 or tjicha@SunSentinel.com. Personal replies are not possible. Please do not send self-addressed stamped envelopes.» Get the latest on your favorite shows and stars at SunSentinel.com/tvblog
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